Saturday, August 31, 2019

Barangay Information System Essay

Significance of the Study -This study was made to find out that the use of residence information system will lessen the time for the transaction of encoding. Also in using this system it can recognize the person involve in this study. To the Barangay – It will help for them to lessen the time for the transaction of encoding. The system will be the census like having a system of the barangay for all of its constituents and new people who will live in the place. The system will be effective in maintaining, searching and storing of records of all resident in the barangay. To the Residence – For they will be accommodated easily for they will have an identification that can be used to access their accounts if there are some changes to be done in their part. It will also be easy for them in requesting some information and services because the barangay had already have it. This will also assure the residents that their information is properly secured and maintain through the manipulation of the proposed system. To the Secretary of the Barangay – It will help to organize the record and monitor the information of the residence. Foreign For further understanding of the study, the researchers made use of different reading materials related to the information system. These materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, thesis and other web articles are essential in broadening the knowledge of the researchers. These will also guide the researchers to achieve their target objectives by getting ideas on other related studies and make improvements as possible.   According to Jennifer Rowley (2005), information system are a tool to support information management. Information systems are increasingly being used in organizations with the object of providing competitive advantage. The information systems used by organizations can be grouped into different types such as transaction processing system, executive information system,  expert systems and office information systems. Information Technology has heralded the advent of the information society. The University of Minnesota Research and Training Center has released its annual Residential Information Systems Project report. The report provides state-by-state statistics with long-term trends on residential services, settings, populations and expenditures for people with developmental disabilities in state, nonstate, and Medicaid-funded residential programs. Characteristics of residents, movement and staffing patterns in large state residential facilities are included. The report uses 2012 data to examine trends in residential supports for people with developmental disabilities. The report found that the majority of people with IDD that do not live with a family member live in a setting with three or fewer people with IDD, with more than three-fourths sharing a home with six of fewer people. The report notes that there are significant differences in the data between states for many topic areas, including setting size, waiting lists, and average expenditures for HCBS. O’Brien, (2011) defines information system as the organized combination of people, hardware,software, communication networks and data resources, that control, transform and disseminateinformation in an organization. In partial fulfilment for the requirements in Software Project presented to the faculty of IT Department Ebora, Vanessa Grace I. Casas, Lori Anne S. Rapisora, Sheryl L. Tambongco, Steven CHAPTER 1 The Problem and Its Background Introduction Setting of the Study The study was conducted at Barangay Katipunan-Bayani which has a approximate popul.ation of 8,000 residents. The barangay is located at Rodriguez Ave. Tanay, Rizal. Vicinity map of Barangay Katipunan-Bayani Theoretical Framework Conceptual Framework Statement of the Problem This discuss about the problems of existing system that will be resolve by the researcher through computerized Residence Information Sysytem 1. Open- source data 2. Back-up storage incase of loss 3. Time consuming of filing application form 4. Sharing of documents 5. File storage Objectives General The researcher aims to develop a system that will help the client to reduce the load of the barangay staffs in saving the residents files. Specific 1. Have a security to secured all the important records of the residents. 2. Have a back-up storage file in case of corrupting data. 3. Have a network-based for easy transferring of file needed. 4. Have a data base for data storage. Scope and Limitation The system is designed to have a security for the records to be secured that  only the authorized person can only handle the system. It can be saved on a folder for file back-up. It has data base for storage of saved data. It can print documents such as Barangay Clearance, Indigency etc. The system cannot produce hard copy of total records of barangay constituents. it did not contain residence number.

Filipino Customs and Traits Essay

Every nationality has its own customs, traits, characteristics, values, attitudes, and beliefs that were inherited from their great ancestors. They have the possessions of uniqueness as a nation. Filipino people are one of the sole nations in the world. They have their own norms and manners. Until now, those traits are still alive and most of it is continuously transferring to the next generations. Filipinos are best well-known for being hospitable. One good example is whenever there is a visitor, it may be expected or unexpected, they really take such good care, give their full attention, and even serve foods for their visitors. Filipinos are also prominent for their close family ties. Filipinos are close to their families and relatives. They value a big family and they surely help a relative that is someone in need or who needs help. They always have a shoulder that can lean on especially during the hard times. In other countries, once an individual turns 18, it’s their responsibility to be independent and to stand on their own. On the other hand, Filipinos are totally opposite with them because of the close family ties. One concrete example is, almost the third generation of the family still lives on the same house together with the first and second generation. Another instance is, in every occasion, specifically Christmas, new year, birthdays, wedding celebrations, christening, anniversaries, etc. , almost all the members of the family, or even the extended families and relatives are present on those occasions. And also, the parents work hard and sacrifice much for their children, in return, the children love and respect them and take good care of them in their old age. That’s how Filipino families are commonly defined. It is said to be that the Filipinos are clever, with retentive memory, rapid insight, and talents for arts and sciences. They are also known for being jolly. The Filipino nation loves to laugh. In every problems and disturbances, still, the Filipino people are smiling and they still find way to laugh. They do believe in the saying: â€Å"Laughter is the best medicine. † Filipinos are not only known for being jolly but also being friendly and chatty. They can stand talking for an hour or more just to chat and talk with their friends. Gratitude is another authentic attribute of the Filipinos. They are appreciative to those who have settled them favors or who are good to them. Their high sense of gratitude is expressed in the phrase â€Å"Utang na loob† or the debt of honor. Another one is being courteous. They always show respect especially to the elders. â€Å"Pagmamano† is one of the things to show respect. Saying â€Å"po† and â€Å"opo† is attached to a sentence addressing someone in the third person are signs of respect. Filipinos owing to their beautiful country, liberty-loving and courageous are ardently idealistic. They are enthusiastic in love as they are violent in battle. An example is, they bravely opposed the Spanish, American and Japanese conqueror of their native country. They are one of bravest people of the world. Filipino courage has been proven in the Battle of Mactan, Tirad Pass, Bataan, Corregidor, World War II, and in many other battlefields. Filipinos are helpful, supportive, cooperative and accommodative. They give importance to the asset of helping one another. They treasure the inherited trait of â€Å"bayanihan†. One concrete example, in cleaning a barangay, all the members of the barangay are present just to help in cleaning their community. And another one is, whenever there is calamities, they help one another to surpass the different kinds of disasters. All the Filipinos in the different regions in our country believe in â€Å"Gaba† or karma which is one of the universal concepts among them. It may happen to those who deserted other people in the time of their needs. It may also happen to those who do injustice, unfairness, inequality, and discrimination to other people. The â€Å"bahala na† attitude or fatalism is also one of the common traits of Filipinos. If they don’t know what to do and no options in a situation, most probably, that’s the point wherein the Filipinos says â€Å"bahala na†. The other one is the â€Å"Maya na† habit. It is an attitude wherein they will do the things later or tomorrow that should be done right now. And the last one is the â€Å"Ningas Kugon† habit. It is a manner of doing things good at first only, as it goes along it is getting worse. this habit is expressed in the phrase â€Å"Sa una lang magaling. † The belief on â€Å"Kapalaran† (fortune) provides self-assurance and audacity to the Filipino. But even if kapalaran is not the way they want it to be, he/she can search for defense or guard and improved fortune by having â€Å"anting-anting†(amulet) that keeps him/her from bad luck. The amulet makes the Filipino that’s someone who is not a risk taker. Now, here are some common Filipino customs. A refusal to make an eye contact implies dishonesty, the eyebrows raised in recognition and to answer â€Å"yes†, the lips are used to point things, nod upwards to greet someone, scratching one’s head when one does not know the answer. â€Å"Psst! † is use to get an attention of someone in the workplace but not as social function. Filipinos are renowned for their toughness and flexibility. Through the ages, Filipino people have met all kinds of catastrophes and calamities – revolutions, wars, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and epidemics. They can incorporate any culture and prosper in any climate. Against the hardships of life, they simply bend, but never break. Just like a bamboo tree, it merely let go with the wind, follows where the direction of the wind would go but in never breaks. Just like a narra tree, it is tough and strong. Whatever disasters it suffers, it can surpass it but it never breaks. They go with the flow of life. That’s Juan Dela Cruz is. That’s how Filipino is.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Southwestern Airlines

