Leadership, culture, ethics - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1734 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? Introduction Wal-Mart being one of the successful companies whose success was majorly brought about by culture, is being used by learners to evaluate the role of cultures in companies and what it needs for a culture to make a company successful. In this essay therefore, am basing my arguments of the well understanding about the company, the culture which it practiced to be able to climb up the ladder in the market. The essay also discusses the ethics of in a company just like Wal-Mart and how unethical behaviors can result to the corruption of the organization culture which can be a greater reason for the failure of the company (Collins and Porras, 1996). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Leadership, culture, ethics" essay for you Create order The essay thus generally analysis the Wal-Mart company which went up to high positions in the market as a result of incorporation of culture in the company which positively adapted by its staff. Wal-Mart was named among one of the biggest companies in the world. It was ranked in this position since it was able to make sales up to a quarter trillion. It was also ranked this was since it was able to employ the largest number of employees in the world employing up to 1.3 million employees thus offering employment to a very large number of people in the world thus considered the biggest retailing successful company which ever existed during this time (Sadri and Lees, 2001). Wal-Mart was developed and also received nurturing from Sam Walton who was said to have raised the company to this high level after the death of his brother. To achieve this position, the company applied various mechanism which triggered its success in the market. One of the mechanism which was the major cause for success was the incorporation of culture in the company which was adopted by every worker in the company thus contributing to the success of the company. Wal-Mart’s success was therefore considered as its ability to manage the elements of its culture as well the entrepreneurial spirit possessed by its workers. The culture of the company was characterized by offering of very good services to the customer as well as the providing the services at very low prices (WAL-MART, 1993). The reason for the success of the company using the culture strategy was that the rules of the company based on culture were too much flexible with challenges brought about by globalization and change in technology. The use of culture in companies has grown to higher extend since some of the companies consider it the reason for success in many companies. Though it seems that some companies haven’t yet known the various cultures to incorporate in the company and this is the reason why some companies have been considered failures in the market (Mary, 1998). The companies fail to distinguish between the positive cultures which lead to the success of the company like cooperative culture and the negative cultures which are said to bring negative impacts in the progress of the company. Sam Walton the founder of the Wal-Mart incorporated a positive form culture which was referred to corporate culture which was positively accepted by the staff of his company resulting to identical success in the market where it was ranked as one of the best companies in the world. This means that not any culture which leads to the leads to success in the companies but only the positive cultures. Positive cultures are therefore said to bring good unity and cooperation among the members thus creating good working environment among the workers resulting to high production in the company and therefore the reason for success as a result of the culture (CARDEN and COURTEMANCHE, 2009). Implying that negative culture promote bad working environment of the workers thus causing disunity and conflicts in the company which finally results to its failure. Corporate type culture originated from people with different ethnic backgrounds and different cultural heritages in which everybody had his or her own cultures. These people were therefore brought to working in the same working environment. The working of these people together thus made sure that nobody is in position to practice his or culture since it was different from the others. The working together of these individuals demanded for the adoption of new cultures and norms. The mixture of the cultures thus led to the rise of a culture which borrowed from the different cultures and coming up with a collective form culture which everybody accepted since he or she could count his or her culture in the collective culture. This was therefore the origin of the corporate culture which made corporation of many cultures and which was used by San Walton to his company resulting to its success. Corporate culture used by Sam Walton was therefore a positive culture which creates cooperation in the company and with led to the success of the Wal-Mart company. Corporate culture said to be influenced by factors like patterns interactions between the members, the history of the company, the geographical positions of the company and the industry in which the company operates. It is therefore defined as culture whereby the workers work together through having collective thoughts, habits, behavior and feelings all focused at achieving the best for the company (Frazier, 2005). It is characterized by valuing of all the employees since every employee has a good idea to input in the company leading to achieving better or growth of the company. Wal-Mart Company thus grew to high position by use of the corporate culture in which San Walton and his management had employed very high number of employees who first had high production power even with low supervision and know Sam Walton comes in with the culture strategy. This thus makes the growth of the company grow very quickly due to high man power as a result of being triggered by culture approach. The culture approach is thus said to have resulted to provision of good working in the company where each and every employer considers himself and achiever and no critics towards the employees thus every employee works to his or her level best since the employees have one slogan and one culture and he or she feels highly motivated to work (Kotter, 2008). This thus led to the growth of Wal-Mart and achievement of its goals which are also the goals of the employees. Unethical leadership is that leadership which does not obey the ethics of the organization. This type if leadership is offered by the poor leaders in the organization. This thus is characterized by leaders conducting behaviors that are illegal or that which violet the moral standards of the members of the organization or the employees.   It can also be characterized by making of decisions which don’t benefit the organization or which result to conflicts in the organization (Brown and Mitchell, 2010). This thus cause misleading of the employees resulting to confusion in the organization and can even contribute to its failure due to poor functioning of the employers. Poor leadership or unethical leadership can therefore result to corruption of the culture which the company bases its work or which the company lays success in. For example if a company has a certain culture which has a defined set of principles, some unethical leaders may end up unquestioning some employees who go against the principles of the organization culture. This is therefore considered as favor to some of the employees and some sought of corruption in the organization. This can therefore result to change of attitude towards the organization culture and everybody starts to break the principles and become corrupt whenever he or she does a mistake. This may therefore result to the death of the culture of the organization or the failure of the organization’s goals in the market. Corruption can also be practiced through some poor leaders making decisions which are in favor of a certain person instead of making the right decisions (Co-founder, 2009). This may thus result to less honor of the employees towards the leaders resulting to difficulties in managing the organization which can also result to failure of the company. Unethical issues in a company may result to the failure of various cultural organization or company which can in turn end up leading to the failure of the entire company. Such issues violate the working environment of the organization leading to poor production and poor attitudes among the employees towards the leaders and organization culture as well (Williams, 2005). This has therefore been the cause for failures in many organizations. To avoid such issues which can lead to failure in the organizations therefore, organizations need to be very keen in the selection of leaders to manage the companies. The leaders should be governed by high levels of ethnics which don’t support the bad morals or morals which result to the straight governance of the company resulting to success in the market. Ethical leaders are capable of making straight decisions and perform acts which don’t violate the working environment and instead make decisions without favoring anybody in the organization. They therefore make decisions which are right and which judges every employee in the organization accordingly to ensure there is good working environment and respect of the leaders by the employees which consider them as directors (Toor and Ofori, 2009). This thus helps in achieving the best in the company since everything is in order and the production activities are efficient. Conclusion Wal-Mart is one of the companies which succeeded and gained high levels in the market by incorporating corporate culture in its working system. Many other young companies should therefore try this approach to see whether they can succeed in the help of the same approach. Cooperate culture has been adopted by very many companies to compete with others in the market. The companies using this approach should thus ensure that they also incorporate other principles like good leadership and positive ethical practices which act as accelerators behind corporate culture leading to the success of the company. Leaders should therefore lead by displaying positive characters and avoiding immoral acts like corruptions which are a major causes of the failure in many of the companies (Mayer, Kuenzi and Greenbaum, 2010). For a company to succeed therefore, it should generally ensure good working environment for the workers, ethnical leaders to manage the employees and employees dedicated to work focu sing on the success of the company through delivering high productivity.

What Is Social Media - 1671 Words

What is Social Media? In the 2010 book, Social Media for Trainers, Jane Bozarth defines social media as referring to material produced online by individuals and â€Å"the public,† distinctive from â€Å"content produced by professional writers, journalists, or generated by the industrial or mass media† (p. 11). Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TeacherTube are a few of examples of social media technologies Bozarth discusses that â€Å"the public† could utilize to produce social media. Each social technology lends itself to a different purpose and the creation of different types of social media; for example, Facebook lends itself to the creation of communities, while Wikipedia lends itself to collaborative projects and knowledge†¦show more content†¦12). In their 2007 article, danah boyd and Nicole Ellison specifically explore the characteristics of early social media technologies (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) and seek to recommend a common definition for individuals in academic and industry settings to utilize in research and practice. boyd and Ellison found that the backbone of most social media sites is comprised of three elements- 1. the ability of a user to construct a profile, 2. the ability of a user to connect with other users, and 3. the capability to â€Å"view and traverse† a user’s list of connections (Boyd Ellison, 2007, p. 211). Beyond these three commonalities, boyd and Ellison found that the purpose of various social media sites and the content building features offered vary greatly from platform to platform. Some sites are intended for professional purposes, while others are intended for social networking; some offer photo and/or video sharing capabilities, while others office blogging capabilities o r messaging capabilities, to name a few (p. 212). While boyd and Ellison’s definition specifically characterizes early social media sites, their findings can be generalized to many of the social media technologies currently available. The Benefits of Social Media in Training and Organizational Learning In the 2005 article â€Å"Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software,† Tim O’Reilly elaborates on the definition of Web 2.0 technology (a concept he had a hand in

