Face to face presentation on adult learning theory and research Paper

Face to face presentation on adult learning theory and - Research Paper Example Another problem that was evaluated from the response of the audience was relating to the provided handout, which did provide sufficient description of the presentation (Duarte, 2008; Levin, 2006). The main concern of the current presentation is to improve knowledge and understandings is with respect to adult learning theory and research. The main issue that is associated with the presentation includes the structure of the overall presentation. Furthermore, questions are likely to arise due to the communication problem between the audience and the presenter (Abela, 2008). The current presentation has few defects thus, it is essential to make further plans to enhance the outcome of online presentation. The modification of online planning with respect to interest of the audience is considerably decisive. The online presentation should be short and easily understandable. In addition to this, the structure of presentation should be designed in a proper manner in order to gain audiences’ attention (Attrill, 2015; Reynolds,

Vietnamese Immigration to America Essay Example for Free

Vietnamese Immigration to America Essay Vietnam is located in the Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia; 6 00 N, 106 00 E. Its Total Land Area is 329,560 sq km, with a land area of 325,360 sq km and water area of 4,200 sq km. It is slightly larger than New Mexico. Its total land boundary is 4,639 km with border countries like Cambodia, China and Laos. It has3, 444 km coastline which excludes the islands. Its maritime claims include the territorial sea: 12 nm, contiguous zone: 12 nm, exclusive economic zone: 200 nm, continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin. Its climate tropical in south, monsoon in north with hot, rainy season and warm, dry season in mid-October to mid-March. Its terrain includes low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly, mountainous in far north and northwest. (See â€Å"Vietnam†. About: Geography). The history of Vietnamese Americans began with the end of the Viet Nam War in 1975. On 28 January 1973, after having spent years and millions of dollars financing the Viet Nam War, the United States government reluctantly agreed to withdraw its financial and military assistance after signing the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam. The peace agreement was signed by representatives of the United States, the Republic of Viet Nam (South Viet Nam), and the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (North Viet Nam) in Paris. The agreement committed the United States and other signatories to respect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Viet Nam, called for prisoners of war to be exchanged, and declared an in-place cease fire. Soon after the withdrawal of the United States military and economic support, the military situation deteriorated rapidly for the government of South Viet Nam. The flight of the Vietnamese refugees really began within the country, with the North Vietnamese military offensive of mid-March 1975 resulting in the defeats at Pleiku, Kontum, and Ban Me Thuot. As a result of this military offensive about one million refugees poured out of these areas and headed for Saigon and the coast. Most traveled by foot, few were fortunate enough to travel by car, truck, or motor bike. On 30 April 1975, the capital of South Viet Nam, and thus South Viet Nam, came under the control of the Provisional Revolutionary Government. This resulted in the flight of the Vietnamese refugees to the United States. Vietnamese refugees were not immigrants who chose to come to the U. S. for better political, social, and economic opportunities. Their migration was for the most part unplanned and out of desperation. Vietnamese emigration is generally divided into two periods, each with several â€Å"waves. † The first period began in April 1975 and continued through 1977. This period included the first three waves of Vietnamese refugees in the United States. The first wave of refugees, involving some ten to fifteen thousand people, began at least a week to ten days before the collapse of the government. The second wave, and probably the largest in numbers, involved some eighty thousand, who were evacuated by aircraft during the last days of April. The evacuation of American personnel, their dependents, and Vietnamese affiliated with them was achieved through giant helicopters under â€Å"Operation Frequent Wind. † These individuals were relatively well-educated, spoke some English, had some skills that were marketable, came from urban areas, and were westernized. Members of these two waves were primarily Vietnamese who worked for the U. S. government, American firms, or the Vietnamese government. All were thought to be prepared for life in the United States on the basis of their contact with the American government and association with Americans. The final wave during this period involved forty to sixty thousand people who left on their own in small boats, ships, and commandeered aircraft during the first two weeks of May 1975. They were later transferred to Subic Bay, Philippines and Guam Island after having been picked up, in many cases, by U. S. Navy and cargo ships standing off the coast. A second period of the Vietnamese refugee migration began in 1978. Since the fall of South Viet Nam in 1975, many Vietnamese have tried to escape the political oppression, the major social, and political and economic reforms instituted by the authoritarian government of North Viet Nam. Although the influx continues steadily, the numbers are no longer as massive as they once were. A significant characteristic of this period, especially between the years 1978 to 1980, is the large number of ethnic Chinese migrating out of Viet Nam and Cambodia. In addition to the ethnic Chinese, there were many Vietnamese who left during this period. These individuals have been called â€Å"boat people† because the majority of them escaped in homemade, poorly constructed boats and wooden vessels. Due to flimsy vessels, scant knowledge of navigational skills, limited amount of provisions, and numerous attacks by Thai sea pirates, the death rate of the â€Å"boat people† was and is very high. Many of the boat people are awaiting their fate in refugee camps throughout Southeast Asia. In addition, since 1979 many former receiving countries are turning away refugees because of the economic, political, and social strains that they are allegedly precipitating. (See â€Å"Vietnam War†. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia). The areas where they settled after their migration were in the states of California, Texas, Louisiana, Washington, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida. As a result of the original resettlement, the secondary migration process, and the length of time since their first arrival in 1975, Vietnamese refugees have been able to establish communities throughout the United States, but are generally located in metropolitan and urban areas. Since the Vietnamese were forced to leave their country as a result of the war, personal adjustments such as becoming proficient in English, separating from families, and dealing with war memories are pressing issues. Because many Vietnamese did not know English, learning a new and different language became an important criterion for adjusting to new living conditions in the United States. In addition, the Dispersal Policy forced many extended families to separate, and some Vietnamese have found themselves in new and unfamiliar communities without family or the community support networks which were of great importance in Viet Nam. Finally, because of the traumatic experiences incurred while leaving their homeland, many experience depression, anxiety, alienation, a sense of helplessness, and recurring war nightmares. To assimilate into the United States economically as quickly as possible, many Vietnamese were forced to obtain low paying jobs. Even for those who were professionals in their country, their credentials failed to transferor simply were not accepted in the United States. The large number of people who were members of the military had skills which were no longer marketable. And, because many did not have the necessary skills to find high paying jobs, both men and women have had to find employment. It is easier for women to find employment, especially in the service and low-skill sectors, and women began to occupy positions traditionally held by men. That is, women have succeeded in achieving a degree of economic independence through their employment outside the home. In some cases, women support the entire family while the men receive technical or educational training for occupations with specific skills. Family conflicts between husbands and wives resulted as an unfortunate side effect. Since women were more likely to find jobs than men and in some instances became the only income earner, traditional family roles and authority were changing. Men were no longer the sole provider for the family and their authority was no longer as clear as it was in Viet Nam. There were a number of substantial of Vietnamese who are attending prestigious colleges and universities throughout America. Upon graduation, these individuals have also become members of the professional group or skilled workers in America. However, while there has been some success in the field of education, Vietnamese Americans are not a â€Å"model minority. † After the fall of Viet Nam in 1975, only a small group of children continued their education. Many younger Vietnamese had problems adjusting to American school. Those who seemed to be having the most problems adjusting are those who came either as unaccompanied minors or the recent arrivals. These individuals primarily immigrated after 1975 and most likely came at an age when it was difficult to learn a new language and adjust to a new society; some have turned to gangs, drugs, gambling, and other illegal activities. The formation of youth gangs might have resulted from their inability to catch up with their peers in schools, their unfamiliarity with a strange land, and perhaps their alienation from their families due to cultural gaps. ( See â€Å"The New Migrants from Asia: Vietnamese in the United States†. Organization of American Historians).

Egypt : The People :: essays research papers

Egypt : The People Approximately 32,500,000 people live in Egypt. Peasant farmers called fellahin make up over 60 percent of the population. But less than 4 percent of Egypt's land is suitable for farming. Before the leaders of the 1952 revolution introduced land reform, less than 2 percent of the landowners owned half of the land available for farming. Most of the fellahin were tenants or owned very tiny farms. A man who owned 3 to 5 acres was considered well-off. Now no one is permitted to own more than 50 acres, and the average Egyptian farm is generally much smaller than that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An Egyptian farmer's main tools are the hoe, a simple plow, and the sakia, or waterwheel. The fellah, his wife, and their children all work together in the fields. The dreary routine of their lives is relieved only on a few occasions-the group prayer in the mosques on Fridays, religious feasts, and family events such as weddings or the circumcisions of young boys.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A farmer's most valuable possession is the water buffalo, cow, or ox that helps him with the heavy farm work. The water buffalo or ox draws the plow, turns the waterwheel, and pulls the nowraj. The nowraj is a wooden platform mounted on four or five iron disks. The sharpened edges of the disks crush the stalks of wheat so that the grain can be separated from the chaff. The water buffalo or cow also supplies the fellah's family with milk and with calves that can be sold. Very often the fellah shares his house with his animals. This is unsanitary, but it is the farmer's preferred way of protecting them. The theft of an animal could mean economic catastrophe for the poor fellah.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fellah wears a loose, long cotton robe called a gallabiyea, loose cotton pants, and a wool cap, which he makes himself. For special events he makes a turban by folding a white sash around the cap. Flat, yellow slippers complete the fellah's outfit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fellah, the wife of the fellah, wears dresses with long sleeves and trailing flounces and a black veil, which she sometimes uses to cover her face. On market days and other special occasions the women wear earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. These ornaments are usually made of beads, silver, glass, copper, or gold. They make a pleasant musical sound as the fellah walks along the dusty lanes of the village.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most of Egypt's fellahin live in the villages along the Nile. The villages invariably look gray because the houses are whitewashed only for important events suck as weddings.

