Article Comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Article Comparison - Essay Example Much data has indeed been disseminated on Hurricane Katrina and the challenges which health officials faced in spreading and the media in retrieving accurate and timely public health data during emergencies (Cohen, et.al., 2008). Evaluating how the media publicizes tragedies is an important aspect in communication research. Even as some media scholars have considered separate news coverage for public health issues, there is still an inadequate evaluation on the news coverage of public health issues during tragedies. Hence, this study is being carried out in order evaluate the content of national newspapers in relation to the Hurricane Katrina news coverage (Cohen, et.al., 2008). By evaluating such data, it may then be possible to close the gap between theoretical models of agenda setting and the wealth of public health data which need to be conveyed for the sake of public health service (Cohen, et.al., 2008). ... A statistical evaluation was then applied on the stories included in the sample with the application of cross tabulations and Pearson’s chi-square (Cohen, et.al., 2008). The study then revealed that 8.5% of the articles were related to efforts by first responders to the hurricane. About 6.4% of the articles focused on who or what was to blame for the disaster; 4.6% discussed practical concerns including access to health services; 2.1% covered animal rescue; 3.0% discussed reasons why the people stayed in New Orleans; 2.1% discussed racism; 2.1% covered disease; and finally, 2.1% of the news articles discussed population conflict (Cohen, et.al., 2008). The objectives of this study were met because the paper was able to cover the type of news discussed by the media in the aftermath of the Katrina hurricane. The results also revealed the ways by which the hurricane impacted the people in terms of health services and access to said services. It also revealed the fact that a small and diminishing number of newspaper articles included those which released public health data over time. Moreover, news articles on the hurricane impact on communities as well as reliable health information also diminished over time (Cohen, et.al., 2008). This study sets forth the importance of addressing public health impact of tragedies and the ways by which the media seems to underreport and reduce public health issues. The authors pointed out that this study is relevant because of the hurricanes which occur year after year and which significantly impact on our lives (Cohen, et.al., 2008). It is therefore important for practitioners to record the lessons learned from previous disasters and apply these lessons

Fringe benefit plans Essay Example for Free

Fringe benefit plans Essay What, really, are fringe benefits? Fringe benefits are a significant share of a workers total compensation package, which has grown over time (Flynn, 2000). They are of two types: One type of fringe benefit is the spreading of an employee’s pay, which was earned while working, over periods when the employee does not work. The other type of fringe benefit includes all sorts of things which became substituted for money pay, which the employee may spend for things of his or her own choice. Instead of getting one’s entire money wage, the employee may get some of it in the form of specified goods or presumed services. All sorts of things become substituted for money pay. They range all the way from better toilet facilities in the plant to golf courses for members of the families of employees perhaps even help in building a church of some denomination in the community. It may be more company picnics, or a Christmas party, or insurance of one sort or another, or a pension for old age all sorts of things. Retirement pensions, even though all workers may be covered by a basic age-related state pension, the vast majority of firms operate an occupational pension scheme for their employees to which the firm contributes. In spite of the onus for pension provision shifting towards the individual in a number of countries, including the UK, company pension schemes remain a substantial and widespread fringe benefit. Other benefits include redundancy payments and discounts on company products and the use of company cars. Sometimes these fringe benefits are the result of employee pressure, either through the union or without any union. But often they are initiated by management; a company plan is put into effect. However they come about, fringe benefits of this type have one aspect in common. Smith (2003) has asserted that in each instance its cost comes out of the money due the employee as pay. Fringe benefits are not just a demand of last resort by men living in a society which already supplies them with almost everything they need. They satisfy some fundamental human needs which, but for conservatism on both sides of industry, would probably have become matters for the bargaining table long before now. Fringe benefit plans increase the benefits available to employees through provision of such benefits as better pensions, year-end bonuses, paid vacations, sick leave, and holidays and an air-conditioned working place, in addition to the employees’ basic salary. In some instances, profit-sharing agreements are also included, as well as store discount privileges of workers. At this stage, the desire for security and continuity of income may well have become as great, or greater, than the desire to raise income. Thus the social logic of fringe benefits in an advanced society. When it comes to health insurance and pensions, fringe benefits help compensate for myopia in an individuals consumption decisions. High marginal tax rates, for both firms and workers, encourage the use of fringe benefits. As workers have become better off in real terms this has increased their demand for fringe benefits. Fringe benefits conferred tax advantages on both workers and firms. In theory it was possible to determine the optimum combination of wages and fringe benefits in relation to the firms desire for profits. A substantial proportion of the average workers costs to his employer are in the form of fringe benefits. As far as private fringe benefits are concerned, large firms are able to obtain group discounts and larger numbers of employees ensure lower per-worker costs of administration. Often fringe benefits are taxed at relatively low rates, if at all. This creates strong incentives for the firm and its employees to increase the proportion of fringe benefits within total compensation. Further, taxation coverage is rather incomplete at the employee level owing to technical difficulties in taxing individual fringe benefits and because welfare income is relatively small. Fringe benefits also have an advantage to the employers not just because the benefits were tax deductible but also because they reduced turnover and thereby boosted productivity. Also, the use fringe benefits improved the overall morale of the employees. The social equation was working. WORKS CITED Flynn, B. (2000). Fringe Benefits. New Statesman, 129 (4499), 32. Smith, S. (2003). Labour Economics. (2nd Ed. ). London: Routledge.

A Tear Between Twins :: Personal Narrative Writing

A Tear Between Twins "Come on guys, we really shouldn't," I begged Shawn, the driver of our group date. "It is so rude of us to drive by and ruin this special moment for Janae and Bryce. We all know why they have gone up to the temple don't we? I mean it is their six month anniversary, and neither of them have had their first kiss yet! Hmmm..???" Even though I truly meant what I was saying, a part of me wanted to ruin this fairytale event in their relationship. Not that I disapproved of Janae and Bryce being together; I guess it was the fact that she was moving a step ahead of me for the first time in our lives. After all, I had a reason for this mean streak--Bryce had stolen my best friend. February 13th, 1979, Janae and I were born in Sunrise Hospital, four minutes apart, to two anxious, ecstatic, and not to mention exhausted parents. Immediately following the birth, the doctor glanced up at my mother and father and announced that they were the proud parents of identical twin girls. My sister Janae was born first weighing a mere four pounds 11 ounces and I swiftly followed, weighing a hefty seven pounds zero ounces (very large for the average twin). The doctor proceeded to tell my mother that identical twins automatically have a special bond that exists between them, and that she was to enjoy the many fun, challenging, yet exciting experiences to come. One of the most challenging experiences to come would be the dreadful day when the two of us would realize that we couldn't be together always. That memorable day we slept together, side by side, in our rectangular clear plastic hospital beds -- determined to be inseparable for the remainder of our lives. Several people are considerably fascinated with twins, but don't quite comprehend exactly what it is like to be one. Actually, being a twin really isn't that different than not being a twin. (Or at least I don't think it is. The truth is that I have never not been one.) I believe, however, there is one advantage to being an identical twin. Identical twins are basically made up of the same ingredients. There is a connection that exists right from birth. In our case, Janae and I have found that we enjoy the same books, the same sports, the same food, we love the rain, and lastly our taste in guys is nearly the same.

