Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Financial Management - Essay Example Due to the soaring or not-for-profit organizations, there has been the need for the implementation of financial management mechanisms to ensure that grants of funds from donors are used for their intended purposes. To ensure this, these organizations ought to create a budget indicating all the activities they intend to do and how much these activities would cost. Subsequently, rules and regulations should be set to govern how funds are used. There are regulatory bodies in every country whose main objective is to assess whether not-for-profit organizations comply with legal and ethical standards related to management. Not-for-profit organizations get their funds from individual donors, institutional donors, and even governments. For-profit organizations, on the other hand, get their funds from investors. In performance evaluation, a tool referred to a balanced scorecard is used to evaluate performance based on clients perspectives, financial perspectives, learning perspective, and als o on the basis of internal processes or procedures. One of the recommendations is the adoption of this tool in financial evaluating performance and implement strategies to ensure compliance. Subsequently, it is also important to have a clear vision for the organization in order to ensure funds are used for their intended purposes. . To effectively understand and comprehend these issues, it is of significance to define a nonprofit organization as well as a for-profit organization. A for-profit organization can be referred to as a commercial entity of organization. In other words, this main objective is to generate revenue. A nonprofit organization, on the other hand, is an organization established with the main objective of helping the society in general rather than for commercial purposes. In addition, a nonprofit organization is excused from paying levies as opposed to a for-profit organization where all services and commodities

Tale characters are all presented Essay Example for Free

Tale characters are all presented Essay Gilead is a very unique world, thanks to Margaret Atwood! In The Handmaids Tail, it seems like all the characters are presented in a way which hides one part of their personalities. For the commander, it is his acceptation of the world he partly created, his happiness, which is hidden. He doesnt seem to be happy, but in fact he is. In this essay, I will show you that the commander really likes the way his life has taken and that he is an hypocritical and selfish man. The Commander lives a very normal life, comparatively to every character of the novel : he has a job which he goes to every day, he has a wife (lets not talk about her any further ), friends (his club), and a mistress(or more than one? )! It is true that his wife does not give him the hapiness a wife should, but in general, the Commander is a pleased man, for he has or obtain everything he wants. Also, lets not forget the fact that hes one of the creators of Gilead, and therefore can have access to anything thats still existing. The power he has is unlimited, and God knows power makes people happy. So, in short, the Commander is a pleased man because he is powerfull, sexually satisfied, and has an active social life. On an other side, he is a very hypocritical man and is also very selfish. The best example to prouve this is his relation with Offred. It is presented in a way that make the reader think he is nice to her, but in fact he is nice to him! He doesnt play scrabble with her so she can have fun, but because he is bored at night and wants to be entertained. In the club scene, he even says to Offred : You cant cheat Nature, Nature demands variety for men. There, hes trying to justify his acts towards her, his hypocrisy. Hes telling her that it is normal that this sort of underground club exists, for human need to be entertained and have a social life. This is really a significant trait of the real Commander : we see through these paroles that, for him, life kept going almost the same as before. His relation with Offred is therefore normal for him, since you cant cheat nature, and it shows all the selfishness of the act ; he doesnt really care about what she can feel since he does this entirely for his own satisfaction. In short, the Commander uses Offred as a tool, not letting her know he is, to satisfy his own needs ; thats why I say he is hypocritical and selfish. So, the Commander is not as white as snow. Looking through his character, you can see hes not as nice as he seems, as careful about Offreds hapiness as he lets her think. In fact, hes a selfish and powerful man that is totally in control of the people surrounding him, except for his wife, which he is scared of because of the power the wifes have in Gilead. We can say he is a very interesting character 533 words(Microsoft word count) Julien Duguay-McEvoy Matricule 0142092 Ci gep du Vieux Montri al English Language Culture 604-103-03 Character Analysis Handed in November 15th 2001 To Misses Caroline Orton Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Margaret Atwood section. r

