International Business Management - Eastern Europe Essay

International Business Management - Eastern Europe - Essay Example 2. The maximum rate of Income tax that could be levied after the tax holiday period of 10 years should be fixed at not more than 20 percent of the taxable earnings: In addition to benefit of the tax holiday period the developing countries normally offer concessional rates income tax for any joint venture arrangements. 3. Free conversion and free transferability of funds from and to Hungary to European or US destinations2: Though these facilities were available at the time of negotiation the Hungarian government should make a commitment for the uninterrupted continuance of these facilities, which is very important for the profitable functioning of the join venture arrangement. 4. Concessional duty rates on the import of engines and reduction in the VAT (Value Added Tax) being charged by the Hungarian Government: The import duty on engines depending on the size of the vehicle varied from 10 to 40 percent and there was an additional VAT of 25 percent charged by the Hungarian government. Though Hungary is a signatory to the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) the country was free to vary the duty and VAT structures as it may deem fit in the case of automobiles. Hence there is the need to get the government committed on the basic duty structures which is advantageous to GM Europe. In addition to the tax incentives it is also important that the Hungarian government should provide basic infrastructural facilities to fac... Hence there is the need to get the government committed on the basic duty structures which is advantageous to GM Europe. (ii) Provision of Infrastructural Facilities: In addition to the tax incentives it is also important that the Hungarian government should provide basic infrastructural facilities to facilitate the successful operation of the project. Such infrastructural facilities may include the provision of natural gas to the site in addition to the provision of water, electrical power as may be required, well maintained roads for easy transportation and hassle-free physical movement of engines, components and cars during import and export. (iii) Protection from Competition: In order to gain a distinct competitive advantage there should be a commitment from the Hungarian government that at least for an initial period of 5 years or so the import of cars needs to be banned. Since the Hungarian market was small and the affordability of Hungarian population was also less there is the need for this condition. The country could get other advantages in the form of generation of additional employment and development of local suppliers which need to be traded against the protection needed by the GM Europe for its joint venture in Hungary. Though at the start, the GM plant would be small the facility could be enlarged with modernizing and restructuring of the economy. This is usually the case with any developing economy where there are going to be economic reforms the local industry would naturally develop along with the measures for economic reforms. b. Issues to be raised with RABA: The following issues are to be discussed with RABA for possible acceptance as

Oil, War and U.S. Foreign Policy. Essay Example for Free

Oil, War and U.S. Foreign Policy. Essay The war against Iran by the Anglo-American powers has been in planning since 1990s as part of their Greater Middle East strategy. A number of sources have recently reported plans by the Iranian government to institute a Tehran oil bourse and this might be the hidden agenda behind the evident march to war by the Anglo-American powers on Iran. The oil bourse argument is a red herring which diverts the attention of people from the real geopolitical grounds which is behind the real motive for the march to the war which is a high risk game on the nuclear weapon. In 1996, two neo-conservatives, Douglas Feith and Richard Perle who later played an important role in the formulation of the Pentagon policy in the Middle East under the Bush administration authored a paper which was presented to the elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The advisory paper, â€Å"A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm†, had the intention of making Netanyahu to make â€Å"a clean break from the peace process†. Feith and Perle also demanded Netanyahu to strengthen the defense of Israel against Syria and Iraq and to attack Iran as the prop for Syria. More than a year before the declaration of the former US president George W Bush of his â€Å"shock and awe† operations against Iraq, he made his January 2002 State of the Union address which is now infamous to the Congress in which he Iran, together with North Korea and Iraq as members of the â€Å"axis of evil† trio. This occurred before anybody in Tehran had even considered establishing an oil bourse in trading oil in various currencies. According to Engdahl, the US believed that the Tehran oil bourse would be the casus belli, which would trigger the pushing of Washington down the road to the potentiality of annihilation of Iran, which seems to be based on the notion that trading on oil openly to other nations in other currencies would make Tehran set in to motion a chain of events in which buyer after buyer, nation after nation, would come to buy oil no longer in US dollars but in euros. This in turn according to an argument, would lead to a panic in selling of the US dollars on the world foreign exchange markets and also lead to the collapse of the role of the US dollar as the reserve currency, which is one of the pillars of the â€Å"US Empire†. According to Engdahl in his book, A Century of War, the creation of â€Å"petrodollar recycling† in 1974, which is a process where the by then US secretary of state Henry Kissinger was deeply involved, led to oil price hike of 400% and this was orchestrated by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Engdahl puts it that US dollar did not manage to become a â€Å"petrodollar† even though Kissinger emphasized the process of â€Å"recycling petrodollar†. According to the author, what Kissinger was referring to was the initiation of a new phase of global hegemony of US in which the export earnings from the petrodollar of OPEC oils lands would be recycled back to the hands of the major London and New York banks and later re-lent in the form of US dollars to other nations which are deficient in oil such as Argentina and Brazil and this led to the creation of what was soon to be known as the Latin America debt crisis. By this time, the US dollar had been a fiat issue since August 1971 following the abrogation of the Bretton Woods Treaty and refusal by the then US president Richard Nixon to redeem US dollars which were held in foreign central banks for gold. Due to the 400% increase in oil prices, nations such as Germany, France, and Japan suddenly had the reason to buy oil in their own currencies with the aim of lessening the pressure on their reserves of trade dollars which was rapidly declining. This led to the coming up of the Pentagon and US treaty partly with their secret diplomacy by Kissinger through bullying threats According to Engdahl, the US military were sent to Afghanistan for two main reasons; the first reason was to restore and control the world’s largest supplier of opium in the world while at the same time use the drugs as a geopolitical weapon against their opponents especially Russia. The control of the drug market is an essential ingredient for the liquidity of the corrupt and bankrupt Wall Street financial market. U. S. Military and CIA Interventions in the Middle-East. Blom traces the origin of the current conflict from the brutal 1980-88 war which was between Iran and Iraq. At the time of the war, Kuwait was busy stealing oil from the Iraqi territory which was worth more than $2. 4 billion of oil. Soon after the battle, United Emirates and Kuwait started to exceed the production quotas that had been established by OPEC and this led to flooding in the oil market leading to a reduction on oil prices. This led Iraq to become deeply in debt and the then president Saddam Hussein declared this policy a threat to hi country by pointing out that Iraq was loosing billions of dollars each year due to the drop in oil prices. In an attempt to offset these loses, Saddam decided to gain possession of the two Gulf islands which were blocking Iraq from ownership of Rumaila oilfield. Kuwait continued to ignore Iraq’s territorial and financial demands and the OPEC’s request to follow the quota system and this led to Iraq to form large number of troops who were posted along the Kuwait border. This led to the intervention of the US who viewed themselves as the world’s supper power. After Iraq attacked Kuwait, US came to the defense of Kuwait by declaring that their interest was in protecting nations with whom they had longstanding and deep ties while at the same time, The White House declared their concern about the buildup of troops by Iraq. According to the author, United States had an official position on the Kuwait-Iraq border dispute. This is evident from the official statement that were found by the Iraqis in some of the Kuwait intelligence files which was a memorandum concerning a meeting between the CIA Director William Webster and Kuwait state security in November 1989. in the document, there was an agreement between the Americans and Kuwait that it was of great importance to take advantage of the deteriorating economic situation in Iraq with the aim of putting pressure on Iraq’ government so as to delineate their common borders. It is evident that US was involved from the beginning and advised Kuwait to apply pressure on Iraq so as destabilize the country economically. The CIA later denied these allegations saying that it was a fabrication. Blum puts it that the US has been behind the Kurdish’ slaughter of many innocent citizens and also encouraged the Shiite Muslims in Iraq to rebel. All these were done in an attempt to incite Saddam so that he could incite a coup which would result in to the intervention of the United States. The killings in the Persian Gulf by the American soldiers have been due to a voice command from George Herbert Walker Bush according Blum. The United States started supporting Afghan Islamic fundamentalists in 1979 in their bid to fight the Soviet Union. The US continued with their support despite the kidnapping of American ambassador in the capital city of Kabul in February 1979. American intervention according to Blom had some hidden agenda. The US was using lies and tricks to gain influence of Iraq so as to control the oil prices. In both cases, the authors recognize the use the use of tricks by the US government to make the Middle East unstable. Both the authors share a common view on the idea behind the control of Middle East affairs. In both cases, the authors acknowledge the use of military force in the wars in the Middle East and in both cases, it appears that US is the main cause of all these wars. The aim of the United States according to the two authors is to take control of the rich oil nations and make sure that they continue to price and sell oil in US dollars. They both acknowledge the pretence of the US to send their military force in these countries with the aim of restoring peace while in the real sense; the US is after establishing permanent military base in places such as Iraq so that they can control the resources of these countries. Under the Bush administration, there was a severe military attack in Iraq with the aim of removing Saddam from power with the pretence that he was behind manufacturing of nuclear weapons. After the attack, it became apparently clear that such a thing never existed in Iraq. Bush was only accomplishing a war that was started by his father against Saddam who had refused to consent to the demands of the United States. The Use of Torture in Iraq and Afghanistan. A lot has been said regarding what lies behind the shocking images of torture at Abu Ghraib which were released in 2004. many American were shocked by such images and novel with the exception of one American; Alfred McCoy who had been following the operations of the Central Intelligence Agency since the early 1970s, when the agency tried unsuccessfully to stop the publication of his book, The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade. McCoy had long been conducting study on the pioneering research by the CIA in to the methods of psychological torture. He writes that the CIA had started this project in the early 1950s with their initial study on the Chinese and Soviet methods of breaking and interrogating prisoners. The author has a negative image regarding the torture policies that America has used in the last decades. The CIA’s discovery of Psychological torture had its breakthrough in the 17th century. This was in contrast to the physical approach which they saw most of the times produced unreliable information or heightened resistance. Under the new psychological paradigm introduced by the CIA, the interrogators used two essential techniques; self-inflicted pain or disorientation so as to make the victims feel responsibility of their own suffering. The first stage of psychological torture involves the use of non-violent methods to by the interrogator to disorientate the subject. After disorientating the subject, the second stage involves simple self inflicted discomforts which may be in form of standing for many hours with the arms in extended position. Although psychological torture is less brutal due to the fact that there is no touch, the torture leaves both the interrogator and the victim with deep psychological scars. Victims normally require long-term treatment in order to recover from the trauma far much more than the physical pain. On the part of the interrogator, they may suffer from dangerous expansion of ego which may eventually lead to escalating cruelty and lasting emotional problems. According to McCoy, torture was conducted by the CIA directly and also indirectly through outsourcing. The use of torture is against humanity since it involves forcing the subject to confess in criminal cases with the assumption that they are guilty prior to trail. The CIA also used this method to serve as a deterrent to other potential offenders. According to the author, torture did less in bringing any trustworthy information or truthful confession neither did it prevent other people from breaking the law in any significant way. Following the September 11 bombing of the Twin Towers in the US, the administration of the former President George W. Bush allowed US intelligence service and the military to use torture as the only means to â€Å"quickly obtain information†. They did this by creating a category of prisoners who they claimed fall outside the protection by any treaty or law obligations and are deemed to be tortured. According to the CIA, they argue that this policy which considered the most abusive approach to interrogation is the most efficient and effective quick way to get information that is accurate and useful. From McCoy’s book, he clearly puts it that torture is always not a good way of producing reliable information. The experience from Colonel John Rothrock, who was heading a combat interrogation team in Vietnam, reported that â€Å"he doesn’t know any professional intelligence officers of my generation who would think this [torture] is a good idea,† but the US under the Bush administration failed to listen and this led to death of many innocent people in the name of state security. These torture cases were concealed from the general public and the Congress when CIA was busy for the past half of the century developing and applying a sophisticated form of psychological torture which were meant to go against investigation, prohibition or prosecution and this made it very successful. Americans have found themselves have found themselves in six separate accounts of this same moral quagmire in the last 50 years period. The first was the exposure of the CIA sponsored torture which took place in South Vietnam in 1970, Iran in 1978, Brazil in 1974, Honduras in 1988, and the cases in Iran and Iraq. Each of these cases was exposed at different times and as each case fades, the agency resumes with their lethal work in the shadows. The role of torture in the geopolitics of the Middle East is to divert attention on the real issue. While the CIA was busy torturing prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq, they were at the same time busy exporting opium to other countries. The use of torture was also a means of making sure that no information was leaked to the public. Another role that torture play is to make the subject confess to what the interrogator expects them to do. Also the use of torture by the CIA was to make people from Middle East to desist from any corporation with those who could get in to their secret conducts in these countries. An example is when McCoy was doing a research for his book in the mountains of Laos; a group of CIA machineries attempted to kill him and even threatened his translator to stop working for him. While these were happening, the CIA was secretly transporting opium using Air America helicopters to South Vietnam. Use of torture helped the American’s to exert great influence in the Middle East as those who experienced the tortures gave their experiences once they were out of the prison. The psychological damage was so much that the victims could not become normal again. This coupled with the killings of many people during the war led to weakening of these nations such that American control of oil and drugs like opium could be easy. All these acts were conducted with the aim of building an â€Å"American Empire†. Works Cited. Alfred McCoy. A Question of Torture: CIA Interrogation, from the Cold War to the War on Terror (American Empire Project).