Analysis Of Project Management And Professional Development Education Essay

I draft here myself analysis study that describes my strengths and failings with groundss from what I have experienced in the yesteryear. Researching me reveals what went incorrect and what I have done to do things better. I realized that practising this sort of analysis on regular footing will ensue in uninterrupted ego development.My strengths:In conformity to Belbin ‘s scheme I recognized myself as a complete closer. I used to work as a interior decorator for three different concerns based in Singapore. My duties were geting the information from clients and happen the ways to implement them in their sites. I finish all my assignments exactly as required by the clients. I ‘ve received grasps from my clients for my clean work though it took excess clip. After six months of work experience I got promoted as a squad leader where I got an chance to pull off and take a squad. During this term of office I performed good with my colleagues and I identified and explored the leading accomplishments within me. I am a really good coordinator and many workers in other squad have shown involvement to fall in my squad. I achieved my scheme by forming and organizing the squad and administering the assigned undertaking every bit so that the squad members do non acquire stressed nor experience biased. After two old ages of work experience I moved to a new concern and posted as a Mechanical Engineer. There I ought to keep records ( difficult transcript and softcopy ) on my each and every determination and action and its consequences. The files are indispensable to be good organized in an appropriate mode. I can quickly follow any information from the files I am keeping while my colleagues even fighting to happen the vicinity of their files. From that I learned I have ability to maintain my information in a proper mode. I ever look for chances and when I see things which I do non cognize I make an attempt to larn them by making research on them. I learned new package Languages and tools by myself transporting research online. I have produced and lunched a website utilizing Flash, HTML, PHP which is perfectly irrelevant to my surveies and profession. I have achieved this accomplishment because of my ego assurance and self motive.My failing:I am cocksure on my decisive nature. Most of the times, I do non listen to others thoughts. I take all the needed determinations on my ain. In the past few of my higher-ups annoyed me by rejecting my thoughts. From that clip I developed the attitude to over support my determinations. Many times my thoughts were non good even though I ne'er gave up. My biggest failing is I do non show my endowments and accomplishments to others. For case, I worked in a machine fabrication concern as a trainee. There I learned everything really rapidly and aggressively. And I worked really barely by utilizing the accomplishments I have learned from my preparation period than other co-workers. Even though, I ne'er received any benefits from the direction. So I decided to travel out of the concern. When I was at that place to vacate my occupation the direction asked for the ground of my surrender. Therefore I told them I do non have any assessment for my public presentation and direction explained that it was my failing, as I did non market my accomplishments and difficult work to them. I am non so good in be aftering and clip direction. I do non be after for unanticipated and when it strikes I find myself behind agenda. While managing a undertaking in a Singapore civil building, I made hapless agendas which turned me in to the failure. The people who tendered the undertaking have fined our company for the delayed work. So my foreman was defeated and he gave a memo which made me to recognize the important of clip direction. I do non digest unfavorable judgment. When I was working in India as a interior decorator for a transnational company I was given in-charge of a undertaking. I was provided with 3 more people. I tried actuating the squad and had brainstorming Sessionss. My co-workers passed negative remarks on my attack and since I could n't digest it I had statements and I left the company.Opportunities to Increase Skills:Reading the Belbin ‘s scheme and Johari window I started discoursing with my friends about the things I am believing in my caput so it helps me to believe more loosely than earlier. While I worked in different companies my higher-ups suggested me to show my endowments. I thought if I express my endowments others might believe that I am a ego overstating individual. But now, I relished the necessity of showing our endowments with everyone by the aid of Johari Window. Though I had things done perfect was abashing to be late. I wanted to better, but I was n't cognizant of the right process to bring forth a twenty-four hours, hebdomad, month, and longtime agendas until I heard through the talks on clip direction. During my older yearss when I worked as mentioned in my failing I do non like remarks against my plants. After analyzing the Belbin and SWOT analyses I realised the great thaumaturgy of gaining unfavorable judgments as feedbacks which will assist us in different ways. As ken Blanchard says, the breakfast of an winner is feedback. So Feedback is indispensable for the ground that we need to cognize if we are bettering or non. Feedback gives extra thoughts to our programs. The group activities in the seminar helped a batch to better the communicating accomplishments. And when I am making each assignment in every faculty the accomplishment of seeking information, reading and note devising accomplishments, and composing accomplishment, are acquiring stronger.Wayss to Better My strength:The ways to be a complete closer, therefore I learned in my talks and harmonizing to Dianna ( 2008, pp.17-35 ) , interrupt your long clip ends in to screen clip ends. It will non look so hard to cover with in expectancy. Further to, when we complete one end before traveling to the following, we will hold a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. This will assist us to travel towards following measure in a motor mode. Always choose the interesting and effortless piece of the undertaking and get down from at that place. It will give us increase in self confident when stoping up each piece of work. To go on to be a best leader as toilet ( 1998 ) describes, we should recognize our ain demands and features every bit good as each individual take parting in the group. It helps to cover with every individual as an person, to handle that person with esteem, and to assist the individual rise. As a leader demand to better a figure of single accomplishments like Communicate professionally to hold a right relationship, Plan absolutely to happen the way of end, Teach efficaciously to better accomplishments of the group members, puting up the illustration, commanding group public presentation, keeping records, measuring and reding, to execute more resourcefully. Two most of import accomplishments that we must hold to better all other accomplishments are self assurance and self motive. So we should give more of import to these accomplishments than all other. Self assurance and ego motive are really closely connected. If we non hold in assurance our ego, we can sure that we have jobs in the motive as good and vice-versa. The easiest manner to actuate us is to reiterate the things every twenty-four hours at a certain clip. The scientific discipline says â€Å" it will take 21 to 30 rhythms to put in new wonts within us † . It means we are motivated us towards a new wont twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours. Second manner to actuate us confidently is woolgathering. â€Å" You have to woolgather before your dreams can come true. † Abdul Kalam quotes ( X President of India, b.1931 ) . So when we dreams ( about ends ) strongly so our head will get down believing about it more loosely and congregate burden of information. John, Louis, and tassinary ( 2000 p.572 ) proved â€Å" encephalon reacts to input † . When holding tonss of information and cognition about something will bring forth assurance towards it. Thus the assurance automatically increases our motive.Wayss to suppress my failing:Teamwork knows as co-operative effort by a group of people to achieve a cosmopolitan mark. We have to larn how to manage struggle state of affairss is the trough issue that we will be confronting in teamwork. It can be accrue in figure of different fortunes like, grudge against our public presentation, disapproval of our activities or attack and confronting consecutive resistance to our deman d. However we holding a immense scope of endowments without showing, peers to salvaging the money without even eating. So we have to happen the ways to show and acquire the feedback from that to better our endowments even more. The manner to alter our attitude to back up showing accomplishments are good pass oning, ready to take hazard to face mistakes, and better creativeness to confront the inquiries against your look. And besides need to better ego motive to confront jobs towards showing. This look ever returns a feedback so it will assist us to pattern to happen the ways to acquire feedback for our plants. I recognized how to use our clip in an effectual mode by talks ( Time Management ) ; we should happen the end and track the right way to make our end. As mentioned earlier we can implement the cognition which we learned from talks. At first we need to happen how much clip we have towards our end. Second fix a clip tabular array by dividing our ends in to several kind clip ends and apportion them into the clip and come up with a agenda. And we should maintain records of our times which we are passing out of this program and necessitate to happen possibilities to convey those times in to our end.Events or Persons Slow Down my Growth:The unfavorable judgment is one of the utmost dislikeable things which largely make me annoyed and dissatisfactory towards my development. I like feedback from other but non my work to be criticized by other fellow people. Following to this the following most unacceptable thing is direction biased. This will de-motivate my involvement in my activities. Fina lly the most things I can non accept are changeless supervising which produces me a high emphasis and makes loss in concentration.Future Career Aspirations:I am certain that the analyses and schemes what I have learned will assist me batch in my hereafter. I have learnt how to do my ends and besides how to do it successful. I will utilize the accomplishments like clip direction, teamwork and puting a end in my future calling to do my work really good.now I am really clear that others feedback are really of import which will do me develop a batch in my calling. It is really deserving full to implement clip direction accomplishments, squad direction accomplishments, and puting up ends and its program in my feature disposal bearer. The squad work accomplishments which I have developed while in seminars and talks.DecisionNow I know my strengths and failings. Input signal from each gives me clear ways to get the better of failings and better my failings in assorted state of affairss. I r eally good realised now that â€Å" Fail to Plan is Plan to Fail † .

How Does McEwan Tell the Story in Chapter 9 of ‘Enduring Love’? Essay

Ian McEwan uses a variety of techniques in order to tell the story throughout the novel ‘Enduring Love’. Looking at Chapter 9 in close detail I am going to analyse the ways in which McEwan tells the story with the use of form, structure and language. The majority of the novel is told in the first person however chapter 9 has a third person narrative and is in the present tense. McEwan uses Joe’s narratives in order to explain Clarissa’s perspective. This shifting perspective gives the reader a chance to see Joe from another person’s point of view. By using Clarissa’s perspective, McEwan has created a sense of empathy towards her as Joe is ‘conversationally deaf and blind’ towards her feelings. However it could be argued that this chapter of the novel is more Joe trying to understand Clarissa’s point of view rather than actually telling the story from her perspective, showing the reader only what Joe think she feels other th an what she actually does. Creating an unreliable narrative. Also in chapter 9 the genre is portrayed as more of a romance than a thriller as McEwan uses contemporary romance rather than scientific vocabulary within the narrative, ‘Where’s my kiss? Hug me! Take care of me!’ The use of this romantic narrative takes the novel away from the typical thriller genre in order to tell the story. Although chapter 9 is shown to be of a romantic genre, it still includes conventions which McEwan uses to suggest that the novel is a psychological thriller. The use of a relationship breakdown within this chapter gives the reader this idea. As well as this, towards the end of the chapter the reader is reminded of Joe’s stalker, ‘he sees Parry waiting for him at the end of the brick path he does not even break his stride’ The fact that Jed Parry is waiting at the end of the road for Joe also brings back the idea of a psychological thriller genre. McEwan uses the pace within this chapter in order to effectively tell the story, at the beginning the pace of the narrative is slow, Clarissa is tired and the use of sentences and description suggest that she is calm. It isn’t until the argument breaks out between Joe and Clarissa that the pace begins to pick up. This increased pace within the narrative shows the anger and frustration within Clarissa and is the first sign of the relationship breakdown. Throughout the chapter McEwan shows a sense of frustrated within Clarissa, ‘She stands in the bath and snatches a towel to cover herself’, the idea of ‘snatching’ seems out of character for Clarissa and helps to portray her anger towards Joe and his growing obsession with the accident and the idea that Parry is stalking him. Furthermore, McEwan uses figurative language in order to tell the story, ‘he’s raising his voice over the thunder of the taps’, this use of language could be seen to foreshadow the thunderous argument with is later going to happen between Joe and Clarissa. The irritation within Clarissa is presented in this chapter through the use of figurative language, ‘Joe is hanging in the frame of the bathroom door like some newly discovered non-stop talking ape. Talking, but barely self aware’ Using this quote within the narrative shows how much Joe is getting on Clarissa’s nerves, supporting the idea of a relationship breakdown. The fact that Joe won’t stop talking while she’s trying to relax builds tension within the narrative as Clarissa’s frustration begins to increase suggesting that an argument is about to happen. Throughout chapter 9, Clarissa presents the idea that Joe may not be sane as she discards his claims about Jed Parry, ‘you were so intense about him as soon as you met him. It’s like you invented him’ she suggests to the reader that Joe is imagining everything to do with Jed and the idea that he is stalking him, Clarissa believes that it is just an effect after the traum a of the balloon accident, leaving Joe unstable and ill. McEwan uses this to give the reader another perspective of Joe’s claims as until now we only see the idea that Jed is following Joe. Within this chapter of the novel, the reader becomes aware that Joe is in turn becoming obsessed with Jed, ‘you ought to be asking yourself which way this fixation runs’ Clarissa suggests Joe’s obsession at the same time as discarding this claims about Jed. However at the very end of the chapter we see that Jed is waiting for Joe at the end of the road, reassuring the reader of the reality of the stalker and giving the conventions of a psychological thriller. McEwans use of Jed in this chapter is important as it gives the reader an element of trust within it’s narrator as they begin to believe Joe’s perspective over Clarissa’s.