Grey Marketing And Parallel Imports Economics Essay

Grey Marketing And Parallel Imports Economics Essay Parallel trade or Grey market is a thriving business that is growing in most underdeveloped and developing countries today. This paper looks into the issues surrounding the grey market such as its impact on the people and the manufacturers along with the advantages and disadvantages of such a market thriving within a locality. Additionally the research also looks into the future prospects of parallel trade along with the primary reasons behind its existence. Introduction Grey marketing or parallel importing basically refers to the distribution or selling of products and goods which are trademarked to the customers without the express approval or knowledge of the original manufacturers consent through unauthorized distribution channels. These kind of markets are not classified as illegal markets as they products and goods are not physically stolen but are actually original pieces. The only issue is that the way the products are being sold is not actually approved of by the manufacturers. These goods and products can be termed to be illegal only if they violate either the product regulations or the licensing contract of the original manufacturer. The main reason for the existence of such a market is the price differential that exists in two different markets. For example, the higher resale potential of a product in a different market is what drives the existence of such a market. The price differential between two markets give an opportunity for the products to be bought in a place where it is relatively cheaper and sold at a considerably higher prices where the product is not available (Engardio et al., 1988). There are certain other factors which lead to gray marketing, such as: 1. When the genuine goods have set a performance, price channel, and market recognition that ensure demand and minimize consumer education. 2. A lack of focus by the authorized channel in the markets. A particular product may not be available in a market which forces the consumers to look for alternative ways to acquire the product. People who are involved in gray marketing may see the imbalance of supply and demand as an opportunity to make profits. 3. A significant change in the behavior of the consumers which may lead to an increased demand for lower priced products which may be accelerated by the governmental policies (Mathur, 1995). In an international context however, it tends to have a unexpected impact on the branding and brand equity. However, it does lead to a increase in the market share of the products and also aids in penetrating a closed market (Mitchell, 1998). This type of markets provides access to parallel trades wherein products that are protected by a patent or trademark are generally purchased legally from the retailer and which is then exported to another country without the authorization of the local manufacturer of the original product (Maskus, 2000b). Parallel imports mainly occur due to international price differences which could in turn be caused due to price discrimination, national differences in governmental price controls or vertical pricing restraints. One of the main areas in which parallel imports are heatedly debated is in the pharmaceutical sector. Parallel imports can be seen all over the world among the European Union countries the United States etc. Losses due to grey marketing Grey marketing and parallel imports also can be seen in the service sectors such as Telecom sectors, Health industry etc. In fact according to (Philip, 2005), the Indian telecom sector has incurred losses amounting to Rupees 458 crores since 1998. According to data compiled by the department, over 60 per cent of the revenue losses have been reported from Delhi and Maharashtra, with violations to the tune of Rs 290 crores. Grey market frauds of about Rs 60 crores had been registered in Andhra Pradesh, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat at Rs 36 crores, Rs 35 crores and Rs 15 crores respectively. These six states also accounted for over 95 per cent of revenue losses through illegal telecom set-ups, the Dept of Telecom added. Parallel trade can be extensively seen in the cell phone market. It all started with the emergence os the GSM international standard in 1990 after which the phones could be used anywhere in the planet prompting an increase in the demand for cell phones in markets where cell phone manufacturers still had not ventured into which in turn increased the size of the parallel market. According to (Sugden, 2009), about 30% of the cell phones traded are sold through a grey market and this statistics continue to be on the rise. This is about 500,000 cell phones which are bought and sold through unofficial channels every single day. An example of this is in the case of Apple iphones. These were released in select markets only. However, due to their popularity, they were in huge demand in other countries, where the consumers had no choice but to either procure it from a grey market trader or wait for the company to officially launch their products in that country. Theory of Parallel imports Parallel imports affect a wide range of industries, spreading from traditional luxury and brand- name consumer products (wines, cameras, and watches) to industrial products. Industry sources estimate that parallel imports account for 10% of IBM ¿Ã‚ ½s PC sales, 20% of Sharp ¿Ã‚ ½s copier sales, and 20% to 30% of the world cosmetics and fragrances sales (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). Belgium, for example, despite the fact that it has no auto mobile industry is a major car exporter in Europe ¿Ã‚ ½more than 25,000 cars some years. This export success story is because cars are cheaper in Belgium than in nearby countries, due to tax differences (Weigand 1991). Another trend relating to parallel imports, is that this has evolved from basically a U.S. problem in the 1980 ¿Ã‚ ½s into a world -wide phenomenon in the 90 ¿Ã‚ ½s (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). When the U.S. dollar was strong, during the 1981-1986 period, the number of cars purchased in Europe by U.S. tourists grew 2,000%. In 1986 the total value of products distributed through unauthorized channels in the U.S. reached a peak of $10 billion (Palia and Keown, 1991). This direction was reversed in subsequent years as other parts of the world, especially Asia and Europe, experienced rapid appreciation in their currencies and a corresponding surge of parallel imports (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). A 1991 survey of U. S. exporters to Asia showed that 41% of 141 respondents reported having problems with parallel imports in the past five years (Palia and Keown 1991). In 1990 pharmaceutical parallel imports in the European Community stood at $500 million (Lynn 1991, quoted in Ahmadi and Yang, 1995 , p. 3). In an increasingly integrated world, the annual growth rate of parallel imports has been estimated to be 22%, and this is expected to rise as new trade agreements, like NAFTA and GATT, further lower trade barriers across nations. There are essentially two reasons why parallel imports occur in international markets. The parallel import or  ¿Ã‚ ½grey market ¿Ã‚ ½ exists because foreign manufacturers practice price discrimination among countries and grey market sellers arbitrage these price differences. Second, parallel importers are more efficient than authorized sellers because parallel imports compete with the goods of authorized sellers, in turn leading to lower prices that are beneficial to consumers. Those favoring parallel imports argue that international price discrimination restrict competition to the disadvantage of consumers in countries having higher prices. They say that parallel imports foster competition and efficiency, thus benefiting consumers in importing countries. Some researchers argue that, while it is clear that active parallel imports cannot exist without price differentials between countries, the source of these differentials is not quite so apparent (Weigand, 1991). Depending on the type of goods involved and the character of the market for the product, price differentials can be the result of a variety of factors, ranging from honest enterprise, such as a diverter who takes advantage of favorable foreign currency exchange rates and engages in a sort of product arbitrage, to a manufacturer who attempts to discriminate by price in different (usually foreign) markets. Therefore, in regard of the process of parallel imports, there is no end to the imaginative ways used to bring parallel imports to market. Four methods, however, represent the bulk of market imports and are focus of much of the economic and legal attention. First, are those products made overseas by for example American firms (see Figure 1). These foreign units may be subsidiaries, joint venture companies, or some other entity which have a commonality of interests with the American company. This foreign affiliate may sell to nearby authorized distributors, for example, a French firm. Somewhere in the authorized channel, however, distribution control is lost and the product gets into an unauthorized channel and some of it is exported back to the United States. Here it competes with identical domestically produced products. A second method (depicted by Figure 2) of parallel importing is when a foreign manufacturer (e.g. German) licenses a company to be the exclusive importer of a product bearing a foreign name or trademark. Impact of Parallel Trade There are a number of effects of all of this parallel importing activity. Here, the predicaments and opportunities created by these parallel distribution channels are discussed in more detail. First, consumers may be prejudiced against buying products which have been parallel imported because sometimes they cannot be properly serviced or maintained. They also may be worried that the so-called technical requirements for certain products may not met by grey importers. It needs to be made clear that parallel imports are not counterfeits but genuine products that are often sold at a lower price to consumers than these distributed by regular channels (Ahmadi and Yang, 1995). However, these may not necessarily have a lower profit margin because they can free ride on the promotional efforts of authorized dealers. Consequently parallel imports may undermine authorized dealers ¿Ã‚ ½ selling efforts. For example, by discouraging their investment in a sales-force or shelf-space. Advantages and Disadvantages of parallel importing Parallel imports promote free trade, encourage healthy competition and act as price levelers. Non application of parallel importation may result in complete control in distribution channels thereby perpetuating monopolies (Ashwini, 2006). Hence application is vital to minimize monopolistic effect of the policies of the multinational enterprises who try to control distribution channels. The biggest beneficiaries of parallel imports are the ultimate consumers who have the advantage of buying genuine goods produced by another licensee, offered under an authentic mark at a much lower rate. However, parallel import often raises serious issues of unfair competition and piggy backing  ¿Ã‚ ½ which refers to the attempt by the parallel importer to encash the goodwill fostered by the owner to sell their grey products. Concerns of quality of the goods also arise when the gray goods have been manufactured for a different market comprising different tastes and demands. The raw materials used may also be from geographically different areas directly affecting the consumer health. Furthermore, the corresponding guarantees and after sales maintenance services attached with the goods may be different for the various regions. Future of Parallel Imports The trend towards the globalization of markets, which is being facilitated by the development of a global communication system, envisages the end to domestic territoriality because of global competition. Because of the speed of new technologies and communication developments, parallel importation may be a short-term phenomenon. The impacts of globalization on parallel importation are two folds. First, as trade barriers between nations decrease, it will become more difficult to implement price discrimination policies based on country boundaries. Implicitly, parallel traders are therefore likely to gradually disappear, as there will be fewer opportunities for arbitrage. The issue of parallel importation may therefore become less significant as globalization continues. Secondly, traditionally, under international law, nations have asserted sovereignty based upon the territory that they legally control. Advances in electronic communications, including the Internet, however, have begun to change this. This development suggests that, rather than sovereignty based on territory, sovereignty will be based on information flows or economic spheres of influence will become the norm in cyberspace. This hypothesized shift will however, require a re-evaluation of present legal doctrines, which in turn may  ¿Ã‚ ½re-establish parallel imports legality. ¿Ã‚ ½ Nevertheless, when the world economy becomes far more globally integrated, which is likely in a digitally based economy, it becomes necessary to harmonize the different transactional rules between nations. This means policy co-ordination among different governments will be a critical step in achieving this (Rothnie, 1993). Measures to combat parallel trade Grey markets are not looked down upon by many industries primarily because they are benefitted by the increase of exposure of their products in new economies. Therefore parallel trade is a sensitive issue and this issue is something that can be most effectively combated against by the company ¿Ã‚ ½s themselves. There are certain safeguards that an organization can take to track products final destinations, such as: 1. Volume Control: One way to control the grey market distribution is to keep an eye on the supply chain of a product and track its normal volumes on a monthly basis. Furthermore, this data should be cross checked with the import and export records which are kept by the countries trade organizations (Palia, 1991). 2. Auditing: Proper auditing would ensure that a company can identify whether or not its products are being diverted from one country to another. 3. Different Packaging: This technique is already being used by some manufacturers. Utilizing this technique may lead to an increase in the overhead costs of manufacturing the product but the ability to segregate the markets through a differentiated product or with a variable packaging is a viable answer to prevent diversion and grey market with its own products. 4. RFID: Using radio frequency identification a risk tracking system can be adopted which would be inexpensive and such a system would be able to flag a product by its code if it is diverted. 5. Government legislations: Governments can strengthen up their trademark and copyright acts which aids in preventing the flow of products which are trademarked. Stricter laws have to be formalized and these laws also have to be properly enforced to ensure that grey market activity is curtailed if not stopped completely (Lewin, 1986). Conclusions Grey market is a thriving world from all the evidence presented so far. With globalization and advancement in the technology and reduction in trade barriers, parallel import market has steadily been growing especially in the developing countries where demand far outpaces supply. So far this has been a small sized market however it has grown significantly, in the past decade or so, due to decrease in the transaction costs around the world, penetration of internet leading to cross border commerce and products harmonization. There are clear advantages to the end customers due to the presence of parallel imports primarily due to the fact that it opens up the avenue for them to a large international market. Therefore the people are not complaining about the presence of such a market in their midst. However, the main entities who are hurt due to the presence of such a market are the government and manufacturers both of them losing a large amount in revenues that is actually supposed to go to them from taxes and profit margins respectively. Therefore the impact on the consumers is negligible except in cases when there vis a fault with the product and the customer cannot have it checked or replaced since he/she bought it out of warranty. Overall, it seems to be benefiting people more than harming them. Furthermore, I believe that the global grey market scenario will reduce in its size by itself primarily due to increasing globalization. With the spread of internet and the presence of global marketing company ¿Ã‚ ½s are making products that can be used anywhere in the world. Therefore the risk of inadvertently buying a product that would not be functional in a particular geographical place in decreasing day by day. Moreover, with couriers like DHL and UPS, it has become a fairly routine habit to purchase products or source them from another country. Therefore, its impact will slowly be eroded because trade barriers will become non existent and people are gaining more knowledge day by day and therefore are becoming self aware of all the possibilities. Besides this even organizations tend to keep quiet about their products being sold at places not designated by them as it increases their exposure in new markets. Recommendations The organizations can take a few steps if they want to prevent such grey markets by:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Ensuring that the current regulations are being adhered to strictly throughout the supply chain.  ¿Ã‚ ½ Establishing a tamper proof packaging solution which would be hard to duplicate and which would be easily identifiable to a consumer indicating its legal status. The governments can take the following steps to safeguard against thriving of such a market:  ¿Ã‚ ½ The government must formally consult with all stakeholders, i.e. manufacturers, in order to get their opinion on the impact of such a market on them.  ¿Ã‚ ½ They must encourage and motivate its citizens against purchasing products through this market. The harmful effects of such a decision should be spread about in the community especially in the case of grey market related to pharmaceuticals. Parallel traders must also:  ¿Ã‚ ½ Cooperate in putting an end to the practice of de-boxing, and move instead to  ¿Ã‚ ½over-box ¿Ã‚ ½ the un-tampered product to ensure integrity of the medicine.

Because I Could Not Stop for Death :: Literary Analysis, Dickinson

Because I Could Not Stop for Death is proclaimed to be Emily Dickinson’s most famous poem. This poem reveals Emily Dickinson’s calm acceptance of death. She portrays death being a gentleman that surprises her with a visit. Emily illustrates everyday scenes into a life cycle. While her metaphors explore death in an imitable way, her lines often contain as much uncertainty as meaning. Life and death are but trails to eternity and are seen less important when viewed in the framework of eternity. Emily Dickinson’s poem Death is a gentleman taking a woman out for a drive.† Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me† (Dickinson 1-2). Emily describes being a busy woman who is caught up with everyday situations. When it comes to death, no one plans on a time or date to die; what Emily is identifying as a tragic event is translated to being a casual experience. Emily writes, â€Å"The carriage held but just ourselves, and immortality,† (3-4). Emily describes her ride with death, but affiliates a third rider Immortality. â€Å"Davidson does not emphasize what is gained after death; she emphasizes what is lost because of death,† (Privatsky 35). Emily’s third passenger has a wide variety of interpretations. Normally, one doesn’t think about death, yet Emily’s approach to death is similar of the approac h to immortality. My viewpoint is Emily construes her belief in a soul that does not die but live on till eternity. â€Å"The idea of immortality is confronted with the fact of physical disintegration. We are not told what to think; we are told to look at the situation,† (Tate 26). According to Dickinson’s words, He slowly drove He knew no haste (5-6). Emily describes a relaxing slow pace towards an unknown destination. On the way she enjoys the peaceful scenes. â€Å"We passed the school, where children strove, At recess – In the Ring-â€Å"(Dickinson 9-10). Emily is reflecting in her past, this may also be seen as the beginning of a life cycle. Emily then goes on to say, We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain- (11). The phrase that she decides to use is judicious because she is not the observer, but instead she is the observed. At that point, she further goes on to describe â€Å"Setting Sun-â€Å" as the last scene in her ride.† All three of these ima ges suggest phases of the life cycle that the speaker has passed and is passing through and clue us in on her experience†¦Time has stopped for her, and the fields of grain do the gazing, not her,† (Semansky 34-35).