The Sister Revealed :: essays research papers fc

The Sisters Revealed Blog Sisters’ (www.BlogSisters.com) slogan â€Å"Where men can link, but they can’t touch† describes itself very well. The Website is a team blog with over one hundred registered female members of all ages who â€Å"come together to share knowledge, ideas, stories, conversation, wisdom, and the occasional dirty jokes† (Sessum). Jeneane Sessum founded Blog Sisters in February 2002 based on the premise that men bloggers outnumber women bloggers by a great amount. The Sisters come from diverse backgrounds but have a common passion for blogging. The members range in age from upper teens to early 70’s. They come from different countries including Australia, Canada, India, Poland, Russia, and Latvia. Members include married mothers, single mothers, married childless women, single women, professional technicians, writers, employed, unemployed, feminists, and non-feminist women. In this blog women share information, ideas, problems, advice and simply â€Å"vent†. Some of Blog Sisters’ discussions deal with breast cancer, divorce, and human right abuses. Some of the latest posts include a parody of Senate hearings with Condoleezza Rice (Cooper); criticism of Bush’s â€Å"Culture of Life† rally; a review of a book The Good Body by Eve Ensler (Suyaffolee); and a marriage discussion (Wells). The archives of the blog date back to February 2002 with the first entry posted by the founder to welcome the Sisters. Ever since the first entry the members have been posting regularly, from one to fifteen entries a day. It is no surprise that women in this blog are well educated and many have at least one degree in fields such as Literature, English, Educational Administration, Sinology, Journalism, Business, and Neuroscience. Many members are (or were at some point) schoolteachers or college and university instructors. The women appear to be technologically up-to-date: in touch with their computer and web browser skills. Most of the members have a blog of their own. Jill Walker, Elizabeth Lawley, and misbehaving.net are affiliated with Blog Sisters. The posts are versatile: besides politics the blog features topics such as relationships, religion, entertainment, economy, and even a recipe Green Bean Casserole. After reading some of the entries it becomes clear that these women like to mix entertaining, informative and educational comments on every day life. Although the members have different values and opinions there is a sense of mutual respect observed among the women. Despite numerous controversial issues there has never been an inappropriate or offensive comment (Frankonis). A lot of these women live by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s quote â€Å"Well-behaved women seldom make history.

Business Industry Essay

Protection is being the number one reason on why gadget accessories have been growing in a fast phase. Both small size gadget to big size gadget need protection from the harsh outside environment, and therefore many companies have been trying to solve the problem by making a suit or body protector for the gadget lover to keep their devices functional even with severe impact to the ground or other hard objects. The mobile phone accessories itself accounts for 36 billion dollar which is a very unexpected number because of the forecasted number was 20 million by the end of 2012. This proven that the industry has been performing very well that even the prediction to the real value ratio is almost doubled. The trend of using smartphone and newest laptop has taken protection of those items to the next level. High protection for expensive gadget is very important nowadays, this is proven by the amount of money people spent on having the best protection for their devices. There are 2 types o n consumers in this business, people who actually put accessories on their smartphone to add esthetic value to their gadget and people who buy accessories for the protection of their gadget. This trend is supported by several studies that shown people who have gadget spent more than 55 dollars alone for the accessories. Smartphone industry is very popular among the age group of 18-44 and therefore the accessories come along with the age group of people who have smartphone. This research is done and concluded with more than 55% of the age group have smart phone. Otterbox Otterbox is a private company which is founded in 1998. It has been producing the protection for gadget ever since. Otterbox is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado and it’s trademark is to build a waterproof electronic cases for mobile devices. Otterbox product lines are mainly focus on the protection of the product and not focused on the esthetic side of the product. Functionality has been the front line of the product. Mainly it is as waterproof boxes and device-specific smartphone and tablet cases designed for outdoor enthusiast. Unique selling point Over the years, Otterbox has earned a reputation for the best protection for portable devices which offer high impact protection, water protection, etc. The Otterbox premium feature is offered by the premium price that comes along with it. Leaving its competitor behind, Otterbox sells their product from a competitive price of $25 to a whopping $70 for the defender series that offer the best protection for portable devices. Target Market Otterbox targets mainly on outdoor enthusiast who usually go out to rough terrains. Given the product main unique selling point of protection, Otterbox can relieve the fear of destroying their devices during their activity outside. SWOT Strength| Weakness| Strong brand nameDiversified ProductsStrong logistic| Lack of promotion| Opportunities| Threat| Growing market of smartphone| Intense competitionImitation start coming to the market| Strength Strong brand name People who know Otterbox know that the product is a very high quality product. The customers know that they are getting what they paid for. Even though Otterbox release a new product line, the customers will already know that the product will offer protection like no other brand. Diversified Products: The product lines of Otterbox varies from small smartphone to big smartphone even tablet, and therefore customers find it is nice to have the protective case that made specifically for that type of device that they have. Strong Logistic: It is easy to find Otterbox all over the world. Otterbox have channel distribution almost all over the world with the main phone accessories distributor in that country and therefore, getting our hand on Otterbox is relatively easy. Weakness: Lack of promotion People who know Otterbox know that it is a good product, but a lot of people don’t know Otterbox because their lack of promotion compared to other brand such as Targus. Opportunities: Growing market of Smart phone As it is described in the market Industry analysis, the market has been growing unexpectedly high compared to the forecast, and therefore by using this opportunity, Otterbox can boost up the sale of their product alongside with the growing industry market. Threats Intense competition: Competition has been very tough and it is not getting easier for Thule, more companies are coming to step in to the way in the protective case market. Fierce competition is on the eyesight and newcomers such as Balistic, Hardcore, and Casemate Imitation comes to the market Even though it is still hard to get, imitation has been swarming the market because Otterbox such a good product. However, if Otterbox just let it go, the problem will get much bigger and imitation could cannibalize the real product. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. https://www.abiresearch.com/press/accessories-get-smarter-as-smartphones-drive-more- [ 2 ]. http://velositor.com/2012/03/14/smartphone-accessories-market-growing-while-feature-phone-accessories-market-forecasted-to-decline/ [ 3 ]. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2012/survey-new-u-s-smartphone-growth-by-age-and-income.html [ 4 ]. http://www.inc.com/inc5000/201109/otterbox-curt-richardson-how-i-reinvented-m

