Role and Function of Art

FUNCTION AND ROLE OF ART IN 21st CENTURY Seminar on Aesthetics: Research Assignment – Essay Abstract In 21st century, art is keeping pace with the technological evolution while taking advantage of it. Role and function of art has evolved, adapted and gained diversity in terms of interest, production, specialization and idea. Examination of personal, social and physical functions of art are going to be discussed with examples. While discussing assigned roles of today’s art and design, the subject will be clarified with author’s personal opinion.The core aim of this paper is to answer the question of â€Å"What is the role and function of art in the 21st century? † FUNCTION AND ROLE OF ART IN 21st CENTURY 21st century art is a growing field of practice, research and publication, with a lot of diversity in terms of conceptualization. This makes it a lot more interesting to study field of art today. In the early part of the 20th century, what we now call †Å"Modern Art† became main stream and at a point it all started to look same old. Museums and exhibition environments use to be perceived as high class society by public which puts up a distance between art and the viewer.Other topics that were much-discussed in the late 20th century remain vital for the 21st century art and visual culture. Art of the 21st century is affected by globalization. The world in which we live and work has become increasingly economically, politically, and culturally interconnected. Aided by internet and mass media, people can reach out to local art and artists via a device which has WI-FI or 3G. It is easier to follow development of art by monthly e-mail updates from different services.This incredible growth of interconnectivity emerges with a modern way of critical thinking and scholarly debate, and creates a whole new perspectives and ideas to their consumers. The increased movement of artists across borders and oceans has added to the intermixing of influences. Artist today are regularly and freely mix media and forms, making the choices that best serve their concepts and purposes. Some of the basic personal functions of art such as self-expression, gratification, communication or aesthetic experimentation are still remains today, yet there are many of them and they vary from person to person.A lot of different topic, idea, taboo, cliche and stereotype have been resonating in the world of artists. Some artists are interested in the freedom to solve the special problems of style or technique which fascinate them. Others seek the freedom to use style and technique to express their views about society and political processes. Sometimes a piece doesn’t have to mean anything. The meaning comes with the perceived value of the piece by the audience. For example, John Cage wrote a symphony which continues for four minutes and thirty three seconds of complete silence and called it â€Å"4:33† or â€Å"Four Thirty Three †.Even though piece does not include any kind of musical note, it is one of the most well-known classical music pieces of our century. Conservative communities of classical music do not consider this as a good art as it is not representing its root, while some art critics raising voice against the existence of term â€Å"good† or â€Å"high† art. Any argument and/or objection can change the fact that John Cage’s piece offers a complete new experience and perspective to its audience. The audience is the key to examine social functions of art.In a sense, every piece of art has a social function unless it is not created for an audience. Art has always influenced human and human behavior. Art can influence the attitudes of people in groups, affecting the way they think or feel and, ultimately, the way they act. Today’s social media is playing a key role to bring society together. Facebook, tweeter, myspace a like social web sites has millions of users. Museums, theaters and other traditional exhibition environments have become screens in our bedroom. Going-green† and alike social activism reaches out to its audience by a piece of art or design. Artists attracted by the immediacy and connectivity of globally networked media often create online projects that invite social interaction. Relational aesthetics has developed (and been contested) as a critical theory for analyzing and evaluating such undertakings. Paintings and buildings can be symbols, but only buildings serve a physical function. The art of â€Å"physical function† refers to objects that are made to be used as tools or containers.Architecture, the crafts and industrial design are some areas where physical functionality is inevitable. Today we have industrial designers; they create anything- from earthmovers to cigarette lighters to houses to storefronts. Art shares responsibility for the built environment: how it looks and how it works. And here, art means more than embellishing or beautifying surfaces. We love our dishwashers, air conditioners, automatic ovens, tile bathrooms, and built in stereo sets more than the qualities of light and space that art and design can bring to a home.The great aim for this era is to combine aesthetic and physical functionalities in an art piece. The arts can play a pivotal role in moderating the complexities of our lives. The art can open an argument among diverse groups by creating safe spaces for engagement, thus allowing new relationships to take root. It can help us understand and connect cultural distinctions. It contributes to economic opportunities and community vitality. It enhances our quality of life. Through its multiple means of expression, the art can raise a voice where once there was only silence.As a young designer/artist, I feel lucky to live in this century. Today, transnational flow of information makes it easier to conceptualize and exhibit my work. Thus, economical complications a re too influential on artists and especially for designers. Art and design related costumers, producers, sponsors etc. who provides money might try to manipulate/dictate on the final piece, or the concept, even the idea. If we, as artists and designers of the new era can take advantage of new social interactivity, it is very easy to reach out society while not being dependent to providers.It is still early in 21st century. Development of art never stopped, and never will be. In the future, we might look back and see this era as experimentation in combining technology, functionality and art. It might feel like everything has been experimented, done or thought yet we continue to create, spread and consume. Art must play a role in the improvement of our collective existence. Art must participate through visual education and persuasion in the development of popular attitudes which can lead eventually to a better society.

International Accounting Harmonization and Assess

For decades, entities across the world have been using a range of different accounting standards derived from various accounting models. Weber (1992) states that there have historically been four accounting standards models from different areas of the globe: the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the United States and Latin America. These variations in standards create a number of issues for users of accounts, including those preparing, consolidating, auditing and interpreting. For example, an investor needs to be able to understand and compare financial statements in order to gain confidence to buy shares in a business. It is believed that harmonization of accounting standards can eliminate these issues by â€Å"increasing the compatibility of accounting practices by setting bounds to their degree of variation† (Nobes and Parker, 2008, p75). Organisations such as the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) have formed with this objective in mind, but their success has been limited. It is claimed by a number of sources that international accounting harmonization will bring a number of benefits to stakeholders. Roberts, Weetman and Gordon (2008) claim that harmonization would eliminate dual reporting costs for multi-national companies. Regulators of a foreign stock exchange may require statements to be adjusted in order to match the local standards or at least produce a reconciliation statement highlighting the variations in standards. Harmonization would remove this problem and ensure all statements are valid worldwide. However, less developed countries will predictably have less influence on the standards that are put into place. The principles may not be appropriate for these nations, especially if they have a developing economy or no capital market transactions (Larson and Kenney, 1995). The lack of worldwide accounting harmonization can also hamper investors. Miles and Nobes (1998) state that whilst standards are varied, professional fund managers find it difficult to understand statements prepared in certain countries. Investors often avoid trading in these companies, potentially leading to them missing a profit making opportunity. Harmonization of standards would reduce the chances of misunderstanding, thus reducing the likelihood of poor decisions being made (Roberts et al, 2008). Although comparability may be improved, other features of a business may be hidden, such as the differences in business activity. The original changeover to the new standards may also cause confusion for newly adopting nations, especially if the standards are viewed to be decreasing the accuracy of the company accounts (Barth, Clinch and Shibano, 1999). In each country of the world, accounting standards need to be set either under law or by an independent body. This means that various costs are generated in order to implement and monitor standards. If certain countries are implementing practices that are similar or even the same as another country, it makes little sense for both nations to be incurring these costs (Roberts et al, 2008). Although global standards would minimise these implementing related costs, they are not relevant for companies only operating in one country. There is also a danger that, if one body monopolises standards, the quality of practices will reduce because of a lack of competition from other accounting bodies (Sunder, 2002). It is claimed that international accounting harmonization would enhance the global economy by providing a â€Å"level playing field† (Weber, 1992, p1). Those regulating and auditing accounts will all gain access to the same information, enabling a smoother evaluation process. Without free trade, international standards would allow trade restraint systems to be exact, reducing the risks for those involved in trade (Weber, 1992). However, Goaltz (1991) argues that such benefits may not be achieved. A strong global market already exists and has developed without harmonized international standards. Elimination of capital controls and improved communications have increased the money available to businesses and the worldwide market is likely to continue to grow in size. Another group that would benefit from harmonization would be the tax authorities. Profit measurement often varies between countries, making it very difficult for tax professionals to measure income and calculate tax. However, the tax authorities have themselves have reduced harmonization by allowing last in first out (LIFO) for the purposes of tax in the US, which is not allowed in other countries such as the UK. Deferred tax has also been allowed in Continental Europe, which is not the case in other nations (Nobes and Parker, 2008). The IASC was formed in 1973 by accountancy bodies from all over the world. The committee’s objective is to â€Å"work generally for the improvement and harmonization of regulations, accounting standards, and procedures relating to the presentation of financial statements† (Murphy, 2000, p 472). The body has since restructured and became the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in 2000. The standards set by the board have gone some way to achieving the desired objective, but there have been a number of barriers that have prevented true harmonization (Street and Shaughnessy, 1998). Accounting standards need to match the environment they are employed in and this is difficult when each country is unique in areas such as education, law and economy. With these variables as they are, it is hard to see how perfect harmony can be achieved. Between 1973 and 1988, the IASC implemented a total of 26 generic standards. These standards were flexible and prescribed little in the way of disclosures. Garrido, Leon and Zorio (2002) report that in 1988 the IASC became concerned about the low level of comparability the standards had produced. This resulted in a large proportion of options for treatment being removed, and standards also highlighted the preferred treatment in order to increase uniformity. In 1995, the IASC made an agreement with the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) to produce a core set of standards by 1999 in exchange for endorsement. This resulted in more options for treatment being removed and an increase in the level of disclosure. Garrido et al (2002) state that the standards produced in 1999 has achieved a good harmonization level due to the increased comparability of financial statements and the reduction of alternative treatments. Murphy (2000) conducted research into whether adopting of international accounting standards (IASs) had increased harmony between Swiss companies and companies from the UK, USA and Japan. The assessed practices were depreciation, inventory, financial statement cost basis and consolidation. The study showed that harmony had increased between countries between 1988 and 1995. Companies from Switzerland, the US and the UK adopting IASs all used straight-line depreciation, whilst the Japanese mostly used the mixed or accelerated method. The IAS for inventory practices was still flexible allowing for many methods and it was therefore difficult to attribute the adoption of IASs to any harmony that had occurred. This was also the case with financial statement cost basis where historical costing or price level costing could still be used. However, harmonization increased for consolidation, with the majority of companies from all four countries consolidating all of their companies after adopting IASs. It is true that company comparability increased during this period but results do not clearly show that the changes were due to the adoption of IASs. Das, Shil and Pramanik (2009) suggest that one of the biggest reasons for only limited adoption of IASs is the fact that the US has shown reluctance in applying the standards. The US has the biggest market and was an important figure in forming the G4 nations. It therefore sets an example to other members and may influence their decisions in whether to adopt IASs. It is also very difficult to get every single country to buy into the standards of the IASB as they operate under various legal, economic, social and cultural systems, often harbouring different accounting philosophies. Certain countries may not recognise the reasons to change the objectives of their accounting standards to comply with those of the IASB. Larson and Street (2004) also state that there are translation issues for some nations. Despite the standards being made available in the majority of languages, these are not always up to date. It is difficult for nations not receiving up to date translations as they have little chance to develop experience using the standards. In 2004, Hungary was using practices developed in 1994. Another body concerned with international accounting harmonization is the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), which is a group of accounting bodies from various countries representing professional accountants (Saudagaran, 2009). The body has released a code of conduct for the practices of professional accountants. However, despite Clements, Neill and Stovall (2010) suggesting that the code has been a success, almost 50% of member organisations have not employed the code. This is mainly due to cultural differences such as the level of individualism present within a nation. Nations such as the USA or Canada concentrate on the impact of adopting practices on themselves directly and not on the world as a whole. As a result these countries are likely to be more reluctant in adopting the code (Clements et al, 2010). It is clear that international accounting harmonization would bring about a number of benefits for stakeholders. It would reduce costs for companies, especially those who have invested in a foreign subsidiary. It would also allow for investors to make easier decisions and save national governments money. However, there are some drawbacks for developing countries where standards may not be appropriate. Investors and staff may be confused by the change in practices and the overall quality of standards may reduce. It is therefore debateable whether the IASBs continued efforts to harmonize standards are worth it. They and other bodies involved with harmonization have undoubtedly made successful strides since 1973, but some barriers to complete standardization look potentially immovable. It is very difficult to alter a country’s culture, especially in developing nations where the drawbacks to harmonization may outweigh the benefits.

