Ethnographic Research Essay

The focus of my study is the interactions inside a nursing home environment. I observed the social interactions between the elders and nurses, elders and family, and elders among other elders. The reason why I decided to study this particular group of people was primarily because my grandma currently resides in a nursing home. I also wanted to observe how elders keep up with relationships and social interactions when living in a nursing home. Although my grandma was at the nursing home where I did my observations, I did not observe her as a subject. The building I did my observations in was called the Johnson Center. It was a two-floor, dark and light brown building. The entrance on the outside of the Johnson Center was inviting, but once I went inside, there was a sadness that overcame my mood. There was also this distinctive scent, like mixed meatloaf and hand sanitizer, which attached itself in my nose during the entirety of my observations. The area I did my observations was located on the second floor, directly in the middle of the floor. There were five halls that lead from the dining room to the bedrooms of the residents, and to an â€Å"activity room† and the â€Å"living room,† which had couches, a TV, two parrots in a cage, and access to the outside patio area. But, the dining room area was the main focus of study of my observations. The dining room area was about the size of the classroom we hold class in. It had a tall ceiling with many windows that let in some natural sunlight. There was a black piano, which is where I sat when I did my observations. A clear windowed office filled the side of the dining room. The tables in this dining room were set up with white table cloths, red napkins, coffee cups and utensils. When lunch came out, the trays took over the majority of space left on the table. Some tables were completed with chairs, while other tables weren’t, since the elders in wheel chairs occupied that space. The noise level was at a low-medium during my observations. It only got noisy when the utensils hit the plates, or when small chats among the elders, nurses and families occurred. The environment was comforting, with a hint of sadness and despair. â€Å"Creating the conditions for self-fulfillment for aged care residents,† by Sonya Brownie and Louise Horstmanshof, shows a study that measured how 27 residents in a high-care facility in Ohio spent their day. Unbelievably, there was only 4% of the time dedicated to organized activities, while 25% was spend in the dining room, and 9% was eating. I think this article is the most relevant and important to my research because it describes exactly what I observed, the dining room, which was where the elderly spend most of their day. This article also explains the importance of relationships, the importance of maintaining relationships and the effects of relationship deprivation. The article states that â€Å"deprivation of meaningful relationships and social engagement adversely effects the physical and emotional well-being of older people, leads to feelings of isolation and loneliness,† which I saw when I observed the elders’ social interactions. I observed that lack of social interactions effect the way certain elders behave or react in the nursing home, and almost every elder showed some sign of depression or sadness. It is true to my observation on the interactions between elders and other elders, in which elders isolate themselves from the group, and thus respond back with hostile behavior towards one another. Without social interactions, the elders create a sense of loneliness and depression, and their personal identity, self-esteem and personal control are all shaken. The article, â€Å"Families and Elder Care in the 21st Century,† by Ann Bookman and Delia Kimbrel, studied the importance of finding nurses who have the ability to understand each elder and how to adapt to their behavior, as well as the significance of nurses of color in comparison to the Caucasian elders. â€Å"Although most Americans refrain from putting their elderly kin in nursing homes, Latinos, African Americans, and Asians are least likely to do so. Even elders of color with greater care needs, such as those afflicted with dementia or chronic illnesses, are more likely than whites to receive care from their children and live in the community with them.† This statement describes the reasoning as to why the elder population in this nursing home is predominately Caucasian. It is because in Latino, African American and Asian cultures have their elderly live with their children. Gerritsen, Steverink, Ooms and Ribbel are the authors of â€Å"Finding a useful conceptual basis for enhancing the quality of life of nursing home residents,† which describes the quality of life, what the quality of life is and how it should optimized. It also describes what the factors in the social integration. This is the most important part of the article because it highlights exactly what factors are needed in order to improve on the elderly’s wellbeing and what needs are needed within the nursing home. First is social integration needs, which includes the factors of growth needs, self-esteem needs, as well as love and belonging needs. The second is material resource needs, which includes safety and security needs, and physiological needs. Every one of these needs is necessary in creating an environment dedicated to the needs of the elders. This will enhance their quality of life and thus â€Å"be dependent on the degree to which they are able, with assistance, to meet those needs.† The last article I found that related most to my research is called, â€Å"Nursing home residents’ dependence and independence.† The focus of this article is the observation of the pattern of social interaction between nursing home resident and the nursing staff during mealtimes. This was very similar to my observations on the elders in the nursing. In fact, the results were almost the same, as well. The study showed that residents were rarely socially active, which is true for my observations. Stated in the conclusion of the article, â€Å"the response of the nursing staff to the residents’ social engagement was variable†¦however, they did not respond at all and seldom displayed engagement-supportive behavior.† This statement holds true to my observations on the elderly and nurses as well. Although, I only studied a total of 5 nurses, the nurses’ response to the elders definitely varied, but almost every time, the nurses did not engage with th e elders, unless they had a specific duty.

The Rise of the Modern American Presidency

To begin, an anecdote that many are sure to recall and relate to is presented: as the United States found itself in a war, the likes of which it had never seen before, the President found himself at a crossroads of policy, power and the consequences of his actions, for whatever course he took, there would be political fallout. All of his advisors had something to offer, and of course, his critics and political enemies all stood ready to witness his downfall should he falter in his resolve or fail in his judgment.Ultimately, com/unit-3-our-government-today-the-legislative-and-executive-branches/">the President took full advantage of his powers- granted and implied- and set forth with his course of action, touching off a firestorm of disputes over the level of power he actually possesses, how much input such governmental bodies as the US Congress has in times of presidential posturing, and the like. The scenario presented sounds as if it could have been torn from the current headlines, as President George W.Bush is engulfed in controversy and opposition for his exercise of power in the midst of the modern war on terrorism, but a quick glance backward into the annals of history shows that this same scenario, albeit with some differences in circumstance here and there, could apply to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, and certainly could apply to any number of other presidents.The point to be made is that the increase and exercise of presidential power is one of the most critical issues and points of contention in American politics. Even in light of past (and present) poor decision making on the part of American Presidents, and the scandals that have rocked the presidency to its core in the past, every indication is that presidential power will only continue to grow as the 21st century unfolds and the complexity of the American political system grows (Shafritz, Weinberg).In this research, the different conceptions of th e proper role of the President in the American political system will be presented and discussed, with an ultimate goal of tracing the rise of the modern presidency, when/why the President became so powerful, why this power has endured, and whether or not the researcher favors and alternative, as well as the advantages/disadvantages of such powerful leadership. The Rise of the Modern American Presidency As this paper began, an anecdote was presented that in fact applies to every generation of presidential leadership in America.The existence of such power begs the first question of when this power first began to emerge. By design, the presidency of the United States was constitutionally intended to be of course an executive leadership role that was ultimately independent of the Congress that was also originated by the same Constitutional mandates (Lowi, et al). Therefore, from the beginning of the US itself, the President was placed in the position whereby he would have assert the pow ers of the presidency if he were to be able to gain/sustain any sort of assertive power during his years as chief executive.Throughout American history, there have been examples of passive and aggressive, weak and strong presidents, all because of their ability-or lack of ability- to successfully establish a power base within their administration. This power base can be gathered through a variety of means, such as the assembly of a powerful cabinet of advisors who in themselves possess the fortitude and connections to make their boss a more formidable chief executive, through holding the favor of Congress, such as when Congress is controlled by the political party of the president in question, or through his own cunning, skills or outright deception.Whatever the case may be the net effect over the past two centuries plus has been that the presidency has risen to a pinnacle of varying degrees of power, depending upon the person holding the office. When/Why the American President Gain ed Such Power The power that the President has the option of exercising or relaxing, according to most sources, has its modern roots in a specific administration and period of American history.The President was FD Roosevelt, and the time was immediately upon his assumption of office in 1932, through World War II, and up to the time of Roosevelt’s death in office in 1945 (Shafritz, Weinberg). In fact, the precedent that Roosevelt set with his administration seemed, in retrospect, to have taken the presidency to a new level of modern power. There are a few possible reasons for this. One reason that is frequently cited by many historians is the dawn of the development of the nuclear weapon- often called the dawn of the Atomic Age.With the existence of technology that could literally destroy the planet in a matter of moments put forth an interesting dynamic for the political landscape of America- first, although it was a highly guarded secret at the time, prior to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in 1945, the corridors of American presidential power undoubtedly came to the realization that they not only had an awesome responsibility to wield nuclear weapons in a careful manner, but also that there were likely other powerful nations, such as the USSR, who also held in their possession nuclear weapons that could likewise destroy the planet as we know it.Therefore, the American President became not only in a sense the judge, jury and executioner for the nation and the rest of the world, but also a sort of protector for all of the peaceful people of the world. From that point forward, international relations, technology and the deterioration of the state of peace in the world has galvanized the power of the American President.Why the Power Endures The endurance of the power of the President of the United States, it now appears, is essential to endure because of the dangers that lurk in the nations of the world, making it necessary for the American President to be a sort of watchdog for the entire planet. Additionally, there are other, more transparent but nonetheless significant reasons why presidential power endures.Whether anyone would care to admit it or not, the President of the United States is in many cases kept as a powerful individual due to the fact that the major political parties of America use the presidency as a central source of influence and clout for their party when a President from their particular party holds the office; therefore, it is of mutual benefit for the President and his party to work to support each other, and a key ingredient that is needed to make the coalition work is the gathering and retention of power.Elected officials likewise will help to make the President more powerful in exchange for his support in their political activities and aspirations. Literally, it must also be acknowledged that the President of the United States is explicitly granted certain powers by the US Constitution (Lowi, et al). Some of these-what are known as expressed powers- are somewhat automatic for the President. Others- known as delegated powers-many times require the consultation of Congress and others in order to be exercised.This being said, however, one only needs to look at today’s headlines to find countless examples where the current President has overstepped the boundaries of what is traditionally permitted on the President’s own initiative. Many claim that this is literally illegal-others are simply outraged- some take both stances. Therefore, what we see is that the President of the United States has acquired some powers, has some powers that are constitutionally built-in, and has other powers that have simply been grabbed without permission.Pros/Cons of Presidential Power Presidential power has its advantages and disadvantages- in many cases, the difference between the two lies in political affiliation and/or personal opinion. On the positive side, few would argue th at a President with the ability to defend the nation successfully from enemies, keep the economy going strong, and provide for the welfare of the people through the acquisition of power would be an unfavorable scenario.On the other hand, the â€Å"cons† of presidential power include possible abuses of that power, unfavorable consequences of the wielding of that power, etc. In any case, there will never be a perfect balance of presidential power, but perhaps there are ways to keep the power in check while still keeping the President as a strong leader for the good of the people. Researcher’s ViewsThe result of this research, in the mind of the researcher, has been to come to the realization that absolute presidential power is not a favorable situation, nor is the situation of a weak President who has to seek permission and motivation to accomplish anything. Therefore, the researcher herein puts forth an opinion that the issue of the appropriate level of presidential pow er cannot be answered with a political debate, election or document.It can, however, be balanced with presence of politically active citizens who speak out when the president oversteps his boundaries of authority, works to improve the nation, and constantly holds the President to a high standard of accountability and responsible use of power. Then, and only then, can presidential power be correctly held and utilized. Conclusion The President of the United States, even centuries after the foundation of America, remains an enigmatic contradiction- he needs to be powerful, yet that power needs to be regulated and monitored.Therefore, in closing, let this point be understood- blind faith in any leaders will inevitably create chaos. As such, every American has the responsibility to express their opinions, be heard, and fight to keep the presidency what it was intended to be- the voice of the people. Works Cited Lowi, Ginsberg, Shepsle (2005). American Government: Power and Purpose. 9th e d. New York: WW Norton and Company. Shafritz, Weinberg (2005). Classics in American Literature. 3rd ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Wadsworth.

