Personal Views Ethics

u01a1 Personal Views Ethics Essay Each person should live with moral standards. To distinguish between the right and wrong is based on the person’s ethics. It describes what kind of values and beliefs does the person has. In business, it composed of standard ethics that serves as a guideline among employees about their expectation to the company. Newell S. stated that ethics in business focuses on identifying the moral standards of right and wrong as they apply to behaviour within and across business institutions and other related organizations.The goal of business is to gain profit but, the fair practices they implement internally and externally matters because the values they represents reflects the ethics of the company. Rajeeve stated that the lack of business ethics in the market is the reason the world economy is presently in crisis. Unethical practices such as dishonesty, lack of transparency, creating false documents, and sexual discrimination are activities that are n ot fair. A Quick Ethics Test from Dayton Fandray of Raytheon Company was chosen to distinguish the ethical values of the person when faced in dilemmas. Consider the following article: Drawbacks of Business EthicsIt includes the information about legalities, the affected person of such case, fitting of right values, the appearance in newspaper, its reflection on the company, the choice of being right and the feeling towards the result (Salopek J. , 2001). Through this test, the company can assess the capabilities of their employees in terms of ethical thinking. A concrete briefing about the company’s ethics is needed as a recommendation after the assessment. This test is valid to develop the employee’s ability in decision making against the company’s policy and procedures, regulations, values and self-The effects of ethics in Business perspective. When an employee turns to a gray decision situation, reflecting through this test is essentially help before proceeding. Myths of Business Ethics Ketz, E. (2003) stated that many myths exist in the business world. He lay out seven ethics and five were further discussed in the following section. The first myth given is about the non-existence of business ethics. Principles of ethics were come from the personal life. The correlation of ethics to the aspects of life is given proof and justifiable than the business ethics itself.The value of honesty is adapted from the person’s character and applied in the business policy. Ethics is a matter of education alone. This explains that those who are educated are the only one who has ethics. But, most unethical people in the business world came from the prestigious universities. Responsibility for ethical education rests with colleges and universities. This myth emphasizes that colleges and universities are accountable for the training of ethics of such person. To clarify this, ethics is learn through one’s belief and shape by the experiences gain.The behaviour or attitude reflects the character of the person as a whole. Ethics is different from mathematics that needs to be computed or English that needs to be grammatically correct. The effects of ethics Business Ethical dilemmas are episodic. This myth explains that ethical problems comes only occasionally during one's life. Ethical dilemmas are not planned. It came out unexpectedly and the frequent encounter of it doesn’t count. It doesn’t have limits on how many times it will come to the person’s live.Professional ethics can be separated from personal ethics. This myth is not true. The ethics of such person reflects with its own character. The way the person presents himself whether in the business or personal aspects of his life is the same. Decision Making Ethics in business serves as a guide to employees to give confidence in their decision. It equips them tools and references that will help in decision making. It established unified rules and belief that will entrust each employee to help each other towards the goal of the company.Effective leaders in the company influence the factors of the su ccess against the endeavours. They are the key decision maker. The person in this position should have strong character and principles that will not oppose to the company’s unified ethics. They are the people who are personally ethical in word, thought, and deed and who conduct their decision making openly so that they're perceived as ethical even from a distance. In a corporation, the decision maker varies from the higher position to the lower. There are different areas of expertise divided into different department.Decisions about prospective The effects of ethics in Business Clients were under the jurisdiction of sales department and not with the finance group. There are boundaries and responsibility within their own people. The leader of each group evaluates certain cases, reacts and form a solution based on company’s ethics. Conclusion Having a business ethics is important. Chen E. emphasizes the code of ethics symbolizes the ethical responsibilities of the compan y and the expectations of its employees. It serves a guide to the employees and the company as well.The success of the company varies with the ethics they have. And the ethics are based to the people involved in the organization who run and facilitate the business. Ethics are not made for displays but, for application with purpose. The challenge of being ethical an unethical in the business world has been raised. Despite the rampant unethical leaders in different industries, one of the objective can possess is the elimination of unethical business leader as start with ourselves. It can serves as a model to other beginners and will lessen the possible add- ons.The other objective or expectation for this course is to learn more in depth about the different business ethics among different companies. The issues and lawsuit tendered can be the case for justification and reference. The last expectation is to finally adapt or embrace the business ethics in the concept of being a future lea der or businessman/women. References Chen E. Main Principles of Business Ethics. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles. com/? Main-Principles-of-Business-Ethics&id=4502579 Ketz, E. 2003) The Accounting Cycle: Myths about Ethics. Retrieved from http://accounting. smartpros. com/x38366. xml Newell S. Business Ethics Q finance. Retrieved from http://www. qfinance. com/contentFiles/QF02/g1xtn5q6/12/2/business-ethics. pdf Rajeev L. Ethical and Unethical Business Practices. Retrieved from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/ethical-and-unethical-business-practices. html Salopek J. , (July 2001) Right Thing – business ethics. Retrieved from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m4467/is_7_55/ai_77713888/pg_3/? tag=content;col1