Dying to be Thin Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dying to be Thin - Assignment Example old Erin, who starved herself, under the illusion that she was fat and ugly, even when she was way below her normal weight and at the verge of death due to malnutrition. In Chapter 6, Jennifer Schmid, who is a victim of another form of anorexia, is unable to balance diet and workout. She eats well but burns a lot more, while exercising, than what she is capable of consuming. And in Chapter 7, we see Anne Chavarro, who suffers from Bulimia, taking to purging to keep up with her binge eating habits. What surprised me the most, was the fact that these eating disorders possessed the power to make human beings capable of withstanding all emotional and physical hardships or of resorting to extremely unpleasant methods like purging or of even putting themselves through starvation which is the worst a human body could suffer, just to be extremely thin. The victims seemed only too pleased about having a disease which left them a subject of admiration, even if it came with a death warrant. Towards the end of Chapter 2, Dr. Joan Jacobs Brumberg, talks about cases of anorexia recorded in history, of women who lived hundreds of years ago. She opines that the common theme in those instances is that those women were using the appetite to express different things, depending upon their historical situation. In Chapter 1, we learn about how Katey Tracey starved herself in a desperate attempt to be accepted by her teacher as the best dancer in her group. Eleena Melamed, another ballet dancer, talks out in Chapter 5, about what led her to anorexia. Her story matches more or less with that of Katey Tracey. It could be said that they were expressing their need to be accepted and admired. Erin, who felt lonely and insecure when her mother had to stay away for a year, took to starvation, to become thin and look glamorous, in order to attract the attention of those around her. She also admits to have been sexually harassed, which added to her feeling of insecurity. Here, she is

Are e-cigarettes a healthier alternative to cigarette smoking Should Research Paper

Are e-cigarettes a healthier alternative to cigarette smoking Should they be used as nicotine replacement - Research Paper Example tes is the smoke that is emitted during smoking, e-cigarettes are seem to be effective since they do not burn to produce smoke and the amount of chemicals they emit is a fraction of what the regular cigarette emits (Caponnetto, Russo et al., 2014). Electronic cigarettes are environment friendly since they are free of smoke, produce no ash, and there is no risk of causing a fire. The paper discusses the differences between regular cigarettes and electronic cigarettes and will suggest possible advantages of the electronic cigarettes for human health. Electronic cigarettes have been described as healthy alternatives to tobacco cigarettes by their producers. As tobacco addiction is reported to be one of the leading causes of preventable premature deaths due to numerous cases of cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung and ischemic heart disease, more and more smokers are concerned about their health (Caponnetto et al., 2013). Electronic cigarettes have gained enormous popularity among the smokers who want to get rid of tobacco addiction. Electronic cigarettes, also referred as vaporizer cigarettes, due to their specific construction do not cause such heavy health dangers, and thus they tend to be less harmful than tobacco smoking (Etter, 2010). These cigarettes release minimal water vapor that does not include nicotine, and, therefore, it is considered to be safe for human health. Small batteries usually power the e-cigarette, and the not only healthier but also more convenient for smokers. This paper examines what e-c igarettes are made of and makes the research on the advantages of using e-cigarettes instead of regular cigarettes. It also focuses on the fact that e-cigarettes are healthy and users who want to quit smoking can use them as an efficient replacement of nicotine. E-cigarettes are effective since the individuals who want to keep on smoking can easily do it in public, and it will have no effects on the non-smokers. Even though e-cigarettes

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example The most striking feature of international human resource management is the incorporation of two key ideas in the department. On one hand coordination of human resource management policies in all the subsidiary branches is ensured to bring harmony in operations. On the other hand, there must be some element of flexibility in order to accommodate policy differences that arise from business and cultural variations (Sims, 2002). International human resource management is primarily similar to domestic human resource management, but modifications are made to ensure that international scope of operations is comprehensibly taken care of. According to Schuler et al as cited in Sims (2002), while domestic human resource management influences come from internal forces, international human resource management is influenced by more external sources. A greater level of risk element is involved in international human resource management than its counterpart. The management functions become numerous and more heterogeneous due to the constant changes in business perspectives at the international arena. An engineering service providing company which is mainly capital intensive in comparison to many other service industries has critical questions to address (Becker et al, 1997, p39). The human resource director at Mango, a British Engineering multinational company with headquarters in London, highlights the following preparations for the creation of new a plant in Perth, Australia. The general manger will conduct the job analysis for a general manager in order to come up with a job design specifying that the manager will be a UK national currently located in the UK. The reason for nationality criteria is to ensure that the manager has sufficient understanding of operations of the company. The business cultural setting of the company in the UK bears an important role in the job design

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economics - Essay Example Global capitalism has been tried before in the world and it has failed. However, when the reforms proposed by the West prove ineffective, it tends to blame the East for its innate weaknesses like insufficient entrepreneurial skills. The matter of the fact is the entrepreneurial skills of the Third World and the ex-communist countries are quite similar to those of their Western counterparts. If the people in the third world do not suffer from certain fundamental deficiency in cultural or genetic heritage, then what could be the reason behind the fact that the capitalism is successful only in the West? An answer to this puzzling question is the failure of the Third World and the ex-communist countries to produce capital. The poor people in the developing world are not wanting in the assets that make capital successful. They in fact hold these assets in defective form: the ownership rights are not fully documented, the terms of the businesses are not defined and the industries are not l ocated at suitable places the cumulative result of which is that these assets cannot be turned into capital. In the West, the property is fully documented which can be used as a capital for producing surplus value in various forms such as mortgage and securities. Because of the absence of this representational process, the third world countries are undercapitalized. The third world despite assimilating a lot of western cultural traits has failed to follow the example of the West in this crucial area of producing sufficient capital. This is the mystery of capital. The fundamental difference between the western nations and the Third World and the ex-communist countries is that only the former have the knowledge of converting capital from places which the other countries cannot. This absence of the conversion process in the Third World is compounded by the failure on the part of the West to understand the origin of the capital. This book is an effort to trace the history of capital and learn right lessons from it to help poor countries overcome their problems which have nothing to do with deficiencies in culture and genetic heritage. This fact has been made clear by the fact that the regions which are culturally as diverse as Russia and Latin America share the same problems because of building capitalism without capital. The Third World today faces the same challenges such as lack of enforcement of property rights, poor law and order situation and biased business and trade regulations which were faced by US in its early history and other Western countries only a couple of centuries before. There are at least five questions which need to be answered to understand why the role of capital despite being the most important component of Western development is not adequately understood: first, how much saving has been done by the poorest sectors of society in the west; second, what is the nature of capital and what is its role in the creation of wealth; third, why have the governments not been able to put the â€Å"dead Capital† in the hands of the poor people to some profitable use; four, why have the lessons not been learnt from the history of successful capitalist countries and five, why the adoption of the Western legal system in the third world has not delivered. The Mystery of Missing Information In the Third World, the documentation of property