Personality Types free essay sample

John Holland theorized on six personality and work environment types, it is believed that if you wish to succeed beyond your fullest penitential you should study these types. Each type of personality is paired with specific job titles that the individual would be likely to excel at. It is important that you know your personality type to be aware of the types of people you are likely to work in harmony with on the job environment. These six personality types are -: * Realistic * Investigative * Artistic * Social * Enterprising * Conventional The Realistic A Realistic is a (Do’er), he or she likes performing activities that evolves or require skills. This person likes hands on work that may require tools and/ or machinery. A realistic prefers solving piratical problems rather than abstract problems, they are very independent, real minded, aggressive and conservative. A realistic is very practical and prefers hectic jobs these jobs include-: * Computer Sciences * Paramedic * Pilot * Police officer, Firefighter * Engineer * Mechanic, Electrician The Investigator The Investigator is a (Thinker). They enjoy doing work that requires scientific or mathematical problems. Investigative personality values theories and science, he or she likes studying, reading and prefers to work with data. They are usually curious, independent and unconventional thinkers, they like to analyze the situation before rushing to conclusions. Investigators are very intelligent but not a leader. An Investigator enjoys research and analyzing situations, they enjoy jobs like-: * Doctor * Researcher * Mathematician * Historian * Chemist, Biologist * Programmer The Artist The Artist is the (Creator), he prefers creativity and originality. He mainly value creative arts, he is known to be self- expressive and emotional. He appreciates sights, sounds and textures that he can draw inspiration from. Artistic personalities are impulsive, visionary, highly motivated and sensitive. The Artist prefers to work in and un-constricting environment that allows self-expression and Creativity, they prefer jobs like-: * Actor * Dancer * Artist * Singer * Designer * Photographer The Socialist The Socialist is a (Helper). Persons with this personality are dedicated leaders, realistic and humanist. This type of personality enjoys training, assisting and developing people. These people are sensitative towards others and make friends easily. Social personalities solve problems by gut feeling and avoid using machines or tools. The Socialist enjoys assisting people and has great communication skills. The usually excel in jobs like -: * Psychologist * Minster * Administrators * Nurse * Police Officer * Real Estate Agent The Enterpriser Enterprising personalities are known as the (Persuader). These personality types enjoy competitiveness and leading. They prefer to solve problems by taking risk and rely on their intuition. The Enterpriser takes pride in his power and status and is talented at influencing others. They appear to be confident and assertive and usually a quick thinker and a problem solver. The Enterprising personality are quick thinkers, confident and influence decisions easily. They prefer jobs like-: * Advertising Agent * Business Managing * Politician * Lawyer * Customer services * Entrepreneur The Conventionalist The Conventional personality is the (Organizer). Persons with this personality type make decisions by following rules. The Conventionalist takes pride in neat, orderly and detailed work. He usually appears to be careful, organized and quiet. These types of people have a strong need to feel secure, certain and follow routine to finish tasks on time. Conventional Personalities likes working with data, numbers and facts. The most recommended jobs for persons of this personality are jobs like-: * Accountant * Tax Consultant * Court Reporter * Computer Operator * Budget Analyst * Administrative Assistant Holland’s Hexagon The diagram above is known as John Holland’s Hexagon, it consist of the six ersonality types. Using Holland’s theory it is said that the personality that is closest to the individual’s personality in the hexagon is highly compatible with the individual. However the most compatible persons would be those with the same personality while the least compatible would be those personality types the furthest away. Realistic Highly Compatible -: * Investigative * Conve ntional Least Compatible -: * Social Explanation A Realistic is highly compatible with the investigative and conventional types because the realistic is more conservative. Realistic also personalities prefer facts or hard evidence rather than superstition or theories. Realistic persons are conservative hence why they are least compatible with the Social Personality. Investigative Highly Compatible -: * Realistic * Artistic Least Compatible -: * Enterprising Explanation The Investigative personalities prefer works with facts however they like working independently without constrictions like the artist. Investigative personalities are least compatible with enterprising personalities because they are not very dominating and competitive. Artistic Highly Compatible -: * Investigative * Social Least Compatible -: * Conventional Explanation Investigative personalities and Artistic personalities are both independent. The Social personalities are enjoys being friendly and social with others which are also traits of an Artistic. The Artistic is least compatible with Conventional personalities because they tend to follow systemic and orderly activities while Artistic personalities prefer originality and creativity. Social Highly Compatible -: * Artistic * Enterprising Least Compatible -: * Realistic Explanation Social are highly compatible with Artistic and Enterprising personalities because they relate well with others and are both highly motivated and energetic. Social personalities are least compatible with realistic because realistic personalities prefer to work alone while Social personalities enjoy working among and with others. Enterprising Highly Compatible -: * Social * Conventional Least Compatible -: * Investigative Explanation Enterprising personalities relate well with Social and Conventional personalities because they are practical, efficient and communicate well with others. Enterprising personalities are least compatible with Investigative personalities because they prefer theory and information while Enterprising prefer to make quick decisions and is a fast thinker. Conventional Highly Compatible -: * Enterprising * Realistic Least Compatible -: * Artistic Explanation The least compatible personality with Conventional is Artistic because they prefer creativity while Conventional thinkers prefers precise and orderly task. They are highly compatible with Enterprising and Realistic personalities because they are conservative and carefully observer.

Samuel BeckettS Waiting For Godot Essays - Theatre Of The Absurd

Samuel Beckett'S Waiting For Godot Nothing to be done, is one of the many phrases that is repeated again and again throughout Samuel Becketts Waiting For Godot. Godot is an existentialist play that reads like somewhat of a language poem. That is to say, Beckett is not interested in the reader interpreting his words, but simply listening to the words and viewing the actions of his perfectly mismatched characters. Beckett uses the standard Vaudevillian style to present a play that savors of the human condition. He repeats phrases, ideas and actions that has his audience come away with many different ideas about who we are and how beautiful our human existence is even in our desperation. The structure of Waiting For Godot is determined by Becketts use of repetition. This is demonstrated in the progression of dialogue and action in each of the two acts in Godot. The first thing an audience may notice about Waiting For Godot is that they are immediately set up for a comedy. The first two characters to appear on stage are Vladimir and Estragon, dressed in bowler hats and boots. These characters lend themselves to the same body types as Abbot and Costello. Vladimir is usually cast as tall and thin and Estragon just the opposite. Each character is involved in a comedic action from the plays beginning. Estragon is struggling with a tightly fitting boot that he just cannot seem to take off his foot. Vladimir is moving around bowlegged because of a bladder problem. From this beat on the characters move through a what amounts to a comedy routine. A day in the life of two hapless companions on a country road with a single tree. Beckett accomplishes two things by using this style of comedy. Comedy routines have a beginning and an ending. For Godot the routine begins at the opening of the play and ends at the intermission. Once the routine is over, it cannot continue. The routine must be done again. This creates the second act. The second act, though not an exact replication, is basically the first act repeated. The routine is put on again for the audience. The same chain of events: Estragon sleeps in a ditch, Vladimir meets him at the tree, they are visited by Pozzo and Lucky, and a boy comes to tell them that Godot will not be coming but will surely be there the following day. In this way repetition dictates the structure of the play. There is no climax in the play because the only thing the plot builds to is the coming of Godot. However, after the first act the audience has pretty much decided that Godot will never show up. It is not very long into the second act before one realizes that all they are really doing is wasting time, Waiting for...waiting. (50) By making the second act another show of the same routine, Beckett instills in us a feeling of our own waiting and daily routines. What is everyday for us but another of th e same act. Surely small things will change, but overall we seem to be living out the same day many times over. Another effect of repetition on the structure of Godot is the amount of characters in the play. As mentioned before, the play is set up like a Vaudeville routine. In order to maintain the integrity of the routine, the play must be based around these two characters. This leaves no room for extra characters that will get in the way of the act. To allow for the repetition of the routine to take place the cast must include only those characters who are necessary it. The idea that the two characters are simply passing time is evident in the dialogue. The aforementioned phrase, Nothing to be done, is one example of repetition in dialogue. In the first half-dozen pages of the play the phrase is repeated about four times. This emphasizes the phrase so that the audience will pick up on it. It allows the audience to realize that all these two characters have is the hope that Godot will show up. Until the time when Godot arrives, all they can do is pass

Canadian health policy Essays

Canadian health policy Essays Canadian health policy Paper Canadian health policy Paper Canada’s   public founded health care system is dynamic, reforms are been made over four decades and will continue in responds to changes within medicine and throughout the society .The basics is the universal coverage for medically necessary health care service provided on the   basis of need rather than the ability to pay. Canadian health policy is regarded as one of the best health services in the world. The demand for these health services are however growing at the same time as economic resources are diminishing. Health policy initiatives have achieved the 1964 royal commission on health services goal of access of medical care for all Canadian. The current challenge is to enable all Canadian to achieve the best possible state of health and to do this within the limitation of changing social, economic and political climate. Canada’s   publicly funded health care services is best described as an interlocking   set of ten provincial and three territorial health insurance plan known as Medicare.   It provides access to universal, comprehensive coverage for medically necessary facilities. The Canadian health care system have started since 1867constitutin which contains few specifics about health, and till date many issues have been discussed on health related matters and have been very beneficial to the formation of Canadian health care policy. CANADAS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AT A GLANCE Health policy is intended to be a vehicles for the exploration and discussion of health policy issues and aimed at enhancing good and quality health status among the people in Canada. Canada’s health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. It is publicly founded and administered on provincial or territorial basis, within guidelines set by the federal government. Under the health care system, individual citizens are provided preventive care and medical treatment from primary care physicians as well as access to hospitals, dental surgery, and additional medical care. Canada’s health care system is subject of much political controversy and debate in the country. Some people question the efficiency of the current system to deliver treatment in a timely fashion and advocate adopting a private system similar to the United States. Conversely, there are worries that privatization would result to inequality in the health system with only wealthy being able to afford certain treatment. Canada does boast of one of the highest expectancies and lower infant mortality rates of the industrialized countries, which many attributed this to Canada’s health care system.