Soft Thinking and Intellectual Capital

{draw:frame} University of Glamorgan MSc International Logistics and Transport Programme/Strategic Procurement Management STRATEGY AS PRACTICE Soft Systems Thinking and Intellectual Capital Assignment 1 *Student No: *08193738 Assignment Date: 5 April 2009 *Submission Date:* 15 May 2009 Module Lecturer: Paul Davis Word Count:* * *2,* 600 Critically evaluate the role that Soft Systems thinking can play in promoting organisations Intellectual Capital. To evaluate the benefits of Soft Systems Thinking (SST) in promoting an organisational intellectual capital it is necessary to understand the concept of Soft Systems Methodology and how this methodology can be used to foster teamwork, communities of practice and social learning, and whether these learning outcomes adds knowledge to employees, and leads to improved professional practice and efficacy. So what price do you put on learning – and as an intangible asset does it need to be measured to promote Intellectual Capital (IC) to support the â€Å"effective delivery of strategic goals by focusing management activities and processes†. Andriessen (2004). Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) advocated by Checkland and Scholes (1990) is a methodology based on applying systems thinking to non system situations. It is a holistic way of dealing not with the problem but the â€Å"situation† in where there are â€Å"social, political and human activities† Checkland and Scholes (1990). As opposed to â€Å"hard system methodologies, which can be quantified, measured and are technology orientated. Soft Systems takes a group of â€Å"actors† through a process of a shared â€Å"problem† appreciation. Learning about the problem, then formulating a root definition of interrelated systems, these examine the relationships of the relevant subsystem: which are the stakeholders, such as customers, employees, the worldview (weltanschauungen) and the management who are â€Å"all active in the system and take collective action to improve the situation† Checkland (1981) Senge (1990) also describes systems thinking as having five learning disciplines, personal mastery, me_ntal models, shared vision, team learning, and the overarching discipline of systems thinking. Therefore, soft systems thinking is a tool that helps in the solving of problems involving human activities where the outcome is learning. Soft systems thinking can enable subjective perceptions of problems and potential solutions. Checkland and Scholes (1990). There are a number of different issues and approaches that can be used to develop a framework for the application of systems thinking for promoting the intellectual capital of any organisation. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) advocated by Checkland and Scholes (1990) helps to achieve a clearer understanding of organisational issues and problem â€Å"situations†, as it approaches issues holistically. â€Å"System thinking is a discipline for seeking wholes, recognizing patterns and interrelationships, and learning how to structure those relationships in a more effective and efficient way † Senge and Lannon-Kim (1991. Therefore, managers having a range of skills and knowledge can add value to any improvement initiative. Rose and Haynes (2001) developed and used the methodology in a number of settings in the NHS and Iles and Sunderland (2001) cited the potential of SSM as an aid to implementing organisational change initiatives at King’s College Hospital London. (Iles and Sunderland, 2001:35) Soft systems thinking can help organisations to develop new perspectives, as it accounts for factors that otherwise would be ignored. A human activity system, can compliment strategic frameworks, such as the â€Å"Balance Scorecard† to co-ordinate business activities and improve internal and external communications. Kaplan and Norton (1992) However, humans view problems differently because they come from different backgrounds, and have different cultural roots, experience, and education, and as a subsystem, different personalities and philosophies to life. Therefore; if a group of managers at different management levels and different departments are all involved in a complex â€Å"problem situation†, SST maybe an excellent tool to create a conceptual understanding of a problem, but it does not represent the real world, but by using system rules and principles it allows thinking to be structured, to develop some models, and the situation can be expressed as a rich picture Checkland, (1981); Checkland and Scholes (1990) Although, Checkland (1999) contrasts with the emphasis on reductionists thinking on obvious problems with definite solutions. People interpret problem situations from particular standpoints and in terms of distinctive interests. Fortune and Peters (1995) speaks about ‘complex discursive’ networks challenging the understanding of systems, problems and solutions to problems. This system of relationships between people, activities, and the world is defined by Lave and Wenger (1991), as a Community of Practice, (CoP) ‘which develops over time’ and ‘in relation to’ other central and overlapping communities of practice’ and is a fundamental condition for the existence of knowledge. The approach focuses on the â€Å"social interactive dimensions of situated learning†. As people in the group interact with each other, establishing a relationship through mutual engagement and a sense of joint enterprise. Wenger (2000) describes three modes of belonging to a social learning system, as â€Å"engagement, imagination and alignment†. These cannot be formed, but have to evolve overtime, as new members join and others leave. So how can organisations like the NHS establish communities of practice? Brown and Duguid (2001a) suggests managers can seek to structure spontaneity, structuring fragmented practice across the organisation, they can encourage alignments of changing practices between communities thereby assisting the transfer of knowledge across the organisation. (Brown and Duguid 2001a). An equally important view has emerged under the banner of ‘the knowledge-based view of the firm' (Grant 1996), emphasises the necessity of organisations to develop and increase the knowledge and learning capabilities of employees through knowledge gaining, knowledge sharing, and knowledge transfer, to achieve competitive advantage. To take it further Lave and Wenger (1991) saw the gaining of knowledge as a social process, in which people participated in communal learning, but at different levels depending on their authority in the group. It is the shared commitment that binds the members of the CoP in a single social entity, and although members of the CoP build up tangible communal resources, such as written files, procedures, processes and policies, (hard knowledge) intangible resources are also being built up such as experiences rituals and idioms (soft knowledge). Hildreth and Kimble (2002) argued that the underlying problems of managing this knowledge was that Knowledge Management (KM) failed to recognise that knowledge itself consists of both hard and soft knowledge, much like the Chinese concepts of Yin and Yan and are mutually interdependent. â€Å"Knowledge by itself produces nothing; only when it is integrated into a task does knowledge benefit society. (Drucker 1992) Hislop (2004) examined three cases studies of CoP’s in large European organisations and concluded that only one was successful in sharing knowledge between communities. The other two failed to do so because they did not share the same identity. So it could be concluded that although CoP’s are self controlled and self directed, and maybe of value to the business organisation, the actual benefit and contribution to the organisation could also be uncertain. Maybe, because group solidarity in human communities, is often at the price of hostility/non-cooperation towards non-group members. â€Å"There appears to be a natural human inclination for dividing the world into friends and enemies that is the basis of all politics. † (Fukuyama, 1995) So knowledge maybe personified tacitly in the experiences of a community of practitioners in an organisation or explicitly in the written files, but Knowledge Management (KM) is a critical task for any organisation. Reducing tacit knowledge into numbers the organisation stands to lose money, although knowledge can be safely stored on computer systems – the actual value could be lost if an employee leaves with the tacit knowledge on how to use the explicit knowledge. Employee retention/turnover is important as downsizing and retirement can cause a loss of shared knowledge and knowledge could be transferred to competitors and be damaging to an organisations competitive advantage. (Stovel and Bontis (2002). Stovel and Bontis (2002) also advocate that â€Å"productivity will drop for a time due to the learning curve involved as new employees’ gain the knowledge of the tasks involved and understands and learns from the organisational culture. Information and data can be stored but it is not until it has been processed in the minds of an individual and is communicated to others does it become knowledge (Alavi and Leidener 2001) so to make tacit knowledge explicit, there has to be knowledge transfer. Knowledge transfer within and between organisations is not a one-way activity, but a process of trial and error, feedback, and mutual adjustment of both the source and the recipient (Von Krogh, 2003: 373). There have been a number of studies which have shown that some of the benefits of knowledge sharing/transfer can help solve problems and increase performance, adaptation, collaboration and innovation. (Constant, Sproull and Kiesler, 1996; Brown and Duguid, 2000). However, there is a great deal of literature on knowledge management and innumerable definitions of knowledge and what knowledge is, Blackler (1995) describes knowledge as â€Å"multifaceted and complex, being both situated and abstract, implicit and explicit, distributed and individual, physical and mental, developing and static, verbal and encoded. † While Fowler and Pryke’s (2003) views the more human element of knowledge â€Å"as much the perception arising from information and refracted through the individual’s personal lens†. Whereas, Knowledge Management Systems refers to information systems, particularly with the use of technology, which is adopted and designed to support employees, there is an emerging awareness that there is a social element to the area of knowledge management, which focuses on a more human centred approach, as a means of managing knowledge in organisations (Hildreth et el 1999) It is now recognised that the performance of any organisation, private and public is very much dependent upon the knowledge of the employees. But, it is the social element or the concept of â€Å"social capital† and its role in knowledge management for developing and gaining competitive advantage, and more broadly intellectual capital (IC) popularised by Stewart in Fortune magazine (1994) which has relational elements and comprises of human capital, structural capital, and organisational capital (Edvinsson and Malone, 1997; Stewart, 1997; Sveiby, 1997; Guthrie and Petty, 2000) and is viewed also as being central to the sustainability of competitive advantage. Edvinson and Malone (1997) defined human_ capital_ as the value of everything that ‘leaves the company at five p. m. † That is to say that only the shared knowledge assets or the _structural _capital only remains, when employees walk out through the door. Social capital can be defined as a set of informal values or norms shared among members of a group that permits them to cooperate with one another. â€Å"If members of the group come to expect that others will behave reliably and honestly, then they will come to trust one another. Trust acts like a lubricant that makes any group or organisation run more efficiently. † (Fukuyama, 1999, p16) With trust and the co-operation in groups and the social interactions based on informal communication, the building of networks can have economic benefits, with the creation of business opportunities through networking as trust reduces the costs of contracts and legal actions and shared values can make negotiations more successful. Social capital may also create business opportunities by facilitating and exchanging semi – confidential information and mutual ncouragement. (Glaser, Edward L. , Laibson, David, and Sacerdote, Bruce 2002), Intellectual Capital is the intangible economic value of organisational capital (structures, processes and culture) and human capital (skills, behaviour and knowledge) and it is the intangible asset of knowledge that is now being added to the classical production factors of land labour and capital. Growth and innovation are now rel ying on the intellectual capital /knowledge of an organisation, and how it uses the knowledge to compete in the market (Kim and Mauborgine (1999). The field of intellectual capital stems from the need of organisations to have to quantify assets. So efficient management of intellectual capital is directly linked to measurement and valuation (Andrieseen 2004) and has necessitated the introduction of reporting and valuations models for IC (Liebowitz and Suen 2000) and as the literature suggest the most popular measure of IC is the difference between the market value and the book value of a knowledge based firm (Brennan and Connell 2000. ) According to (Tuban and Aronson 2001) Knowledge is critically important because as an asset it appreciates rather than depreciates. Knowledge increases so intellectual capital is going to improve. So by using systems thinking to promote Intellectual Capital could be a powerful approach for understanding the nature of ‘problems situations’ and the way they are dealt with and how to go about improving results. The key benefit of the system is that it involves seeing the whole picture and creates insights to problems and can nurture the way that communities of practice can co-operate and learn through shared knowledge and experiences. System thinking is not an easy approach as it requires a substantial investment of effort, and thought, though the results can be more than worth the investment. Central to these ideas is that intellectual capital is ‘embedded in both people and systems. The stock of human capital consists of humans (the knowledge skills and abilities of people) social (the valuable relationships among people) and organisational (the processes and routines within the firm)’ (Wright et al 2001:716). But there are criticisms of Soft Thinks Thinking as the system is unable to deal with conflicting nature of social systems, and that it is a conceptual methodology and does not represent the real world, and the methodology implies that actors in a situation have the freedom to instigate change and that conflict does exist but the methodology relies on compromise. Douglas and MacGregor 1960 in his book â€Å"Human side of Enterprise â€Å"maintained that there are two fundamental approaches to managing people. Many managers tend towards theory x, and generally get poor results. Enlightened managers use theory y, which produces better performance and results, and allows people to grow and develop. Which demonstrates that you can’t legislate for human behaviour and those humans also by nature can be territorial and will protect their domain, by advocating knowledge is power. Lave and Wenger (1991) fail to explore the implications of the distribution of power when discussing CoP and Marshall and Rollinson (2004) suggests that Lave and Wenger ( 1991) discussions of meaning can be misinterpreted as ‘ excessively quiescent and consensual’ while in reality such activities are plagued by misunderstanding and disagreements. Without trust the members of the community of practice may be reluctant to share knowledge, and may become static in terms of their knowledge base be resistant to change. There are limitations to the communities of practice but, its does allow the means to explore the transfer of tacit knowledge management tools focused on the codification of knowledge. But a community of practice is one of a number of knowledge management tools, and different organisations require different tools. Other tools maybe needed to be developed to manage tacit knowledge as from the critic that soft thinking systems may not always be appropriate as a knowledge management tool. References Alavi, M. and D. Leidner 2001 Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems: Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues MIS Quarterly 25(1): 107-136 Andriessen, D. (2004). IC valuation and measurement: classifying the state of the art. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5, 230-242. Blacker F (1995) Knowledge, Knowledge work and organisations: An overview and interpretation, Organisation Studies 16 (6) Bontis, N. 1998). Intellectual capital: an exploratory study that develops measures and models. Management Decision, 36, 63-76. Bontis, N. (2002). Managing organizational knowledge by diagnosing intellectual capital: Framing and advancing the state of the field. ?n Nick Bontis (? d. ), World Congress on Intellectual Capital readings (13-56). Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Bontis, N. , Dragonett i, N. C. , Jacobsen, K. & Roos, G. (1999). The knowledge toolbox: A review of the tools available to measure and manage intangible Resources. European Management Journal, 17, 391-402. Brennan, N. and Connell, B. (2000) â€Å"Intellectual capital: current issues and policy implications†, _Journal of Intellectual capital_, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp206-240. Brooking, A. (1996). Intellectual capital: Core asset for the third millennium enterprise. London: International Thomson Business Press. Brown J S and Duguid P (2000a) Structure and Spontaneity; knowledge and organisation – In Nonaka, I and Teece D (Eds) Managing Industrial Knowledge London Sage, 44-67. Checkland, Peter B. , 1981. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. Checkland, Peter B. , and Jim Scholes, 1990. Soft Systems Methodology in Action. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons Constant, D. , Sproull L. , and Kiesler, S. (1996). The kindness of strangers: The usefulness of electronic weak ties for technical advice. Organization Science, 7(2): 119-135. Drucker P F (1992). The New Society of Organisations: 70(5):95-104 Edvinsson, L. (1997). Developing intellectual capital at Skandia. Long Range Planning, 30, 366-373. Edvinsson, L. and Malone, M. S. (1997), Intellectual Capital, Piatkus, London. Edvinsson, L. & Sullivan, P. (1996). Developing a model for managing intellectual capital. European Management Journal, 14, 356-364. Eisenhardt, K. M. and Santos, F. M. (2002) â€Å"Knowledge-based view: a new theory of strategy? in Pettigrew, A. (Ed. ), Handbook of Strategy and Management, London, Sage, pp. 138-64. Fukuyama, F (1991) The Great Disruption p16 New York Simon and Shuster Fukuyama, F (1995) Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity (New York: Free Press, 1995), chapter 9. Glaser, Edward L. , Laibson, David, and Sacerdote, Bruce (2002), An Economic Approach to Social Capital, Nov. 112, pp 437-458 Grant, R. M. 1996. Towards a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17 (Winter Special Issue), 108-122. Hildreth P and Kimble C (2002) The Duality of Knowledge â€Å"Information Research 8(1) paper no 142 Hildreth P Wright P and Kimble C (1999) Knowledge management are we missing something? Information Systems – The Next Generation. Hislop D (2004) The Paradox of Communities of Practice: Knowledge Sharing between Communities. Guthrie, J. and Petty, R. (2000), â€Å"Intellectual capital: Australian annual reporting practices. † Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. no. 3, pp. 241-251. Handy, C. B. (1989). The age of unreason. London: Arrow Books Ltd. Iles V and Sutherlandk K (2001) Organisational Change: A Review of Health Care Managers, Professionals and Researchers, National Coordination Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organisation R and D London. Kaplan, R. S. & Norton, D. P. (1992). The Balanced Scorecard – measures that drive performance . Harvard Business Review, January-February, 71-79. Kim, W. C. & Mauborgne, R. (1999), ‘Strategy, value innovation, and the knowledge economy’, Sloan Management Review Spring, 41–53. Lave J and Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation Cambridge University Press Liebowitz, J. & Suen, C. (2000). Developing knowledge metrics for measuring. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1, 54-67. Rose J and Haynes M (2001) A Soft Systems Approach to the Evaluation of Complex Interventions in the Public Sector, Manchester Metropolitan University Press. Senge, P (1990) The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation, Doubleday New York 1990. Senge, P. & Lannon-Kim, C. (1991). Recapturing the spirit of learning through a systems approach. Stewart, T. A. (1997), _Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of _Organizations, Doubleday/Currency, New York, NY. Sveiby, K. E. (1997), The_ New Organizational Wealth: Managing and Measuring_ Knowledge-based Assets, Berrett-Kohler, San Francisco, CA. Krogh von, G. 2003. Knowledge Sharing and the Communal Resource. In M. Easterby-Smith and M. Lyles, A. (Ed. ), Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management: 372-392. Malden, Oxford, Melbourne, Berlin: Blackwell Publishing. Mulgan G (2002) Policy-Making in the Global Commons Connect No 5 pp 6-18 Centre for Management and Policy Studies.