Southwest Airlines Co. (â€Å"Southwest†) is a major U. S. airline that primarily provides short Haul high-frequency, point-to-point, and low-fare service. Southwest was incorporated in Texas and commenced operations on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 aircraft Serving three Texas cities; Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Today Southwest operates nearly 400 Boeing 737 aircraft to 59 U. S. cities. Southwest has the lowest operating cost structure in the domestic airline industry and consistently offers the lowest and simplest Fares. Southwest also has one of the best overall customer service records. LUV is Southwest’s NYSE symbol, selected to represent the company’s home at Dallas Love Field, as well as the theme of Southwest’s employee and customer relationships Within 30 years, Southwest Airlines has become the fifth largest major airline company in America. It currently operates 520 Boeing 737s throughout the United States. The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit. It primarily provides short haul, high-frequency, point-to-point, low-fare air transportation service in the United States. The company essentially functions as a â€Å"point-to-point† operation rather than a â€Å"hub and spoke† service like its competitors. This provides for a unique competitive advantage, which has led this company to be a strong performer within the industry. The major success to their continued success is due to their low-cost model, as compared to their competitors, which allows Southwest airlines to differentiate itself from the competition and perpetuates its success and popularity among consumers. When we look at southwestern airlines competitive environment using porters five forces we find that the bargaining powers of Customers in the airlines industry have many options and are price sensitive. If driving is cheaper than flying southwest may lose customers. There are also over 100 carriers in the U. S. market therefore there are many options for customers. The bargaining power of suppliers: Southwest is at the mercy of the labor Unions and Gas suppliers. If these costs become too high then price raises will mandatory. The threat of new entrants: With so many major airlines going bankrupt there is a large supply of airplanes and personnel. This means that it is easier than ever to start up and airline and try and compete with Southwest. The threat of substitute products: Flying has very few substitutes in the U. S. market if you need to be somewhere in a hurry. However there are other forms of transportation including busses, trains, and cars. The intensity of competitive rivalry: There is intense industry competition. Every route is hotly contested with price wars and a grab for customers. Price margins are low, and airlines need to be able to trim costs any way they can. Southwestern airlines has got the following strengths; Southwest's commitment to customer service has led to an excellent track record. They held the unofficial Triple Crown in customer service for three consecutive years. The Triple Crown consists in being the best in on time performance, baggage handling, and customer satisfaction. This is an amazing feat considering no other airlines have held all three components for a single month. Southwest has a major advantage over other airlines because it operates a single type of plane, the Boeing 737. This means that all their pilots, facilities, and crews are trained on any plane that Southwest owns. Southwest also operates a fleet with an average age of 7 years. This means that they have less maintenance problems, and this leads to fewer delays, and higher customer service. Sensible expansion policy. Southwest has developed a very sensible strategy for expansion, paying particular attention not to strain the balance sheet. It has also achieved a national presence through flights to 59 airports in 58 cities. Southwest has been able to become a national airline by strategic expansion to airports where there is less competition. For example, it opened a major operation at Baltimore-Washington International and therefore avoided the presence of other major airlines at Reagan National and Dulles. The continued growth of the Company is testament to the strategic direction taken by management, particularly considering the difficult business environment. Southwest relies on direct ticket booking and does not heavily utilize travel agents this is a cost saver. They also do not have full food service on their flights, leading to a faster turnaround. Southwest also has a unique open seating system, with no assigned seats the planes load faster. Due to a change in passenger profile, business class and first class seats have suffered declining demand. Many companies have been forced to introduce low-cost fare options. Since southwest has been an industry leader and â€Å"ahead of the curve† in providing low cost, standardized travel options, it has no need to change strategy, thus saving on restructuring costs. The Company also benefits from its long establishment in the low-cost airline market, allowing the Company to capitalize on significant customer awareness of the brand. Southwest has a highly efficient operation. The Company was first to introduce to the Airline industry the ten-minute turnaround (between arrival at the gate and departure). This has subsequently increased demand for short flight routes. Strong financials. Southwest has the strongest market capitalization and balance sheet of all rivals in the sector. A market capitalization of $14,022 million accounts for twice the market capitalization of the five largest rivals put together. In the current volatile market, it should allow southwest to overcome short-term downturns in demand more Successfully than the other main carriers. The continued ability of Southwest to produce positive results highlights it among rivals. 2003 saw quarter-over-quarter increases in income, representing 51 consecutive quarterly profit rises. Revenues for the full year 2003, which were $5,937 million, increased 7. 5% against 2002 revenues. Southwest does not fly into major hub airports in most cities, this leads to lower gate costs, less congestion, and quicker turnaround times. Southwest has been marketed as the low price leader, and their planes have been painted in funky colors. Southwest views its major competition as the automobile and not other airlines. Southwest airlines operate a single type of plane B737 in an all coach configuration. They do not offer meals, and do no transfer bags to other airlines leading to lower operating costs. The airline has won the Triple Crown and is setting the industry standard in customer service. Southwest has come under intense competition from United. They are not a full service airline and do not offer the amenities and services for international travelers. They also do not have a higher cost first class option on their planes. Marketing. Southwest is a low-cost carrier. They provide themselves on cost efficiencies, which enable them to offer good service at lower prices to the customer than their competitors. Their marketing strategy was to convey the message that what Southwest had to offer was of value. Southwest markets itself as the only major short-hop, low-fare, and point-to-point carrier in the U. S. airline industry. Their marketing style is known for being unconventional, unique, unpredictable, and attention-getting in order to create and reinforce the Company’s maverick and fun-loving, combative image. They continually look for ways to make their distinctive image come alive and strike a spark in the minds of the consumer. Finance. In the year 2000, Southwest reported its 28th consecutive year of profitability as well as its ninth consecutive year of increased profits. In many years, Southwest was reporting profits while many other airline companies were reporting losses. Southwest is able to maintain and increase their profit margin by keeping costs low, being highly efficient, and creatively cutting costs. One of Southwest’s most important strategies is keeping its costs low and moving customers in above-average times. In an effort to move customers along quickly, Southwest tries to avoid congested airports. Southwest also encourages passengers to make reservations and ticket purchases through their website. By serving smaller airports near major metropolitan areas and in medium-sized cities, Southwest is able to produce better-than-average on-time performance, as well as reducing fuel costs of idle planes waiting for clearance to land. Serving smaller airports also lowers landing fees and terminal gate costs. Southwest’s operative principal is â€Å"employees come first and customers come second. † Southwest employees are â€Å"hired for attitude and trained for skill. † The Company’s strategy is that it can train people to do the tasks and hold the skills that are required, but a person’s attitude is not something that can be changed. The hiring process involves an interviewing approach called â€Å"Target Selection,† which aims at matching people’s traits (or target dimensions) for performing a specific job successfully. New hires are trained at Southwest