Business information analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Business information analysis - Case Study Example Secondly, this process also ensures that once a business is established, it begins to operate immediately. This owes to the fact that the business is operating under the umbrella of another established and reputable company. However, it is imperative to note that just because a company operates as a franchisee does not necessarily mean that it will have increased sales. This is despite the reduced cost of operation and better market environment. There are various other factors, which should be considered in ensuring that the company makes more profits. They include issues of prices and quality. With customers being so sensitive on matters of prices, it would be imperative that a given business enterprise considers being a price leader. This is a competitive advantage especially where the business is facing a lot of competition. Market research is vital for the purpose of understanding the tastes and preferences of the customers. This ensures that the company provides the required goo ds to the market. Qualitative and quantitative researches ensure that the companies conduct an objective marketing research that addressing the needs in the market. Task 1 Every business aims at obtaining accurate and valid evidence about the target customers. This becomes imperative owing to the fact that there is need to ensure that the business meets the actual needs of the customers (Berghoff 2012, p.90). the latter differ in terms of tastes and preferences making it difficult for the businesses organizations, to respond to their need. The current case of Kidz Sportz is therefore not an isolated one, but a reflection of the market challenges that many companies go through. The company is said to have received more than 100,000 new children who require different equipment and services. However, the management grapples with the issue of lack of enough knowledge on the tastes and preferences of these children. Unless something is done urgently, the company will not be able to provi de objective services to this large number of clients. To assist in solving the stated challenge, the following recommendations are vital: Conducting a market research This is explained as the process through which a company with the assistant of qualified market research team obtains information about the needs, attitudes and motivations of the customers, for the purpose of serving them in the best way possible (Boudreaux 2000, p.3). It is also a way of establishing what the customers know about the market, to enable a company to plan in terms of prices. It is imperative to note that the world of business has become increasingly competitive, prompting management to implement new strategies for success. This information provides a given company with competitive advantage over its main rivals (Bradley 2007, p.89). Secondly, it is a strategy through which the company is able to attract and also retain the customers to the advantage of a given business institution. A market research is also advantageous in the sense that it provides the company with the market size. In the above scenario, the number stands at 100,000 children. This enables the company in its logistical work. For instance, it is able to know the number of equipment and space needed to accommodate all the children. However, the market research is a process that requires funds and qualified personnel. To receive the information needed, both the qualitative and quantitative techniques become important. The Kidz Sportz for instance should carry out its qualitative and

Economics and Globalization Essay Example for Free

Economics and Globalization Essay Everyday you hear it on the news, you read it in the papers, you overhear people talking about itand in every single instance the world globalization seems to have a different meaning. So, what is globalization?, there were a lot of debate about this issue. At a top political and economic level, globalization is the process of denationalization of market, political and legal systems. The consequences of this political and economic restructuring on local economies, human welfare and environment are the subject of an open debate among international organizations, governmental institutions and the academic world. (7, www.globalization.com/intro.cfm) What is globalization? Is it the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems across the globle? Or is it Americanization and United States dominance of world affairs? Is globalization a force of economic growth, prosperity, and democratic freedom? Or is it a force for environmental devastation, exploitation of the developing world, and suppression of human rights?( www.globalization101.org) Globalization is not a phenomenon it is not just some passing trend. today it is an overarching international system shaping the domestic politics and foreign relations of virtually every country, and we need to understand it as such. Globalization is much like fire. Fire itself is neither good or bad. Used properly, it can cook good, sterilize equipment, from iron, and heat our homes. Used carelessly , fire can destroy lives, towns and forests in an instant. As friedman says :globalization can be incredibly empowering and incredibly coercive it can democratize opportunity and democratize panic. It makes the whales bigger and the minnows stronger. It leaves you behind faster and faster, and it catches up to you faster and faster. While it is homogenizing cultures, it is also enabling people to share their unique individuality farther and wider.*+(web) But the question here what is driving globalization?, globalization Is driven by the strategic responses of firms as they exploit market opprtunties and adapt to change in their technological and institutional environment, and attempt to steer these changes to their advantage. The O E C D groups the factors shaping globalization into four general categories, which are inter-linked: -firm behavior : Strategic , pre-emptive and imitative behavior. Exploitation of competitive advantages: use of superior technology , organization, production or marketing. Consolidation of competitive advantages: gain access to highly skilled people, advanced technological and commercial infrastructure, lower Labour costs, and raw material. Organizational changes; adoption of lean production methods and more horizontal internal and external organizational structure. -Technology Related factors declining computing, communication, co-ordination and transport costs. Increasing importance of R D , coupled with rising R D costs. Shortening product lives. Shortening of limitation time lags. Rapid growth of knowledge -intensive industries. Increasing customization of both intermediate and finished goods. Increasing importance of customer oriented services. Economic factors Availability of key production factors Productivity differentials. Fluctuations in exchange rates. Differences in the business cycle. Catching up by lagging economies. (changing paradigms , Thomas Claake and stewaat clegg, p90)). But according to Thomas Friedman in his book Lexus and the Olive tree he explains three major factoes for the spread of globalization: Which are -the democratization of tecngology. the democratization of finance. -the democratization of information. International expansion has been driven by firm strategies based on their technologies and organizational advantages shaped by a number of factors of government policies,  technological factors driving expansion include the rapid growth of knowledge intensive industries which are foreign investment intensive industries which are foreign investment intensive use intra firm trade intensively and  collaborate externally in development the need to recop growing R D costs find highly trained and skilled workers and organize production more efficiently underpinned by declining communication and transport costs. Increase importance of customer sevice. Macroeconomic factors include market development in different countries and region. Avalibility of key production factors, product differentials, fluctuation in exchange ates, differences in business cycle, catching up by lagging economies. Government policies , significant influence firm strategies by liberalizing capital investment and trade flows, promptly regional integration and promptly competitiveness. Trade policy of liberalization of trade and invested are enabling factors which have driven global expansion and increased the integration of production and markets.competiton policies(changing paradigms , Thomas Claake and stewaat clegg, p90)). Second, the techmolgy, people have been able to travel the world for the past 500 years, the difference now is that they are connected immediately.Th internet boom in 1990 made people relaise that business could operate more or less unconstrained by geography, 24 a day , 7 days a week , 365 day a year. This new faster moving changing business environment have driven companies of all sizes to organize themselves into smaller more responsive , focused unti. The faster that drives globalization is making behavior is more tribal. John Nasibih, author of global pardox argues that the more we become economically interdependent the more we hold on to what constitute our core basic identity. Implementing a homogenized western culture, such countries as indousia , Russia , france have passed laws to preserve their identity. Matters are further complicaty by the shift from trdational nation states to network. The role of diasporas in developing the economic and political fortunes of many counties is significant . See the role of the chiness  dispopora in driving the economic development of many asian states. Technology is driving a global changing in many other areas, affecting the context of strategic decisions.Laura DSndrea Tyson, dean of London Bsuiness School and a leading economic adviser to Bill Clinton from 1996 to 2000, highlighted the main forces driving globalization: The basic factor driving is technology .its trite to day but its true ./ the two major development taking place in the world are demographic and interconnectedness. Interconnectedness is about transportation and communication and that driven bytechnolgy. Demographic is actually about biotechnolgyical science. (Kourdi, BUSINESS STRATEGY) Tecnhlogy did not inevent a new business paradigm but it has transformed business opening up a multi trade of ways to add value, increase sale, reduce costs and manage more efficiently. Understanding the nature of this transformation is valuable for decision making. An information firestorm rages in most business and how it is manges is crucial to success. A consequenceas of the increase in line activity is that information can be leverages to create new sources of value . it is important to combine the power of information and technology qwith common sense approach to management. So tech. And infor, are very importat factor what also effect the economy which also cause globalization. (Kourdi, Business strategy).