Ngfv, Jh Essays

Ngfv, Jh Essays Ngfv, Jh Paper Ngfv, Jh Paper Mara- All members should check into the team member chat room and make a post to show participation and give feedback to others comments. Erin- Everyone is expected to participate in the Learning Team Forum to discuss team decisions and individual assignments for group projects. Everyone is expected to submit their portions of assignments to the Learning Team Forum on time. If a conflict occurs team members will attempt to work it out together via forum, email, or telephone. Regan- Respect for the team members, prompt and courteous participation and communication is required. Kayla- to make sure all assignments are submitted in a timely fashion so reviews can be done and make sure everyone is communicating correctly and getting alone together to make sure this is a educational and laid back experience. Expectations for Time Management and Involvement (Participation, communication with the team, accessibility, etc. ) Carol-I think it is fair to expect each team member to check into the team forum no less than 4 day/week. Team members should submit their work by the deadlines the team has agreed upon and should answer all questions in a timely manner, especially the team leader. Mara- Within 48 hours of due date of project, all team member’s work will be submitted to be organized and put into presentation format by team leader. This ensures adequate time for the team leader to organize a good presentation. Erin- Each team member will post a progress report of their task prior to project due date. Exact date to be determined with each project. Each team member will post their task 2 days before the assignment is due to be submitted. This will allow the team leader time to assemble or summarize the assignment and post to team members for final agreement one day prior to final submission. Each team member will post a message in the team forum if availability listed above changes. If urgent, contact team leader by phone. Regan- Team members will agree on deadlines for assignments, check the Team forum at least daily and communicate. If there is a problem that impacts delivery let the team know ASAP. Failure to meet deadlines could result in exclusion from the team assignment. Kayla- I think all team members should communicate accordingly even on weeks we do not have assignments to prepare for those assignments. Ensuring Fair and Even Contribution and Collaboration What strategy will you use to ensure that all team members are contributing and collaborating appropriately? Describe the communication strategy you will use if a team member is not contributing and collaborating effectively. How will the team manage conflicts between team members? Carol-I think the team lead should have the authority to assign each team member a portion of the assignment. This will enable everyone to know which part of the assignment everyone else is working on. If a team member is having difficulty with their portion of the assignment he/she should ask for help early enough to get the assignment completed on time. The main issue usually arise when team members do not communicate with each other. This lack of communication is detrimental to the entire team’s moral and adds undue stress to the other team members. Therefore, if a team member is not communicating, does not submit his/her work in a manner consistent with team rules, that member’s name will not be added to the completed assignment. This decision will be made by the rest of the entire team after numerous attempts from the team lead to contact the team member. If an issue arises that the team cannot resolve the facilitator will be asked for direction on how to handle the problem. When the completed team project is submitted to the CWE and Plagiarism checker before submitting to the assignments tab, if a portion is found to be plagiarized or contain numerous errors the team member will be asked to revise this portion. If he/she does not the team lead will revise and the team member’s name will not be added to the completed project. Regan- Team members will agree on deadlines for assignments, check the Team forum at least daily and communicate. If there is a problem that impacts delivery let the team know ASAP. Failure to meet deadlines could result in exclusion from the team assignment. Kayla- Each team assignment should be split up correctly and evenly. If there is someone who needs help we as a team should help them. Special Considerations What do you, as a team, agree will make this team experience different from past team experiences? Carol-COMMUNICATION! In previous classes when communication broke down the team struggled to complete assignments by due dates. If every team member communicates with the rest of the team we will be successful. Should emergencies arise and team members are unable to complete their portion they should submit what they have and someone else will complete the task. Also be supportive of each other, especially the team lead. Erin- Establishment of this team charter with its expectations and deadlines clearly defined will be most valuable. Our main focus is to work together, communicate as often as possible and to respect each other’s idea, to ask questions and provide assistance as needed. Completing all individual tasks well before the project due date to allow team leader time for editing. Regan- Have one member proof and edit. Kayla- Great coordinator.

Fine art ba Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Fine art ba - Essay Example Developments in the field of Art and Architecture emerged from the Classical to the Modern. There is indeed a clash within the academe as to how art and architecture must be assessed in the same respect to that of the general public or the viewers who have been hostile and unreceptive, in most cases, to the new form and standards of art and architecture that emerged and presented by the artists and innovators themselves. This is the condition that shows why Art Historians are busy rewriting art history. This is applicable to Lego since the said toy became a method in artistic production which will be discussed on the latter part of the dissertation. In this paper, there is an investigative, critical and synthetic approach and analysis as to how the Lego art and architecture, the external influences to the concept of construction, and the development of the style throughout time, in all aspects reflect the status and condition of Modern Art and Architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright will be dealt with in this paper as well since he is one the well-known architects that formulated new designs and conventions in terms of architecture. There will be an assessment of the modes of artistic production, specifically on the conception of form, the conventions of the work of art, the aesthetic appeal, the social context and observe clearly what are the difference and similarities among the three and the possible influence of one to the other. Also, the dissertation will try to investigate further the ambivalent connections of the aforementioned stylistic concepts. In achieving a cohesive and synthetic assessment of the matters that pertain to the subject being tackled, there will be a thorough deliberation of the relation of the aforementioned topics to its social, cultural, political, and economic contexts. Inevitably, these contexts provide a crucial playing field for the flourish and failures that art and architecture faced

Social Contract Theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke Essay

Social Contract Theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke - Essay Example Thus, in a social contract to which they voluntarily consented, they created the state for the purpose of promoting and preserving their natural rights to life, liberty and property. It was John Locke who painted a picture of liberty of citizens and authority of government in tones which were far moderate than that of Thomas Hobbes. Men in a state of nature could make use of their perfect freedom for their own good, since they were reasonable men. To John Locke, men did not abuse their Liberty. They did not threaten the lives of their neighbors. He wrote: Though this is a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of license. The state of nature of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone; and reason, which is that law that teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent; no one has a right to harm another in his life, health, liberty of possessions. 1 Locke's social contract favored men quitting the state of nature to form themselves into a civil society. In this society men instituted the state where a social contract or covenant was formulated between citizens and government, a trustee which they could dismiss if it did not maintain the freedom and equality that men originally knew and enjoyed. In other words, when government no longer served the citizens' interests and welfare, it might be resisted or overthrown. Why, because government had violated its obligations under the social contract to the extent that it had broken it. What were these obligations The government as trustee had to protect and preserve people's rights, especially natural rights as explained above. Otherwise, the contractual agreement which was the basis of government's existence would be without substance and meaning. Locke asserted that men should retain their natural rights in civil society and that political powers or sovereignty should not be assigned to the monarch, but to the people's representatives in parliament who should be supreme. In Locke's view, the legislative power could never be arbitrary, since under the doctrine of popular sovereignty, the people had the supreme power to change, through peaceful election or revolution, their representatives in the parliament whenever such representatives acted contrary to the trust reposed in them. Locke's social contract puts in perspective the parliamentary democracy of limited government that many states have today, which stresses the protection and promotion of individual rights to life, liberty and property. Locke's reason for favoring a civil government to impose upon man some restrictions of government authority was that men after all were not impartial judges of their friends' shortcomings. He admitted that human frailties could lead to abuse of power. 2 Popular sovereignty is supreme authority of the state which resides in the people. This authority means that the people are the ultimate source of power and so they possess coercive power to control government through which they allow themselves to be governed. It was said that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them. This view is embodied in Locke's theory of popular sovereignty in which the citizens have the vested right and power to choose their representat