University for People. Managers trained in this program take leadership courses that emphasize a management style based on coaching and encouraging rather than supervising or enforcing rules. The Company has the lowest turnover rate in the industry, which may be partly due to the fact that 80% to 90% of supervisory positions are filled internally. However just like any organization, despite the fact that they have strengths, south west also has weaknesses which include: Little room for strategic development. The main weakness of the Company results from operating in a highly competitive market, one that is increasingly susceptible to a volatile political environment. The airline industry is highly competitive as to fares, frequent flier benefits, routes, and service. Some carriers competing with Southwest have larger fleets and a more established brand name. Many carry passengers from the major hubs in the U. S. , holding long-standing relationships with key airports. To enter these markets, the corporate strategy of Southwest will have to be adjusted. No established alliances. Certain major U. S. irlines have established marketing alliances with each other, including Northwest Airlines/Continental Airlines, American Airlines/Alaska Airlines and Continental Airlines/America West Airlines. In 2001, AMR Corp. , parent of American Airlines, completed its acquisition of the assets of Trans World Airlines. This puts enormous strain on the Company to maintain its position in the industry while running a smaller fleet. Fully valued share price. Despite Southwest holding the strongest financial position in the airline industry, the stock of the Company is considered fully valued, particularly in the short term. This will disconcert the investor searching for quick gains resulting in the potential loss of capital to its competitors. The strong financial position will apply pressure to the strategic direction of the Company, forcing the directors of Southwest to consciously pursue the same level of growth if they are to maintain investor confidence. South west airlines have got the following opportunities; Southwest’s greatest opportunity is directly related to its greatest strength: to continue to develop its low-cost position in the airline industry. Southwest must maintain an emphasis on low-cost flying, and brand association that has served it well so far. After September 11, customer numbers dwindled due to consumer fears over flying. One way the Company hopes to regain the trust of the public is through lower airfare. In 2002, no fare was more than $399. However, in August 2002, the company reduced fares even further, lowering last-minute fares while maintaining the full schedule of frequent flights in order to further stimulate travel. As of 2003 Southwest was offering fares as low as $39. The company must keep prices as low as possible in order to stimulate demands, and look to edistribute expenses through other areas. Continual streamlining and automation is necessary in order to both aid in cost-cutting and maintain the competitive advantage on which the company brand is based. Southwest has expanded ticket counters and security checkpoints and has increased its airport workforce. The boarding process has been streamlined through replacing the traditional plastic boarding card system with an automated one, and the carrier is in the process of rolling out new self check-in technology. This should result in a reduction of boarding times, and contrast sharply with those carriers that still have extensive queuing. Expand geographically. The market share Southwest holds has grown substantially, particularly since 9/11. Fifty percent of the core market is under control of Southwest and this is expanding. With the increase in the number of cities and networks to which it is linked, southwest could begin to target large city markets and with such a strong brand name, both marketing and PR costs will reduce. Furthermore, the timing appears perfect, if it wishes to capitalize on the pressure currently endured by many of the established carriers. Southwest could strengthen its position through an alliance. Many competitors have reduced share price due to poor financials. Southwest could exploit this through a merger or a favorable acquisition. This could provide an easier route into the major hubs and remove many of the challenges associated with entering new markets. A major threat comes from the unstable airline industry as the result of the 9/11 attacks. Immediately after the terrorist attacks, and in the face of falling demand for air service, most major carriers announced significant service reduction, grounded aircraft, and reduced employee levels. These events negatively impacted industry profits. Despite the absence of subsequent attacks, the political environment remains unstable, throwing into question the airlines’ ability to make long-range strategic plans. Following 9/11, Southwest was able to offset losses through lower jet fuel prices and internal cost reduction initiatives. However, there can be no assurance that Southwest will be able to continue to offset future cost increases resulting from the changing commercial airline environment. Another threat derives from the Company being subject to varying degrees of competition from surface transportation in its short-haul markets, particularly the private automobile. The short-haul air services that compete with surface transportation regard price as a competitive factor for customers. Similarly, frequency and convenience of scheduling, facilities, transportation safety and security procedures, and customer service may be of equal or greater importance to many passengers. These can limit the number of customers who choose southwest. However, southwest airlines need to put up the following strategies; it needs to launch a new promotional campaign. They need to remind customers in the California market that they are the winner of the Triple Crown, and that low cost means high service and customer satisfaction when it comes to Southwest. With lower turnaround times, and fewer delayed flights southwest has great unique selling points. They just need to remind the public about how great an Airline they are. This can be done with more TV ads, and more sponsorship of major sporting events. Southwest also needs to continue to be southwest. They have a winning business model, and have made money every year of their existence. They cannot abandon what their core competencies are. They need to keep prices where they are, or even lower prices, and they advertise that fact to the public. Southwest airlines have been able to successfully implement its fuel hedging strategy to save on fuel expenses in a big way and have the largest hedging position among other carriers. In the second quarter of 2005, Southwest’s unit costs fell by 3. 5% despite a 25% increase in jet fuel costs. During Fiscal year 2003, southwest had much lower fuel expense (0. 12 per ASM) compared to the other airlines with the exception of JetBlue as illustrated in exhibit 1 below. In 2005, 85 per cent of the airline’s fuel needs has been hedged at $26 per barrel. World oil prices in August 2005 reached $68 per barrel. In the second quarter of 2005 alone, Southwest achieved fuel savings of $196 million. The state of the industry also suggests t hat airlines that are hedged have a competitive advantage over the non-hedging airlines. Southwest announced in 2003 that it would add performance-enhancing Blended Winglets to its current and future fleet of Boeing 737-700’s. The visually distinctive Winglets will improve performance by extending the airplane’s range, saving fuel, lowering engine maintenance costs, and reducing takeoff noise. In an overall effort to improve customer’s in-flight experience, in-flight entertainment is something that Southwest is currently evaluating and which JetBlue has been very successful at already because of its introduction in its long-haul flights. In comparison, Southwest has 415 airplanes to consider and that represents an investment decision at a whole new dimension. Additionally, Southwest has to consider how things may fit into their environment. At this point, 60% of its service is still very short haul. Southwest needs to be mindful of the fact that a certain approach that has been successful for its competitor may not be necessarily work to its advantage. In summary, Southwest has long been regarded as a benchmark in its industry for operational excellence. Southwest Airlines is a fine example of a company that is committed to its core competencies – efficient operations to drive its low cost structure, outstanding delivery of customer service and innovative HR management practices. We hope this paper provided a good insight into Southwest operations, as part of its overall strategy, to achieve success and gain competitive advantage. References www. southwest. com] (Southwest airlines official web site www. mba-tutorials/marketing/southwesternairlines. html www. answers. com/topic/southwesternairlines. html Allen, Margaret. â€Å"Ground Controller. † Dallas Business Journal. August 3, 2001 Southwest Airlines: High Tech, Low Costs† – Eweek. com, April 2005