Grades 9-12 Lesson plan on Political Status Of Puerto Rico for a Assignment

Grades 9-12 Lesson plan on Political Status Of Puerto Rico for a foreign language class (Spanish) in Florida USA - Assignment Example It demonstrates the power of the country to manage its foreign relations with other nations or states. 2. Citizenship is defined as person(s) entitled to enjoy privileges granted and all the legal rights by a state to its people who comprise a constituency and is mandated to obey and respect all the laws. They should also fulfill duties and responsibilities. 3. Rights of residents are governed by their ability to exercise their constitutional mandate to participate in political processes such as voting in local and national elections, representing their countries in various activities and functions and actively getting involved in nation building as one people. Importance: It is crucial for students in a foreign language class to appreciate the concept of level of autonomy, citizenship and rights of residents. It will help the students to understand the level of independence of the people of Puerto Rico, and the status of their citizenship in relation to the Jones-Shafroth Act of 191 7. The Spanish students will also appreciate the role of Spanish as a language in creating a holistic picture of what entails the other issues like political participation, judiciary and taxation. II. INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S)/OUTCOMES (What Is to Be Learned) 1. Objective By the end of this lesson, the students will have understood the meaning of Level of autonomy, citizenship and rights of residents. ... LACC.K.SL.2.4: Explain relevant concepts such as ethnicity, nationhood, leadership, and bill of rights and, with guidance and support, avail additional information. LACC.K.SL.2.5: Provide pictures, maps and Google images of people, infrastructure and political settings to descriptions as needed to give significant detail. LACC.K.L.1.1: Show command of understanding Spanish using standardized grammar and usage when writing or speaking. LACC.K.W.1.1: Use a connection of pictures, audio-visuals displays and writing to present and compose opinion pieces, which guides a reader through the topic or the name of the book they are reading. The learners should identify with their favorite audio-visual like the making of a nation, independence struggles and the people of Puerto Rico. 3. Goal 3 Standards Standard 1: Spanish class in Florida can locate, understand, interpret, analyze, keep, and apply information, ideas and concepts found in social science, the symbols, symbols, arts, recordings, video and audio displays, and computer files so as to carry out tasks and/or for understanding. The students will show an understanding and following directions to read a map. Standard 2: Florida students communicate in Spanish and other languages using Information, concepts, symbols, prose, reports, video and audio recordings, graphic displays, speeches and computer-related programs. The students will write, read, and use technical support like projectors to do their activity. Standard 3: Spanish class in Florida use creative thinking skills to produce new concepts and ideas, make the optimal decision that recognizes and solves problems through interpretation of maps, reasoning, and come up with effective methods to lifelong learning.

An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge Essay

An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge - Essay Example Plato invites us to imagine a group of life-long inhabitants of a prison-cave with no knowledge what so ever of the outside world. When shadows appear on the walls of the cave the inhabitants take them to be real entities without knowing that the shadows are actually those posed by the humans outside. This explanation of Plato directs towards the fact that â€Å"most of us live in ignorance most of the time. The worst of this situation is that we do not even know we are ignorant†. (Mitchell, 2008) The truth that we perceive, therefore, seems to be subjective to our experience and conditioning.The emotional states of our inner being determine the way we see the outside world. Great poetry works are inclined to this particular phenomenology. Poet Matthew Arnold, once, sitting over the edge of Dover Beach claimed the â€Å"grating roar† of the pebbles that the sea flung back and forth over the beach to have brought the â€Å"eternal note of sadness in†(stanza 1). Th e withdrawing of the sea from the coast only reminds him of the ignorance of people and their diminishing faith in god. It is the melancholic and sad state of the poet’s mind that makes him behold the sea also as sad. For a sad person, even a bright sunny green day will appear to be boring while for a joyous person, even a rainy, cloudy or a gloomy day might appear to be mirthful! Differences occur among individuals on the way we emotionally react to certain situations. Temper-oriented people do not need much of a reason to go haywire in anger while for those spiritually and morally inclined individuals, even the most aggravating circumstances might be won over by forgiveness. How we take things, therefore, is a matter of our subjective emotional state. The reason that we claim for any happening is purely determined by the kind of mindset we have been brought up with.

International Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Business Strategy - Essay Example It is a fashion house established by Thomas Burberry in 1856, which became iconic for its check pattern and its outdoor line of clothing, particularly its trench coats. Its long years of existence and ties with the British historical narrative since the 1900s, established Burberry as a heritage brand. At present, it is a holder of Royal Warrants, which is a form of recognition that the establishment provides goods to a member or members of the royal family. These variables are inherent in Burberry’s branding and figure prominently in its competitive strategies. But during the 1980s, the company has experienced poor performance and this persisted way until the latter part of the 1990s. This changed in the past decade and the company is considered to be one of the best global brands in its category and is operating with record profit. Currently, Burberry has more than 500 stores in over 50 countries. This report will explore Burberry’s strategies, which allowed it to gain competitive advantage in the luxury market and achieve successful expansion overseas. The Luxury Fashion Market: An Analysis The luxury fashion market is composed of several categories but these are mostly dominated by apparel and footwear. It can also include leather goods, accessories and jewelries. While each of these can very well be considered a separate industry, companies tend to sell them all given the fact that they do overlap, mainly because they have the same consumer demographics and consumer demand profile. The fashion luxury industry – mature industry - caters to a specific group of consumers: the wealthy. These are those who need practical (since clothing and footwear are, of course, necessities) but prestigious products; and those who are fashion conscious. This variable explains why the industry emphasizes intensive marketing and advertising campaigns. The consumer demographics and demand profile, wrote Wagle (2003), also underpins how the overall industry d emand is driven by â€Å"general economic trends, including changes in disposable personal income, consumer confidence, and consumer spending.† What this means is that in times of economic growth, the market’s demand is driven by the consumers’ need and impulse, whereas, during economic downturn, caution permeates the market. This is demonstrated in the poor performance of luxury fashion companies during the recent financial crises. The financial crunch, based on several empirical evidences, is proven to put pressure on the luxury market. The Global Economic Crisis Resource (2009, p.27), for instance, stated in one of its findings that â€Å"much activity in the luxury market has been driven by easy credit and perceived wealth† and that the crisis has significantly reduced the net worth of the rich, forcing them to cut consumption significantly. Today, the luxury fashion industry is a lucrative business due to globalization. The robust development of emer ging economies such as China, India, Russia, and other countries, has led to an expanded demand for luxury goods. In addition, it also provided the opportunity to source cheaper materials and labor abroad. The integration of the international market has facilitated these trends and companies like Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Burberry effectively seized the opportunity to their advantage. However, it also increased competition and changed the dynamics by which products are made and sold to consumers. Competition As previously

Island of Aruba Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Island of Aruba - Essay Example Aruba is thus a natural magnet for tourists all over the world especially the world's rich and famous. Naturally, hotels, restaurants, beach resorts and other tourism infrastructures mushroomed in the capital Oranjestad and elsewhere in Aruba's 193 sq. km. island, which is an autonomous member of the Kingdom of Netherlands. It has the best of both worlds, enjoying full autonomy in its internal affairs from Netherlands yet enjoying the mantle of protection, specifically in defense and foreign affairs from the Dutch Government (Brushaber 2). Aruba's tourism has leapfrogged beyond everyone's imagination that it has dwarfed its oil refining and offshore banking concerns. Statistics show that 1.5 million tourists visit Aruba annually 75% of whom come from USA. Likewise hotel occupancy in 2004 averaged 80% where the rest of the Caribbean nations only managed 68%. Its GDP has risen astronomically to $2.4 billion and its GDP per capita to $23,831 which ranks it as 32nd in the whole world (CI A, The World Factbook). them and the rest of humanity: that Aruba has been identified as a jump-off point for US and Europe-bound narcotics such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana and that many of its denizens are drowning i