Natural Language Processing Technology

Natural Language Processing Technology Melchor Abejon Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science devoted to emulating the human mind (Wager, Lee and Glaser, p.305, 2013). Today, one common use of AI is integrated into the Google search engine which can suggest alternative keywords when a user types a misspelled word in a chain of keywords. Another form of AI is the Siri for the iPhone. In the field of healthcare, the rising use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in many health care facilities entails the use of innovative technologies that likewise incorporate AI to facilitate the transition from paper-based health records to EHRs. One type of AI technology that can be found in healthcare settings is the Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. The purpose of this paper is to: Define the Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. Determine the possible benefits the NLP technology will provide to medical professionals and health organizations. Determine the possible disadvantages that could occur to using the NLP technology. Determine the barriers to using the NLP technology. Definition of NLP Technology Wager, Lee and Glaser (2013) define NLP as a program that takes human language (typed as text or input as voice) and translate it into a standard computer instruction (p.306). It is a fact that majority of the clinical documentations that can be found in healthcare today are unstructured and are buried within EHRs. These unstructured information are faulty and redundant and can obstruct the healthcare industrys goal to establishing an efficient and data- driven clinical decision making. And with the emergence of the NLP technology, the extraction of valuable information can be leveraged to create a more informed clinical decision making to improve the quality of patient care and at the same time reducing the healthcare cost. Benefits of the NLP Technology NLP enables meaningful use. NLP integrated in EHRs can significantly assist health providers to easily capture specified health facts such as vital signs, allergies, smoking status and health problem lists via narrative description or voice. These health facts are difficult and time consuming to capture via the EHR system alone. The capture of specified health facts with the aid of NLP technology enables providers to qualify for incentive payments by the federal government. NLP enables predictive care. A more advanced Clinical Language Understanding (CLU) solution or technology can provide immediate feedback to health providers at the point of dictation whether they are using a mobile phone, digital recorder or PDA.ÂÂ   An example is, when CLU technology is integrated and running in the background of an EHR system, the system can notify a physician for adverse drug reaction during the documentation of prescription for a patient, and it would even recommend an alternative medication treatment for the patient. When NLP is integrated in an EHR system, it can develop opportunities for a more efficient Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI). NLP can assist CDI specialists to quickly perform a comprehensive data mining. Identification of patients for clinical trial enrollment can be accelerated. NLP can assist organizations to quickly identify patients who maybe qualified for immunotherapies and clinical trials and research. NLP technology can help organizations comply with the core measures. Immediate assessment of documentation upon admission, and close monitoring of a patient is made possible with the use of the NLP technology. It also enables quick review of program notes and problem lists. NLP technology can provide real-time patient data. NLP can be used concurrently to monitor treatment of patients during their stay in the hospital. The alerts and reminders generated by NLP can help the providers to monitor their patients to mitigate the risk of acquiring infections. NLP technology enables effective billing system. NLP can improve the documentation process thus alleviating a lot of pain from the billing process for health providers and coders. Disadvantages of the NLP Technology Generic searching can be very difficult. Problem with synonyms. The abundance of synonymy in the medical field can be a problem in the use of NLP. Problem with homographs. Homograph refers to words that are spelled the same but has different meanings. Problem with polysemy. Polysemy refers to a word or phrase with many possible meanings. Ambiguous. Difficulty in identifying all of the possible meaning of words or combination of words. Non-standardized and not very compact. User needs to think of own search terminology and or synonym. Barriers to Using NLP Technology NLP is not a new technology in the field of healthcare, but so far its programs have met with limited success. Before it can reach the expected reliability performance, computer and NLP experts are expected to perform a tremendous job to address the barriers to integrating NLP tools in the clinical care. Though NLP is already embedded in products for some EHR vendors, the unstructured narrative texts and clinical notes still pose a major challenge for computer experts. According to Townsend (2013), a clinical text which is often ungrammatical and consists of bullet point telegraphic phases with limited context and lacking complete sentences poses a major challenge to using NLP. Other barriers to using the NLP technology are the poor standardization of data elements, inadequate policies on data governance and the never ending variation in the programming and designs of EHR systems. Conclusion As computer experts continue to seek refinement of the NLP technology, NLP will continue to deliver an important role in the management of health population and data analytics by extracting valuable health information and making them into actionable data to improve healthcare outcomes. Unstructured data in healthcare will remain a major challenge, but as efforts continue to build a stronger information governance and better standardization of data elements, the future of the NLP technology in the healthcare industry looks promising. References Bonney, S. (2015). Practical applications of NLP in healthcare: Enhancing the value of electronic data. Retrieved February 12, 2017 from http://porterresearch.com/practical-applications-of-nlp-in-healthcare-enhancing-the-value-of-electronic-data/ HealthIT Analytics (n.d.). What is the role of natural language processing in healthcare? Retrieved February 12, 2017 from http://healthitanalytics.com/features/what-is-the-role-of-natural-language-processing-in-healthcare Nadkarni, P., Machado, L.O., and Chapman, W.W. (2011). Natural language processing: An introduction. Retrieved February 12, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3168328/#b29 Petro, J. ( 2011). Natural language processing in electronic health records. Retrieved February 12,2017 from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/09/natural-language-processing-electronic-health-records.html Townsend, H. (2013). Natural language processing and clinical outcomes: The promise and progress of NLP for improved care. Retrieved February 12, 2017 from http://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=106198#.WKJo100rKUm Wager, K.A., Lee, F.W., Glaser, J.P. (2013). Healthcare information systems: A practical approach for health care management (3rd ed ). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture Essay -- Farming Genes Science Essa

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture "Whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before would deserve better of Mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." -The King of Brobdingnag, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, 17271 Introduction Genetically engineered foods are the rage of the day for farmers across the world. Farmers are able to grow larger, tastier, more colorful foods that are more readily available and attractive to consumers. At the same time, farmers actually have been saving money because their crops are now more resistant to drought, frost, insect infestations, and bruising during transportation to markets. How does this work you ask....genetically modified foods. With the world's population growing at a rate that earth's resources simply can't support naturally, scientific intervention has become and will become even more inevitable. Feeding the world's hungry is becoming a more difficult problem to deal with everyday as the populations in unfarmable locations grow to sizes that cannot be supported by the current world food supply. My only question is: Will food or water run out first? Background For thousands of years 2, humans have been selecting the seeds of plants with certain desirable genetic traits to plant the following years crop. For years upon years, growers have identified and cultivated useful plant variants through selective breeding and environmental alterations. Corn, as it is known today, is nothing like it was a thousand years ago. Gregor Mendel, the "Father of Genetics", wrote his first major paper on genetics in 1865 where he puts into words wha... ...cannot be predicted, but we should do our best to preserve a species when possible. Let us feed the world with caution for the environment, morality and humanity. Bibliography 1. Plant Physiology, C.S. Prakash; May 2001, Volume 126, pp. 8-15 (no link) 2. Transgenic Crops, History of Plant Breeding http://www.colostate.edu/programs/lifesciences/TransgenicCrops/history.html 3. Webster's Dictionary (online) http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=transgenic 4. The Scientist, Using Transgenesis to Create Salt-Tolerant Plants, Ricki Lewis; March 2002 http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/mar/research1_020304.html (To use this link you will have to use a registered email, use wmeissner@scu.edu) 5. Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, August 2003; http://pewagbiotech.org/resources/issuebriefs/geneflow.pdf

Cause and Effectof Joining the Military Essay

The U.S. Army is the oldest, most established branch of the military. â€Å"The U.S. Army traces it’s heritage back to the 1600’s and the period of colonization.†(Historcal Dictionary of the US Army) Since then, the Army has changed. The Army has a lot more to offer now than it did Two Hundred and Thirty eight years ago. There are many benefits to joining the Army from medical to bonus pays. College tuition costs are rising faster than ever. Not only do college students have to take out student loans after student loans, most have to work part time or even full time jobs to go to college, which delays their education, sometimes taking an associates four years to complete. Joining the Army, upon entry you are able to choose a GI Bill option. There are different versions of the GI Bill, but all allow you to attend college without having to worry about tuition costs. I am using my Post 9/11 GI Bill and for 36 months, my GI Bill pays full tuition, a book stipend, and a monthly housing allowance. Not only is there the GI Bill option, but while active duty or reserve, you can take advantage of their tuition assistance program. The program covers one hundred percent of tuition costs. As both of these programs are wonderful, there are effects to it. The GI Bill only covers everythign one hundred percent for thirty six months. If you are wanting to get a Bachelor’s Degree, you would need to take at least fifteen credit hours per semester, without taking any semesters off, in order to get your Bachelor’s using your GI Bill with no out of pocket expenses. If using the tuition assistance program, you are working full-time. You have your soldier-duties as well as going to school. There are days that you may need to miss class because you need to pull a twenty four hour watch, which may take a toll on your grade. The Army provides free healthcare to soldiers and their family. The cost of healthcare insurance is expensive, and you still have to pay out of pocket expenses from co-pays to half of a bill from the hospital. With the Army, everything is covered. Even though the healthcare is free, it is for soldiers and their families. There are a small amounts of doctors for a large amount of people. So even though the healthcare is free, you often have to wait longer periods of time for an appointment and when you really need an appointment fast, it doesn’t always work out. If you were to need to go to an urgent care clinic, you need to get permission from the military insurance company. When joining the military, you take a test in order to see what skills you are strongest. You are given a score and depending on your score, determines what job in the Army you can choose. Jobs in the Army range from infantryman to LPN’s. (http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/combat.html) The higher the score, the more options of jobs there are available to you. Right now there are roughly one hundred and ninety jobs in the Army. Some jobs are in higher demand than others. When joining the Army, if you choose one of the high demand jobs, you might get a bonus for choosing the job. After receiving the bonus money, usually given in a lump sum, if you were to have to get out of the Army during a certain time period after receiving the bonus, you would have to pay the bonus money back. Sometimes the bonus could be up to teh thousand dollars. Even though the Army offers the benefits mentioned, plus many more, you also have to think of the toll it takes on your family. In the Army, you move around roughly every three years. If you were to deploy, you would be gone for 9 months plus, without seeing your family. Some deployments are easier than others, as some let you skype with your family daily to a few times weekly, and others maybe once a month. For children is is hard moving around, making friends and then leaving them, making new friends all over again, and it takesa a toll on them academically. Some children may even have to stay back a year depending on the time of the year they move. With all the benefits available to you and that the military offers, there are many effects to consider. They are all great, but the effects don’t only effect you, but also your family and loved ones. You would have to consider what you choose, how it effects others lives as well. From personal experience, the Army is wonderful and offers a lot to not only myself, but my family as well. It allowed me to provide for my family and also set me up for my future. Flow & Rhythm (Sentence Fluency) All sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud. Each sentence is clear and has an obvious emphasis. Almost all sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud, but 1 or 2 are stiff and awkward or difficult to understand. Most sentences sound natural and are easy-on-the-ear when read aloud, but several are stiff and awkward or are difficult to understand. The sentences are difficult to read aloud because they sound awkward, are distractingly repetitive, or difficult to  understand. Sequencing (Organization) Details are placed in a logical order and the way they are presented effectively keeps the interest of the reader. Details are placed in a logical order, but the way in which they are presented/introduced sometimes makes the writing less interesting. Some details are not in a logical or expected order, and this distracts the reader. Many details are not in a logical or expected order. There is little sense that the writing is organized. Introduction (Organization) The introduction is inviting, states the main topic and previews the structure of the paper. The introduction clearly states the main topic and previews the structure of the paper, but is not particularly inviting to the reader. The introduction states the main topic, but does not adequately preview the structure of the paper nor is it particularly inviting to the reader. There is no clear introduction of the main topic or structure of the paper. Commitment (Voice) The writer successfully uses several reasons/appeals to try to show why the reader should care or want to know more about the topic. The writer successfully uses one or two reasons/appeals to try to show why the reader should care or want to know more about the topic. The writer attempts to make the reader care about the topic, but is not really successful. The writer made no attempt to make the reader care about the topic. Transitions (Organization) A variety of thoughtful transitions are used. They clearly show how ideas are connected. Transitions clearly show how ideas are connected, but there is little variety. Some transitions work well; but connections between other ideas are fuzzy. The transitions between ideas are unclear or nonexistent. Works Cited Brown, Jerold E. Historical Dictionary of the US Army. Westport, CT, USA : Greenwood Press, Dec 2000. 15 Nov 2004. 4 Nov 2013 .

Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Epilogue

Once I stopped drinking human blood, I became even better at hearing a heartbeat, knowing in an instant, from the speed of a pulse, whether a human was sad or annoyed or in love. Not that I was around humans very much. After I left New Orleans, I truly was a creature of the night, sleeping during the day and venturing into the outside world only when humans were safe in their beds, fast asleep. But occasionally I'd hear a quickening heartbeat and know that someone was climbing from a window or sneaking out a door to meet a lover, stealing a few moments of intimacy. That was the hardest sound to hear. Whenever I did hear it, I was reminded of Callie, of her fluttering heart and quick smile. Of how alive she was, and how she was not afraid to be in love with me despite my true nature. Now, when I think of our plan to escape, I can't help but laugh bitterly at myself for ever thinking it could have been a possibility. It had been the same foolish mistake I'd made when I'd fallen in love with Katherine, believing that humans and vampires could love each other, that our differences were just a minor detail that could be easily solved. But I wouldn't fall into that trap a third time. Whenever vampires and humans dared to love each other, death and destruction were sure to follow. And I had enough blood on my hands to last an eternity. I would never know the extent of the harm Damon was causing in the world. Sometimes I'd see a newspaper article or hear snatches of conversation about a mysterious death, and my mind would instantly jump to my brother. I'd listen for him, too, always waiting to hear him call â€Å"Brother† in his exaggerated drawl. But mostly I listened to myself. The longer I subsisted on animal blood, killing the odd squirrel or fox in a forest, the more my Power ebbed, until it was simply a faded thrum in the background of my being. Without Power, I lost the electric sense of feeling alive, but the guilt I would carry for the rest of my existence had dulled around the edges. It was a trade-off, one of many I'd learned to make, and one of many more I'd have to make in the eternity that stretched in front of me. So I made the vow to always keep moving, to never stay in one place too long or grow too close to anyone. That is the only way I'll do no harm. Because God help us all if I ever fall in love with another human

The Program on Smoking Cessation for Employees

The Program on Smoking Cessation for Employees Introduction There are a number of programs on smoking cessation design for employees that are premised on various data analysis techniques. Despite the diversity of data collection methods, all the programs are aimed at improving employees’ lifestyles and creating new incentives for increasing employees’ productivity and performance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Program on Smoking Cessation for Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, there is a growing trend in evaluating the practices and improving the strategies on creating a program. The systematic evaluation can allow managers to solve problems and help community-based organizations to improve the quality of services and working conditions. Despite the veritable understanding of evaluation of program evaluation, there is a need for creating a comprehensive framework. Therefore, analysis of other frameworks for programs on smokin g cessation will help to integrate successful data collection and analysis methods that can contribute to the quality of program outcomes. The evaluation process implies investigating worth, significance, and merits of efforts made during the program implementation. Invention of new methods and approaches has been developed to embrace the multiple aspects of the program, define its strengths and weaknesses, and outline significance and main elements of the data collection process. All these procedures will provide a better understanding of how the program can be improved and modified to reach greater objectives and goals. Finally, the evaluation process has great importance for governmental organizations that assess the usefulness and validity of the programs for future implementation in other settings. The program under analysis focuses on a smoking cessation opportunity for employees. It involved 70 participants who plan to quit smoking; 11 participants managed to quit smoking, wh ich pointed to the success of the program and its future potential.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Certainly, though the ratio of the participants who had quit smoking was not significant, there were still methods and alternative researches that could help understand how to improve this program and increase the number of employees who were ready to give up smoking. Main Discussion Integrating Data Collection Methods into the Program Evaluation Plan With regard to the above-presented background, the program involved only 70 participants and it was based on a local hospital in Ohio. The success of the program is evident because it was primarily based on observation process, as well as on the results of employees’ interviewing in a natural setting. Nevertheless, the framework within which the program was implemented did not allow the researchers to create great e ffect on the participants. In this respect, it is purposeful to assess related programs on smoking cessation to define which methods could be integrated into data collection methods. The studies by Shershneva et al. (2011) have introduced a spectrum of approaches and methods that allowed the researchers to reach over 43,000 clinicians (p. 29). What is more important is that the program involved collation of comparison data among different program components to define the degree of its effectiveness. Such an approach could be applied to define how employees of Ohio hospital can enhance their incentives to take part in programs and increase number of those who are ready to quit smoking. In addition, the assessment of employees performance through implementation of 4 levels of evaluation, including participation, satisfaction, learning, and performance also contributes to better outcomes through engagement of the 5 A’s algorithm. Specifically, the algorithm involves, â€Å"Ask about tobacco use, advise to quit, Assess readiness to quit, Assist with cognitive/behavioral strategies, assist with medication, Assist with relapse prevention, and Arrange for follow up† (Shershneva et al., 2011, p. 29).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Program on Smoking Cessation for Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such an extensive overview of aspects and factors influencing employees’ behavior and perception would allow Ohio hospital program to expand its techniques and improve the quality of goals achievement. In order to accomplish the program purpose and establish a multi-strategic approach to change, implementing knowledge management and skills enhancement is crucial. Skills and experiences are vital to reach the objectives in the most effective way, as well as increase the usefulness of the training program. In this respect, Labib et al. (2012) have conducted an evaluation of th e training program to define how background knowledge and skills influence the outcomes (p. 52). Similar to Shershneva et al. (2011), the scholars have employed the 5 A’s algorithm for implementing the program objectives (p. 30). These studies have significant implications for integrating medical education in smoking cessation programs. Training healthcare personnel, therefore, is an essential condition for increasing employees’ awareness of the negative effects of smoking. The data collection methods implemented by Volpp et al. (2009) are premised on randomized sampling of employees working for a multinational company to gain data about programs on smoking cessation, as well as on the effectiveness of these programs in terms of financial incentives (p. 699). Analyzing and selecting the participants gathered across the United States was carried out through surveys that encouraged the employees to give information about their smoking habits and their willingness to part icipate in the program. In contrast to these approaches, the Ohio program on smoking cessation did not involve financial incentives for employees; rather it aimed to check for employees’ awareness of the necessity to quit smoking that is not linked to financial rewards. Nevertheless, implementing surveys could also be beneficial for the program accomplishment.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Strengths and Weaknesses of Data Collection Sources Assessment the strengths and weaknesses of the data collection sources creates a new insight into possible methods and approaches to conducting programs and developing efficient plans for health promotion. Due to the fact that the main purpose of the program on smoking cessation consisted in improving healthy lifestyles of their employees, the focus on cost reduction and insurance seems to be irrelevant. In order to define the potential strengths and weakness of the program, specific emphasis should be placed on the target participants involved into data analysis, the framework for interpreting data, which method is the safest for collecting data and information processing, and understanding the appropriate value of those who provide information. In addition, the methods for data collection should also be discussed in terms of their influence on the target populations. Finally, the availability of resources for collecting informati on should also be considered, including financial perspective, personnel, and level of skills and experiences. The research studies presented by Volpp et al. (2009) also reveal beneficial approaches to data collection methods that could be employed into the program at issue (p. 700). In particular, the scholars apply to the stratification process of employees in accordance with place of work, level of smoking dependence, and income. Such an approach has not been implemented into the program at Ohio hospital, although it could have provided a better picture of results and findings and that of the level of employees’ readiness to quit smoking. However, the program has the stratification of employees in accordance with age, which provides the strong side of the programs in terms of its applicability to the employees regardless of age. The main strength of the program lies in the availability of the cost-benefit analysis of its outcomes. In particular, the Ohio program on smoking cessation ensures that the more employees are invited into the program, the more moneys will be saved through the insurance cost reduction. What is more important is that the program seeks to increase employees’ productivity through considering financial incentives. Contrary to the benefits of the studies conducted by Volpp et al. (2009), there is strong necessity to introduce alternative programs that do not imply money as the main incentive for successful outcomes (p. 701). Hence, presence of financial incentive is the tangible weakness of the program because there should be other effective ways for raising employees’ awareness and reducing their dependence on smoking. In particular, Labib et al. (2012) argue that focus on training of health care professionals has a positive impact on improved smoking cessation outcomes because it encourages employees’ readiness to participate in the programs and improve the overall quality of services (p. 53). Knowledge dist ribution, therefore, is considered to be vital for triggering cessation interventions. According to Labib et al. (2012), â€Å"one of the major barriers in starting a smoking cession campaign or practice is that many health professionals do not have the skills and knowledge of how to intervene† (p. 56). In this respect, the program could have been premised on other incentives than monetary support. Another weakness of the program lies in insufficient number of employees taking part in the program. The sample does not provide perspectives for utilizing this program in future development of health care environment. Limited number of participants contributes to the selection biases. Similar problems are provided in the studies by Labib et al. (2012) that have confirmed the restriction imposed on the program implementation (p. 57). The value of appropriate sample, however, is presented in the program evaluations provided by Shershneva et al. (2012, p. 31) and Volpp et al. (2009, p. 700) who offered a much greater sample. Threats to the Data Collection Process While implementing a qualitative approach to the data collection process, there might be data biases related to the nature of observation of participants in natural environments, as well as to the depth and objectivity of conducted interviews. For example, such aspects as gender, language patterns, age, and ethnicity can affect the data analysis due to the focus of the study. Data collector bias is connected with the unconscious information distortion while collecting data. For instance, the interviewers can resort to different styles in posing questions to the respondents and such a bias is a decisive factor in case interviewing is the primary source for analysis. With regard to the program, the researchers have introduced age characteristics only and failed to consider other aspects of data collection process. Despite the fact that it does not influence greatly the program outcomes, it can negatively contribute to the accuracy and internal validity of the research. Apart from threats to internal validity, there are also hazards to the external validity as well. This is of particular concern to the selection effects that can either be delineated or replicated. Setting effects are also taken into consideration while estimating the employees’ influence on the surrounding setting and vice versa. Due to the cultural and social diversity, the outcomes of the program can also be different. Finally, the employees might perceive the scope of the program differently due to a multi-strategic approach chosen to conduct a program. As a result, some terms and definitions can be understood in a different way. Similar concerns are connected to the employees’ perception of the explanation provided by the researchers. For instance, some of participants might think that the main incentive of smoking cessation is insurance reduction rather than improvement of the health care environm ent. In fact, the reduced costs constitute only the cause of the program purposes. Data Analysis Procedures Due to the fact that the program is primarily based on the statistical evaluation of the results, the data analysis procedures should involve review of related programs on smoking cessation – a qualitative approach to estimating the practical significance of the data. This type of inductive qualitative analysis will provide a wider explanation for the program value in terms of employees’ behavior and other qualitative characteristics. In particular, the literature surveys will guide the researchers through different data analysis approaches that have been used in related programs on smoking cessation. Depending on methodology and research design, the literature review can also assist researchers in developing an efficient framework for data processing. Quantitative analysis is also essential for estimating the cost-benefit analysis of the program, as it is presen ted in the case. In this respect, the program focuses on the statistic evaluation of the age of participants who plan to quit smoking. With regard to the presented case, the chosen data analysis procedures should involve a mixed method of evaluation to insurance that both observations and statistical data, including age, gender, and other attributes, have been carefully considered. Such a decision is enhanced by the evidence received from related studies on smoking cessation programs. In particular, although not all research studies resort to the analysis of literature reviews, all of them apply to statistical analysis of the received data (Volpp et al., 2009, p. 700; Labib et al., 2012, p. 56; Shershneva et al., 2011, p. 32). Specific attention requires the studies by Chan and Heaney (1997), in which the focus is on quantitative research (p. 352). In fact, statistics allows the scholars to define which of the mentioned characteristics are the most important for the program outcome (Boulmetis Dutwin, 2005, p. 123). Qualitative aspects are revealed through presenting the conceptual framework under which various notions and definitions are presented. The conceptual framework is of high important for the program under evaluation as well, because it will allow the research to provide a detailed objective explanation of the research goals, procedures, and definitions to the participants. Practical and Statistical Significance of Data The importance of incentives included into the program implementation process is important both for the researchers and for the focus group (Posavac, 2010, p. 15). In this respect, the studies by Volpp et al. (2009) proves that the presence of financial incentives can significantly foster the employees’ engagement into the program accomplishment as compared to those participants who are triggered only by the awareness of the potential benefits of smoking cessation (p. 705). Within the context of this research, it can be stated that the program under analysis could have integrated this aspect to promote greater results. Statistical significance of the data involved into the process demonstrates how numerical data allows the program managers to conclude how the project influences employees’ awareness of smoking cessation initiative. Essential Elements of Program Evaluation Report A Program Evaluation Report should be based on the analysis of five important components that include philosophy and goals, needs assessment (analysis of the participants), program planning procedures, implementation, and the evaluation itself (Boulmetis Dutwin, 2005, p. 156). To begin with, the program has clearly stated its goals and objectives that are confined to creating incentives for employees to quit smoking, promoting healthy lifestyles, and developing a multi-strategic approach to change. Reduction of insurance costs is another important outcome of the program on smoking cessation. Needs assessment focuses on the target audience involved into the program. In this respect, the case shows that the participants are not limited to age, gender, and ethnicity, which imposes certain biases on the results. As per program planning procedures, the case study does not provide sufficient explanation for the stages of employees’ participation. Instead, it refers to the outcomes and benefits of the program accomplishment. The program implementation focus has sufficient presentation. In addition, the program outcomes have proved that its goals and objectives directly relate to the expected results. Finally, the evaluation process itself has managed to address such important issues, as data collection methods and all possible biases related to them. Such an assessment allows the program managers to predict possible threats and risks in future. Research Utilization Processes The results of the program demonstrate that employees’ engagement into the evaluation process creates cost benefits for t he hospital, irrespective of the number of employees who quit smoking. Irrespective of age of individuals who quit, the program is worth utilizing for future practices. Despite the win-win situation, the program could be advanced to provide potential benefits for employees’ welfare and future promotion of healthy lifestyles. Hence, the program both benefits the hospital and the employees. Despite the fact that the hospital employing the participants was the focus of the program, it still has a positive effect on the employees’ physical and mental health. In this respect, the utilization processes could be used for two major purposes – to develop alternative incentives for employees to quit smoking and introduce cost benefits for the hospital. Such perspectives of the utilization processes can convince stakeholders to employ the program in their settings. Conclusion The analysis of the program on smoking cessation held at Ohio hospital has outlined to major advan tages – development of incentives for employees to promote healthy lifestyles and improve their performance, as well as reduction of insurance costs that the hospital should cover for sustaining employees’ health. The program has also been evaluated concerning the data collection methods, strengths and weakness of data analysis, potential threats to implementing data collection resources, and possible utilization processes that can be used to guide practices in health care. All these aspects have revealed advantages and disadvantages of the program. In particular, the analysis of literature related to the program has provided the necessity to select a mixed method for estimating the participants and the outcomes. Involvement of qualitative and quantitative data is indispensible for enhancing practical and statistical significance of the data. The main weakness of the program lies in irrelevant approach chosen for selecting the population sample. References Boulmetis, J ., Dutwin, P. (2005). The ABCs of Evaluation: Timeless Techniques for Program and Project Managers. US: John Wiley and Sons. Chan, W., Heaney, C. A. (1997). Employee Stress Levels and the Intention to Participate in a Worksite Smoking Cessation Program. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 20(4), 351-364. Labib, N., Radwan, G., Salama, R., Horeesh, N. (2012). Evaluation of Knowledge Change of Internal Medicine Residents Following a Training Program in Smoking Cessation. Pakistan Journal of Medical Research, 51(2), 52-58. Posavac, E. J. (2010). Program Evaluation: Methods and Case Studies. US: Pearson. Shershneva, M., Larrison, C., Robertson, S., and Speight, M. (2011). Evaluation of a collaborative program on smoking cessation: Translating outcomes framework into practice. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 31, 28-36. Volpp, K. G., Troxel, A. B., Pauly, M. V., Glick, H. A., Puig, A., Asch, D. A., Audrain-McGovern, J. (2009). A Randomized, Controlled Trial of F inancial Incentives for Smoking Cessation. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(7), 699-709.