Early Intervention for Special Needs Children Essay

The development and implementation of early intervention activities for young children who have a delay or who are at risk for future delays are relatively recent phenomena in the United States. Early intervention as an applied and academic field has developed primarily within the specialty area of early childhood special education (ECSE), a field comprised of professionals from many disciplines. The genesis of ECSE in the United States may be traced to the formation, in 1968, of the Handicapped Children’s Early Education Program (HCEEP) branch within the United States Department of Education. Although other work had occurred in early intervention prior to this time, the establishment of HCEEP provided national recognition and federal funds to address early intervention issues. Since 1968, rapid changes have occurred in the field of early intervention. The most significant event impacting on early intervention was the passage of Public Law 99-457 (P. L. hereafter) in 1986. This law mandates education for handicapped children aged three to five years and provides both impetus and funding for early intervention for children younger than age three. From the viewpoint of an outside observer, the passage of only eighteen years from the establishment of a specialty area to that specialty area demonstrating efficacy such that its tenets become law is admirable. However, these tenets, and the practices derived from them, are based on research that has recently received negative reviews. It is clear that ECSE has done well, but many challenges remain to be met. Failure to conquer these challenges could result in a loss of valuable ground that many have worked hard to achieve. Early Evidence for Early Intervention As the fields of special education and early childhood education evolved, evidence were accumulating that early intervention could be effective. In a classic study, Skeels (1966) examined the effects of environmental stimulation on two comparable groups of infants. Mentally retarded females acted as surrogate mothers for one group (n = 13), providing these children with attention and stimulation. Twelve infants with average IQs remained in a nonstimulating orphanage environment. Eighteen months later, the stimulated infants gained an average 27. 5 IQ points while the control group dropped 26. 2 points. Twenty-one years later, Skeels (1966) continued to find differences between those who were placed in the enriched environment and those who were not. Of those in the experimental group, all were found to be self-supporting as adults. Four of these adults had completed college and, as a group, had a median high-school education. Of those in the control group, four adults had been institutionalized. The median education for these adults was at the third-grade level. Additional evidence came from the work of Kirk (1965), who studied handicapped preschoolers. He compared institutionalized mentally handicapped preschoolers who received a preschool program with a comparable group who remained on the wards and received no intervention services. Children in the experimental program showed significant gains on intellectual measures. Six of the fifteen-experimental group children were able to leave the institution by age eight, while none of the children in the control group left the institution. Works researched provided additional evidence for the value of early intervention. Based upon these studies, the consensus emerged that children’s cognitive skills develop early in life and very rapidly, and that early enrichment can have profound influences on a child’s future functioning. Although this consensus is no longer accepted without question, this philosophy, nevertheless, played a major role in the acceptance of early intervention and helped to create a social climate for legislation favoring handicapped children. Legislative Activities Both research and societal factors converged to provide momentum for the early intervention movement in the 1960s. The changing social climate in the United States in the 1960s led to the passage of favorable legislation for several groups. Litigative and legislative activities occurred in the areas of civil rights, rights for the disadvantaged, and rights for the handicapped. A breakthrough for early intervention, focusing on disadvantaged children, was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Part of this act was directed at the establishment of Project Head Start. This program was designed to provide early intervention for disadvantaged preschool children in the research found that these IQ gains disappeared after the children entered school. Based on societal and political pressures, Head Start continued despite the negative research findings. Arguments by researchers who questioned the findings and suggested that unmeasurable gains were being made bolstered the pro-Head Start forces. The results of a nineteen-year longitudinal study on children who participated in Head Start (the Perry Pre-school Project) found a number of positive results. These benefits included: (a) less need for special education, (b) more positive school attitudes, (c) less arrests, (d) less teen pregnancy, and (e) better employment histories. Other research has supported these findings. As an early intervention program, Head Start is the most well-known in the United States and has served over eight million preschoolers. Additionally, Head Start has had a major impact on early intervention for children with handicaps. The Economic Opportunity Acts Amendments of 1972 mandated that at least 10% of the total population served by Head Start be children with handicaps, giving Head Start the status of the first mandated, mainstreamed early intervention program in the United States. This occurred well before the concept of mainstreaming became popular in special education. One of the most important pieces of legislation regarding young children with handicaps was the Handicapped Children’s Early Education Assistance Act of 1968. This act established the Handicapped Children’s Early Education Program of the Department of Education, which has been responsible for funding the majority of innovative service projects in early intervention that occurred in the United States. This legislation may be viewed as the formal beginning of the field of early intervention for the handicapped. HCEEP programs will be discussed more fully later in this chapter in the section on current practices. The next major legislation to affect early intervention activities was an act that impacted significantly on educational practices for all handicapped children–the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (P. L. 94-142). P. L. 94-142 provided for a free, appropriate public education with related services to all children with handicaps between the ages of three and twenty-one years. This act has been called the â€Å"Bill of Rights† for children with handicaps. The overall impact of this act on educational practice has been discussed in other places. While this act documented acceptance of the need for early intervention by the federal government, it also provided individual states with the option not to serve these young children. Unfortunately, this was an option many states adopted. In 1985, only twenty-four of the fifty states had mandated services for handicapped children under age five and only eight states had mandated services for handicapped children under age three. Although P. L. 94-142 had a major impact on such intervention, supporters of early intervention were aware of the implementation problems involved in serving young children. As a result of successes with preschool early intervention, the need for services for even younger children was being heralded. Congress responded to these calls for early intervention in 1983 by passing the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (P. L. 98-199). These amendments provided financial incentives for states to extend early intervention service levels down to birth. Unfortunately, funding remained dependent upon the number of children served between the ages of three and five, and the act, in effect, diluted the funding available for the three- to five-year-old children. Also, incentives built into these amendments to encourage individual state participation were weak and ineffectual. Lobbying groups for early intervention continued their activities to push through a law mandating early intervention for all young children with handicaps. In 1986, Congress responded by passing P. L. 99-457, (Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act). P. L. 99-457 mandated that all preschool-aged children with handicaps receive a free and appropriate education by 1991. This law provided penalties for states that did not conform to the law. In addition, P. L. 99-457 created a new state grant program for infants and toddlers with handicaps. The passage of P. L. 99-457 has signaled a new era for early intervention. The federal government has recognized the need for early intervention (at least at the preschool level) and has provided funds to support it. P. L. 99-457 is also significant in other ways. Children need not be classified into narrowly defined categories to receive services. The importance of the family in development has been heavily emphasized, especially for those children under age three years. For infants and toddlers, the definition of what constitutes intervention services has been broadened. For all children, a wide variety of possible intervention options has been acknowledged. It is clear that the passage of P. L. 99-457 is not the final stop for advocates of early intervention. Concerns regarding how states will implement preschool services and how service policies will be defined remain. Questions regarding services for infants and toddlers are just beginning to be addressed. Many problems still exist, but Public Law 99-457 represents a major accomplishment for advocates of early intervention and a benefit for the children and families who will receive services. Problems in the Present Currently, early intervention activities regarding the development of and research on â€Å"best practices† are occurring. However, there is a growing tendency to question some of what has been accomplished by early intervention. Questions have arisen concerning the research on which early intervention activities are based and on the data from which costs have been obtained. These particular areas–research and costs–have traditionally provided a foundation for early intervention. This report briefly reviews concerns regarding knowledge of costs and the research base of early intervention. Early Intervention Research In a â€Å"review of reviews,† White, Bush, and Casto (1985-86) found overwhelming agreement that early intervention is effective (94% of fifty-two studies). Unfortunately, they also found that a number of these reviews based this assertion primarily or solely on studies done with disadvantaged children. The benefits of early intervention for disadvantaged children are not a major issue of contention. Controversy ensues when these findings are over generalized to children with handicaps. A number of well-conducted reviews of early intervention for handicapped children has been completed. These reviews have been cautious with their conclusions, but overall the findings have been quite negative, particularly regarding the validity of the studies. Dunst, Snyder, and Mankinen (1987) found that 71% of the forty-nine studies they reviewed used methods that made the results scientifically uninterpretable. Other researchers essentially agreed with the Dunst, Snyder, and Mankinen findings. They then attempted to argue that the lack of effectiveness found for early intervention programs was a result of the nature of studies in early intervention. Researchers used meta-analytic techniques to examine a number of common assumptions made regarding early intervention programs and found little empirical support for those assumptions. An extremely comprehensive review by Dunst, Snyder, and Mankinen ( 1987), which examined 105 studies by degree of causality and by type of child served, was no more positive for the early intervention movement. These authors stated that any conclusions regarding the efficacy of early intervention must be considered tentative and conditional. They noted that â€Å"there is insufficient evidence at this time to conclude that there are cause-effect relationships between the interventions and outcomes observed†. Dunst and associates further stated, in agreement with Casto and Mastropieri (1986), that children in early intervention programs do make positive developmental and behavioral changes across time but that â€Å"the extent to which the interventions are responsible for observed effects is difficult to ascertain† (p. 285 ). Some researchers have been critical of reviews of early intervention because they tend to exclude single-subject methodology research. Many of the problems in reviewing this literature base are related to the subjective nature of comparing this research, as no standard metric is employed across studies. Reviews of the single-subject literature in early intervention have been conducted and are favorable but have not significantly refuted other reviews. Single-subject studies do show strong evidence for a functional relationship between dependent and independent variables. These single-subject studies usually focus on a narrow, well-defined objective. Although this is useful for demonstrating functional relationships, it represents only parts of the whole of an early intervention program. Also, these studies are usually conducted under rigorous investigative control, a feature not available in most early intervention programs. Successful programs frequently have problems when disseminated for use by a wider audience. Also, many single-subject studies do not sufficiently address generalization and maintenance issues. Researchers provide suggestions for single-subject research in early intervention, many of which are identical to those that need to be addressed by group research.