Sustainability in Event Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sustainability in Event Industry - Essay Example Conversely, should it be run haphazardly with the managers involved taking for granted the consequences of certain action or occurrences that may be detrimental to the aforementioned, tourism is likely to be rendered; expensive, self-destructive and counterproductive to the; tourist, environment and the host communities. This underscores the importance of sustainable tourism; which has been defined by WTO (1981) as sustainable tourism development involving meeting the desires and expectants of visitors and the host regions but also protecting the areas and the culture for posterity. Tourism is only beneficial in the long run if it is managed in a manner that enhances cultural and environmental sustainability, therefore culminating into sustainable tourism; which results from careful resource management such as to ensure the aesthetic needs are met while cultural integrity and biological diversity are preserved It is estimated that over the last decade, the Caribbean could have lost o ver 80 percent of it coral reef owing to environmental degradation and host of human events; not the least among them tourist related activities (Balch, 2013). A coral reef is a system made up of corals and their remains, however therein exists thousands of living organisms such as fish marine plant and sponges, coral reefs are quite fragile and require specific condition such as access to clear sunlight and consistent salinity and temperatures to survive. In addition, many of the species living within it are interdependent thus removal of some spices sets off a chain of reactions that may decimate the whole coral ecosystem. Despite the fact that the biodiversity of the coral is one of the main reasons tourists visit the Caribbean they directly and indirectly have been responsible for a lot of the damage. For example, the many ships and liners ferrying tourist to this destination cause a great deal of water pollution and this negatively affects coral life, in addition the culture of sport fishing has resulted in the dwindling of the number of aquatic organisms (Brown, 2013). Some of the fishing methods used include using cyanide and explosives, this not only directly poison the reef but cause it mechanical damage. In addition, with the growth of the industry, more ports and piers are being built and some are built on top of or at the edge of coral reefs resulting in further damage, this is not to mention a thriving trade in souvenirs made out of coral. Ultimately, from the trends observed, the tourism industry is killing the very object that has made it grow as such without proper management, the tourist and locals will soon eliminate the every reason there is tourism and the industry will collapse in the long run due to unsustainability. This is just one many examples of unsustainable tourism which if unchecked will likely jeopardize the future of tourism, however in move towards self-preservation, the tourism industry is taking mitigate action prominent amon gst which is promotion of ecotourism. Ecotourism funder mentally involves visiting previously undisturbed natural environments with the intention of admiring and learning from them while causing the minimum disturbance (Ramaswamy & Kumar, 2010). Through eco-tourism tours managers

Politicians and Elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Politicians and Elections - Essay Example The expectations of the electorate regarding personal conduct and characteristics of politicians, immensely impacts the decisions of voters on the people to choose during the election period (Thurber, 2004). The perceptions held by the electorate significantly affects the decision making process of the electorates. Within political scenarios, various challenges define the success of political campaign, including the presence of a crisis and the ability to handle the crisis amicably. These perceptions commonly occur in three dimensions of personals character, associated individuals and characteristics regarding the citizenship of the person. During the campaign period, the politicians aim at convincing the electorate to change the negative perceptions held, regarding the politicians. The rhetoric method of self defense could be utilized in damage control of an individual’s political character, as well as personal character. Though the method could be identified as containing pa ranoia or arrogance, the utilization of the method by George Hansen enabled him to continually get re-elected into the United States congress. The character of this politician underwent serious scrutiny within the congress, and outside the congress. During the campaigning period, Hansen continually employed the method of delivering rhetorical speeches as a way of seeking to convince the electorate about his questionable character. The issues arising within the political scenario, surrounding Hansen, centered on his personal behavior and professional conduct (Short, 1987). This included felony charges and accusations of providing false information regarding his wealth. While defending his political character during the election period, Hansen immensely utilized rhetoric speech to persuade the electorate otherwise, regarding his tainted political character. Voters appear to consider the character competence of politicians over the proposed policies, and in turn increase the desire for politicians to present themselves as capable, regardless of their perceived public image. The crisis within politics appears to affect the electorate decisions adversely; hence the management of these issues remains fundamental to successful campaigning. Accusations of deceptive dealings between opposing candidates continue to present surmountable crisis within campaign teams. The response offered to the public could be termed as a damage control measure for the candidates. While some candidates might choose to answer such image tainting crisis through the media, others speak directly to the electorate as a way of convincing them. Political analysis cannot define the better method of crisis control; however the candidates choose modalities which they deem fit for their campaign teams. Proper handling of political crisis stands between success and failure for any prospective political candidate in modern politics. The challenges presented by political crisis could adversely affect t he probability of candidates getting elected into prospective seats. In handling the political crisis that questioned his integrity, Hansen delivered speeches to the electorate. Concerning the prevalent issue of age, President Reagan failed to deliver any speech; however, he rhetorically joked about the issue and utterly ended the recurrent speculations regarding his age (Hahn, 1987). The methods utilized in handling political crisis depend heavily

Social policy in theory and practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social policy in theory and practices - Essay Example Nevertheless, this functionalist view of the relationship between economic policy and social policy does not clarify the general inclination to give more importance to economic policy than social policy (Walker &Wong, 2009). This essay analyses the relationship between social policy and economic policy in terms of Keynesian and Monetarist economic ideas in relation to welfare. Theoretically, there should not be any inconsistency or disagreement between economic policy and social policy if the latter approves and supports the economy. Nevertheless, in reality, social policy is generally viewed as a hindrance to economic development; it is viewed as pulling out economic resources and spending them on noneconomic activities (Kesselman, Krieger, & Joseph, 2009). Basically, social policy does not possess an independent and rightful sphere; it is considered to be a ‘poor person’s economic policy’ (Moroney & Krysik, 1998, p. 231). However, the state has a natural obligation to make sure that its social policy and economic policy are not conflicting. For this reason, once a welfare state is founded the rationale of its activities starts to work. The citizens become used to taxation and tend to view social policy as an integral part of social institution in highly industrialised or developed economies. On the contrary, citizens in pre-welfare s tates are less likely to recognise or allow taxation because of the absence of confidence in state agencies and the absence of actual experience or knowledge of the advantages of a welfare state (Walker & Wong, 2009, p. 1). In such circumstances, social welfare is commonly limited to the poor or substantially dispossessed by reason of charity. Regardless of the form of taxation (e.g. income tax, excise tax, etc), the capacity of the state to financially support its political and social activities relies on the capacity of the private sector to produce, invest, and accumulate

The Basic Unit of Life Essay Example for Free

The Basic Unit of Life Essay One of the hallmark characteristics of living things is that they perform chemical reactions. These reactions are collectively known as metabolism. Cells, the basic units of life, can perform many of these metabolic reactions. In a multicelled organism, the cells group together to form tissues that perform the same functions. Tissues group together to form organs, and finally, several organs exist together in a system. In this lesson, we will see how and why this hierarchy is established. The Basic Unit of Life All organisms from the smallest single-celled protists to huge whales and giant redwood trees are based on tiny microscopic cells. The types and number of cells may vary, but the cell is the basic unit of life. The cell is the minimum amount of organized living matter complex enough to carry out the functions of life as outlined in Lessons 1 and 2. In the most basic sense, a cell is made of a gelatinous living substance we call protoplasm, which contains many small structures, all surrounded by a membrane. Cell Structure The cell membrane separates the living cell from the rest of the environment. However, this membrane is not just a static solid wall. It must allow food molecules and oxygen to enter and wastes to exit. Thus, the cell membrane is semipermeable because it allows some things to pass through, but not others. It must also communicate and associate with the membranes of other cells. Inside the cell membrane is a substance called protoplasm in which many tiny structures called organelles (because they act like small versions of organs) are suspended. Some of the more important organelles and their functions are listed in the following table

Critical Evaluation Of Contemporary Issues In Hospitality Management Tourism Essay