Childbirth In Ethnic And Cultural Groups Essay

Discuss disparities related to ethnic and cultural groups relative to low birth weight infants and preterm births. Describe the impact of extremely low birth weight babies on the family and on the community (short-term and long-term, including economic considerations, on-going care considerations, and comorbidities associated with prematurity). Identify at least (1) support service within your community for preterm infants and their family. Provide the link for your colleagues to view. Does the service adequately address needs of this population? Explain your answer. Babies who weigh 5.5 pounds (2500grams) or less at birth are low babies with low birth weight. Babies weighing 3.3 pounds (1500 grams) or less are Very low birth weight babies. According to World Health Organization â€Å"The 30 million low-birth-weight babies born annually (23.8% of all births) often face severe short- and long-term health consequences. Low birth weight is a major determinant of mortality, morbidity and disability in infancy and childhood and also has a long-term impact on health outcomes in adult life. Low birth weight also results in substantial costs to the health sector and imposes a significant burden on society as a whole† (WHO, 2014). The infants born to non-Hispanic Black women, 3.0 percent were very low birth weight in 2008, compared to 1.2 percent of infants born to non- Hispanic White, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women and 1.3 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native women. The rate of infant mortality (death in the first year) has fallen steadily for both blacks and whites over the past twenty-five years. In 1980, 18 out of 1,000 black singleton babies did not live to their first birthday; by 2000 that figure had fallen to 12 out of 1,000. For white babies the comparable rates were 9 out of 1,000 in 1980 and 5 out of 1,000 in 2000(Reichman, 2005).The majority of costs accrue in the first year of life and costs for rehospitalization are higher than outpatient costs. Most relevant cost components after the neonatal period are expenses for re-hospitalization, outpatient visits, pharmaceuticals, medical aids and nonmedical costs for education, travelling, accommodation, child care as well as indirect costs (mainly parental time and/or wage losses) (Hodek, Schulenburg and Mittendorf, 2011). The local or federal government ought to provide financial assistance to the families while they  are taking care of them. The Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is the local resource I found that provides information about what is premature birth, delivery of you premature infant, what to expect when you have an extremely premature infant and symptoms of the premature baby. http://www.altabatessummit.org/nicuedu/preemie.html Reference World Health Organization, 2014 Nutrition, Feto-maternal nutrition and low birth weight. Retrieved on November 25, 2014 from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/feto_maternal/en/ Reichman N. 2005. Low Birth Weight and School Readiness Retrieved on November 25, 2014 from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=38&articleid=118 §ion id=774 Hodek J., Schulenburg J., Mittendorf T., 2011 Measuring economic consequences of preterm birth Methodological recommendations for the evaluation of personal burden on children and their caregivers Retrieved on November 26, 2014 from http://www.healtheconomicsreview.com/content/1/1/6

Field Trip Should Not Be Removed

NO TO THE REMOVAL OF FIELD TRIPS By: Maries Imee M. Venturillo BSEd1-1 Palawan State University College of Teacher Education Title: No to the Removal of Field trip Thesis statement: I am writing about keeping field trip in the curriculum of the schools and I am going to argue, show and prove that field trip should remain the curriculum by stating: the integration of field trip to teaching program, field trip as the ground of oral communication, studies about scientific exploration in field trips and as classroom extension. ————————————————-Students remember most of their experiences rather than the lessons they have learned during their school days. So, it is not a surprise of having field trips in school curriculum. Field trip aims to aggravate and support the educational program. Therefore, it should be reasonably provided for all students. There are many issues regarding field trips. Many suggest about its removal; some are in favor but some are anti. However, if this issue is addressed and informed to the public, they will see how important field trip is.I am writing about keeping field trip in the curriculum of the schools and I am going to argue, show and prove that field trip should remain the curriculum by stating: the integration of field trip to teaching program, field trip as the ground of oral communication, studies about scientific exploration in field trips and as classroom extension. â€Å"Field trips should be integrated into teaching program (Griffin et. al. , 1994). † They suggested that teachers need to use plans that will reflect informal teaching methods rather than use of formal classroom methods which are the main focus of their training.Teachers behold that this kind of activity aggravates students’ understanding of the process included and also enhance students’ attitudes toward the subject matter and in t he classroom as well. Furthermore, teachers have also seen that having field trips are potent pedagogy which they prefer to use both more often and effectual. In addition, most teachers assumed to be capable of adapting their teaching to participate students in small group but much of it is passing worksheets after field trip. Excursions or field trips are used as the ground of oral communication.Therefore, many find that it is a convincing way to make sure that the students having field trip are extracting the data or information. In addition, students can also have interactive learning through asking questions and discussing it to the other students to understand the matter fully. However, discussions of students should be regulated because this may cause noise that will distract other students. It may also involve in a class discussion wherein after the field trip they can print ideas or what is the implication of what they conducted to them.Therefore, students’ best learn while hearing and discussing things, and field trips can provide the students’ need in learning. Studies have shown that obligating students in scientific exploration may have a difficulty in class. However, if students are brought out of the classroom, scientific exploration often appears naturally. Therefore, these students are tactual learners that learn best through manipulating things. Bringing students at a science center or in historical museum accompanied by a hands-on staff, children will probably be excited to learn from someone or something new rather than in printed books.Therefore, if field trips are eliminated, students that do not learn well in scientific exploration in the classroom may decline interest in a particular subject. Making field trip as a classroom extension is also an effective way. Tests and classrooms may not be effective for some children; field trips give every student at the same level. Students often ask the importance of topic they study i n class. However, if you will take them to places where your topic is related they will know what it’s like. Teachers assumed that tudents are highly benefited on field trips and most students wanted to go on field trip. For many teachers, the main focus why they want to take field trips are learning new experiences and giving students a real picture of what is available outside their school. Moreover, getting out of a classroom to learn is good for some students. They want to see the real world other than the classroom. Students often see a field trip a free day out of the classroom. However, students will likely have an educational experience that they never could have had in the classroom.Field trips are important way for students to perform skills they have learned into action. Field trips are only naive tasks, but they teach students a lot of beneficial things in life that they will be needed in their future workplace. However, the enthusiasm of the teachers for field tr ip varied from highly enthusiastic to disillusioned. Therefore, these issues should be addressed in schools. The most powerful memories are those we have experienced. In addition, learning in new environments can provide challenges for more individualize learning.The learning is experienced rather than taught. Therefore, field trips should not be removed in the school curriculum. References: 1. Equitable Participation Opportunities for Student on Field trips Louise Herrity(2005) 2. http://www. newfoundations. com/ETHICPROP/Herrity718F04. html 3. â€Å"In Pursuit of Equity: An Idea Whose Time Has Come. † IDRA Newsletter (San Antonio: Intercultural Development Research Association, September 1990). 4. http://www. griffinlearning. com/GriffinLearning/about-us. php 5. http://www. ehow. com/info_8065185_importance-field-trips. html

Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essays

Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essays Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essay Social Structure and Lifestyles of the 1960’s Counterculture Essay The Vietnam War was indeed one of the more relevant precursors to the counterculture that have happened in the 1960’s. As the government of the United States declared their continuing pursuit in fighting the war in Vietnam, thousands of Americans, specially the college students were outraged by this decision and began to start anti-war protests and rallies that have initiated the counterculture at that time. According to Sayre (2007), the rallies against the war that is happening begun gradually in 1965 in Berkley, California and then there were numerous anti-war protests, strikes and demonstrations in many colleges and universities.urthermore, Sayre (2007) has further detailed that the defining moment of the countercultures in the 60’s happened when four student protestors were murdered by the Ohio National Guardsmen. This has sparked the rage of many students across the country were the once peaceful rallies turned into violent uprisings. After the last of the America n troops had left Vietnam, the anti-war protests soon died out eventually.The anti-war sentiments had sparked an alternative lifestyle that had become a part of the counterculture of the 60’s. According to Sayre (2007), the popular cultures that had risen in these times are the hippies, yippees, infatuation for organic food, civil rights movement, drugs and rock and roll music to name a few.Cultural influences of the lifestyle of that period are still evident in today’s society. We can still see the resemblance of the today’s younger generation to the counterculture of the 60’s with regards to the physical attributes, wants, preferences. The youth are still idealistic, persistent and willing to fight for what they think is the right decision to make.

Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons

Reading Comprehension Assessment and Lessons The ability to read is one of the most powerful tools teachers and parents can give students. Literacy is strongly correlated with future economic  and professional success. Illiteracy, on the other hand, exacts a steep price.  The National Center for Education Statistics notes that 43 percent  of adults with the lowest reading levels live in poverty, and according to the National Institute for Literacy, 70  percent of people on welfare have extremely low literacy. Furthermore, 72  percent of children of parents with low literacy will themselves have low literacy, and are more likely  to perform poorly in school and drop out.   Early and elementary education offers  a key opportunity to break this cycle of economic hardship. And while the mechanics of reading and writing are essential building blocks, reading comprehension allows students to move beyond decoding and into understanding and enjoyment. Understanding Reading Comprehension The easiest way to explain reading comprehension is to put a reader in the position of someone who is deciphering letters and words rather than comprehending (attaching meaning to) them. Try reading this: Fà ¦der ureà °u à °e eart on heofenumsi à °in nama gehalgodto-becume à °in ricegeweorà ¾e à °in willa on eorà °an swa swa on heofenum.Urne ge dà ¦ghwamlican hlaf syle us to-deagand forgyf us ure gyltasswa swa we forgifaà ¾ urum gyltendumane ne gelà ¦de à °u us on costnungeac alys us of yfle. Using your knowledge base of phonetic sounds, you might be able to â€Å"read† the text, but you would not understand what you’d just read. You most certainly would not recognize it as The Lord’s Prayer. What about the following sentence? Fox grape grey shoe on land title base. You may know each word and its meaning, but that doesnt give the sentence meaning. Reading comprehension involves three distinct components: processing text (sounding out the syllables to decode the words), understanding what was read, and making connections between the text and what you already know. Vocabulary Knowledge vs. Text Comprehension Vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension are two vital elements of reading comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge refers to understanding individual words. If a reader doesn’t understand the words he is reading, he won’t understand the text as a whole. Because vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading comprehension, children should  be exposed to a rich vocabulary and should always be learning new words. Parents and teachers can help by defining potentially unfamiliar words that students will encounter in texts and teaching students to use contextual clues to understand the meaning of new words. Text comprehension builds on vocabulary knowledge by allowing the reader to combine the meanings of the individual words to understand the overall text. If you’ve ever read a complicated legal document, a challenging book, or the previous example of a nonsensical sentence, you can understand the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension. Understanding the meaning of most of the words does not necessarily translate into understanding the text as a whole. Text comprehension relies on the reader making connections with what hes reading. Reading Comprehension Example Most standardized tests include sections that assess reading comprehension. These assessments focus on identifying the main idea of a passage, understanding vocabulary in context, making inferences, and identifying the author’s purpose. A student might read a passage such as the following about dolphins. Dolphins are aquatic mammals (not fish) well-known for their intellect, gregarious nature, and acrobatic abilities. Like other mammals, they are warm-blooded, give birth to live young, feed their babies milk, and breathe air through their lungs. Dolphins have a streamlined body, a pronounced beak, and a blowhole. They swim by moving their tail up and down to propel themselves forward.A female dolphin is called a cow, a male is a bull, and the babies are calves. Dolphins are carnivores that eat marine life such as fish and squid. They have great eyesight and use this along with echolocation to move about in the ocean and locate and identify objects around them.Dolphins communicate with clicks and whistles. They develop their own personal whistle, which is distinct from other dolphins. Mother dolphins whistle to their babies frequently after birth so that the calves learn to recognize their mothers whistle. After reading the passage, students are asked to answer questions based on what they read to demonstrate their understanding of the passage. Young students might be expected to understand from the text that dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean. They eat fish and communicate with clicks and whistles. Older students might be asked to apply information gleaned from the passage to facts they already know. They could be asked to infer the meaning of the term carnivore from the text, identify what dolphins and cattle have in common (being identified as a cow, bull, or calf) or how a dolphin’s whistle is similar to a human fingerprint (each is distinct to the individual). Methods of Assessing Reading Comprehension There are several ways to evaluate a student’s reading comprehension skills. One method is to use a formal assessment, like the example above,  with reading passages followed by questions about the passage. Another method is to use informal assessments. Ask students to tell you about what they read or retell the story or event in their own words. Put students in discussion groups and listen to what they have to say about the book,  watching for areas of confusion and  students who are not participating. Ask students for a written response to the text, such as journaling, identifying their favorite scene, or listing the top 3 to 5 facts they learned from the text. Signs That a Student Is Not Able to Comprehend What Hes Reading One indicator that a student is struggling with reading comprehension is difficulty reading aloud. If a student struggles to recognize or sound out words when he’s reading orally, he’s likely encountering the same struggles when reading silently. Weak vocabulary is another indicator of poor reading comprehension. This is because students who struggle with text comprehension may have difficulting learning and incorporating new vocabulary. Finally, poor spelling and weak writing skills may be a signal that a student isn’t able to comprehend what he’s reading. Difficulty spelling may indicate problems remembering letter sounds, which means that the student is likely also having trouble processing text. How to Teach Effective Reading Comprehension It might seem as though reading comprehension skills develop naturally, but that’s because students gradually begin to internalize the techniques. Effective reading comprehension skills must be taught, but it’s not difficult to do. There are simple strategies to improve reading comprehension that parents and teachers can employ. The most important step is to ask questions before, during, and after reading. Ask students what they think the story is going to be about based on the title or cover. As you’re reading, ask students to summarize what they’ve read so far or predict what they think will happen next. After reading, ask students to summarize the story, identify the main idea, or highlight the most important facts or events. Next, help children make connections between what they’ve read and their experiences. Ask them what they would have done if they had been in the main character’s situation or if they’ve had a similar experience. Consider reading challenging texts aloud. Ideally, students will have their own copy of the book so that they can follow along. Reading aloud models good reading techniques and allows students to hear new vocabulary in context without disrupting the flow of the story. How Students Can Improve Reading Comprehension Skills There are also steps that students can take to improve their reading comprehension skills. The first, most basic step is to improve overall reading skills. Help students select books about topics that interest them and encourage them to  read at least 20 minutes each day. It’s okay if they want to start with books below their reading level. Doing so can help students focus on what they’re reading, rather than on decoding more challenging text, and improve their confidence. Next, encourage students to stop every so often and summarize what they’ve read, either mentally or aloud with a reading buddy. They may want to make notes or use a graphic organizer to  record their thoughts. Remind students to get  an overview of what they’ll be reading by first reading chapter titles and subheadings. Conversely, students can also benefit from skimming over the material after they’ve read it. Students should also take steps to improve their vocabulary. One way to do so without disrupting the flow of reading is to jot down unfamiliar words and look them up after they’ve finished their reading time.

Discussion Questions Week one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Questions Week one - Essay Example The trends in business or service sectors are changing in the current era of Globalization, Liberalization and Privatization. So it is essential for organizations to re-evaluate their strategies and do necessary modifications if required. The strategic management process include three stages; strategy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Strategic management always concentrates on the strategies of the organization. It is the duty of the other streams of management to successfully implement the strategies which is formulated by the top management. For example, if the top management locates any discrepancies in the marketing function of the organization, then they will definitely suggest some different strategies for the effective marketing. But it is the duty of the marketing team to implement the strategies successfully. Strategic management is the brain of an organization. It controls all other functions of the organization. Like nerves send information to brain and receive instruction from brain, all other management segments of the organization send information to the strategic management team and receive instructions from them. â€Å"Participatory management means that staff, not only the designated managers, have input and influence over the decisions that affect the organization. It is not the same as communal or co-operative management, where every staff member has the same weight in the decision making process.† (Phil Bartle, PhD, 2008) Participatory management often helps organizations solving difficult problems because of the collective efforts involved in the process. I know the story of an illiterate worker who guided his manager in an unfamiliar situation. Though the participatory management has its own merits decision making may not be that much easy and quick like in the case where a single person taking decisions. Because of difference in opinion in participatory management, all the issues

Reviewing the literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Reviewing the literature - Essay Example 5). The elderly, the malnourished, and those with acute illness are the most vulnerable (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). Pressure ulcers are a serious problem for older people because of pain, osteomyelitis, sepsis, and mortality that can be associated with the condition (Graumlich et al., 2003, p. 147). Up to 18% of the hospitalized can have pressure sores or ulcers (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). In nursing homes, a prevalence of 24% was reported (Graumlich et al., 2003, p. 147). Among surgical patients, the incidence of pressure ulcers can be as high as 12 to 45% (Armstrong et al., 2003, p. 647). Pressure sores or ulcers arise when pressure from lying or sitting on a particular body area result to tissue damage and oxygen deprivation to the affected area (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). Because of continuous pressure, tissues are depleted of blood flow, waste products are not removed from the wound and the wound fails to get oxygen and nutrient supply that are all necessary for heal ing (Moore and Cowman, 2010, p. 5). According to Graumlich et al. (2003, p. ... In the United States, Graumlich et al. (2001, p. 645) estimated that the cost of treatment for pressure ulcers exceeded US$1 billion annually. Heyneman et al. (2008, p. 1165) reported based on the study of Severens and others in 2002 that the cost of pressure ulcers is about 1% of the health care budget. Of course, prevention is the cornerstone of care for pressure ulcer (Heyneman et al., 2008, p. 1165). However, when pressure ulcers already took place, there are several modes of treatments available. One of them is repositioning (Moore and Cowman, 2010). Another mode of treatment involves the use of collagen (Graumlich et al., 2003). Still another treatment involves the use of phenytoin (Hollisaz et al., 2004). Finally, another way is through hydrocolloids (Hollisaz et al., 2004; Belmin et al., 2002; Heyneman et al., 2008; Graumlich et al., 2003; and Thomas, 2008). The modes of treatments enumerated do not exhaust the modes of treatments feasible or possible on pressure ulcers but w e focus on the use of hydrocolloids. Heyneman et al. (2008, p. 1165) reported that a wide range of treatment is available and the treatment methods can be subdivided into secondary prevention, topical products, surgical treatment and physiotherapy. The word â€Å"hydrocolloids† was coined in the 1960s in the development of mucoadhesives in the combination between carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with adhesives and tackifiers for treating mouth ulcers (Thomas, 2008, p. 602). Thomas (2008, p. 602) reported the term hydrocolloids was subsequently adopted to describe a new type of dressing based on the technology (Thomas, 2008, p. 602). The dressing technology identified as hydrocolloid, a hydrophilic gelable mass was applied in a