A Good Manager in the Face of Organizational Change Essay

Introduction Every business needs a good manager – may it be a small family business or a large multinational corporation. There is no magic formula for being a good and effective manager – it is a continuing process and becoming one entails knowledge, skills and ability. It is not just a title but also a role that has to be performed and performed well. It is a product of working with and being around all classes of people – management team, clients, co-workers and others – and emanating the lessons learned in order to be better. Changes in management team, changes in the company’s directions, changes in priorities, even the simple changes of supervisors, transfer to other department, or the hiring of a new team member – these are but some of the changes that a staff may have to deal with in the workplace. These are also the major factors that affect any employee’s performance and confidence, which make apparent the need for a good and capable manager – one that can help communicate and successfully enforce management’s plans to the rest of the employees. As a manager, he should explain the reasons for the change and the processes involved. One possible consequence of any organizational change is the decrease in employee’s morale and motivation, which could lead to a decrease in the employee’s performance. This is but one of the many issues that a good manager has to handle. Discussion What is A Manager? A manager is the person who plans, leads and controls the activities of the organization. He balances the demands and requirements of the organization while at the same time, meets the employees’ expectations. A manager works hard to achieve the goals of the company without disregarding employees’ welfare. A manager is often seen as the liaison between the management and the workforce. Among the many responsibilities of a manager is dealing with employees and addressing their issues and concerns. Thus, a manager must also learn to acknowledge and admit employee concerns. These issues could be an employee’s poor performance, sloppy work, negative work attitude or low confidence in the company. In other words, it is the manager’s role to assess and evaluate the employee’s performance. Not only does a manager address employee concerns, he also ensures that the organization’s goals and objectives are met. He plans, monitors and takes the lead towards the realization of business goals.   A manager delegates and coordinates work to his members, for which he must also be accountable. What Makes A Good Manager? Bill Gates recently wrote an article about the attributes of a good manager. One of the traits he mentioned is the need for a manager to be a good communicator. He must be able to convey management’s plans and directions well and ensure that employees understand where the company hopes to be. Bill Gates also wrote that a good manager needs relationships, not only with the executives but most especially with his employees. He must encourage people to be open and give feedback about what they think about the business and the role the manager and the employees themselves play in it. With the varying requirements expected of a manager, it is therefore necessary for one to possess analytical skills, people skills and business skills for him to deliver and perform his functions well. It is also essential for a manager to be resourceful in finding appropriate courses of action to any problem that may arise. Not only do his people depend on him for guidance, management has also entrusted him with this responsibility. Aside from these, he must also be able to exemplify and act-out what he expects from his staff. A good manager sets and more importantly, lives up to the standards. Moreover, being the liaison between management and employees, it is imperative that a manager knows the needs of his people, and what keeps them satisfied and fulfilled in their jobs. Striving to maintain a healthy level of employee morale is no easy task but one that a manager must also focus on. A good manager then should also be approachable as the position may require mediating between management and the workforce. Building good camaraderie requires that a manager be patient and sincere in his efforts. A very stressful role – thus having a good sense of humor never hurts. A good manager has the ability to develop employee skills and improve their morale. He must know how to motivate and obtain loyalty, which is necessary in today’s ever-changing organizations. Organizational Change Heraclitus once said that nothing is permanent but change. This could not be truer in today’s organizations especially with the rapid emergence of an international and global economy. Any organization must learn to thrive and be flexible to meet the ever-changing demands in order to survive. Change has become such an everyday occurrence and an integral part of any company’s life; so much so that employees who are not receptive to such changes can weigh down management’s efforts for growth. Numerous studies have been done on why people, most often than not, resist even the most well-conceived plans of change. Especially in an organization, resistance and skepticism are the most common employee reactions. The negative responses may be because of the possibility of loss, fear of the unknown and disruption of what has become a habit. One common reason of resistance to change is that an individual feels the possibility of a loss – loss of something he values that may result from change. Most often, changes in an organization are structural – they affect job status, lead to additional responsibilities and impose new reporting structures. Restructuring may also require physical relocation and in worse scenario, job termination. With all of these possibilities, imaginary or real they may be, it is but a natural instinct for an employee to reject change. Another reason for resisting change is fear. It is an inherent trait in humans to fear the unknown, the uncertain. Any uncertain situation is never welcome and an individual will avoid having to face such situations as much as possible. With any organizational change, an employee may fear that he may not be capable to meet the demands in the future. He resists because he feels that he does not have the competencies needed for him to function in the new structure. He becomes afraid thus, the negative response even to the most well-meaning plans of change. One other reason why people reject change is that they have become accustomed to and feel more comfortable with the current practice. It has become a force of habit. Many people think things are already fine and do not see the need for change or believe that it is the solution to whatever problem is at hand. Employees may also resist change because they have to learn something new. In many cases, people are reluctant to leave the familiar behind especially if it entails learning something new and presents the risks of failing. A Good Manager in the Face of Organizational Change At one point, I also had to face and deal with an organizational change. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company I was with decided to concentrate on his other affairs and relinquish his post. His successor, though no less brilliant, is in many ways very different on how things are done and how objectives are met. Their priorities and ways in achieving the company’s vision were very much opposing. This move greatly affected our team since we report and were directly under the CEO’s office. Our team had to take on new responsibilities, transfer some functions to another team and report to a new management team – changing almost everything our team has been used to. The recent movement in the company’s management forced every member of the team to learn to adjust fast but still maintain the same level of efficiency and effectiveness. It is an understatement to say that everyone was on a very high stress level. Most were uncertain of their future and status in the company and wondered whether they will keep their job or would have to be laid-off. It was a very good thing that our manager knew how to handle those changes and helped made things easier to deal with. In the context of organizational change, in order to facilitate a smooth implementation, it is very important that a good manager anticipate and plan well his approach to the possibility of a negative reception. A good manager has to properly communicate the details of the change and make the employees see the need to do things differently. A good manager must inspire and challenge his team to embrace such changes, since a positive and supportive environment yields a more productive and a more committed workforce. Recognizing a staff’s contributions to the organization is fundamental and very important in inspiring employees. Keeping the employee motivated entails various skills, as there are various personalities involved. No one formula can ever be arrived at as to how to motivate employees especially in a dynamically- changing organization, but developing an honest and open relationship is a start. Giving regular, positive, and constructive criticism can also help create an encouraging environment and help boost an employees’ sense of being valued. There are some companies that provide monetary rewards or incentives as a way of showing their appreciation to their personnel. However, this could be very costly and the rewards may quickly be forgotten. This is why this practice must be exercised prudently and must not be the only way of motivating employees. Financial incentives may seem to be the most notable form of motivation but may also cause disadvantages to the company in the long-term. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The need for an efficient and effective manager is one issue that all organizations face. Managers not only play a vital part in the realization of the company’s goals but also influence the employees, hence, becoming an even more critical part in the business. Every organization must change in order to improve and cope with increasing industry competition. However, whether the factors prompting such moves may be external or internal, every organization must be able to address any consequence that may arise. Needless to say, employees also play an equally vital role in any organization. Thus, in the context of organizational change, one of the most central, albeit complex consequences is the employees’ response. Being the workforce that keeps the organization alive, it is very important for a good manager to acknowledge the employees’ significance and value; and to show that they are an integral part of the company. Ultimately, any company has much to gain by empowering and recognizing the value of its members. This is why efforts must be taken by a good manager to foster loyalty and keep them motivated in the face of change. In conclusion, let us keep in mind the words of Charles Darwin – â€Å"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.†

Social contract theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social contract theory - Essay Example This means the citizens have political powers unless they decide to transfer the power to the government. The past philosophers agreed that the government originated from the people’s contract in the society. They believed that people pledge loyalty and compliance with the government so that it protects them and their belongings in return (Dye & Schubert 29). There are various aspects of the American social contract highlighted in the Preamble and declaration. The county’s social contract is derived from the preamble that states that people have to collaborate with government to promote justice and protection of individuals’ liberty. This means that the main aspects of the country’s social aspects reflected in the preamble are the partnership between the people and the government, and the people’s freedom. The Declaration also serves as the constitutional foundation of the American social contact. One of the aspects of the country’s social contract in the Declaration is the commitment to people’s natural rights. Pursuit to happiness was another aspect of the Declaration reflected in the county’s social contact (Billias

Outcome reflection on assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Outcome reflection on - Assignment Example The dialogue is very interesting as it explores the line of enquiry which involves cultural and language backgrounds that affect even the pronunciation of indigenous names. Manuel and Amy discuss a book written by Manuel, â€Å"Leave your name at the border† which serves as the basis of the conversation between the two. The claim that comes out of the conversation is that people tend to pronounce indigenous names wrongly and Manuela and Amy have witnessed such kind of scenario. This is indeed a complex claim because it tends to relate names’ pronunciation and language background as well as blending two kind of language by assimilating one to the other. This dialogue has followed my thought and opinion process as well as good organization of writing that involves dialogue that begins with greetings and develops slowly before ending with greetings. Introduction of the book written by Manuel serves as the basis of the argument and the contents as well as the application of the book’s content are well articulated in the conversation. Many people experience problem pronouncing other people’s indigenous names thus evidencing the significance of the argument presented. My personal understanding of the claim has greatly come out of the conversation. Annotated bibliography involves articles that highlight a few incidences of discrimination. The main argument presented in the annotated bibliography is discrimination of different kinds especially against dwarfs. The articles have served well in communicating the theme of discrimination particularly to the audiences who may have also suffered similar challenges in one way or the other. A brief history of the characters in the articles are provided to help in driving the message home to the audiences who, in one way or the other, can relate to the stories represented in the articles. The articles show the evidence of good writing skills as applied by other creative writers which

Reformation A Vital Catalyst for Modernity Term Paper

Reformation A Vital Catalyst for Modernity - Term Paper Example As a consequence Calvin, Erasmus, More, Luther (Brinton 205; 234) and other prominent theologians to question the validity of parts of the New Testament as well as other areas of existing religious thought and practice. The reformation, which eventually resulted from this criticism, can therefore to some extent be seen as a distillation of all the important intellectual movements of the age. The papacy meanwhile continued controlling religious activity throughout the European continent and chose to ignore the tide of revolution that swept across its territory, continuing its money-based piety that worked with mechanical precision regardless of human circumstances. According to the historian Crane Brinton (234 pp), there was not one single area of religious observance in the 16th century that was not in one way or other tied to money. The crisis came when Martin Luther put forward his accusations of misconduct of the church – in the vernacular of the people – and the pap acy answered ‘in Latin’. Oblivious to the changes that had taken place, the papacy attempted to combat Luther with the same worn ‘heresy’ charge of centuries ago, except by then the people had found their champions, of which Luther was only one. The grievances these ‘heroes’ made public were those of nearly every ordinary Christian and for the first time, the people were able to understand what was said. There were many complaints, ninety-seven of them, but the most important ones were, that the Church offered ‘salvation’ in exchange for money, that priests were rich and not subject to the law, and that ordinary people had no access to the bible. Thus the impending reformation was not simply an intellectual exercise but it offered... This paper talks about the Reformation - one of the most influential processes throughout European history. from the 13th century onwards, life changed in leaps and bounds in different areas of human society. These ‘stirrings’ could be felt in many parts of the world, but it was in Europe in particular where a concentration of great thinkers provided the fertile ground from which modernity eventually sprang. There were many milestones along the way, in the form of explorations, discoveries, developing insights and wars. But it was foremost the growing disillusionment with the spiritual guidance of the Catholic Church that was of great importance because it affected all people. This ‘spiritual’ uprising swept across Europe and eventually culminated in the ‘Reformation, which questioned and broke papal authority. It opened up opportunities for new ways of thinking and worshipping, made possible the nation state and shaped the modern world through its int ellectual offsprings. The reformation must therefore be seen as the single most important catalyst for modernity. The paper concludes that, at the time the Reformation took place, the groundswell that brought about liberal revolution was strong already but without curtailing of the power of the Catholic Church, progressive thinkers of the 16th and 17th centuries may well have become the victims of heresy trials – as they had in centuries before the reformation. As it was, the ideals of the reformation were allowed to flourish.