Critical Evaluation Of Contemporary Issues In Hospitality Management Tourism Essay Hospitality is a dynamic industry that is ever changing as a result of several external factors. The industry has become more competitive than ever before. Some companies often fail while others are very successful. Tanke (2001) argues that successful firms acquire, manage, and develop resources that provide competitive advantage. They also control and build up relationships with a large number of organizations, various stakeholders, and groups. Globalization has intensified the competitiveness and for firms to remain competitive they have to expand their relationship networks and collaborate with each other to remain competitive. Many firms are starting to monitor and manage key indicators to cut on cost and save money. According to Ottenbacher and Gnoth (2005) There are several contemporary issues in the hospitality industry which include, human resource management, strategic management, use of ICT and gastronomy and tourism. Much of changes in issues have been brought about by globalization. For example in the case of human resource, globalization has brought diversity in the human resources. Information communication technology has advanced much in development. The high number of people travelling to foreign lands has brought changes in the gastronomy and tourism. Hospitality businesses must therefore manage all these issues to succeed in their operations. Tanke, (2001) argues that hospitality businesses will need to focus more on brand, human resource, emerging markets and information communication technology. These are the primary determinants of the winners and losers in years to come. Strategic management is thus important in determining the success of these firms. Strategic management has been hailed to provide higher levels of satisfaction than other management tools. Literature Review HRM Issues In the Hotel Industry Globally The importance of valuable human resource management to business success in any use of human resources can give an organization a competitive advantage. The importance of human resources is particularly significant in hospitality industry. Duncan (2005) suggested that there are several main areas of challenge and worry in the global hospitality industry, relating to employment issues, taxation levels and environmental issues. Employee turnover According to Hinkin and Tracey (2000) employee turnover has become one of the challenges in the hospitality industry. The industry globally suffers from high level of staff turnover, which result to intangible costs and high direct expenditure. Riegel (2002) argues that turnover is a result of several factors such as job dissatisfaction, poor working environment, poor supervision and lack of commitment that influence employee attitude and behavior. Iverson and Deery (1997) carried out a research on the labor requirements of the hospitality industry and established that the high turnover rate is one the most difficult issues in human resource management in that context. They reported that the turnover problem in large hotels was much worse than in small hotels. Many hotels are planning to increase the number of people employed simply to cover the turnover situation. Hoque (1999) contends that service quality focuses on the nature of the interaction between the individual employee and the customer at the point of service, in terms of politeness and overall professionalism. Hoque also argues that service quality is the main factor in creating competitive advantage in the hotel industry, and that any hotel that does not make an effort to improve continually its service quality will lose ground. Competitive advantage generated from internal sources includes such characteristics as value rareness, exceptionality, and non-substitutability (Iverson, Deery 1997), and the employee at the end of the service delivery system may well be the only differentiated and unique asset of a hotel organization that cannot be easily copied. Hinkin and Tracey (2000) have also recommended that there are in fact only two ways to compete in and differentiate between hospitality services. One is by competing on price and minimizing costs, which locks a hotel into a particular market segment. The other is to compete by providing exceptional service. They note that customer care is not a new concept in the service industry, but it is still a complex thing to control and sustain. In the face of the high level of turnover in the hotel industry, it is possible that some customers are served by employees who are fairly untrained, less committed, and less capable in their social skills. But dealing with this requires the use of quite organized approaches to service quality management. Huang (2001) suggested that if an organizations first and foremost objective is to provide a service, a holistic approach to service quality management must be developed and employed, insightful at all levels of the organization from the chief executive to the entry level employees. Training and development Garavan (1997) argues that training and development of employees is linked to service quality because its activities can be used to strengthen attitudes and behaviors that lead to effective service. Several researchers have suggested that developing a service culture during training and development and knowledge building are good practices. Employees training and development of skills help firms to enhance quality of service, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Elsewhere, Davies, Taylor and Savery (2001) investigated certain human resource management functions in improving employees relations in western Australian accommodation industry and found out that sustained training and development led to an important improvement in productivity, with a reduced turnover of employees. Huang (2001) argued that in Taiwan training and development was the main significant driver for economic development. Staff recruitment and selection Alleyne, Doherty and Greenidge (2006) contend the due to the nature of the hospitality industry; labor demand is much unpredictable and subject to seasonal variation. As a result the hospitality industry has had negative image among prospective employees. Elsewhere Debrah and Budhwar (2004) argue that changes in the macro environment for example ageing workforce, lower birth rates have also contributed to employees shortage heightening the imbalance between the employee demand and supply. This has made employee resourcing a great problem and highlights that effective management of demand and supply of best employee is a great problem in the hospitality industry (Tanke, 2001). Global competitiveness in the hospitality industry Successful hospitality firms eventually find that their domestic markets are either saturated or that foreign markets offer opportunities for growth and profits which are not available domestically. Several forces are leading businesses into the global arena. These include trade barriers falling especially in Europe and North America, newly industrialized countries, shift towards market economies, availability of financial capital; standards are becoming uniform globally and advancement in information technology (Tanke, 2001). Organizations that want to remain competitive must therefore acquire state of the art resources at a lower price, for example they may consider expanding to emerging nations where labor is cheap. The strategic management repercussions of increasing globalization are extreme. Managers cannot afford to overlook opportunities in foreign markets. Nonetheless, business methods and customs vary from country to country. These disparities make stakeholder analysis and management even more important. Analysis of wide environmental forces such as society, technology, and political influences ought to also be extended to the different regions in which an organization carries out business. People also vary greatly from region to region. The challenge of an ever increasing competitive global marketplace can be tackled through a well-devised strategic management process. Nevertheless, tactical planning must not always lead to the kinds of changes that are essential to stay aggressive over the long term. Technology Although there has been an increasing awareness of the value of state of the art integrated systems many hospitality firms still do not take advantage of them. There inadequate understanding of how much competence could be improved via use of these systems. Tanke, (2001) argues that hospitality administration systems have over the years developed into complex, well incorporated tools which help firms to make more revenue, attract more guests, and improve effectiveness. Nevertheless, some business still hang on systems that have are much ahead of their competitive useful life. This limits them from having the benefits that are brought about by these systems. Though several firms are scared of upgrading their systems because they fear that their employees will not be in a position to handle these systems, there is need for training the employees how to use these systems (Tanke, 2001). Alleyne, Doherty and Greenidge (2006) contend that as systems become more inclusive their support and security management become necessary and complex. However it must be noted that it is almost impossible for organizations to have their own technical support staff skilled in all the system they use. Guest report has become an aim for thieves and attacks on computers are becoming more complex. These trends call for a shift towards more professional system management; this may be a corporate team or an agreement party. Elsewhere Debrah and Budhwar (2004) argue that innermost revenue management teams, for example, can provide specialist help to numerous properties in a regionally unified way. Centrally-hosted systems permit highly-skilled technicians to offer a far more protected and managed systems environment than would be accessible to an individual firm. This trend is expected to prolong as understanding grows of the value of maintaining systems operating at peak proficiency, and o f the possible harm from security violations. Methodology According to Hoque, (1999) two essential questions were put to a sample of hotels: What are the key human resource management issues and concerns in the hospitality industry of Taiwan? And what are the main human resource management roles and practices used to engage with them? Rather than default to a single issue approach to the interviewees, the interviewer tried to examine human resource management in the hospitality industry in an entirely open-ended way. The respondents were free to raise any human resource management issues, concerns, functions and practices that they thought to be significant. This method allowed the researcher to notice what came up in order of priority for the respondents, or what failed to come up at all (Hoque, 1999) The method used was qualitative and the main technique was in-depth interviews. Leading questions were avoided by the researcher on order to gain a deeper understanding of some phenomena as experienced by a group of people (Creswell, 2003). It was not possible to examine all the hotels in Taiwan because of financial and time constraints. The researcher selected the chain hotels which he expected to have formalized human resource management practices than smaller hotels. The researcher further segmented the hotels according to number of rooms, geographic location, and brand. The researcher interviewed senior managers but in some cases some hotels that were approached refused to be interviewed arguing that they would consider questionnaires because of their tight schedules. Although there are few definitive rules for sample size in qualitative enquiry (Patton, 2002), it has been suggested that 12-20 examples are needed when trying to obtain the broadest range of information and perspectives on the subject of study (Kuzel, 1992). At the time this research was conducted, there were 46 chain hotel properties in Taiwan and the sample selected totaled 14 hotels, which represents 30.43%of the total population of such hotels. Analysis The findings were presented together because some issues were common to all the respondents and had cause and effect relationship. Fourteen participating hotels identified several main issues namely shortage of employees 100% of the respondents, 64% of the respondents talked of challenges in approach to training and development. While 50% of the respondents emphasized on the high level of employee turnover. Shortage of employees Participants pointed out that the overall education level in Taiwan has risen in the last decade. This has caused a problem to the hospitality firms in recruiting entry level employees. The increased growth of the hospitality industry has made the shortage even worse. Respondents however, believe that at middle level the case is different there is o shortage at this level. However those who hold these positions are not qualified but only fill these positions because a vacancy has to be filled. Shortcoming in Approaches to training and development Most of the employees have no hospitality background this calls for a sophisticated training and development approaches. Nevertheless, some hoteliers believe that that is not a major problem because they believe that skills can be gained on job training. High level of employee turnover Participants pointed out that this was unavoidable because of the nature of the hospitality industry. In certain cases the turnover might be positive to the industry as it may remove de-motivated staff. Respondents also pointed out that older employees led to lack of innovation, infusion of fresh ideas and creation in the firm. Discussion From the in depth interviews it can be argued that challenges in training and development, inadequate employees and problems in internship employment can be attributed to customer service quality discussed in the literature. Kuzel, (1992) argues that employing interns is a solution to the shortages in the hospitality sector. Interns provide stable employment especially at the entry level. Some hotels just view interns as supportive force as opposed to long term investments. It is recommended that hospitality managers should create a sense of belonging to the interns so that they could come back and work in these establishments. Most participants in this study appeared to accept Hoques (1999) view that the high level of turnover is a fact of life and a regular and acceptable phenomenon in the hospitality industry (Iverson Deery, 1997). In the fact, turnover still can be improved by better management, as long as human resource managers can see it as an opportunity, not just an unavoidable problem. Some researchers have recommended that specific human resource management practices can improve employee satisfaction which in turns minimizes the turnover rate. Empowerment is one of the efficient approaches suggested by many researchers (Enz Siguaw, 2000a, 2000b; Lashley, 1999). They recommended that it is significant to give power to the employees who provide services by focusing on customers needs. Service encounters are the key activity in a customer service business and employees may encounter a lot of diverse unique situations which cannot be covered by the organizational policies and actions (Iverson Deery 1997). If organizations are able to give power to their employees, then they are able to exercise prudence in delivering customer service and do whatever is required to satisfy customers needs (Enz Siguaw, 2000a; Lashley, 1999). It has been disputed that empowered employees also have a propensity to have a strong sense of control and personal worth because they can take liability for the service encounter and have the power to effect customer satisfaction (Lashley, 1999). At another level, it has been recommended that empowered employees are motivated by doing meaningful work that eventually enhances their job satisfaction and reduces the turnover rate s According to Lashley, (1999) as a result of global economic changes there has been increased competition and uncertainty, the firms have to be flexible in employee resourcing and responding to customers. The human resource managers must use methods that give them flexibility to employ employees to respond to variations. This type of employment helps the organization to cut on direct labor cost and also provide flexibility for employees and employers. One of the possible negative characteristic is that dispatching workers have a limited relationship with hotels in which they will work ensuing in low trust and low commitment. These might, in turn, lead to disagreement between direct-hire and dispatching workers, and between management and employees (Kalleberg, 2000). Another likelihood is that it is more expensive to manage the outsourcing activity than initially expected, so that the goal of cost saving is not achieved (Albertson, 2000). The tendency towards flexible working has become inevitable in such a fluctuating environment (Purcell Purcell, 1998), and dispatching is one of the arrangements which are prone to be a permanent dynamic of the hotel industry in the future. While becoming more popular in Taiwan, but there is no rule of the process at the time of writing. It has been argued that it is essential to regulate dispatching employment, because of the complex triangular employment relationship between dispatching company, dispatched worker, and the firm to which they have been dispatched (Kalleberg, 2000; Purcell Purcell, 1998). Conclusion This study set out to find out the contemporary issues in the hospitality industry. Due to its nature the hospitality industry and globalization effect the industry has several contemporary issues. These contemporary issues have a direct impact on the hospitality industry and for that reason they must be strategically managed for these businesses to succeed. This study however lays emphasis on the contemporary issues in human resource management. The findings of this study suggest that many of the participating hotels thinking and mindset are at the operational level, rather than the strategic level. Even though a good number were able to identify particular human resource management issues as vital, it seems that many do not have strategic approaches to deal with these challenges. Equally, although most perceived specific human resource management functions and practices as being very important, some of these are not utilized in a complicated way. Some of those interviewed had novel thoughts and creative ideas but had a limited voice or participation in decision-making. It seems that their role is seen as being to go behind the policy that has been already set by top management, rather than being an active voice or head in the organizations thinking. It was very strange for respondents in this study to have a seat at board level or to play a key role in creating and supporting competitive advantages for the business. The interviewer concluded that human resource management is not usually seen as a source of competitive advantage, and many look forward to maintain competitiveness mainly through new facilities and amenities. Nonetheless, Ottenbacher and Gnoth (2005) have argued that the efficiency of a hotels approach to human resource management is just as significant as a source of sustainable advantage. This study has stressed that the highly competitive nature of the industry affects both customers and staff. In particular, talented people are much preferred in a labor-intensive customer service industry. This research has expectantly provided some practical and strategic suggestions for hoteliers to cross the gap between the operational level and the strategic level of thinking and practice. Nevertheless, it is concluded that hotel owners need to be aware that human resource management must be managed well in order to keep up with changes in the global environment. The human resource management function is no longer one of traditional personnel administration; instead, it must be strategic and proactive in dealing with complicated human resource management issues.