Tuckman Group

Storming Stage: Every individual in the group will come up with different ideas to solve the problems of the reject; Also members will share their experiences and bring in what they have learnt from different projects form the past which will be great benefit to this one (what worked and what didn't work). At this stage every idea is valuable to make the project perfect -All ideas or contributions must be noted and treated as important. Morning Stage: At this stage, they work out strengths and weaknesses Of all the members to know who can do what based on individuals background, experience and area of expertise.The task is now assigned to everyone from the processes listed in the forming stage. They also prepare a timely schedule for the completion of the tasks as well as meeting dates in which each stage of task is fed back to the group ( as they are all from different countries, their meeting could be done using ‘Conference call' or online). They will have to prepare their sc hedule in line with the tight deadline they have been given. Performing Stage: This is the stage in which the project is actually completed, tested and executed. The improvement process is completed and updated unto the company's database.Samaritan oversees the whole process as a team leader. Paul will be in charge of the budget – looking at how much the company is willing to spend on this project; the actual cost of resources needed; cost of contracting out if necessary; and how well they can manage the fund available to complete the project. Michael has a good knowledge of stakeholders, so he is going to be looking at the needs of clients; the benefit and suitability of the improvement process to the company's operation. Michael along with Alice will be working together looking at the cost benefit analysis of the project.They will be considering and weighing the benefits of he project to its cost to the company in long term. Susan and Alice will be given the responsibility of writing the programmed, of needs to improve the process using programming languages, which will be incorporated into the existing process software and updated. Everyone is now aware of what is expected of him or her and from here they move onto the fourth stage which is; Adoring Stage: after the new process is implemented, then the team's objective is completed and thereby dissolved, this is referred to as the adoring stage.The basis for which the group was plopped has been actualities. When there is need for any other improvement then another group/team will be established which may comprise of the same or different set of people. Mourning Stage: This won't really apply to this team as their task has been completed and the team has been automatically dissolved. The mourning stage is when a group loses its member(s) and there happens to be no replacement. It may only apply to this team if doing he period they are working on the project, a member resigns is being sacked from the c ompany and not been replaced by any other person.

Ge’s Talent Machine: the Making of a CEO

General Electric (GE) is a true global company with attendance in more than 100 countries. Clearly, with a workforce of more than 320’000 employees, GE also has to have proper human resources processes established. Its energetic Business Operation Model and sophisticated and evolved human resources strategy are results of the steady growth over more than 130 years of corporate history. Since its incorporation in 1878, many CEOs have shaped the company’s products, people and processes, few very intensive and a bit less (GE, 2011). GE has been able to create a surplus while most companies have difficulty producing sufficient quality candidates for top management succession. Producing sufficient quality top management is very difficult for most companies, GE was producing managers not only for own, but enough quantity to meet the need of industry. The philosophy that GE had adopted included some techniques, policies, and practices which allow GE to fill vacant top positions. These techniques were continuous improvement, focus strategy, emerging culture, company strategy, and meritocracy (Bartlett, 2003). As for continuous improvement, management development process of GE was very successful in which employees are developed step by step. As a focus strategy and to fill vacant top positions, GE was focusing on internal foundation. For company strategy, the company was trying not only to gain objectives but also to unite the new employees with the existing culture followed at GE. And lastly for meritocracy, GE employee’s performance was measured by quantitative and qualitatively and the basis of this evaluation, the employees were promoted. GE’s policies and practices were so good that it was producing the surplus managers. Values, culture, training programs, and performance assessment measures are factors that help GE in revealing and polishing the talent of every employee (Bartlett, 2003). Overall policies and practices are very good and fulfill the requirement and need of management development. These policies and practices were generalized in every where in the world up to some extent. Their extent depends upon the circumstances, situations, and environment of the geographical areas, laws, and regulations of state because these factors vary from culture (Bartlett, 2003). These policies and practices are implemented in European culture but it is very difficult to implement these policies in the Asian culture due to HR policies have to deal with human behavior and culture. Human behaviors are different in each country in same situations. For transferring these policies it is necessary to change and create the circumstances and situations according to that of GE. HR departments have to deal with factors like value, culture, and behavior and these things are different from each culture to culture, company to company (Bartlett, 2003). GE believes its ability to develop management talent is a core competency that represents a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Traces the development of a 25-year-old MBA named Jeff Immelt, who 18 years later is named as CEO of GE, arguably the biggest and most complex corporate leadership job in the world, and how he frames and implements his priorities for GE. Immelt's own developments and the strategic changes Immelt adopts in his first year as CEO, when he pulls hard on the sophisticated human resource levers his predecessors left him. Immelt questions whether the changes in place will foster the development of the next generation of GE growth leaders. Jeffrey Immelt was identified as a â€Å"young hot-shot† in one of these programs, and eventually rose up the ranks to become the present Chief Executive Officer (Bartlett, 2003). Under Mr. Immelt (beginning in 2001), GE shifted its business model to a more technological focus, identifying certain growth sectors such as health care IT, water technology (among others) for managers to focus on generating revenues. In addition, they emphasized greater â€Å"customer focus† in their businesses and looked towards growing internationally as well. In this stage, HR decided to include more engineers in the SEB program, and encouraged more transfer of talent into sales/marketing positions in order to emphasize their desire to establish long-term customer relations. The talent machine had to change to be in line with the changing business environment (Bartlett, 2003). Immelt has the opposite managerial approach when compared to Welch even though some similarities are found in both leaders. They both encourage anagers to follow programs that are aimed at improving management skills and get them involved with the company vision and goals. Immelt also requires a two way communication between employees and supervisors, but he prefers a quite exchange of opinion rather than a more confrontational approach that Welch was approving. Both Immelt and Welch knew or know all employees in depth. But it see ms that Welch, even though he was very tough and feared, was loved at all levels and employees felt to be part of a big family. Immelt on the other hand, is considered to be more people oriented and friendly (Bartlett, 2003). The organization under Immelt is growing a strong customer oriented culture rather than a product oriented culture that Welch created. New ideas are brought in by hiring managers from the outside business world and diversity within the employees is seen more favorably by the management. GE employees are now encouraged to come up with new ideas through â€Å"idea jams† meeting sessions, a type of group brainstorming. The best ideas are also awarded with the Excellerator Award (GE, 2011). The word GE evokes the thoughts of people focus, performance oriented growth, leadership and talent development, retention and maximum talent utilization. GE’s HR strategy is completely aligned with the business goals of the organization (Pinto, 2011). This strategic framework of double sided benefit (Employee and Employer) based on the talent or growth potential can be called as a Talent Machine. Given by the fact that the CEO and senior leaders spends valuable time helping devise the HR strategic goals division by division at the beginning of every year. Visions are communicated and shared throughout the business process (Bartlett, 2003). GE spends a huge sum of around 1 billion dollars every year for the employee development. The growth potential of the employees especially the leadership potential is tracked closely and is rewarded appropriately (Business Week, 2005). The performance review at GE is highly effective and evolved. It has a long-term direction and constructive criticism and an in built succession planning. The most important HR strategic policy is that more than 90% of the leadership positions are filled from within the organization (Hitt, 2007). Therefore, success in GE needs not just performance, but also a true present of GE culture and values. On the whole, GE’s maturity in the area of HR is clear when one looks into the sophisticated performance management process and tools and how the organization benefits itself and at the same time promises a good return to the employee (Bartlett, 2003). The quality of employees and their development through training and education are key factors in determining long-term profitability of any business. If you hire and keep good employees, it is a good strategy to invest in the development of their skills, so they can increase their productivity. Employees often develop a greater sense of self-worth, dignity and well-being as they become more valuable to the firm and to society. Generally they will receive a greater share of the material gains that result from their increased productivity. These factors give them a sense of satisfaction through the achievement of personal and company goals (Zero, 2011). Your business should have a clearly defined strategy and set of objectives that direct and drive all the decisions made especially for training decisions. Firms that plan their training process are more successful than those that do not. Most business owners want to succeed, but do not engage in training design that promise to improve their chances of success (Zero, 2011). GE believes its ability to develop management talent is a core competency that represents a source of sustainable competitive advantage. This case traces the development of GE's rich system of human resource policies and practices fewer than five CEOs in the post-war era, showing how the development of talent is embedded into the company's ongoing management responsibilities (Bartlett, 2003).