Lines and Slopes ACT Math Geometry Review and Practice

Lines and Slopes ACT Math Geometry Review and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You’ve dealt with the basics of coordinate geometry and points (and if you haven’t already, you may want to take a minute to refresh yourself) and now it’s time to look at the ins and outs of lines and slopes on the coordinate plane. This will be your complete guide to lines and slopeswhat slopes mean, how to find them, and how to solve the many types of slope and line equation questions you’ll see on the ACT. What are Lines and Slopes? If you’ve gone through the guide on coordinate geometry, then you know that coordinate geometry takes place in the space where the $x$-axis and the $y$-axis meet. Any point on this space is given a coordinate point, written as $(x, y)$, that indicates exactly where the point is along each axis. A line (or line segment) is a marker that is completely straight (meaning it has no curvature). It is made up of a series of points and and connects them together. A slope is how we measure the slant/steepness of a line. A slope is found by finding the change in distance along the y axis over the change in distance along the x axis. You have probably heard how to find a slope by finding the "rise over run." This means exactly the same thingchange in $y$ over change in $x$. $${\change \in y}/{\change \in x}$$ Let's look at an example: Say we are given this graph and asked to find the slope of the line. We must see how both the rise and the run change. To do this, we must first mark points along the line to in order to compare them to one another. We can also make life easier on ourselves by marking and comparing integer coordinates (places where the line hits at a corner of $x$ and $y$ measurements.) Now we have marked our coordinate points. We can see that our line hits at exactly: $(-3, 5)$, $(1, 0)$, and $(5, -5)$. In order to find the slope of the line, we can simply trace our points to one another and count. We've highlighted in red the path from one coordinate point to the next. You can see that the slope falls (has a negative "rise") of 5. This means the rise will be -5. The slope also moves positively (to the right) 4. Thus, the run will be +4. This means our slope is: $-{5/4}$ Properties of Slopes A slope can either be positive or negative. A positive slope rises from left to right. A negative slope falls from left to right. A straight line has a slope of zero. It will be defined by one axis only. $x = 3$ $y = 3$ The steeper the line, the larger the slope. The blue line is steepest, with a slope of $3/2$. The red line is shallower, with a slope of $2/5$ Now that we've gone through our definitions, let us take a look at our slope formulas. Line and Slope Formulas Finding the Slope $${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$$ In order to find the slope of a line that connects two points, you must find the change in the y-values over the change in the x-values. Note: It does not matter which points you assign as $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$, so long as you keep them consistent. Find the slope of the line with coordinates at (-1, 0) and (1, 3). Now, we already know how to count to find our slope, so let us use our equation this time. ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ Let us assign the coordinate (-1, 0) as $(x_1, y_1)$ and (1, 3) as $(x_2, y_2)$. $(3 - 0)/(1 - -1)$ $3/2$ We have found the slope of the line. Now let's demonstrate why the equation still works had we switched which coordinate points were $(x_1, y_1)$ and which were $(x_2, y_2)$. This time, coordinates (-1, 0) will be our $(x_2, y_2)$ and coordinates (1, 3) will be our $(x_1, y_1)$. ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(0 - 3)/(-1 - 1)$ ${-3}/{-2}$ $3/2$ As you can see, we get the answer $3/2$ as the slope of our line either way. The Equation of a Line $$y = mx + b$$ This is called the â€Å"equation of a line,† also known as an line written in "slope-intercept form." It tells us exactly how a line is positioned along the x and y axis as well as how steep it is. This is the most important formula you’ll need when it comes to lines and slopes, so let’s break it into its individual parts. $y$ is your $y$-coordinate value for any particular value of $x$. $x$ is your $x$-coordinate value for any particular value of $y$. $m$ is the measure of your slope. $b$ is the $y$-intercept value of your line. This means that it is the value along the $y$-axis that the line hits (remember, a straight line will only hit each axis a maximum of one time). For this line, we can see that the y-intercept is 3. We can also count our slope out or use two sets of coordinate points (for example, $(-3, 1)$ and $(0, 3)$) to find our slope of $2/3$. So when we put that together, we can find the equation of our line at: $y = mx + b$ $y = {2/3}x + 3$ Remember: always re-write any line equations you are given into this form! The test will often try to trip you up by presenting you with a line NOT in proper form and then ask you for the slope or y-intercept. This is to test you on how well you're paying attention and get people who are going too quickly through the test to make a mistake. What is the slope of the line $3x + 12y = 24$? First, let us re-write our problem into proper form: $y = mx + b$ $3x + 12y = 24$ $12y = -3x + 24$ $y = -{3/12}x + 24/12$ $y = -{1/4}x + 2$ The slope of the line is $-{1/4}x$ Now let’s look at a problem that puts both formulas to work. For some real number A, the graph of the line $y=(A+1)x +8$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane passes through $(2,6)$. What is the slope of this line? A. -4B. -3C. -1D. 3E. 7 In order to find the slope of a line, we need two sets of coordinates so that we can compare the changes in both $x$ and $y$. We are given one set of coordinates at $(2, 6)$ and we can find the other by using the $y$-intercept. The $b$ in the equation is the y-intercept (in other words, the point at the graph where the line hits the y-axis at $x = 0$). This means that, for the above equation, we also have a set of coordinates at $(0, 8)$. Now, let’s use both sets of coordinates- $(2, 6)$ and $(0, 8)$- to find the slope of the line: ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(8 - 6)/(0 - 2)$ $-{2/2}$ $-1$ So the slope of the line is -1. Our final answer is C, -1. (Note: don’t let yourself get tricked into trying to find $A$! It can become instinct when working through a standardized test to try to find the variables, but this question only asked for the slope. Always pay close attention to what is being asked of you.) Perpendicular Lines Two lines that meet at right angles are called â€Å"perpendicular.† Perpendicular lines will always have slopes that are negative reciprocals of one another. This means that you must reverse both the sign of the slope as well as the fraction. For example, if a two lines are perpendicular to one another and one has a slope of 4 (in other words, $4/1$), the other line will have a slope of $-{1/4}$. Parallel Lines Two lines that will never meet (no matter how infinitely long they extend) are said to be parallel. This means that they are continuously equidistant from one another. Parallel lines have the same slope. You can see why this makes sense, since the rise over run will always have to be the same in order to ensure that the lines will never touch. No matter how far they extend, these lines will never intersect. What is the slope of any line parallel to the line $8x+9y=3$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane? F. -8G. $-{8/9}$H. $8/3$J. 3K. 8 First, let us re-write our equation into proper slope-intercept equation form. $8x + 9y = 3$ $9y = -8x + 3$ $y = -{8/9} + 1/3$ Now, we can identify our slope as $-{8/9}$. We also know that parallel lines have identical slopes. So all lines parallel to this one will have the slope of $-{8/9}$. Our final answer is G, $-{8/9}$. A...valiant attempt to be parallel. Typical Line and Slope Questions Most line and slope questions on the ACT are quite basic at their core. You’ll generally see two to three questions on slopes per test and almost all of them will simply ask you to find the slope of a line when given coordinate points or intercepts. The test may attempt to complicate the question by using other shapes or figures, but the questions always boil down to these simple concepts. Just remember to re-write any given equations into the proper slope-intercept form and keep in mind your rules for finding slopes (as well as your rules for parallel or perpendicular lines), and you’ll be able to solve these types of problems easily. What is the slope of the line through $(5,-2)$ and $(6,7)$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane? F. $9$G. $5$H. $-5$J. $5/11$K. $-{5/11}$ We have two sets of coordinates, which is all we need in order to find the slope of the line which connects them. So let us plug these coordinates into our slope equation: ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(7 - 2)/(6 - -5)$ $5/11$ Our final answer is J, $5/11$ Despite the fact that we are now working with figures, the principle behind the problem remains the samewe are given a set of coordinate points and we must find their slope. From C to D, we have coordinates (9, 4) and (12, 1). So let us plug these numbers into our slope formula: ${y_2 - y_1}/{x_2 - x_1}$ $(1 - 4)/(12 - 9)$ $-3/3$ $-1$ Our final answer is B, $-1$. As you can see, there is not a lot of variation in ACT question on slopes. So long as you keep track of the coordinates you’ve assigned as $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$, and you make sure to keep track of your negatives and positives, these questions should be fairly straightforward. How to Solve a Line and Slope Problem As you go through your line and slope problems, keep in mind these tips: #1: Always rearrange your equation into $y = mx + b$ If you are given an equation of a line on the test, it will often be in improper form (for example: $10y + 15x = 20$). If you are going too quickly through the test or if you forget to rearrange the given equation into proper slope-intercept form, you will misidentify the slope and/or the y-intercept of the line. So always remember to rearrange your equation into proper form as your first step. $10y + 15x = 20$ = $y = -{3/2}x + 2$ #2: Remember your $\rise/\run$ Our brains are used to doing things "in order," so it can be easy to make a mistake and try to find the change in $x$ before finding the change in $y$. Keep careful track of your variables in order to reduce careless mistakes like this. Remember the mantra of "rise over run" and this will help you always know to find your change in $y$ (vertical distance) over your change in $x$ (horizontal distance). #3: Make your own graph and/or count to find your slope Because the slope is always "rise over run," you can always find the slope with a graph, whether you are provided with one or if you have to make your own. This will help you better visualize the problem and avoid errors. If you forget your formulas (or simply don't want to use them), simply draw your own graph and count how the line rises (or falls). Next, trace its "run." By doing this, you will always find your slope. Now let's put your newfound knowledge to the test! Test Your Knowledge Now that we’ve walked through the typical slope questions you’ll see on the test (and the few basics you’ll need to solve them, let’s look at a few real ACT math examples: 1. 2. Which of the following is the slope of a line parallel to the line $y={2/3}x-4$ in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane? A. $-4$B. $-{3/2}$C. $2$D. $3/2$E. $2/3$ 3. When graphed in the standard $(x,y)$ coordinate plane, the lines $x=-3$ and $y=x-3$ intersect at what point? A. $(0,0)$B. $(0,-3)$C. $(-3,0)$D. $(-3,-3)$E. $(-3,-6)$ Answers: D, E, E Answer Explanations: 1. You can solve this problem in one of two waysby counting directly on the graph, or by solving for the changes in $x$ and $y$ algebraically. Let’s look at both methods. Method 1- Graph Counting The question was generous in that it provided us with a clearly marked graph. We also know that our slope is $-{2/3}$, which means that we must either move down 2 and over 3 to the right, or up 2 and over 3 to the left to keep our movement across a negative slope line consistent. If you use this criteria to count along the graph, you will find that you hit no marked points by counting up 2 and over 3 to the left, but you will hit D when you go down 2 and over 3 to the right. So our final answer is D. Method 2- Algebra Alternatively, you can always use your slope formula to find the missing coordinate points. If we start with our coordinate points of $(2, 5)$ and our slope of $-{2/3}$, we can find our next two coordinate points by counting finding the changes in our $x$ and $y$. Our first coordinate point of $(2, 5)$ has a $y$ value of 5. We know, based on the slope of the line that the change in $y$ is +/- 2. So our next coordinate point must have a $y$ value of either: $5 + 2 = 7$ Or $5 - 2 = 3$ This means we can eliminate answer choices B and C. Now we can do the same for our x-coordinate value. We begin with $(2, 5)$, so our $x$ value is 2. Because the line has a slope of $-{2/3}$, our x-coordinate change at a rate of +/- 3. This means our next x-coordinate values must be either: $2 + 3 = 5$ Or $2 - 3 = -1$ Now, we must put this information together. Because our slope is negative, it means that whatever change one coordinate undergoes, the other coordinate must undergo the opposite. So if we are adding the change in $y$, we must then subtract our change in $x$ (or vice versa). This means that our coordinate points will either be $(5, 3)$ or $(-1, 7)$. (Why? Because 5 comes from adding our change in $x$ and 3 comes from subtracting our change in $y$, and -1 comes from subtracting our change in $x$ and 7 comes from adding our change in $y$.) The only coordinates that match are at D, $(5, 3)$. Our final answer is D. 2. This question is simple so long as we remember that parallel lines have the same slopes and we know how to identify the slope of an equation of a line. Our line is already written in proper slope-intercept form, so we can simply say that the line $y = {2/3}x - 4$ has a slope of $2/3$, which means that any parallel line will also have a slope of $2/3$. Our final answer is E, $2/3$ 3. This question may seem confusing if you’ve never seen anything like it before. It is however, a combination of a simple replacement in addition to coordinate points. We are given that $x = -3$ and $y = x - 3$, so let us replace our $x$ value in the second equation to find a numerical answer for $y$. $y = x - 3$ $y = -3 - 3$ $y = -6$ Which means that the two lines will intersect at $(-3, -6)$. Our final answer is E, $(-3, -6)$. A good test deserves a good break, don't you think? The Take-Aways Though the ACT may present you with slightly different variations on questions about lines and slopes, these types of questions will always boil down to a few key concepts. Once you've gotten the hang of finding slopes, you'll be able to breeze through these questions in no time. Make sure to keep track of your negatives and positives and remember your formulas, and you’ll be able to take on these kinds of questions with greater ease than ever before. What’s Next? Whew! You may know all you need to for ACT coordinate geometry, but there is so much more to learn! Check out our ACT Math tab to see all our individual guides to ACT math topics, including trigonometry, solid geometry, advanced integers, and more. Think you might need a tutor? Take a look at how to find the right math tutor for your needs and budget. Running out of time on ACT math? Check out how to buy yourself more time on ACT math and complete your section on time. Looking to get a perfect score? Our guide to getting a 36 on ACT math will help you iron out those problem areas and set you on the path to perfection. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Biography of Jack Kilby, Inventor of the Microchip