Essay --

1) What is Six Sigma (6S) ? 1.1 The concept The sigma’s concept comes from the Greek letter ‘ÏÆ'’ which the statisticians use to describe the â€Å"the standard deviation of a population†. So, Sigma represents the variability within a population. A high quality level of Sigma demonstrates the possibility of defective products. The higher the Sigma’s level, the lower the rate of the defective. Hence, the use of Six Sigma helps to reduce the variation, achieving small standard deviations and improving the product’s quality.(Pande et al 2002, Breyfogle 1999, Breyfogle et al 2001, Oakland 1999) 1.2 The background Six Sigma was developed by Motorola in the late 1980s with a view to improving the quality (Bhote 2002). In 1990s, General Electric and Allied Signal implied Six Sigma successfully. After that, more and more organisations firstly in United States and after worldwide developed 6S and it won the attention of the business world. The strategy of Six Sigma includes the use of statistical tools within a structured methodology for obtaining of knowledge needed to achieve faster, better and cheaper products and services from the competitors. The disciplined and the repeated implementation of the main strategy are the key of the 6S. (Breyfogle 1999, Urdhwareshe 2000) 1.3 Definition of Six Sigma Six sigma has many definitions depending on the authors, it can be defined as a strategy, an operational initiative, a statistic method, a tool for measurement, a target, a comparative performance’s measure, a vision, a philosophy and other. Breyfogle (1999) supports that Six Sigma is considered an operational strategy that uses a well-structured continuous improvement methodology. The aim is to reduce the variability of processes and the c... ...Six Sigma is not a technique or a method, according to the definition of Mario Perez-Wilson (1999), the 6S targets an optimized performance level with almost zero defects in a process that produces products, services or transactions. It indicates an achievement and maintenance of a world-class performance. Six Sigma is the result, not the journey. Accordingly, Perez-Wilson does not consider the Six Sigma as a methodology, but as a target. Consequently, according Knowles (2011), as output of the different views, Six Sigma has three aspects and it is: 1) A measure: How far is the organisation from the target and the perfect quality ? 2) A target: 3.4 defects per one million opportunities. 3) A philosophy: It focuses on sustainability and on a long term strategy which targets on the reduction of expenses, decreasing the variability in the process and the products.

Happiness in the Fourth Epistle of Alexander Popes An Essay on Man

Alexander Pope's philosophical poem An Essay on Man, published in 1732-134, may even more precisely be classified, to use a German phrase, as Weltanschauungliche Dichtung (worldviewish poetry). That it is appropriate to understand An Essay on Man as world view in verse, as a work which depicts humanity's relationship to and understanding of a perplexing and amazing world, is indicated in the statement of the poem's "Design" in which the author avows that his goal was to examine "Man in the abstract, his Nature and his State." Indeed, Pope sought to fulfill his agenda by describing in each of the work's four "epistles" the nature and state of man with respect (1) to the universe, (2) to man himself as an individual, (3) to society, and finally, (4) in relation to happiness. Pope's poetic and powerful examination of these themes in which "attitudes generated by deism, eighteenth-century sociality, and Roman Catholicism come together" (Mack lxxiv-lxxv) establish this composition as one of the truly great literary statements of a particular world view perspective in the history of the West. Pope's concern with human teleology in An Essay on Man also distinguish it as a distinctive piece of world view literature. According to "The Design" of the poem, Pope asserted that in order to understand man or any creature, it was necessary "first to know what condition and relation it is placed in, and what is the proper end and purpose of its being." For Pope, drawing on a venerable ideal from antiquity onwards, the end and purpose of humanity was happiness.1 As he exclaims at the very beginning of the fourth epistle, The heritage of the supremacy of happiness is impressive. For example, Aristotle believed that happiness was man's stron... ...he bliss of all beings in the chain of being) "Sees, that no Being any bliss can know, But touches some above, and some below." EM 4. 343-50 (regarding bliss in God) "For him alone, hope leads from goal to goal And opens still, and opens on his soul; Till lengthened on to Faith, and unconfined, It pours the bliss that fills up all the mind. He sees, why Nature plants in Man alone Hope of known bliss, and Faith in bliss unknown: (Nature, whose dictates to no other kind Are given in vain, but what they seek they find) Wise is her present; she connects in this His greatest Virtue with his greatest Bliss." EM 4. 359-60 (regarding love and happiness) "Happier as kinder, in whate'er degree, And height of Bliss but height of Charity." EM 4. 397-98 (regarding bliss and virtue) "That Virtue only makes our bliss below; And all our Knowledge is, ourselves to know."