The Mind Reader essays

The Mind Reader essays The main character of The Mind Reader is Ellie Anderson. Ellie see visions, of the future and of the past. She doesnt like her gift at first, but, realizes its wonderful in the end. Brian Tanner is a new, mysterious boy, about Ellies age that she meets at the local diner. Sarah Wilkins is Ellies best friend that is hiding her past. Lieutenant Wilkins is Sarahs father that is also hiding a terrible past. Melinda Wilkins is Sarahs sister and the Lieutenants daughter who disappeared and was never seen again. Chaz is Ellies dog The story begins when Ellie Anderson goes to the local diner after school as always to get a Diet Coke and to chat with her best friend Sarah Wilkins. This day as Ellie and Sarah are talking this very hot guy walks in a sits down in a booth. Sarah tells Ellie she should go talk to him but, Ellie is very shy and at the moment is swore off guys. When Sarah goes to take his order she asks his name and he tells her Brian Tanner. When Sarah comes back to where Ellie is sitting, Ellie is overcome with a feeling of fear. Ellie tells Sarah she is going home and leaves the diner. When Ellie gets home her dog Chaz is jumping all over her wanting to go walking, so Ellie decides to take Chaz to the park next to the Fear Street Woods. Ellie sits down on the ground when they get to the park and Chaz goes straight for the woods. About 15 minutes passes and its starting to get late so Ellie starts to call Chaz but sees him far off digging at something in a bush. When Ellie gets there she suddenly has a vision of a human bones. When she looks down she sees a human bone. She runs out to road and flags down the next car and tells them to take her and her dog to the police station and she tells them what she found. When she gets to the police station she tell them what she has found and they all go back ...