IT & Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IT & Financial Services - Essay Example For this, the needs of financial transactions arise on a regular basis. In these days information technology is the biggest invention that contributes to the welfare of humanity. It not only speeds up the mode of everyday life but also makes life easier. â€Å"Time† is the most precious element in today’s life. The value of time is the biggest concern for everyone. Digitalization and introduction of information technology in the field of financial transactions help mankind to a great extent (Mann & Mann, 2011, p.264-320). Initially it needed some specific computer or web based knowledge to pursue such transactions. However, once a person got the access to knowledge of computer and information technology systems, it turned into the most desired mode of transaction. The online banking facility is one such application of information technology which emerged as the best way to transfer money in short time (Stathopoulos, 1995, pp.56-79). People used to save money in banks no t only for getting interest but also for its security. The implementation of information technology in personal financial transactions, however, gave rise to questions on security. The online banking system depends on a username and password to access an account. So it will be very crucial to make all the transactions in a safe and secured way. Different measures are taken to ensure the security of financial transactions. The measures include generation of one-time passwords, alerts for password changes at periodic intervals, provision of net-secure codes in financial transactions (Glaessner et al., 2002, p.145). Financial transaction When a transaction in terms of money is carried out between two people namely the buyer and seller in the market, such transactions are known as financial transaction. As the transaction is done, the financial position of the two parties gets altered. In most of the cases, a financial transaction is done on account of receipt of different items which c an create value in the form of information, goods, and services. In ancient times, there were no concepts of financial transaction. People used barter system in order to exchange goods and services. The traders faced problems in this system as they may not have needed such items or services in a certain swap. Next, valuable metals like gold and silver were introduced to carry out the transactions. With the advent of civilization, the monetary coins and printed flat money were used for the transactions. These are referred as financial transactions. In the 20th century floating currency gradually got replaced by fixed currency. In recent times, the computer networks are used for electronic mode of money transfer which increased the speed of transactions. However, the advanced mode of electronic money transfer has its own complexities as well (Friedland, 2010, p.245). The money which can be exchanged electronically by using computer networks and internet is known as electronic money or e- Money. When the money is transferred from one account to another through computer using the software and applications of information technology, it is referred to as Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). The other modes of financial transaction include the use of wire transfer, payment card, debit card, direct deposit, online banking electronic benefit transfer, etc. (Friedland, 2002, p.287). Wire transfer- It is also known as credit transfer. Wire transfer involves transfer of money from

Pompeii Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Pompeii - Essay Example The Greeks defeated the Etruscans in both 524 and 474 BCE and probably proceeded to take control of Pompeii (qtd. from Pompeii before the Romans involvement, 2005).As evidence, the hill near the mouth of the Sarno River or Sarnus River was used as a safe port by Greek and Phoenician sailors (Wikipedia, 2005). This theory is supported by the architecture and art in Pompeii that was influenced by the Greeks, such as the temple to Apollo mentioned earlier. Around 420 BCE the Samnites came to occupy the city of Pompeii (Leppman, 1968). The Samnites seem to have imposed their language, customs, and civic organizations upon Pompeii (qtd. from Pompeii before the Romans involvement, 2005). Rome entered onto the Pompeiian scene following the end of the Second Samnite War (290 BCE). The Romans landed their fleet at the mouth of the Sarno and sacked neighboring Salerno (Leppman, 1968). For almost two hundred years, however, the Roman rule of Pompeii was more a "matter of form than substance" (Leppman, 1968). Pompeii was under Rome's control, however, its inhabitants were practically independent (qtd. from Roman involvement in Pompeii, 2005). Although Pompeii was practically independent, its future was tangled with that of Rome. The Roman success in war over Carthage in the Second Punic War (218-201) and Romes victorious marches into Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria paved the way for an abundant economic enterprise for the Pompeiians (qtd. from Roman involvement in Pompeii, 2005). A colony of Roman veterans was planted in Rome as a punishment for Pompeiis role in the Social War (Carrington, 1994). Scholars have pointed out, however, that the Pompeiians ended up profiting in the whole ordeal, since Pompeii was quick to take advantage of the Roman destruction of neighboring Stabiae. This conflict did, however, mark the end of Pompeii's virtual independence, as Rome became much more active in Pompeii. This shift in power is borne out by the fact that ten years after the Social War, Rome renamed Pompeii Colonia Cornelia Venena Pompeianorum (qtd. from Roman involvement in Pompeii, 2005). Physical description The city of Pompeii has an irregular shape because it was formed by a prehistoric lava flow. Excavations indicate that the southwestern part of the town is the oldest, but scholars do not agree on the stages by which the walls were expanded or on who the builders were. The walls are 2 miles (3 km) in circumference, and they enclose an area of about 163 acres (66 hectares). Seven city gates have been excavated (Description of the remains, 2005).

Consumer Behavior Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer Behavior Analysis - Case Study Example Management needs to make on-going decisions relative to what changes need to make in response to consumer behavior in the context of the products that they offer. These decisions need to be made on the basis of an understanding of consumer behavior. This understanding will inform of the appropriate action for improving sales or withdraw the product altogether, depending on what firms’ know about or learn about consumer behavior, perceptions, attitudes, and desires. If management decides to respond by improving or changing the brand or product, once changes have been made, management will have to track consumer reaction and perceptions of the changes. Radian 6 offers a range of tools for integrating online social networking in a single place so that consumer behavior, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as preferences, can be accessed at one location. In other words, Radian 6 facilitates a method by which conversations among consumers can be analyzed. Management may also communicate directly with consumers. Radian 6 (2011) explains that it a â€Å"platform† for listening, discovering, measuring and engaging â€Å"in conversations across the social web†. Radian 6 taps into consumer behavior which is a generalization of marketing theory. Consumer behavior as a general marketing theory places the consumer â€Å"at the center of the marketing concept† (Baker and Saren 2010, p. 42). Essentially, consumer behavior by itself provides an array of theories that can unlock the door to understanding consumer behavior. Consumer behavior-social networking applications such as Radian6 is more useful for monitoring how products and brands are being received by consumers.   It also permits immediate feedback for consumer behavior relative to products and brands.   Therefore while traditional research methodologies provide an overall picture of external and internal factors that operate in the market to influence consumers, social networking or social media research provides researchers with an up-to-the-minute monitoring process as a general theory combines core concepts such as cultural theory, economic, political, consumer information , services and cognitive psychology-based theories (Baker and Saren 2010, p. 42).