City Friends Advice and Advice to a Teenage Daughter Essays

City Friends Advice and Advice to a Teenage Daughter Essays City Friends Advice and Advice to a Teenage Daughter Essay City Friends Advice and Advice to a Teenage Daughter Essay doggy world meaning it is very dangerous with people holding knives waiting around every corner and men are more vicious than dogs. To me this doesnt sound like citys I know off. And Thrilling is saying that love is hard to win over because you have to compete with all the things the boys love. Thrilling is also saying that it may seem easy to win but you just have to be your self. You dont need to wear make up and skinny tight tops and trousers that make your bum look small, all you have to do to win the boys over is be your self and dont try to compete with football and all the rest you just need to be your self. My aspect Finally I am going to tell you which poem I prefer out of the two I have been speaking of in this essay. But to start with I am going to say whatever else I think is important in the poems. These poems have both been published which means the poets might be quite famous. In the poems the poets seem to have linked there story/ poem together because if you think about it, if you wear too much make-up and look really skinny because you are wearing tight tops and skinny jeans you are going to look cheep and if your walking around an city looking like a slut then suspicious people are going to start talking and maybe even picking on you. Now to which poem I think is more effective. I think Advice to a Teenage Daughter is more effective because it is telling you to be patient boys arent going to be interested in what girls do to try and get their attention. All the boys want to do is watch football, play cricket or even own a vehicle. So all you need to do is slow down and be your self and just wait for them to notice you at their own time. But now that I have got what I thought about the poem out the way I am going to say what how the two poems are linked. They are liked by both giving advice and because when you try to win a boy over you may end up looking tarty and you will then get inappropriate people trying to get your attention when you dont want it. This is just how the boy would feel. I find both the poems very useful and informal. I just want to say that if I had to choose a favourite poem of the two I couldnt. I hope the comparison is what you needed and helpful and educational for you.

Religious Tradition Interview

Religious Tradition Interview Interview Summary While discussing the interviewee’s background information, the participant replied that he had been in the position of Catholic Church leader for eighteen years. The interview also remarked that being a religious leader required patience because so many people strived to attend the church service to search for reconciliation and forgiveness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religious Tradition: Interview specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The participant gave account on his early experience of taking this position and explained that this had been his decision to become the minister of religion. Since the childhood, the religious leader was concerned with the possibility to prove his commitment to public life, as well as his love to God. While reflecting on the purpose of church in his community, Mr. Brown told that his desire to become a Catholic leader was not influenced by his parents. Rather, it had been his own conscious decision. At the of this discussion, the leader admitted that it had taken him 2 years to develop enough confidence in his leadership power to head the church. While deliberating on leader’s essential message that he reveals in Catholic tradition, Mr. Brown asserted that religion had a potent impact on formation of people’s moral, spiritual, and ethical values. Regardless of religious tradition, the interview believed that Catholicism fulfilled the role of spiritual foundation for people searching for reconciliation and peace. In addition, the participant looked very concerned while discussing the significance of celebrating the Eucharist and the role of church in the life of the community. In particular, the Catholic leader claimed that the church and divine rule represent the authority under which the public community could integrate. Possessing the uniform rules and principles would allow people to become spiritually closer to God. Due to the fact that Mr. Brown had lived in the region since his birth, he did not feel any pressure on the part of his parents and community. His attitude to people irrespective of their origin and beliefs is also equal, which is the main principle of Catholic tradition. In particular, the interviewee emphasized that his task as a leader was confined to constant support of parishioners who suffered from problems in a secular life. His position requires him to be the messenger between the real world and the divine world. While talking about the main challenges during the service, Mr. Brown noted that the most difficult in accomplishing his duty was to convince people of the necessity to observe virtues and values, notwithstanding the difficulties, which are often sent by God as a trial of human patience.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The religious leader also confess ed that the most difficult thing about his profession lied in persuading young population about the necessity to attend churches and enriching their values and spiritual beliefs. While analyzing future plans of the church community, the leader expressed his enthusiasm concerning the possibility of developing strong networks, in which religious tradition was presented in a broader sense. In particular, it should not be regarded as a religious commitment to God only, but as a philosophical framework that should form the underpinning of public life in the district. The fact that most people attend church and search for spirituality encourages the interviewee most of all. At the end of the interview, Mr. Brown added that this profession had become for him a tool for improving the life in the community and developing a strong ethical and moral system. Reflection While deliberating on the conservation with the religious leader of the Catholic Church Sebastian Brown, specific attention req uires the interviewee’s commitment to and understanding of the divine rule and its influence on public life. In particular, unlike many other leaders, Mr. Brown is more concerned with the practical significance of Catholic tradition. Convincing people of the influence of religion on their ethical and spiritual beliefs should be a priority for the church. Therefore, the role of religious mentors should consist in supporting and encouraging the parishioners to search for improving their life and shaping such virtues as love, compassion, and respect of other people. Forgiveness, therefore, is the first step toward reconciliation, although this is the most difficult one because individuals often fail to realize the actual value of this action. In fact, Mr. Brown’s vision is well thought because people often resort to God’s help whose actions are under the divine control. In this context, they do not have the right to decide who is to blame. Loving and respecting peo ple can make the world better and this philosophy of forgiveness and compassion will definitely provide a strong foundation for the entire community. Therefore, while discussing this issue, Mr. Brown focused predominantly on leadership and its importance for sustaining public life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religious Tradition: Interview specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He was less concerned with the future plans because most of his contributions were directed at improving the current state of affaires. At the same time, the discussion of Catholic tradition referred to its practical value for people who are in need of reconciliation and assistance to overcome the hardships. Such a philosophic and religious outlook on Catholic tradition presents the divine rule that acts according to reason. In particular, the religious leaders agreed with the idea that Catholicism always defined men, regardless of their social position. Humans, therefore, are creatures of God whose dignity is proclaimed. Indeed, modern understanding of religion identifies its philosophical strength, which enhances the importance of sustaining faith in God and divine rule by experiencing His love and contemplation. Although Catholic traditions differs greatly from other religious outlooks, including Islam, or Buddhism, its essence still lies in worshiping such universal virtues as kindness, love, respect, support, and justice. Religious teachings should not rely on elaborating theoretical frameworks, but also on developing the sense of identity and belonging to a specific Church communion. While reflecting on the role of leadership in the community, specific emphasis should be placed on the way religion influences methods of managing and controlling church service. Hence, the role of church should not be confined to religious commitment. Rather, people should attend churches to fulfill themselves in secular life. The beli evers, therefore, should be able to adhere to the utmost principles dictated by the church leader because they can contribute significantly to the welfare of the community. The focus on interviewee’s strong faith in the initial good of individuals allowed him to develop church memberships, as well as main ethical and moral values. The concept of membership entity premises on the individuals’ freedom to attend church to establish unlimited relationships. At this point, Mr. Brown approach to leading people is efficient because it focuses on people’s shift in their attributions and in their aspiration to enrich their spirituality.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Iron Cage - Max Webers Theory of Rationality

Iron Cage - Max Webers Theory of Rationality One of the theoretical concepts that Max Weber, founding sociologist, is most well known for is the iron cage. Weber first presented this theory in his important and widely taught work,  The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, however, he  wrote in German, so never actually used the phrase himself. It was American sociologist Talcott Parsons who coined it, in his original translation of Webers book, published in 1930. In the original work, Weber referred to a  stahlhartes Gehuse, which literally translated means housing hard as steel. Parsons translation into iron cage, though, is largely accepted as an accurate rendering of the metaphor offered by Weber. Understanding Webers Iron Cage In  The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber presented a carefully researched historical account of how a strong Protestant work ethic and belief in living frugally helped foster the development of the capitalist economic system in the Western world. Weber explained that as the force of Protestantism decreased in social life over time, the system of capitalism remained, as did the social structure and principles of bureaucracy that had evolved along with it. This bureaucratic social structure, and the values, beliefs, and worldviews that supported and sustained it, became central to shaping social life. It was this very phenomenon that Weber conceived of as an iron cage. The reference to this concept comes on page 181 of Parsons translation. It reads: The Puritan wanted to work in a calling; we are forced to do so. For when asceticism was carried out of monastic cells into everyday life, and began to dominant worldly morality, it did its part in building the tremendous cosmos of the modern economic order. Simply put, Weber suggests that the technological and economic relationships that organized and grew out of capitalist production became themselves fundamental forces in society. Thus, if you are born into a society organized this way, with the division of labor and hierarchical social structure that comes with it, you cant help but live within this system. As such, ones life and worldview are shaped by it to such an extent that one probably cant even imagine what an alternative way of life would look like. So, those born into the cage live out its dictates, and in doing so, reproduce the cage in perpetuity. For this reason, Weber considered the iron cage a massive hindrance to freedom. Why Sociologists Embrace Webers Iron Cage This concept proved very useful to social theorists and researchers who followed Weber. Most notably, the  critical theorists associated with the Frankfurt School  in Germany, who were active during the middle of the twentieth century, elaborated on this concept. They witnessed further technological developments and their impact on capitalist production and culture  and saw that these only intensified the ability of the iron cage to shape and constrain our behavior and thought. Webers concept remains important to sociologists today because the iron cage of techno-rational thought, practices, relations, and capitalism   now a global system   shows no signs of disintegrating anytime soon. The influence of this iron cage leads to some very serious problems that social scientists and others are now working to solve. For example, how can we overcome the force of the iron cage to address the threats of climate change, produced by the very cage itself? And, how can we convince people that the system within the cage is  not  working in their best interest, evidenced by the shocking wealth inequality that divides many Western nations?