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Global Cases in Logistics and Supply Chain Management Essay

Global Cases in Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Essay Example Sales team was more concerned of adding newer products to the existing portfolio so that diversity of products and wider choice would appeal to customers who are constantly on the lookout for newer and better products. Thus bonuses and targets were their prime concern. On the other hand the supply chain team was highly worried about out-of-stock inventory mix. When 30% of SKUs are registering below sales targets in volumes and profits, there is something really to worry about. The supply chain team was also worried about the service related challenges in order to fulfill customer demand (Scholz-Reiter, Frazzon & Makuschewitz). Against this backdrop a more comprehensive SKU rationalization strategy would be pertinent though it’s equally imperative to know how best to avoid supply chain bottlenecks and associated costs by way of reducing inventory of no-go-products. In other words a rationalization strategy would require a number of tasks to be performed before putting into effect any program of action. In managing supply chain related activity in procurement of materials the purchasing manager or the specialist has to perform a series of tasks according to some predefined criteria. In the same way the purchasing manager or the supply chain team has to take it to consideration the number of factors that directly and indirectly impact on their performance. In the first instance skills of the supply chain team would be enhanced by the vertically integrated organizational and management structure which essentially support the design planning and implementation of supply chain strategies, especially those directly related to the purchase of raw material and components for primary operations. Clorox was just faced with this problem (Hugos, 2006). The purchasing specialist has to focus on his tasks associated with procurement and management in order to achieve a degree of functional conformance to established standards such as the core business activity

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Statement of objectives and Simple Written Essay

Statement of objectives and Simple Written - Essay Example The career opportunities and qualified candidates are so enormous that organizations become highly selective in choosing competent aspirants to various positions. Having graduated with a degree in Management, I am aware that professional movement in this specialized field is easily maximized. I would like to explore the potentials of heading other departments – not only to be confined to Sciences of Management. The extensive responsibilities and functions assigned to managers are highly motivating and enticing that professionalizing this field is a viable move. Further, the PhD Program at Rutgers offers unique learning experiences which would ensure personal and professional development as well as accord one with theoretical concepts and applications which can immediately be utilized in the work setting. I am enthusiastic and optimistic in applying new concepts in my current organization, not only as a practitioner, but as a more competent and qualified manager. I am convinced that Rutgers University would be instrumental in opening wider opportunities through professional expertise and high quality standards of academic performance. I graduated with a master’s degree in Sciences of Management at Polytechnic Institute of New York University. I was credited with 3 Advanced Certificates in Management from the same university, to wit: Advanced Certificate in Information Management, Advanced Certificate in Telecommunication Management, and Advanced Certificate in Human Resource. Equipped with these academic achievements, I am prepared to undertake greater challenges in higher education. My ultimate goal is to be an instrument of change to the development and growth of the organization where I belong. Rutgers University is one of the most prestigious institutions which can accord a multi disciplinary approach to the program. I am optimistic in learning various principles of finance, entrepreneurship

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Effect of Technology on Workplace Privacy Essay

Effect of Technology on Workplace Privacy - Essay Example As the masses became cognisant of the consequences followed by the increasing attacks to individual's privacy in the workplace owing to the development in surveillance technology, the demand for legal demarcation strengthened and eventually several laws were created by the government to curtail and confine the scope of the surveillance technology to accomplish only the legitimate objectives of the employers. Although, these laws have been developed by most of the countries to protect the rights of both the employers and the employees in particular, yet there has been an ongoing debate on the compatibility of unravelling surveillance technology with the laws and legal boundaries confining the scope of intrusion into an employees' privacy. Therefore the major issue concerning this essay is the extent to which the advancement into workplace surveillance technology is consistent with the laws and what could be done to bring it to the level proposed by the different laws and legal authorities. The surveillance in the workplace has existed in historical era in the same manner, as it seems to be prevailing in the modern times. However, the major difference remains in the introduction and development of different forms of technology that have further assisted the way to introduce more and more sensitive surveillance in the organisation. ... Consequently, the employees or the labour force could not be capable of putting all of their efforts into the organisational goals, however they kept on selling their services to the employers and organisations on agreed terms and conditions. Hence, their happened to be direct and physical surveillance on the part of the employers influencing the employee motivation and work behaviour. According to Rushing (1966), due to such acts in the past, the employers never became aware of the fact that they could have gained more by driving their motivation towards work. However, this was the initial form of developing surveillance in the workplace by the employers and this trend remained prevalent throughout the 20th century. By the end of the 21st century, the technology took a rapid progression and the workers continued to fall prey of the new development in technology affecting the workplace environment with regard to privacy and convenience. The new advancements into technology result into change in working as well as surveillance needs and as a new innovation in technology takes place, the perceptions and conceptions concerning the surveillance at workplace also change. Therefore, the level and intensity of workplace surveillance alter with the development and advancement of technology. SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY, WORKPLACE PRIVACY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK The recent rise in the surveillance activities on the part of the employers both positively and negatively have constantly been attributed to the world's continuous advancement in technology. Unique and modern measures keep on evolving regularly to facilitate the employers in keeping an eye over the employees and their activities. The use of technology in workplace surveillance