Pressure ulcer dressing in community placement Essay

Pressure ulcer dressing in community placement - Essay Example The researcher will begin with the statement that throughout his community placement practice, he has particularly dealt with pressure ulcers on a frequent basis than many other forms of injuries. Apparently, the author never thought that they could be a serious issue as they turned out and I had to perform extensive research and on them. In clinical practice, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers can be described as damage affecting the skin and the tissues beneath, as occasioned by three main factors. The contributing factors to pressure ulcers are; pressure, shear, and friction. In all community placement encounters dealing with pressure ulcers, the author has found out that the most useful way of identifying pressure ulcers is the skin discoloration. This class of ulcers ranged from skin discoloration in slight damages to broken skin with open wounds in extreme cases. The researcher has found out also that the level of damage could be gauged in some instances on the state of the ph ysical appearance of the skin, before assessing the underlying tissues damage. Research findings enabled the author to apply better practices such as ensuring that the wounds remained moist unlike before where they were macerated and gave poor results. For healing of pressure wounds to occur, infections and sloughing were minimised by ensuring that the wound environment remained in a conducive. The temperature was to be maintained at an optimum and that the pH maintained was optimum for wound healing as noted by Baranoski and Ayello.

Social Role Exit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Role Exit - Essay Example I accepted a job at one of the popular fast food chains and got very attached to the job. However, I started getting some cues that were not so positive. I indicated to my co-workers that it was time to exit my role as a customer service representative but they tried to convince me to stay. I had some first doubts but it so happened that the recession resulted in lay offs and redundancies and so I was basically forced to leave. I was disappointed and started to seriously look for alternatives. I had started this process already but it had become real urgent. This job was central because it financed some of my basic needs – food and clothes. My first doubts centered on relinquishing my independence. I sought some alternatives and weighed them to determine the pros and cons. I thought about how I would manage. I had taken on a different life style where each week I would have bought myself something, whether it was a piece of clothing or something of some significance. I have ha d some turning points in my life as I felt I had to do something different to catch-up with my former school-mates. My former co-workers hardly communicate with me. This created a vacuum in my life but I have gotten over it as I have managed to get some support from family members.

Eating out Vs. Eating In Essay Example for Free

Eating out Vs. Eating In Essay Throughout the years the economy has changed drastically, putting us into a terrible recession. Gas prices have increased, taxes have increased, and many foolish, young girls are having babies that they cannot support, causing them to go on welfare, making hard working citizens such as you, and me pay for their needs. Food is an essential part of daily life. Why waste even more of my hard earned money by eating out, when I can easily save it, and be much healthier by eating in? I am on a tight budget, very family oriented, and conscious about my health, so eating at home, rather than going out is more beneficial because it’s healthier, cheaper, and more comfortable for me to be in my own environment. I don’t know about you, but to me, there is nothing better than a full wallet, a full belly, and being able to kick back, relax, and enjoy the comfort of my home. First off, eating at home is much healthier than eating out. Preparing food at home allows me to control the ingredients that I add to the meal, and I can be sure that the food and dishes are properly cleaned, since I did it myself. Being a huge germ-a-phoebe, I always wash my dishes in hot water, and use lots of soap. I find relief in knowing that only myself, and my family have used our utensils; no one else. Furthermore, I always make sure to thoroughly clean my food before I cook it, to ensure that it is not rotten, and all the bacteria is removed. I do this mostly with meats, lettuce, fruits, and vegetables. I am very conscious about my weight, and my health, so I eat in portions, grill instead of fry, and try to cut out as many carbs, sugars, and fats as I can. However, restaurants do not try to cut out any of those things. In fact, restaurant meals are often fried, and contain high sodium, oil, and fat, which can cause high cholesterol, and weight gain, making them very unhealthy. It also cuts down my options on their menu a great deal. I find it very important to eat healthy so I can keep my energy levels up, maintain a strong mind and body, and prevent myself from possibly developing any health issues in the future. Statistics show that 1 in 4 people a year, suffer from food poising caused by eating out. When I eat at a restaurant I always worry about who is touching my food, if their hands are clean, what they put in my food, or if the food is old, or cleaned properly. I also worry about the eating utensils, and if they are cleaned thoroughly. If they are not, I could be ingesting millions of germs and bacteria from a complete stranger who ate there before me. Restaurants are public places with many people inside; some of which could be ill. If I were to come in contact with them, I could easily catch their germs, and become ill as well. When I eat at home, prepare and clean my own food, and use utensils that I cleaned myself, I never have to worry about any of those health risks caused by eating out. Secondly, eating at home instead of at a restaurant enables me to cut down on my budget, and save more money. Usually, there is always food at my house. My mom always buys macaroni and cheese, soup, lunch meats, cereal, or hot pockets. Whenever I don’t have a taste for any of those things, or if there is none left, my mother and I take a five minute walk to our local Jewel-Osco, where they always have great deals. Just the other day, we bought a four pack of boneless chicken breasts, a pound of pasta, pesto sauce, mushrooms, garlic, lemons, and a 2-liter of soda, for a total of roughly $32 dollars. Restaurants, on the other hand, have to ensure on making enough money to buy more ingredients, pay their employees, pay bills, etc. , so food prices at restaurants are always higher than food I buy at the grocery store, and prepare myself. For example, when my family of four goes out to our favorite Italian restaurant, Giacomos’s, and we order the same exact meal my mother and I purchased at Jewel, it is $16 dollars a plate per person, plus $2 dollars per glass of soda, 25% of the bill as a tip for the waiter, and around $10 dollars in gas to drive there. That totals out to be around $100 dollars, meaning we save roughly $70 dollars just by eating in. A U. S. survey shows that a family can save around $2,000 dollars a year, just by eating at home. Last but not least, I am much more comfortable eating at home, rather than eating out at a restaurant for many reasons. A few years ago, I was with my friend, Sarah at Panera Bread, and a middle aged man came and sat down at a table right next to us, even though there was many empty tables further away. While I was eating, I started to tell Sarah a joke, and when I reached the punch line, we both burst out laughing, and so did the man. After that, he kept staring at me eat, while listening intently to more of our conversation. I felt very annoyed, uncomfortable, and I just wanted to leave. Sometimes restaurants are also very crowded, and noisy, and they have disgusting looking bathrooms that have toilet paper all over the floor, and they smell like rotting pee. Like I mentioned, I am a germ-a-phoebe, and I’m also claustrophobic, so it is very hard to find peace, and comfort in an environment like that. Furthermore, any time I go out to a restaurant, or in public, I always try to look my best just in case I run into a cute guy, or someone I know. This of course takes time. I have to put on makeup, do my hair, and try on a hundred different outfits until I am completely satisfied with how I look. Most of the time I’m satisfied with tight fighting clothing that squeezes my whole body, causing extreme discomfort. Yet when I eat at home, I don’t have to waste time doing any of those things. I can be a bum if I want to, and wear sweatpants. I don’t need to put on makeup, I can throw my hair up in a messy bun, and not have to worry about impressing anyone. Most importantly, I don’t have to stress out about it being too crowded or noisy in my home, since I only live with three other people. I can even sit on my couch, relax, and watch my favorite TV shows while I eat, all snuggled up, comfy, and stress free. More so, I can use my own clean, and fresh smelling bathroom without having to wait in line, or squat above the toilet seat. Can’t beat that. In conclusion, I prefer eating at home rather than eating out because it is healthier, cheaper, and much more comfortable. Not to mention much more sanitary also. I don’t have to worry about food poisoning, nosey strangers, being broke, getting ready, or being uncomfortable. Restaurants cook mainly fatty foods, charge way too much, and are usually crowded and noisy. After a long, hard day at work, I can’t wait to kick my shoes off, change into comfy PJ’s, eat a healthy dinner, and relax in my quiet, stress free house, saving time and money, while finding comfort in the privacy of my home, sweet home.