Proposal Sample Essay Example for Free

Proposal Sample Essay Childhood obesity is a prevalent problem in the United States today. As of 2008, 20% of children aged 6-11 are considered obese. This is due to lack of fresh and healthy food alternatives, lack of education on nutrition and disease and the decrease in physical activity in todays youth are the defining factors that contributed to this now nationwide epidemic. H.Y.F.R, with the help of local community grocers, is geared to defeat the issue of obesity in youths of low-income families. Families at or below poverty level have little to no access to healthy foods to feed their children. H.Y.F.R knows the battle with obesity will be a long and hard one, but with the support of our allies, community members and parents, we can stop our children from getting bigger and bigger, sicker and sicker. Research Findings As per the research conducted in this proposal, there are many health risks associated with obesity in children. There are chronic diseases known to plague adults such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, joint pain or pressure, various types of cancers and high cholesterol are starting to be diagnosed in our youth. Lack of involvement on the parts of parents is the most influential factor as to why we are seeing obesity in children. Parents who lack education on whats nutritious are a detriment to the health of their children. Factors like socioeconomic status and cultural issues also play a role. First lady Michelle Obama has taken a firm stand in opposition to childhood obesity. Visiting grammar schools in the capital have made a resounding impact on the importance of a healthy diet. Project Description The goal of H.Y.F.R is to decrease obesity and promote healthy youth’s for the future. H.Y.F.R has created four objectives that focus on achieving the goal of the organization. The first of these objectives is to set the foundation for health in today’s youth. Fostering a positive attitude, and reinforcing new healthy behaviors and alternatives will make the chance of permanent change more likely. Second, H.Y.F.R knows that healthy choices and behaviors must be continued in the household. Educating parents is paramount. Providing literature and information for parents to continue the healthy lifestyle for their child will also increase the likelihood for permanent change. The third objective would be to involve the community in our efforts to reduce obesity in our youth. Organizing fitness events and utilizing farmers markets will increase the odds that children will respond to these initiatives. Our last objective is to have a recreational center to call our own. Havin g open green space and an enclosed gymnasium will allow a safe haven for these inner city youths to exercise and get healthy in a clean and safe environment. Methodology There is a list of activities that we will implement to help achieve our goal. Sports like volleyball, tennis, baseball and softball are just a few of the activities the youths will engage in to help shed their excess weight and jump start their healthy lifestyles. Interactive classes like dance and Zumba will make losing weight fun for children who are heavily distracted otherwise. Separating the youths by age will allow for a comfortable environment in which to exercise and interact which promotes comfort. Staff/Administration Properly trained and credentialed staffing is crucial to any organization. H.Y.F.R knows this and has listed the necessary personnel that will help keep the organization running at its maximum potential. Project manager, project administrator, program coordinator, nurse, health educator, nutritionist, counselor, lifeguard (volunteer/intern), dance instructor (volunteer/intern) and maintenance personnel are essential to the smooth operation of the various projects. Budget H.Y.F.R is a not for profit organization. With this in mind, the budget total is estimated to be 957,740.00 dollars including the salaries and other expenses. Sustainability H.Y.F.R can only continue operating with the contributions of local philanthropists and other charities. Hosting bake sales (organic and healthy items) and other types of fundraisers will generate funds to keep this program moving forward. Michelle Obama also as headed an initiative towards this goal and if this organization could utilize that, there could be other funds to be gained. Evaluation Quarterly evaluation of the success of H.Y.F. R is vital. Knowing where the organization stands is essential. The program would benefit form a constant learning processes. Evaluating strengths and weaknesses can help determine what improvements can be made to improve its efficacy. Evaluating also generates knew knowledge. Things not known before can come about and inspire new aspects of the program. Parts such as the budget and the allotment of the granted funds will also be evaluated in the expectation to reduce costs and put the money back into the program where it is needed. H.Y.F.Rs partners, methodological ordinations and feedback from the community will all help to evaluate. The opinions of all are important. Evaluations from external sources do cost a sizable amount of money. Conducting a standard evaluation would account for 5% to 10% of the total budget. Evaluations would be done via surveys, database reports and minutes taken from the meetings. The length of time it takes t he targeted population to lose weight and start their healthier lifestyles will determine the success or failure of the organization. Variables like culture and ethnicity will be considered. Statement of Need The prevalence of Childhood Obesity is a rising issue in America. Moreover, in order for us to control this issue it is imperative for us to implement a program designed to prevent, reduce and eliminate obesity in the New York City area. Lately, youths dealing with obesity have developed diseases that are prevalent in older adults such as; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, and joint problems. Other diseases include sleep apnea and various types of cancers. Obese children often get teased and bullied by schoolmates because of their weight, which can result in social and psychological problems. Also, stigmatization and poor self-esteem can occur after dealing with bullying and teasing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The population targeted for H.Y.F.R (Healthy Youths For Real) includes boys, girls, young men, and young women in New York City. We would also like to target all five boroughs by uniting them together to overcome obesity in our young people. Obese children that stem from low-income families often reside in the most impoverished communities in NYC. These communities lack adequate facilities designed for physical recreation. The availability of healthier food choices in the neighborhood is an ongoing issue, especially with the high prevalence of fast food restaurants in the area. Some of the under privileged areas also have high-crime rates, making whatever nearby parks available a safety issue. It is proven that the most effective way to defeat obesity is through a healthy diet and exercise. In addition, there are other factors used to help facilitate this change of behavior in our youths, such as the involvement of the parents. At H.Y.F.R we believe, if the parents are involved in their children’s lifestyle they will be very influential on their child’s healthier eating habits. If H.Y.F.R were not able to implement a non-profit program in the community, youths of low-income families would not have access to a recreation center designed to educate, prevent, and reduce childhood obesity. It is essential that H.Y.F.R. create a recreation center for today’s youths because of the rising costs of gyms, parks and recreation centers in our communities today. Research Findings Childhood obesity is becoming an issue in our communities instantaneously and long term. â€Å"Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Whereas for the long term effect of childhood obesity lead to: â€Å"Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.† â€Å"Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). These statistics speaks volumes and provide valuable information of what is occurring and will occur with our youths of the future and yet the childhood obesity rates continue to rise. Childhood obesity is categorized by age groups 10-17 18-24: â€Å"adolescents† as individuals in the 10-19 years of age group and â€Å"youth† as the 15-24 year age group. These two overlapping age groups are combined in the group â€Å"young people† covering the age range 10-24 years (World Health Organization). Body Mass Index The following are Body Mass Index Charts (BMI) one for girls and the other for boys, these BMI charts are used as an assessment to identify any potential weight problems such as obesity, overweight, underweight, or simply determine if the child has a healthy weight. The child’s weight and height are calculated in order to determine the BMI. â€Å"Children are not considered obese until their weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for their height and body type (American Academy Child Adolescent Psychiarty). Weight ranges goes the following: Underweight- Less than the 5th percentile, Healthy Weight-5th percentile to less than 85th percentile, Overweight-85th to less than the 95th percentile, Obese- equal to or greater than the 95th percentile.

Free Essays - Social Expectations in Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Social Expectations in Oedipus the King It is made clear that the citizens of Thebes were religious and had a deep reliance on the gods. "You cannot equal the gods..."p161. It was expected socially, that the citizens of Thebes recognized the gods power, and so for Jocasta to refer to the prophecies as "hollow" would not have been generally accepted behaviour. The priest is an elderly and religious man, something we realise is well respected in Thebes as Oedipus who is king, speaks with the priest on an equal level. The elderly were considered to be wise and therefore socially it would be expected that even the king should be polite to them. "Speak up, old man. Your years, your dignity..." p. 159 Oedipus is rude to Teiresias who is also a wise and religious man. "You're a nuisance here..."p185. Oedipus is not living up to his social expectations here, signifying he is fast approaching his downfall. Oedipus is seen to have double standards with regards to the idea of murder. He is aware that he has killed someone, yet to hear that King Laius was killed, he seems appalled, "...so daring, so wild, he'd kill a king?"p166. It is depicted as being morally less acceptable to kill someone of "royal blood". The king was someone who the people of Thebes turned to when they needed help, "find us strength, rescue!" p. 161. Oedipus had set himself high social expectations after helping free Thebes "from the sphinx". Oedipus was admired as being "best of men" p. 161, and therefore socially the citizens would have expected him to help them when they needed it. Oedipus was kinder to the citizens and more open with them than was generally expected from a king, "my children" p. 162. He spoke to them directly and not through a messenger, showing the closeness between the people and their king, "Here I am myself..." p. 159. Oedipus and Creon put all their efforts in to finding the killer of Laius. They take it on as their moral obligation as it has gone so far without justice being made, "But you, loyal men of Thebes who approve my actions, may our champion, Justice, may all the gods be with us.

Hip Hop Childrenswear

The style express how active they were, and this collection adapted the idea of free, colorful, youthful but still comfortable to wear for children. This collection uses a lot of prints, and bright colors but still looks good on Fall/Winter season for children. Last but not least, I hope this collection can give inspiration and knowledge about the world-changing movement, hip hop. THE BEGINNING OF HIP HOP Hip hop started to began in South Bronx, New York city, around late sass. At that time black (skinned) people that mostly African-American was living as a group of minorities in America.They can't get the same facilities that white people can easily et. One of the story was, black (skinned) kids had to walk to school even their school has a far distance. But, for the white children, they can use the public transportation like buses. Then to express the injustice, they show it through creative ways. One of the hip hop pioneer is DC Cool Here (Clive Campbell). He is one of the people who developed hip hop music before later spread out through the world. Fig 1. DC Cool Here (Clive Campbell), 2008 At that time, hip hop also helped youngsters.Instead of fighting with the street gangs, they spend their time dance battling. Then Africa Bumboat founded the Zulu Nation, it's a confederation of street-dance crews, graffiti artists, and rap musicians. After that, hip hop movement gained more and more media attention, Billboard magazine printing an article titled â€Å"B Beats Bombarding Bronx†, commenting on influential hip hop figures like DC Cool Here. Hip hop still developing, until now, there are female hip hop artists too like Nick Mina] and Queen Latish. They also protesting the graphic hip hop lyrics depicting rape and violence against women.Rap is also a part of hip hop. Rap became a way for artists to spread political and social messages to people who still unaware about the life of African-American people. Fig 2. Africa Bumboat (Kevin Donovan), founder o f Zulu Nation, 2012 Later then, Hip hop started to spread out to the world â€Å"the center of a mega music and fashion industry around the world† that crosses social barriers and cuts across racial lines. 4 HIP HOP INFLUENCE ON FASHION † Hip- hop has become a lifestyle that's no longer Just associated with African- Americans or Latino, it has a global reach. – Task Lewis, Ph. D. '09, assistant professor of fiber science and apparel design in the College of Human Ecology. Hip Hop movement is no longer associated only with one group of people, the hip hop style adapted to the fashion world, where now people can wear tracksuits, sporting gear, oversized T-shirts, overalls and combat boots. In sass, this look was adopted by major fashion labels, becoming part of the mass culture. Also, the hip hop subculture embraced the country club luxuries of more venerable brands, which features not usually marketed to urban youth.In sass, one of the hip hop endorsement in fashi on industry was done by Ideas, which shell shoe get popularized by group Run DMS. Ideas reportedly paid Run DMS $1 million for the deal. From there, hip hop's influence in fashion continued to grow with corporations, and later with hip hop artists creating their own fashion labels. Ideas ads, Run DMS Fig 3. Michael Jordan with Nikkei Air Jordan, 1984 Then in 1984, Michael Jordan and Nikkei collaborated to create the Air Jordan basketball shoe. These shoes would become the most sought-after accessory since the Hermes Firkin.While the price point was high ($100 at the time), it did not stop young men from lining up. Nikkei still sells the Air and releases retro versions of the sneaker that sell out in hours across the globe. 6 Hip hop in early development in clothing was embraced by American designers, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hellfire. Men would buy clothes a few sizes bigger, adapted the baggy silhouette rappers were known for both on and offstage. Russell Simmons, one of hip hop prod ucer, capitalized on this trend by creating Path Farm clothing, the first hip hop clothing label.This revolutionized the fashion world, and many would follow in his footsteps, including Sean â€Å"Daddy† Combs and rappers Newly and 50 Cent. Path Farm Clothing Fig 4. Russell Simmons, 2013 After that, hip hop style spread out more and more through any part of the world, to he Paris and Tokyo streets. Designers took note of this and began adding a dose of hip hop to high end collections, such as the 1991 Channel collection, where Karl Laagered showed piles of gold Jewelry on models. In sass, many hip hop artists and executives started their own fashion labels and clothing lines.This ready to wear collection is focused on children at their teenage (5-7 years old) whose parents living in upper-middle class. Focusing on parents who want to dress up their children based on unique street style but still comfortable to wear. Children who also fond of fashion and to look different amon g the others. All looks in this collection can be worn daily, at any occasions. In this childlessness project, I have learned that hip hop style which usually worn by adults can also adapted to kids garments.Since its childlessness, all of the garments in this collection use comfortable material and easy to manage. From using the denim fabric, I also learned that many fabric manipulations can be made, such as making pleats from a piece of denim or ripped it. And by using subtle colorful fabric, it give more fun feeling to this collection. Overall, I have improve my knowledge in how to get theme, how to research on the theme and how to realizing my collection room the design stage until finish. BIBLIOGRAPHY Resellers, D. (2012, August 15).