Law of Intellectual Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law of Intellectual Property - Essay Example The First step is to carry out a search in the Trade Marks Registry data base at http://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmtext or European database at http://tmview.europa.eu/tmview/welcome.html for possible prior conflicting uses of Desir or similar words already registered. The search results are furnished in the annexure 1. Among the 37 items revealed in the search results were also â€Å"Desir† and similar sounding â€Å"Desire â€Å" and â€Å"Dezir† though under different classes. Out of 45 classes of items, perfume was not found. Class 1 was Chemicals. On further search for perfume, results showed that â€Å"perfume† fell under the Nice class 3. And the similar sounding â€Å"desire† has been registered in class Nice 3. The word â€Å"desir† has been registered under Nice class 30 which is for â€Å"foodstuffs†. The question is whether â€Å"desir† is registrable under the above circumstances. There are as many as five sections in the Trade Ma rks Act 1994 under which a trade mark can be refused to be registered. Relevant section for the present purpose is section 5 which states as follows. Section 5 (1) prohibits registration of a trade mark if an identical trade mark has been already registered as goods or service. Section 5 (2) (a) prohibits registration of a trade mark if a similar trade mark has been already registered. ... Section 5 (4) prohibits registration of a trade mark if it could not be registered by any rule of law such as â€Å"law of passing off†. The last section 6 however provides for registration of an already registered trade mark if the proprietor of the earlier trade mark gives his consent to the registration (Legislation.gov.uk, 1994, p. 11). In view of the above provisions, trade mark in the name of â€Å"Desir† may be refused since the name already falls under food stuffs. A similar or identical trademark can be refused as it would cause confusion and the public are likely to mistake it for food stuff. A perfume being mistaken for foodstuff could result in disastrous consequences. Even if the owner of the existing trade mark consents, the registry may in public interest ask the applicant to make changes in the word â€Å"desir† in order to avoid possible future complications. If at all, the applicant gets the approval of the name, olfactory description of the per fume needs to be clarified. The description sought to be registered is â€Å"spice with a touch of citrus lemon†. In this connection, the case law Eden SARL v Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market ( Trade Marks and Designs ) (OHIM) (2005) says that it can be an absolute ground for refusal if olfactory description cannot be represented graphically as per article 7 (1) (a) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94. The article states that a trade mark if not visually perceivable should at least be capable of being graphically represented by way of clear, precise, easily accessible, intelligible, ,durable, and self contained images, line, and characters. The olfactory description â€Å"smell of ripe straw berries† of the applicant in the above case not has been

Work place emotions and attitudes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Work place emotions and attitudes - Essay Example Emotions are an attempt to express outwardly, to express what we believe. How a person feel is a reflection of how he thinks. Negative thoughts produce negative emotions and positive thoughts produce positive emotions. Laws exist about emotions just like there are laws about physics. Every emotion is a result of some thought that preceded that emotion. If a person has a healthy body then how he thinks causes how he feels. How he feels affects how he behaves. And, how he behaves produces results (Pennington and Haslam, N.D.). Attitudes are inclination or propensities, or tendencies, to react in a favorable or unfavorable way toward an object or any situation. Attitudes reflect a person’s likes and dislikes toward other persons, objects, events, and activities in their environment. Attitudes can have a significant effect on the behavior of a person at work. In the world of work we are concerned with attitudes toward supervision, pay, benefits, promotion or anything that might trigger positive or negative reactions. Employee satisfaction and attitudes represent one of the key areas of measuring organizational effectiveness. Attitudes toward supervision, pay, benefits, promotion, or anything that might trigger positive or negative reactions. Employee satisfaction and attitudes represent one of the key areas for measuring organizational effectiveness. Because of the importance of the links of task, contextual, and ethical performance with important measures of organizational effectiveness, one of the key goals of managers should be to create linkages between employee performance and their satisfaction. However, it is not always easy to change a person’s attitudes about their work. The reason is that, attitudes toward work may be only one important aspect of the person’s structure of attitudes. They might be linked strongly to other important ones, making them deeply embedded, and thereby limiting how much managers can succeed in altering the way

Various Marketing Management Topics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Various Marketing Management Topics - Essay Example The copy attempts to take the communication process forward through the affective stage and the all important behavior stage by subtle psychological appeal to the viewer's intelligence. It asserts the viewer sees things differently, likes challenges. There will be hardly anybody who disagrees with this. The affective stage is definitely crossed. There is a distinct possibility for crossing the behavior stage. The word flossing to replace crossing in the 'warning sign' of a wild life sanctuary has multiple connotations: the simplest meaning of the word flossing is using a fine silk thread for dental hygiene; other meanings relate to its use in crocheting, its use to describe fine engraving in sculpting (architecture) and finally for the modern technologically minded, its use in robotics. The leaping deer, the warning sign and the apparently incorrect word flossing in place of crossing are all incongruous with the word game and the caption You can always spot an Up Words player that is seen in the advertisement - these are designed to attract selective attention of the viewer. There is however the possibility that the advertisement may remind the viewer the current campaign/s for animal rights and wild life preservation (amplification). The viewer will then totally miss the point (leveling) - that the advertisement is for a word game UpWords - if he does not closely follow the copy in smaller print. In either case the viewer is likely to retain the apparently misspelled flossing for crossing and the predominance of the leaping deer. If the viewer reads the text in smaller print this will help the advertiser in creating a lasting impression. Otherwise the distorted image will wither away after some time. The communication objectives the game manufacturer may set for the advertisement may be based on two consumer attributes: high involvement (the buyer has a predisposition for intellectual games as against outdoor games like base ball) and high product differentiation (there are few players in the field). The six stages in the viewer's buying process will then involve awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction and purchase. The advertisement under study creates awareness, knowledge, combines liking preference and conviction into one as we have detailed above and induces purchase. The communication then follows the sequence: what to say (content), how to say it logically (structure), how to say it symbolically (format) and who should say it (source). As we have seen the text has a psychological angle, it appeals to the ego of the viewer. The format is designed to arouse interest with a strong visual and optimal copy combining the relevant (the copy) with the symbolic (the visual of the deer, the park and the sign). The source of the message is the well-known word game manufacturers Scrabble that lends it credibility. Absolut Vodka (Chapter 20): Vodka is generally considered a commodity. Yet in the market there is an astonishing amount of brand loyalty and preference based on brand image. The image of a brand is how the consumer perceives it. The perception is based on practical experience and how well the experience meets expectations. For non-users it is based on uninformed impressions, attitudes and beliefs. A strong or favorable image therefore can be created by constantly delivering

Internet business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Internet business - Essay Example This instant connectivity has not been lost on business. As quickly as consumers are buying personal computers and accessing the Internet through modems or cable boxes, businesses are building and implementing web sites on the Internet, sensing the great potential in sales, advertising, and customer service. For some businesses, using the Internet is not just an extension ÃŽ ¿f their normal business, it is a matter ÃŽ ¿f survival. Without a web site, many businesses would not able to compete within their marketplace. However, in the frenzy to secure a "presence" on the Net, many businesses have not properly evaluated the risks they face when expanding activities to the Internet. Some businesses simply have not considered whether this new sales and advertising "tool" creates new exposures for them. Others have regarded their activity on the Internet to be merely an extension ÃŽ ¿f their normal functions, creating no new risks for them. Unfortunately, this mindset could lead to major uncovered losses for businesses. Somewhat in the same manner, insurance professionals have not thoroughly examined the exposures created by doing business on the Internet. There has been little review ÃŽ ¿f existing policies to determine if they provide adequate coverage for Internet sales or advertising, and not much has been done to identify any "new" or "unique" risks that have originated with e-commerce. This truly is the information age, and one ÃŽ ¿f the easiest sources ÃŽ ¿f information to access is the Internet. Everyone seems to be headed for the Internet in one way or another. It has become a primary vehicle for communication, replacing the telephone, regular mail service, as the way to communicate effectively in business and personal life. Business has flocked to the Internet for several reasons. Some 'f these are the same reasons that have driven the general public to the Internet--ease 'f communication and the ability to get information and conduct research quickly and efficiently from the comfort 'f one's office or home. But business also recognizes the huge potential the Internet provides for advertising, sales, and cost reduction--driving more dollars to the bottom line. The objective 'f this article is to evaluate the risks businesses face by using the Internet in sales, advertising, and other online activities. These risks will then be analyzed in view 'f several standard commercial insurance policies: ISO's Building and Personal Property Coverage Form (CP 00 10 06 95(*)), the Business Income (and Extra Expense) Coverage Form (CP 00 30 06 95*), and the Commercial General Liability Policy (CG 00 01 01 96(*)). The analysis will review the perceived exposures 'f a business with a web site to determine whether these standard coverage forms protect the business from anticipated losses. The analysis will identify exposures that do not appear to be covered under these forms. In particular, the analysis will attempt to identify risks unique to the Internet. This article will

Work place emotions and attitudes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Work place emotions and attitudes - Essay Example Emotions are an attempt to express outwardly, to express what we believe. How a person feel is a reflection of how he thinks. Negative thoughts produce negative emotions and positive thoughts produce positive emotions. Laws exist about emotions just like there are laws about physics. Every emotion is a result of some thought that preceded that emotion. If a person has a healthy body then how he thinks causes how he feels. How he feels affects how he behaves. And, how he behaves produces results (Pennington and Haslam, N.D.). Attitudes are inclination or propensities, or tendencies, to react in a favorable or unfavorable way toward an object or any situation. Attitudes reflect a person’s likes and dislikes toward other persons, objects, events, and activities in their environment. Attitudes can have a significant effect on the behavior of a person at work. In the world of work we are concerned with attitudes toward supervision, pay, benefits, promotion or anything that might trigger positive or negative reactions. Employee satisfaction and attitudes represent one of the key areas of measuring organizational effectiveness. Attitudes toward supervision, pay, benefits, promotion, or anything that might trigger positive or negative reactions. Employee satisfaction and attitudes represent one of the key areas for measuring organizational effectiveness. Because of the importance of the links of task, contextual, and ethical performance with important measures of organizational effectiveness, one of the key goals of managers should be to create linkages between employee performance and their satisfaction. However, it is not always easy to change a person’s attitudes about their work. The reason is that, attitudes toward work may be only one important aspect of the person’s structure of attitudes. They might be linked strongly to other important ones, making them deeply embedded, and thereby limiting how much managers can succeed in altering the way