Essay on Transsexualism

Essay on Transsexualism Essay on Transsexualism This is a free sample essay on Transsexualism: In 1952, few Americans were familiar with the concept of transsexualism. It was difficult to understand or acknowledge that gender was not synonymous with sex; that is, most people believed that the anatomy with which a child was born would indisputably influence his or her behavior, disposition, career choices, tastes and sexual preferences in one of two ways: male, or female. It was in that year that Christine Jorgensen was born. Christine Jorgensen was in fact a pseudonym for a 26 year old ex-GI from the Bronx named George. Since childhood Jorgensen had been haunted by his place in the sexual binary system, pulled like a magnet to a female identity despite his male genitals. He had finally decided to seek sex-reassignment surgery, an operation that was not available in America but was crudely performed by some doctors in Denmark (Brown et. al). Eventually details of Jorgensens surgery were leaked to reporters and the Daily News screamed EX-GI BECOMES BLONDE BOMBSHELL one quiet morning in December, propelling America into a frenzy of shock, outrage, and curiosity. Some people even saw the fact and publicity of such an event as an important landmark in the destruction of all moral and societal good. What most Americans and other Western citizens didnt know was that a rich history of transsexualism, transgenderism and/or gender variation had been alive and celebrated in many Non-Western societies for innumerabl e years. The Two-Spirited people of the various American Indian tribes and pre-contact south- and central-Americans are arguably the most interesting example of unique transgenderal customs, beliefs, and societal significance. Two-Spirited people, first written about in Western literature in the late sixteenth-century, were called bardaja or berdaches by European missionaries (Trexler). These words indicated a receptive role in sodomy and derived from the Persian bardah prisoner or kept boy. Despite evidence that some berdaches did provide homo-sexual services for warriors in central American tribes and the apparent frequency with which they took same-sex lovers, these individuals played a primarily gender-based, rather than sexual, role. In some cases this gender role was functional, such as in the incidences of female-born children being raised as boys to facilitate a fathers hunting in the Inuit subsistence based economies. Similarly, in families whose children had all been born male, a child in present-day Colombia may have been given a female gender to fill the role of fathers servant or caretaker of a sick mother. Generally these individuals would retain their given-gender for the rest of their live s (Trexler). It is important to realize, however, that in most indigenous cultures, the child raised Two-Spirit was not simply raised in the opposite gender role, but as a combination of the two, as notes Roscoe in The Zuni Man-Woman: [A] male lhamana would take on roles that not only included male occupational status such as farmer, weaver, shaman and story-teller, but potter and housekeeper as well, which were female roles (126). On the other hand, the majority of research on Two-Spirited people has revealed a gender role that is more spiritual than functional. In stark contrast to Europeans, indigenous Americans did not generally view the existence of a third gender as an abnormal phenomenon, but instead as a unique blend of male and female that comes with a heightened spirituality. In quite a number of tribes, such as the Navajo, parents would recognize a child that was to become a man-woman or woman-man by the way he or she acted while very young (Goulet). In the cultures of the Plains and the Prairies, as well as in parts of California and the Northeast, the choice to become a Two-Spirit was preceded by a vision or a dream, which both explained and legitimized their choice to become a gender other than woman or man (Lang, 95). In still other cultures, for example the Canadian Dene-Tha, children are gendered according to a complex system of cross-sex reincarnation beliefs (Lang, 95). Often these reasons fo r gender variance are not exclusive, i.e., a male may express a predisposition for traditionally female chores while young and later experience a spiritual instruction to become a woman, or vice-versa. Regardless of the reason for gender variance among Two-Spirited people, their dual-genders are a natural part of the Native American cultural world view that emphasize[s] and appreciate[s] transformation and change (Lang, 93). Native Americans are expected to go through many changes in a lifetime. The Navajo Ndleehà ©Ãƒ ©, in fact, means someone who is in a constant process of change (Lang, 97). ______________ is a professional essay writing service which can provide high school, college and university students with 100% original custom written essays, research papers, term papers, dissertations, courseworks, homeworks, book reviews, book reports, lab reports, projects, presentations and other assignments of top quality. More than 700 professional Ph.D. and Master’s academic writers. Feel free to order a custom written essay on Transsexualism from our professional essay writing service.