Monday, August 26, 2019

Everett Rogers model Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Everett Rogers model - Article Example Rogers states that a successful behavior trait taking hold for successful companies is to develop business models to assess a strategy. These models provide change models expanding on issues such as "what", that provide a picture of the company now of analysis; and "which", that suggest alternative action paths for the company to take. Both of these models provide information to build a more complete picture of events within the business and options for future development. Managers should make use of these models and many don't. Those that do are more likely to be successful and have the ability to minimize risk of failure. Rogers also states that business managers who do are far more likely to survive. For planners and non-planners there is not a single universal technique that can be applied in all situations. Use of strategic planning models can be a very important behavior trait for successful companies. Companies that do not use strategic planning models usually don't because the model does not offer what the customer wants. It may be inadequate because of its analysis of the relationship between company resources and markets. These result in advice about overall investment decisions rather than about the specifics of how to manage the alternatives in the market/business relationship can be shortsighted, since there are always alternatives in order to gain the maximum competitive advantage. Since change is so an important aspect of business continuity, many models don't necessarily provide assiduous suggestions for what type of change should be considered."An example of modeling one such model in use by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) subdivides their profit centers into four main subdivisions. This breakdown does help in planning for strategic investment matters but it does not assist the planner in identifying a single product development proposal to investigate further from a number of alternatives. The matrix system comprises the following: 1) Stars, which are products generally with negative cash flow 2) Question marks, which are products with generally negative cash flows but with low relative market share in growing markets 3) Dogs, which are products unlikely to be generating substantial positive cash flows due to the fact that they are in slowly growing markets with low relative market shares 4) Cash cows, that are products that generating cash which have high relative market shares and are established in slowly growing markets." (Boston Consulting Group). BCG model like the previous statement in the above paragraph does not define the product enough and does not crea te opportunities to explore alternatives in which to improve profitability or market share.As The Boston Consulting Firm notes, "the growth concept is divided into five separate levels one being dominant, strong, favorable, tenable and weak and relates this to the stages of market development. The stages are embryonic, growing, mature, and aging, which produce a series of strategic guidelines for company development. The market growth concept provides valuable guidance about broad policies, replacing the concept of market attractiveness in the GE matrix with stages of market growth. A PLC (product life cycle) are frameworks for planning. It suggests that specific changes in product policy should

Sunday, August 25, 2019

THE BP OIL SPILL IN MEXICAN GULF 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE BP OIL SPILL IN MEXICAN GULF 2010 - Essay Example A crisis refers to an undesirable and unfortunate position that a business finds itself in, and which poses a great threat to the organization (Benoit, 1995). The value of communication in any company is very important, and this importance cannot be understated. The major concept of this work is crisis management, and will employ a special focus on the BP oil company, and the oil spillage crisis of 2010. It shall take keen interest on how well, or otherwise, the crisis was handled by the company. Two theories are important in this work. First is the structural function systems theory which provides an in depth insight in crisis management. It implies that those companies that have a very effective information and communication model are more likely to succeed in crisis management (Lightstone and Driscoll, 2008). The second theory, the diffusion innovation theory, which is a widely applied theory, helps to structure the framework of this work, theoretically. It shows how businesses co mmunicate and disseminate information through specified networks, or after a period of time which results to consistency (Hooghiemstra, 2000). Accounting theories lay great value in communication, and sets up assumptions, methodology and frameworks, to ensure timely, reliable, efficient and consistent information (Islam and Deegan, 2010). The crisis that BP found itself in was a great test to the company’s reputation, which has taken many years to build. The case The case study chosen, in this context is about BP oil spill in the Mexican Gulf in 2010. BP Ltd has operation sin over eighty companies. Statistics reveal that in 2012, it was the fifth largest company in terms of market share, and has over 87, 000 employees globally (BP, 2010). According to this report, on the morning of 20th April 2010, there was a huge explosion at the Macondo Prospect. A drilling rig had exploded, which resulted to the death of eleven people and seventeen others being injured. This was the worst marine accident in the oil industry, which put the reputation of the company at stake. The BP Company addressed the issue through several press releases, interviews, updates via new media including Facebook and Twitter and also through their annual financial report. The use of these means can be attributed to several accounting theories including the stakeholders and legitimacy theory, the systems oriented theory and the positive accounting theory, which will be discussed in the methodology section. Data After the accident, the company CEO, Tony Hayward, was interviewed by several media houses. In the interview, he consoled the family of the bereaved and the injured. The company also issued press releases regarding the accident. The press releases thereafter were released after a period of time, and each of it gave updates about the accident. For instance, between the day of the accident and the beginning of the year 2011, the company had released about thirty or more press release s on the same issue (Landau, 2001). New media has also boosted communication. The company therefore took its chances and continued to communicate via Facebook and twitter, updating all recent developments and photos of the progressing work. The other disclosure vehicle chosen was the annual report of 2010. In this, the chairman, Carl Henric Sanberg addressed the issue. In the same report, there is a summary of the accident, and a detailed explanation of what has been done, and what continues to be done (BP, 2010). The vehicles chosen for corporate analysis in this particular crisis were effective, though not fully. Methodology The

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Analysis of Aiding Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Aiding Violence - Essay Example Any foreign investor with an African dream must look at the tragic events at Rwanda, before planning to set his foot on the African soil. People can build a country and people can break it--how the latter course takes shape-- Rwanda is the latest example. When negative forces rule the roost in a country, a host of issues crop up, some are excavated from the history, some react to the current conditions. Rwanda stood engulfed in inequality, exclusion, and humiliation and those enterprises which established themselves in Rwanda, with the hope of doing something constructive for the people, were bewildered and utterly failed, overwhelmed by the ruthless violence. They were frustrated and defeated and all developmental and welfare activities came to a dead end. Killing each other flourished as the predominant industry! What were the factors that lead to the inner-humiliation of Rwanda, and the unprecedented genocide, which the world watched as if it had no concern? Developmental activities, even in a peaceful and well-governed country, create heartburning and severe tensions. The impact of materialistic civilization make the people believe that they are in a competitive race and they must win, even if that means trampling the interests of others. Any developmental project must be preceded by a program to educate the people, through the print and electronic media and ground realities explained to them as for the intended purpose of the project and its benefits as a whole to the Nation. This was not done in Rwanda. The inexperienced rulers played in to the hands of the developmental agencies, and conflicts began to take shape. The conflicts ignored over a period, lead to the mass conflagration. In this 1994 genocide, 1,000,000 lost their lives. It was not one country attacking the other country. It was a civil-war, even though indirect support to various factions fighting could not be ruled out. But the basic question is, why this happened in the 20th