Why Reconstruction Failed essays

Why Reconstruction Failed essays The political, social and economic conditions after the Civil War defined the goals of Reconstruction. At this time, Congress was divided politically on issues that grew out of the Civil War: readmitting southern states to the Union, rebuilding the south, black equality and deciding who would control the government. Socially the south was in chaos. Newly emancipated slaves wandered around the south after having left their former masters; the white population was spiritually devastated and uneasy with what lay ahead for them. Economically the south was also, itself, devastated with plantations in ruin, railroads torn up and the system of slave labor in shambles. Amid post-Civil War chaos, various political groups were scrambling to further their agendas. First, southern Democrats, made up of leaders of the Confederacy and other wealthy southern whites and who dominated the south, sought to end what they perceived as future northern domination of the south. Southern Democrats so ught to limit the rights of blacks to vote, travel and change jobs, which like slavery, would provide a cheap labor supply for plantations. Second, the Moderate Republican party wanted to pursue a policy of reconciliation between the north and the south, but at the same time ensure slavery was abolished. Third radical Republicans, which were comprised of northern politicians, were strongly opposed to slavery and unsympathetic to the south and merely wanted to protect newly freed slaves. A fourth element were various other groups, abolitionists and Quakers, who were strongly motivated by principle and the belief in equality in which blacks needed this equality in American society, although they differed in what the nature of that should be. Also at this same time President Andrew Johnson was striving to unify the nation. Northerners had grown increasingly sympathetic to the plight of the black race in the south following numerous wel...

What to Do if Youre Charged With Plagiarism in College

What to Do if You're Charged With Plagiarism in College Plagiarism- the act of passing off someone elses work as your own, no matter where you found it- is pretty common on college campuses. If one of your professors or an administrator realizes what youve done, you may be charged with plagiarism and put through some kind of campus judicial system. Figure out the Process Do you have a hearing? Are you supposed to write a letter explaining your side of the story? Does your professor simply want to see you? Or could you be placed on academic probation? Figure out what youre supposed to do and by when and then make sure it gets done. Make Sure You Understand the Charges You may have received a strongly worded letter accusing you of plagiarism, and yet youre not totally clear on what exactly it is youre being accused of. Talk with whoever sent you the letter or your professor about the specifics of your case. Either way, make sure you are crystal clear on what youre being charged with and what your options are. Understand the Consequences In your mind, you may have been up late, writing your paper, and absentmindedly cut and pasted something from your research that you forgot to cite. In your professors mind, however, you may have not taken the assignment very seriously, showed disrespect to him or her and your fellow classmates, and acted in a way that is unacceptable at the college level. What is not very serious to you may indeed be very serious to someone else. Make sure you understand what the consequence are, therefore, before you are unpleasantly surprised at how your sticky situation just got a lot worse. Respect and Participate in the Process You may not think the plagiarism charge is a big deal, so you toss the letter aside and forget about it. Unfortunately, however, plagiarism charges can be serious business. Respect and participate in the process so that you can explain your situation and reach a resolution. Figure Out What Youve Learned so It Doesnt Happen Again Plagiarism charges in college can be dealt with lightly (essay rewrite) or severely (expulsion). Consequently, learn from your mistake so that you can prevent getting yourself into a similar situation again. Having a misunderstanding about plagiarism, after all, can only happen once. The next time you receive a letter, folks are much less likely to be understanding since youve already been through the system. Learn what you can and move forward toward your ultimate goal: your diploma (earned by you and your own work, of course!).

The Group Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Group Leadership - Term Paper Example Managers are task oriented while leaders are visionary. In order to analyze differences and similarities between leadership and management, it is important to comprehend them differently (Rickett, ca.uky.edu). Leadership Leaders are those who influence a group of individuals with the purpose of achieving a goal. So, it can be said that leadership involves influence and goal attainment. Some of the most common qualities found in leaders include walking the talk i.e. consistency between words and actions, long term focus, creativity, visionary, self esteem, confidence, and others (Rickett, ca.uky.edu). Management Managers are different from leaders in terms of the fact that the responsibility of managers is to exercise administrative and supervisory directions. The responsibilities of managers are more task-oriented as compared to the responsibilities of leaders. In order to exercise effective management skills, managers need technical, human, and conceptual skills. Technical skills in volve knowledge and proficiency of managers to carry out various tasks. Technical skills of managers include analytical skills as well as the abilities to use specialized tools and techniques. Managers should be adept at human skills. Human skills involve abilities of managers to work with people. ... Both management and leadership require diverse skills and competencies. Managers bring order and consistency in organizations while leaders bring change and innovation. The responsibilities of managers include planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, controlling and problem solving. Planning and budgeting involves establishing agendas, setting timetables, and allocating resources. Organizing and staffing involves establishing rules and procedures. Controlling and problem solving involves generating creative solutions and developing incentives (Rickett, ca.uky.edu). Leadership Traits Studies conducted on leadership have found that individual characteristics of leaders differ from leaders to leaders. In order to find individual characteristics, a large number of items have been examined including gender, appearance, energy, height, and other psychological traits. A gamut of psychological traits have also been examined including intelligence, need for achievement, authoritariani sm, and need for power. According to researchers, there are only a few characteristics associated with leadership. Researchers therefore agreed that search for universal traits of leadership are futile. Since the early 1980s, a substantial progress in the development of leadership traits has been made. There are several universal traits which have been introduced in the last decade. In order to guide the research for leadership traits, there were little personality theories. Initially, very little information related to leadership traits was available. Trait studies conducted on leadership were solely based on studies on adolescents, lower level managers, and supervisors rather than on leaders on significant position. The revival of the leadership theory started

Globalization of aviation services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization of aviation services - Essay Example This is done in order to create a world economy that is borderless and open. He further defines globalization as the spread of supra-territoriality and explains that it involves reconfiguring geography in such a way that people stop mapping social space wholly in terms of territorial borders, territorial distances and territorial places. Through globalization, one part of the world’s cultural, technological, political, environmental and economic events become significant in other parts of the globe. The major contributors of globalization are improved information technologies, transportation and communication. Globalization also entails the development of transnational corporations and multinational corporations. In aviation, globalization is demonstrated by marketing, technical and commercial coalitions among airlines. It sometimes involves control and ownership issues beyond nationalized boundaries. One of the forces that can impede the globalization of aviation services is protectionism, a system in which countries impose duties on imports or on other countries wanting to set up their industries in them. Despite the fact that the world is drifting from protected and managed trade in most services and goods, aviation industry remains often intensely protected and regulated greatly. This dates back to the end of World War II when the United States failed to attain the open skies goal as part of a liberal post-war order. Other governments resisted the idea since the U.S was the only country that was able to mount a worldwide air transportation endeavor at that time. This opposition against domination of the airways by the United States was strengthened by the argument that skies control was a crucial security matter (Baliles, 1997). Protectionism involves such practices as countries introducing public subsidies into their flag carriers, cabotage which is the restriction of

Strategic Marketing Plan for Java Sumatra Research Paper

Strategic Marketing Plan for Java Sumatra - Research Paper Example With the new production capacity, the company will extend its reach to include wholesalers in the United States who offer premium coffee variants and are looking to include an additional coffee roast in their product selection. This marketing plan examines the current market environment, internal SWOT analysis, competitive universe, company mission, marketing and financial objectives, target market, positioning and market research to determine the best layout for the marketing plan. In order to achieve the sales forecast from 2009 to 2011, a comprehensive advertising and communication plan has been developed, with the internet and print advertising used at the forefront of the marketing plan. Lastly, an implementation and evaluation process is proposed to manage and control the marketing plan. In the last six years, Java Sumatra has been focused on providing a differentiated product, which is premium grade Arabica beans or roasts from Sumatra, Indonesia. By keeping to this mission, the company has developed a circle of loyal customers who trust the quality of the product and who are satisfied with its customer service promise of prompt and timely product delivery. With the spread of coffee culture in the United States, most specialty roasters and wholesalers are constantly looking to include new and innovative coffee selections to their customers and Java Sumatra understands the need to work with these roasters in order to survive in this very fragmented market where quality control is lax. As a result, Java Sumatra has gained valuable insight into attributes that are important to specialty roasters when making a purchase, the first of which is a consistent supply of quality beans. In order to meet the demands of specialty roasters and wholesalers, Java Sumatra has planned to increase its production capacity to 80,000 metric tons by 2011. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within Java Sumatra, and presents the opportunities and threats facing the company. Strengths Strong relationship with plantation owners in Sumatra. Strong relationship with specialty roasters as a reliable source of supply and consistent customer service levels. Efficient production process that keeps costs down while maintaining the quality of coffee beans. Weaknesses Dependence on a number of plantation owners restricts the supply of coffee beans and inhibits expansion plan. A limited marketing budget. Opportunities Greater awareness of this type of coffee selection provides for increase in demand for quality coffee beans. The increase in production capacity will reduce costs and allow for a competitive cost structure that rivals the bigger players in the

Predictors of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Polish Essay

Predictors of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Polish immigrants in the UK - Essay Example icted to ability to speak fluent English, socio-cultural factor, psychological factor, level of education, relationship with the host nationals and the relationship with co-nationals. The results computed show the high value for mean, sample standard deviation and deviation: this support the observations that Polish immigrants are always prepare for their sojourn in Britain by learning English before leaving their homeland—which helps them assimilate easily to the host environment. The idea of people moving from their natural places of abode to reside in a strange land has been practiced from centuries to centuries. People move from one region to another for different reasons: they could be running away from political persecutions; they may be in search of a better place for economic reason; people also live in a strange land for health and recreational purposes (Van Naerssen et al., 2008). Globalization has also contributed to the increasing number of migration (emigration and immigration) that we are witnessing in recent decades (Watts, 2002). Globalization has broken the geographical barriers and encouraged people from different countries to move to any place they feel their economic, health and social needs would be met (Trachtman, 2009: Taran et al., 2009). One of the aims of European Union block is to facilitate the movement of Europeans from one country to another. These past decades had witnessed an influx of Europeans from a developing European country to a developed one (Taran et al., 2009). Most migrants are emerging from the Central and Eastern Europe and flocking to countries like Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy (Morokvasic, 1984). This migration has produced significant impacts in both countries of origins and destinations. While the immigrants who are lucky to secure gainful employment in their countries of destinations could achieve their economic purpose of moving there, the countries also benefit from the surge in the labor force