Biography of Jack Kilby, Inventor of the Microchip Electrical engineer Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit, also known as the microchip. A microchip  is a set of interconnected electronic components such as transistors and resistors that are etched or imprinted onto a tiny chip of a semiconducting material, such as silicon or germanium. The microchip shrunk the size and cost of making electronics and impacted the future designs of all computers and other electronics. The first successful demonstration of the microchip was on September 12, 1958. The Life of Jack Kilby Jack Kilby was born on November 8 1923 in Jefferson City, Missouri.  Kilby was raised in Great Bend, Kansas. He earned a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois and a M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin. In 1947, he began working for Globe Union of Milwaukee, where he designed ceramic silk-screen circuits for electronic devices. In 1958, Jack Kilby began working for Texas Instruments of Dallas, where he invented the microchip. Kilby died on June 20, 2005 in Dallas, Texas. Jack Kilbys Honors and Positions From 1978 to 1984, Jack Kilby was a Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas AM University. In 1970, Kilby received the National Medal of Science. In 1982, Jack Kilby was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The Kilby Awards Foundation, which annually honors individuals for achievements in science, technology, and education, was established by Jack Kilby. Most notably, Jack Kilby was awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on the integrated circuit. Jack Kilbys Other Inventions Jack Kilby has been awarded more than sixty patents for his inventions. Using the microchip, Jack Kilby designed and co-invented the first pocket-sized calculator called the Pocketronic. He also invented the thermal printer that was used in portable data terminals. For many years Kilby was involved in the invention of solar powered devices.