Internet business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Internet business - Essay Example This instant connectivity has not been lost on business. As quickly as consumers are buying personal computers and accessing the Internet through modems or cable boxes, businesses are building and implementing web sites on the Internet, sensing the great potential in sales, advertising, and customer service. For some businesses, using the Internet is not just an extension ÃŽ ¿f their normal business, it is a matter ÃŽ ¿f survival. Without a web site, many businesses would not able to compete within their marketplace. However, in the frenzy to secure a "presence" on the Net, many businesses have not properly evaluated the risks they face when expanding activities to the Internet. Some businesses simply have not considered whether this new sales and advertising "tool" creates new exposures for them. Others have regarded their activity on the Internet to be merely an extension ÃŽ ¿f their normal functions, creating no new risks for them. Unfortunately, this mindset could lead to major uncovered losses for businesses. Somewhat in the same manner, insurance professionals have not thoroughly examined the exposures created by doing business on the Internet. There has been little review ÃŽ ¿f existing policies to determine if they provide adequate coverage for Internet sales or advertising, and not much has been done to identify any "new" or "unique" risks that have originated with e-commerce. This truly is the information age, and one ÃŽ ¿f the easiest sources ÃŽ ¿f information to access is the Internet. Everyone seems to be headed for the Internet in one way or another. It has become a primary vehicle for communication, replacing the telephone, regular mail service, as the way to communicate effectively in business and personal life. Business has flocked to the Internet for several reasons. Some 'f these are the same reasons that have driven the general public to the Internet--ease 'f communication and the ability to get information and conduct research quickly and efficiently from the comfort 'f one's office or home. But business also recognizes the huge potential the Internet provides for advertising, sales, and cost reduction--driving more dollars to the bottom line. The objective 'f this article is to evaluate the risks businesses face by using the Internet in sales, advertising, and other online activities. These risks will then be analyzed in view 'f several standard commercial insurance policies: ISO's Building and Personal Property Coverage Form (CP 00 10 06 95(*)), the Business Income (and Extra Expense) Coverage Form (CP 00 30 06 95*), and the Commercial General Liability Policy (CG 00 01 01 96(*)). The analysis will review the perceived exposures 'f a business with a web site to determine whether these standard coverage forms protect the business from anticipated losses. The analysis will identify exposures that do not appear to be covered under these forms. In particular, the analysis will attempt to identify risks unique to the Internet. This article will

Decision Making Process Essay Example for Free

Decision Making Process Essay .Decision making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker. Making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered, and in such a case we want not only to identify as many of these alternatives as possible but to choose the one that best fits with our goals, objectives, desires, values, and so on.. (Harris (1980)) According to Baker et al. (2001), decision making should start with the identification of the decision maker(s) and stakeholder(s) in the decision, reducing the possible disagreement about problem definition, requirements, goals and criteria. Then, a general decision making process can be divided into the following steps: Step 1. Define the problem. This process must, as a minimum, identify root causes, limiting assumptions, system and organizational boundaries and interfaces, and any stakeholder issues. The goal is to express the issue in a clear, one-sentence problem statement that describes both the initial conditions and the desired conditions.. Of course, the one-sentence limit is often exceeded in the practice in case of complex decision problems. The problem statement must however be a concise and unambiguous written material agreed by all decision makers and stakeholders. Even if it can be sometimes a long iterative process to come to such an agreement, it is a crucial and necessary point before proceeding to the next step. Step 2. Determine requirements. Requirements are conditions that any acceptable solution to the problem must meet. Requirements spell out what the solution to the problem must do.. In mathematical form, these requirements are the constraints describing the set of the feasible (admissible) solutions of the decision problem. It is very important that even if subjective or judgmental evaluations may occur in the following steps, the requirements must be stated in exact quantitative form, i. e. for any possible solution it has to be decided unambiguously whether it meets the requirements or not. We can prevent the ensuing debates by putting down the requirements and how to check them in a written material. Step 3. Establish goals. Goals are broad statements of intent and desirable programmatic values. Goals go beyond the minimum essential must have. s (i. e. requirements) to wants and desires.. In mathematical form, the goals are objectives contrary to the requirements that are constraints. The goals may be conflicting but this is a natural concomitant of practical decision situations. Step 4. Identify alternatives. Alternatives offer different approaches for changing the initial condition into the desired condition.. Be it an existing one or only constructed in mind, any alternative must meet the requirements. If the number of the possible alternatives is finite, we can check one by one if it to meets the requirements. The infeasible ones must be deleted (screened out) from the further consideration, and we obtain the explicit list of the alternatives. If the number of the possible alternatives is infinite, the set of alternatives is considered as the set of the solutions fulfilling the constraints in the mathematical form of the requirements. Step 5. Define criteria. Decision criteria, which will discriminate among alternatives, must be based on the goals. It is necessary to define discriminating criteria as objective measures of the goals to measure how well each alternative achieves the goals.. Since the goals will be represented in the form of criteria, every goal must generate at least one criterion but complex goals may be represented only by several criteria. It can be helpful to group together criteria into a series of sets that relate to separate and distinguishable components of the overall objective for the decision. This is particularly helpful if the emerging decision structure contains a relatively large number of criteria. Grouping criteria can help the process of checking whether the set of criteria selected is appropriate to the problem, can ease the process of calculating criteria weights in some methods, and can facilitate the emergence of higher level views of the issues. It is a usual way to arrange the groups of criteria, subcriteria, and sub-subcriteria in a tree-structure (UK DTLR (2001)). According to Baker et al. (2001), criteria should be †¢ able to discriminate among the alternatives and to support the comparison of the performance of the alternatives, †¢ complete to include all goals, †¢ operational and meaningful, †¢ non-redundant, †¢ few in number. In some methods, see Keeney and Raiffa (1976), non-redundancy is required in the form of independency. We mention that some authors use the word attribute instead of criterion. Attribute is also sometimes used to refer to a measurable criterion. Step 6. Select a decision making tool There are several tools for solving a decision problem. Some of them will be briefly described here,and references of further readings will also be proposed. The selection of an appropriate tool is not an easy task and depends on the concrete decision problem, as well as on the objectives of the decision makers. Sometimes . the simpler the method, the better. but complex decision problems may require complex methods, as well. Step 7. Evaluate alternatives against criteria Every correct method for decision making needs, as input data, the evaluation of the alternatives against the criteria. Depending on the criterion, the assessment may be objective (factual), with respect to some commonly shared and understood scale of measurement (e. g. money) or can be subjective (judgmental), reflecting the subjective assessment of the evaluator. After the evaluations the selected decision making tool can be applied to rank the alternatives or to choose a subset of the most promising alternatives. Step 8. Validate solutions against problem statement The alternatives selected by the applied decision making tools have always to be validated against the requirements and goals of the decision problem. It may happen that the decision making tool was misapplied. In complex problems the selected alternatives may also call the attention of the decision makers and stakeholders that further goals or requirements should be added to the decision model.