Aqa Exam

Certificate of Education Advanced Level Examination January 2012 Geography Unit 3 Contemporary Geographical Issues 1. 30 pm to 4. 00 pm Monday 30 January 2012 For this paper you must have: ? an AQA 12-page answer book. You may use a calculator. GEOG3 Time allowed ? 2 hours 30 minutes Instructions Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Pencil should only be used for drawing. ? Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is GEOG3. ? Answer three options: one from each Section. In Section C, you must not answer the same option as those chosen in Sections A and B. ? Use sketch maps, diagrams and specific examples, where appropriate. ? Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work that you do not want to be marked. ? Information The marks for questions are shown in brackets. ? The maximum mark for this paper is 90. ? You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. ? ? Advice You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on each of Sections A and B and about 60 minutes on Section C. H/Jan12/GEOG3 GEOG3 Section A Answer one option from this section. You must not answer the option that you will answer in Section C. Option 1 Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards Total for this option: 25 marks 0 1 Study Figure 1 which shows the relationship between shaking intensity (measured by the Mercalli Scale) and different types of building structure. Describe and comment on the information provided. Figure 1 MERCALLI SCALE (7 marks) Type of building structure Adobe (baked mud and clay) Unreinforced masonry Reinforced masonry (non-seismic design) Steel framed buildings Reinforced masonry (seismic design) VI (Strong) VII (Very Strong) VIII (Destructive) IX (Ruinous) X (Disastrous) 8 22 50 100 100 3. 5 14 40 80 100 1. 5 5. 5 16 38 66 0. 4 2 7 20 40 0. 3 1. 5 5 13 25 Source: US Geological Survey The numbers are the percentages of buildings damaged or collapsed. 0 2 Outline the features of seismic waves. (8 marks) 0 3 Evaluate the management strategies adopted following one earthquake that you have (10 marks) studied. H/Jan12/GEOG3 3 Option 2 0 4 Weather and Climate and Associated Hazards Total for this option: 25 marks Study Figure 2 which shows changes, compared with 1961 – 1990 averages, in temperature, sea level and northern hemisphere snow cover. This information came from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007. Describe and comment on the changes shown. Figure 2 (7 marks) 0. 5 Difference from 1961 – 1990 average temperature ( °C) (a) Global average surface temperature 0. 0 – 0. 5 (b) Global average sea level 50 Difference 0 from 1961 – 1990 – 50 average level – 100 (mm) – 150 (c) Northern hemisphere snow cover Difference from 1961 – 1990 average area (million km2) 4 0 –4 1850 1875 1900 1925 Year 1950 1975 2000 Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – Assessment Report 4 (2007) 5 Describe the possible effects of global warming on a tropical region that you have (8 marks) studied. Discuss the responses to global warming on an international scale. (10 marks) Turn over ? 0 6 H/Jan12/GEOG3 4 Option 3 Ecosystems: Change and Challenge Total for this option: 25 marks 0 7 Study Figure 3 which shows variations in plant and fly species in different grazing areas on Salisbury Plain, a grassland area in southern England. Much of this area is used by livestock farmers. Describe and comment on the variations shown. (7 marks) Figure 3 0 60 50 Number of species 40 30 20 10 0 Ungrazed Grazed by cattle over a long time Grazed by sheep over a long time Recently grazed by cattle Recently grazed by sheep Key Plant species Fly species Types of grazing Source: Topic Eye: Ecosystems and Biodiversity; publisher – Cross Academe Limited 0 8 Outline the characteristics of the temperate deciduous woodland biome. (8 marks) 0 9 Assess the extent to which one local scale ecological conservation area that you have (10 marks) studied has been successful. End of Section A H/Jan12/GEOG3 5 Section B Answer one option from this section. You must not answer the option that you will answer in Section C. Option 4 World Cities Total for this option: 25 marks 1 0 Study Figure 4, a photograph of a central urban area that has recently undergone redevelopment. Comment on the features of the area shown. (7 marks) Figure 4 Source:  © Cameron Dunn 1 1 Outline the process of counter-urbanisation and describe its effects. (8 marks) 1 2 Discuss the planning and management issues that have arisen in areas that have (10 marks) undergone urbanisation in recent years. Turn over H/Jan12/GEOG3 ? 6 Option 5 Development and Globalisation Total for this option: 25 marks 3 Study Figure 5 which shows the estimated percentage of population by country that used the internet in 2009. Comment on the extent to which it supports the concept of the North/South divide. (7 marks) Figure 5 Key Estimated percentage of the population that used the internet 40 or more 30 – 39 20 – 29 10 – 19 Less than 10 Source: www. internetworld stats. com 1 4 Outline reasons for the growth of social and/or economic groupings of nations. (8 marks) 1 5 Discuss the consequences of groupings of nations. (10 marks) H/Jan12/GEOG3 7 Option 6 Contemporary Conflicts and Challenges Total for this option: 25 marks 1 6 Study Figure 6 which shows the percentage of employed people living on less than US $1. 25 a day in each of 1997 and 2007 for selected regions. Comment on the information shown. (7 marks) Figure 6 Sub-Saharan Africa Southern Asia Oceania South-Eastern Asia Eastern Asia Western Asia Latin America and the Caribbean Northern Africa Developed regions Developing regions 0 10 20 30 % Source:  © United Nations 2009 – United Nations: Millennium Development Report 2009 Key 1997 2007 40 50 60 70 1 7 Suggest reasons for the existence of global poverty. (8 marks) 1 8 Discuss how poverty can be addressed on a global scale. (10 marks) End of Section B Turn over H/Jan12/GEOG3 ? 8 Section C Answer one option from this section. You must not answer the option answered in either Section A or Section B. Note to Candidate You should bear in mind that the essay questions below are synoptic in nature. In your response to these questions you are required to show your knowledge and understanding of different aspects of geography, the connections between these different aspects and, where relevant, of human perspectives upon geographical themes and issues. Option 1 1 9 Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of volcanic hazards? 40 marks) Weather and Climate and Associated Hazards To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of tropical revolving (40 marks) storms? Ecosystems: Change and Challenge ‘The characteristics of the vegetation of tropical biomes are more the outcome of continued human activity than a response to the climatic conditions. â€⠄¢ With reference to one tropical biome, discuss the extent to which you agree with this (40 marks) view. Option 4 2 2 World Cities To what extent can urban areas be sustainable? (40 marks) Option 2 2 0 Option 3 2 1 Option 5 2 3 Development and Globalisation To what extent can development be sustainable? 40 marks) Option 6 2 4 Contemporary Conflicts and Challenges With reference to a conflict over the use of a local resource that you have studied, discuss the extent to which all interest groups involved can be satisfied with its outcome. (40 marks) END OF QUESTIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT-HOLDERS AND PUBLISHERS Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements in future papers if notified. Copyright  © 2012 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. H/Jan12/GEOG3

History of music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of music - Essay Example Assuredly, music has evolved with time and we can now enjoy live concerts, audio music, videos, and instrumentals. It is arguably true that most people think and identify with the idea that only the elite and educated audience enjoys classical music. This follows an observation that only the snobs, intellectuals, racists, and educated people attend classical music concerts. Indeed, this has been a consistent tread and the mindset to believe in this argument has been there for decades. However, this is not necessarily true. In fact, there has been a common belief that the young generation, the less educated, and the less wealthy do not want to attend classical concerts because either they cannot afford entrance fee or they suffer inferiority complex because of the apparent intellectual superiority that entails a classical music concert. However, I can establish that this is not necessarily true as the same class of people easily afford pop and football tickets which are reasonably expensive that classical concert tickets. Hence, I derive that the only reason why the less educated or the public fails to attend classical music concerts is that they lack exposure to this genre of music. Otherwise, with significant exposure, everybody enjoys classical music. Therefore, I suggest that we introduce and encourage children to enjoy and recognize the beauty in classical music while still at school. With this, we will be able to eliminate the apparent inability to attend classical music concerts.

Deconstructing a Device Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deconstructing a Device - Research Paper Example Consequently, as technical knowledge increased and specialists in the communication field explored more option, the technology of advanced mobile communication devices also grew accordingly. This also saw the shift of the functions and uses of the mobile phones from just mere communication devices, to other extensive purposes. Similarly, the technological evolution also realized a shift of the partnering technologies and fields, to incorporate additional components facilitated by the other fields such as the software developers among others. Today, my mobile phone is not just a device that I carry around for communication purposes. Practically, the mobile is a companion to many users (Dhanendran 1). For instance, the number of people with mobile phones is enough evidence of the particulate use of the device. The mobile phones have evolved in its applications, from a simple communications device to an essential operating device that facilitates most of the daily lives of its users. In everyday life, we see people along the streets and in restaurants among other places holding their phones. What activities they engage using the phone, you may ask? Well, the phone is essentially and practically one of the most convenient devices of all time, with critical applications. Some uses include taking pictures and videos (Dhanendran 1). My phone, for instance, the HTC Android model has an inbuilt feature of sensitivity that gives it the best camera resolution, making remarkably clear images and videos (Hansen 1). Another notable application of the mobile device is the ability to send and receive text messages. Similarly, this incorporates the texting services provided by the host service provider as well as, applications that use the internet to facilitate texting. Another elemental use of the mobile phone is the ability to access the internet

Thoreaus Masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Thoreaus Masculinity - Essay Example He also served as an abolitionist against slavery for his entire life by lecturing across the country against the Fugitive Slave Law. Every man's search for wisdom can be connected to Thoreau's simple search for truth, in which he praises these three main characteristics as the most admirable qualities of the American man. Thoreau's theoretical energy was inspired by the wild. He found it necessary to live free in the wilderness provided by Walden Pond for two years and two months , in order to find the clarity he needed to search for truth. He followed the notion set by Plato, that wisdom is attained through the continuous pursuit of truth. This was a concept originated by Plato's mentor Socrates through his ideals of continuous self analysis. All, of which, is presumed will lead one to the most meaningful life. In his piece, Natural History of Massachusetts he says, You cannot go into any field or wood, but it will seem as if every stone had been turned, and the bark on every tree ripped up. But, after all, it is much easier to discover than to see when the cover is off. It has been well said that "the attitude of inspection is prone." Wisdom does not inspect, but behold Thoreau, pp. 130-131). Here as Thoreau teaches patience through the appreciation of nature. He also argues in favor of self preser vation in that he promotes the preservation of nature and believes man to be as equally a part of nature as any other animal in the wild. Virtue is also a core ideal that Thoreau aspires for in his writing and in turn convinces the reader to aspire for as well. He would often contrast virtue with popular ideals at the time which he felt were unbefitting to the ideal American male, but he also often spoke directly on the concept of morality and virtuous behavior. In his 1849 piece, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers he says, Absolutely speaking, Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you is by no means a golden rule, but the best of current silver. An honest man would have but little occasion for it. It is golden not to have any rule at all in such a case (Thoreau, p.74). In his chapter on economy, Thoreau contrasts the popular view of inherited wealth. Where most people would consider inheriting great wealth as a blessing, Thoreau's take is the opposite. He believes it impedes a man's freedom to live his own life, by inheriting a subservience to, what he calls, necessity. In his piece On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, which he wrote in 1849, he communicates this concept to the reader in his text when he says, The rich man ... is always sold to the institution which makes him rich. Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue. Here Thoreau contrasts the concept of wealth with that of virtue. He makes the direct statement that one born into wealth is not free but sold into never being able to be virtuous. It's very ironic that he is able to flip one of the most desired and admired origins in American Capitalist society on its head. The American Dream in essence is the pursuit of wealth/ha ppiness; by Thoreau denouncing the pursuit of money he is indirectly redefining, or disregarding, the American Dream. One might assume that this disdain for the American Dream and its detrimental affect on manhood was a reoccurring theme that developed over time in Thoreau's writing, because in his 1854 work