Master of International Business Essay Example for Free

Master of International Business Essay What is inventory turnover? How can a high inventory turnover ratio be detrimental to a firm? Inventory turnover refers to the number of times that inventory is sold in a one year period. It can be calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold for a particular period by the average inventory for that period. High inventory turnover may signal a low level of inventories, which can increase the chance of product stockouts. 2. Distinguish among cycle, safety, pipeline, and speculative stock. Cycle (base) stock refers to inventory that is needed to satisfy normal demand during the course of an order cycle. Safety (buffer) stock refers to inventory that is held in addition to cycle stock to guard against uncertainty in demand and/or lead time. Pipeline (in-transit) stock is inventory that is en route between various nodes in a logistics system, while speculative stock is inventory that is held for several reasons to include seasonal demand, projected price increases, and potential product shortages. 3. Define what is meant by inventory carrying costs. What are some of its main components? Inventory carrying costs refer to the costs associated with holding inventory. Inventory carrying costs consist of a number of different components, and their importance can vary from product to product. These components include obsolescence costs, shrinkage costs, storage costs, taxes, and interest costs. 4. Discuss the concept of stockout costs. How can a stockout cost be calculated? Stockouts refer to situations where customers demand items that are not immediately available and stockout costs refer to the costs associated with not having items available. Calculation of a stockout cost first requires a company to classify potential customer responses to a stockout (e. g. , delays the purchase, lost sale, lost customer). Next, the company needs to assign probabilities to the various responses as well as to assign monetary losses to the various responses. The respective probabilities and losses are multiplied together and then all costs are summed to yield an average cost of stockout. 5. Distinguish between a fixed order quantity and fixed order interval system. Which one generally requires more safety stock? Why? In a fixed order quantity system, the order size stays constant (although the time interval between orders may vary); in a fixed order interval system, the time interval is constant (although the order size may vary). The infrequency of inventory monitoring makes a fixed order interval system more susceptible to stockouts and thus there is likely to be higher levels of safety stock in a fixed order interval system. 6. Explain the logic of the EOQ model. The logic of the EOQ model is as follows: determining an order quantity requires a company to balance two costs; the costs of carrying the inventory and the costs of ordering it. Inventory carrying costs are in direct proportion to order size; that is, the larger the order, the greater the inventory carrying costs. Ordering costs, by contrast, tend to decline with order size but not in a linear fashion. The EOQ attempts to find the point (quantity) at which ordering costs equals carrying costs. 7. How can inventory flow diagrams be useful to a logistics manager? They present a visual depiction of additions to, and subtractions from, inventory. This could be helpful in identifying any patterns that might be occurring. In addition, inventory flow examples illustrate how safety stock can offset an increased rate of demand as well as longer than normal replenishment cycles. 8. Discuss what is meant by ABC analysis of inventory. What are several measures that can be used to determine ABC status? ABC analysis is an approach that recognizes all inventories are not of equal value to a firm and, as a result, all inventory should not be managed in the same way. Measures that can be used to determine ABC status include sales volume in dollars, sales volume in units, the fastest selling items, item profitability, or item importance. . What are implications of the JIT approach for supply chain management? The consequences of JIT actually go far beyond inventory management and JIT has important implications for supply chain efficiency. One implication is that suppliers must deliver high quality materials to the production line, in part because of JIT’s emphasis on low (no) safety stock. Moreover, because customers in a JIT system tend to place smaller, more frequent orders, it is imperative that suppliers’ order systems are capable of handling an increased number of orders in an error-free fashion. Smaller, more frequent orders, coupled with close supplier location, tend to favor truck as a mode of transportation and this means that production and distribution facilities should be designed to support truck shipments. 10. How does vendor-managed inventory differ from traditional inventory management? In â€Å"traditional† inventory management, the size and timing of replenishment orders are the responsibility of the party using the inventory. Under vendor-managed inventory, by contrast, the size and timing of replenishment orders are the responsibility of the manufacturer. This represents a huge philosophical shift for some organizations in the sense that they are allowing another party to have control over their inventories and this requires a great deal of trust among the various parties. 11. Do substitute items or complementary items present the greater managerial challenge? Support your answer. Either answer would be acceptable. Students should recognize that both substitute items and complementary items present managerial challenges, but the nature of these challenges is different. For instance, one challenge with substitute items might be the amount of product to hold; a challenge with complementary items might be product placement in a retail outlet. 12. Define what it meant by dead inventory. What are several ways to manage it? Dead inventory refers to product for which there is no demand—at least under current marketing practices. Because dead inventory has often been associated with overproduction of items that customers do not want (or need), one suggestion would be make to order as opposed to make to stock. Having said this, an increasing source of dead stock in recent years involves special, highly customized orders that never end up with the customer. Suggestions for dealing with this situation include partial (or full) prepayment as well as a no-return policy. Another suggestion is for companies to more aggressively market their dead stock, and companies might also sell dead inventory via auctions. Another possibility is to donate the dead inventory to charitable causes. A last resort is to simply throw away the dead inventory in order to free up storage space. 13. Explain how an SKU might have different meanings, depending on one’s position in the supply chain. A retailer, for example, might keep records in terms of individual items or case lots, while the warehouse that supplies the retailer may deal only with case lots or pallets loads of a product. In turn, the distributor that sells to warehouses may deal with only pallet loads or vehicle loads, and may only accept orders only for pallet loads or vehicle loads—and not case lots or individual items. 14. Why is it important for a manager to understand informal considerations with respect to inventory management? One reason is that the increasing quest for customer service and customer satisfaction is leading many companies to engage in informal considerations. Even though â€Å"formal† inventory analysis should not be ignored, they should not be applied without taking into account informal arrangements. The informal arrangements may not fit any â€Å"formal† inventory tenets, but many informal considerations tend to do an excellent job of satisfying customers. And, without customers, businesses are not going to be very successful. 15. Discuss some of the challenges that are associated with managing repair and replacement parts. One challenge is the difficulty in forecasting the demand for these products—when will products break down or fail? As such, it becomes challenging with respect to which parts to carry as well as the appropriate stocking levels for them. Another challenge involves the number of warehousing facilities to be used: Should the parts be more decentralized or more centralized? These and other challenges have caused some companies to outsource their repair/replacement parts business. 16. Which presents the greater reverse logistics challenge: (1) Returned items or (2) Refurbished and recycled products? Support your answer. As was the case with question 11, either answer is acceptable. Again, it is important to recognize that both present reverse logistics challenges—but the nature of the challenges is different. For example, there is unpredictability with respect to returned items, in terms of return rates and product content. Refurbishing and recycling, by contrast, are predicated on sufficient product volumes, which require adequate storage space. 17. What are substitute items and how might they affect safety stock policies? Substitute items refer to products that customers view as being able to fill the same need or want. With respect to safety stock policies, if a consumer has little hesitation in substituting another item for one that is out of stock, there would appear to be minimal penalties for a stockout. It is also important that companies understand substitution patterns in the sense that Product A may be a substitute for Product B, but the reverse may not be true. In such a situation, safety stock policies would need to reflect the appropriate relationships. 18. Which supply chain participant(s) should be responsible for managing inventory levels? Why? The key to this question is the word â€Å"managing. Although various inventory approaches may require certain select participants to maintain the inventory, supply-chain effectiveness and efficiency would argue that all supply chain participants should be involved with managing inventory levels. Because the supply chain is a system, one company’s inventory policies and practices can impact the other members of the supply chain. Failure to consider these other participants when setting inventory policies and practices could lead to dysfunctional consequences. 19. Should inventories be considered investments? Why? The text suggests that inventories should be considered investments. Carrying costs for inventories can be significant; the return on investment to a firm for its funds tied up in inventory should be as high as the return it can obtain from other, equally risky uses of the same funds. 20. Since the mid-1990s, many beer and soft-drink cans and bottles have contained a freshness date stamped on them to indicate the latest date that the product should be consumed. What problems might such a system cause for the people responsible for managing such inventories? Discuss. There are a variety of possible answers to this question. One consideration is that product needs to be in places where it can be bought prior to the expiration date. At a minimum, this means that companies need to be able to identify individual products, locate the products, and move the products to the appropriate place(s). The oldest inventory should be â€Å"turned† before other inventory. Another consideration involves what to do with expired product, a situation that brings into play reverse logistics considerations.