Evidence Based Practice - Vascular Bleeding Following PCI Essay

Evidence Based Practice - Vascular Bleeding Following PCI - Essay Example 3.0%), particularly hematoma (1.1% vs. 2.5%) and pseudoaneurysm (0.1% vs. 1.0%), as compared to MC use (n = 951). Odds ratio of developing complications for VCD recipients was 0.56 (95% CI: 0.40 – 0.79). Because baseline characteristics between treatment groups were initially different, statistical adjustment was done. In 2010, a prospective, small-scale, short-term case-series study involving 413 patients treated of acute coronary syndrome was used to identify predictors of vascular complications. The use of VCDs by the sample was fairly limited, only 62 used Angio-Seal and 19 had PerClose. For those who used VCDs, there were no significant differences in the occurrence of hematoma during or after the use of procedure. In addition, those with complications were old and had significantly higher systolic blood pressure, as compared to those that did not have complications (Sulzbach-Hoke, Ratcliffe, Kimmel, Kolansky, & Polomano, 2010). The different VCDs were also compared. In patients that have received PCI in the past eight years, those who underwent VCD (n = 2, 814) had significantly lower incidence rate of ≠¥ 10 cm hematoma as compared to those who were given MC (n = 1, 407), 1.1% vs. 2.1%. Baseline characteristics between VCD and MC groups were not statistically different. Comparison among Angio-Seal, Perclose and Starclose users revealed that those who used Perclose had the least rate of complications (5.6%), while those receiving Starclose had the most (10.2%). The differences among rates were significant (Iqtidar, Li, Mather, & McKay, 2011). A similar, wider scale, retrospective study (n = 1, 819, 611) was conducted 2012 by Tavris, et al. The rates of bleeding in Angio-Seal (28.7%), Perclose (8.3%), Boomerang Closure Wire (BCW) (0.6%) and hemostasis patches (7.9%) VCDs were less than 1%, while those receiving MC (38.9%) was 1.18%. In contrast, StarClose (4.4%) and Mynx

Predictors of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Polish Essay

Predictors of socio-cultural and psychological adjustment of Polish immigrants in the UK - Essay Example icted to ability to speak fluent English, socio-cultural factor, psychological factor, level of education, relationship with the host nationals and the relationship with co-nationals. The results computed show the high value for mean, sample standard deviation and deviation: this support the observations that Polish immigrants are always prepare for their sojourn in Britain by learning English before leaving their homeland—which helps them assimilate easily to the host environment. The idea of people moving from their natural places of abode to reside in a strange land has been practiced from centuries to centuries. People move from one region to another for different reasons: they could be running away from political persecutions; they may be in search of a better place for economic reason; people also live in a strange land for health and recreational purposes (Van Naerssen et al., 2008). Globalization has also contributed to the increasing number of migration (emigration and immigration) that we are witnessing in recent decades (Watts, 2002). Globalization has broken the geographical barriers and encouraged people from different countries to move to any place they feel their economic, health and social needs would be met (Trachtman, 2009: Taran et al., 2009). One of the aims of European Union block is to facilitate the movement of Europeans from one country to another. These past decades had witnessed an influx of Europeans from a developing European country to a developed one (Taran et al., 2009). Most migrants are emerging from the Central and Eastern Europe and flocking to countries like Great Britain, Germany, France and Italy (Morokvasic, 1984). This migration has produced significant impacts in both countries of origins and destinations. While the immigrants who are lucky to secure gainful employment in their countries of destinations could achieve their economic purpose of moving there, the countries also benefit from the surge in the labor force

Literary Analysis of United States Conflict in Iraq Essay

Literary Analysis of United States Conflict in Iraq - Essay Example The continuation of the war in Iraq with no end in sight is producing a negative impact, not only upon individual soldiers, but also upon the average American citizen whose tax dollars are being diverted away to fund causes in another nation, which do not concern him/her. The film â€Å"Stop Loss† opens by focusing on the lives of U.S. soldiers and their combat encounters in Iraq. It then follows them home to Texas, where one of the protagonists Brandon discovers that he is the victim of a stop loss order that requires him to return to Iraq (www.en.wikipedia.org). The sense of relief and joy on his return home changes into a sense of helplessness and a feeling of being trapped, because he now has to return to the scene of suffering and strife. He soon discovers there is no way out from the stop loss order; others who had earlier contested these orders had failed to succeed. This aspect of the film represents the continual nature of the conflict in Iraq. It depicts the way soldiers are forced to keep returning to Iraq, to continue to languish in the needless violence and combat. The inability of the United States to bring about a decisive end to a war which was initially presented as an easy victory is underscored through the plight of individual soldiers as depicted in the film â€Å"Stop Loss†. These soldiers are forced to return again and again to combat regions, while the administration continues to pump billions of dollars into the war, without being able to bring about an effective end to the conflict. As pointed out by Shapiro (2006), the status quo has been preserved in the Iraq war and there is little that the President or his administration can offer in defense to justify the loss of life and the huge financial costs being borne by tax payers to support the United States action in Iraq. In 2007, the budget for its military units controlled by the Pentagon was $450 billion and the â€Å"War on

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Starbucks is a premium coffee wholesaler which has strayed from its original service of coffee. The advent of newer technology has diminished the Starbucks experience. Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairmen, sent a memo on February 14, 2007 addressing this problem to the president and chief executive officer of Starbucks, Jim Donald. In the memo, Schultz voiced his opinion on how the rapid expansion of Starbucks is causing him to revaluate the company’s values between how it operated when it began and where it is heading in the future. Starbucks isn’t the same neighborhood store as it was when it was established and no longer shows the passion for coffee that they had in the beginning. â€Å"I have said for 20 years that our success is not an entitlement and now its proving to be a reality. Lets be smarter about how we are spending our time, money and resources. Lets get back to the core† (Schultz). Along with its expansion, Starbucks has been trying to utilize new technologies to improve the product they sell to consumers. Starbucks changed their espresso machines from manual to automatic to speed up service and efficiency. These machines â€Å"blocked the visual sight line the customer previously had to watch the drink being made, and for the intimate experience with the barista† (Schultz). People no longer have that intimate connection with the people making their coffee, or to the finished product. The employees are also more disassociated from their work because of these new machines that speed up production. Starbucks also incorporated flavor-locked packaging to supply the demand for fresh roasted coffee. This is a great service to the customer because it keeps coffee grounds or beans fresher longer, yet the effectiveness of the flavor-locked bags contributed to the loss of aroma, â€Å"perhaps the most powerful non-verbal signal†, in Starbucks (Schultz). The romance of Starbucks is lost with these improvements and the unforgettable scent is lessened along with its heritage. Starbucks is still a coffee-loving company, and consumers are still receiving the coffee delicacies they want, but at what cost to tradition. https://sites. google. com/site/hollymadalyn/writing/Starbucks-Research-paper SYNOPSIS Starbucks Corporation, originally founded in 1971, but purchased by Howard Schultz in 1987, is the market leader in selling gourmet coffee (Starbucks, 2008). Starbucks main objective is to establish itself as the most respected and recognized coffee brand in the world (Fact Sheet, 2008). Starbucks has accomplished this objective and experienced much success through their competitive strategy of clustering several stores within the same community and through their distinctive competencies of roasting and selling the quality coffee while providing high quality customer service. The question is, can Starbucks continue their market share growth with rising competitors? Should they focus more on their international operations? Can they continually reinvent themselves to maintain their strong brand image in the long run? PROBLEMS. †¢ Overall economic downturn can affect Starbucks’ market share if management neglects to address competitors’ strategies with lower priced offerings as consumers are becoming more conservative in spending their discretionary income. †¢ Loss of identity and authenticity focused upon the foundational Starbucks experience, which, if unaddressed by management, can result in dissatisfied customers, loss of sales, and decreased market share. †¢ Considering the economy and increasing domestic competition within the U. S. , Starbucks must address their less profitable international operations. SWOT ANALYSIS[1] INDUSTRY EVALUATION In the past two decades, the coffee industry has experienced a significant increase in the demand for premium coffee. Today, about one in five Americans drinks some type of espresso-based coffee drink each day. The average yearly coffee consumption per capita in the U. S. is around 4. 4Kg. Among these coffee drinkers, the average consumption is 3. 1 cups of coffee per day, with men drinking approximately 1. 9 cups per day, and women drinking an average of 1. 4 cups per day (Coffee Research [continues].