Marketing Plan Master Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Plan Master - Case Study Example The electric motors based drive is suitable for low speed driving and hence is suitable for city roads while the petrol based drive is suitable for high speed rides on highways. The combustion engines charge the batteries during the ride and hence external charging is not required. Hybrid cars have been accepted by the customers because of the option of petrol based engine within the car although the cost is substantially high. However, fully electric cars (also called econocars) have not yet picked up markets because they cannot be driven at high speeds and the infrastructure supporting charging outlets is still not adequate. However, its market is expected to pickup substantially in light of latest technology innovations, tax savings, environment awareness programmes, and subsidization by government. This paper presents a marketing plan for econocar pertaining to the case study of Tomoco taking into account impacting factors like changing global dynamics in econocars, technology innovations, distribution networks, support networks (like charging outlets), grid capacity & availability, government support (subsidiaries, tax exemptions, value added services, local environmental laws, etc) and above all, change in user perceptions. The offer by Sandeep qualifies as social engineering attack on the employee of another organization to acquire confidential & commercially sensitive information of that organization which may be including their intellectual property rights (IPR). First & Foremost, this is an unethical gesture and hence no organization in this world should indulge into such activities. Secondly, if the organization (Ishimuru in this case study) files a lawsuit against the company indulging into the social engineering activity (Tomoco in this case study) as per the clauses against breach of confidentiality/trade secrets/Intellectual Property Rights as applicable in the legal system of the country, the global reputation of Tomoco would be at a serious stake whereby damages can be irreparable. Every country has own rules & regulations for protection of business secret information, trade secrets, commercially sensitive information & intellectual property rights of the companies operating within the political territory of the nation. Such information can only be disclosed against non-disclosure agreements (within the business contracts or else signed separately) that are enforceable within the jurisdiction where the agreements are being executed. Such agreements are not only signed with the suppliers or third parties but are also signed internally within the organization as a part of employment agreements with every employee and the articles of memorandum for the management & the board members. By invoking a social engineering attack on the employee of an organization to provoke him/her to divulge secrets, the

Comparison Between Parse Theory & Watson Theory Essay

Comparison Between Parse Theory & Watson Theory - Essay Example The human becoming theory gives a clear view of a person's will to achieve goal through the nursing practice. Rosemarie Rizzo Parse had initially published the theory in 1981 as the "Man-living-health" theory, but later in 1992, the name was officially changed to "the human becoming theory" to eradicate the term "man" from the theory, after the alteration in the dictionary definition of the word from its previous meaning of "humankind". The human becoming theory was presented as a human science nursing theory in the practice of Heidegger, Dilthey, Merleau-Ponty, Gadamer and Sartre. Many of the European philosophers such as Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty, along with works by the pioneer American nurse theorist, Martha Rogers, synthesized the assumptions supporting the theory. The theory itself is structured around three unshakable matters or themes, those are meaning, rhythmicity, and transcendence. The first theme, which is meaning, has been mentioned in the first principle of the theory, which states "Structuring meaning multidimensionally is cocreating reality through the languaging of valuing and imaging". The principle means that people take interest in creating what is real for them through self-expression in living their values in a predetermined way. For instance a person who has to be an actor acts at many occasions, this happens because the actor's only concern is with acting and in order to make people realize about his ability, the actor keeps on acting at most of the public places. This means that there is a hope in that person's life, which makes him to act. The second theme is rhythmicity, which has been expressed in the second principle of the theory, which states, "Co-creating rhythmical patterns of relating is living the paradoxical unity of revealing-concealing and enabling-limiting while connecting-separating". This principle means that the unity of life includes noticeable opposites in regular patterns of relating. It means that in living life continuously and in small parts one shows and does not show self as opportunities and boundaries appear in moving with and apart from others. For instance, at times we look for opportunities in life and give sacrifices to avail it, at times according to the situation we lie to others about few matters and hide our things that if known to others can make us ashamed, although every lie is unintentional but we have to lie as not doing so can cause many other problems, it is not something we are in favor of doing always, yet we get bounded to do so. The third theme is transcendence, which is discussed in the third principle of the theory, which states "Cotranscending with the possibles is powering unique ways of originating in the process of transforming". This principle means that moving away from the present moment is like making a unique personal path for oneself, which creates a lot of confusion and also keeps on changing. A good example in everyday life is that all of us keep on dreaming about various things, even when it comes to take decision of our lives, we keep on changing them time after time as we do not keep in mind one goal. The point to be made is that, we all should keep on living life as it has come to us, all

Thoreaus Masculinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Thoreaus Masculinity - Essay Example He also served as an abolitionist against slavery for his entire life by lecturing across the country against the Fugitive Slave Law. Every man's search for wisdom can be connected to Thoreau's simple search for truth, in which he praises these three main characteristics as the most admirable qualities of the American man. Thoreau's theoretical energy was inspired by the wild. He found it necessary to live free in the wilderness provided by Walden Pond for two years and two months , in order to find the clarity he needed to search for truth. He followed the notion set by Plato, that wisdom is attained through the continuous pursuit of truth. This was a concept originated by Plato's mentor Socrates through his ideals of continuous self analysis. All, of which, is presumed will lead one to the most meaningful life. In his piece, Natural History of Massachusetts he says, You cannot go into any field or wood, but it will seem as if every stone had been turned, and the bark on every tree ripped up. But, after all, it is much easier to discover than to see when the cover is off. It has been well said that "the attitude of inspection is prone." Wisdom does not inspect, but behold Thoreau, pp. 130-131). Here as Thoreau teaches patience through the appreciation of nature. He also argues in favor of self preser vation in that he promotes the preservation of nature and believes man to be as equally a part of nature as any other animal in the wild. Virtue is also a core ideal that Thoreau aspires for in his writing and in turn convinces the reader to aspire for as well. He would often contrast virtue with popular ideals at the time which he felt were unbefitting to the ideal American male, but he also often spoke directly on the concept of morality and virtuous behavior. In his 1849 piece, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers he says, Absolutely speaking, Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you is by no means a golden rule, but the best of current silver. An honest man would have but little occasion for it. It is golden not to have any rule at all in such a case (Thoreau, p.74). In his chapter on economy, Thoreau contrasts the popular view of inherited wealth. Where most people would consider inheriting great wealth as a blessing, Thoreau's take is the opposite. He believes it impedes a man's freedom to live his own life, by inheriting a subservience to, what he calls, necessity. In his piece On the Duty of Civil Disobedience, which he wrote in 1849, he communicates this concept to the reader in his text when he says, The rich man ... is always sold to the institution which makes him rich. Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less virtue. Here Thoreau contrasts the concept of wealth with that of virtue. He makes the direct statement that one born into wealth is not free but sold into never being able to be virtuous. It's very ironic that he is able to flip one of the most desired and admired origins in American Capitalist society on its head. The American Dream in essence is the pursuit of wealth/ha ppiness; by Thoreau denouncing the pursuit of money he is indirectly redefining, or disregarding, the American Dream. One might assume that this disdain for the American Dream and its detrimental affect on manhood was a reoccurring theme that developed over time in Thoreau's writing, because in his 1854 work

Comparison Between Parse Theory & Watson Theory Essay

Comparison Between Parse Theory & Watson Theory - Essay Example The human becoming theory gives a clear view of a person's will to achieve goal through the nursing practice. Rosemarie Rizzo Parse had initially published the theory in 1981 as the "Man-living-health" theory, but later in 1992, the name was officially changed to "the human becoming theory" to eradicate the term "man" from the theory, after the alteration in the dictionary definition of the word from its previous meaning of "humankind". The human becoming theory was presented as a human science nursing theory in the practice of Heidegger, Dilthey, Merleau-Ponty, Gadamer and Sartre. Many of the European philosophers such as Heidegger, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty, along with works by the pioneer American nurse theorist, Martha Rogers, synthesized the assumptions supporting the theory. The theory itself is structured around three unshakable matters or themes, those are meaning, rhythmicity, and transcendence. The first theme, which is meaning, has been mentioned in the first principle of the theory, which states "Structuring meaning multidimensionally is cocreating reality through the languaging of valuing and imaging". The principle means that people take interest in creating what is real for them through self-expression in living their values in a predetermined way. For instance a person who has to be an actor acts at many occasions, this happens because the actor's only concern is with acting and in order to make people realize about his ability, the actor keeps on acting at most of the public places. This means that there is a hope in that person's life, which makes him to act. The second theme is rhythmicity, which has been expressed in the second principle of the theory, which states, "Co-creating rhythmical patterns of relating is living the paradoxical unity of revealing-concealing and enabling-limiting while connecting-separating". This principle means that the unity of life includes noticeable opposites in regular patterns of relating. It means that in living life continuously and in small parts one shows and does not show self as opportunities and boundaries appear in moving with and apart from others. For instance, at times we look for opportunities in life and give sacrifices to avail it, at times according to the situation we lie to others about few matters and hide our things that if known to others can make us ashamed, although every lie is unintentional but we have to lie as not doing so can cause many other problems, it is not something we are in favor of doing always, yet we get bounded to do so. The third theme is transcendence, which is discussed in the third principle of the theory, which states "Cotranscending with the possibles is powering unique ways of originating in the process of transforming". This principle means that moving away from the present moment is like making a unique personal path for oneself, which creates a lot of confusion and also keeps on changing. A good example in everyday life is that all of us keep on dreaming about various things, even when it comes to take decision of our lives, we keep on changing them time after time as we do not keep in mind one goal. The point to be made is that, we all should keep on living life as it has come to us, all

Individual Person Essay Example for Free

Individual Person Essay 1.1 Person centred is about providing care and support that is centred or focused on the individual and their needs. We are all individual and just because two people might have the same medical condition, for eg.Dementia, it does not mean that they require the same care and support. As a care worker I need to understand what the values are. There are eight person centred values: individuality rights choice independency dignity respect partneship equal opportunities I need to listen to S/U, they know themselves best, even if disagree, the care plan is theirs unless the capasity to understand is diminished and then advice must be sought from other person involved in an S/U‘s support plan,even legal advice should be sought in some ases. 1.2  Explain why person centred values must influence all aspects of social care work. The why is because it is embedded in social policy and legislation eg Putting People First, Valuing People Now and the Essential Standards. 1.3  Explain how person centred values should influence all aspects of social care work It’s important to respect the rights of the individual to be at the centre of their own care. This means that workers must focus on what the individual wants and how they want it to be provided. 1.2/1.3 vvv Person-centred care values must influence all aspects of health and social care work. Health and social care should be based on person-centred values, and should be individualised as this is a law requirement (Human Rights Act 1998, Health and Social care Act 2012, Codes of practice for Social Care Workers, etc). If person-centre values that underpin all work in the health and social care sector are followed as they should be then all individuals should feel that and health and social workers ensure that: †¢ the individual is supported in accessing their rights †¢ the individual is treated has an individual †¢ the individual is supported to exercise choice †¢ ensure the individual have privacy if they want it †¢ support the individual to be as independent as possible †¢ treat all individuals with dignity and respect To ensure the above is followed will influence all aspect of health and social care it is important to ensure that all individuals are treated as such and person- centred care should ensure this.