Reflection on Principles in Nursing

Reflection on Principles in Nursing This essay will discuss and reflect on two principles of nursing practice and relate these to practice experience. The principles of nursing practice tell us what all people can expect from nursing practice, whether they are colleagues, patients, or the families or carers of patients. Nursing is provided by nursing staff, including ward managers (in hospitals) or team members (in the community), specialist nurses, community nurses, health visitors, health care assistants or student nurses. To put it simply, the Principles of Nursing Practice describe what everyone can expect from nursing. Due to many financial challenges facing the UK which is putting all health care and social care sectors under great financial pressure which indirectly is leading to staff shortage and nurses are working tirelessly under undue pressure to deliver the best care for patients. It is therefore a necessity for all nursing staff to be supported wherever possible. The Principles of Nursing Practice allow that purpose to be achieved and make clear exactly what quality nursing care looks like and provide a framework for supporting the evaluation of care through the development of useful measures. There are 8 principles labelled A to H. This essay will focus on Principle D which is where Nurses and nursing staff provide and promote care that puts people at the centre, involves patients, service users, their families and their carers in decisions and helps them make informed choices about their treatment and care and Principle E is where nurses and staff are at the heart of the communication process: they assess ,record and report to treatment and care, handle information sensitively and confidentially, deal with complaints effectively, and are conscientious in reporting the things they are concerned about(RCN ,2010). Consent was obtained from service users and confidentiality maintained regarding patients name and trust details as per NMC, 2008 Principle D will now be discussed. The Nature of healthcare provision is such that decisions made and the treatment and care provided, or withheld may alter the duration and quality of lives of the individuals who experience it (Brooker and Waugh, 2007). RCN (2010) definition of person- centred approach: Understand the individual, their aims and expectations in life Develop a frame of reference to understand their context (family, community, social and cultural dimensions in their attitudes, values and beliefs) Understand their concepts of health and issues My placement at the community hospital was working in partnership in a collaborative way with patients, healthcare professionals, families and other multidisciplinary team members in the delivery of a person centred care. Goodman and Clemow (2008) defined interprofessional working as that of professionals collaborating to work together more effectively to improve the quality of patient care. The original framework for Person centred Nursing developed by McCormack and McCance (2010) comprised of 4 constructs: Prerequisites: which focus on the attribute of nurse and include being professional, competent and committed to the job Care environment: which focuses on the context in which cares is delivered and include organizational systems that are supportive and effective staff relationships Person-centred process: which focuses on delivery of care through a range of activities and include sharing decision and providing physical needs? Outcomes: The central components of the framework are the results of effective personal-centred nursing and it includes satisfaction with care, involvement with care, feeling of well-being and creating a therapeutic environment. At my placement I was personally involved with a patient who had leg ulcer. This patient was unable to move out of bed hence bed bound. I was involved in her personal care, serving, and performing aseptic wound dressing. At the point where the expected discharge date was due, it was then necessary to hold a family meeting with the patient, her daughter and her partner who has a learning disability as well as with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) members involved in her care. The MDT members were social services, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and I as the student nurse with my mentor. The essence of the meeting was to determine the discharge location for the patient. The social services carried out MCA on the patient’s partner who had a learning disability to check if he could cope with the responsibility of supporting his partner after discharge. The partner’s capability to handle finances was also assessed. The physiotherapist assessed the ability of the pati ent to weight bear and what kind of equipment could be used for different transfers a home. The occupational therapist had already assessed the property of the patient and felt it needs to be adjusted to suit the needs of her current immobility status. However, setting up with necessary equipment would take some time and patient would need to be in a temporary accommodation till the house is resolved. Patient was also given the choice of moving to a nursing home where she could have a better quality of life in terms of care but paient refused and insisted on going to her own home even though she had been advised of the limitations of care that would be received as she had to manage by herself most times and partner is not allowed to carry out any manual lifting. My mentor and I‘s role at the meeting was to give an overview of the personal care requirements and other emotional, clinical and physiological needs. Throughout the meting the patient was involved in the decision proc ess to ensure that all her needs were met and tailored to her specific requirements. She was satisfied with the final decision and was finally discharged and happy to go back to her newly tailored home with her partner. It is believed that many nurses experience ‘person centred moments’ that is, particular times in practice when everything seemed to come together and the outcome felt satisfying and rewarding. We all have memories of those moments and stories to tell of their significance to us as nurses- be it a significant event with a patient, an expression of thanks from a family member that made the everydayness of practice seem all worthwhile. Such person centred moments may have trigged the question,’ why can’t it be like this all the time’? Whilst acknowledging that we do not work in a state of utopia and that everyday practice is challenging, often stressful, sometimes chaotic and largely unpredictable.it is important to consider how these person-centred moments can be transformed into ‘person centred cultures of practice where satisfaction, involvement and feeling of well-being are common place. To do this requires a commitment to the on-going develop ment of practice, the attention to rigorous process, the continuous evaluation of person-centred effectiveness and the celebration of successes (McCormack and McCance ,2010) Principle E will now be discussed. This is the fifth principle of nursing practice and it hinges on subjects of communication, the safety of patients, confidentiality, complaints management and conscientious reporting of concerns. Communication is a part of activities that humans engage in and it is recognised by everyone but only few people can define it satisfactorily (Fiske 2011:1)Human communication is defined as the process of establishing meaning via interactions that are symbolic(Adler and Rodman,2009) Communication emphasises on the process by which information is exchanged between two people or more(Bach Grant, 2011)The important aim for a nursing staff or any health care practitioner is to ensure that patients are engaged in effective communication (DOH, 2010) Any healthcare practitioner working in any healthcare setting must be able to utilise different types of communication skills in a variety of relationships. Considering the culturally diverse population that we have to deal with as health care professionals it is imperative for communication to be effective and appropriate to the needs of the services users (Koutoukidis, Stainton and Hughso, 2013) Cross cultural communication poses a lot of problem in the healthcare setting and language barrier is a major issue. I had an instant at my placement where a Chinese lady had problem communicating her needs to us and we had to get her husband in to interpret and he himself was not that fluent but we had to use culturally appropriate methods to obtain and pass on information to deliver person-centred care to the patient. Just recently at placement a group of nursing staff were recruited from Spain to come and work in the UK and trained by my hospital, language barrier was such a big issue as they could not easily express themselves and this posed a problem when they were trying to communicate with patients as well. Fortunately, we were very understanding and so were the patients. The national point of reference for communication makes it mandatory that communication needs be analysed and appropriate methods are used to help patients to communicate effectively. Staffs are also expected to communicate effectively with one another to make sure there is continuity of healthcare for everyone (DOH, 2010a) The formal aspect of communication involves the documentation, sharing of information during handover, managing complaints and reporting of incidents and concerns. These are the main thrust of Principle E and this becomes important when anything goes wrong The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) raised concerns about nurses in terms of unclear documentation and lack of confidence in their reporting. I have seen instances at placement where fluid and food charts are not updated and makes it difficult to assess the actual health status of the patient. The most common one that is easily missed out is the stool chart or Bristol stool chart and most patients based on the record are given laxatives to address the issue of constipation when in actual fact they were alright. In some instances, the patients have had to speak for themselves and verbally give an account of their flow which is sometimes contrary to what is documented but for dementia patients, it is unlikely to get any confirmation or information from them hence they can only be treated on what is documented. Excellent record keeping is an important aspect of nursing that is relevant to the delivery of effective safe and effective care and it should not be seen as optional or a form of duty that should be fitted in when time permits. It is a compulsory responsibility (NMC, 2010). Instead of writing notes at the end of a shift and to ensure accurate records were documented, nurses were encouraged to abide by the principle of ‘Do it and Document it’ (Tucker et al2009). Personally on placement, I have found this Do it and Document it helpful as the day goes so quickly with a lot of responsibilities throughout the day and there is the tendency to forget essential information and task done if one needs to wait till the end of the day to document. I have made it a principle to document immediately as I finish a task or a short series of task and not leave it to pile up. At all times I have my jotter with me to document whatever I do at every point of the way and this has proved to be workable and successful. The use of Vitalpac just introduced at my placement where information of patients in terms of ,personal identification details,routine observat ions and risk assessment data can be recorded in real time,stored immediately and automatically transferred to the hospital server where it can be accessed by relevant professionals in real time has proven to be successful ,cost effective and time saving. It is important that everyone working as part of a team in the delivery of care for a patient must appreciate the contribution made by each person so that appropriate skills are applied. For any teamwork to be the effective, one of the major tools is unambiguous communication which usually takes place via records than face to face. During placement, whilst working within a multidisciplinary team, it was important to us to make sure that information received from other professional are treated as confidential and only used for the purposes they were given and the patients also understood that some of their information may be accessed by other relevant professional members of the team engaged the in the delivery of person-centred-care. (Chapman and Burnard, 2003) In 2009, a safety alert report admonishing all healthcare settings to encourage an atmosphere of openness and accountability in reporting safety incidents and having a disposition of apologising and giving an count of what happened was published by NPSA. This theme was also iterated by parliamentary and health Service Ombudsman’s (2010) report on how complaints are handled in NHS in England. The act of apologising and giving full account of what went wrong helps to create distress relief and reassures those complaining that mistakes will not reoccur. I happened to have being informed by a patient’s husband that he was not satisfied that his dementia wife’s bed was lowered to the ground as he felt that could have increased her confusion. Even though the night staff lowered the bed in order to prevent the patient from climbing out of the bed overnight as she made few attempts, the patient’s risk had to be reassessed and later admitted that the patient Ã¢â‚¬Ë œs bed could have been raised back up. We tried to explain to the husband the basis of actions taken, apologised and adjusted the bed back up. He also noticed that her food chart was not updated at breakfast on her chart; this was immediately updated as patient was not alert enough to eat. As soon as I noticed this series of complaints I took it upon myself to pay extra attention to this patient while on my early shift and this paid off in the end as I supported the husband in encouraging the wife to eat, assisted with personal care and undertook her hourly observations to restore her blood sugar level as it was very low. I informed the nurse in charge of the patients decline in health status and intervention was initiated and her blood level was regularised. The husband left for home that day happier than he came in and was very thankful for my assistance.