Communcation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communcation - Assignment Example I will endeavor to cover the course content before the instructor discusses it in class, as this will increase my level of understanding. Moreover, I will handle all assignments promptly. This will mean that I will devote more time in undertaking research, and handing my papers before deadline. It is unfortunate that in the previous years I have had the problem of handing in my assignment past the deadline, a factor that has affected my grades. In 2014, I purpose to change this trend, and prepare for exams thoroughly. This will translate to a high level of dedication the entire semester, so that the final exams are an easier task to handle (New York Times 56). I have been an average student in the previous years, and a self-analysis has helped me to realize that I have more potential. In 2014, I want to explore all the potential that I have, and tap it into my academics. I will seek opportunities of experiential learning during the holidays, and acquire new skills. Moreover, I will take advantage of some of the university career programmes in a bid to diversify my

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Research proposal - Essay Example 78). Despite the widely acceptance, some scholars have opposed it, raising the arguments that it does not capture the entire sources of social influence especially among youths and the predicators it defines are not usually sufficient either (Bouzigard & Saidel 2010). For detailed understanding, studies should always be theory based. In this analysis, the theory of planned behavior was adopted as the theoretical framework to enhance the understanding (Ajzen 1991, p. 201). This theory asserts that when a person has a strong positive attitude, his/her subject norms will be stronger and the perceived control over the behavior will be greater; the intention to perform a particular behavior will be high, leading to involvement in that particular behavior. This theory is related to the influence students undergo in Saudi Arabia, leading to smoking instances (Kobus 2003, p. 36). Due to peer pressure, innocent students usually backslide and consequently follow the meek behaviors of their colleagues. Non-smoking students finally get themselves smoking. Most students in Saudi Arabia associate smoking with tobacco and not other substances. This is the reason why the government declared Saudi Arabia a free tobacco nation in 2000 (Garner & Alty 2005). In some instances, teachers smoke before their students, leading to poor role modeling (Connolly 2001, p. 31). Students from smoking families who also see their teachers smoke will have the courage to participate in advertisements designed to promote its consumption amongst the youths (Higgins & Conner 2003). The study aims to highlight how smoking affects behavior of students and the negative impacts it brings. Records from world heath organizations indicate that between 1999 and 2008 smoking amongst young people started between the ages of 13–15. Another set of data collected between 1999 and 2009 indicates that smoking prevalence ranges between 2.4% and 37%. The findings point

NEC ECC Contracts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

NEC ECC Contracts - Assignment Example General Construction. Contract Principles The Housing Grants, Reconstruction and Regeneration Act 1996 (HGRRA) focuses on payments under a construction contract. Specifically, the Act states that, when a construction contract is for 45 days or more that the party to the construction contract is entitled to installment payments (HGRRA 1996 Â §109). Section 111 of the HGRRA 1996 states that a construction contract shall stipulate the dates of the payments, and when the final sum comes due. Section 112 forms the basis on when and why one party may not pay the other party. Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 gives further protections to contractors. Another provision of this Act, section 142, appears to address the issue of subcontractors. Specifically, it states that any provision where payment is conditional upon performance of obligations under another contract, or a decision made by another person as to whether the obligations under another contract have been performed, is void. The terms are void, in that the time to make payment to the contractor cannot depend upon the performance of the other contract. This seems to specifically address subcontractors, and any kind of clause which might state that the general contractor will get paid if the subcontractor has performed his duties. The Design of the NEC3 ECC Contract. Main Options. The main options that would be used in this project would be Option C– the reason why Option C is appropriate in this case is because the work is only planned, and there is not an indication that there is a design in place. Option A assumes that there is a design in place, therefore the contractor would provide the works that are described in the contract. In Option B, the employer assumes the risk of the correctness of quantities, because the Contractor is the person who prices the bill of quantities and is responsible for the remeasurement of quantities if not correct. Therefore, this option is not appropriate for a design and build contract, as this contract appears to be. Option D also has a greater risk for the employer, as the target price is adjusted for changes in quantities and for compensation of events. Option E is not appropriate because it is only used when the work is not defined at the outset, and, since the pro ject is defined, this option shouldn't be used as it presents greater risks to the employer. Option F is inappropriate, because this option assumes that subcontactors do most of the work (Yuet, 1993). Option C is appropriate because, while there is a planned project in place, there is not yet a finished design. The employer can provide an activity schedule and the target price can be set according to this schedule. Moreover, costs are minimised to the employer, because the payments are made according to the actual costs that are incurred by the Contractor, and risks are shared by the Contractor and the Employer, because each party shares the burden of over-runs and each party also shares the benefits of savings. This also leads to fewer disputes. Secondary Options There are a number of secondary options which should be used, in order for disputes to be minimized. One of these is, Option P which should be negotiated, as this option provides for additional financial security should th e contractor not complete any part of the works, and other contractors have to complete the works. Option Q might be used as an incentive for the contractor to complete the work early, as Option Q provides for a bonus for early completion. This might be appropriate if the University is motivated to open the centre early for the students to enjoy, especially if this centre is going to be one of the selling points for the University. By the

The role of insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The role of insurance - Essay Example Broadly defining the term, it is the transfer of risk from one owner to another. This exchange from one entity to another is done by paying a premium to one party who is undertaking the contingent risk. In return, the person who is giving up on the loss and paying the premium gets the benefit of knowing either the extent of risk that is present and or preventing the loss at all.Insurance is one of the basic forms of risk management. In terms of position, an insurer is the person who undertakes the risk of loss; the policy holder is the person who buys the insurance and let's go of the risk that is associated. There is another term that is present, called the insurance rate; this factor is used to determine the charge that is charged for a certain kind of insurance. This extra charge is called the premium that the policy holder has to pay to let go of the risk that is present. All in all, the field of insurance and related risk management has evolved as a science. Insurance, along wit h risk management goes hand in hand. In other words, insurance is a product that is used to manage the risk that is associated with an expected event such a death, or an accident in which the prospective risks associated with the death and the accident would be the risk of the family losing a family member and the income that he or she brings. Also, the damage of the car in the accident will have to be paid. In such a case, where one knows the prospective hazards of something, it is better to insure the event so that the weight of paying for that risk at a later stage decreases. The risk premium that the policy holder has to pay depends upon the kinds of risk that the insurance company is covering. In short, the higher the risk, the higher the premium is to be paid to the insurance company and the events with a lower risk have to be adjusted with a lower premium. In evaluating the risk of an event, the insurance company makes sure that they take into account every quantifiable and qualitative factor that is present in the environment to come at a compensation that can be good enough today in order to cover the expenses in the future, if the event happens. Therefore, they insurance company greatly increases its value when the event that is being insured doesn't happen at all. For all this to take effect, the insurance providers undertake massive research regarding the insurance holder and the event that might take place. They insurance company also makes sure that they use statistical tools to evaluate the occurring of the events that may be insured, for exam ple the loss of an earning family member or an illness. Risk profiling is another major aspect of insurance. Companies who provide insurance makes sure that they do adequate risk profiling and consider it an important part. According to research and the Pareto principle, more than 80% of insurance claims arise from less than 20% of the profiles that are present. Thereofre, risk profiling helps the insurance companies understand which areas provide them greater risks of claims and which don't. Insurance providers' major aim is to develop an understanding regarding the subject that is being insured and gathering maximium possible and relevant knowledge so that they are able to better evaluate the potential risks that are present and also the likelihood of the occurrence of such events. Co-relations between different events, different factors, and summaries are presented to help the insurance providers with sound conclusions. Today, even artificial intelligence is being used in order to understand the correlation that is present between even ts that would help the insurance providers gauge the risk of an event happening. For example, the correlation between people having high amounts of alcohol everyday and

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 33

Case Study Example Britt might be compelled by the culture in the company, as informed by Sue, regarding the information provided by George. In the case, George is willing to disclose and use insider information for the company to present a winning bid, probably at a fee. The returns of the act might be big, but the acts of ensuring the tender wins are unethical. In this regard, Britt is entitled to at ethically, and avoid getting involved in the acts. As a matter of fact and responsibility, she is supposed to disclose such information to the management. The hardest part would be such disclosure as the ethical misdemeanor is led by the team leader, whilst the management can compromise such information to get the tender. Notwithstanding, Britt should go ahead and do the right thing, hoping for the best possible response from the company. As an ethics officer, it is vital to discuss the belief of discussing a pending proposal with a decision making team. The issue is hard to tackle, but very vital and relevant to the parties, as it tries to curb future malpractices. Ethical malpractices if discovered may make a company less appealing to the essential stakeholders, making it lose profitability. One way of communicating the issue to the firm is by engaging the workers in a one on one discussion. As an officer, one can approach the employees on a personal basis and enlighten them on the ills on such a behavior. The officer can research for various cases that negatively affected other companies and effects on individuals of such companies. Such information will be vital in ensuring that the employees are conversant with challenges of unethical practices and thus try to refrain from the same. Another practical way of ensuring that the employees of such a firm are addressed on the issue is organizing conferences. Such conferences should be well tailored to handle ethical issues and if necessary other issues on good corporate responsibilities. Such a move, even though initiated by an