A Chance of Showers

A Chance of Showers A Chance of Showers A Chance of Showers By Maeve Maddox Thanks to a two-week run of rain in my part of the country, a local announcer’s repeated prediction of showers has finally driven me to write a post on his use of what to my ears is unidiomatic usage: â€Å"a chance for† in the context of weather. The established weather idiom is â€Å"a chance of,† as in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Wondering if it was just the local man’s quirk, I did a Google search and found the unidiomatic use of â€Å"chance for† on weather sites in other parts of the country: Sun with a Chance for Showers (WFMZ-TV Eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey) Mostly Cloudy with a Chance for Scattered Showers (WBNS Columbus OH) Cooler with a Chance for Showers (KRCR Redding/Chico CA) A Google search indicates that the use of â€Å"chance for† is much less common when the anticipated weather is snow or plain rain. It’s difficult to discuss preposition use because so often the â€Å"correct† usage is idiomatic. Although the â€Å"chance for† weather usage is most frequent on the airwaves, I did a search on the print-based Ngram Viewer to get a sense of general usage. The combination â€Å"chance for showers† is not found at all. â€Å"Chance for rain† does produce a result, very close to nil; the usage rises slightly in the late 1980s. An Ngram search for â€Å"chance of† and â€Å"chance for† shows a distinct preference for of as the preposition to follow chance and chances. The bottom line is that of is the most usual preposition used with the noun chance in most contexts. Here are some examples: LeBron asks: What are the chances of making 10 free throws in a row? A Statisticians View: What Are Your Chances of Winning the Powerball Lottery? What are the chances of 366 strangers all having a different birthday? What is the chance of an asteroid hitting Earth and how do astronomers calculate it? When the preposition for follows chance, the suggestion seems to be that a positive outcome is regarded as desirable: â€Å"The Chance for Peace† (Title of an address by D.W.Eisenhower) A chance for Mississippi to get out of the educational basement Persian Leopards: Large Cats with a Small Chance for Survival What Are the Chances for IVF Success? Rain, snow, showers, and thunderstorms may or may not be desirable, but so far, the standard preposition to use when anticipating their chances is of: Muggy with a Chance of Rain. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'ts60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†Continue and "Continue on"

Is the future of the EMU threatened by recent events Discuss Essay

Is the future of the EMU threatened by recent events Discuss - Essay Example World War; the legal, economic and political framework of the EU is rooted in the Franco-German tradition, which has lent itself to EU tensions with the political agendas of certain other member states such as Britain (Lippert, 2001, p.114). This intrinsic conflict at the heart of the European Monetary Union (EMU) has been further underlined by the recent European Union and International Monetary Fund’s Irish and Greek bailout. Additionally, some analytical forecasts suggest that Spain and Portugal bailouts are on the horizon, which not only questions the future of the Euro but also brings renewed attention to the long term sustainability of the EMU. The fragmentation of the single monetary union and the EU agenda with national political agendas has become increasingly prominent in relation to the EU enlargement programme (Lahav, 2004, p.113). Indeed, Artis & Nixon suggest that the EU’s economic objectives in the last decade have reached crisis (Artis & Nixon, 2007, p.1). They further argue that the EU relies on co-ordination and mutual co-operation of states and that the enlargement of the EU and free movement has led to many member states opting out, derogating or suspending certain obligations to address national political agendas (2007). With regard to the latter, the continuation of the sensitivity over Turkey and reality of corruption and political agenda in EU friendly Ukraine clearly fuels the debate as to how far national objectives can successfully operate in conjunction with EU economic policy (Wesley Scott, 2006, p.99). As such, Artis and Nixon argue that the root of the Union and mutual objectives are becoming secondary to national political interests, which in turn risks negating the Union’s objectives of a monetary union (2007). The focus of this paper is to critically evaluate the extent to which the EMU is threatened by recent events and it is submitted that a central consideration in this issue is the extent to which the efficacy of

Employers Duty of Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Employers Duty of Care - Essay Example From this study it is clear that Jake’s actions are actually within his scope of employment. According to Damewood, the duties and responsibilities of an auto shop service manager is â€Å"normally focused on satisfying the customers through correctly determining the problems with their vehicles and repairing them in a timely and cost-effective manner†. Although Herman identified that he should just focus on providing the free change oil service, the extra service provided by Jake ensures that the customers would be satisfied with his work. Further, any additional costs needed from checking the basics: the brakes, tires and transmission would be revenue for the shop. Jake could likewise just focus on the free change oil service, as advertised and advised by Herman. According to the paper Jake could seek the car owners’ permission to provide the basic checking services for extra charge that would provide revenue for the shop and would not necessarily cause unneces sary work slowdown for those car owners who opted not to avail of these extra services. In so doing, Jake would still be complying with the duties expected from his scope of employment and still adhere to the priorities set by Herman, his manager. As employer, Herman is responsible for Jake’s injury primarily since the injury was sustained while doing the responsibilities expected of him in the service department. According to U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, â€Å"employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace†. The injuries sustained by Jake form part of OSHA’s regulations that cover autobody repair and refinishing where injuries that were identified include â€Å"being struck by an object, struck against an object, and caught in an object,

Ophthalmic Care Delivery in Saudi Arabia Assignment - 70

Ophthalmic Care Delivery in Saudi Arabia - Assignment Example   Statistics indicate that this institution has considerably decreased the prevalence of blindness and other eye-related health problems, in the elderly, by over 10 percent in the past few decades (Alwadani et al. 2010). However, it has been noted that there are certain regions and communities with relative surpluses in the delivery of quality ophthalmic care and short put of ophthalmologists and ophthalmic subspecialists. These researchers employed written survey to collect data from ophthalmology residence. The written survey contained questions on medical education, demographic information, residency training, and career goals that affect their career choice (Alwadani et al. 2010). The results of this study indicated that the majority of ophthalmology respondents preferred practicing in urban settings (63%) such as Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh, and Eastern area to rural settings (37%) such as Jizan, Hail, Asir, Madinah, Qassim and Baha (Alwadani et al. 2010). Additionally, 75% and 77% of the respondents were interested in practicing interactive research and surgery respectively (Alwadani et al. 2010). Research results summarize that most respondents are willing to practice in private sectors rather than public institutions. In this context, these authors recommend that the government should make an effort to encourage adoption of the ophthalmic practice in public institutions other than in the private sec tor (Alwadani, 2010). Additionally, training in sidelined ophthalmic subspecialties should be encouraged to ensure optimum ophthalmic care delivery to all Saudi Arabia citizens (Alwadani et al. 2010).

Money Market Mutual Funds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Money Market Mutual Funds - Essay Example Money market funds are viewed widely as investments that are as safe as deposits in the bank that provide returns that are higher than those of bank deposits are. Money market funds often store money that at the time is not in current investment due to the funds high liquidity. In the United States, the first money market fund was the brainchild Henry B. R. Brown and Bruce R. Bent in 1971 in the form of The Reserve Fund. It offered investors an opportunity of earning small rates on their cash, preserved in the fund (Scott-Quin). The rates were paid out in form of dividends to the investors. Many more money market funds sprung up in the United States thereafter. The Investment Company Act of 1940 of the Securities and Exchange Commission deals with regulating the money market funds within the United States. The act contains guidelines that restrict the maturity, diversity, and quality of money market funds’ investments. A money fund buys the debt that is the highest rated with a maturity of less than thirteen months. A weighted average maturity of at most 60 days and a maximum of 5% investing for every issuer excluding repurchase agreements and securities of the government constitute the portfolio (U.S Congress 21). A FIDC insured account is an account in a bank involved in the FIDC program that has met the required standards needed for insurance by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC). There are a number of account types that can qualify for this program, ranging from money market deposit and certificate of deposit to savings, NOW, and checking accounts. Deposits made in these accounts are FIDC-insured deposits and a maximum of $250,000 for every account is insurable by the FIDC. These deposits have some similarities as well as differences to the money market mutual funds. Both money market mutual funds and FIDC-insured deposits have high liquidity and flexibility levels (Garman and Forgue 154). Access of the money in the accounts in both typ es of investments is possible through making ATM withdrawals and writing checks whenever the money has needs. Money market mutual fund shares are redeemable at any time on a daily basis, though the fund may require a minimum account balance. The funds also often allow shareholders to write checks reflected on their individual account balances availing the use of shares for transactions. The FDIC insured investments, also known as money market deposit accounts give access to money in the accounts to the investors without charging penalties for early withdrawals. The two investments are both considered investment options with low risks. The accounts pay an interest rate that is higher than that of a passbook savings account (Thomas 208). In case the investment goes wrong, the FDIC, in the case of FDIC insured bank deposits, steps in and compensates for the loss in terms of insurance payments. Though it is not an investor’s right, if the money market mutual fund investment fails , there is a rare occurrence called â€Å"Breaking the buck† where the dividend per share paid to shareholders is the standard $1 per share with the losses covered . The key difference between these two types of market accounts is the insurance of the accounts. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a government agency that insures banks and bank accounts. Money market deposits in banks that