Catcth Us If You Can Chapter 1-5

Chapter 1 Rory and his grandfather are waiting to see Dr Nicol, their  family doctor at the doctor’s waiting room. Rory calls his grandfather as Granda. Granda cannot sit still. He goes off to smoke his pipe and comes back. Granda walks over to the noticeboard. There is an old woman sitting beside it. Rory asks Granda to sit still. A young girl about sixteen years old comes in with a baby in her arms. Granda stands up and opens the door for her. Granda asks Rory to help to take her bag. Granda likes the baby and starts talking to it. The young girl giggles and says the baby name is Lorelei.Granda then asks if the young girl calls her baby after Marilyn Monroe and she is confused. The young girl again says that her baby’s name is Lorelei and not Marilyn. Granda is good about films and Marilyn Monroe is one of his favourites. Suddenly the old woman smells smoke. The young girl also smells it as well. She jumps up and shouts that Granda is on fire. Everyone in the doctor ’s waiting room sees that Granda’s pocket is burning. Then the smoke alarm begins to wail. The receptionist rushes to them yet Granda is still smiling. Rory grabs a vase filled with flowers from the receptionist’s counter and throws the water all over Granda.Dr Nicol is surprised to see Mister McIntosh wet. Granda complains that Rory is trying to drown him. Rory says that it is not the first time his grandfather sets something on fire. Dr Nicol likes Granda and Rory; both are like double act that always makes him laugh. Dr Nicol is glad that he has a grandson like Rory who looks after him and reminds him to take his medicine. Dr Nicol tries to get Rory a home help. Rory agrees that a home help will be a good idea but Granda does not like it. Granda’s memory is getting bad from worse. He leaves shoes in the fridge and milk at the bottom of the wardrobe.Rory needs help to look after his  grandfather who is very forgetful nowadays. CHAPTER 2 Rory’s grandfather likes to keep his homework ‘somewhere safe’ and Rory is trying hard to locate his homework. Granda remembers putting it in Rory’s school bag when he is putting the rubbish down the chute. Rory’s guess is right when he finds a bag of eggshells and potato peelings in his school bag. He imagines his homework lying among the rubbish. Rory does not know how to tell to his teacher, Mrs Foley. Darren Fisher, Rory’s best friend suggests to him by saying that aliens take it away.Rory’s other classmates gather around him at the playground trying to help him too. His friends like Granda and his stories. Granda is almost arrested for shoplifting when a hanger with a suit on it gets caught in the belt of his raincoat and he walks out of the shop without noticing it. Rory confesses to Mrs Foley about the loss of his homework. Mrs Foley asks about Granda’s condition and if he is coming to Parents’ Night. Granda never misses it befo re. Mrs Foley asks Rory to stay back and do the homework. However, Rory cannot stay back because Granda is making lunch and is waiting for him to have lunch together.Rory runs out of the playground towards his flats. He buys two hot pies, one for him and one for Granda. Granda does not cook at all; in fact Rory has to bring him lunch every day. Rory has to make sure Granda takes his medicine too. Granda is old now and Rory thinks that he has the responsibility to look after him. Chapter 3 Mr Hood, Rory, Darren and Mary Bailey are  at the  field where football practice is going on. Mr Hood  asks Rory to be in the football team. Rory refuses as he has to look after his Granda. Darren and Mary quarrel. Mr Hood drags Mary to the headmaster's office.Darren again suggests Rory to be on the team. Rory states the same reason. Darren thinks that Rory's Granda should be in a home and Rory is angry about it. Granda always talks about Rachnadar, the local old people's hospital to Rory. Hi s Granda would rather die than to live there. Darren's mother tells Darren that Rory's Granda will be better there. Rory runs off before Darren could say another word. Granda only has Rory and Rory only has granda as his kin. Rory tries his best to coach Granda on how to behave  as Parents' Night is coming up soon. He wants to reassure Mrs Foley that Granda has all his marbles.One day, Rory comes home to discover that Granda mistakenly peels a bag of apples and cuts them into chips. Granda thinks that the apples are potatoes! Granda also tries to help with the cooking but he leaves the electric rings switch on and burns out a pot. That night Rory and Granda are watching television when Granda watches Rory closely. Rory is thinking about his father. Granda is angry at the mention of Rory's father. Granda and Granny have spoilt him too much. He gets what he wants as a child. When he is tired of them, he throws them aside. He treats Rory's mother in  the same way.Rory's father leav es Rory's mother and Rory when he is a baby. Granda does not want to talk about Rory's father. Granda only has a son, none other than Rory! Chapter 4 Rory and his Granda walk to the school on Parents' Night. Granda wears slippers and they go back home again to change so they are the last to arrive. There are many parents waiting patiently in queue. Darren comes and greets Granda. Granda looks around ans asks where Holy Foley is. Granda then  goes to the toilet on his own. He does not want Rory to accompany him. Rory is worried about Granda.Luckily Granda  steps back into the classroom. It is Rory's turn and Mrs Foley talks to Granda about  Rory's homework. Granda leans forward and  says that Mrs Foley indeed has moustache, just as what Rory has told him! Suddenly, Mrs Foley smells that something is on fire. Clouds  of smoke is billowing from the pocket of Granda's coat hanging on a hook. Then Mrs Foley's coat, pale green with a little matching scarf  is on fire too becau se it is beside Granda's coat. People walk out of the  classroom into the playground as the caretaker ushers them. Granda goes to the toilet earlier  to take a puff.Then he puts his pipe in his pocket but he forgets about it. However, Granda finds the whole thing funny and exciting just like other boys feel. Luckily, Darren's father helps to put out the fire. Mrs Foley looks at Granda angrily. Chapter 5 Darren and Rory's other  friends  are delighted with Granda's attempt to ‘set the school on fire' and they exaggerate on it. Granda admits that it must have been his fault. Darren's mother is worried that it might happen again maybe in the middle of the night at Rory's home. She thinks that Rory should not shoulder  such big responsibility. He should be playing football!Rory confirms it will not happen as he hides Granda's pipe before he goes to bed. Meanwhile, Val Jessup, the social worker  comes to see Granda and Rory. She is sent by Dr Nicol. Val Jessup is trying to organise a home help who comes in at lunchtime and prepares food for Granda. She will also make sure Granda takes his medicine. With the home help, Rory dreams of joining the football team again. Val Jessup makes Granda thinks of Grace Kelly, a beautiful film star just because both have fair hair! Granda tucks Rory into bed and  Rory thinks life will be better as they have a social worker now.Mrs Foley asks Rory about things at home. Rory tells that now they have a social worker and will have a home help soon. One day after school, Rory runs for the bakery and two hot pies. The baker tells Rory about his flats which is on fire. Rory rushes to his flats. His neighbour, Mrs MacKay scolds Granda for causing the fire. Rory is very angry with her. He tries to defend his Granda. Rory throws himself at her and tries to kick her. The policemen stop him. One policeman informs Rory that Granda is in hospital now but he will be all right. Rory recalls that he hides his Granda's pipe.Howe ver, the policeman tells Rory that Granda leaves the chip an on and forgets about it. this causes the fire. Rory is perplexed as he does not know what is his Granda doing with a chip pan. CHAPTER 1 Characters: 1. Mister McIntosh (Granda) (Rory’s grandfather) 2. Rory 3. Dr Nicol (Granda’s and Rory’s family doctor) 4. old woman 5. young girl 6. baby (Lorelei) 7. Marilyn Monroe (was an American actress) 8. receptionist CHAPTER 2 Characters: 1. Mister McIntosh (Granda) (Rory’s grandfather) 2. Rory 3. Mrs Foley (Rory’s teacher) 4. Darren Fisher (Rory’s best friend) 5. Rory’s classmates CHAPTER 3 Characters: . Mr Hood 2. Rory McIntosh 3. Darren 4. Mary Bailey 5. Granda 6. Darren's mum 7. Mrs Foley 8. Rory's parents CHAPTER 4 Characters: 1. Granda (Mister McIntosh) 2. Parents 3. Mrs Foley (Holy Foley) 4. Darren 5. Darren's father CHAPTER 5 Characters: 1. Granda 2. Darren 3. Mrs Foley 4. Rory's friends 5. Some of the parents 6. the caretaker 7. Darren's mother 8. Rory 9. Val Jessup (the social worker) 10. Dr Nicol 11. a home help 12. Grace Kelly (a beautiful film star) 13. Mrs MacKay (Rory's neighbour) 14. the policemen CHAPTER 1 Settings: 1. doctor’s waiting room 2. toilet 3. the house 4. receptionist’s desk 5. he fridge 6. bottom of the wardrobe 7. Dr Nicol’s office 8. Rory’s pocket CHAPTER 2 Settings: 1. on the table 2. in the schoolbag 3. kitchen 4. chute 5. school 6. playground 7. road 8. across the street 9. block of flats 10. the bakers' CHAPTER 3 Settings: 1. Football field 2. playground 3. headmaster's office 4. Rachnadar, the local old people's hospital (home) 5. Rory's home CHAPTER 4 Settings: 1. school 2. the toilets 3. the classrooms 4. Rory's home 5. the playground CHAPTER 5 Settings: 1. the school 2. living room 3. Rory's bedroom 4. the toilet 5. Granda's bedroom 6. the bakery 7. flats 8. the hospital