Creating a Unit and Assessing Performance Assignment

Creating a Unit and Assessing Performance - Assignment Example This paper will focus on Social studies of Second Graders in Schools in Florida. Social Studies Skills and Concepts Matrix is structured in a manner to help the classroom teacher to assess the essential skills and perceptions of the students throughout the pre K 12 education. This curriculum is clearly constructed so that teachers can understand the introduction, development, mastery and the reinforcement of social studies and language Arts skills in order to ease the planning process. This also facilitates that there is uniform acquisition of these concepts and skills by the students across Florida. The social studies skills and concept matrix has four categories research skills, civil awareness concepts, geographical skills and concepts and social studies skills. The specific skills have been listed for each grade level. The introduction bench mark signifies the corresponding social studies with each skill that is introduced. The social studies skills should be evaluate using other core subjects to determine the overall Performance of the subject. To do this a year table that has been split between every nine weeks of teaching will be effective. It will be categorized with other subjects like language arts, Math, Reading and science. There is a lot of information in Social Studies that the second grade students of the state of Florida can obtain from the pacing guide if properly followed by the teacher. By the first nine weeks, a second grader studying Social Studies should know the responsibilities of a Citizenship, construction and use of simple maps and globes. The second nine weeks should teach on the contributions of American Indians and describing regions, communities and environment. By the third nine weeks the student should know the famous Americans and their contributions. The fourth nine weeks will let them understand barter trade system and holocaust. For ever set of nine weeks the student finishes there are special factors

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 33

Case Study Example Britt might be compelled by the culture in the company, as informed by Sue, regarding the information provided by George. In the case, George is willing to disclose and use insider information for the company to present a winning bid, probably at a fee. The returns of the act might be big, but the acts of ensuring the tender wins are unethical. In this regard, Britt is entitled to at ethically, and avoid getting involved in the acts. As a matter of fact and responsibility, she is supposed to disclose such information to the management. The hardest part would be such disclosure as the ethical misdemeanor is led by the team leader, whilst the management can compromise such information to get the tender. Notwithstanding, Britt should go ahead and do the right thing, hoping for the best possible response from the company. As an ethics officer, it is vital to discuss the belief of discussing a pending proposal with a decision making team. The issue is hard to tackle, but very vital and relevant to the parties, as it tries to curb future malpractices. Ethical malpractices if discovered may make a company less appealing to the essential stakeholders, making it lose profitability. One way of communicating the issue to the firm is by engaging the workers in a one on one discussion. As an officer, one can approach the employees on a personal basis and enlighten them on the ills on such a behavior. The officer can research for various cases that negatively affected other companies and effects on individuals of such companies. Such information will be vital in ensuring that the employees are conversant with challenges of unethical practices and thus try to refrain from the same. Another practical way of ensuring that the employees of such a firm are addressed on the issue is organizing conferences. Such conferences should be well tailored to handle ethical issues and if necessary other issues on good corporate responsibilities. Such a move, even though initiated by an

Building Identity Without Voice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Building Identity Without Voice - Research Paper Example There are several points where the idea of self – realization becomes a reflection of identity and the place in which one holds in society as a minority. One is the ideology of the no name woman, represented from the beginning of the book. The representation which is set by Kingston is to not have an identity or place within society. One loses their name as well as their ability to live, specifically because of the idea of marginalization that is within society. The no name woman is one which is not accepted into society because of the belief that she is pregnant outside of marriage. This is reflective of the same concept of self – identity which the narrator states and which is seen in society. â€Å"On nights when my mother and father talked about their life back home, sometimes they mentioned an ‘outcast table’ whose business they still seemed to be settling, their voices tight†¦. They could have sold her, mortgaged her, stoned her. But they had se nt her back to her own mother and father, a mysterious act hinting at graces not told me† (Kingston, 4). This example shows the relationship between self – identity and society in several ways. The mother and father’s perception is based on the instant marginalization or outcasts that are within society. This is combined with the self – representation of how one responds to society by the acts which are performed. In this instance, they disgraced themselves and the family by sending their aunt back to her family.

The Pianist Essay Example for Free

The Pianist Essay The film The Pianist is about a man, Szpilman, living in Poland during the war. It tells his story as one of the themes in the film is clearly the holocaust. The film presents the horrors of the holocaust in the experience of one man, Wladysaw Szpilman as he hides from the Nazis. The film makes an honest approach to the condition of holocaust. It presents the shades of humanity in between the good and the bad. It shows how the war gave people a chance to triumph over the holocaust and their humanity while others to succumb to it and humanity. Circumstances force people to do strange things. The war genre requires a lot of sensitivity to enable the audience to put themselves in the shoes of a character as he interacts with his environment. The point of view is quite important to achieve this. In my analysis I intend to find out if the point of view of Szpilman helps the movie achieve the desired outcome. The film begins with music as Szpilman plays a piano for Polish radio. Even though the scene is interrupted by a bomb, Szpilman remains momentarily caught up in his music. His devotion to music becomes the strength he needs to survive because despite the horrific circumstances, he does not give up playing for the radio again. As he tells the SS officer who helps him, he wants to play for the polish radio. By virtue of his dreams, he believes the war will end even when an SS officer asked him what he wanted to do after the war. Music and all art thus come out in the film as worthy weapons against the struggle. In terms of leading actor the film has Adrien Brody play Szpilman. The actor as the film opens is caught up in fulfilling his dreams of music. He seems a little preoccupied and absorbed. He is a regular guy. The lead actor gives the film its perspective. We see the war through his eyes and his experiences. In the span of the film, contrary to what one would expect from a war film, he remains more alone and does not rise to become an astonishing person who saves the day and lots of human life. Instead his main achievement is that he manages to remain concealed and survives the invasion of the Nazis. The lead actor is not a conventional hero. He is mostly passive trying to understand what is going on in the world around him. As we accompany him in the movie, we get locked up with him in hiding places and watch him ravaged by the war as he loses weight, confused and fall to pieces. Adrien performs his role by being totally immersed in his character. How he moves and talks and acts reveals the transformation he is undergoing including losing weight as his character gets starved and severe malnutrition. He is striking in that he represents the humanity of many and the story of survival is the survival of humanity against ravages of war. The leading actor is not about being a super good character but embodiment of bare human circumstance and the amazing journey of survival during terrible circumstances. The film does not give in to the cultural assumptions that all the Jews were good people and all the Germans bad people. The leading actor as well as other suffering victims are not all of humanity. They too are problematic and are not represented as saints. The suffering they underwent is horrific by virtue of being human despite what kind of people they are. The film represents in addition the reality that some Nazis had humanity too. An SS officer took care of Szpilman for the last stretch of his survival. The mise-en-scene of the film displays great aspects of setting, costumes and make-up and staging. Portions of the film are set and shot in Germany using the old building and barracks that were actually used during the war. Much of the film was filmed in Praga district while some was filmed in Germany’s Babelsberg film studios. Here a recreation of the ghetto was made. The ruins of the ghetto were also filmed inside an army base in the former Soviet. That effectively creates a real feeling to the film. The set creates a backdrop to the life of the prisoners. The costumes clearly identify the time period of changes that were occurring as people lost more and more. In addition the costumes and make-up help set the stage for action character. The point of view used in the film is that of Szpilman the leading actor. While the story begins there are many characters but quickly the point of view of the leading actor takes over. After his escape, Szpilman eyes become what we see the world through. The film unrolls with scenes of Szpilman interacting with his confined world. We see him trying to keep from the Nazis and basically try to survive. In the meantime, the world inside his head comes on and off as he hears music in his head. The director , Roman Polanski, gives a true and brilliant film by being true to the autobiography story of the real life Szphilman. He brings to the film his own past. In his childhood, Roman Polanksi underwent a similar situation. During the war, he escaped Krakow Ghetto. This was after his mother died. He hid for the duration of the war in a Polish farmer’s barn. He survived the war along with his father. He therefore draws from his personal experience as well as his experience with other film that have similar themes. In addition Polanski has had experience with films that deal with confinement and its disturbing effects on people. This is in his movies The Tenant, Repulsion and Bitter Moon. Long shots characterize the movie. In several scenes Szphilman looks at the outside world as we look at him. Through the shots the audience gets to see him processing the world. He stares at people being hunted down and killed. He gets little glimpses of the world and his numbness easily comes out through the long shots. Aspects of technical elements in the film are used to highlight the themes. Low lighting and shadows create a feeling of limited vision. When Szpilman is in hiding, we see him covered in darkness. The indignity of living in subhuman condition underscore the humiliation many holocaust victims were exposed to. As he moves from hiding place and scavenges for food the flooding of light highlight how deserted he is. It is all bright and empty around him and no matter which way he looks he is met with emptiness. Dialogue in the film especially as Szpilman interacts with others show the effect of the long suffering on the victims. Forced to be quiet for long periods of time and unable to fully understand what is happening, dialogue is kept at minimal and no revealing. The characters can not express the depth of their experiences and they preserve themselves though direct dialogue. The sound in the film is kept at bare and music at minimal. There are no swelling scores allowing for the audience to stay with their bare emotions. The piano even when ‘silent’ is a beautiful addition to the film. When Szpilman comes across a piano in his hiding place he finds he can not play lest he will be discovered. However, he moves him fingers over the keys and the audience hears the music he is playing in his mind. The nostalgia and hope that Szpilman harbors comes through. The audience glimpses the source of strength for Szpilman’s survival. In comparing this film to others in the same genre some differences can be seen. One of the differences with another movie in the genre, Schindler’s List, is that the pianist is a film that is based on one person. Schindler’s List is broader in dealing with the holocaust in terms of the point of view. The pianist narrows down the holocaust by concentration on one man’s story. From him the audience can understand the holocaust and not the other way round. Schindler’s list has the story of two people; Schindler and Goeth. The cast in The Pianist is also heavily European while Schindler’s List is not. Another difference in that while the hero clearly comes out in Schindler’s List The Pianist does not give to the leading actor the usual hero traits. While Schindler is clearly a hero Szpilman is not a hero by overt means. He is a hero in choosing to survive and simply not giving up despite the difficulties. In addition, The Pianist does not draw clear lines between the good and the bad or assign blame. While it is clear there are bad people killing and hurting others, the film is largely non judgmental. Having watched the film, I feel that The Pianist is a great film. It lives up to its potential because one is completely caught up in Szpilman’s story and begins to understand the holocaust in that light. While other movies show the great suffering and heroes of the war, this film shows the quiet heroism that might go unnoticed by many, yet it is this sort of heroism that was more rampant than the celebrated one. The film is also capturing in the use of elements. The shooting and the delivery come together and the audience gets lost in the film without getting caught up in the ‘vehicle’ that is the technicalities of the film. The film deeply touched me and made me realize that war is terrible not just in what it physically does to people but also because of the psychological and traumatic effects. One of its effects is that it created a disturbance in me. I did not feel that someone came and rescued the day because for many holocaust victims their day was not saved. The realism of the film was quite refreshing. At the same time the film restores hope in humanity. Despite all the horrific events during the war, there were ample cases of people risking life to protect others. Many people helped Szpilman including the SS officer who was taking a great risk. Just as some people can stoop low beyond belief, so can others rise above expectations. In the end, the human spirit rises up against its adversity and that is the best effect of the film considering its genre. Szpilman’s point of view enables the audience to see the holocaust keenly without getting carried away by too much information or characters. References. Bordwell David and Thomson Kristin, Film Art: An introduction. 8 ed. (New York: McGraw- Hill Higher education, 2006). ‘Schindler’s List’: Internet Movie Data Base. 1990-2010. Web. 16 July 2010. ‘The Pianist’: Internet Movie Data base. 1990-2010. Web. 17 July 2010.