Traditional File Systems Essay

Traditional File Systems Essay The traditional filing system (TFS) is a method of storing and arranging computer files and the information in the file (data). Basically it organizes these files into a database for the storage, organization, manipulation, and retrieval by the computers operating system. (DBMS) consists of software that operates databases, providing storage, access, security, backup and other facilities. This system can be categorized according to the database model and the type of computer that they support such as a server cluster or a mobile phone, the query language(s) that access the database, such as SQL or XQuery, performance trade-offs, such as maximum scale or maximum speed or others. Some DBMS cover more than one entry in these categories, e.g., supporting multiple query languages. Meanwhile database management systems are usually accessed in a client-server manner, where the database client and the server are located on different machines (in a local area network). Both systems deal with information management. File-based System File-based systems were an early attempt to computerize the manual filing system. File-based system is a collection of application programs that perform services for the end-users, such as updating, insertion, deletion adding new files to database etc. Each program defines and manages its data. When a computer user wants to store data electronically they must do so by placing data in files. Files are stored in specific locations on the hard disk (directories). The user can create new files to place data in, delete a file that contains data, rename the file, etc which is known as file management; a function provided by the Operating System (OS). Disadvantages of traditional file based system No need of external storage Provides less security. No need of a highly technical person to handle the database. Redundancy is more. Processing speed is high as compared to DBMS Less integrity. High complexity in updating of database. Table 1.1.1 Database Management System The improvement of the File-Based System (FBS) was the Database Management System (DBMS) which came up in the 60s. The Database Management System removed the trouble of manually locating data, and having to go through it. The user could create a suitable structure for the data beforehand, to place the information in the database that the DBMS is managing. Hence, the physical organizing of files is done away with and provides the user with a logical view of the data input. A database is a collection of interrelated information stored in a database server; these data will be stored in the form of tables. The primary aim of database is to provide a way to store and retrieve database information fast and in an efficient manner. Advantages Control of data redundancy Although the database approach does not remove redundancy completely, it controls the amount of redundancy in the database. Data consistency By removing or controlling redundancy, the database approach reduces the risk of inconsistencies occurring. It ensures all copies of the idea are kept consistent. More information from the same amount of data With the amalgamation of the operated data, it is possible to derive additional information for the same data. Sharing of data Database belongs to the entire organization and can be shared by all authorized users. Improved data integrity Database integrity provides the validity and consistency of stored data. Integrity is usually expressed in terms of constraints, which are consistency rules that the database is not permitted to violate. Improved security Provides protection of data from unauthorized users. It will require user names and passwords to identify user type and their access right in the operation including retrieval, insertion, updating and deletion. Enforcement of standards The integration of the database enforces the necessary standards including data formats, naming conventions, documentation standards, update procedures and access rules. Economy of scale Cost savings can be obtained by combining all organizations operational data into one database with applications to work on one source of data. Balance of conflicting requirements By having a structural design in the database, the conflicts between users or departments can be resolved. Decisions will be based on the base use of resources for the organization as a whole rather than for an individual person. Improved data accessibility and responsiveness By having integration in the database approach, data accessing can cross departmental boundaries. This feature provides more functionality and better services to the users. Increased productivity The database approach provides all the low-level file-handling routines. The provision of these functions allow the programmer to concentrate more on the specific functionality required by the users. The fourth-generation environment provided by the database can simplify the database application development. Improved maintenance Provides data independence. As a change of data structure in the database will affect the application program, it simplifies database application maintenance. Increased concurrency Database can manage concurrent data access effectively. It ensures no interference between users that would not result any loss of information or loss of integrity. Improved backing and recovery services Modern database management system provides facilities to minimize the amount of processing that can be lost following a failure by using the transaction approach. Disadvantages Complexity A difficult software. All users must be familiar with its functionality and take full advantage of it. Therefore, training for the administrators, designers and users is required. Size Uses a substantial amount of main memory as well as large amount of disk space in order to make it run efficiently. Cost of DBMS A multi-user database management system may be very expensive. Even after the installation, there is a high regular annual maintenance cost on the software. Cost of conversion When moving from a file-base system to a database system, the company is required to have additional expenses on hardware acquisition and training cost. Performance As the database approach is to cater for many applications rather than exclusively for a particular one, some applications may not run as fast as before. Higher impact of a failure Increases the vulnerability of the system due to the centralization. As all users and applications reply on the database availability, the failure of any component can bring operations to a halt and affect the services to the customer seriously. The difference between TFS and DBMS Balajee B. (2005), There are number of characteristics that differ from traditional file management system to database management system. In file system approach, each user implements the required files for a specific application to run. (Example: in a sales department of an enterprise, one user will be maintaining the details of the number of sales personnel in that department and their grades. These details will be stored and maintained in a separate file. Another user will maintain the salary details of these sales personnel and the detailed salary report will be stored and maintained in a separate file. Although both of the users need the data of the salespersons, they will be having their details in separate files and they need different programs to operate their files.) When such data is isolated in separate files, it is difficult to access data that should be available for both users. This will lead to wastage of space and redundancy or replication of data, which may lead to c onfusion, as sharing of data among various users is not possible and data inconsistency may occur. These files will not be having any inter-relationship among the data stored in these files. Therefore in traditional file processing every user will be defining their own constraints and implement the files according to their needs. In database approach, a single store of data is maintained that is defined once and then accessed by many users, as database belongs to the entire organization and can be shared by all authorized users. The essential characteristic of database approach is that the database system not only contains data but it contains complete definition or description of the database structure and control. These definitions are stored in a system catalog, which contains the information about the structure and definitions of the database. The information stored in the catalog is called the metadata, it describes the primary database. Hence this approach will work on any type of database for example, insurance database, Airlines, banking database, Finance details, and Enterprise information database. But in traditional file processing system the application is developed for a specific purpose and they will access specific database only. But the processing speed in TFS is high compared to DBMS. The other main characteristic of the database is that it will allow multiple users to access the database at the same time and sharing of data is possible. The database must include concurrency control software to ensure that several users trying to update the same data at the same time, it should maintain in a controlled manner. In file system approach many programmers will be creating files over a long period and various files have different format, in various application languages, where duplication of data can occur. This redundancy in storing same data multiple times leads to higher costs and wastage of space. This may result in data inconsistency in the application; this is because update is done to some of the files only and not all of the files. Moreover in database approach multiple views can be created; External view User/Application view, Conceptual view Logical view, Internal view Details about the structure of data and physical storage of information. View is a tailored representation of information contained in one or more tables. View is also called as Virtual table because view does not contain physically stored records and will not occupy any space. A multi-user database whose users have variety of applications must provide facilities for defining multiple views. In traditional file system, if any changes are made to the structure of the files it will affect all the programs. Therefore, changes to the structure of a file will require to change all programs that access the file and whereby data dependence will be lost. But in the case of database approach the structure of the database is stored separately in the system catalog from the access of the application programs. This property is known as program-data independence. Database can also be used for continuous storage for program objects and data structures that resulted in object oriented database approach. Traditional systems suffered from impedance mismatch problem and difficulty in accessing the data, which is avoided in object oriented database system. Database can be used to represent complex relationships among data as well as to retrieve and update related data easily and efficiently. Hence DBMS does not automatically remove redundancies, but help to control redundancy. It is possible to define and enforce integrity constraints for the data stored in the database. The database also provides facilities for recovering hardware and software failures, as it has automatic and intelligent backup and recovery procedures. It reduces the application development time considerably when compared to the file system approach and availability of up-to-date information of all the users. It also provides security to the data stored in the database system and maintains integrity. A highly technical person will be required to handle the database, while for TFS, it is not so. File-based systems are very dependent upon the application programmer. Any required queries or reports have to be written by the application programmer. Normally, a fixed format query or report can only be entertained and no facility for ad-hoc queries if offered. DBMS has data independence. The way information is stored and the way information issued is independent of each other. File-based systems also give tremendous pressure on data processing staff, with users complaints on programs that are inadequate or inefficient in meeting their demands. Documentation may be limited and maintenance of the system is difficult. Provision for security, integrity and recovery capability is very limited. Whereas, DBMS has control over security as it provides tools such as use of User Code, Password / Privileges and Roles to ensure security of data. Data, Field, Record, and File are the main components of Database environment. Briefly explain those. Data Webopedia (Anon., n.d.), Distinct pieces of information usually formatted in a special way. All software is divided into two general categories: data and programs. Programs are collections of instructions for manipulating data. Data can exist in a variety of forms as numbers or text on pieces of paper, as bits and bytes stored in electronic memory, or as facts stored in a persons mind. Strictly speaking, data is the plural of datum, a single piece of information. In practice, however, people use data as both the singular and plural form of the word. The term data is often used to distinguish binary machine-readable information from textual human-readable information. For example, some applications make a distinction between data files (files that contain binary data) and text files (files that contain ASCII data). In database management systems, data files are the files that store the database information, whereas other files, such as index files and data dictionaries, store adminis trative information, known as metadata. Field Webopedia (Anon., n.d.), A space allocated for a particular item of information. A tax form, for example, contains a number of fields: one for your name, one for your Social Security number, one for your income, and so on. In database systems, fields are the smallest units of information you can access. In spreadsheets, fields are called cells. Most fields have certain attributes associated with them. For example, some fields are numeric whereas others are textual; some are long, while others are short. In addition, every field has a name, called the field name. In database management systems, a field can be required, optional, or calculated. A required field is one in which you must enter data, while an optional field is one you may leave blank. A calculated field is one whose value is derived from some formula involving other fields. You do not enter data into a calculated field; the system automatically determines the correct value. A collection of fields is called a record. Record Webopedia (Anon., n.d.), In database management systems, a