Effect of Reinforcement Essay Example for Free

Effect of Reinforcement Essay Psychology as we know it didn’t suddenly appear on the intellectual scene. It is impossible to say just when it began, or who was responsible for it. Instead, we can only point to a number of current that takes us from philosophy and the natural sciences into something recognizably psychological. To give you the simple concept of this field, psychology is the study of human and animal behavior. As time ages, many psychological theories have evolved. Burhus Frederic Skinner, as one of the contributors has emphasized a theory on learning regarding to individual’s behavior. Skinner believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning. Skinners theory of operant conditioning was based on the work of Thorndike (1905). Edward Thorndike studied learning in animals using a puzzle box to propose the theory known as the Law of Effect Skinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning, but his work was based on Thorndike’s law of effect. Skinner introduced a new term into the Law of Effect Reinforcement. Behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated (i.e. strengthened); behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out-or be extinguished (i.e. weakened). Skinner (1948) studied operant conditioning by conducting experiments using animals which he placed in a â€Å"Skinner Box† which was similar to Thorndike’s puzzle box. B.F. Skinner (1938) coined the term operant conditioning; it means roughly changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response. A. Background of the study Reinforcement, a term used to refer to anything that increases the likelihood that a response will occur. Reinforcement, noted, defined by the effect that it has on behavior it increases or strengthens the behavior. It might involve responses right after the reinforced present a kind of motivation. In this study, we could see the behavior, and the responses made by the rat in the presentation of reinforcement. The errors of the rat in the progress of the experiment shall be observed and noted and shown to answer the queries of the researchers at the same time address curiosity. B. Theoretical Basis: Physiological psychology research has identified separate but interactive neural pathways mediating reward and aversion (i.e., functioning as positive and negative reinforcement systems, respectively). Direct activation of brain reward mechanisms through electrical and chemical stimulation provides a tool for elucidating these neural systems. During the past four decades, considerable knowledge has been gained regarding the anatomical and neurochemical basis of these pathways. This brief presentation addresses only brain mechanisms involved in positive reinforcement because they are closely identified with pleasure in humans and because they underlie the primary process governing much of normal behavior. Deprivation and Positive Reinforces: Experts who say educators can use positive reinforces (positive consequences) to control students behavior usually dont tell the educators they must first deprive students of whatever they plan to use as reinforce. As far back as 1938, Skinner described how deprivation is necessary when a person wants to use reinforces to control another organism. That was when he wrote, in the preface to his book, The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis (N.Y.: Appleton-Century-Crofts): The simplest contingencies involve at least three terms stimulus, response, and reinforcement and at least one other variable (the deprivation associated with the reinforcement) is implied. I think it is interesting that, even relatively early in his work, Skinner was waffling on his acknowledgment of the central role deprivation plays in operant conditioning. Notice how he says there are at least three terms, and at least one other variable (the deprivation associated with the reinforcement) is implied. Make no mistake about it, deprivation is not merely implied; it is the essential action that allows behaviorists to create the illusion that reinforcement controls behavior, whether the behavior occurs in the experimental laboratory, the classroom, or the slaughterhouse. Watsons S-R behavioristic psychology described behavior as reflexive responses to stimuli. Skinners radical behaviorism described behavior as responses in the presence of stimuli that were associated with reinforcers, where the reinforcers worked because the organism was deprived. The formula in Skinners psychology is stimulus-response-reinforcement (+deprivation): S-R-R (+D). (Sometimes the formula is written, Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence, or A-B-C. I would add +Deprivation, making the formula A-B-C (+D).) Without deprivation, or denial of access to something an organism wants or needs, there is no reinforcement. If a rat eats pellets of food until it stops of its own accord, then the behaviorist cannot use food to reinforce the rat’s actions. If a child has all of the attention he or she needs or wants, then a teacher cannot use attention to reinforce the childs behavior. No deprivation, no control of behavior. No control of behavior, no discipline program The following passage, from one of the Bibles of laboratory research methods for radical behaviorists, describes how completely they relied on deprivation to create the illusion that reinforcers control behavior. In 1957, C. B. Ferster and B. F. Skinner wrote that: Birds are sometimes matched on deprivation level as measured by the rate of responding under a variable-interval schedule. Each bird is run for a session of fixed length each day C. Related Literature What is Reinforcement? Reinforcement theory is the process of shaping behavior by controlling the consequences of the behavior. In reinforcement theory a combination of rewards and/or punishments is used to reinforce desired behavior or extinguish unwanted behavior. Any behavior that elicits a consequence is called operant behavior, because the individual operates on his or her environment. Reinforcement theory concentrates on the relationship between the operant behavior and the associated consequences, and is sometimes referred to as operant conditioning. REINFORCEMENT, PUNISHMENT, AND EXTINCTION The most important principle of reinforcement theory is, of course, reinforcement. Generally speaking, there are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement results when the occurrence of a valued behavioral consequence has the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. The specific behavioral consequence is called a reinforced. An example of positive reinforcement might be a salesperson that exerts extra effort to meet a sales quota (behavior) and is then rewarded with a bonus (positive reinforce). The administration of the positive reinforce should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. Negative reinforcement results when an undesirable behavioral consequence is withheld, with the effect of strengthening the probability of the behavior being repeated. Negative reinforcement is often confused with punishment, but they are not the same. Punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors; negative reinforcement attempts to increase desired behavior. Thus, both positive and negative reinforcement have the effect of increasing the probability that a particular behavior will be learned and repeated. An example of negative reinforcement might be a salesperson that exerts effort to increase sales in his or her sales territory (behavior), which is followed by a decision not to reassign the salesperson to an undesirable sales route (negative reinforce). The administration of the negative reinforce should make it more likely that the salesperson will continue to exert the necessary effort in the future. As mentioned above, punishment attempts to decrease the probability of specific behaviors being exhibited. Punishment is the administration of an undesirable behavioral consequence in order to reduce the occurrence of the unwanted behavior. Punishment is one of the more commonly used reinforcement-theory strategies, but many learning experts suggest that it should be used only if positive and negative reinforcement cannot be used or have previously failed, because of the potentially negative side effects of punishment. An example of punishment might be demoting an employee who does not meet performance goals or suspending an employee without pay for violating work rules. Extinction is similar to punishment in that its purpose is to reduce unwanted behavior. The process of extinction begins when a valued behavioral consequence is withheld in order to decrease the probability that a learned behavior will continue. Over time, this is likely to result in the ceasing of that behavior. Extinction may alternately serve to reduce a wanted behavior, such as when a positive reinforce is no longer offered when a desirable behavior occurs. For example, if an employee is continually praised for the promptness in which he completes his work for several months, but receives no praise in subsequent months for such behavior, his desirable behaviors may diminish. Thus, to avoid unwanted extinction, managers may have to continue to offer positive behavioral consequences. What is motivation? Definition of Motivation Motivation refers to â€Å"the reasons underlying behavior† (Guay et al., 2010, p. 712). Paraphrasing Gredler, Broussard and Garrison (2004) broadly define motivation as â€Å"the attribute that moves us to do or not to do something† (p. 106). Intrinsic motivation is motivation that is animated by personal enjoyment, interest, or pleasure. As Deci et al. (1999) observe, â€Å"Intrinsic motivation energizes and sustains activities through the spontaneous satisfactions inherent in effective volitional action. It is manifest in behaviors such as play, exploration, and challenge seeking that people often do for external rewards† (p. 658). Researchers often contrast intrinsic motivation with extrinsic motivation, which is motivation governed by reinforcement contingencies. Traditionally, educators consider intrinsic motivation to be more desirable and to result in better learning outcomes than extrinsic motivation (Deci et al., 1999). Although the use of differential reinforcement has been recommended in previous investigations and in early intervention curriculum manuals, few studies have evaluated the best method for providing differential reinforcement to maximize independent responding. This paper reviews previous research on the effectiveness of differential reinforcement as treatment and describes important areas of future research. Keywords: acquisition, differential reinforcement, early intervention, reinforcement quality, reinforcement schedules Differential reinforcement is an operant procedure used to increase the occurrence of desirable behavior while simultaneously decreasing undesirable behavior. The use of differential reinforcement is recommended in early intervention (EI) programs because children in EI often do not acquire skills in the absence of motivational procedures (Karsten Carr, 2009; Leaf McEachin, 1999; Lovaas, 2003). In addition, prompting procedures may be necessary initially, because children who require EI may not have extensive skill repertoires that could be exposed to differential reinforcement. Thus, one challenge in EI programming is to identify differential reinforcement procedures that minimize prompt dependence and promote independent responding as the ultimate goal. However, only a few studies have examined the effects of differential reinforcement on independent and prompted responding in EI programs. Therefore, the purposes of this review are (a) to provide a summary of previous research related to differential reinforcement during acquisition-based procedures in EI and (b) to suggest areas of future research. Schedules of reinforcement Studies have examined variations in differential reinforcement schedules for prompted and independent responding to identify schedules that increase the efficiency of learning (i.e., quickly increase independent responding). Olenick and Pear (1980) implemented differential reinforcement during tact training using 5-s constant time delay (hereafter referred to as â€Å"prompt delay†) with 3 children with severe intellectual disabilities. The evaluation included four conditions. In two of the conditions, reinforcement was provided on a fixed-ratio (FR) 6 or 8 schedule. Reinforcement was provided on an FR 1 schedule for correct independent responses and on an FR 6 or FR 8 schedule for prompted responses in the third condition. In the fourth condition, reinforcement was provided on an FR 1 schedule for prompted responses and on an FR 6 or 8 schedules for correct independent responses. Results indicated that all participants had the highest accuracy and number of independent responses on the FR 1 schedule for independent responses. These findings suggest that schedules of reinforcement that favor independent responding may produce more rapid skill acquisition. However, the authors implemented a fairly thin schedule of reinforcement in the first two conditions (i.e., FR 6 or 8) and did not conduct any sessions at a 0-s prompt delay, both of which are inconsistent with typical procedures used in EI (Walker, 2008). Thus, it is not clear that the results of this study are representative of acquisition in clinical settings, in which rich schedules of reinforcement and a 0-s prompt delay are used most typically in initial stages of learning. What is Latent learning? Latent learning is a theory in psychology that describes learning without a reward. An organism learns a new concept simply from observation and without any obvious reinforcement. The organism may not be consciously aware of its new skill until it suddenly expresses that skill when it becomes useful at a later date. For instance, a person can casually observe other people using chopsticks to eat and discover much later that he or she can use them correctly without ever being taught. A classic experiment in psychology illustrates how latent learning works. Edward C. Tolman and C.H. Honzik famously placed three groups of rats inside a maze, where the rats were allowed to wander around. One rat group always received a food reward when reaching the end of the maze, while the second group found no food at the end. The third group found no food at the end of the maze for ten days but discovered food on the 11th day. The first group of rats learned to reach the end of the maze quickly to reach the food. The second group continued to wonder around the maze. The third group acted similarly to the second group until food was placed at the end of the maze on the last day. One day after food was placed; the third group had already learned to reach the end of the maze as quickly as the first group.