Types And Uses Of Fertilizers

Types And Uses Of Fertilizers Fertilizers are substances that supply plant nutrients or amend soil fertility. They are the most effective means of increasing crop production and of improving the quality of food and fodder. Fertilizers are used in order to supplement the natural nutrient supply in the soil, especially to correct the (yield-limiting) minimum factor. Fertilizers are soil amendments applied to promote plant growth; the main nutrients present in fertilizer are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (the macronutrients) and other nutrients (micronutrients) are added in smaller amounts. Fertilizers are usually directly applied to soil, and also sprayed on leaves (foliar feeding). Organic fertilizers or and some mined inorganic fertilizers have been used for many centuries, whereas chemically synthesized inorganic fertilizers were only widely developed during the industrial revolution. Increased understanding and use of fertilizers were important parts of the pre-industrial British Agricultural Revolution and the industrial green revolution of the 20th century. Inorganic fertilizer use has also significantly supported global population growth it has been estimated that almost half the people on the Earth are currently fed as a result of artificial nitrogen fertilizer use. Fig 1 Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions: The three primary macronutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The three secondary macronutrients: calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg). and the micronutrients or trace minerals: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) and selenium (Se). The macronutrients are consumed in larger quantities and are present in plant tissue in quantities from 0.2% to 4.0% (on a dry matter weight basis). There are some examples of it:- Fig 2 Fig 3 Different Types of Fertilizers Fertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plentiful plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are applied through soil for uptake by plant roots, or by applying liquid fertilizer directly to plant leaves. They typical fertilizer provides proportions of the three major plant nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The secondary plant nutrients such as calcium, sulfur, and magnesium are also contained in fertilizers. Fertilizers can be placed into categories of organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers. Organic Fertilizers Naturally occurring fertilizers include: Manure Worm castings Peat moss Seaweed Sewage Guano Organic fertilizers are used to enrich soil through nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere by bacterial nodules on plant roots, as well as phosphorus content of soils. Processed organic materials from natural sources include compost, blood meal powdered blood, and bone (crushed ground bones) meal from organic meat production facilities, and seaweed extracts. There is more diversity with organic fertilizers, so choosing the right one is not always easy. In general organic fertilizers cannot cause plant burns, get into ground water, affect surrounding growth, and do not need as strict of watering schedules. Organic fertilizer sources:- Animals Animals:- Sourced urea , are suitable for application organic agriculture, while pure synthetic forms of urea are not. The common thread that can be seen through these examples is that organic agriculture attempts to define itself through minimal processing (in contrast to the man-made Haber process), as well as being naturally occurring or via natural biological processes such as composting. Sewage sludge use in organic agricultural operations in the U.S. has been extremely limited and rare due to USDA prohibition of the practice (due to toxic metal accumulation, among other factors). The USDA now requires 3rd-party certification of high-nitrogen liquid organic fertilizers sold in the U.S. Plant:- Cover crops are also grown to enrich soil as a green manure through nitrogen fixation from the atmosphere; as well as phosphorus (through nutrient mobilization) content of soils. Mineral:- Naturally mined powdered limestone, mined rock phosphate and sodium nitrate, are inorganic (in a chemical sense), are energetically intensive to harvest, and yet are approved for usage in organic agriculture in minimal amounts. Benefits of Organic Material By nature organic fertilizers provide increased physical and biological storage mechanisms to soils, reducing risks of over fertilization. Organic fertilizers nutrient content, solubility, and nutrient release rates are typically much lower than inorganic fertilizers. Over fertilization of a vital nutrient can be as detrimental as under fertilization to a plant. Fertilizer burn can occur when too much fertilizer is applied resulting in the drying out of roots along with damage and even death to plants. All organic fertilizers are classified as slow release fertilizers. Studies have found that organic fertilizers: Release 25% to 60% of nitrogen as inorganic. Controlled release fertilizers had a relatively constant rate of release. Soluble fertilizer released most of its nitrogen content at the first leaching. Inorganic Fertilizers: Naturally occurring inorganic fertilizers include sodium nitrate, mined rock phosphate and lime stone which is used to raise pH and calcium sources. Macronutrients and Micronutrients Fertilizers can be divided into macronutrients and micronutrients based on their concentration levels in dry plant matter. There are six macronutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (3 main primary elements), calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. Macronutrient Fertilizers:- Synthesized materials are also called artificial, and may also be called straight were a product contains the three primary elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Fertilizers are named according to the content of the three elements in the fertilizer. If the main ingredient in the fertilizer is nitrogen, then the fertilizer will be described as a nitrogen fertilizer. But regardless of the name of the fertilizer they are labeled according to the amounts of each of these primary elements, by their weight. The amount of nitrogen will encourage growth of stems and leaves by promoting protein and chlorophyll. More Flowers, bigger fruits, and healthier roots will result from added phosphorus, and it will also help plants resist certain diseases. Potassium thickens stems and leaves by fostering protein development, meaning the vegetables would prefer a different potassium ratio than flowers or fruit plants would. Benefits of inorganic fertilizers Synthetic fertilizers are commonly used to treat fields used for growing maize, followed by barley, sorghum, rapeseed, soy and sunflower. One study has shown that application of nitrogen fertilizer on off-season cover crops can increase the biomass (and subsequent green manure value) of these crops, while having a beneficial effect on soil nitrogen levels for the main crop planted during the summer season. Nutrients in soil develop in symbiosis, which can be thrown out of balance with high concentrations of fertilizers. The interconnectedness and complexity of this soil food web means any appraisal of soil function must necessarily take into account interactions with the living communities that exist within the soil. Stability of the system is reduced by the use of nitrogen-containing inorganic and organic fertilizers, which cause soil acidification. Problem with inorganic fertilizers Trace mineral depletion:- Many inorganic fertilizers may not replace trace mineral elements in the soil which become gradually depleted by crops. This depletion has been linked to studies which have shown a marked fall (up to 75%) in the quantities of such minerals present in fruit and vegetables. In Western Australia deficiencies of zinc, copper, manganese, iron and molybdenum were identified as limiting the growth of broad-acre crops and pastures in the 1940s and 1950s. Soils in Western Australia are very old, highly weathered and deficient in many of the major nutrients and trace elements. Since this time these trace elements are routinely added to inorganic fertilizers used in agriculture in this state. Over fertilization:- Over-fertilization of a vital nutrient can be as detrimental as under fertilization. Fertilizer burn can occur when too much fertilizer is applied, resulting in a drying out of the roots and damage or even death of the plant. Burning of plants High energy consumption:- The production of synthetic ammonia currently consumes about 5% of global natural gas consumption, which is somewhat fewer than 2% of world energy productions. Natural gas is overwhelmingly used for the production of ammonia, but other energy sources, together with a hydrogen source, can be used for the production of nitrogen compounds suitable for fertilizers. The cost of natural gas makes up about 90% of the cost of producing ammonia. The increase in price of natural gases over the past decade, along with other factors such as increasing demand, has contributed to an increase in fertilizer price. Long-Term Sustainability:- Inorganic fertilizers are now produced in ways which theoretically cannot be continued indefinitely. Potassium and phosphorus come from mines (or saline lakes such as the Dead Sea) and such resources are limited. More effective fertilizer utilization practices may, however, decrease present usage from mines. Improved knowledge of crop production practices can potentially decrease fertilizer usage of P and K without reducing the critical need to improve and increase crop yields. Atmospheric (unfixed) nitrogen is effectively unlimited (forming over 70% of the atmospheric gases), but this is not in a form useful to plants. To make nitrogen accessible to plants requires nitrogen fixation (conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to a plant-accessible form). Artificial nitrogen fertilizers are typically synthesized using fossil fuels such as natural gas and coal, which are limited resources. In lieu of converting natural gas to syngas for use in the Haber process, it is also possible to convert renewable biomass to syngas (or wood gas) to supply the necessary energy for the process, though the amount of land and resources (ironically often including fertilizer) necessary for such a project may be prohibitive (see Energy conservation in the United States). Applications of fertilizer There are so many fields where fertilizer is used in high proportion. Agriculture is the one of field among them. There is some region where fertilizer is used:- Broadcast:- Broadcasting consists of uniformly distributing dry or liquid materials over the soil surface, usually before sowing. The fertilizer maybe incorporated into the soil mechanically, or left on the surface to be washed in by rainfall or irrigation. Incorporation into the AP horizon can be by harrow (2-3 cm depth), a cultivator (4-6 cm depth) or by plough (incorporation to plough depth). Broadcasting is the simplest and cheapest method and is best suited for high-speed operations and heavy application rates, especially before planting. Side or top dressing:- Fertilizer is side or top-dressed when it is applied after the crop has emerged, and/or when the dose is split for two or more applications. Split applications can be beneficial in some cases, especially for annual crops with a long growing period. Split application of KCl is also recommended for crops growing on low CEC soils, where K can be lost by leaching K following high rainfall or excess irrigation. Soybean responded significantly up to 50 kg K ha-1 when applied half at planting and half at flower initiation, or applying one third at planting, one third at flower initiation and one third at pod development. Splitting the K application is also used in orchards and for other perennial crops, especially for alfalfa and grasses. In trials in a Commercial field of Lucerne, the largest yields, up to 3.15 t ha-1 in 26 days, were on plots treated with 948 kg K ha-1 as KCl in 3 applications. In areas of Cl deficient soils, top-dressed applications of KCl for autumn sown small grains ma y be more effective than preplant applications because of the potential for Cl leaching from the root zone due to rainfall. Foliar application: Foliar application involves the use of KCl in solution. It results in fast K absorption and utilization and has the advantage of quickly correcting deficiencies diagnosed by observation or foliar analysis. Other advantages are low application rates, and uniform distribution of fertilizer. However, foliar fertilization is supplementary to and cannot replace the basal fertilization. Foliar application should be done during periods of low temperature and relatively high humidity, such in the early morning or late evening. Otherwise the salts may cause leaf burning and necrosis especially when applied in concentrations above those recommended. Because of its osmotic action, KCl applied on leaves is not well tolerated by plants and so is not usually used for foliar application. Nevertheless, it can be beneficial in some cases. Rice:- A foliar application of 10 kg KCl m-3 to rice at panicle initiation, boot leaf and 50% flowering stages, both in the monsoon and winter seasons, significantly increased seed yield and improved quality (seed germination and 100-seed weight). Splitting a total of 95 kg ha-1 of KCl to rice, a third at sowing in soil, a third as a foliar spray at flag leaf stage and a third as foliar spray at grain development, gave larger yields than a soil application all at sowing .A foliar spray applying 3.9 kg K ha-1 (as 10 kg KCl m-3) three times at one week intervals from full head of rice cv. Environmental effects of fertilizer use Water Eutrophication:- The nitrogen-rich compounds found in fertilizer run-off is the primary cause of a serious depletion of oxygen in many parts of the ocean, especially in coastal zones; the resulting lack of dissolved oxygen is greatly reducing the ability of these areas to sustain oceanic fauna.Visually, water may become cloudy and discolored (green, yellow, brown, or red). About half of all the lakes in the United States are now eutrophic, while the number of oceanic dead zones near inhabited coastlines are increasing. As of 2006, the application of nitrogen fertilizer is being increasingly controlled in Britain and the United States. If Eutrophication can be reversed, it may take decades before the accumulated nitrates in groundwater can be broken down by natural processes. High application rates of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers in order to maximize crop yields, combined with the high solubilitys of these fertilizers leads to increased runoff into surface water as well as leaching into groundwater. The use of ammonium nitrate in inorganic fertilizers is particularly damaging, as plants absorb ammonium ions preferentially over nitrate ions, while excess nitrate ions which are not absorbed dissolve (by rain or irrigation) into runoff or groundwater. Fig 10 Soil acidification: Nitrogen-containing inorganic and organic fertilizers can cause soil acidification when added. This may lead to decreases in nutrient availability which may be offset by liming. Heavy metal accumulation:- The concentration of up to 100 mg/kg of cadmium in phosphate minerals (for example, minerals from Nauru and the Christmas islands)increases the contamination of soil with cadmium, for example in New Zealand. Uranium is another example of a contaminant often found in phosphate fertilizers (at levels from 7 to 100 pCi/g). Eventually these heavy metals can build up to unacceptable levels and build up in vegetable produce. (See cadmium poisoning) Average annual intake of uranium by adults is estimated to be about 0.5 mg (500 ÃŽÂ ¼g) from ingestion of food and water and 0.6 ÃŽÂ ¼g from breathing air. Steel industry wastes, recycled into fertilizers for their high levels of zinc (essential to plant growth), wastes can include the following toxic metals: lead arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and nickel. The most common toxic elements in this type of fertilizer are mercury, lead, and arsenic. Concerns have been raised concerning fish meal mercury content by at least one source in Spain. Also, highly radioactive Polonium-210 contained in phosphate fertilizers is absorbed by the roots of plants and stored in its tissues; tobacco derived from plants fertilized by rock phosphates contains Polonium-210 which emits alpha radiation estimated to cause about 11,700 lung cancer deaths each year worldwide. For these reasons, it is recommended that nutrient budgeting, through careful observation and monitoring of crops, take place to mitigate the effects of excess fertilizer application. Atmospheric effects:- Methane emissions from crop fields (notably rice paddy fields) are increased by the application of ammonium-based fertilizers; these emissions contribute greatly to global climate change as methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Through the increasing use of nitrogen fertilizer, which is added at a rate of 1 billion tons per year presently to the already existing amount of reactive nitrogen, nitrous oxide (N2O) has become the third most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane. It has a global warming potential 296 times larger than an equal mass of carbon dioxide and it also contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion. Storage and application of some nitrogen fertilizers in some weather or soil conditions can cause emissions of the potent greenhouse gas-nitrous oxide. Ammonia gas (NH3) may be emitted following application of inorganic fertilizers and/or manures and slurries. The use of fertilizers on a global scale emits significant quantities of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Emissions come about through the use of: animal manures and urea, which release methane, nitrous oxide, ammonia, and carbon dioxide in varying quantities depending on their form (solid or liquid) and management (collection, storage, spreading) fertilizers that use nitric acid or ammonium bicarbonate, the production and application of which results in emissions of nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide, ammonia and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By changing processes and procedures, it is possible to mitigate some, but not all, of these effects on anthropogenic climate change.