complete set of information. Records are composed of fields, each of which contains one item of information. A set of records constitutes a file. For example, a personnel file might contain records that have three fields: a name field, an address field, and a phone number field. In relational database management systems, records are called tuples. Some programming languages allow you to define a special data structure called a record. Generally, a record is a combination of other data objects. For example, a record might contain three integers, a floating-point number, and a character string. In database management systems, a complete set of information. Records are composed of fields, each of which contains one item of information. A set of records constitutes a file. For example, a personnel file might contain records that have three fields: a name field, an address field, and a phone number field. Figure 1.2.1 Source Author Anon., File Webopedia (Anon., n.d.), A collection of data or information that has a name, called the filename. Almost all information stored in a computer must be in a file. There are many different types of files: data files, text files, program files, directory files, and so on. Different types of files store different types of information. For example, program files store programs, whereas text files store text. What is the Importance of DBMS in a Defense Organization and in an Education Department? Defence Organization Benjamin (n.d.), A Database Management System (DBMS) is a set of computer programs that controls the creation, maintenance, and the use of the database with computers of an organization and its end users. It allows organizations to place control of organization-wide database development in the hands of database administrators (DBAs) and other specialists. As organizations develop with time, their adoption to the latest technologies in the computer field becomes a necessity. A Defence organization is no different. In these turbulent times, when national security is more important, providing all Defence personnel with access to the latest technology and education opportunities not only directly contributes to Defence capability but also improve the defence personnels career development. Hence the importance of a DBMS in such an organization like Defence is vital. Because Database administrators could use this system to configure and operate databases as the software provides high level, privileged database access. But the management should restrict use of this software to authorized personnel. One function of the database administrator is to create particular views of information stored in the database that are unique for each type of user. For example, one officer will have a different view of information in the database than another, say Senior officer. The different user groups will also have different abilities to add, modify, or delete information. The database administrator is responsible for providing users with access to the appropriate level of information. The primary risk associated with database administration is that an administrator can alter sensitive data without those modifications being detected. A secondary risk is that an administrator can change access rights to information stored within the database as well as their own access rights. Database security is the last line of defence. So it deserves greater focus on the protection of private data from both internal and external. The sensitivity and classification of the information stored in the database form the basis for establishing controls. A database that stores confidential information may require a more significant control environment than a database that stores non-sensitive information. Management should consider the security and performance implications of the security options available with modern database management systems. Database security professionals and information security and risk management professionals could adopt a security strategy in DBMS to: 1) Align database security policies with information security policies; 2) Ensure well-defined and formalized database security procedures; 3) Enforce role separation; and 4) Apply advanced security measures such as database auditing, monitoring, database encryption, data masking, and vulnerability assessment to all critical databases that store private data. The DBMS can provide long-term benefits for the Defence organization reducing duplication of data and making it easier for HR to update personnel records. If not for DBMS, each time there was a personnel change, trainers would have to go through their entire content to make the necessary changes. Now, replacing Brigadier Xs picture in the content library with Commodore Ys picture can be automatically replicated through all relevant programs. Thereby reduce its expenditure on storage. But, initial training will be required for all programmers and users. Even though database systems are complex, difficult, and time-consuming to design, there is greater data integrity and independence from applications programs and Education Department Sue Bushell (2004), To improve teaching and learning with the help of modern information and communication technology eLearning is beneficial to education, corporations and to all types of learners. It is affordable, saves time, and produces measurable results. E-learning comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching. The Information and communication systems, whether networked or not, serve as specific media to implement the learning process. E-learning services have evolved since computers were first used in education. There is a trend to move towards blended learning services, where computer-based activities are integrated with practical or classroom-based situations. E-learning is essentially the computer and network-enabled transfer of skills and knowledge. E-learning applications and processes include Web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classroom opportunities and digital collaboration. Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM. It can be self-paced or instructor-led and includes media in the form of text, image, animation, streaming video and audio The definition of e-learning varies depending on the organization and how it is used but basically it involves electronic means of communication, education, and training. Regardless of the definition you chose to use, designers, developers, and implementers make or break the instructional courses and tools. E-learning is simply a medium for delivering learning and like any other medium, it has its advantages and disadvantages. E-learning covers a wide array of activities from supported learning, to blended or hybrid learning (the combination of traditional and e-learning practices), to learning that occurs 100% online. As per wikipedia.org, the worldwide e-learning industry is estimated to be worth over $48 billion US according to conservative estimates. Developments in internet and multimedia technologies are the basic enabler of e-learning, with consulting, content, technologies, services and support being identified as the five key sectors of the e-learning industry. E-learning is naturally suited to distance learning and flexible learning, but can also be used in conjunction with face-to-face teaching, in which case the term Blended learning is commonly used. E-Learning pioneer Bernard Luskin argues that the E must be understood to have broad meaning if e-learning is to be effective. Luskin says that the e should be interpreted to mean exciting, energetic, enthusiastic, emotional, extended, excellent, and educational in addition to electronic that is a traditional national interpretation. This broader interpretation allows for 21st century applications and brings learning and media psychology into the equation. E-Learning can also refer to educational web sites such as those offering learning scenarios, worksheets and interactive exercises for children. The term is also used extensively in the business sector where it generally refers to cost-effective online training There are many advantages to online and computer-based learning when compared to traditional face-to-face courses and lectures. There are a few disadvantages as well. Advantages of eLearning (Anon., n.d) E-learning is beneficial to education, corporations and to all types of learners. It is affordable, saves time, and produces measurable results. Cost effective E-learning is more cost effective than traditional learning because less time and money is spent traveling. Since e-learning can be done in any geographic location and there are no travel expenses, this type of learning is much less costly than doing learning at a traditional institute. Flexibility Flexibility is a major benefit of e-learning. E-learning has the advantage of taking class anytime anywhere. Education is available when and where it is needed. E-learning can be done at the office, at home, on the road, 24 hours a day, and seven days a week. Learners like e-learning because it accommodates different types of learning styles. They have the advantage of learning at their own pace. Students can also learn through a variety of activities that apply to many different learning styles. Learners can fit e-learning into their busy schedule. If they hold a job, they can participate in eLearning right at their desk. If the learner needs to do the learning at night, then this option is available while in their pyjamas and do the learning if they desire. Personalized learning E-learning encourages students to peruse through information by using hyperlinks and sites on the worldwide Web. Learners are able to find information relevant to their personal situations and interest. E-learning allows selection of learning materials that meet their level of knowledge, interest and what they need to know to perform more effectively in an activity. E-learning is more focused on the learner and it is more interesting for the learner because it is information that they want to learn. E-learning is flexible and can be customized to meet the individual needs of the learners. Develops knowledge E-learning helps develop knowledge of the Internet. This knowledge will help learners throughout their careers. E-learning encourages students to take personal responsibility for their own learning. When learners succeed, it builds self-knowledge and self-confidence Disadvantages of eLearning Access One disadvantage of eLearning is that learners need to have access to a computer as well as the Internet. They also need to have computer skills with programs such as word processing, Internet browsers, and e-mail. Without these skills and software it is not possible for the learner to succeed in eLearning. E-learners need to be very comfortable using a computer. Slow Internet connections or older computers may make accessing course materials difficult. This may cause the learners to get frustrated and give up.   Software and files Another disadvantage of e-learning is managing computer files, software comfortability and learning new software, including e-learning. For learners with beginner-level computer skills it can sometimes seem complex to keep their computer files organized. The lesson points you to download a file which the learner does and later cannot find the file. The file is downloaded to the folder the computer automatically opens to rather than a folder chosen by the learner. This file may be lost or misplaced to the learner without good computer organizational skills. High motivation E-learning also requires time to complete especially those with assignments and interactive collaborations. This means that students have to be highly motivated and responsible because all the work they do is on their own. Learners with low motivation or bad study habits may not complete modules and may fall behind Isolation Another disadvantage of e-learning is that students may feel isolated and unsupported while learning. Instructions are not always available to help the learner so learners need to have discipline to work independently without assistance. E-learners may also become bored with no interaction with instructors or classmates.   Without the routine structures of a traditional class, students may get lost or confused about course activities and deadlines. Instructor may not always be available when students are studying or need help Conclusion Today many technologies can be, and are, used in e-learning, from blogs to collaborative software, E-Portfolios, and virtual classrooms. Most e-learning situations use combinations of these techniques. Even though the hardware and software start-up are costly, the advantages are; reduced data redundancy, reducing updating errors and increased consistency, greater data integrity and independence from applications programs, improved data access to users through use of host and query languages, improved data security and availability of facilitated development of new application programs and ability for intensive research are the benefits of DBMS. Task 2 Draw an Entity Relationship Data Model which describes the content and structure of the data held by the Medi Check Hospital. Produce the resulting tables of above Medi Check Hospital and clearly indicating the primary and foreign keys. Data Tables Doctor DoctorID (primary) Lname Fname Address Phone Pager Specialty Location Availability Patient PatientNo (primary) PatientFirstName PatientLastName PatientAddress PatientTelNo PatientDob PatientMaritalStatus PatientDateRegistered Appointment AppointmentNo (primary) PatientName Date/Time PatientTelNo Symptom SymptomCode (primary), SymptomName Description Treatment TreatmentTitle (primary) TreatmentType Duration Status TreatmentCost Medication MedicationNo (primary) MedicationType SideEffect Dosage Frequency Severity MedicationBrandName MedicationManufactureName MedicationManufactureAddress MedicationManufactureTel Normalize these tables to ensure that are all in BCNF. Show the steps you have taken in normalizing the tables. UNF Medication (DoctorID, Lname, Fname, Address, Phone, Pager, Specialty, Location, Availability, PatientNo, PatientFirstName, PatientLastName, PatientAddress, PatientTelNo, PatientDob, PatientMaritalStatus, PatientDateRegistered, AppoinmentNo, PatientName, Date/Time, PatientTelNo, SymptomCode, SymptomName, Description, TreatmentTitle, TreatmentType, Duration, Status, TreatmentCost, MedicationNo, MedicationType, SideEffect, Dosage, Frequency, Severity, MedicationBrandName, MedicationManufactureName, MedicationManufactureAddress, MedicationManufactureTel) 1NF Doctor Details (DoctorID, Lname, Fname, Address, Phone, Pager, Specialty, Location, Availability) Patient Details (PatientNo, PatientFirstName, PatientLastName, PatientAddress, PatientTelNo, PatientDob, PatientMaritalStatus, PatientDateRegistered, AppoinmentNo, PatientN