The Importance of Books in Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury :: essays research papers

One of the themes which happens to be the biggest one is burning books because they conflict with each other and the ideas of society. The firemen don't fight fires, they start them when they find books. Recollections and thoughts, writings and teachings from the greatest minds in history go up in flames because the government doesn't want people to fill their heads with it and develop an individual intelligence. The government is afraid of the books because they stimulate people's minds to think for themselves and away from the main track that the general public was expected to follow. The government covered up the problems of the world that still wore on, like war, and didn't let the people see it or have it affect them. They heard about it and that was all. In general, people's lives became better, but it was of no consequence because they didn't know what it was like to have things not go well and as planned. A candy cane is much sweeter after you think about eating oil. Another reason they burn books is because they don't agree and they aren't real. The government figures that there is no use in people thinking about things that don't exist, especially when each book's ideas conflict. I think that conflicting ideas helps us think for ourselves because we are forced to make decisions. Making a decision is a lot better when you have more food for thought to work with. Also, it would be boring not to have conflicting ideas. So many things that we value and we can be proud of in terms of the accomplishments of the human race went up in flames in the book. Everything from Socrates, Newton, the Bible, Thoreau, Hans Christian Anderson and Shakespeare was wiped out because they didn't go together fluently with

Will Fast Food be the Death of Us? Essay -- The Dark Side of Fast Food

The American food industry has evolved in ways that may not be distinguishable to the human palate, but hopefully remain distinguishable to the human conscience. With all the options now available to company executives, citizens must be sure to keep them from abusing their powers and continuing to harm employees, mistreat animals, and kill consumers. The best ways are to promote public discourse and to make the most of the power of the consumer by thoughtfully deciding where to spend their hard-earned dollars. To understand where the fast food industry is today, we must look at the technological advances that allowed it to reach that point. Technology has been an integral force in the rise of the fast food culture. In fact, it was a technological advancement that first brought the fast food industry to life. When the McDonald brothers opened-up their first restaurants, they served people and made a modest profit. However, one day a traveling salesman walked through their door and presented them with the opportunity to buy a machine that would enable them to make five milkshakes at one time. He also offered them the chance to buy other machines that would speed-up food production. Who was this traveling salesman? His name was Ray Kroc. Kroc later offered to buy the rights to the McDonald brother’s restaurants and the deal went through. Kroc outfitted the restaurants with technology that allowed for the mass production of its food. Like Henry Ford automated the automobile manufacturing industry, Ray Kroc can be considered the man who took restaurant food and made it fast food. The next major innovation to contribute to fast food’s development was the automobile. In the 1950s, when owning a car become comm... ...a/GMA0201Obsessed_with_Fast_food.html. Alternet. [2013]. Why Fast Food Costs Too Much. Web. 14 May 2015. http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=15762. American RadioWorks (2012). Kill Them With Kindness Web. 7 May 2015. http://www.americanradioworks.org/features/mcdonalds/grandin1.html. American RadioWorks [2014]. Ethics Into Action Web. 10 May 2015. http://www.americanradioworks.org/features/mcdonalds/book.html. BBC. [2014]. Fast Food ‘as addictive as heroin.’ Web. 9 May 2015. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2707143.stm. Kluger, Jeffrey. "Inside the Food Labs." Time. 06 Oct. 2009: 56-60 Schlosser, Eric. (2002) Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Perennial. Swanson, Ronald. [2013] E. Coli 0157: The Main Cause of Neurodegenerative Disease? Web. 21 May 2015. http://www.ecoli0157.com/ summary.html