Hi-Value Supermarkets: Every Day Low Pricing Case Study Essay

Problem Statement Hi-Value Supermarkets located in the Centralia, Missouri area are faced with the problem of deciding whether or not to change their sales strategy to everyday low pricing. This has become an important subject for Hi-Value due to their loss in sales of the last few quarters, and a possible future loss in market share in their area. Hi-Value has three stores in the Centralia area and all are perceived as having a high market value in comparison to its competitors. They has attempted to determine the strengths and weaknesses in accordance to its competitors by conducting a survey and two focus groups which provided some very key results. Going further into this problem we must also assess whether all products within the stores should entail everyday low pricing, and if not all which ones. We must also determine how much lower the standard price will be set for all products in order to be considered everyday low pricing. The survey and focus groups also identified that the variety of pro ducts the consumers are looking for are not present as well, and that must also be assessed. Situational analysis Hi-Value Supermarkets have multiple key strengths with their current position in the Centralia market, and they must be considered when determining their next moves to attack this current problem. Having three locations within the Centralia area is a huge benefit with covering multiple geographic sectors. Especially when there is no other competing supermarket chain with that many stores in the area. The fact that they have had a strong market share from 1995 to 2002 with an estimated 23% share of the market in 2002 is also very important. Hi-Value is in the position where all they need to do is at the very least sustain their current positions and any increase in market share is just a bonus. Being the oldest supermarket in the Centralia area is a key strength because it makes them a well known and identifiable name. Their high quality products sets a standard that some of their competitors do not have building an important reputation within the community. Survey and focus groups ma de it very prevalent that most consumers think that their stores are very well put together, sanitary, and  up to date. Descriptions of other competing stores did not entail the same qualities which helps in consumer preference especially because they are purchasing consumable products. Although Hi-Value has many key strengths, there are still some attributes that hinder their chances of success in multiple sectors. Obviously their current pricing strategy is the largest problem for the store. Although their products are of high quality and most consumers seem aware of this, the high prices in many categories may not seem worth the trade off. From the survey of 400 Centralia residents 30% said Hi-Value prices were above average. The size of their supermarkets also poses as a weakness because they are smaller in comparison to many competitors which leads to less space for products. This means that it is more likely that a product has a higher chance of not being stocked and the consumer does not have as much variety to choose from. Each store has been renovated throughout the years, but they are still located in older buildings which does hinder their public image. With their current position, the company has multiple opportunities to focus on that could lead to future success. As the present time, there is not one food store in Centralia who advertises on television. By starting an advertising campaign after the decision on changes to be done to the store, Hi-Value has the ability to publicly announce their updated policies via television making the entire centralia sector aware. The ability to expand each store is also an option that may be worth investing in. Lack in variety was a very prevalent weakness that consumers pointed out and this could solve that problem. Centralia is also a very high traffic trade area in central Missouri leaving Hi-Value with a high opportunity to gain a larger consumer base if they make the right decisions to increase market desirability. There are three major competing stores within the Centralia area that must all be assessed and compared to when determining the right moves for Hi-Value to make. Harrison’s, Grand America, and Missouri Mart are all very different Supermarkets with a variety of strengths and weaknesses. As explained in its description, Harrison’s has a very positive image in the  eyes of its customers. Their store is 50,000 square feet which is over twice the size of Hi-Value’s average size. This gives them room to hold a very wide range of general merchandise. Their current strategy is also everyday low prices and survey results prove that consumers believe they have the lowest everyday prices which gives a current competitive edge. Grand America is a 39,800 square feet supermarket and has the newest building making it the most modern store in Centralia. The store is considered by Hall officials as a secondary competitor being highly regimented and lack innovative merchandising appeal. Their greatest product strength is the dairy department which is highly regarded by its customers. One thing to consider with this supermarket is that their competitive pricing strategy entails listing prices of their competitors for individual items. Missouri Mart is the food volume sales leader in Centralia. They are the main competitor of Superior supermarkets. Around 32% of Hi-Value customers shop Missouri Mart regularly and must be taken in the highest consideration when analysing competitors within the market. It is also important to note the key findings gathered from the two focus groups. Price was determined by both groups as the most important factor in store choice explaining a lot in the loss of market share that Hi-Value is facing. 20 of 24 participants also agreed that the quality of meat was the second factor in store choice. Hi-Value is ranked as a medium between its competitors. Produce quality, variety, and display is ranked third in importance and Hi-Value was ranked in the lower tier of those categories. Hi-Values best attribute in accordance to the focus group is their shopper convenience. Recommendation and Implementation My recommendation for Hi-Value is to remodel and expand all of their stores and implement an Everyday low pricing strategy. This strategy will be very costly upfront, but Hi-Value has been an existing store for a long time and in order to continue their existence they must evolve with current trends in the market. The two main problems that keep coming up are their lack in variety and high pricing. This recommendation would cover both problems and give them the ability to begin gaining market share from their competitors once again. This is definitely a strategy built for the long term and the  benefits may not be as noticeable at the very beginning, but it should be the most beneficial option for the future of the company. Multiple steps will be made in order for this strategy to become a reality. Each store must go through a construction process to expand and gain space which will take time and a possible loss in sales for the time being. This public construction will definitely be noticed by the consumers, and may help gain awareness of the companies changes. Updates in all store accessories should be implemented if necessary. This will increase efficiency for all aspects of the store and with a predicted increase in customer traffic it will be a necessary expense. Everyday low pricing should be set at a competitive level near Grand American and Missouri Mart prices but not to the point at which perceived quality is compromised. Due to each of its competitors having different strengths, it would be best to provide this pricing strategy for all products in the Supermarket. As stated in the text everyday low pricing also has the possibility of lowering operating costs with reduced inventory and handlin g costs due to more steady and predictable demand. It may also reduce labor costs related to less frequent temporary price reductions. It is also an option to conduct a local television commercial promoting Hi-Values positive new changes, but the possibility of this happening is determinant of how much expansion will end up costing.

Blue Remembered Hills Essays

Blue Remembered Hills Essays Blue Remembered Hills Paper Blue Remembered Hills Paper Essay Topic: Film Blue Remembered Hills revolves around a summers afternoon in a remote country setting and is about seven children and the tasks they go through in a day. The play includes many forms of cruelty for example; physical bullying, animal cruelty, child abuse and emotional bullying. Blue Remembered Hills was set in 1943. The play contributes to the theme cruelty in a number of ways for example Peter shows physical bullying when he says I will! Ill spit! Right in the middle of your face I think the reason why there was so much bullying taking place is because the boys want to show theyre the alpha male. As the play was set in 1943 it relates to World War 2 you can tell this because the children play war games. I think this also adds to the cruelty because its the children have grown up around war and violence and its all they know. At one point in the play it shows how the children poison apples to try and kill the Germans, this shows they have been bought up thinking they should be trying to kill people. I think this shows that their parents may have said something about poisoning things to kill the Germans because why else would a seven year old want to poison things?

European Economic Transitions essays

European Economic Transitions essays Economic Transitions for the European States After 1945 The greatest challenge for Germany after World War II was economics. Nothing remained of Germany except rubble and graves. It was impossible for the Germans go get food and clean drinking water. It was even more impossible for the Germans to find paying jobs. In addition to this Germany also had on its hands four million refugees and prisoners to feed that it did not have in 1939. In 1939 Germany could only produce 70 to 85 percent of its food now it had another four million to feed. The Soviet Union occupied most of Germanys prime agricultural land and not much of the food produced went to Germany. After the war German industry was limited to what and how much of certain goods could be produced. German factories were dismantled for payment in war reparations. In the east, industries were nationalized and utilities were socialized. The Soviets sucked the life out of East Germany by setting up so-called joint stock companies, which enabled the Communists to control production and sales of goods produced. In 1948, a currency reform and the money given to them by the Marshall Plan saved West Germany. This helped lay a basis for West German economy. After World War II the major economic concern of the Communist Russian government was industrial development. If Marxism-Leninism was supposed to succeed at anything in the great competition with the west, it was in its ability to provide a different path to modernity than the capitalist system. This required heavy investment by the Soviet government. Under Stalins leadership new industrial town popped up all throughout the country. For the first time the communists felt that they could keep up with the west. But by 1980, as a result of the drastic measures that the Soviets used to accelerate their industrial growth, the Soviet Unions gross national product had dropped to one percent. ...