Hindustan Computers Limited Hcl Commerce Essay

Hindustan Computers Limited Hcl Commerce Essay HCL Technologies is one of the seven companies in the Bloomberg database of 3,000 technology companies with a market capitalization of more than $5 billion, revenue of more than $2.5 billion and a compounded annual growth rate more than 25 per cent during the past five years (HCL Technologies Limited, 2012). Definition of Success at HCL means providing the best possible solutions to their clients with optimum level of satisfaction. HCL Technologies is the Number 1 employer in India. 1.1 History Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL), one of Indias original IT firms started in 1976 currently deals in various segments like Remote Infrastructure Management, BPO services, IT Hardware, Systems Integration and Distribution of Technology and Telecom products RD and Technology Services and Enterprise and Applications Consulting is Indias original IT firm. Started 35 years ago, the enterprise now stands with an enormous workforce of 90,000 employees. it spreads across 31 countries across the globe and has 505 foothills in India. A global name and numerous partnerships with many Fortune 1000 firms are a few feathers in the HCLs success story (HCL, 2012). 1.2 Ownership Fast Facts HCL Technologies Company Name HCL Technologies Ltd. Company Type Global IT Company Service Areas Software, Infrastructure and BPO Date of Establishment November 12, 1991 Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer Shiv Nadar Vice Chairman CEO Vineet Nayar Employee Strength 85,335 on 30th  September 2012. Offices Offices in 31 countries Geographies USA, Europe, Asia Pacific and Japan Consolidated Revenues US$ 4.3 billion (Rs. 22,417 crores), as on 30th  September 2012 1.3 Businesses HCL is a leading global Technology and IT Enterprise with annual revenues of US$ 6.2 billion. The HCL Enterprise comprises two companies listed in India, HCL Technologies and HCL Infosystems. HCL Snapshot 1.4 Location HCL Technologies as a $4.3 billion global company brings IT and engineering services expertise under one umbrella to solve complex business problems for its clients. It leverages its global offshore infrastructure and network of offices in 31 countries. HCL provide multi-service, holistic delivery in industries such as financial services, consumer services, manufacturing, healthcare and public services. Organizational Structure The Indian conventional way of working leads to a vertical hierarchical structure, which is with founder as the head and certain subordinates below him. Being a technical expertise company, the hierarchy depends on the level of knowledge gained by the professionals. Due to no inter department interfering, the transfer of knowledge is more on vertical basis but very rarely horizontal. Vision To be the technology partner of choice for forward looking customers by collaboratively transforming technology into business advantage.(HCL, 2012) Mission We will be the employer of choice and the partner of choice by focusing on our stated values of Employees First, Trust, Transparency, Flexibility and Value Centricity. (HCL, 2012) Leadership style, approaches etc HCLs leadership style follows the rule of free-rein rather than the contemporary participative method. It is clearly noticeable from the recent development of a defined approach of Employees First Customers Seconds (EFCS). Now days the leaders give full authority to their employees to make decisions but at the same time, take the responsibility of the same. It helps the company to build future leaders who would be better decision makers and also motivation to the employees for analysing situations better and working with respect to them. Delegating tasks is an important tool which should be followed and practiced in corporate and fortunately is followed in the HCL. It helps build confidence and trust among co-workers aiding a pleasant and healthy work environment. This is kind of leadership style is also known as laissez faire, which is the non-interference in the affairs of others (Clark, 2010). Expertise of employees is the key to HCLs success. HCL firmly believes that a firms employees makes the company reach pinnacle heights. Highly qualified and well trained employees are a part of the HCL clan. When knowledge comes into picture, expert power is the power used by employees. Its the knowledge that makes a person stand out in the crowd of all employees. Expert Power is a very common phenomenon in knowledge based industries(Tannenbaum and Schmidt, 1973). Culture unique language, culture, rituals etc. A place where people can think and imagine endless possibilities is the best way to describe HCL. Freedom of thought is very important to extract the additional creativity at work. With a bright history of 35 years, HCL has stood by its core values and philosophy of creating innovations and inventions. HCL has a very rigid demarcation of working in their own department, which implies that employees are not allowed to work in other department other than their own which gradually spoils the inter-departmental relationships. In case of absenteeism too, workers are not allowed to switch department to avoid gaps in enhancing productivity. http://d15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net/files/images/0053/9998/employees.jpg Rigid policies, tapered span of control and high degree of centralization and formalization are few things associated with HCL. Within departments HCL employees have freedom of processing their thoughts but not inter-departmentally. The organization was bureaucratic structure. However, HCL has initiated a new management approach where the employees of HCL are considered first and then the customers. It is termed as Employees-First Effect which according to Mr. Vineet, CEO is the reason for the company being employee centric and employee driven. It is very much like trimming the conventional method upside down. This not only helps in building confidence and motivation among employees but also transparent work environment. 4.1 Group Dynamics/Team Building initiatives Since there is a lack of inter departmental transfer of knowledge, coordination is at stake at HCL. It followed an Indian conventional method of getting approval from the top management and then would the task be carried forward. After the new management approach of employees first and customers second, the company has started giving more liberty to the employees in terms of taking decisions which makes them feel a part of the organization. It enhances their rationale thinking enabling them to give their 100%. Change management initiatives Change is an inevitable process in management. Just like aging of an individual cannot be hampered in any manner, in the same manner change in management is the need of the day. A company cannot work in the same manner as it was working 10-15years ago. This change came to HCL in 2005 when the sales were low in that period. HCLl alarmed itself before the nick of the time and changed its models and strategies to work according to the customer needs. This is what saved them from the 2009 recession.HCL is one of the very few companies who showed growth even in the recession years. Business models and good managements are the keys to the foresight vision of the market. HCL converted itself from a traditional company to a Generation Y genre. (BMC Software, 2010) Innovation / Creativity initiatives Engaging the employees where they feel a part of the firm and making them realise that they are as important as the customers is a new example of managing employees that Mr.VIneet, the CEO has set in for all the global companies. A unique management technique which makes sure that the workforce of 90,000 employees remains satisfied in order to enhance employee satisfaction but also lead to more than 100% productivity. Turning technology into a manifest advantage for the clients is what HCL is best at. Critique on the current internal scenario / internal environment including people practices An agent promised a customer a delivery of a certain product in a specific time period. The dispatch manager was on leave. So his subordinate took the task in his hand and made sure that the delivery is done on time. But to his horror, he received a note stating that he is not liable to do so because of lack of authority. This incident just proves that the management is very rigid and has a narrow control style of working, which poses as a threat to self motivation of employees to excel in their work and be an overall manager. Suggestions and recommendations Communication should not be considered as an event within a container where employees broadcast oral and written messages instead should be deemed as a continuous process of conveying thoughts and interpretations throughout the organization. Individual learning and focus groups should be included in the working of HCL. It not only enhances individual productivity and skill development but also overall wellness of the firm. Gaining insights from vertical structure of hierarchy should be implemented so as to avoid miscommunications and lagging of work. Assuming others are happy is never the solution to a problem. Therefore, it is very important for the firm to start taking feedback from their employees to know how much justice is the firm doing to the employees. Conclusion Three values on which HCLs cornerstone is based are trust, flexibility and Employee Effect First. All three values make the company a desirable company to work for. Trust is created by pushing the trust envelope. Be flexible with respect to employees and situations is what a good company would associate itself with. The unique management approach of employee first and customers second inhibit the company to be an employee centric. Employees being an responsibility of the management and customers being a responsibility of the employees. Therefore, I would like to work in a company where employees are recognised, valued and rewarded for their performance. Bibliography BMC Software (2010) ELO: Articles: HCL Technologies CEO Talks about Building a Culture to Drive IT Productivity, August. Available at: http://www.enterpriseleadership.org/blogs/Articles/2010/08/10/hcl-technologies-ceo-talks-about-building-a-culture-to-drive-it-productivity (Accessed: 15 December 2012). Clark, D. (2010) Leadership Styles. Available at: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html (Accessed: 16 December 2012). HCL (2011) Employees First, Customers Second | Business Change Management. Available at: http://www.employeesfirstbook.com/ (Accessed: 15 December 2012). HCL (2012) Overview. Available at: http://www.hcl.in/overview.asp (Accessed: 15 December 2012). HCL Technologies Limited (2012) About HCL Technologies | IT Services, Outsourcing Software Development, IT Solutions | HCL Technologies. Available at: http://www.hcltech.com/about-us/about-hcl-technologies (Accessed: 10 December 2012). Tannenbaum, R. and Schmidt, W.H. (1973) How to Choose a leadership Pattern, Harvard Business Review, May-June, pp.162-180 HBR Classic [Online]. Available at: http://www.elcamino.edu/faculty/bcarr/documents/How%20to%20choose%20a%20leadership%20pattern.pdf (Accessesd: 15 December 2012).

Operations Management Essay -- Business

Operations Management The purpose of this paper is to describe the importance of operations management to a health care organization. In addition, the author of this paper will provide a personal definition of what operations management means and why is important to a healthcare organization. According to the Institute of Operations Management The cost of providing fast, reliable health care is always an emotive issue, but it has been brought to the fore again via the Gershon report, which is challenging the established Health Care Supply Chain. As a precursor to more specific events that look at how operations management can help practitioners make best use of additional funding to improve patient care and enhance the working lives of Health Care Professionals. The essential healthcare management functions are organized into three major groups of activities governing, caring, and learning with a focus on reaching excellence in community healthcare. Within these activities, each system is described in terms of what it must do to make the whole system effective. Implementing and sustaining change is one of the most difficult tasks for any management -but change is a fact of life in any modern enterprise and, without the ability to manage change, no company can hope to survive it. Operations Managers addresses the practical issues that surround planning and implementing change, including motivating a business to change, engaging staff in the change process, determining performance measures and sustaining the benefits achieved in the initial change process. According to Stevenson (2002), operations management is the management of that part of an organization that is responsible for producing goods and/or services. Operations management is that part of a business organization responsible for planning and coordinating the use of the organization’s resources to convert inputs into outputs. The operations function is one of three primary functions of business organizations; the other two are marketing and finance. The operations function is present in both service-oriented and product-oriented organizations. Operations decisions involve design decisions and operating decisions. Design decisions relate to capacity planning, product design, process design, layout of facilities, and selecting locations for facilities. Operating decisions relate to quality ass... ...tal agencies, lawyers, and many others. Attention to the needs of the customers will always remain the focus of the effective operations manager. (Henderson, 1995) Finally, effective operations managers must realize that short-term gains at the expense of their partners (e.g., patients, physicians, payers) will almost certainly translate into long-term difficulty. As we move toward a more effective delivery system with less demand for resources, we will see vast shifts in how care is delivered. (Henderson, 1995) In conclusion, the author of this paper has described the importance of operations management to a health care organization. In addition, the author of this paper has provided a personal definition of what operations management means and why is important to a healthcare organization. References Henderson, M. D. (1995) Operations management in health care. Journal of health care finance. New York: Vol.21, Iss. 3; pg. 44, 4 pgs Stevenson, W. J. (2002). Operations management (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. The Institute of Operations Management. Management in the health care supply chain. Retrieved September 10, 2005, from http://www.iomnet.org.uk/ Operations Management Essay -- Business Operations Management The purpose of this paper is to describe the importance of operations management to a health care organization. In addition, the author of this paper will provide a personal definition of what operations management means and why is important to a healthcare organization. According to the Institute of Operations Management The cost of providing fast, reliable health care is always an emotive issue, but it has been brought to the fore again via the Gershon report, which is challenging the established Health Care Supply Chain. As a precursor to more specific events that look at how operations management can help practitioners make best use of additional funding to improve patient care and enhance the working lives of Health Care Professionals. The essential healthcare management functions are organized into three major groups of activities governing, caring, and learning with a focus on reaching excellence in community healthcare. Within these activities, each system is described in terms of what it must do to make the whole system effective. Implementing and sustaining change is one of the most difficult tasks for any management -but change is a fact of life in any modern enterprise and, without the ability to manage change, no company can hope to survive it. Operations Managers addresses the practical issues that surround planning and implementing change, including motivating a business to change, engaging staff in the change process, determining performance measures and sustaining the benefits achieved in the initial change process. According to Stevenson (2002), operations management is the management of that part of an organization that is responsible for producing goods and/or services. Operations management is that part of a business organization responsible for planning and coordinating the use of the organization’s resources to convert inputs into outputs. The operations function is one of three primary functions of business organizations; the other two are marketing and finance. The operations function is present in both service-oriented and product-oriented organizations. Operations decisions involve design decisions and operating decisions. Design decisions relate to capacity planning, product design, process design, layout of facilities, and selecting locations for facilities. Operating decisions relate to quality ass... ...tal agencies, lawyers, and many others. Attention to the needs of the customers will always remain the focus of the effective operations manager. (Henderson, 1995) Finally, effective operations managers must realize that short-term gains at the expense of their partners (e.g., patients, physicians, payers) will almost certainly translate into long-term difficulty. As we move toward a more effective delivery system with less demand for resources, we will see vast shifts in how care is delivered. (Henderson, 1995) In conclusion, the author of this paper has described the importance of operations management to a health care organization. In addition, the author of this paper has provided a personal definition of what operations management means and why is important to a healthcare organization. References Henderson, M. D. (1995) Operations management in health care. Journal of health care finance. New York: Vol.21, Iss. 3; pg. 44, 4 pgs Stevenson, W. J. (2002). Operations management (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. The Institute of Operations Management. Management in the health care supply chain. Retrieved September 10, 2005, from http://www.iomnet.org.uk/