Developing IMC plan for Tween Mobile phone Essay

Developing IMC plan for Tween Mobile phone - Essay Example For the last two years, this young company, which has the credit of designing some of the most innovative applications in the mobile industry, was experiencing a dearth in the sales of its products. Further analysis revealed that the sales of the company depreciated as a direct response to the saturation of the adult mobile users while the market for new mobile applications is increasing exponentially due to the emergence of a new category of young consumers. This led to the company feeling the need to design a new marketing communication plan which will increasingly focus on the various communication objectives, selection of advertising strategy on a creative note, and finally a highly effective media plan. Background Information The world today has become a highly digitized and connected world. The reason for this extreme level of digitization as well as consecutiveness can be attributed to the increasing advancements of technology with regards to the communication needs of human b eing and human controlled processes of automatic and automated that has emerged all over the world. Keeping pace with the rapid advancements of communication technology, the mobile phones have emerged as the most primary form of human communication all over the world, more effectively in the emerging as well as the economically established countries and markets around the world. In Australia, the consumption of mobile phones has gone up tremendously. Various market researches on consumers have identified that the young group of child consumers, who increasingly fall in the age group of 6 to 13 years are one of the most active and avid customers, who display highly attractive and strongly influential consumer behavior. Researches further show that the young consumers hold significant power in terms of influencing the consumer behavior of their parents in a direct and indirect manner (Global Trade Marketing, 2005). Talking in terms of various categories of consumers, the consumers fal ling within the age group of 6 to 13 years, which comprises around a total of 11 percent of the Australian population, have acquired the needs of owning a cell phone (Telstra, 2007). Talking in terms of statistical data, it can be said that the around ? of the total consumers falling in this category from the Australia region already have individual possession of cell phones (Downie and Glazebrook, 2007). While the sole purpose of being provided with cell phones has been cited as the logic of being able to stay connected with their parents, yet this young group of consumers have increasingly developed a significantly different category of consumer behavior which is itself unique in nature (Roy Morgan Research’s Young Australians Survey, Summary). It has been increasingly decoded that the young group of consumers increasingly sees the mobile phones as a symbolic representation of their status and a high percentage of them state that the brand of the mobile phones that are bein g used by them is increasingly important to them.

Money Market Mutual Funds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Money Market Mutual Funds - Essay Example Money market funds are viewed widely as investments that are as safe as deposits in the bank that provide returns that are higher than those of bank deposits are. Money market funds often store money that at the time is not in current investment due to the funds high liquidity. In the United States, the first money market fund was the brainchild Henry B. R. Brown and Bruce R. Bent in 1971 in the form of The Reserve Fund. It offered investors an opportunity of earning small rates on their cash, preserved in the fund (Scott-Quin). The rates were paid out in form of dividends to the investors. Many more money market funds sprung up in the United States thereafter. The Investment Company Act of 1940 of the Securities and Exchange Commission deals with regulating the money market funds within the United States. The act contains guidelines that restrict the maturity, diversity, and quality of money market funds’ investments. A money fund buys the debt that is the highest rated with a maturity of less than thirteen months. A weighted average maturity of at most 60 days and a maximum of 5% investing for every issuer excluding repurchase agreements and securities of the government constitute the portfolio (U.S Congress 21). A FIDC insured account is an account in a bank involved in the FIDC program that has met the required standards needed for insurance by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC). There are a number of account types that can qualify for this program, ranging from money market deposit and certificate of deposit to savings, NOW, and checking accounts. Deposits made in these accounts are FIDC-insured deposits and a maximum of $250,000 for every account is insurable by the FIDC. These deposits have some similarities as well as differences to the money market mutual funds. Both money market mutual funds and FIDC-insured deposits have high liquidity and flexibility levels (Garman and Forgue 154). Access of the money in the accounts in both typ es of investments is possible through making ATM withdrawals and writing checks whenever the money has needs. Money market mutual fund shares are redeemable at any time on a daily basis, though the fund may require a minimum account balance. The funds also often allow shareholders to write checks reflected on their individual account balances availing the use of shares for transactions. The FDIC insured investments, also known as money market deposit accounts give access to money in the accounts to the investors without charging penalties for early withdrawals. The two investments are both considered investment options with low risks. The accounts pay an interest rate that is higher than that of a passbook savings account (Thomas 208). In case the investment goes wrong, the FDIC, in the case of FDIC insured bank deposits, steps in and compensates for the loss in terms of insurance payments. Though it is not an investor’s right, if the money market mutual fund investment fails , there is a rare occurrence called â€Å"Breaking the buck† where the dividend per share paid to shareholders is the standard $1 per share with the losses covered . The key difference between these two types of market accounts is the insurance of the accounts. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a government agency that insures banks and bank accounts. Money market deposits in banks that

Impacts of MIS on Aramex Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Impacts of MIS on Aramex - Assignment Example As the paper discusses  while MIS reduces the occurrence of human error, it does not eliminate error. Managers will have to train and educate the employees on the various impacts MIS has on the entire organization’s operations, especially if they are to achieve competitive advantage. For Aramex, the way MIS is implemented will determine whether IT will drive business or whether MIS will become a function to be absorbed by business lines as managers become more versed with the systems. Because MIS will determine the future strategic direction for Aramex it is important to determine the impact of MIS on Aramex’s decision-making, organizational structure, data security, as well as the impact that future trends are likely to have on Aramex’s strategy.  This study outlines that  Aramex has an abundance of data at their disposal that they can draw on when making decisions. Aramex can use many tools in the analysis of data to improve on their decision-making.  A ramex are able to bring a vast collection of analytical tools to focus efforts and extract data value in adding value to the organization. Aramex uses MIS in decision making as MIS provides a process through which Aramex can transform data, which is dispersed or disorganized into high quality information with added value that allows Aramex to make decisions that are more effective.  MIS also has the ability to increase the employee’s insights on the information.... h which Aramex can transform data, which is dispersed or disorganized into high quality information with added value that allows Aramex to make decisions that are more effective (Edwards et al, 2000, p. 37). MIS also provides for a process that coherently combines skills to analyze and interpret information from numerous organizational sources, as well as the ability to aid non-specialists in deciphering complex technical information. Finally, MIS also has the ability to increase the employee’s insights on the information (Edwards et al, 2000: p38). MIS aids in the process of value extraction from data, such as the development of a hypothesis, data gathering, data analysis, data interpretation, communication of insights, and making decisions that are informed to take action (Fazlollahi & Vahidov, 2001, p. 236). MIS has the ability to move an organization to effective handling of information from simply working with data, turning it into knowledge with added value for competiti ve advantage. At Aramex, their MIS framework compares to the Plan Do Check Act cycle (personal communication, August 1, 2013), which is an almost modern quality control. This was designed by Dr. Edwards Deming, which he also referred to as the Shewhart cycle. In six sigma programs, Dr. Deming further refined this cycle in to; define, measure, analyze, control, and improve cycle (Fazlollahi & Vahidov, 2001, p. 236). Using information to enhance decision-making has to do with data conversion into information, while the information is further converted into knowledge that can help the organization in making decisions (Wiederhold, 2000: p89). According to Mr. Kamal, Aramex uses the PPVC system for data conversion (personal communication, August 1, 2013). PPVC as a prescriptive normative model

Mockingjay Book Review Essay Example for Free

Mockingjay Book Review Essay Imagine the cruelest form of a dictatorship you can think of, randomly selecting two young and innocent children per state from their families and friends. This is the corrupt and power-obsessed capitol. The capitol forces 24 children, 2 from each district to get put into an arena where they must violently fight to the death; there are 12 districts. This is called the hunger games, a â€Å"celebration† rather than a punishment to remember the 13th district that attempted to overrule the capitol, therefore, destroyed. The treacherous and notorious hunger games are nationally televised to all the districts as a lesson and are an amazing and honorable task to the people of the capitol. When Katniss Everdeen’s sister is randomly selected, Katniss takes her place in the games and wins. She is then reselected back into the games the next year and forcefully taken against her will in a surprise attack during the games into what is now known as the surviving district 13. In the final book of the trilogy, Mockingjay, starts off where Katniss is then taken into the underground District 13, a secret remaining district which is grouping together as rebels to fight against the capitol. Mockingjay has captured thousands of audiences ranging from kids, teenagers, and adults. Mockingjay has an unexpected turn in fate when most of the trilogies fans expect to finally see Katniss in freedom from the games and to find her romantic life where she can live in happiness and peace. When she becomes the rebel’s leader and emblem in district 13, it’s unexpected when she is soon found to be trapped in the evil and manipulative ways of government type control again. The capitol had used a televised, violent, and an effective show of the hunger games to prove to the world how much power and control they had over everyone else, and to threaten others so that they will not try and regain strength against the capitol again. Now, districts 13’s rebels are trying to overrule the capitol by using the same savage like strategies. They are creating videos of their rebellious actions and uprisings and televising them as well for more supporters. Soon enough, Katniss realizes she has fallen into the manipulation of another group again, and is causing just as much anger, pain. Sacrifice, and war as the capitol themselves were. This book is as popular and similar in fiction, style, and audience as some of the greatest fiction stories in the world such as, â€Å"Harry Potter†, â€Å"The Chronicles of Narnia†, and the â€Å"Twilight† trilogy. They all take place in a separate fantasy world where its evil vs. the good incorporated with the usual romance affairs. The nasty tracker jackers that take over memoires and change them so people forget who they are, the beautiful jabberjays, so entrancing yet evil by projecting the screams of your loved ones being tortured. Katniss as the main character of course is like Harry Potter, or Bella. She is brave, important, bossy, skillful, intelligent, logical, swift, humorous, thoughtful, caring, independent and sympathetic. Her personality traits are amazing as well as her physical, she is enchanting and beautiful. Her looks are mesmerizing when she rides across the arena in her carriage and dress on fire. She is the girl on fire, the fierce and brave girl who started it all by saving her younger sister. The story is dark and twisted, yet mind grabbing, and fascinating. Its gruesome and detailed events are disturbing but so thrilling and adventurous you can’t seem to stop reading this famous and loved trilogy.