Operation Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Operation Systems - Research Paper Example Basically, it functions like most OS’s—it processes, stores, and transfers data. Probably the reason why UNIX is no longer so popular these days is that it was developed a long time ago: 1969, years before the development of the Internet, the network system which made computers a virtual companion to daily life. It was developed that year when a group of Bell Labs programmers decided that they needed an OS that is fast, easy-to-use, and versatile (Wagner 8). UNIX is significant in the history of information technology because developers of the Internet used it in making their communications system (Williams and Sawyer 150). Williams and Sawyer note that several programs were developed from UNIX. Among them are Solaris (from Sun Microsystem) and BSD (developed by students from University of California, Berkeley) (150). DOS is often fondly called â€Å"the old-timer† (Williams and Sawyer 147). DOS, which stands for disk operating system, was initially developed by Microsoft in 1982. Although it is difficult to use, it became a popular operating system because of the popularity of Microsoft computers (Williams and Sawyer 147). DOS was the main operating system for Microsoft before Windows (â€Å"What is DOS?†). Its quick decline in popularity after the introduction of Windows can be attributed to its simplicity and incapability for multitasks. It is still, however, present in the current Windows operating systems and can be used to control both software and hardware. Before it became irrelevant to desktop computing, MS-DOS was a successful OS (though some argue that it is, technically, not an OS). It had 17 versions in all, the last released in 1997 as MS-DOS 7.1 (â€Å"MS-DOS History†). Users can perform a number of computer tasks by entering commands on the MS-DOS command prompt available in the Windows OS. Among these commands are comp, for comparing files; deltree

Artist reaserch and comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Artist reaserch and comparison - Essay Example Born in 1967, and currently around 43 years of age, Tomma Abts was born in Germany but she currently lives in London, England. In fact, she has been living in London since 1995. She had a tough time during her early days since she had to jobs in telemarketing positions, which is not â€Å"her thing.† However, things have changed and for the past few years, she has been able to finance her living with her painting and art. Tomma Abts is for sure, one of most interesting and fascinating painters of the present times. As mentioned earlier that she never had any formal training. May be that explains why she does not seem to be following any traditional and pre defined rules of painting (Hoptman, Verwoert & Hainley, pp. 32-39). She has a completely different approach as compared to the other painters as if she is challenging the traditional and classical approach to painting. Beginning the painting without any pre defined objective, name, thought or approach for painting, always sticking to small paintings, (she says that all her paintings are 48 x 38 centimeters) and others show that she has some what a rebel inside her (Hoptman, Verwoert & Hainley, pp. 32-39). The upcoming section of this paper would go in the detail of her paintings while comparing it with the painting of Brice Marden. Without any doubts, Brice Marden is one of the biggest names in art industry. Born on October 15, 1938, he joined the Boston University for studying fine and applied arts in the year 1961. Moreover, his biography also shows that he holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale school of arts and architecture in the year 1963. Since then, he deserves the credit of brining up a new chapter in the art history. Although he is somewhat associated with the movement of minimalism in art, which is an old movement but he has taken it to completely different and levels in his own style. This American artist is not only a member of American Academy of art and Architecture but he has

A Rose for Emily Critical Analisis Research Paper

A Rose for Emily Critical Analisis - Research Paper Example Even though Emily commits the gruesome murder of Homer Baron, her lover, she must be excused on account of her powerlessness to rid herself of the imposed personality. In sum, Emily’s character and actions are born out of external influences over which she has no control. Outline I Nature of Emily’s relationship with her father II Character traits of Mr. Grierson Class consciousness Patriarchal nature III Grierson’s influence on Emily’s personality IV Murder of Homer Baron V Conclusion Analysis Emily spends most of her adult life by her father’s side. Her father objects to all endeavors by eligible suitors to marry Emily partly due to the pride of class. The Griersons had considered themselves as occupying a privileged position in the society (Ruthmann 56). They did not wish to make any kind of acquaintances with the townspeople because of the divide on matters of class. As a result of this, Emily had learnt to accept her father as the only relevant companion in her life. After her father’s death, and later after the disappearance of Homer, she remained in solitude, â€Å"After her father’s death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all† (Faulkner 12). It might be necessary to examine Mr. Grierson’s character in light of its possible influences on Emily. Grierson is portrayed as a domineering father with a strong character and irreconcilable aversion to common people. He is a man who could not compromise his social status and perspectives for ordinary things. As the only man in Emily’s world, he imparted these lopsided views on the young woman thus converting her into an antisocial individual. Mr. Grierson created a private mental universe in which he could live out his fantasies of class supremacy and patriarchal prejudices. He forced his daughter to share in this world and the two adopted a bird’s eye view on the society, which they regar ding in particularly demeaning terms. Mr. Grierson desired to convert her daughter into a super-human individual that could exist beyond the touch of all that was ordinary. It was precisely because of these delusions of grandeur that he disallowed Emily to marry the many suitors that came her way, â€Å"None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such† (Faulkner 34). This would be the beginning of the unnatural feelings of necrophilia that would later demolish the citadel of grandeur in which she had been forced into by a patronizing Grierson. Emily shares a single mind with her father and appears ready to continue this union to the physical level. Her refusal to admit the reality of her father’s death and the three days reluctance to release the corpse for burial offers strong hints at the kind of physical bond, which she had nurtured towards her father. Her father was the singular point of reference in her life of social exclusion and represented the only essence of affection and company, which she could truly relate to. With his demise, Emily’s life lost all meaning. Naturally, Emily might have fought off her genuine feelings of love and compassion in an effort to stay the course on which her father had placed her. She sacrificed her individuality and sense of self with the intention of walking the straight and narrow established by her overbearing father. The force of patriarchy, which her father so brazenly embodied, would later fend off all forms

My Greatest Acheivements Essay Example for Free

My Greatest Acheivements Essay When I got the call from the volunteer services office a few days after my interview saying I had been chosen as a volunteer, I was ecstatic. Getting the opportunity to volunteer in a hospital and directly aid doctors and nurses over an entire summer was an honor and I learned many things about a doctor and nurses job from it. My second greatest achievement is starting a book blog, Hidden Gems to help self-published authors market their books. I started my blog Hidden Gems in August 2012, with the hope of reviewing books for self published authors and getting word out about their books. Shortly after setting up my blog and spreading news about the self-published books I got 1000 views in one month. With the high growth of viewers and followers on my blog, I got emails from authors from Australia and publishing houses to review their books. I still try to help self-published authors out and review their books and advertise for them because many of them try to make a living off their books. Helping these published authors is one of my greatest achievements and through this blog I’ve been able to meet other book fanatics like me and hold proper discussions about each book we read. I will continue to write on this blog as long as I can and help these self published authors. written by kchandwani21

How the Victorian Age Shifted the Focus of Hamlet Essays -- Shakespear

How the Victorian Age Shifted the Focus of Hamlet 19th century critic William Hazlitt praised Hamlet by saying that, "The whole play is an exact transcript of what might be supposed to have taken pace at the court of Denmark, at the remote period of the time fixed upon." (Hazlitt 164-169) Though it is clearly a testament to the realism of Shakespeare's tragedy, there is something strange and confusing in Hazlitt's analysis. To put it plainly, Hamlet is most definitely not a realistic play. Not only are the events conveyed in the drama fantastic, the dialogue that brings it to the reader is overdramatic and often metatheatrical. The stirring monologues delivered throughout the play are theatrical speeches rather than genuine dialogue. Frequent references to acting and theater, especially surrounding the presence of the players, serve to make the audience aware of the play instead of drawing them into it. The tragedy's villain oozes evil, murdering the king and marrying his queen in just two months. Even more unrealistic is the p resence of the king's ghost, surely there weren't really any apparitions floating around the court at Denmark. Then why does Hazlitt make this statement? Though it is tempting to simply write him off as a bad critic, similar statements made by other critics of the 19th century suggest that this view of Hamlet as a realist drama was commonly held in the Victorian Era. It seems clear that the ideals of the Victorian era caused a significant change in the way Hamlet was interpreted. Victorian society's high esteem for rationality and utility shifted the focus of Hamlet from the tragedy's fantastic nature to its realistic insights. The values of the age imply that a 19th century audience would not appr... ...Schriber is praised for his convincing portrayal of the young prince, even though the texts suggests that Hamlet's actions are improbable and irrational. (Lahr 46-51) It is plain to see that the Victorian desire to find reason and practicality still impacts our understanding of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Works Cited Coleridge, Samuel T. "Notes on the Tragedies: Hamlet." Essays in Criticism. Second ed. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: Norton, 1992. 157-164. Hazlitt, William. "Characters of Shakespeare's Plays: Hamlet." Essays in Criticism. Second ed. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. New York: Norton, 1992. 164-169. Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Fawcett Premier, 1904. 110-118. Landow, George P. "Philosophy Overview." . Cited 12 December 1999. Lahr, John. "Fresh Prince; Why Liev Schreiber is ready to play Hamlet." The New Yorker December 1999: 46-51.