Managing Information Systems In Organizations Essay -- Database Manage

Managing Information Systems In Organizations INTRODUCTION In recent years, there has been an abundance of new technologies in the information systems field. These new technologies have altered the very development process itself. Information systems have gone from being a series of one level databases to three dimensional reality, virtual reality, and multimedia systems. In the early days of information systems, the demands were for data, with no real function of artificial intelligence. However, as the 21st century approaches, business has taken on an entirely different function, and the need for individual information systems has grown immensely. This demand for information technology is in all areas of business: corporations, law, medicine, science and even small business. In addition, the worldwide web and the Internet have added an additional factor of communications. Most information systems in use today require at the very least, a measure of Internet capability. In order to understand the changes in these development processes, the history of databases should be analyzed. BACKGROUND Database Management Systems actually began in the 1950s, with what is known as the first generation, also known as file systems on tape. The major task of any computer in those days was to process data under the control of a program. This primarily meant calculating, counting and simple tasks. Second generation databases, file systems on disk, allowed use of computers in dialogue mode as well as batch mode. The development of magnetic disks allowed for more sophisticated file systems, making multiple access possible. These first two generations of DBMS were characterized by the availability of file systems only; strictly speaking these were the forerunners of database systems, the foundations. An important component of these database systems were the static association of certain data sets (files) with individual programs that would concentrate on these. There were high redundancy problems between files; inconsistencies when one program made changes that are not made in all programs; inflexibility against changes in applications; low productivity by programmers since program maintenance was expensive; and the problem of adopting and maintaining standards for coding and data formats. The third generation, pre-relational databases, started in the 1960s a... ... rapid development in this area, not only in technology but also in functionality. Information Systems will rapidly emerge into a wealth of applications until it eventually becomes an extension of the person (maybe in a literal sense some day). That, I believe, is the future. Works Cited: Cattell, R.G.G., â€Å"Object Data Management: Object-oriented and Extended Relational Database Systems† Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1991. Gagnon, Gabrielle, â€Å"Data Warehousing: An Overview† PC Magazine, March 9, 1999. Hammond, Mark, â€Å"DRDA Standard Could Finally Get Rival Databases Talking†, PC Week, December 7, 1998. Mayor, Tracy, â€Å"Look Ma, No Hands† PC Week, July 1, 1996. Coskun, Samli A., â€Å"Information-Driven Marketing Decisions: Development of Strategic Information Systems† Quorum Books, 1996. Schindler, Esther, â€Å"The Computer Speech Book† Academic Press, Inc., 1996. Sichel, Daniel E., â€Å"The Computer Revolution - An Economic Perspective† The Brookings Institution, 1997. Vossen, Gottfried, â€Å"Data Models, Database languages and Database Management Systems† Wokingham, 1991. Watterson, Karen, â€Å"Blueprint For A Database† Data Based Advisor, June, 1990.