Do The Possible Benefits Of Cloning Outweigh The Risks Essay

Cloning is the technological development of new cells from naturally existing cells with a view to developing super qualities. This leads to production of one or more individual plants or animals (Partly or wholly) that are genetically identical to an original plant or animal There are two types of cloning: Artificial twinning. Its development is similar to the natural development of twins . It is also called Embryo cloning. The development of human embryo starts with in vitro (out of tissue) process. It involves mixing of eggs and sperm cells in a glass. After fertilization, the zygote develops into blastula by duplication into two cells, then 4, then 8. By chemical means, the ‘Zona Pellucida’ which covers and provides nutrients to the cells is removed. This is followed by division of blastula into individual cells which are then allowed to develop independently in separate glass dishes. Adult DNA cloning This involves a procedure where a cell is taken from a mammary tissue of mature animal while its DNA is dorminant. It is then fused with an ovum which has its nucleus removed. This fertilized egg is then stimulated through a short electric current. These cells are then planted in mature females, which, for a successful cloning procedure should give out an offspring. The argument against Cloning is ethically wrong It is indeed true that cloning affects the individual’s personality that people often hold on to especially where human beings are involved; . It affects genetic variation because clones are being artificially developed and results from these procedures can be looked down upon as improper citizens and then be treated worse than the rest. The effect of this is basically the psychological impact on the individuals treated as inferior. The perception to this is that, this procedure is developed in unnatural and a process considered foreign and scary . I t is thus regarded as another degradation of the moral concepts regarding humanism and spiritualism where creation and reproduction are considered a supernaturally controlled. â€Å"†¦ [Medical] methods that fail to respect the dignity and value of the person must always be avoided. I am thinking in particular of attempts at human cloning with a view to obtaining organs for transplants: these techniques, insofar as they involve the manipulation and destruction of human embryos, are not morally acceptable, even when their proposed goal is good in itself. † Pope John Paul II in an address before International Congress on Transplants on 2000-AUG-29. 2. It is worth noting that people of different opinion about cloning recognize that its very goal is good and important. However in depth analysis of benefits of this technology need no more emphasis as depicted in different fields where cloning is applied. The argument for; Use of cloning in medicine. Cloning has far reaching importance in the applied biomedical research. The transfer of nucleus as a gene targeting approach to achieve important manipulations of genome of species. This has been applied in the production of pharmaceutically active proteins, animal models of human diseases, and even xenotransplantation. It is thus important for medical research and finding cures for diseases. Success of therapeutic cloning would have far more beneficial effects if embryos are perfectly matched, replacement tissues and organs can be made available to patients and even on dying people . This would save lives of resourceful persons and improve the quality of life of more others. Possible importance of cloning may include the use of insulin-secreting cells for diabetes; nerve cells in stroke or Parkinson’s disease; or liver cells to repair a damaged organ. There would probably also be side benefits resulting from the research. Further advances in understanding of how organs regenerate would increase the range of possible treatments that could be considered. In the United States during 1998, â€Å"More than 50 disease advocates and scientific societies, representing such concerns as diabetes, blindness, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, AIDS, Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, stroke, lymphoma, infertility and cancer–as well as professional groups that focus on such issues as cell biology, aging, microbiology, ophthalmology, cardiology, pediatrics and reproductive medicine–recently sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to support federal funding for†¦ [stem cell] research. † 5. As a confirmation to this, the frequent use of Pig hearts as transplants to replace diseased human hearts. Donor pigs with human DNA could provide stronger hearts to patients with cardiac defects. Use of Cloning in agriculture The application of cloning in Agriculture needs no more emphasis Another benefit from modern cloning is in agriculture. Farmers and ranchers can now have their strongest crops and animals twinned so that they are less likely to contract diseases. The use of biologically modified specimen has been used to improve on yields for example in the case of corn and tomatoes, in addition it has been used to in the case of animals to develop resistance to disease. Cloning in animals  Animal research has extensively used animal cloning procedure. If the animals used in experiments are exactly the same physiologically, the experiments are much easier to control (Earn Shaw). Fewer animals will be needed for experimentation, with better results. Though some scientists believe that animals are more susceptible to disease if they are part of herds with genetically identical genes, cells are also capable of being genetically engineered to root out diseases that the donor animal may have carried. Of course this would improve agricultural production because of improved health. Cow’s milk has been improved qualitatively and quantitatively. Genetic cloning can also be utilized in the production of wool to produce wool of high quality. In addition the ability to clone will allow scientists to genetically engineer animals for a particular protein, and then produce them in large quantity. The animals carrying the proteins would secrete the proteins in their milk or blood to be harvested and then purified for use. Animal cloning can also be aimed at biodiversifying endangered animals to avoid their extinction by coming up with more adaptive of the species. Cloning in plants  Genetic cloning in plants has been extensively used in large scale production of food to satisfy current global demands for food to avert the witnessed situations of hunger and starvation. Genetically modified foods have become worthy in this pursuit. Most regions of Sub Saharan Africa where more deaths and casualties from starvation with naturally agriculturally unproductive environments have been made top produce food crops such as maize,beans,potatoes and other food crops. This approach has made such region to gain some level of independence in terms of domestic food production through improvement of food security. In addition cloning in plants can be used to increase the productivity of plants to ensure they are more useful fore man. For example, through cloning, mangoes can be made produce larger fruits and even of desirable tastes. Cloning as a basic academic research Cloning as integral part of biotechnology has achieved and continues to provide basic framework for the understanding of cell development and differentiation and the relevance of DNA in traits development. Hence there are core reasons why cloning might be permitted in the research environment. In the fields such as agriculture, medicine, and other fields using the technology of nuclear transfer, it has provided useful links to the ameliorate dangers into successes. Basic defense mechanisms have been deeply studied through cloning of white blood cells in the cell clone theory procedure in the development of artificial lymphocytes. I t has also provided useful know-how with an aim to provide human’s standards specifically for diseased such as by minimizing donor rejections during organ transplant because of similarities in their DNA structures. Conclusion Cloning is a very important technological advancement whose practicality should only be strengthened for the mere reasons that it improves the quality of life of human beings. I believe like any other developments; proponents of this scientific process must have critics who need to be handled professionally to get us to a compromise if only it is achievable. â€Å"Pro-life supporters generally believe that a human person comes Into existence at conception. Some believe that somatic cell nuclear transfer is sufficiently similar to normal conception with an egg and spermatozoa that a human person also comes into existence during therapeutic cloning. The process of extracting stem cells involves killing the embryo. To many pro-lifers, this is murder. They feel that murdering one person, the embryo, to cure another person of paralysis, or diabetes, or heart disease, etc. can never be justified. A report from the chief medical officer’s expert group reviewing the potential of developments in stem cell research and cell nuclear replacement to benefit human health,† Department of Health (UK), . Such theoretical and spiritual approach towards a scientific concept cannot however withstand the necessity of this technology in the global demands in action to current challenges. It does not emphasize the fact that no two partners come together during this ‘conception’. For example, it is a common knowledge that cloning enables replacement of damaged cells with new ones. Treatment of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Muscle dystrophy which damage cells is now possible through this technique. In addition through cloning we can create human beings who can be able to comfortably act as organ donors for medical procedures where organ implantation is required. It is also through this procedure that couples that are not able to conceive in a natural way will have an opportunity to have children from their own genes†¦. Isn’t this great? I believe the steps so far achieved towards the development of cloning has had far more benefits in the global arena in very sensitive fields such as medicine ,agriculture, and even on the understanding of cells and body systems

Biology dna

Scope of task Students will be required to complete a Research Report in the form of a Powering presentation OR a weapon. This Task will require students to conduct individual research on a topic relating to genetic engineering. The Report will be the equivalent of 1500 words* and will include a bibliography. The bibliography will not be included in the word count. Students are not required to conduct a class presentation. *1 500 words is the maximum recommended length for this Report.The number of slides in a Powering presentation or weapon will be determined by the creativity f the student and the number of images they wish to include. The Research Report is worth 20% of the final student mark. Students will choose from the following list: Research area Suggested Topics Pre-natal diagnosis of genetic disease. * Cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, thalami's. Pre-symptomatic diagnosis of adult-onset genetic disease. Huntington Disease, breast cancer, bowel cancer.Production of human protein s. Insulin, Human Growth Hormone. Genetically-modified crop plants. Soya, Tomatoes, Golden Rice, BAT Cotton. Gene therapy. Cystic fibrosis, Severe Combined Immune Deficiency Syndrome. DNA profiling. For paternity testing, for breeding of captive endangered species, in forensics. Genetically modified organisms. Hypoallergenic cats, Environ TM – pigs, Estrangement Atlantic salmon Stem Cell Research. Type 1 diabetes, Nervous system diseases, Cancer, Primary immunodeficiency disease Cloning.Therapeutic cloning (type 1 diabetes), Reproductive cloning (e. G. Production of Dolly the sheep by nuclear transfer). *N.B.: any student who chose pre-natal diagnosis for their research topic for Biology Unit 1 should not be permitted to choose this topic for this Unit. The report will: introduce the scope of the topic describe the method used in the technology by the scientists in the laboratory include relevant diagrams discuss a social issue arising from the use of the technology include a bibliography of references used.This research project must be structured under the following headings: Introduction Background Genetics Genetic techniques Social issues Bibliography How Task is Approached Task is first introduced as early as possible during Week One and students are given a deadline (as stated in the teaching plan) to get the topic approved by the Teacher. Follow these steps: First, select a topic of interest that falls under one of the research areas given in the table above. Then, proceed to carry out a literature / library research on that topic and collect research articles related to that topic.Make sure your articles have the necessary information to write the introduction, history or background, method and social issues as described in the rubric. Confirmation of the topic is on a first come – first served basis whereby the teacher will approve the topic once the students meet the criteria above. Every student will have his/her own topic; no two stude nts are allowed to write the same topic from that class. Once your topic is approved by the Teacher, make sure you register your topic with your Teacher. You are then given 4 weeks to submit your slides – refer to the deadline given in the teaching plan.You are encouraged to submit drafts of your work. For a guide, refer to the samples of past research reports. Always refer to the assessment rubric attached to ensure that you are on the right track. The Knowledge, Skills and Behaviors outcomes achieved at the end of this task are dependent on the topic chosen. Below are some of the outcomes you should achieve. Unit Knowledge Outcomes At the end of this Unit students will be able to: 1 . Report on a specific area of interest within the field of genetic engineering 2. Apply their knowledge to new situations Unit Skills and Behaviors Outcomes 1 . Accurately use and apply biological terms in their appropriate context 2. Calculate ratios, proportions and probabilities as relevant to the study of Biology 3. Draw graphs using appropriate conventions 4. Appraise a range of different resources as part of the research process 5. Differentiate between useful and distractive information both in assessment tasks ND from the internet 6. Design and create a presentation report using appropriate software and IT facilities 7. Discriminate between and review differing points of view that exist relating to advances in biotechnology 8. Valuate experimental designs 9. Demonstrate written communication skills via practical reports and research reports How the task covers literacy, innumeracy, CIT and thinking skills Literacy Students will: organize and coherently present information in a report convert information gained through research into their own words relate a social sue in an objective fashion (using scientific expression) Compile a bibliography using a standard format. CIT use the internet as a research tool appraise internet sources for their relevance and validity use Powering to compose a report OR create a weapon.Thinking Skills summarize the main steps involved in an example of genetic engineering Appraise differing points of view that exist about a relevant social issue. How the task covers the MUFF Graduate Attributes Personal and social growth attributes survey a sample of individuals from various backgrounds to establish the different mints of view that exist regarding an example of genetic engineering critically evaluate research material and select relevant content apply an ethical approach to reporting the views of others.Lifelong learning attributes develop flexibility in thinking and learning through appraisal and subsequent summary of research material conduct an individual research activity write a report that summarizes material gained through their own research develop their ability to work independently organize knowledge gained on an example of genetic engineering use software to compose a research report SE the internet to conduct research develop the ability to draft and finalist a report. mints of view that exist regarding an example of genetic engineering. Suggested approaches Students will select a topic from a short list provided by the teacher. Students will â€Å"sign off' on their topic four (4) weeks prior to final submission date. An outline of the final report structure will be provided to students as a guide. Students may submit drafts of their work. Class time may be used for research and compilation of findings but it is expected that most of the required work will be completed outside of scheduled lessons/ structures.Ways of meeting approaches The Task should be introduced to students as early as possible, preferably during Week One. The outline provided to students should be structured to provide a guide for their research. The guide will follow the assessment criteria in the assessment rubric for this Task. Steps that may be involved in scaffolding the nature of the assessment task Students should be encouraged to draft their work. As relevant topics are covered in class, reference should be made to the usefulness of the content regarding this Task.