Sizing Up The Active Wear Market Marketing Essay

Sizing Up The Active Wear Market Marketing Essay In the wake of falling sales and decreasing profit margins, Harrington Collection is evaluating the opportunity to expand into the high-growth active-wear market. The idea of expanding into lower priced fashion product lines was not new to the company (Tedlow Beckham 2008) which was renowned for its sophisticated high class roots. However, after three years of consecutive lacklustre sales and margins Sara Huey, Vice President of Strategic Planning and her team have to take a critical look at the active-wear product line option as a possible solution to reverse the companys negative performance trend. To come up with sound decision Harrington Collection executives would have to analyze the financial implications of the opportunity, assess trade and competitor reactions, consider the risks, and determine whether they have the capacity to successfully launch and manage the new product line. This basically means that they will have to assess consumer behaviour, product introduction and financial implications. Consumer behaviour Consumer buying behavior refers to the buying behavior of final consumers (individuals households) who buy goods and services for personal consumption. This is generally affected by consumer culture, social, personal and psychological characteristics. Consumer products are designed to be attractive to consumers, so that they feel encouraged to buy. This makes it mandatory for any organization to understand and manipulate product attributes so as to positively influence consumers to buy. However, buying behavior is also a function of the competing products in the marketplace and the brand marketing strategy applied by that given firm. In order to design the best product, it is necessary to understand not just the physical and chemical nature of the product, but also the psychology of consumers and the sociology of consumer groups. Harrington Collection is a company with decades of expertise (Tedlow Beckham 2008) that has an excellent relationship with its retail trade (Tedlow Beckham 2008) therefore their knowledge of consumer behaviour is high. Moreover we are told that the company also commissioned surveys and focus groups which revealed that their target customers showed considerable interest in buying active-wear clothing (Tedlow Beckham 2008). The push for introduction of a new product line is also supported by three factors that determine consumer behaviour i.e. loyalty, sociology and psychology. Loyalty is defined as that tendency for consumers to stick to the same products. Loyalty is also manifested through what is referred to as the memory effect, which represents that tendency of consumers in returning to products they had previously used, after trying something new they then did not like. The focus groups commissioned by Harrington Collection showed that a subset of Harrington customers who had been loyal throughout their careers were interested in something fresh and comfortable that would fit their active lifestyles (Tedlow Beckham 2008). On the other hand the sociology factor was heightened by the popularity of active-wear among Hollywood celebrities. Sociology in this context implies how one persons buying is influenced by that of others. We are told that this trend toward more contemporary athletic fashions resulted in rapid growth for firms that offered these lines. Harrington Collection estimated that over seven and a half million active-wear units were sold in 2007 with the projection that this would grow to 15 million by 2009 (Tedlow Beckham 2008). Moreover by 2009 it was expected that 40% of the 15 million buyers would prefer the better category which is what Harringtons Vigor division specialized in. Vigors market expertise could come in handy in deploying the active-wear better product line. Psychology covers what, and how, aspects of the actual items on the shelves influence people to make their choices, possibly buying something different from previously. Most firms would use advertising to influence consumer psychology. Harrington on the other hand we are told was known for its top in-house design staff, extensive national advertising campaigns and its exceptional quality and styling (Tedlow Beckham 2008). Plus, after analyzing the better sets of active -wear that were in the market Harrington knew that the standards they had could not allow them to produce such poor quality products. Therefore a launch of a product line in active-wear could provide Harrington with an opportunity to display their superior products to the low end consumer market and thus rapidly increase their market share and probably pull though a customer lock-in. Also we cannot ignore the fact that introduction of a new product onto the market by as renowned a fashion company as Harrington has the ability to change the way consumers, or at least some of them, view the other established active-wear brands. Harringtons quality and styling might draw attention to some quality which was not previously much regarded by consumers in this category, or it might make people give different weightings to the established products when making their decisions. If Harrington Collection decides to go ahead with the idea to add an active-wear product line to its existing business then they would have to model their target consumers behavior. They will need to look at the external stimuli that assist the consumer to make the decision to buy their product. An external stimulus that Harrington Collection has direct influence over is the marketing mix: product, place, price, promotion, people, process and physical evidence. Product is the active-wear itself and here decisions regarding the features of the product, quality level, product lines and branding will be addressed. Place caters for decisions on channel type, service levels, managing the channels, transporting and delivering, market exposure, intermediaries, locations and stores. Pricing in this case is vital considering that the target market is price sensitive and there are other large competitors such as Liz Clairbornes Juicy Couture. Decisions regarding the discounts to be allowed, allowances and whether pricing will change with product life cycle will also depend on the breakeven analysis that we shall be looking at later in this paper. Promotion decisions regard the communications mix, the type, qualifications and number of salespeople needed the required media, sales promotion, and publicity. People decisions regard the type of customers, the customer care personnel and their knowledge, qualifications and motivations for participating during the service encounter. The process factor looks at the length of the process, the activities that can be done during the process and technologies that will facilitate the process and finally, physical evidence is concerned with decisions on the types of tangible evidence available to customers. In spite of all the theories and models made with respect to consumers it is still acknowledged that the buyers decision process is a black box that even with knowledge of characteristics that affect consumer behaviour. Product Introduction The introduction process of a new product into any market is highly complex. It requires ability to coordinate work of numerous teams within an organization, as well as with the extended network of partners and suppliers. The new product in here would be the active-wear apparel (hoodies, tee-shirts and pants). One aspect of the complexity is derived from the use of several different new parts, each of which may need unique design, specifications, development, and other specialized conditions. This complexity is compounded further by the myriad of tools used during the new product introduction (NPI) process e.g. computer aided design (CAD) applications, project management tools and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. A typical new product development and introduction process would consist of three core phases: 1) product definition, 2) product development, prototyping, and testing, and 3) product build and ramp to production. Each of these phases requires effective project management to ensure that at the end we have optimized productivity and results. In modern best-in-class NPI processes, a collaborative approach is encouraged, that is, where manufacturing integrates into the design phase early, ramping up the manufacturing effort as the design progresses to production. Engineering continues to participate even in the production phase to ensure the design is correctly built (Arena 2007). This joint approach shortens new product introduction time to market and enhances product quality. However, it also necessitates greater levels of communication and coordination amongst the project teams. The first phase in the new active-wear apparel introduction would be product definition. At this stage the design and marketing teams come up with new ideas either from market research. The NPI team for Harrington Collection would then perform technical feasibility studies and business case analysis (which we shall look at later in this paper using the breakeven analysis). This is duly followed by the creation of initial market and product requirements. These initial planning documents outline the objectives and goals for the new product introduction (NPI). The real challenge at this stage is in the selection of the right ideas and managing them to commercial success. It is advisable for organizations to develop a disciplined portfolio management process that they shall be using to aid them in consistently choosing the better product ideas and NPI processes to bring better products to market, before their competitors do so. After product definition we proceed with the product development phase. How this phase is managed generally determines how quickly the innovative idea reaches the market. New product development is complex partly due to the huge number of participating groups required to collaborate e.g. the design team, sourcing, quality control and others. These teams carry out hundreds of activities, such as design, prototyping, sourcing, quoting, testing, manufacturing and planning. This situation could be worse for global outsourced players because of the geographical distance and the extension of the teams beyond the boundaries of a single company. To deal with such a complex team environment the organization would need to set up a centralized and shared project and data management infrastructure, so that cross functional and cross enterprise teams are able to access the latest design files, work instructions, change orders, task list, and project plans as and when they are revised. The idea that Harrington Collection should pursue this product development under its Vigor division is heavily supported by this point. Being a division that is already running we would expect most of the infrastructure required for data management and information sharing to be in place in contrast to having to set up everything a new in the case where a new division is formed to handle this new product line. Also, with the increasing environmental and regulatory compliance pressures from different countries where the active-wear would eventually be sold, an organization at this product development phase must seek cost-effective solutions to meet product and process compliance requirements such as Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), Global Best Practices for Clothing Manufacturers and ISO standards. Harringtons is advantaged here since it has not outsourced its manufacturing. In an outsourced environment, companies need to assess compliance risks of all outsourced activities, implement necessary controls, and create documentation to establish an audit trail. This adds to complexity and has high cost effects too. The final key phase for NPI is the production phase. To ensure that manufacturing is efficient and cost-effective all teams (operations, manufacturing, testing, component manufacturing and design engineering etc.) must work together to ensure that a given design is manufactured to correct specifications. The earlier teams begin to collaborate the better equipped they will be for a rapid production ramp. According to Arena to facilitate efficient and accurate communication of product bills of materials (BOM), companies must ensure that the product record is available to all involved in the production and change implementation, including internal groups, contract manufacturers, and suppliers. Providing contract manufacturers and suppliers with selected visibility to centralized product record allows them direct access to the most recent changes. It removes the data communication bottlenecks that result from relying upon individuals and reduces the potential costly revision errors (Arena, 2007, p5). It is our opinion that having the product line run under Vigor division would be more efficient and effective than establishing a new division to do it because it has a seasoned team, supportive infrastructure in place and Harrington Collection could more easily develop a cross-functional product development process which is important to ensure the success of the new product introduction (NPI). From the shared project and data management infrastructure within Vigor division teams involved in the NPI would be able to access the latest project plans and tasks that are related to parts, sub-assemblies, and assemblies. It is also easier to ensure that project revisions are accessible to everyone involved. Demand and Profitability Analysis Template Table 1: Start up costs table Start Up Costs: Amount ($) Start-up Costs Pants Plant 1,200,000.00 Start-up Costs Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 2,500,000.00 Equipment Pants Plant 2,000,000.00 Equipment Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 2,500,000.00 Launch PR, Advertising 2,000,000.00 Fixtures for Company Stores* 2,500,000.00 Total Start-up Costs 12,700,000.00 Annual Depreciated Start-up Costs** 2,540,000.00 *For Fixtures for Company Stores we assumed that only the exclusive Vigor stores would be stocked with active-wear apparel. The company owned stores are 120 in total but exclusive Vigor stores are 50 (Tedlow Beckham 2008). Fixtures for each Company Store would cost $50,000.00 (Tedlow Beckham 2008). The figure obtained above was therefore obtained by multiplying $50,000 by 50 stores. **We are told that all launch fixture, plant start-up, and equipment costs would be depreciated over a five year period (Tedlow Beckham 2008). We used the straight-line depreciation method: Table 2: total fixed operating costs Annual Ongoing Operating Costs Fixed Overhead Pants Plant 3,000,000.00 Overhead Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 3,500,000.00 Rent Pants Plant 500,000.00 Rent Hoodie and Tee-shirt Plant 500,000.00 Management / Support 1,000,000.00 Advertising 3,000,000.00 Total Fixed Operating Costs 11,500,000.00 Table 3: total direct variable costs Direct Variable Costs Hoodie ($) Tee-shirt ($) Pants ($) Sew and Press 3.25 2.00 2.85 Cut 1.15 0.40 0.70 Other Variable Labor 3.20 2.40 3.05 Fabric 9.10 2.20 7.50 Findings 3.85 0.50 2.30 Total Direct Variable Costs 20.55 7.50 16.40 Table 4: total unit direct variable cost Direct variable costs translated into unit cost Hoodie ($) Tee-shirt ($) Pants ($) 20.55 7.50 16.40 multiply by 0.50 1.50 1.00 10.28 11.25 16.40 37.93 Table 5: Vigor unit Retail Price Suggested Retail Unit price Hoodie ($) Tee-shirt ($) Pants ($) 100.00 40.00 80.00 220.00 Wholesale unit price = 50% of Retail unit price = $110 Table 6: total variable costs as % of Wholesale Price Total variable costs as % of wholesale price working capital requirements 3.00 sales commissions 4.00 inventory costs 1.00 bad debt 0.70 transportation 0.24 miscellaneous 0.15 9.09 Table 7: total variable costs per unit Indirect variable costs Wholesale unit price 110.00 Total variable costs as % of wholesale price 9.09 Indirect variable costs per unit 10.00 Direct variable costs per unit 37.93 Indirect variable costs per unit 10.00 Total variable costs per unit 47.92 Table 8: contribution per unit Contribution Wholesale price per unit 110.00 less total variable costs per unit 47.92 Contribution per unit 62.08 Table 9: Breakeven units Breakeven Fixed annual costs (operating and depreciated start-up) 14,040,000.00 Ã · Contribution per unit 62.08 Breakeven Units 226,174.37 Table 10: Vigor active-wear approximate revenue Vigor active-wear approximate revenue Total units sold in 2007 7,500,000.00 Vigor Market share % 7.00 Vigor total unit sales for 2007 525,000.00 Vigor retail unit price 220.00 Approximate Vigor revenue for 2007 115,500,000.00 Table 11: Profit Margin Profit Margin Revenue 115,500,000.00 less fixed annual costs 14,040,000.00 less total variable costs (Vigor total unit sales for 2007 x total variable costs per unit) 25,160,100.00 Profit before tax 76,299,900.00 Profit margin before tax % 66.06 Making the Decision Based on the breakeven analysis we see it would be prudent for Sara Huey to approach the board and advise them to embark on the new active-wear product line because within a year Harrington Collection would have been able to not only breakeven but make a pre-tax profit of $76.3 million. Secondly we believe that the new product line of active-wear should be folded within the Vigor division so that it can benefit from the already existing infrastructure and sales channels. Moreover, like Myers suggested, the active-wear line would be a perfect addition to the Vigor division because it also focused on better wear plus fewer than 2% of respondents in their customer research survey felt that a less-expensive active-wear line would cheapen the brand (Tedlow Beckham 2008). This is a big thumb up from the most important public for the Harrington Collection, i.e. the consumer. We have also seen from the consumer behavior analysis that Harington Collection has got a lot more to gain from intr oducing the active-wear line for example we are told that the aging baby boomer population wanted clothes that would not make them feel old. In addition to that, another survey showed that 10% of customers purchasing apparel in the $100 $200 price range would buy an active-wear set if they could get one with superior styling, fabric and fit, which is what Harrington Collection was intending to manufacture and sell.