Friday, August 23, 2019

Should Supervisors and Employees be Friends Essay

Should Supervisors and Employees be Friends - Essay Example Should supervisors and employees be friends? If this was ought to be a question that one could ask, the answer to this would be in the positive. And there are reasons to prove how optimistic one could be with regards to the friendship factor between the supervisors and the employees in the workplace settings. This paper discusses the basis of supervisors and employees as being friends and how this relationship highlights the basis of success for the sake of the organization in the long run. Moving ahead with the understanding that the supervisors and the employees should be friends, one should delve deep into how this friendship could work to good effect for the sake of the employees and indeed the organization itself. The supervisors can extract the best possible value out of their employees if they know beforehand that their employees would be treated as friends and the same case could be applied backwards as well; where employees would know that their supervisors would take care o f their lawful requests and pay heed to their problems which arise every now and then. If the supervisors and employees are friends, this means that they are on the same wavelength as far as work domains are concerned. It also implies that they know what exactly their work manifestation is and how they would go about resolving the disputes that come about within the workplace settings. On the flip side, if the employees and supervisors have an edgy relationship this could mean that both of them do not believe in building the organizational value over a period of time, and thus want to run away from the organizational discourse in essence. Similarly if they have egoistic issues at each other’s ends, this would become very difficult for the organization to cater to the needs and requirements of both of them as well as their linkage that has come about with the passage of time (Ladany, 2001). One should believe that the balance should come about if the organizational employees a re sure about their own selves, and the manner in which they would be treated by other individuals that are present in any organization in the time and age of today. Good supervisors are very rare to find and this has been proven with the passage of time. The statement suggests that good supervisors are not born and thus they must not be looked within people right from their onset of starting their supervisory positions. What this means is that the supervisors need to be grown on the job. They might have the relevant talent to make it big within this field but what they direly need is polishing up on these skills so that their strengths benefit not only their respective bases but also of the organization for which they work. Just like good leaders who instill the much needed pride and confidence within the people who work within them, the supervisors have to carry out the tasks and delegate jobs to people who are best suited for the performance of the same. Supervisors need a good a mount of time before they could be remarked as successful ones. This is because these supervisors require understanding of different nuances, working regimes, process handling tasks and overall hands-on training to get

Jewish History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jewish History - Essay Example These immigrations are similar in their ways of adapting in new countries, but they had differences in reasons of immigration and challenges and experiences in their new countries. Enduring Understanding These two Jewish populations differed in challenges and experiences in their new countries, with the Jews in Babylon faring better than the Ethiopian Jews in Israel, even when they both experienced comparatively equal human rights in their new countries. In Babylon, Jews hated being separated from their homeland, but they flourished as merchants and professionals (Hooker). They enjoyed many of the liberties provided to local Babylonians, such as owning land, freedom to practice Judaism, and acquiring wealth (Hooker). They prospered significantly due to the extensive trade routes that existed in this region (Moss). In Israel, the Ethiopian Jews generally experienced intense poverty, due to poor Hebrew/English language skills and lack of employability skills (â€Å"Ethiopia's Jews: Th e Last Exodus†). These Jews came from agricultural communities and were forced to rapidly assimilate into a cosmopolitan lifestyle and economic structure (Chen). Ethiopian Jews also suffered from discrimination, because some Jews questioned their â€Å"Jewishness† (â€Å"Ethiopia's Jews: The Last Exodus†). ... The situation became more depressing throughout the early 1980's. The state demanded forced conscription at the age of 12, which separated many Jewish boys away from their parents (â€Å"The History of Ethiopian Jews†). Furthermore, Ethiopian Jews feared the threats of war, famine, and unbearable health conditions (â€Å"The History of Ethiopian Jews†). The pull factors of their migration came from Israel and the U.S., which wanted to save them and bring them to Israel. In 1977, Prime Minister Menachem Begin wanted the Ethiopian Jews to immigrate to Israel (â€Å"Ethnic Groups: Ethiopian Jews†). For the Jews who were deported to Babylon, they faced pull factors. The Chaldeans, as they pursued similar Mesopotamian practice, deported the Jews after they subdued Jerusalem in 597 BC. Hence, they suffered exile that led to their Diaspora. Despite feelings of discrimination, both the Ethiopian Jews and Jews in Babylonian exile persevered through learning their new coun try’s language and adapting to their culture. The Ethiopian Jews learned Hebrew and English and adapted practices and skills that enabled them to live and work in the city (Chen). Their children studied in Israelite schools and some successfully finished school and became prominent political and social leaders (Chen). In Babylon, the Jews adopted the Chaldean religion. In both cases, the Ethiopian and Babylonian Jews contributed to the socio-economic and cultural diversity of their new countries, although some feared that Ethiopian Jews never truly fit into Israel’s way of life, because their poverty (Chen). Comparison of the Immigration of Ethiopian Jews to Israel and

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Hygiene and Food Essay Example for Free

Hygiene and Food Essay The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premises. LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended). The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer. -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out. -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premisesIn your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Officer Food Regulation _______ (NSW) (as amended). This regulation, covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products -construction standards for food premises and food vehicles -Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials -Packaging and labelling of food -Protection of food from contamination -Cleanliness and hyginene of persons LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended). The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer. -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out. -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premisesIn your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Officer Food Regulation _______ (NSW) (as amended). This regulation, covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products -construction standards for food premises and food vehicles -Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials -Packaging and labelling of food -Protection of food from contamination -Cleanliness and hyginene of persons LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended). The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out. -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premisesIn your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Officer Food Regulation _______ (NSW) (as amended). This regulation, covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products -construction standards for food premises and food vehicles -Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials -Packaging and labelling of food -Protection of food from contamination -Cleanliness and hyginene of persons LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended). The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out. -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premisesIn your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Officer Food Regulation _______ (NSW) (as amended). This regulation, covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products -construction standards for food premises and food vehicles -Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials -Packaging and labelling of food -Protection of food from contamination -Cleanliness and hyginene of persons LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended) The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out. -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premisesIn your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Officer Food Regulation _______. (NSW) (as amended). This regulation, covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products -construction standards for food premises and food vehicles -Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials -Packaging and labelling of food -Protection of food from contamination -Cleanliness and hyginene of persons LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended). The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premises. In your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Officer Food Regulation _______ (NSW) (as amended). This regulation, covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products -construction standards for food premises and food vehicles -Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials -Packaging and labelling of food -Protection of food from contamination -Cleanliness and hyginene of persons LegislationPurpose (WHY DOES IT EXIST? )Key FactsLinks to content (how you could use this in an exam answer) HYGIENE AND FOOD SAFETY Food Act 2003 (NSW) (as amended). The legislation covers the areas of food for human consumption and the general requirements which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food designated for sale -If an environmental health officer inspects premises reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the department of health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out -If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the environmental health office, then can order to close the premise or prevent the sale of any food from that premises. In your essay if you mention the key departments of hospitality you can mention the Food Act 2003 to refer to the quality of the food items, the premises that they are cooked in and consequences of not having a satisfactory premises to serve the food in which you would have a report from an Environmental Health Offis which will ensure food sold to the public will be safe and suitable to eat in NSW-It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described. -The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail -The food act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of food premises -The act states the role and responsibilities of the environmental health officer -Environment health officers are authorised to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