Managing Change and Leading People Essay

â€Å"Impact of Organisational culture on role and responsibilities of the managers within the organisation† (Word count 2900 / Word limit 3000) Haque, A. U. 139________ According to Schein (2004) the core concept of organisational culture is developing an atmosphere and the procedures are created to ensure that employees are properly managed. Glendon and Stanton elaborate the that visible expression of an organisation is considered as a climate (2000, p. 198 ). By investigating in more depth, it is evident in the past literature, â€Å"Organisational culture is an outline of collective fundamental conjectures that the individuals together collectively discover a way that is valid to overcome problems of external adaption as well internal integration, and the validity is a reason that fresh employees are being told that this is the right way to feel, think, and perceive in association to those problems† (Schein 1992, p. 12). Lundberg (1990) explains the key attributes of the organisational culture: a framework that is designed on the common and shared beliefs, interests, perceptions, and values that individuals not only embrace and governs. It is set of rules and principles that not only make the organisation unique but define the organisational behavior or a common psychology driven from the set of rules (p. 19). Therefore, it can be said that organisational culture are the set of norms, beliefs, and patterns that serves the purpose of the organisation’s existence. The organisational culture is visible at all three levels of the organisation. The above mentioned figure explains that in the first level â€Å"artefacts† there are more visible values that are easily noticeable like dress code, workplace related patterns etc. In second layer there are espoused values that explains the norms and philosophy of organisational working pattern  where as the third level consist of strong beliefs that are generally accepted for granted without any objection or protest. These are underlying assumptions and workforce take it for granted. Denison (2010) strongly emphasis that over a time period, all types of organisations forms its own culture that serves as a special and unique identity and individuality differentiating it from the other organisations. This shows the significant of the organisational culture that why it is important for the present day leaders and managers to comprehensively understand it. The better a manager understands the organisational culture, more he or she can motivate and the workforce to achieve the organisational targets and objectives because the actual vision and purpose of existence of a company is in the heart of beliefs, norms, and culture of the organisation. The leaders and managers can only make themselves and their workforce to live up to the core values or corporate values when they ensure that from inspiring workforce to walk to talk and practically implement those values. The need to understand the organisational culture arise more for the leaders and managers to ensure the resources are allocated in effective and efficient ways. As per Schien (1985), in the manner things are being done is a significant notion that urges on the significance of understanding about the organisational culture in more depth (Deal and Kennedy, 1982, p. 04). The Above figure 2. reveals that the essentiality of understanding the organisational culture. The model shows that organisational culture is similar to an iceberg, as it appear to be small at upper surface but deep down is much larger than it appears. If leaders or managers do not properly understand organisational culture, they will not be able to perform their respective assigned tasks nor bring out the best from their respective workforce. Watson (2006) strongly highlights that in the present era, the shift in managerial thinking has been remarkable as now leaders and managers are more encouraged to make efforts in developing a strong organisational culture.  One of the example is Ford company where leaders play integral part in the formation of the organisational culture (Siriginia, 2012). On the other hand, Schein (2004) argue that leadership is bind with the culture in more than one way. TATA motors is an absolute example that organisational culture has from time to time played vital role in the responsibilities and roles of the leaders. The empirical research of O’Farrell (2006) at the Australian public service indicates that principles, code of conduct, statements of values has immense affect on the role and responsibilities of the managers. For instance, Ford motor company’s vision of aiming to become leading automotive consumer choice, this is a vision bounded in the culture of a company driving the managers towards more excellence in their respective performances as it has increased the role and responsibilities of the managers to accomplish and view the vision together with the workforce. â€Å"It is our responsibility as leaders, managers and administrators to transform the vision of the organisation into reality† (O’Farrell, 2006. p.8). This explains that the roles and responsibilities of the managers cannot be separated from the organisational According to Lester (2010) managers role turns at time into disciplinarian in small organisations as he or she attempts to ensure that the missions and targets are accomplished by the employees due to the organisational culture. However, it is not just limited to the small organisation as Ryanair is not a small business, but manager’s role is more disciplinarian due to organisational culture (Riley, 2013). Therefore, it can be said that no matter how simple or complex organisation may appear but managers have a definite role to play that is being architect by the organisational culture. Malinger et al., (2009) emphasized that the organisational culture is indeed a tone setter for the leaders and managers in not only accomplishing the organisational objectives, but the changes are also managed by the managers and leaders due to the existing organisational culture. The same study revealed that managers role may not emerge as clearly as it should have been due to the reason it is at time overshadowed by the organisational culture. To support the statement, a survey at a Goodwin company indicated that managers may not succeed in the bringing the changes in the organisation due  to the lack of employee’s personal motivation. This means that no matter how much strong influences of organisational culture may have on the responsibilities of the managers but there is no guarantee that employees will accept the changes if lacks motivation. Hence, we can say that the responsibilities of the manager further exceed as to motivate and convince the workers towards accepti ng and embracing the changes for the organisational interest. The role of a manager increase more when the organisational culture demands to bring the changes inside the organisation. The manager become more of mentor and a coach to ensure that employees are trained to accept and respond in right manner towards the required changes. In the example of Head Start, the managers and leaders role and responsibilities include empowering the workforce in order to bring the best out of them. The ‘Program Culture’ is the responsibility of the managers to make sure that every individual understand the culture of the organisation and positively contribute towards the organisational success (ECLKC, 2013). In other words, the manager’s prime role is to create an environment that promotes a healthy relationship among employee with employees, employees with the management, and employees with their respective jobs. Training and development is essential for the managers to ensure that employees are understanding the organisational culture an d contributing towards the organisational interest rather than personal goals and interests (Bennis, 1989). Lister (2010) propose that the role of managers shaped by the firms with organisational culture that promote the role of disseminated leadership culture where workers are integral part of the formation of the strategies related to business, will urge the managers to have more close coordination and interaction with the employees. From the above figure, it is clear that the corporate culture and strategy of the organisation must be align so that managers can accomplish their goals. Similarly, the research report of Head Start Program published by ECLKC (2013) revealed that the role of manager is to communicate with the workforce properly to make sure that the organisational operations are being carried out in a swift and smooth patterns. However, Riley (2013) strongly argue that leaders and managers’  personal style has more influence in shaping the organisational culture. Considering the case study of Ryanair, the â€Å"macho† management culture is dominated and result of the leadership style of Michael O’Leary. Despite, this notion, the management literature suggest that in majority of the cases, it is the organisational culture that has impact on the changing responsibilities and roles of the organisation, such as in the case study of TATA motors and Ford (Sriginia, 2012). Therefore, it can be said that manager’s may have more interaction with the subordinates to encourage their participation in the decisions. Furthermore, Reed Business Information, (2011) states that individuals inside the organisation forms the organisational culture. Individuals with more authority do lead the firms and have huge influence on the culture as a result of power linkage between subordinates and managers or leaders. For this reason, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding about the group’s distinct behaviors so that organisational culture and its influences on responsibilities and roles of the managers can be analyzed. Manager’s main task is to make certain that right things are done in right manner. This means that it is responsibility of the manager to establish the channels in which job is done in correct manner without enticing the workforce to react in a negative way. Mowbray (2010) consider trustworthiness, motivation, wisdom, intelligence, skills to foster others, and attentiveness are some of the key attributes required by the managers to accomplish the organisational objectives through workforce. Similarly, Kouzes and Posner (1993) also argue that the role of the manager is to built an effective team inside the organisation, that can only be possible when managers posses these types of attributes. The similar findings is evident in extract of Lister (2010) that manager’s role is to lead by examples. It is the responsibility of the manager to double check that employees are motivated and performing for increasing organisational outcomes. The core values of the organisation must be lived by the managers themselves. For this reason, it is important that manager should set examples. Ron Williams of Atena is example of how leading from the front is important as he is the first person who encourages his workforce to be the first person  to be informed about the bad news. The organisational culture of Atena has four phases that are (i) Integrity, (ii) Excellence, (iii) Inspiration, and (iv) Caring respectively. These four components are the core competencies of the organisation. The manager is responsible to make certain that quality services are being delivered in an effective and efficient way. The others are being respected and inspired to perform better. These core concepts are the actual components that encourages and develops the role of leader to be more result oriented within this framework. One of the element of Atena is discussed here to explain the impact of culture and that is inspiring each other to find new ways to make a world better place. RIB – Reed Business Information (2011) also states that managers must have adaption in his approach to develop a culture of positivity at workplace that a firm requires and inspire and empower other employees to do the tasks with positive attitude and intent. However, workwell model (2010) for health management, that is being issued by the Business In The Community – BITC does not consider the management behavior as the hub and therefore does not take in account the managers and employee’s behavior can have influence on the environment but it considers environment as a key consideration that will have a strong influence on the choices and feelings. Since the role of manager as being identified by various researchers as â€Å"inspiring and motivating employees† (Bennis 1989; Lister 2010; and Sirginia, 2012). Therefore, it can be state that full understanding of the organisational culture is essential to increase employee engagement, which is the responsibility of the managers within the organisation. Mowbray (2010) consider that code of conduct is one of the important responsibility of the manager to ensure that all the employees are following the code of conduct regularly. These code of conducts are in reality part of the organisational culture’s artefacts. This means that it is the duty of the managers to make sure that the employees are following the code of conduct inside the organisation. This way, it can be said that the management behavior is reflected as well developed through the organisational culture. Furthermore, Mowbray (2010) stressed on the role of  the manager to maintain a steady focus on the organisational management, people and talent management, and service management. We notice that the values must be promoted and lived by the managers themselves in a practical manner as Blue Skies case study, it was clear that the core values of the firm were not personally lived by the managers and owner which lead to the turmoil and severe consequences. On the other hand, it is viewed that IKEA Group corporate is preferred by the employees as they feel proud to be part of it. The reason behind it is the values are centre of the culture (IKEA, 2013). The principles, values, and missions are being reflected by the code of conduct as a guiding source for the managers to carry out their responsibilities. These codes enable the managers to manage conflicts and resolve disputes at the workplace. For this purpose, effective communication is very important. It is one of the key responsibility of the managers to monitor and evaluate that the smooth communication is flowing in horizontal as well vertical direction. In case of Head Start values and beliefs are most crucial for the managers and leaders to understand and deliver the best to ensure that the conflicts are resolved. Any conflict or issue is an obstacle that will hinder the organisation from performing properly. Therefore, manager’s responsibility is to make certain that the conflicts are being resolved in a way that will contributed to the success of the organisation. As the communication channels improve, there is more and more effectiveness and efficiency in the workin g of the organisation. Everything that a manager manages is with the ultimate goal of reaching and accomplishing the organisational objectives. Planning, organizing, controlling, monitoring, directing, staffing, and coordinating are all the primary roles of the managers in the organisation. All these roles are linked with the one ultimate objective that is to make the most of the available resources to achieve goals and targets of the organisation. It is evident clearly that vision and mission are part of the organisational culture that are translated by the managers through above mentioned roles of the managers. For instance, the manager’s behavior play vital role in the influencing the behavior of the others was identified in the process of NHS  managers’ quality assurance done by the management consultancy PwC – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC, 2009). This means that positive behavior of a manager is important to develop a positive culture so it can be said that it is the responsibility of the managers to ensure that positive workplace environment is established within the organisation. However, the roles and responsibility varies from managers to managers and organisation to organisation because of its own unique culture. It is not that only manager’s role and responsibilities are being influenced by the organisational culture. There are other things like the behavior, attitude towards work, and commitment and engagement of both employees as well managers are also influenced by the culture of the organisation. On the basis of above analysis it can be said that the organisational culture is like an umbrella under which all the values, beliefs, codes, principles, norms, and procedures groom to give rise to the unique identity of the organisation. The organisational culture is not limited to only written principles, it is something that from walk to talk must be embraced by each and every individual, transformed through the managers and lived by each and every individual. Organisational culture has three significant level that are similar to the iceberg, where underlying assumptions are covered inside rituals and generally taken for granted beliefs. Furthermore, it is also clear that role of manager is to make certain that employees are led by setting examples, building effective teams, promoting smooth channels of communications, conflict management, planning, organizing, coordinating, directing, monitoring, etc are all key roles of the managers. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the manager to make sure that employees are properly trained and embrace the organisational culture properly. The more employees are familiar with the organisational culture, more are the chances of smooth operations and long time sustainability. The organisational culture not only differentiate the organisation from the other in line competitors but helps in the business succession planning and developing the environment to retain the best talents inside the organisation. Employees who have better understanding of the organisational culture, works to promote the organisational goal with more devotion and  motivation. This means that talents are retained by the organisations. However, sometime the norms and beliefs may hinder in the way of progress and change as managers and leader unconsciously follow the same routes that they have been following from long time. It is essential to develop a system through which top management review that the organisational culture is positive and progressive, proving the opportunities for the workforce to be more professional and participative. References: Bennis, W. (1989). â€Å"Why Leaders Can’t Lead†. Training and Development Journal. 43 (4), 38. Deal, T.E. and Kennedy, A.A. (1982). Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life. Reading, MA: Peruses Books. Denison, D. (2010). What is an Organisational culture? why culture matters to your organisation . Available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd0kf3wd120. Last accessed 16th Dec 2013. ECDK, (1997). â€Å"Influencing Organizational Culture.† Leading Head Start into the Future. Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community Glendon, A.I. & Stanton, N.A. (2000). Perspectives on Safety Culture. Safety Science 34, 193-214. IKEA, (2013). Why work at IKEA? available at: https://www.ikea.com. Last accessed 16th Dec 2013. Kouzes, J., and Posner, B., (1993), Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lister, J. (2010). Organisational Culture’s Effect on Manager’s Role. Available: http://smallbusiness.chron.co m/organizational-cultures-effects-managers-role-18426.html. Last accessed 16th Dec 2013. Lundberg, C. C. (1990). Surfacing organisational culture. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 5(4), 19-26. Mallinger, M., Goodwin, D., And O’Hara, T.,. (2009). Reorganizing the organisational culture in Managing Change. Graziado Business Review. 12 (1), 1-30. Mowbray D. (2010). â€Å"Changing management behavior†. occasional paper, vol.3 no.7 O’Farrell, G. (2006) Cultures and Values in the Queensland Public Service, Speech presented at the Queensland Regional Heads Forum Annual Business Conference, Conrad Hotel, Broad beach, 25 May 2006. Available at: http://www.qrhf.gov.au/04_conferences/georgeofarrell.presentation.pdf.pdf. Last accessed 16th Dec 2013. PwC. (2009). â€Å"Assuring the quality of senior