Transactional Vs Transformational Leadership

Transactional Vs Transformational Leadership This essay is required to conduct a better understanding of leadership styles transactional and transformational leadership styles from researching on Richard Branson and Steve Jobs success, and discuss about different types of changes (incremental and radical changes) may occur in an organisation in order to learn change management methods can be applied to a real case (Virgin Group). Although both of the excellent leaders exhibit characteristics of both transactional and transformational leadership styles, this essay will identify Steve Jobs as a transactional leader and Richard Branson as a transformational leader with three reasons for each statement. This essay will identify and describe six examples of changes (incremental and radical) for each leader (three examples each type). At last, this essay will discuss about the concepts of change management and explain Kotters 8-Step Change Model by applying to a real case (Virgin Group). Transactional Leadership VS Transformational Leadership Good leadership is the key to the success of an organization. Transactional leadership is performance-oriented and transformational leadership is people-oriented. To be more specific, transactional leadership involves reinforcement to monitor and justify followers performances by using reward and punishment, while transformational leadership tends to inspire and motivate the followers loyalty and concentration by leaders charisma. Steve Jobs as Transactional Leader Transactional leaders characteristic behaviours are: (Barbuto, 2005) Contingent Reward Contingent reward is actually a usual way that most of the managers use to motivate teams, create positive competition and improve effectiveness. Steve Jobs had the impressive ability to notice talent and active employees and allocate them to the right place in the company. Each year, Jobs took his top 100 people on a retreat. It is not only a reward as a vacation, but also an acknowledgement from STEVE JOBS! In my opinion, acknowledgements from successful genius would be the best reward for my hard working. Management by exception Transactional leaders take actions based on the exceptions (performance) of the employees. Steve Jobs categorised his followers as either geniuses or bozos, and quickly firing those who fall in the latter camp (Greene-Blose, 2012). Another characteristic of transactional leadership would be the desire for control which is typical Steve Jobs style. His favourite presentation tools were a whiteboard and a Magic Marker, which gives him fully control in the conference. After his reinventing Apple, Jobs had several weeks of product review sessions. Finally he run out of patience and shouted the team to stop, grabbed a Magic Marker to the white board and wrote down four words: Consumer, Pro., Desktop and Portable. Then he said:Here is what we need! (Isaacson, 2012) This is Steve Jobs, full of power and passion, who gave clear incentives and strategies to his followers with his wisdom and visions. Richard Branson as Transformational Leader Transformational leaders characteristic behaviours are: (Barbuto, 2005) Idealized influence Richard Branson has become a role model for his followers inside or outside of his Virgin Empire by his own passionate and fearless life style. With his own words, You want to create something you are proud ofà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ That has always been my philosophy of business (Branson), Richard Branson broke many world records such as the fastest recorded Atlantic crossing by boat, the first Atlantic crossing by hot-air balloon, etc. He proved that anything is possible to his followers and the rest of the world with real examples. (Ocker, 2008) Inspiration motivation Richard Branson is a visionary leader with dreams and relentless work attitude which make those dreams come true. At the early stage of Virgin Group business, he once said:I want Virgin to be as well-known around the world as Coca-Cola. (Branson) After decades of time, the brand of Virgin have become world well-known, and covers many different areas of business which Coca-Cola wound not dare to try. Those kinds of ambitions and courage ties his group together and close, and leads him to keep on improving Virgin Group services and productions. Individualized consideration Richard Branson business maxim is staff first, customers second and shareholders third (Locke, 2009). One of his most famous and interesting story would be the lawsuit against British Airways for its protracted libel actions and ended with a settlement of about  £600,000 total. After Richard Branson got the money, he divided it to all his employees for their hard working. It was not only a reward, but more like sharing a triumph. On the other hand, the major reason of Richard Bransons business success is that he takes care of customers needs with innovations and consideration, such as placing a rubber ducky in each bathroom of Virgin-owned hotels in order to make guests feel ate home, putting Listening Posts in their record stores and allowing customers to listen to entire CDs before purchasing. (Richard Branson Virgin) In general, transformational leadership style is considered more as a friendly and flexible way to organize a company, while transactional leadership is considered more tough and efficient. It is hard to say which one is better. All the good leaders all over the world (include the two above) have the characteristics of the both leadership styles., such as Steve Jobs charismatic characteristics and spiritual motivating speech skills (Transformational), and Richard Branson strict management ways on the lower level positions in the organisation (Transactional). Transformational leadership does not replace transactional leadership but improves the effectiveness of transactional leadership from a different angle. (Bernard, Bass, Riggio, 2005) Incremental Changes VS Radical Changes Changes are inevitable in human lives as well as in business operations. Incremental change takes place over a long time period for development purposes, while radical change is more often triggered by a crisis or a business opportunity. There are several differences listed in the following table. Incremental Changes Radical Changes Reasons Business development Expansion Dealing with crisis Seizing a significant business opportunity Period Long period of time Short period of time Examples Improvement Such as TQM, new system implementation Revolutionary changes Such as restructuring, merger, take-over Approaches types May be small, slow, on-going May be onetime events, quick Respond and effect Hardly noticed by the management level Immediately adapt May cause resistance to changes Steve Jobs Incremental Changes Example1: Pixar In 1986, Steve Jobs bought The Graphics Group from Lucasfilm for $10 millions, changed the name to Pixar and started his career in animation manufacturing. With his visionary plans and technology support from his computer company NeXT, Pixar developed a software package called RenderMan (which has been widely accepted and used in filmmaking industry). RenderMan was implemented into the existing Pixar production line slowly in order to improve quality of the products. After ten years time, Pixar finally achieved an amazing success in the animation filming industry. It kept producing a series of animation films, beginning with Toy Story (1995), which led Pixars worth to over $1.5 billion. It took 10 years to implementing and perfecting the new software into production and transferring Steve Jobs leadership style into Pixars existing operation, and achieves a remarkable improvement at the end. This is an incremental change made by Steve Jobs. Example2: Digital hub strategy After Steve Jobs returning to Apple in 1997 as an interim CEO, he successfully brought Apple back to profitability with a amazing consumer desktop computer iMac. By facing negative predictions about proclaiming PCS would disappear within a couple of years, Steve Jobs continuously led Apple to keep on perfecting i products with the meaning of internet, individual, instruct, inform and inspire as the same way Apple always do. (Steve Jobs introductory 1998 iMac slide show) In 2001, Steve Jobs unveiled the Digital Hub Strategy to the public and in the next 10 years time he kept on launching a series of new products which extremely changed and led the trade of the whole world. (Kurian, 2012) There was an interesting event that Steve Jobs called himself as the iCEO of Apple instead of interim CEO humorously which entertained the public very much (Macworld San Francisco 2000). It was also a smart way to promoting i products while teasing with the board of Apple for rehiring him as a temporary executive officer. This huge successful change took 10 years to be accomplished followed by Steve Jobs leadership piece by piece. It maintained the old producing direction and improved production qualities. It was a long period on-going process of implementing Jobs wisdom into Apple Company. Example3: Retirement from Apple Steve Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, but he kept on denying any serious problem. That is why everyone was surprised when Apple announced that Steve Jobs would not go on stage for the Macworld keynote in 2009, and he took six months off at the same year. Jobs finally resigned as CEO of Apple in 2011 but remained as the Chairman of the companys board, and he passed away after 6 weeks. (Kurian, 2012) There may be some radical changes involved for damage control purpose, but in general, Steve Jobs took care of his retirement carefully and smoothly to avoid negative impact within 3 years time. For instance, he distributed his responsibilities to other executives step by step, and before his final resign, he strongly recommended Tim Cook in written, that letter was released to the public later in order to retain faith. The whole process was carefully planned and implemented in a long time step by step. In my opinion, it can be an incremental change. Steve Jobs Radical Changes Example1: Macintosh VS Lisa In the early 80s, Apple was creating a business-oriented computer named Lisa under Steve Jobs supervising, but later after that, Steve Jobs thrown out of the Lisa project because of his bad temper. He was so angry and decided to take revenge by developing a small project called Macintosh in order to destroy the sales of Lisa. (Kurian, 2012) It was a radical strategy. Macintosh had user-friendly interface (point-and -click) which inspired other computer manufactories and changed the direction of computer industry since then, but it was not as welcome to the market as Jobs expected though. At that time, IBMs PC was more compatible with its cheaper price. Because this action was taken rapidly without well planning and careful market researching, Macintosh project failed. Example2: Staging a Coup There was another revenge taken by Steve Jobs after his removal from Lisa project, he tried to stage a coup. As we all know, he failed again. (Kurian, 2012) It was a restructuring plan, and he took actions rapidly. But without endorsement from Apple board of directors and support from other colleagues, he got fired from his own company. Example3: Reinventing Apple By 1996, Apple rehired Steve Jobs as an informal adviser to the CEO. At that time, Apple was keeping on losing money and Steve Jobs staged another coup. He successes this time and became an interim CEO in 1997.The first thing he had done after his promotion is cutting off the production lines and focused on four products. This effective decision brought the lost confidence back to the Apple community (Kurian, 2012). In the meantime, Jobs took other actions such as announcing a new slogan Think Different and launched an amazing project which brought Apples resurgence lately, the iMac. (Edwards, 2008) Those actions and decisions above are radical changes (restructuring and redesigning the production processes). They were new strategies to the company for solving a financial crisis in a short time period. Richard Branson Incremental Changes Example1: Virgin Atlantic There are some unique features Virgin Atlantic has while other airways may not have can be considered as incremental changes. Such as, serving a cup of ice cream while passengers watching movies during travelling in order to provide a better service. Virgin Atlantic does not provide meals for short distance flight in order to reduce ticket price. This kind of services is provided for improving quality of service. Example2: Virgin Group Because Richard Branson received a lot of support from his family and friends during hi early period of business stage (borrowed money from his auntie and supported by John Lennon), the whole Virgin Group services can be considered as a long term process for implementing Richard Bransons plan of giving back