“One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop Essay

Can one ever practice losing enough to master it? Is it possible to become a master at losing such as an artist can become a master painter, writer, or sculptor? The speaker in the poem â€Å"One Art† presents this question and provides an answer. The poem is an illustration of a common human affliction–grief and regret caused by the loss of another human. Through the use of value progression and the interweaving of denotative and connotative meaning, the speaker shows that no matter how much a person tries to prepare for the loss of one he or she loves, grief and regret are inevitable. By comparing the phrase â€Å"the art of losing isn’t hard to master† with the frequently used word â€Å"disaster,† the meaning begins to take shape. This phrase is used four times in this nineteen-line poem (lines 1, 6, 12, 18). Considered closely with the word â€Å"disaster,† also used four times, one sees the speaker is making a point of rhyming the words master and disaster to emphasize the denotative point that many losses are not disasters–they can be accepted without grief or regret (3, 9, 15, 19). Yet the phrase â€Å"the art of losing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  throws a connotative meaning into the mix by indicating that losing, an uncontrollable event, can be a learned skill. Taken together, the phrase coupled with the word â€Å"disaster† provides foreshadowing to the paradox of trying to prepare to lose a person. The Oxford English Dictionary can shed light onto this interweaving of denotative and connotative meaning. Art 1. Skill in doing anything as the result of knowledge and practice. Human skill as an agent, human workmanship. Opposed to nature. 2. An industrial pursuit or employment of a skilled nature; a craft†¦ Losing 1. The action of LOSE. Perdition, destruction; the being lost or †¦ to be in process of being lost. 2. The fact of losing (something specified or contextually implied). The being deprived of, or the failure to †¦ Denotatively the phrase â€Å"the art of losing† means that a person has acquired skill in being deprived of something or someone. This is directly opposed to nature; in other words, it is not natural for humans to have the skills of losing. The poem illustrates this process of acquisition of skill through value progression in the second though fifth stanzas of the poem. The speaker describes instances of losing beginning with the insignificant and working toward the significant. He or she maintains that by â€Å"practic[ing] losing farther, losing faster† the art of losing will be mastered, therefore it will not bring disaster. Yet, in the last stanza the connotative meaning becomes clear. The final stanza is the only one to have four lines instead of three, which places particular significance upon its message. The final sentence is the key to the connotative meaning of the poem â€Å"It’s evident the art of losing’s not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster† (line 17b-19). Due to the speaker’s need to tell him or herself to â€Å"Write it!,† the connotative meaning of the poem shows that the speaker has been trying to convince him or herself without success that a master loser will avoid the disaster of grief and regret associated with the loss of a loved one. By combining the denotative and connotative meanings, the universal meaning of the poem becomes clear–it is impossible to acquire skills, no matter how much you practice, that will prevent the natural result of grief and regret when someone is lost. In the value progression of loss shown in stanzas one through five, the speaker is trying to convince him or herself that developing the necessary  skills can protect one against major grief and/or regret. It is in the last stanza that the desperateness of the speaker to convince him or herself that it is possible to accomplish this becomes clear. This is where the paradox begins. The speaker is still unconvinced that it is not a disaster to lose a person regardless of the preparation other previous losses may have provided. Stanza one sets the stage of the value progression of loss. It is here that the speaker states what he or she wants to prove. â€Å"The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster† (line 1-3). This is the thesis statement of the poem, but instead of proving it true the speaker ends up proving it false. The key idea is that if something intends to be lost then their loss will not cause regret once a person has become a master of losing. The last stanza, particularly the last sentence of the poem, shows the paradox between the thesis and the connotative meaning–humans cannot prepare for the loss of a person. â€Å"–Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident the art to losing’s not to hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster† (lines 16-19). The old idiom â€Å"if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and looks like a duck; it must be a duck† aptly applies to the last sentence here. If it walks like a disaster, talks like a disaster, and looks like a disaster; it must be a disaster. The speaker even has to force him or herself to write the word disaster as evidenced by the parenthetical phrase â€Å"(Write it!)† which indicates that the speaker wants to believe that â€Å"even losing you† isn’t hard to master, yet he or she cannot quite convince him or herself that it is true. In actuality, the loss of a loved person is a disaster because the very act of love requires an attachment that when severed will inescapably cause pain. The OED has this denotative meaning for love: That disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which (arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his or her presence and desire for his or her approval; warm affection, attachment. Connotatively love carries the concept that its removal will not be positive, for anytime a person whom one is solicitous of is removed from one’s life; his or her absence will leave a negative affect, in other words, pain will result. The poem â€Å"One Art† effectively uses connotative meaning, denotative meaning and value progression to present a paradox of human nature–the desire to find a way to avoid the pain of losing a loved person. This is a universal truth that crosses cultural and temporal boundaries for all of human kind. This essay adheres to the formalism approach to critical analysis by focusing solely upon the text to derive meaning. It analysis the poem’s use of value progression, meaning of words and phrases both connotatively and denotatively. It shows how the thesis is made into a paradox by the last stanza, which in the end provides the ultimate meaning of the poem. The formalist approach has its strength in that it takes a text at face value forcing the analyzer to think for him or herself without commentary from others. But formalism disregards the author’s mindset at the time of writing as well as the effects it may have emotionally upon the readers. In my opinion, this is a major drawback particularly in regards to the poem â€Å"One Art† by Elizabeth Bishop. This poem seems to come from the heart–the soul–of the author. It would have been interesting and meaningful to know what she may have been dealing with at the time she wrote it. But regardless of Bishop’s mindset, the readers’ reaction has a major impact upon the meaning of the poem. Several friends of mine read this poem. The impact upon all of them was, to say the least, profound. Anyone who reads it has either experience a long-term loss of a person such as long-term illness resulting in death or can empathize with the concept. I think that formalism, by removing the emotional element of the reader, greatly diminishes the power of the poem.

Family marriage Essay

On the night of Feb 28th, the last day of classes, Nilesh proposed to Geeta, his MBA classmate of nearly a year and a half. Geeta agreed immediately and wondered if all her classmates will be able to attend their wedding as once they all go back to their homes it would be really very difficult for everyone to get together again. Suddenly, Nilesh came up with the idea: what if they got married on March 22nd? â€Å"But how could it be? Our convocation is on March 21st Geeta said. â€Å"Exactly! All our classmates will definitely come here for convocation and they would not mind staying an extra day for the wedding. In fact, we will get the blessings of even their parents as many are planning to come for the convocation. † Geeta: Right. But so many things have to be done. That is also when the wedding season starts and all the reception halls become unavailable. For our send-off party, juniors were saying that hotels were insisting on 17 days notice. Of course, for Rs 5000/- extra the notice period can be reduced to 10 days. Nilesh: I want my brother and sister-in-law to come for the wedding. Geeta: But, they are in US and working. They will require at least 10 days before they can be here. Also my parents will have to buy your sister-in-law a sari-set (sari with matching blouse and petticoat) as per the tradition. She will have to be here well in time so that they can be fitted well. Nilesh: And catering! It takes two days to choose the menu and Pandal decorations. Hotel Sayaji wants at least 10 days notice period before the formal engagement ceremony (one night before the wedding). Geeta: And what about our dresses? These days, it is better to get it made after choosing the pattern and buying the material yourself. It would take three days to choose the pattern and eight days to order and receive the material after Nilesh: Yes. But the material supplier can deliver in five days if we pay an extra of Rs 1000/- for expediting it. Geeta: I want Joyti of Asha Boutique to work on our dresses. Nilesh: But she charges Rs 500/- for one day of work. Geeta: If I got my mother to do all the services, we could finish the dresses in 11 days. If Joyti helped, we could cut that down to six days, at a cost of Rs 500/- for each day less than 11 days. Nilesh: It would take another two days to do the final fitting. Then dry-cleaner will take two days to clean and press the dresses unless we pay Ps 1000/- for the express service of single day delivery. Geeta: That’s right. By the way, have you thought about invitations? Nobody will come unless we invite them formally. Nilesh: Anand Printing Press will take 12 days to print the invitation cards. Of course, they do have an express service and can deliver in five days if we pay them extra Rs 1500/Geeta: It will take three days to prepare the matter which will be printed and select the styles. Nilesh: Given the postal delays, the invitations have to go out at least 10 days before the wedding. Geeta: Mailing them will take a day and that cannot be done until we write addresses on them. Addressing will take four days unless we hire some help. We can finish addresses in two days if we hire a part-time help for Ps 200/-. Geeta: We also have to buy some jewellery items to be given as gift to my brother-in-law. It will take a day to do that Nilesh: But before we start writing address, we will have to prepare a guest list. We can’t afford to miss out on anyone important, as that will have an impact on the relationship with them forever. We will have to be really thorough on that. I think it will take four days to prepare an exhaustive guest list. Geeta: That does sound like a lot. Now it certainly looks much easier to earn an MBA degree than get married!!! QUESTIONS:1. Given the activities and precedence relationships described in the (A) case, develop a network diagram for the wedding plans. 2. Identify the paths. Which are critical? 3. What is the maximum cost plan that meets the March 22nd deadline? Case -2 {Continuation of Case 2} Marks-15 Several complications arose during the course of trying to meet the deadline of March 21, for the Nilesh— Geeta engagement. Since it was important for Nilesh and Geeta to get married on March 22nd, the implications of each of these complications had to be assessed. 1. All hotels informed that the express booking had to be withdrawn that year as there was a mad-rush for getting married, and therefore Nilesh and Geeta would have to give 17 days’ notice. 2. A call to the US revealed that brother and sister-in-law couldn’t leave till March 1st as they had urgent deadlines at work. 3. Nilesh came down with four day flu just as he started to work on the guest list. 4. The dress material was lost in transit. Notice of loss was delivered to Geeta on March 10th. 5. There was an unplanned repair work at Sayaji on March 8. They informed that they would be closed for two to three days. QUESTIONS :1. Given your answers to the (A) case, describe the effects on the wedding plans of each incident noted in the (B) case. SECTION B Attempt any 5 questions:- Marks-50 1) What is the linkage between product choices and process choices in an organization? 2) How can the internet affect the practice of operations management? Does it have any implications for operations strategy? 3) Does the organization structure influence the product development process and way? Explain. 4) Distinguish between assignable and common causes of variations. Why is this distinction important quality control? 5) How does the choice of the layout affect of the operational performance of an organization? 6) Explain how forecasting helps an organization handle uncertainties.