The bard by john martin

History paintings ere then considered as the grand style of painting even though these paintings never really caught on in the British market, mainly due to their huge dimensions. On the contrary, landscape was considered a low genre. Despite these impediments, both of them had successful careers and raised landscape to the height of historical paintings. Another characteristic both painters shared was the inclusion of the Sublime in their art, which was very popular at the time. According to E. Burke's definition, the Sublime focuses on darkness, vastness, magnificence, loudness and denseness.I will analyze how when commenting on the painting The Bard. Turner's paintings had greatly Impressed Martin but their approach to historical paintings was quite different. They both portrayed grandiose representations of history and told stories about the Immensity of nature compared with the smallness of men. But when Turner was more interested in fate and how men were powerless in the immens ity of nature,John Martin oriented his works towards the Divine and the representation of grand biblical themes inspired by the Old Testament.John Martin's paintings were mainly based on religious and fantastic subjects. His most celebrated works were â€Å"Pallbearer's Feast†, â€Å"The Great day of his Wrath†, the â€Å"Destruction of Stood and Sonogram† or the Seven Plagues of Egypt†, amongst others. The Bard does not belong to this category but is still one representation of his conception of his art. It Is based on ancient British history. Martin's Bard was first exhibited In 1817 and Is an Illustration off poem, the Bard, written In 1757 by Thomas Gray.The mom tells the story of the last surviving bard In Wales who climbed above a swirling river after Edward I and the English troops defeated the country. Martin Is telling us almost word for word the same story. This is both a poetical painting as the bard was the official poet of the ruler and his co urt and a political painting portraying the king and his troops. This painting is huge in size (it is over 2 meters high). The story told is divided by the river which creates a chasm between the two halves of the minting, one with its chiaroscuro side with the bard overcoming the other side with the military.In the left foreground the dwarfed figures of the king and his soldiers overpowered by the castle which despite the defeat still stands erect. On the right- hand side, there are rocky cliffs, on top of which the bard stands erect immobile on his two feet, proudly holding his harp. His also being In the foreground but so much higher conveys the moral disparity between the two parties. His left hand points towards the sky, the bard Is the prophet who he Is telling the king that punishment ill come, not through human hands but through the Delve.There are hardly any warm tones, only some dark red on the figures, linking them, there is no doubt that atmosphere and adds to the traged y of the story told. Although the figures are important in order to tell the story, the landscape is the focus of the story, it is the drama that overpowers all other impressions. The wild, chaotic landscape with its spectacular effects, the vastness of the scale and the power of the noble bard give a full representation of the sublime.Also, we, as risers, are safe but, like the soldiers, we are compelled to look up at the Bard and the Divine could also destroy us. We have great admiration for the Bard who, we know, will commit suicide, but we also fear what fate has in store for us. Although John Martin's paintings gradually fell into oblivion after his death, his paintings have recently been exhibited and commented upon. His works have inspired many film makers and he is now considered a cinematic painter. One example is C. B. De Mille, Moses in his film â€Å"the Ten Commandments† has a striking resemblance with the Bard.

Competency Goal 6 Cda

Gayle Y. Garrett Competency Goal VI To maintain a commitment to professionalism Function Area 13: Professionalism As a professional, I promote child development, learning and build family and community relationships. I continue to attend professional development sessions and read articles about early childhood. I am a continuous, collaborative learner who demonstrates knowledge in my field from all types of sources. The Philadelphia School District provides the Head Start staff with many in-service training programs that are built into my schedule. My on-site professional development deals with areas such as the curriculum, nutrition, health, mental health, career development and parent involvement. As a teacher assistant, I do on-going observation of the students in the classroom; I gather information about many skills on a checklist. This includes writing, print awareness, language, and the purposeful use of materials. When I do observations, they include detailed notes so I can relate them more easily to many of the goals and objectives set for the children. I focus on about four children a day and spend about 15 minutes during rest time looking over my observations. I make sure the classroom is arranged so that there are interesting hands-on activities for all children. Also, I arrange space so that the children can navigate in and out of the space safely. I help choose activities that best meet all children’s abilities. Also, I participant in helping the children at mealtimes, I guide them washing their hands before and after each meal. I have the children assist in setting the tables, instruct them to keep all food and utensils on the placemats, and encourage them to use all utensils. I sit at the table with the children and model appropriate mealtime behavior. When I sit with the children at mealtime, it is an opportunity for language and social development. I encourage the children to participate in conversations. I also conduct circle time activities and assist the children with completing their journals and writing their name on their name strips. As a professional, I talk to the parents about the Head Start program. I work with the Head Start Family Service worker, Special Needs Coordinator, Nutrition Representative, Education Coordinator, Head Teacher and the Principal of the school. I work cooperatively with them to keep my classroom and students on the path so each child can reach their goals. In addition, I show a commitment to professionalism by demonstrating knowledge in child care service. As a professional, I work with young children and their families. I am knowledgeable in child care services and can provide information and support when needed. In conclusion, professionalism is an extremely important area when working in Early Childhood. I am determine to be the most professional teacher assistant for my teacher, students, and parents.

Women’s Rights

Should all women be equal to their status, opportunities and rights? Every woman should have the ability to express their freedoms and rights, deserve equal treatment within their society and region, and every country needs to reinforce the rules for women. There is no dignity and respect for women universally. Gender equality is still out of reach for many women worldwide. Presently, women have gained legal rights throughout the world. The women’s rights movement changed society into what we know today. They have allowed Canadian women to obtain a certain formal equality. They have also allowed women to vote and been given equal pay for equal work, however; women had to fight through difficult times to get through discrimination in the 19th century. In the past, women did not have the rights and freedoms as most men and were treated harshly. In other words, women had almost no rights at all. They were not allowed to vote, they could not hold in public offices, and were not given custody of their children if the couple had a divorce agreement. As a result, they were mainly seen as homemakers. Women were inferior to men in many different ways. Women did not have any property rights and once she was married, she was no longer allowed to own any land or property. A man could sell his house and take all the money for himself, and leave his wife and child behind with nothing. Womenfolk were not considered as people. The women’s rights movement helped them throughout the country by passing laws stating that women could own a part of her husband’s estate. Women were observed as socially and politically inferior and unable to function at the same level as men, however; with the rise of the civil rights movement, this finally made women equal as men. In the 1920’s, the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† spread gender equality dramatically. They began to take on more jobs, and wear more daring clothes. Rebellious and bold women, known as flappers, managed to exemplify women’s role in a social change by expressing equality with men. They proved that they could be more sophisticated than men and can achieve greater success. However, women were still paid less than men because they were cheaper to employ. In 1917, the military voters act gave women, who worked in the military, the right to vote. In 1927, the â€Å"Famous Five†, which included, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louis McKinney and Henrietta Edwards, asked the Supreme Court of Canada one question; â€Å"Are women considered to be people? † The term â€Å"people† did not include women, thus the court announced that women were indeed people too. This legal ruling established that women were to be regarded as equal to men under the law. The â€Å"Famous Five† is the reason why Canada is able to have women vote, thus they are very important for women’s rights. All women have the right for freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness. They must be considered equal and that they deserve the respect and dignity as all humans get. Women throughout the world are suffering because of the rules that are enforced in a specific area and region. If countries reinforce the rules for women, the world will be a better place for women all around the world. Countries can reinforce the rules by educating women further. Those who are well educated will have fewer children, earn more money, and will get more job opportunities. Their educational achievements can have ripple effects within their family and across the generations. Women with equal access to education, training and means can become a great resort. They can raise the living standards of their families and inject new life into the local economy. Also, investing in women’s education reduces poverty. Countries can also aid and support women by providing them with new job opportunities. Women who stay home become mentally sick and tired. Women who have a job will have new experience and will earn money to survive. It also improves self-value and will improve self-confidence. It will also help the government and the economy to grow exponentially. Also, all women should get equal pay for equal work. In nearly every country, women work for longer hours yet get paid less and are more likely to live in poverty. Economic disparities persist partly because of the unpaid work within families and communities and that becomes their downfall because they face discrimination in the economic sphere. Women in many countries still lack to own property because of gender discrimination. Most countries should reinforce these rules and make women live in a better civilization. Every woman deserves equal treatment within their society. Women in other countries continue to have lower education, fewer rights, and less income. Despite the successes of empowering women, numerous issues still exist in all areas of life, ranging from the cultural, political to the economic. They suffer verbal, emotion, physical and sexual abuse. In Saudi Arabia, women are lacking the rights that they are as human beings because of the Sharia Law. The Sharia Law is a law that neglects the rights and freedoms of every woman in Saudi Arabia. The law makes it hard to live. They are not allowed to drive and cannot dress in public with anything except for a burka. If a woman was caught without a burka, she could obtain a severe punishment with 40 whip lashes. No foreign based law or religious law should be allowed to encroach on women’s rights. India also discriminates against women. In India, lots of women die because of rape. It is an unforgettable moment that everyone would like to avoid at all cost. They will not be able to live a normal life and deal with anxiety for the rest of their life. Women are treated as a sexual object because men do not respect and value women in India. Dowry is another problem in India. This is when the property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage, however; if the bride is unable to pay, she is usually married off and mentally and physically tortured by their husband. Afghanistan is another country that disrespects women’s rights. Under the Taliban rule, women were stripped of all human rights. Women cannot seek for education because the Talibans don’t educate them in any way. They do not want them to be educated and intelligent because it would threaten the male dominance. Women are also not allowed to go to work and are forced to stay home. Afghanistan has the highest rate of violence towards women. The Taliban permits and encourages marriage for young girls under the age of 16. Most women in foreign countries, such as India, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, are forced to give up their ambitions, simply because the men feel that it is right to leave it as is. They cannot express themselves freely and are treated unlawfully. Women have endured many hardships and unfathomable oppressions. Despite all the troubles throughout each country and society, women have shown a tremendous resilience and human spirit. In conclusion, each and every woman deserves respect and dignity. Every woman should have the ability to express their freedoms and rights, deserve equal treatment within their society and region, and most country needs to reinforce the rules for women. Women continue to have lower education, fewer rights, and less income within their society. In the 19th century, women were not allowed to hold in a political office and married women had no property of their children and had no role in society. Womenfolk in foreign countries are treated wrongfully and improperly. If countries reinforce the law, they can live a better life so that they can succeed as much as men. All women and men are created equal and that they have equal value and should be accorded to equal treatment eternally.