Change and Organizations Essay

Change in organizations is an ongoing process. Change can either be planned or an unexpected result of a decision or other event (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss a change that has been implemented within the organization. Identity of the Instituted Change The changes necessitated by healthcare reform and consequences of the economy are challenging hospital administrators to decide how they will thrive and respond. A change instituted by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at the hospital where I am employed is the discontinuation of special pay practices. The special pay practices involved are compensation for 40 hours per week when actual worked hours are 36 and compensation for at least a 4 hour minimum. This change has a positive financial impact which allows for growth of the organization. However, if not managed effectively, this change could have a negative effect on staff morale. Decisions by Leader Before implementing the discontinuation of special pay practices, the CNO communicated the goal to the directors and managers of the organization. A plan for roll out to the organization was developed. By building upon and partnering with leaders of the organization, successful shaping of the future can occur (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). While this change created turmoil within the organization, the leaders were armed with the necessary information to positively respond to employees. The CNO clearly defined the vision for the future of the organization. Pointing out with the disappearance of special pay practices, the decision was made to increase certification pay and tuition reimbursement. This change gives way to empowerment of self and aids in achieving personal and professional goals. According to Grossman and Valiga (2009), the leader can help staff rise to their highest level of competency. Connection to the Organization Interconnected pieces of the organization that can be effected by the CNO’s decisions are structural, political, human resource, and organizational culture (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). The structural piece is connected by effecting nursing departments throughout the organization. While those departments with 8 hour shifts are minimally effected, those with 12 hour shifts are significantly impacted. The political piece has ramifications of a positive nature for the organization. Funds that are saved from the special pay practices change can be utilized to augment other programs for growth. The human resource piece has a significant impact by the decision to delete the special pay practices. Employees are affected by a decrease in pay resulting in employee dissatisfaction if the change is not accepted or understood. Organizational culture is affected by removing special pay practices as an option, going forward; the culture will focus on certification pay and tuition reimbursement. The new way or new leadership will adjust to form relationships and connect others to challenge old, bureaucratic organizational structures and old ways of doing things (Grossman & Valiga, 2009). Summary The discontinuation of special pay practices is a change that has been implemented within the organization. Leaders of the organization were given the necessary information to respond to employees as a result of the change. Decisions made effect the structural, political, human resource, and culture of an organization. Reference Grossman, S.C., & Valiga, T.M., (2009). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA

Amazon.com Case Study Essay

1-2 Amazon Discussion Questions 1. On a scale of â€Å"1† (Very Poor) to â€Å"5† (Excellent), how would you rate Jeff Bezos as an entrepreneur? How would you rate him as an operating manager? Support your rating from case specifics. I would rate Jeff Bezos 10 as an entrepreneur, and 7 as an operating manager. On one hand, he identified book retailing as an industry segment that could exploit the power of emerging Internet technologies and found the Amazon.com, which enjoyed several years of tremendous growth, from an online bookstore into an online superstore, expanding the online business from retailing to auctions and marketplaces. He propelled the company through the dot com crash by partnering with traditional retailers and on to being a highly profitable online retailer. On the other hand, in order to support its rapidly growing and increasingly complex business, he invested heavily to develop state-of-art digital business infrastructure and operations which could provide the best-in-class retailing, fulfillment, and customer service capabilities, but built with rapid growth in mind, the distribution infrastructure provided roughly 70% to 80% overcapacity in late 1999. In early 2001, the company faced tremendous pressures from Wall Street and the company’s shareholders to achieve profitability. From 1997 to 2000, the Gross margin increased from 29 million to 655 million. However, the operating expenses also increased rapidly, from 61 million to 1519 million! The company simply could not make profit! 2. Trace the evolution of the Amazon.com business from the company’s launch in 1995 to the dot.com collapse in 2000. How did the company’s strategy change over time? How did IT capabilities evolve? What value did it deliver to all stakeholders? From its online bookstore launch in July 1995 till it went public in May 1997, the company located itself as an online retail bookstore, focused on redefining and enhancing the online shopping experience, including browsing, searching, personalized store layout and recommendations, shipping carts, 1-Click shopping, wish lists and greeting cards. Beginning in 1998, the company began aggressively expanding into new product categories and into international markets, becoming an online superstore selling a wide variety of products in over 160 different countries. During 1999, the company began exploring new business models including auctions and marketplaces. For these new businesses, the company provided software and services but did not assume control of inventory. As such, it played the role of an agent, not a retailer. During early 2000, the company expanded its marketplace business model through a series of equity partnerships with leading online retailers. How did the company’s strategy change over time? Within the first six years of its inception, Amazon transformed itself from an online bookstore into an online superstore selling a wide variety of products both nationally and internationally. Amazon set out with the strategy of becoming â€Å"Earth’s Biggest Bookstore† and to support its rapid growth it aligned its business model to â€Å"get big fast.† How did IT capabilities evolve: Capabilities enable a company to execute its current strategy and also provide a platform for future growth. Amazon used its IT capability as a powerful tool to enable operational cost savings, revenue growth opportunities, drive asset efficiencies and to create for itself a sustainable advantage. Stage I: Using IT to drive cost savings: Amazon used IT to control and bring down its raising fulfillment costs by computerizing and interconnecting even the notoriously labor-intensive activities like picking and packaging. Stage II: Using IT to drive revenue growth: Amazon used IT to create business intelligence to get to know its customers, markets and competition better and leveraged this capability to increase its revenues by attracting more customers and also by increasing the per customer purchase value. Stage III: Amazon created for itself a unique asset base comprising of its brand, customer relationships, the technical and fulfillment infrastructure, and leveraged it to create for itself a capability that could not be easily imitated by its competitors (online and traditional) or new entrants. Stage IV: Using IT to create sustainable advantage: Amazon’s digital business infrastructure, which linked its customer facing processes to its backend processes, helped it create a sustainable advantage for itself which served as an entry barriers for competition. The IT enabled commerce platform that Amazon built for itself is the key to its success. The value it delivered to all shareholders is its brand, customer relationships, technology, infrastructure, financial strength, people, and leadership in the dot com industry At the heart of Amazon’s value proposition is the fact that it leveraged its existing IT system and transformed it into a commerce platform, and this allowed Amazon to pursue new IT enabled strategic growth initiatives. In this process Amazon created value for all its stakeholders. Customers: Amazon’s sophisticated browsing experience with enhanced search capabilities, wish list, recommendations, shopping carts, one click shopping, personalized consumers shopping experience. Industry: Amazon’s business concept not only helped Amazon grow, rather it developed a value network for all the industry participants. Amazon’s  adoption of digital business capabilities compelled the retail industry to adopt and grow, or at least consider the new business model. Shareholders: In the early years, since Amazon had fewer physical assets, its asset turnover was extremely high. As Amazon.com began investing in its IT infrastructure and distribution network it increased its asset base and therefore had to look for new avenues to increase its revenues and to fuel its evolving business model. 3. Do you degree with the decision to pursue the Toy’s â€Å"R† Us deal? Support your decision with case specifics. Why did Amazon.com do the deal? Should Amazon.com do more deals like this? What impact does the Toys â€Å"R† Us deal have on the Amazon.com business model in early 2000? I agree with the decision to pursue the Toy’s â€Å"R† Us deal. Amazon.com found that its digital business infrastructure was a proprietary asset that would provide sustainable advantage, while supply chain, inventory management, and order fulfillment processes were difficult to efficiently scale across a diverse range of products. The dot-com stock market crash exacerbated the company’s problems and, by mid-2000, many of its online retail partners had declared, or were heading toward, bankruptcy. This caused Amazon.com executives to reevaluate the company’s business model. Rather than partner with dot-com retailers, attention shifted to traditional retailers that wished to develop online retailing capabilities and to upgrade their traditional distribution and fulfillment capabilities to enable the end-to-end visibility and speed required when doing business online. They should do more deals like this. The Toy’s â€Å"R† Us deal enabled the company to explore a new business model as a logistics services provider (Toy’s â€Å" R† Us would maintain control of product sourcing and marketing, as well as ownership of inventory) as it simultaneously expanded into a new market (traditional retailers) with its existing online retail product. 4. Consider the challenges facing the company. As a member of the Amazon.com board of directors in 2001, what actions would you take? Two of the biggest challenges that Amazon faced in early 2001 were whether it’s new â€Å"infrastructure services† model could develop into a competitive advantage that would be difficult to imitate by the competition and how to guard itself from increasing competition from traditional retailers. One way to deal with competitive threats from traditional retailers is to build an alliance with them. Amazon should continue to expand in the traditional retail market by attracting more retailers to sell to their products using its commerce platform. Teaming up with traditional retailers would require a delicate balance as it is important that this alliance between Amazon and its retail customers represents a win-win scenario. This will help Amazon use its fixed cost distribution network to capacity thereby increasing its benefits of scalability. Further it would allow Amazon to leverage its capabilities, increase revenues and develop its commerce platform into a strategic advantage that would be hard to imitate by new entrants or by traditional retailers.