to the society and helping those people who has ambitious but doesnt have opportunities. Such as, Virgin Money provides a set of formalised documentations help people who need loans. Although Virgin Money U.S. did not work well in USA, Richard Branson helped millions of people with his good heart in UK. Those actions can be considered as Incremental Changes. Example3: Eco-friendly efforts In 2007, Richard Branson launched Virgin Earth Challenge dedicating in to environmental issues. He made several decisions that supervised the whole world, such as a $25 millions prize for inventors who comes up with a viable solution for scrubbing carbon gases from atmosphere. He also pledged to reinvest all profits from Virgin transportation business over the decade into developing ecologically benign fuels. This kind of actions may not affect other Virgin companies, but they will improve Virgin Groups reputation, it is also a long time period project. Richard Branson Radical Changes Example1: Virgin Records Shop At the beginning, Richard Branson started his records business as mail ordering company in London, and it went well. After a postal strike, the mail order business was crippled. Richard Branson was forced to seek new outlets and he opened his first retail store in Oxford Street in 1971. This was a strategy for dealing with a crisis situation, and operated immediately. It changed Virgin Records business process and structure. Example2: Selling Virgin Music Group Selling Virgin Music probably would be the hardest decision Richard Branson has ever made in his whole lifetime. This decision was made in order to get money to take Virgin Atlantic back into private ownership (Vinnedge, 2009). This change was forced by a financial crisis and included restructuring process. Example3: Closing Virgin Money U.S. Richard Branson launched a loan servicing company called Virgin Money U.S. in America in 2007, and began its withdrawal after 2 years (Lepro, 2010). Its social loans were transferred to Graystone Solutions. This time, Richard Branson misjudged the market and had to make the decision in order to limit the damage. Other reasons of this collapse might be the bad economy and different culture in America. This change included restructuring and take-over in a short time. To sum up the above examples and explanations, incremental changes are normally well planned and taken over by pieces, there is less possibilities of failure. Radical changes are immediate responses for a crisis or significant opportunity, there are chances of failure. Change Management in Virgin Group Story of Virgin Mobile In 2007, Virgin Group announced the completion of its biggest challenge which brought over 10 million customers and 13,000 employees merger of NTL, Telewest and Virgin Mobile under the Virgin Media brand. It is known as the largest Virgin Company in the world. This operation took more than two years to complete the whole the merger, and Virgin Group handled it carefully, especially on employees resistance. Reasons of employees resistance to this change and strategies It is necessary for leaders to understand that resistances to changes are normal. In order to deal with those obstacles, leaders have to identify reasons of employees resistances firstly and develop different strategies for different situations. Some common reasons are following: Fear Mostly, employees fear comes from uncertainty about their career. In this situation, employees were worried about if there would be a layoff or if they were qualified for the new company. Strategies: Virgin Group kept employees involved during managing changes. The high level of the management went done to the front line staff and listened to the staffs ideas and problems, and shared their own experiences. Richard Branson took care of individual needs carefully. Meanwhile, he also announced that if the employees no longer have the enthusiasm, they would be better to find a new job. As long as the employees performed with full responsibilities, they would always be considered as a part of the company. This kind of instructions increased the sense of the urgency, and motivated employees to move on positively. No faith in new process Former NTL and Telewest employees might have uncertainties about the new process of Virgin Group. Because NTL and Telewest Company had several years of struggling with the bad economy environment, they could not be sure whether the new company would lead them to improve the organisational performance. Strategies: Richard Branson gave responsibilities to his employees, and went to the front line personally to inform clear instructions. Establishing clear instructions and explanations, and demonstrating a picture of a better future would increase employees faith and certainty of the new process. Comfort personal preference Former NTL and Telewest employees had their own ways of daily operations, and the new company brought its new ways of doing business, so they might have the difficulties to adopt the new culture. Such as, those staff had their old way of dealing with customers calls by following the instructions and scripts strictly, while Richard Branson believes that each customer would have his/her unique problem, staff should help different customers differently. Strategies: Richard Branson threw away all the scripts and told call-center employees to help customers within one call if possible. In order to support their work, he allocated necessary resources to the font line. Lack of knowledge Although some former NTL and Telewest employees were expert in their old company, they might need to start from the beginning since the new company had its unique ways of doing business. Strategies: For this kind of anxiety, Richard Branson responded with three words only: Live and Learn! He provided resources and training programs for employees in order to create a positive learning environment, and he also encouraged communication among different levels of the management to understand individual difficulties. Lack of trust Virgin Group has different diversity of businesses and it used to prefer small piece of business, whether Richard Branson has the ability to lead the large company to make profit and keep growing would be unpredictable. This is the reason that some employees might have difficulties to adapt the changes. Strategies: Richard Branson kept developing new products and services, and led the company to profitability, such as more packages of Virgin Broadband, more channels and TV programs for Virgin Media Television, and etc. Those successes brought back the trust in several years, not immediately. Application of Kotters Change Model Create Urgency At this stage, it is necessary to deliver a message that the whole company really needs this change. The company has to provide solid reasons and convincing dialogues support this decision. To Kotters belief, this stage is the most important stage; lack of preparation would easily lead to a project failure. In Virgin Medias case, leader should show people NTL and Telewests poor performance reports and most importantly, the potentials, because no one will have faith in a failed business. With a brief introduction of development scenarios, leader should emphasise the opportunities and benefit from this merger. Form a Powerful Coalition In order to influence people to accept the change, leader needs a group of key people from different department to support the change management process. They dont necessary have to be who has legitimate power, but also can be expert, and other influential people. In Virgin Medias case, leader should select powerful and influential people from ex-NTL and ex-Telewest Company, and select good communicators from Virgin Mobile, in order to organise a supportive team. Once organised, the team needs to work together and continuing to create urgency in their own working areas. Create a Vision for Change The next step would be generating an overall vision about the change, including values and reasons of the change, short summaries, and strategies to execute that vision. In Virgin Medias case, leader should have a clear idea about what to do with ex-NTL and ex-Telewest, and why Virgin Mobile needs to conduct a merger with them. As the matter of the fact, Richard Branson was trying to build the first quadruple play  [1]   media company in UK, and after couple of years hard working, he did it. Communicate the Vision After creating the vision, leader should deliver the message to the team members, and with their help, the message can be distributed to all aspects of the company. The message should not be sent through meetings only, most importantly through daily communications among the whole company. In Virgin Medias Case, Richard Branson tried to communicate with employees as much as possible and motivate them to maintain in a positive working attitude. Those ideas and visions were implanted into employees mind during those communications. Remove Obstacles In order to ease employees resistance to changes, leader should avoid having resistance to employees resistance. Leader should be willing to listen and understand employees difficulties and find a way to help them walk through it. In Virgin Media case, Richard Branson provided clear instructions to all employees, and went to the front-line in person to listen to employees. He allocated necessary resources to them and tried to create a learning environment, in order to improve performance. Create Short-term Wins Celebrations for short-term wins would be the easiest and most efficient way to prove that we are doing the right things and we are doing things right. It is not only for motivating employees passion of working, but also for gaining trust. In Virgin Medias case, leader should recognize and reward people for their excellent performance and making changes happen, and encourage them to keep on working positively. Build on the Change Kotter believes that it is very important for leaders to avoid celebrating too early and being complacent about current short-term success. There would be always rooms for improvement. In Virgin Medias Case, Richard Branson kept on producing and developing new products and services, and tracking on employees performances all the time. He went through daily operations in details in person to seek for ways of improvements. Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture Formalising the changes and including them as part of organisations culture would be the last step of change management process. This step can be considered as a closure and promotion. In Virgin Medias case, Richard Branson announced Virgin Groups success to the public all the time through different kind of channels, such as TV, radio, Virgin websites, blogs, magazines and etc. Conclusion After researching on Steve Jobs and Richard Branson life stories as a leader, this essay is conducted in order to gain a better understanding about the concepts of being an excellent leader. Leadership Style Steve Jobs was considered as a tough and strict (even dictatorial) leader, but he was also a respectful leader who could inspire and motivate followers by using his wisdom and charismas. Richard Branson is considered as gentle and flexible leaders, but he is very strict on day-to-day operations. As a leader, being transactional can improve employees performance while being transformational can improve effectiveness. Therefore, there is no one simple leadership style for one organisation. Both of the leadership styles are crucial to a business success. Types of changes Incremental change may takes place over a long time period for development and improvement purpose, while radical change may be triggered by a crisis or a business opportunity and generated in a short time period. Because incremental changes are normally well planned and taken over by pieces, there is less possibilities of failure. Radical changes are initiated immediately after realising a crisis or significant opportunity, so without a careful plan and on-going monitoring there are chances of failure. Change Management It is important to understand that employees resistance to changes are natural, but how to manage those negative feelings are critical. In general, leader should keep employees involved in the decision making, address their problems and seek for solutions, create a positive learning environment and make the change happen by working with employees as an example. Change management processes should be carefully planned and operated, especially the preparing stage (Create Urgency). A powerful coalitions positive support would make the operations accomplished smoothly, that is why selecting the right team member is very important. Leader and coalition should lead by examples, communicate with employees and deliver visions as much as possible. Do remember celebrating on short-term wins and establish big victory formally as companys culture.