The Practice of Leadership investigation and questionnaire

The Practice of Leadership investigation and questionnaire The research we have discussed has described transactional leader. What is the difference between transactional and transformational leaders? (4) 1. Transactional leaders are leaders who ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Transformational leaders are leaders who ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Transformational leadership is built on top of transactional leadership. You cannot have transformational without transactional leadership. 4. The evidence supporting the advantage of transformational leadership over the transactional is tremendously impressive. 5. A Table Comparing Transactional and Transformational Leadership: Transactional Transformational Visionary vs Charismatic Leadership Visionary leadership is described as with the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive vision of the future for an organisation or organisational unit that grows out of and improves on the present. 1. If the vision is properly selected and implemented, it can be so energising that it incites individuals to use their skills, talents and resources to make it happen. 2. The key properties of a vision are that it has inspirational possibilities that are value centred, are realisable, have better imagery and are well spoken. 3. What skills do visionary leaders have? (3) a. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ b. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ c. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Charismatic leadership theory is an extension of attribution theory and suggests that followers make attributions of heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviours. A charismatic leadership style can appear similar to a transformational leadership style, in that the leader injects huge doses of enthusiasm into his or her team, and is very energetic in driving others forward. However, charismatic leaders can tend to believe more in themselves than in their teams. Eight personal characteristics of charismatic leaders have been identified. (8) ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 2. An increasing amount of research shows impressive correlations between charismatic leadership and high performance and satisfaction among followers. 3. Most experts think that individuals can be trained to exhibit charismatic behaviours. 4. Charismatic leadership may not always be needed to achieve high levels of employee performance. It may be most appropriate when an employees job has a lot of ideological content. Quiz: Charismatic and Transformational Leadership 1. Charismatic leadership is best understood by examining: a. leader characteristics b. leader and subordinate characteristics c. leader and situational characteristics d. leader, subordinate, and situational characteristics 2. Which statement about transformational and charismatic leadership is most accurate? a. both types of leadership involve the same underlying processes b. both type of leadership are effective in any situation c. charismatic leaders are less common in business organizations d. charismatic leaders are more effective in business organizations Team leadership As the usage of work teams grows, the role of team leader becomes increasingly important. 1. The challenge for most managers is learning how to become an effective team leader. 2. Effective team leaders have mastered the difficult balancing act of knowing when to leave their teams alone and when to get involved. 3. How does an effective leader build and support teams? (5) a.________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ b.________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ c.________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ 4. There are two priorities for a team leader. (2) a. ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ b. ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. These priorities can be broken down into four specific leadership roles. a. ________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________ d. ________________________________________________ (4) Quiz: Leadership in Teams and Decision Groups 1. Which of the following is not a primary determinant of performance for a functional team? a. how long the current leader has been in that position b. trust and cooperation among the team members c. the organization and coordination of activities d. member agreement about objectives and strategies 2. The primary responsibility of the leader of a decision group is to: a. suggest good ideas for solving the problem b. ensure that everybody has equal influence c. encourage group members to reach an agreement quickly d. structure the discussion in a systematic manner 3. Which leader action is most likely to improve a group decision? a. ask judgmental questions to stimulate more creative solutions b. separate solution generation from solution evaluation c. determine who was responsible for causing the problem d. insist that the person who suggests a solution must defend it 4. Which of the following is not recommended for leaders of decision groups? a. focus the group discussion on the best two solutions b. encourage members to look for integrative solutions c. describe the problem without implying the cause or solution d. allow ample time for systematic evaluation of ideas LEADERSHIP ISSUES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. Leaders and Power: Leadership power refers to: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the difference between power and authority? (2) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kelman (1958) proposed three different types of influence processes: 1.______________________________________________________________ 2.______________________________________________________________ 3.______________________________________________________________ French and Raven (1959) identified five sources or bases of power. Explain them. (10) 1. Legitimate power ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Coercive power ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Reward power ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Expert power ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Referent power ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yukl and Falbe (1991) add two more types of power: 1. Information Power ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Ecological Power ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Most effective leaders rely on several different bases of power. Power can be personal (referent and expert) or position (legitimate, reward, coercive, information, ecological). How is power acquired or lost? a. Social Exchange Theory _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ b. Strategic Contingencies Theory _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Quiz: Power and Influence 1. What kind of power is dependent upon friendship and trust? a. affiliation power b. dyadic power c. referent power d. expert power 2. Which influence process is most likely to result in continued commitment to a task objective regardless of the managers subsequent actions? a. instrumental compliance b. personal identification c. compliance with authority d. internalization 3. Which two kinds of power have been found to be related most strongly to leader effectiveness in motivating subordinates? a. expert and referent power b. reward and referent power c. expert and legitimate power d. reward and expert power 4. Control over information is likely to give a manager power over: a. subordinates b. subordinates and peers c. peers and superiors d. peers, superiors, and subordinates 5. Which is not a recommended way to increase ones expert power? a. show others how to solve problems for themselves b. avoid making rash or careless statements c. act confident and decisive in a crisis d develop exclusive sources of technical information 6. The most likely outcome for an influence attempt based on legitimate power is: a. passive resistance b. compliance c. active resistance d. commitment Leading through Empowerment: Another modern leadership issue is leading through empowerment. Managers are increasingly leading by empowering their employees. 1. The increased use of empowerment is being driven by two forces. (2) a. _________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ b. _________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Empowerment should not be considered a universal solution to problems. Instead, it should be used where a workforce has the knowledge, skills, and experience to do jobs competently and where employees seek independence and possess an internal source of control. 3. The following conditions should be met for empowerment to be introduced (Cautions): ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Quiz: Leading through empowerment 1. Leading through empowerment increases _______________ of the workers: a. control b. maturity c. independence d. decision-making maturity 2. What is the most likely benefit from using participation in decision making? a. the decision will be made more quickly b. the quality of the decision will be better c. there will be more decision acceptance by participants d. there will be greater agreement among the participants Developing Trust: Another important modern issue for leaders is creating a culture of trust and credibility. 1. Credibility is __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Trust is __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Research has identified five dimensions that make up the concept of trust. Explain them. (5) a. Integrity ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ b. Competence ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ c. Consistency ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ d. Loyalty ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ e. Openness ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Given the fact that many organisations have moved to self-managed work teams, trust is extremely important because many of the traditional control mechanisms have been removed. 5. How should leaders build trust? Give eight suggestions. (8) a. ________________________________________________ b. ________________________________________________ c. ________________________________________________ d. ________________________________________________ e. ________________________________________________ f. ________________________________________________ g. ________________________________________________ h. ________________________________________________ Providing Moral, Ethical and Legal Leadership. Providing moral leadership involves addressing the means that a leader uses in achieving goals. It involves the content of the goals as well. Transformational leaders encouraging moral values when they try to change the attitudes and behaviours of followers. Unethical versus ethical leaders and the use of charisma. Recent corporate financial scandals have given rise to research that considers the ethical implications in leadership. The importance of ethical behaviour when it comes to trust. Abuse of power as leaders, especially illegal activities. Heroic Leadership. In the last few years there have been questions raised about the integrity of business leaders and there are signs of doubt entering into the publics perceptions of business. Polls in the US show that just 16 per cent of Americans trust business executives. US CEO makes 411 times the average worker. CEO salaries in Australia and New Zealand have not been as huge as in the US, but have in the same upward direction. Further resentment when rewards are given to CEOs even when the companys performance declines. Failure of the heroic leader has resulted from arrogance and greed. CEOs role as organisational leader needs to change. CEOs need to get back to the basics of what it means to be a leader. Such as: Give people a reason to come to work. Help employees to develop a passion for their work, a commitment to their colleagues and sense of responsibility to the organisations customers. Be loyal to the organisations people. Spend time with people who do the real work of the organisation. Todays CEO needs to be candid about what business practices are acceptable and proper. They should be prepared to take decisive action when something wrong is discovered. Becoming an effective leader. Organisations are in need of effective leaders. Cross-cultural leadership. Do leadership styles vary with national culture? National culture is certainly an important situational variable in determining which leadership style will be most effective because of how followers will respond. Name 7 universal elements of effective leadership. (7) _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Gender differences and leadership. The next modern leadership issue we want to discuss is gender and leadership. This topic is one that still creates controversy! What, if any, differences exist between male and female leaders and what implications would these differences have? 1. The evidence generally has found that males and females do tend to use different leadership styles. This is not sexist, just reality. (3) a. Women tend to adopt a more ____________________style and a less ________________________________style than men do. b. Women are more likely to encourage participation, share power and information, and attempt to enhance followers self-worth. c. Men are more likely to use a directive, command-and-control style. d. Men rely on the formal authority of their position for their influence base. e. Men use___________________________________ leadership, handing out rewards for good work and punishment for bad. 2. Is different better? Consider the following statement: The best managers (leaders) listen, motivate, and provide support to their people. They inspire and influence rather than control. Generally speaking, women seem to do these things better than men. Do you agree? _____ 3. However, gender does not mean destiny. Which leadership style is effective depends on the situation. Gender simply provides a behavioural tendency in leadership style. 4. Glass ceiling: An unofficial, invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing in the businesses. In economics, this term refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person within the hierarchy of an organization is stopped at a lower level because of some form of discrimination, most commonly sexism or racism, but sometimes, glass ceiling describes the limited advancement of the deaf, blind, disabled, and aged. Quiz: Gender and Cross-cultural Leadership 1. Which statement is most accurate according to the research on gender and leadership? a. men are more effective than women as leaders in organizations b. women are more effective than men as leaders in organizations c. men and women have an equal opportunity to be effective leaders d. men and women do not differ in their effectiveness as leaders 2. Which is least likely to be a reason for the glass ceiling in large organizations like business? a. differences in leadership behavior displayed by men and women b. implicit theories about the attributes required for effective leadership c. popular stereotypes about the skills and traits of men and women d. less encouragement and developmental opportunities for women Leader training Organisations around the globe spend billions of dollars, yen and Euros on leadership training and development. Some people do not have what it takes to be a leader. Evidence indicates that leadership training is more likely to be successful with individuals who are high self-monitors. Also individuals with higher levels of a trait called motivation to lead are more receptive to leadership development opportunities. Skills that can be taught are implementation skills in relation to effective visions, trust building, mentoring and situational analysis. Online leadership Write down the three main challenges of online leadership: __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ Leadership Role-Play: Handling Confrontation (Mon): In groups (min. 3 max 4 people) think of a scenario in which a manager has to deal with employees about a problem in a workplace interview. Prepare a written script that you will hand a copy to your instructor when you do it. Appoint one person as the reporter, one person as the manager, and the rest as employees. The reporter sets the picture for us and the others act out the scenario in about 5 minutes. Then the reporter puts up a slide to summarize the leader-follower dynamics illustrated in the role-play, as reflected by the theory that we have learnt in the workbook. The class will then discuss this summary and analyze it further, drawing effective conclusions from the theory that we have learnt. Three important questions to ask: What kind of leadership style did the manager use? What is his relationship like with the follower/s? What do you think will be the outcome of the confrontation?