Journal on Note Taking Essay

Lecture notes play an important role in preparing for examinations, as it may ensure the success of students. Many students do not have adequate note-taking skills, and this contribute a lot to the creation of incomplete and unrelated notes (Kiewra, 2002). Researchers suggest that the act of note-taking can engage students in learning tasks and deepen their understanding and ability to apply new material (Katayama & Crooks, 2003). Note-taking offers three important premises for university students. First, the act of note-taking may have an influence on the encoding function of the brain, which engages the learner’s attention and subsequently moves the information into long-term memory. Secondly, note-taking will make the students less dependent on their instructor’s notes, as they contain personally meaningful information that might help in the recall process. Thirdly, it may help students with learning difficulties. To begin with, note-taking is essential to the student’s academic success (Kiewra & Benton, 1988; Titsworth, 2001). In taking notes, students relate lecture topics to their own background knowledge, which in turn may increase their comprehension of the topic, and eventually synthesises with the recall of the material presented (Brazeau, 2006; Castello & Monereo, 2005; DiVesta & Gray, 1972). It has been proven that students that are successful have a predisposition to go back to their lecture notes as an essential part of their preparation for examinations. This, therefore, point to one premise, as noted by Kiewra & Benton, 1988 and Titsworth, 2001, that it is very much essential for the academic success of students. Such importance, however, reveals a negative side, which can be founded on the student’s inadequacy in inculcating adequate note-taking skills. This drawback often results in the student coming into possession of incomplete and unrelated notes (Kiewra, 2002). Observations reveal how in lecture settings, they record only between 11-70% of the important information delivered (Anderson & Armbruster, 1991; Kiewra, 1985). Such a dismal insight may validate presumption that students with learning difficulties be in worse position, when they record even less information (Boyle, 2007; Kirby, Silvesni, Allingham, Parrila, & La Pave, 2008; Suritsky & Hughes, 1991; Vogel, 1982). These are the premise which makes note-taking a very important aspect of study life for university students, without which they may be staring at clear and present danger of failure. To remedy this, it is essential for students with disabilities to be truthful to themselves and inform the authorities during the university admission stage. To this end, at least in the United States, such handicap would be addressed through the granting of accommodation under the law, i.e. the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990 as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1973. Such clauses as entrenched in the laws saw from 2003 to 2004, 11.3% of undergraduates in the U.S. in notifying of their disability or requirement for special learning (Katsiyannis, Zhang, Landmark, & Reber, 2009). For students in such categories, their lot would be made much easier through being allowed extra latitude on time during examinations, as well as do their tests distraction-free (Wilhelm, 2003). The idea that underscores this is to help make things easier for the capability-challenged students. However, it has been noted that on paper this may be a good remedy, but since not all students would be honest about their inadequacies in learning, the exact number of students requiring is difficult to determine. Although, at the elementary and secondary level different requirements are applied for different learning abilities, it has been found to be absent in higher education (Scott, McGuire & Shaw, 2003). Filling this necessary void at the university level may help a great deal in, which at the core is the inculcation of the all-important note-taking skills ((Einstein, Morris, & Smith, 1985; Gettinger & Seibert, 2002; Simmons, 2006; Suritsky & Hughes, 1991). Also, by addressing this, it may help lecturers to customise according to the needs of the different categories of learners. The review in the journal shows the two phases, which reveals the ability in note taking among university students and the difficulties faced by students with disabilities and its link to proper note-taking.

Learning by Degrees Essay

I don’t recommend the article â€Å"Learning by Degrees† by Rebecca Mead, which questions the belief that goes against attending college to be successful in the modern society, should be published in the next upcoming issue of The Shorthorn. The article was written for an entirely different audience than The Shorthorn’s daily regular readers. Even though the article has powerful logos and ethos appeals, I would think readers from the Shorthorn wouldn’t find the topic of the article fascinating at all and wouldn’t even put up with reading the article in the first place. Also, another factor that fails to be an article that the Shorthorn’s readers would find interesting is that it lacks a claim that fails to make a case for going towards a career path immediately or obtaining a college degree first. Through my analysis on this article, I’ve provided several reasons and evidence why I don’t find this article should be published since she is trying to convince a hostile audience in this essay, gives a weak claim, and has credibility for a separate view that she is discussing about. The main audience the article â€Å"Learning by Degrees† is trying to convince is average working parents with kids that are about to graduate from high school and preparing them for a higher education or a career that’ll be successful. This article is trying to convince a hostile and resistant audience instead of a friendlier audience. We must remember that the Shorthorn is mainly written and read by college students that are studying for a degree and involve college professors that have already received their degrees. â€Å"Learning By Degrees† gives a pathos appeal to the question of whether going to college to readers who’ve already made a decision on this topic, making it harder for someone to recommend this article to the Shorthorn. If Mead was trying to publish this article for the Shorthorn, she should have considered that the audience doesn’t fit what it’s addressing to which are parents instead of students. Mead’s claim that is shown in â€Å"Learning by Degrees† is easily found throughout the entire article, yet it’s a very weak claim to provide to both convince and especially understand to a hostile and resistant audience that the reader of the Shorthorn are. The claim in the article fails to pick a side in the debate of whether college really is worth the financial debt and yet instead falls in between them. The opinions of this current argument would be if college is necessary to acquire a successful career or if college isn’t needed to obtain one. Mead believes that an individual not wanting to earn and spend thousands of dollars on a college degree has the ability to become successful through several others routes instead of a college degree. She provides evidence of this through giving examples of successful billionaires, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. One of these examples are found when Mead says â€Å"Within the sphere of business, a certain romance attaches to the figure of the successful college dropout, like Steve Jobs, who was enrolled at Reed for only a semester, or Bill Gates, who started at Harvard in 1973 but didn’t get his degree until it was granted, honorarily, thirty-four years later†(5). However, she contradicts her claim by providing evidence of people with degrees earning higher yearly salaries than those who haven’t earned their college degrees. When Mead says â€Å"Engineers of all stripes have also fared relatively well since the onset of the recession: they dominate a ranking, issued by Payscale.com, of the disciplines that produce the best-earning graduates. Particular congratulations are due to aerospace engineers, who top the list, with a starting salary of just under sixty thousand dollars†(2). She leaves the audience a claim that floats between the two views of whether someone should obtain a college degree. Rebecca Mead joined the New Yorker in 1997 as a staff writer and she attended Oxford and New York University, which gives her creditability of being a respected writer and a well-educated individual (The New Yorker, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/bios/rebecca_mead/search?contributorName=rebecca%20mead). However, shouldn’t that mean Mead should be recommending college and frown on any lower level of education? This sheds light on whether Mead is a credible writer, well educated, and yet argues against higher education; this is a hypocritical view from a college-educated author. Mead might have only written articles for profitable causes instead of having a true belief of going against college to be successful; There might be a chance that Mead regrets her previous decision on choosing college instead of a different route and wants to give advice to newly coming college students, which might be an unlikely case. Through the analysis I gave, â€Å"Learning by Degrees† by Rebecca Mead is an article I wouldn’t recommend to publish in the upcoming issue of the Shorthorn. Its main audience doesn’t have the same characteristics as the readers of The Shorthorn, the central claim doesn’t have a stable and sturdy base since it lacks whether college is necessary or not, and the writer’s creditability doesn’t fit the side of the argument she is defending. Due to these factors, Shorthorn readers will find this a weak and insubstantial argument that will bore them and find this article a waste of time. If Mead chooses towards favoring the belief of obtaining a college degree, made the main audience similar to the readers of the Shorthorn, and used her credibility towards agreeing with college, â€Å"Learning by Degrees† would be a great article to publish in the next upcoming issue of the Shorthorn.

Impact Of The Latest Advances In Technology On Recruitment And Selection The WritePass Journal