Power and Leadership in Organizations Essay -- Empowerment Business Man

The topic that I chose for my semester project is Power and Leadership. The main points within the main subject I am focusing on are Power in Organizations, Sources of Power, The Dark Side of Power, and Empowerment. I will define each, apply them to every day business situations and theoretically analyze the context. The topics that I have chosen will give good insight to what Power and leadership really are and how they are used in are everyday businesses organizations to give a general understanding of what it means to be powerful. The first topic that I have chosen is Power in Organizations. Power is the ability of one person to influence another. They can use this power to become leaders and to manage businesses. Power also brings influence on the behavior and attitudes of other people. This can be applied to customers and/or suppliers. The demand for power is common among the business world. There is a difference in power and authority. Only people who hold formal positions have authority, whereas all people at any level of an organized company have the power to influence other people. Authority is power. It is power on another level. Power is obvious and understood, while authority is vested in a particular position. An example of such a position of authority would be the CEO of a company or a GM. The distinguishing aspect however lies between the position and the need to become more powerful. Where there is power, there are also consequences that go along with it. It depends on how the power is used and to whom it is inflicted. The consequences range from a number of general effects. There are three specific examples of this. They are commitment, compliance, and resistance. Power is the stronghold for the three fold outcome that is brought on through consequences. The first consequence is commitment. It can be as simple as following through with the task at hand or lack thereof. It is best defined in this way, â€Å"when the followers welcome the influence process and accept it as reasonable and legitimate.† (pg. 98) Commitment can be shown through an employee’s ability to complete the task they are given by the person with more power than they possess. They will change their ideals to match that of the higher authority. If the CEO of a company says that his proposal is going to change, in the mind of the employee, they agree to change... ...e to stick with it or else the employees will think they have failed. Empowerment is a good tool to bring out new ideas and thoughts to the organization. It gives employees a sense of self worth and they become more motivated when they have some independence. All in all it is a good idea only if you approach it the way I have explained. A thing to think about is that two minds are better than one when it comes to completing a task. I n conclusion I have talked about powers and leadership. The information that I have given all ties together in the sense that in an organization you have people with different types of power. The source of the power is what type of power they have and how the convey it to the employees. The most important topic I think is the dark side of power thus allowing your organization to become unfit for normal operation. Just because you have power doesn’t make you superior to other people it just puts you in charge. That is why I feel that empowerment it such a great idea it allows every one to have somewhat the some status or feeling in the company, this would allow you to be a better cohesive organization in hole.

Post-Modernism

The term â€Å"postmodernism† can literally be translated as â€Å"after the modern movement†. This term’s use can be traced back to the 1870’s, and was commonly used to describe a change in art, music and architecture. It describes a movement from modern thinking and attitudes to a new set of beliefs. Although the actual beginning of the post modern era is unknown, it is best believed to have started in the mid – 1900’s. There have been many influences driving the postmodern way of thinking, some of the more influential of these potentially being Jean-Francois Lyotard, Jean Baudrillard and Fredric Jameson.Of course, this is left to interpretation. Postmodern thinkers believe that there is no absolute truth. They believe that what is true for one person can be false for another. So what is false one day could be truth the next. They do not see one complete and grand narrative in the world in which everyone can believe in. Rather they believe that there are different truths for different people. Whatever a person believes to be true is truth for them, but not necessarily to another person. The postmodern view heavily relies on the view of self-conceptualization and rationalization.They put science aside and depend on personal opinions and thoughts. Postmodern thinkers believe that morals and ethics are based on personal opinions. They believe that our cultures general morals can be disregarded, what matters is what we personally believe is moral and true. Globalization is another issue that postmodernists commonly raise, saying that separation, and having individual countries is what causes war in our world. They believe that separate countries should be united. As far as religion goes, postmodern thinkers believe that there is not one true religion. Any religion can be true, it doesn’t matter what you believe.As long as you believe in something you will go to heaven. Postmodernists denounce the idea that Jesus Ch rist is the only way to God, and that Christianity is the only one true religion. Postmodernism reacts against modern principles, and changes the modern way of architecture, music, beliefs etc. Recent postmodern architecture and art, are meant to look like they have no structure, which feeds off of the un-structuralized postmodern way of thinking. Postmodern thinkers want to implement the idea of pluralism in every aspect of life, saying that there is more than one way of looking at things.There is not only one truth, instead there are many and anybody can believe whatever they want. The idea of postmodernism is very easy to criticize especially as a Christian. The postmodern view says that there are no absolute truths and that everyone needs to come up with their own truths and opinions of reality. This postmodern view does not allow for Christianity, as Christians believe that the fact that Jesus was God’s son and came to earth, died and rose again in three days is an absol ute truth. We also believe God exists and created the world around us to be truth.Without these absolute truths, Christianity would not exist. In our postmodern world people are given the ability to come up with their own truths, and their own views on reality. Instead of allowing God to show us truth, we are basing truth on our feelings. Isaiah 5:20 says, â€Å"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! †, and Jeremiah 17:9 says, â€Å"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? †.God warns us about depending on ourselves for truth, by doing this we do not allow ourselves to abide by the higher law God has laid out for us, and depend on him to show us truth. Our postmodern world says that what we see as truth may not be truth to someone else. They believe that as long as we each have a truth and we live by it, we are doing the right thing. As Christians we do not agree with this as we know that we cannot depend on ourselves to find what is real and true in this world. God warns us against this many times in the bible. We need to depend on what he tells us is moral and true.Post modernity has made religion into something that people just come and see what they like and take from it what they want. Postmodernism also contradicts itself in the fact that if everything is true, then nothing is true. It takes away the meaning from everything. Postmodern thinkers have a weak argument in saying that there are no universal morals. It would be wrong for people to kill, and this does not go unpunished in our country. With a postmodern worldview, it would be up to the person if it is morally alright for them to do it, and if it is there would be nothing we could do against it, as this was true for him.It is often hard to come up with positives for postmodernism as a Christian; however pluralism can be a positive to a certain degree. It is good to respect other people’s decisions and hear their opinions. When we get different views on a certain subject, we can often come up with a better and more complete answer or decision. It helps when analyzing scriptures as well, by getting other opinions on the meaning of a scripture we hear opinions that may be influenced by a different culture or background.This causes us to look at scripture from a different angle and come to a better understanding of it. Although we shouldn’t persecute people for their beliefs, we shouldn’t just accept others beliefs as truth right away before looking into it ourselves. Jean-Francois Lyotard, is arguably one of the most important figures in the development of Postmodern thinking. Born in France in 1924, Lyotard grew up studying philosophy, and later became a teacher of the subject. By the 1970’s Lyotard’s ideas for postmodernism began to form, specifically in the areas of meta-nar ratives.Meta-narratives, which are described as grand truths, things that are believed to be universally accepted as truths, do not exist. Lyotard tried to simplify everything in life saying, â€Å"Simplifying to the extreme, I define postmodern as incredulity towards metanarratives†. Lyotard was the first to introduce this type of thinking that says everything needs to be destructuralized, there is no structure or metanarratives in our world. This idea of removing structure has been implemented in many things in our postmodern world today, we see it in art, music and architecture.Destructuralization is dangerous as without structure in our world, people will be confused and there will be no rules, rather everyone will do as they see fit. This idea makes it hard to evangelize to people as our Christian views are structuralized, and we believe in an overarching truth. Lyotard introduced ideas of pluralism, saying that there is not just one truth, rather there are different tru ths for different purposes. He argued that Rome’s religious views had an advantage over monotheistic religions, because they had different god’s each pertaining to a different area of life.He explains that this helps show that each of our human experiences are not all connected necessarily, and cannot all be grouped together into one overarching classification. This postmodern view is a direct contradiction to Christianity, in that Christians believe in one God and one way to heaven. This statement allows everyone to believe what they want without any guilt or accountability. This mindset does not leave room for anyone to be corrected as no one has experienced exactly what another has, and therefore your opinions would not be relevant to another person.Lyotard also dealt with issues of technology, saying that with the advancements of technology we are provided with an infinite amount of information, and believes that eventually wars will be fought over control of infor mation. Lyotard suggests that information in our postmodern age is becoming more of a business, people are producing it in order for it to be sold to a select group of people. Lyotard says that information is no longer being used for the purpose of inspiration in order to come up with truths.He wants the information to be used for people to find their own truths, and understand different ideas, rather than just believing what they are told. There are some very real truths to this analysis, in that information is very powerful and can help form our opinions. By leaving information to one person or a select group of people the information is left to only one interpretation. The scriptures require many different interpretations in order for us to grasp a complete meaning of it, and we shouldn’t just take the first interpretation we hear as truth, we need to analyze it ourselves.However, we shouldn’t take this principle too far. Lyotard is implying that by having all this information accessible to us, we can pick and choose what we want to believe, and what we find as truth. Nevertheless, as Christians we need to match what we read to the scriptures to see if they line up, and if they don’t, we shouldn’t take them to be truth. All of Lyotard’s writings and ideas regarding postmodernism, strongly influenced it into what it is today. However, postmodernism’s ideas are dangerous for us as Christians to follow.We need to look at what is going on around us in the world, and what people are thinking, and compare that to how God has told us to live in his word. Postmodern ideas are finding themselves into more and more aspects of our world. These ideas do not suggest Christianity to be truth, and go against the structure of Christianity. Though there are a few things we can take from Lyotard’s writings and other postmodern ideas, there is a vast majority of these ideas that are very false and non-conducive to a Christian l ife.Bibliography Bertens, Johannes Willem, Bertens Hans, Natoli Joseph P. Postmodernism. Malden, Massachusettes: Wiley Blackwell, 2002. Simons, Herbert W. and Billig, Michael. After Postmodernism. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 1994. Connor, Steven. Postmodernist Culture. Cambridge, Massachusettes: Blackwell Publishers, 1989. Grenz, Stanley J. A Primer on Postmodernism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996. Eagleton, Terry. The Illusions of Postmodernism. Malden, Massachusettes: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.