Christianity in a Postmodern World :: essays research papers

Christian Belief in a Postmodern World: The Full Wealth of Conviction Others have tried to do what Diogenes Allen, Professor of Philosophy at Princeton Theological Seminary, does in his book but none with his breadth or effectiveness. That is, others have attempted to exploit for theism's benefit the hard times now befalling the modern world's emphasis on scientific reasoning and pure rationality, which for quite a while had placed Christianity (and religious belief in general) on the intellectual and cultural defensive. Many of these earlier attempts made use of the Wittgensteinian concepts of "form of life" or "language game" to show that both science and religion depended on unproven assumptions and therefore rested equally on grounds without firm foundations. These kinds of attempts, however, could most always aim no higher than to make the world safe for fideism. And fideism is not to defend the faith. What makes Allen's contribution special and important is his effort to examine in a philosophically rigorous way what we mean w hen we say Christianity is true. He quotes Colossians 2:2 at the start of his book, but I Peter 3:15 is just as appropriate for what follows: "Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence." Allen is very clear whom he is writing for and what his intentions are: "to give those who have no faith compelling rational grounds to become seekers and to those who have faith a greater degree of assurance and understanding than they can attain while constrained by the modern mentality." He divides his book into three parts. The first part begins with a mapping of our current intellectual terrain. In many ways, modernism committed the docetist heresy to human thought. It failed to see human thought as truly embodied and enculturated. Rather, human intellection consisted in pristine, pure rationality undisturbed by culture, bias, or the vagaries of historical situation. Modernism valued evidence and empirical confirmation and therefore strived to remain valueneutral to mirror a phenomenal world that was itself held value-neutral. The author challenges this way of human knowing and finds it insufficient and incapable of meeting the deepest needs of being human. In so doing , he sheds light on the relation between science and religion. Much of this material is rather provocative intellectual history, including a particularly interesting analysis of the Galileo affair and how it was used for polemical purposes by those hostile to theism.

Performance Orientation

The degree to which a collective encourages and rewards (and should encourage and reward) group members for performance improvement and excellence. Assertiveness. The degree to which individuals are (and should be) assertive, confrontational, and aggressive in their relationships with others. Future Orientation. The extent to which individuals engage (and should engage) in future-oriented behaviors such as delaying gratification, planning, and investing in the future. Organizations in countries with high future oriented practices like Singapore and Switzerland tend to have longer term horizons and more systematic planning processes, but they tend to be averse to risk taking and opportunistic decision making. Humane Orientation. The degree to which a collective encourages and rewards ( and should encourage and reward) individuals for being fair, altruistic, generous, caring, and kind to others. Countries like Egypt and Malaysia rank very high on this cultural practice Institutional Collectivism. The degree to which organizational and societal institutional practices encourage and reward (and should encourage and reward) collective distribution of resources and collective action Organizations in collectivistic countries like Singapore and Sweden tend to emphasize group performance and rewards In-Group Collectivism. The degree to which individuals express (and should express) pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations or families. Societies like Egypt and Russia take pride in their families and also take pride in the organizations that employ them. Gender Egalitarianism. The degree to which a collective minimizes (and should minimize) gender inequality. Egypt and South Korea were among the most male dominated societies in GLOBE. Organizations not operating in gender egalitarian societies tend to discourage tolerance for diversity of ideas and individual. Power Distance. The degree to which members of a collective expect (and should expect) power to be distributed equally. A high power distance score reflects unequal power distribution in a society. Countries that scored high on this cultural practice are more stratified economically, socially, and politically; those in positions of authority expect, and receive, obedience. Uncertainty Avoidance. The extent to which a society, organization, or group relies (and should rely) on social norms, rules, and procedures to alleviate unpredictability of future events. The greater the desire to avoid uncertainty, the more people seek orderliness, consistency, structure, formal procedures and laws to cover situations in their daily lives.

“Ah, Are You Digging My Grave” by Thomas Hardy Essay

â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave?† by Thomas Hardy has six regular stanzas of six lines, which are written sequentially. The lines generally have eight syllables. In all but the second and last stanzas, the second and last lines of each stanza have six syllables. The rhyme scheme is regular, with the second and last lines rhyming and the three lines in between rhyming with each other. The meter is very irregular, with accents falling on different syllables. This quality was possibly inspired by the folk music of Hardy’s time. Another musical quality of this poem is that there is a refrain: â€Å"Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave?† In the second line, when the woman asks if the one digging is her â€Å"loved one? – planting rue?† the word ‘rue’ is a double entendre. Rue is a shrub that symbolizes sorrow, so the corpse is really asking her loved one both if he is planting flowers on her grave and if he is feeling sorrow about her death. When the woman’s kin say â€Å"No tendance of her mound can loose/ Her spirit from Death’s gin† they are referring to a gin as in a type of snare or trap used to catch animals. There is synecdoche in the phrases â€Å"the brightest wealth has bred† in the first stanza and â€Å"one true heart was left behind† in the fifth stanza. This poem also uses a lot of irony. The woman-corpse wants to believe that her former acquaintances remember her and are affected by her death, but she continually finds out that the opposite is true: they have little concern for her now that she is dead. Hardy uses personification with the corpse and the dog. He gives them human traits like the ability to speak and feel emotions. When the dog is burying a bone on his dead mistress’s grave, it symbolizes how the people she knew while she was alive now view her. To them, she is just a bunch of bones buried in the ground, and no longer of any importance. The central theme of this poem is that no love or hate outlasts death. There is a lot of disappointment in the poem, depicting death and the afterlife as tragic things. The black humor and irony reveals a sad message: the dead woman is forgotten and eternally lonely. The poem is also satiric, mocking the sentimentalism of continual devotion to the dead. Hardy takes a similar stance as the Feste in Twelfth Night.