Effect of Surface Area on Reaction Rate

Effect of Surface Area on Reaction Rate Surface Area vs. Reaction Rate How does the surface area of pure cane sugar cubes affect the rate of dissolution in water? Chandler Hultine Abstract The purpose of this lab was to investigate how surface area affects the reaction rate of a substance in a solution. This lab was put together to find out how differentiating surface areas of pure cane sugar cubes would affect the rate of dissolution in water. The investigation was undertaken by using five different groups of sugar cubes, each group having a different surface area than the others. The cubes were submerged and stirred in a solution of water until they completely dissolved, and the time it that it took them each to dissolve was recorded. The longer the time it took for the cubes to dissolve, the slower the reaction rate, and vice versa. The initial hypothesis, if the surface area of the cube increases, then the reaction rate of the dissolution of the cube in water will also increase because more of the cube will be exposed to the water which will allow for more collisions of particles to occur at a time, was accepted due to a positive correlation between dissolution times and surface area of cubes. The more broken up a cube was, the faster it tended to dissolve in water and vice versa, because the more broken up cubes had more surface area. (Abstract Words: 212) Introduction The overall aim of this lab is to investigate how surface area is related to reaction rate in terms of the dissolution rate of a substance in a solution. This lab will be experimenting with sugar cubes of the same volume, but different surface areas to see how exactly surface area affects the rate of dissolution. How does the surface area of pure cane sugar cubes affect the rate of dissolution in water? If the surface area of the cube increases, then the reaction rate of the dissolution of the cube in water will also increase because more of the cube will be exposed to the water which will allow for more collisions of particles to occur at a time.3,6 With most things in life, size is a very important factor that people consider in many choices they make, whether it be deciding between the newest smartphones or burning wood chips versus entire logs in a fire.1 Seeing how size affects something is key when taking an item/idea and making it more effective. The purpose of this experiment is to see how the amount of surface area of a substance is related to the reaction rate when said substance is placed into a solution.5 This investigation is to see how the reaction rate of a substance can be either increased or decreased when placed into a solution. Investigation For the investigation, a variety of sources that related to how surface and dissolution/reaction rates are related. The [main] sources include but are not limited to: Research on the topic done by NASA, An excerpt from Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems, And experiment research from sciencebuddies.org titled Big Pieces or Small Pieces: Which React Faster?. These sources have provided a great amount of background information, especially the article by NASA involving an explanation on the correlation between surface areas and reaction rates. Materials In order to complete this experiment, the following materials were required: 25 Sugar cubes (any brand, just make sure all the same) 1 Timer 5 Beakers (250mL) 1 Pipet 1 Thermometer 1 Knife 1 Paper towel or piece of paper (cut sugar cubes on) 1 Hammer or weighted object (to crush one of the sugar cubes into a powder like state) 1 Pencil and paper (to record observations) 1 Stirring device of any kind (like a chopstick) Constants Water source, brand of beakers, size of beakers, amount of water, stirring device, type of sugar cube, temperature of water, temperature of surroundings, temperature of beakers, cuts in sugar cubes, pipets, timer, thermometer Procedure Divide the 25 sugar cubes into groups of five so that each group has five sugar cubes. Leave the first group untouched. This will be the group that has the smallest surface area. Take the second group of five sugar cubes and, using the knife, cut each cube in half. Take the third group of sugar cubes and cut each cube into quarters (cut each one in half then cut the halves in half). The fourth group will be cut into eighths. The last group of sugar cubes will be completely ground up into a powder. This will be the group with the greatest surface area. Once all the cubes are cut up and put into groups, fill up each of the 5 beakers with water to the 200mL mark. Use a pipet to make the measurement precise. Wait 30 minutes after filling the beakers with water to ensure they are all room temperature. Begin with the uncut sugar cube. With the timer and stirring device at hand, place the uncut cube into the water-filled beaker and begin the timer and stirring as soon as the sugar cube is placed in the water. Stir the sugar cube in the water until it completely dissolves/disappears in the water. Stop the timer as soon as the sugar cube completely dissolves. Record the results on a pre-made data table. Repeat steps 6 to 9 for all variants of the sugar cube for one group. Repeat the entire experiment for all 5 groups of sugar cubes, making sure that one group is finished before moving onto another group. DO NOT finish dissolving all of the sugar cubes of one specific surface area size and then moving onto another set of the same surface area sized cubes; make sure the experiment is carried out group by group. Treat each group with the five different surface area sized sugar cubes as an individual experiment. This way a total of 5 experiments will be carried out. Data Trial 1 Size of Sugar Cube Time (seconds) for dissolution Full 412 Half 217 Quarter 123 Eighth 82 Powder 51 Trial 2 Size of Sugar Cube Time (seconds) for dissolution Full 401 Half 202 Quarter 150 Eighth 77 Powder 58 Trial 3 Size of Sugar Cube Time (seconds) for dissolution Full 426 Half 236 Quarter 120 Eighth 68 Powder 47 Trial 4 Size of Sugar Cube Time (seconds) for dissolution Full 455 Half 241 Quarter 117 Eighth 81 Powder 55 Trial 5 Size of Sugar Cube Time (seconds) for dissolution Full 423 Half 221 Quarter 136 Eighth 71 Powder 52 Mean time for full sugar cube: 423.4 Mean time for half sugar cube: 223.4 Mean time for quarter sugar cube: 129.2 Mean time for eighth sugar cube: 75.8 Mean time for powder sugar cube: 52.6 Results and Discussion The results of this experiment show that a more broken up sugar cube resulted in a faster dissolution rate of the cube in water, and vice versa when there were longer rates of dissolution for sugar cubes that were less broken up. Since the purpose of this experiment was to find the relationship between surface area and reaction rate, this experiment was successful. Trial 1 data shows the times nearly being cut in half as the sugar cube becomes more crushed up, except for the transition between the powder and sugar cube broken up into eighths. Trial 2 data also shows the time between each tier of sugar cubes being split in half as the surface area increases. However, this is not true for the half-broken up and quarter-broken up sugar cubes. The time in seconds for dissolution rate for those two sugar cubes only had a difference of ~50 seconds, which is not even close to half. This makes me wonder what happened during that part of the lab, because the data does not follow the conventional trend like the rest of my experiment results. A possible source of error for this trial was that I did not collect all of the sugar from the sugar cube after it was cut. When all of the sugar is not completely collected, the data can become skewed because not all of the sugar cube is actually being dissolved in the solution. Trials 3, 4, and 5 all show around the similar results. The times are very close to each other for each size sugar cube that was dissolved. Trials 3, 4, and 5 are also relatively close to the data shown in trial 1. This shows that there was a little less precision that went into trial 2. What does all of this data mean? Well for starters, the data and experiment are relevant for any other experiment out there that tries to determine the relation between surface area and reaction rate. The reason for this is because whenever different rates of reaction are being tested for, a change in the surface area of a reactant/variable will have an effect on the rate of reaction, because the alteration of surface area means that the frequency of particle collisions is altered as well.1,3,7 For example, if the surface area (of an object that is about to be placed in a solution) is doubled, that means there will be twice as much area for particles to potentially interact with on the object as compared to the original object that has the original surface area.3 This is true for all aspects of reaction rate; surface area plays a substantial role whenever reaction rate is tested for.1,3 Conclusion Initial Hypothesis: If the surface area of the cube increases, then the reaction rate of the dissolution of the cube in water will also increase because more of the cube will be exposed to the water which will allow for more reaction between water and sugar cube to occur at one time.3,6 There was a strong, positive correlation between the data that was collected and the initial hypothesis. From looking at the data, it is apparent that the cubes that were more broken up that had more surface area dissolved much faster than a cube that was less broken up and did not have as much surface area. The data shows that more surface area does mean faster reaction rate, and vice versa.3 The powder/completely crushed up sugar cube had the quickest time for dissolution in water which was on average 52.6 seconds, whereas the full sugar cube that was untouched and had the smallest amount of surface area had the slowest time for dissolution which was on average 423.4 seconds. Therefore, the hypothesis is accepted with the support of the data. The larger cubes that were not cut up took the longest to completely dissolve, whereas the finely crushed up cubes dissolved quickest.5 The accuracy of this experiment could be slightly improved in the future by adapting a more consistent and reliable method of stirring the sugar cubes around when they are placed in water. This would improve the accuracy of the time that each cube takes to completely dissolve in the solution of water. Bibliography Reaction Rates. Publication. NASA, n.d. Web. 1 Allen, Loyd V., Nicholas G. Popovich, Howard C. Ansel, and Howard C. Ansel.Ansels Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2005. Print. 2 Clark, Jim. The Effect of Surface Area on Rates of Reaction.The Effect of Surface Area on Rates of Reaction. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2013. 3 Bayer HealthCare, 2005. Temperature and Rate of Reaction, Bayer HealthCare, LLC [accessed May 8, 2007]http://www.alka-seltzer.com/as/experiment/student_experiment1.htm. 4 Olson, Andrew. Big Pieces or Small Pieces: Which React Faster?Big Pieces or Small Pieces: Which React Faster?Science Buddies, n.d. Web. 06 May 2013. 5 Kenneth Connors, Chemical Kinetics, 1990, VCH Publishers, pg. 14 6 Isaacs, N.S., Physical Organic Chemistry, 2nd edition, Section 2.8.3, Adison Wesley Longman, Harlow UK, 1995. 7 (Bibliography Words: 126)