Impact Of The Latest Advances In Technology On Recruitment And Selection ABSTRACT Impact Of The Latest Advances In Technology On Recruitment And Selection ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONa. INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENTBENEFITS OF INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENTCHALLENGES TO INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENTb. AUTOMATED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING/INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR)DISADVANTAGES OF USING IVRc. TELECONFERENCING AND VIDEO CONFERENCINGBENEFITS OF VIDEO CONFERENCINGCHALLENGES OF VIDEO CONFERENCINGd. COMPUTER BASED TESTINGINCREASED REGULATION AND LEGISLATIONLOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONSCONCLUSIONREFERENCESRelated ABSTRACT In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal. A commonly held view among the human resource managers is that the human resources are the most important assets of an organization and that they offer the only non-imitative competitive edge. As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. This paper explores on how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. Different aspects of the use of new technology will be examined including internet based recruitment, telephone and video conferencing, computer based testing and IVR or Automated telephone interviewing. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. INTRODUCTION In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal (Bauer 2004). As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. Traditionally, the recruitment and selection process relied on fairly low-tech methods such as employee referrals and newspaper ads, in locating and attracting qualified candidates (Lievens, et.al 2002). Successful job seeking included frequenting the local job center (Lievens, et.al 2002). This has however changed over the past few decades as a result of advances in technology. The recruitment process, just like all other business functions, has become increasingly tied to technology (Lievens, et.al 2002).   The common practice of mailing applications and waiting to be called for an interview via a phone call has been trumped by technological advances which have eased communication. Technological advances such as internet-based recruitment and candidate assessment, computer-based testing, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), telephone and video-based interviews among other information technologies are now increasingly being used in recruiting and selecting qualified candidates (Chapman Webster 2003). In this paper, we examine how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. The following sections will explore on these technological advances, in particular, how they are impacting on recruitment and selection process. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. We begin by exploring on internet based recruitment, which involves recruitment via the web. a. INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT The most popular ways through which advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection is through the internet. Organizations are increasingly making use of the internet technology, particularly the World Wide Web, as a platform for testing and recruiting potential candidates (Baron Austin, 2000). Social networking websites, software and online job boards has helped in linking applicants to hiring professionals with focus on knowledge, skills and abilities (Baron Austin, 2000). Social networking sites such as LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, monster.com and universe.jobs hold millions of jobs and resumes in their databases (Neil 2003).   These professional networking sites play a significant role in the process of recruitment and selection. LinkedIn, for example, is used as a business-oriented social networking site whereby applicants are linked with the employers. LinkedIn is widely used globally as a professional network service and has currently 90 million users (Neil 2003). It is currently valued at over $2.51 billion USD and operates in more than 200 countries (Neil 2003). Advances in technology have indeed shaped the process of recruitment and selection. Online ads are now the lead recruitment methods employed by employers. Recruitment and selection via the web has enabled the employers to build a talent pool of qualified candidates and lessen their reliance on conventional print media (Thompson et al., 2008). This has led to significant cost savings as employers lessen their reliance on recruitment agencies (Thompson et al., 2008). In this regard, Harris Dewar (2000) noted a significant reduction on the cost per-hire from $ 3,295 (for the conventional recruitment methods) to $377 (for internet based recruitment). There are many benefits arising with the use of internet based recruitment method as well challenges that it present to the organizations. It should be noted that internet based recruitment is not without its shortcomings, but the cons must be weighed against the pros in order to determine if this recruitment method is supported. BENEFITS OF INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT The internet provides efficiency in the administration and scoring of test as the content can be easily modified and answers captured in electronic form (Van Hoye Lievens 2007). It also enables routine checking of errors, automatic scoring of tests and provides instant feedback to the applicants (Van Hoye Lievens 2007). This administrative ease enables recruiters to save on costs and time giving them a competitive hedge in the tight labour market. It also provides for increased flexibility for both the employer and applicants in the administration of tests and performance of work in varied geographical locations (Van Hoye Lievens 2007). Moreover, the widespread of information in a globalized market widens access to a diverse geographical labour pool (Lievens Harris 2003). Additionally, there is a greater transparency in the selection process as candidates are selected based on their skills, experience and competence (Lievens Harris 2003). CHALLENGES TO INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT While it is apparent that online recruitment help cut on recruitment costs, increase efficiency and transparency in the selection process; there are some potentially major drawbacks. Due to the high number of applicants, screening and checking the authenticity and mapping of skills may be a time consuming exercise (Lievens Harris 2003). The large number of indistinguishable resumes from the various applicants coupled with inadequate software and procedures may lead to poor results in the selection of the ideal candidate (Lievens Harris 2003). This problem can largely be attributed to the existing methods for parsing resumes which is dependent on software that truncates and exclude the totality of content (Lievens Harris 2003). Also, failure by the industry software to produce optimum candidate and position convergence may result in correspondingly low retention rates of the new employees hence costing client companies thousands of dollars (Lievens Harris 2003). Despite having automated assistance, managing the workload remains a daunting task for HR managers. While software has reduced on the number of resumes from the applicants, that would otherwise be manually reviewed, it has not been successful in narrowing candidate resume pools to the ideal qualified applicants (Harris Dewar 2000).It should be noted that most of the software employed in the process of recruitment and selection generally uses rudimentary lexical and semantic algorithms (Harris Dewar 2000). These algorithms tend to generate a large candidate pool with most candidates insufficiently suitable for effective use (Harris Dewar 2000). This is because the industry software lacks the ideal filtering capabilities necessary for the proper parsing of resume. Crucial data that could help in identifying the ideal candidate and position convergence is therefore lost. Without sufficient data, there is not enough variance that could be used in distinguishing among candidate and position suitability (Harris Dewar 2000). This next section will explore on interactive voice response (IVR) which is also known as automated telephone interviewing. The method is also gaining popularity and is increasingly being used by firms in recruiting and selecting new hires. b. AUTOMATED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING/INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) The use of interactive voice response (IVR) which also referred to as automated telephone interviewing is one of the newest ways to recruiting and selecting new hires (Thompson et.al 2008).   IVR technology allows for human interaction with the computer via a telephone keypad or through the use of voice recognition (Thompson et.al 2008). This wave of technology is increasingly gaining popularity in the recruitment and selection of employees due to its many advantages. ADVANTAGES OF THE IVR IVR is an easily accessible technology. Take for example the United States where 95% of the households own phones (Thompson et.al 2008). With IVR, applicants can initiate the interview at any time. The applicants or potential employees can initiate an interview by simply making a phone call to a toll-free phone number and be automatically interviewed without any intervention from the operator (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR or rather automated telephone interviewing can help in eliminating interview biases (Thompson al 2008). It is highly cost effective in screening the candidate pool. DISADVANTAGES OF USING IVR While IVR is increasingly being used by many businesses to cut on the costs and give a better experience, it is not without its shortcomings. One of the greatest challenges to using IVR systems in recruitment and selection of employees is that the users find it hard to follow telephone menus and lengthy instructions (Thompson et.al 2008). Also, IVR screening is considered lower in terms of treatment and openness as well as in reconsideration opportunities than the conventional face to face interviewing (Thompson al 2008).. c. TELECONFERENCING AND VIDEO CONFERENCING There is also the use of telephone and video conferencing. Teleconferencing involves setting up of a conference telephone call between the selection committee and potential candidates (Gilliland 1993). Job interviews by teleconferencing are common where the applicant and the selection committee are located in geographically sparse regions. Video conferencing, on the other hand, involves the combination of both the audio and video transmissions, hence allowing for communication to take place by a way of an audio visual link (AVL) (Gilliland 1993). With video conferencing, both the applicant and selection committee members are able to share their views and at the same time see each other on the screen. BENEFITS OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Despite reducing the in-person meetings, video teleconferencing as well offer the advantages of face to face communication (Gilliland 1993). There is also significant cost reduction for both the applicant and the employer as there is no need of travelling and associated costs of lodging and meals (Gilliland 1993). There is also the added environmental benefit as a reduction in traveling implies a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Gilliland 1993). Further, upon placement this technology allows for the continued collaboration with the team members from remote locations (Gilliland 1993). CHALLENGES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Similar to other technological innovations, video conferencing is not without its shortcomings. There might be a difference in time zones when conferencing in remote geographical locations (Gilliland 1993). Also, some of the human ways to communicating may not translate well with video conferencing (Gilliland 1993). For example, eye contact may not be easily delivered through a webcam, unlike in the conventional face-to-face interviewing where one can easily make eye contact and judge whether the interviewee is paying due attention. Last but not least, we explore on how computer based testing has impacted on recruitment and selection process. d. COMPUTER BASED TESTING The use of computer based interviews has increased in the recent years with a wide range of organizations utilizing computer-based online tests for selection purposes (Aptitude/psychometric tests) (Chapman Webster, 2003). There are several reasons for increased reliance on psychometric tests in the recruitment and selection of employees. Key among these is the increased regulation and legislation, and loss of confidence in academic qualifications (Chapman Webster, 2003). INCREASED REGULATION AND LEGISLATION Reliance on test use in the selection process has been used as a defensive strategy to regulation and legislation (Chapman Webster, 2003). Tests are seen as objective indicators of how the skills of potential candidates align with the job description (Chapman Webster, 2003). These competency tests promote fairness and equal access to opportunities available. LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS There is a growing body of evidence for a loss of confidence with the formal academic qualifications. This is largely attributed to bad governance and corrupt institutions that may award degrees or certificates to incompetent individuals. As such, competency based tests are increasingly being used in screening the candidate pool and in identifying candidates with skills that align with the competency profile for the job in question (Chapman Webster, 2003). Computer based testing facilitates the selection process by quickly pinpointing the candidates ability more accurately (Chapman Webster, 2003). Take for example the BULATS online test, a robust business English language test, which is widely used in helping organizations make timely decisions in the recruitment process (Chapman Webster, 2003). This online test provides a fast and more accurate method of pinpointing the candidates’ ability and suitability to work by using adaptive testing techniques (Chapman Webster, 2003). CONCLUSION Clearly, we have identified a number of benefits to using technology for purposes of recruiting and selecting job applicants. A quick recap of some of the benefits include increased efficiency in the administration and scoring of tests, increased flexibility, greater transparency, reduction in biases, widened access to a diverse geographical pool of potential candidates, and cost reduction among others. There are however challenges arising with the use of technological advances in recruitment and selection process. For example, the exercise may be time consuming as a large number of applicants need to be screened. Other shortcomings include poor results due to inadequate software and procedures, and difficulties in filtering of potential candidates, among others. Nonetheless, the latest advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection process. As pointed out by Kay (2000), the power of the Web and e-technology has changed the way recruitment and selections of employees occur. Technological advancements and the ubiquity of the internet (especially with social networking) have become powerful additions to the process of recruitment and selection. However, these should not be considered as the only solutions to finding the ideal candidate. While changes are still underway, it is clear that advances in technology have dramatically impacted on the recruitment and selection process. REFERENCES Bauer, et.al, 2004. â€Å"Applicant reactions to different selection technology: face-to-face, interactive voice response and computer-assisted telephone screening interviews†, International Journal of selection and assessment, Portland State University: Blackwell publishing ltd. Baron, H., J. Austin, 2000. Measuring ability via the Internet: Opportunities and issues. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA. Chapman, D.S., J. Webster, 2003. â€Å"The use of technologies in recruiting, screening and selection processes for job candidates†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol.11 (2), pp. 113-120 Gilliland, S.W, 1993. â€Å"The perceived fairness of selection systems: an organizational justice perspective†, Academy of management review, 18, pp.694-734 Harris, M., and K. Dewar, 2000. Understanding and using web-based recruiting and screening tools: key criteria, current trends and future directions. Workshop presented at annual meeting of the society for industrial and organizational psychology, San Diego, CA. Kay, A. S., 2000. â€Å"Recruiters embrace the Internet.† Informationweek: pp.72-80. Lievens, F., K. Van Dam and N. Anderson, 2002. â€Å"Recent Trends and Challenges in Personnel Selection†. Personnel Review, 31 (5-6), 580-601 Lievens, F., M.M. Harris, 2003. â€Å"Research on Internet Recruiting and Testing: Current Status and Future Directions†. In: C.L. Cooper I.T. Robertson (Eds.) International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicester: John Wiley Sons, Ltd. vol. 16., pp. 131-165. Neil, A., 2003. â€Å"Applicant and recruiter reactions to new technology in selection: a critical review and agenda for future research†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol. 11 (2) Thompson, L. F., P.W. Braddy, and K.L. Wuensch, 2008. E-Recruitment and the Benefits of Organizational Web Appeal. Computers in Human Behavior, 24 (5), 2384-2398. Tourangeau, R., D.M. Steiger D.Wilson, 2002. â€Å"Self-administered questions by telephone: evaluating interactive voice response†, public opinion quarerly, 6, pp.265-278 Van Hoye, G. and F. Lievens, 2007. â€Å"Investigating Web-Based Recruitment Sources: Employee Testimonials versus Word-of-Mouse†. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 15 (4), 372-382.