General Engineering Principles and Systems Theory

General Engineering Principles and Systems Theory Engineering and Socio-technical Philosophies Developing information systems is a creative effort which requires insight and judgement skills. There are two common approaches which are ‘Engineering’ and ‘Socio-technical’ used in systems development. Each of these approaches is explained below and a summary of the comparison is given afterwards. Engineering has been significant in creating a fundamental approach for development of information systems and with a driving concern of developing a complex technical system. Inefficiencies in systems development process often results into problematic technical systems, attempts to improve on the situation have drawn majorly on general engineering principles and systems theory. Systems engineering, which emphasizes studying total systems without their isolated components and systems analysis are rooted in the systems theory, they proceed to achieve a task systematically and produce the best system (Avgerou Cornford 1993). They are said to be corresponding to the traditional life cycle which has often been criticized not to be appropriate when dealing with unclear requirements but systems analysis has developed to lay more emphasis on efforts for examining the problem area and agreeing on requirements for a satisfactory system as opposed to an optimal solution (ibid). The engineering approach has grown stronger over time taking the form of different specialized disciplines, the best known to be software engineering. The aim of software engineering is to change semi-structured development practices to a systematic process which is effective, controllable and able to improve software quality. Despite its significance, applicability to IS development has been limited because a fully formal process of development as it depicts has been seen by most to be impractical or undesirable for IS development. It has been said to be impractical because of lack of formal theories to describe organisational behaviour and ‘formal models to capture the richness of the application domains’ (Avgerou Cornford 1993:146). Several efforts have been made to include methods which support human creativity and user participation, some of these are use of DFDs and Prototyping. Overall, though software engineering has responded to the requirements of human aspect of systems development, ‘its perspective is still that of the efficient development of a technical product’ (Avgerou Cornford 1993:147). Some other forms of the engineering approach which are aimed at improving certain aspects of system development are Knowledge engineering and Human-computer interaction†¦their approach is still that of engineering a technical system (Avgerou Cornford 1993). Socio-technical, as another approach to system development, has been defined by Coakes (2002:5) as ‘ †¦ [exploring] the relationships and interrelationships between the social and technical parts of any system’ and is controlled by social change and human communication theories (Avgerou Cornford 1993). It sees IS development process as an intervention to improve communication between people and how tasks are carried out in an organisation. As opposed to Engineering, IS is seen as involving people and not isolated technical constructs (Tatnall 2003; Avgerou Cornford 1993). Its goal is to develop a system with which people can carry out their tasks effectively and achieve satisfaction and personal development (Avgerou Cornford 1993). Laudon and Laudon (2006:28) mention that: In a socio-technical perspective, the performance of a system is optimized when both the technology and the organisation mutually adjust to one another until a satisfactory fit is obtained. The socio-technical approach in IS development expresses a combination of practical, ethical and theoretical concerns. The main practical concern being that IT-based systems often fail to bring the required benefits even though they are well designed due to the fact that ‘the social dynamics of [an] organisation †¦ may override the intended performance of the technical system’ (Avgerou Cornford 1993: 151). This approach seeks to address issues such as resistance to change towards a new IS in organisations by focusing on the human requirements and social dynamics all through the process of development. The ethical concern is of the notion that workers should also gain from the benefits the new technology provides in their workplace in order to promote work environment that is satisfactory (Avgerou Cornford 1993; Coakes 2003). Some of the most widely known demonstrations of this approach are Participation and Job design. It is suggested that not only should users be the source of requirements specification but also deeply involved in the process of development and ‘achieving effective participation has proved a non- trivial matter in practice†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Avgerou Cornford 1993:154). Land and Hirschheim (1983:155) identify different categories of users who might be affected by a new system directly or indirectly and also differentiate between two participation types which are ‘participation in decision making about the project’ and ‘participation in the actual analysis and design’. The first could be consultative only while the second might be consultative, representative or consensus (ibid.). As mentioned earlier, there are difficulties to having user participation (Cavaye 1995) but should only serve as obstacles to overcome and not arguments in opposition to wider invol vement in IS development (Avgerou Cornford 1993). Job design, another form of this approach, ‘leads the development process towards restructuring the work environment where a new information system would be used and aimed at providing satisfactory work conditions for the employees’ (Avgerou Cornford 1993). Mumford and Weir (1979) contribute to this aspect by introducing the ETHICS methodology. Having discussed each of these, a summary of the comparison is drawn (figure 1.0). It is necessary to point out the implications of these approaches on the whole process of IS development as they are used as a basis for systems development. Engineering as a hard systems approach, has dominated in computer systems development and results into a system that is technically perfect but faced with resistance from the users and could be ignored eventually (Platt Warwick 1995). This is due to certain assumptions this approach makes (Curtis Graham 2008) such as: Engineering perspective applies in all case and solutions should be mathematically/logically based. Attention to the social or organisational aspects of the system not essential. Emphasis on linear problem solving. An example is the case of Wessex Area Health (Clarke Lehaney 2000). On the otherhand, the socio-technical approach helps to consider both the social and technical aspects of a system (Laudon Laudon 2006), arguing that ‘the social and technical systems†¦cannot be designed independently of each other’ (Curtis Graham 2005:581) so with its emphasis on user participation, user acceptance can be achieved thereby resulting into a success (Avison Fitzgerald 2003; Coakes 2003), for example, as proved by the case of Bill payment system (Fisher 2003), the failure and later success of London Ambulance service (Clarke Lehaney 2000; Grant et al 2010). Avison and Fitzgerald (1995) also claim that participation might result in resentment from either analysts or users. Information Systems Development Methodology It is defined as ‘a collection of procedures, tools, and documentation aids which will help the systems developers in their efforts to implement a new information system’ (Avison Fitzgerald 2003:20). There are many methodologies, some of which are ETHICS, SSM, DSDM and they differ from one another mostly in terms of objectives. The Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) will be considered in this essay. Philosophical root SSM was introduced by Peter CheckLand with the contributions of other researchers in Lancaster University. They started an action research programme by using hard systems engineering as a framework in unsuitable circumstances whereby problems were not clearly defined but this attempt failed so SSM was introduced as an alternative (Checkland Scholes 1990). The failure led to the rethink of the rudiments of systems thinking (ibid.) and a deep analysis of the basic assumptions behind this and systems development (Fitzgerald et al 2002). It was put forward that ‘systems thinking takes seriously the idea of a whole entity which may exhibit properties as a single whole (‘emergent properties’)’ and there are two complementary traditions within it namely the ‘hard’ tradition which takes the world as systemic and the ‘soft’ tradition that ‘creates the process of enquiry as a system’ (Checkland Scholes 1990:25). Based on this, Checkland and Scholes (1990:25) refer to SSM as: a systemic process of enquiry which also happens to make use of systems model. It thus subsumes the hard approach, which is a special case of it, one arising when there is local agreement on some system to be engineered. They also claim that to have a better understanding of this, the word ‘holon’ should be used surrendering the word ‘system’ to everyday language and avoiding its use as a technical term. SSM uses a specific type of holon which they referred to as Human activity system(HAS), a set of activities that are connected in order to make a purposeful whole, created to meet the core system image requirement(ibid.). The HAS recognizes the importance of people in organisations due to the fact that it is necessary to include people in order to understand the real world (Avison Fitzgerald 2003). Therefore, this methodology is regarded as a soft systems approach which Avison and Fitzgerald (2003) claim that is the most appropriate for understanding difficult problem situations such as those in organisations. SSM really focuses on looking into the organisational issues and ill-structured problems and then suggestion of solutions which may or may not be computer-based (Skid more Eva 2004). Suitability As mentioned earlier, SSM is capable of examining and understanding the complex problem situations of an organisation, for example, its use in Shell and an Acute hospital (Checkland poulter 2006) using a range of techniques as shown in the seven-stage model(Fig 1.1.0 and fig 1.1.1), this makes it suitable to examine the existing issues in AIC limited, a property management company in Nigeria. Though, the methodology does not explain methods for implementing suggested solutions especially those involving a computerised system but it is suggested that it could be used as a front end in SD process then proceed to use a more technical approach which emphasizes design, development and implementation (Avison Fitzgerald 2003; Platt Warwick 1995). Based on this limitation, some others raised the idea of linking SSM to existing structured methodologies and came up with suggestions (Stowel 1985; Prior 1990; Sawyer 1991; Gregory Merali 1992; Miles 1992; Savage Minger 1993), further concern s raised are that should it take the form of grafting SSM to SSD methods or embedding SSD methods in SSM (Miles 1988)? Miles (1988) argues that the grafting method could cause the benefits of the SSM to be lost for instance, SSM obviously supports user involvement from the onset (Mingers 1995). Obviously, SSM has its notable advantages which makes it suitable for the case of AIC but definitely not without its weaknesses. Researches on the use of SSM in practice has been conducted (Mingers Taylor 1992; Brocklesby 1995), some findings in these and the literature generally are as follows: Advantages SSM helps to structure complex problem situations in an organized manner with the aid of specific techniques which makes it a thorough tool to use in cluttered problems (Platt Warwick 1995; Mingers Taylor 1992). The entire cycle of SSM is based on learning and supports user involvement (Mingers 1995). Its approach is holistic by focusing on wholes rather than reductionist (Brocklesby 1995; Camarinha-Matos Afsarmanesh 2008; Mingers Taylor 1992). It guides the user to look for a solution which is more than technical (Skidmore Eva 2004). Disadvantages The processes involved in SSM does not recommend a method of encouraging broad participation especially when it extends towards taking action though it recognizes participation (Jackson 2003; Khosrow-Pour 2009). SSM does not include methods for designing and implementing solution (Avison Fitzgerald 2003; Mingers 1995). The actual way of deriving information and data models from the activities is considered as ‘ad hoc’ due to lack of systematic means of determining information needed(Mingers 1995). SSM only works well with few people involved (Bell Morse 2003), though this favours the case of AIC but it could be time-consuming (Mingers Taylor 1992; Keenan Bustard 2009; Sutherland Morieux 1991) and demands high level of commitment which is usually not easy to achieve (Brocklesby 1995). The Organisation (AIC) AIC is a well recognized company specializing in management of properties. It has 3 branches located in Nigeria, one of them serves as the head office and each of the branches has an operations manager and the owner is the Managing Director of the company. Each branch has 8 to 10 Property agents and 1 or 2 accountants working under the supervision of the operations manager. The property agents act as an intermediary between property owners and seekers so they are responsible for allocating owners properties to seekers and management generally. Data about properties, owners and seekers are presently kept on paper files and each branch has one or two PCs. This business area is fast growing and the company wants to boost their efficiency in customer service delivery. The Managing Director of the company also felt the need for expansion. Some employees think there is need to improve on information handling especially due to the dissatisfaction of some customers (owners) with the mode of operation while some are less concerned and just wish for an increase in salaries. The MD has given his full support for a relevant and quick solution to be implemented in less than a year. Therefore, as an IS analyst, the situation will be further expressed and analysed using different modelling techniques suggested by Heeks and Morgan (2010a) and Heeks and Morgan (2010b). Problem/opportunity: The problem is the ineffective means of keeping records while the opportunity is the need for expansion. Stakeholder analysis Clients: Operations managers, Property owners and Property seekers Actors: Property agents, Accountants Sponsor: Managing director Owner: Branches, Operations managers Champion: Managing director, Operations managers, Property agents Others: IS analyst Problem Statement: An ineffective means of information handling due to paper-based approach. Project Rationale: To support the business expansion and remove all hindrances. Constraints: Environmental Prediction: The system is likely to last long because there are more supporters and expand its coverage if successful. Initial Statement: A system that eliminates the identified possible hindrance to the intended business expansion and supports the company desire to improve service delivery. CATWOE Checklist Root Definition: A system owned by the Managing Director and used by Operations Managers and Property Agents, which maintains proper record that helps in finding available properties for property seekers. The system to function under the financial constraints of the company and achievable in less than a year to assist the planned business expansion. Project Assessment Feasibility: Risk Assessment: This project, being a small one, is not prone to so many risks but a very obvious one that needs enough attention is the lack of IS experience in the organisation history. Others are Management Support and User commitment, the absence of these could result into loss of user acceptance and IS failure eventually. Project priorities: This is the only major project under consideration and crucial to the progress of the company. Analysis of the current system (Rich Picture) Note: A property seeker can purchase or rent a property or do both. Requirements for a solution It is advisable to operate the system within a network other than independently so there is need to set up a network. More PCs are required. Users need to be given adequate training.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Agencies in the Criminal Justice System