The Growth of American Government from the End of Reconstruction and th

In the past, the nation’s government took the â€Å"laissez-faire† approach to dealing with the economy and/or free market affairs. The government intervened as little as possible, asserting the belief felt that if left alone, economic problems would be resolved without government interference. However, this approach was not guaranteed, and at times, the government had to put aside the â€Å"laissez-faire† approach of the past. The government had no other choice but to intervene in these instances to return balance to the economy and protect its citizens it served. The government changed both its approach and its size through programs initiated by the Industrial Revolution, New Deal programs during and following the Great Depression, and World War II, forever changing the relationship between Americans and their Government. During the Industrial Revolution with the massive railroad production across the country, the railroad executives were clever, strong-minded, mostly dishonest men who bribed congressmen, and conducted crooked financial deals who became known as â€Å"robber barons†. 1 As railroads expanded transportation across the country, it opened up a vast market for competition and over production of farm products. The railroad executives took advantage of the fact that the railroad was the only transportation that some farmers had to ship their products. Since the railroads had formed monopolies, they were free to charge whatever rates they saw fit and took full advantage of this by price discrimination. They offered discounts and rebates to big corporations with large loads which the individual farmer did not have. Nor did farmers have the political influence to fight the railroads on these matters.2 Therefore, in 1877, t... ... 11. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 book pg 1086-87 12. HI 1073 United States History 1877-Present Discussion Manual Spring 2011 CH 5 – The Interwar Years, 58. Social Security Act (1935). 13. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 book Page 1197 14. HI 1073 United States History 1877-Present Discussion Manual Spring 2011 CH 6 – World War II, 70. The GI Bill of Rights (1944). 15. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 pg 1209 16. American A Narrative History 8th Edition, George Brown Tindall and David Emory Shir, W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., New York 2010 page 1218

Ackoff Management Misinformation Systems :: essays research papers

â€Å"Ackoff Management Misinformation Systems† Ackoff identifies five assumptions commonly made by designers of management information systems (MIS). With these assumptions, Ackoff argues that these assumptions are in most cases not justified cases, and often lead to major deficiencies in the resulting systems, i.e. "Management Misinformation Systems." To overcome these assumptions and the deficiencies which result from them, Ackoff recommends that management information system should be imbedded in a management control system. The Ackoff Assumptions are that: (1) Due to lack of relevant information, most managers operate under this deficiency; With the first assumption and contention, I’d have to disagree. According to Ackoff, it seems that only certain information is useful, while the other is useless and it overburdens the managers. Therefore, top management usually receives filtered input that subordinates have carefully screened several times. However, top management needs more information and data, more qualitative input, and less formal analysis than it receives. Sometimes, the useful information might seem useless at one time, may become more important at another time. Therefore, I believe that all information be readily available for the manager to proceed forward in a timely fashion. (2) The manager needs the information he wants; I agree to a certain aspect to this ideology. Without a doubt, without the proper information, the manager is useless because they are not able to direct their workers in the right direction. People working for the manager tend to require more information from the top. More important, they need a general and, sometimes, a specific sense of direction and support. Without a proper direction, all people involved will concurrently feel underutilized, and will try to gather all information, relevant or irrelevant and fill up their work time, without achieving any goals. (3) A manager will improve his decision making, if he has the information he needs, This is a straight-forward logical agreement with the author. It is obvious that if the information is available, the manager will be able to make a better judgment. Without proper information from above, the people working for the manager will be lost. On the other hand, if the manager has the information need to complete the task, then the objective will be solved in a short period of time, with everyone contributing in a positive way. (4) A better communication between managers will improve organizational performance; I agree with the statement above on the basis that communication is the most important thing when it comes to working in unison.

A.J. Dbq for Us History Advanced Placement

Before Andrew Jackson became president, he came off as an average man living in middle class America. He pulled his â€Å"Average Joe† persona off like a pro and got elected into the White house as a â€Å"man of the people†. However, Jackson may have been a common man, but he wielded power like a king. Kings have a difficult job. They have to walk the fine line of being strict enough that the subjects won't throw a fit when they don't get what they want but at the same time not being too dictatorial or else the people will rebel. More importantly, a king must be firm in what he believes is right for the country. Jackson greatly increased the power of the presidency. He did not comply with the checks and balance system, and also did not allow North Carolina to nullify the Protective Tariff of 1823. Jackson fired the old aristocrats (from farming families) from government jobs and replaced them with incompetent people – this was known as the â€Å"spoils system. † He was also responsible for the â€Å"Trail of Tears†. Jackson took his job extremely seriously and used his full power to help the entire country. Andrew Jackson often took advantage of his veto power. He was very willing to veto the laws that the legislative branch came up with. Because of this, Congress learned to ask for his opinions in advance to avoid vetos. All presidents have since had a say on impending legislation. Andrew was not afraid to use his power aggressively if it meant helping the whole country. An example of this is in the Nullification Crisis. In short, this was when Andrew Jackson passed tariff acts on the states. South Carolina, after years of complaining about it, finally refused to obey the 1832 tariff. They voted to have troops defend them against Jackson. The president responded angrily and sent troops to South Carolina to enforce the tariff bill and asked Congress for a â€Å"Force Bill† to back him up. Andrew Jackson was also responsible for the Trail of Tears. This was when he forced thousands of Native Americans to relocate. In 1830, Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act. It ordered all Native Americans living east of the Mississippi River to move west of it. This resulted in many of them dying from exposure, disease and starvation while migrating. Jackson, of course, did this intending the best for the country.