Agencies in the Criminal Justice System The common thread binding the agencies of the criminal justice system is centred upon crime and the control of crime. (Garland 2001; 5-8). It can be argued that the agencies of criminal justice including, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the courts, the prison service and the probation service all have separate and distinctive functions but operate towards a common overarching goal crime control. (Maguire et al 2007; 139-141). It is the structure and organisation of criminal justice that is characterised by fragmentation, differential roles and aims amongst institutions forming parts of the criminal justice system, coupled with the absence of a single Governmental department charged with responsibility for criminal justice policy and its implementation which accounts for a differential of functions all aimed towards the common goal of crime control. (McConville and Wilson 2002; 5). It is argued by McConville and Wilson (2002) that determining what constitutes an inst itution of the criminal justice system in any country will be complex due to the nature and operation of a system entailing great multiplicity. (Ibid). However, Sanders et al (2010) identify that the core agencies of the criminal justice system in England and Wales can be identified as follows: (1) The Police, which can be divided further into three distinct groupings. Firstly the local branches of police throughout England and Wales. Secondly the national police bodies such as the Organised Crime Agency and the British Transport Police. Thirdly specialist agency watchdogs such as the Health and Safety Executive which focus on particular types of criminality. (2) The CPS which is primarily responsible for deciding whether cases prepared by the police should proceed to prosecution. (3) The Courts which can be divided further into lower courts and higher courts. The lower courts are composed of the magistrates courts where all criminal offences will start off. The higher courts are composed of the Crown Court which deal specifically with more serious forms of offences. The division between the magistrates court and the Crown Court will be by the initial classification of the offence as either being summary giving exclusive jurisdiction to the magistrates court or of indictable offences giving exclusive jurisdiction to the Crown Court. (4) The Prison Service which is charged with dealing with offenders convicted and sentence to a custodial sentence. Their role within criminal justice is arguable dual, firstly to deprive dangerous offenders of their liberty acting as a deterrent to offenders and secondly to rehabilitate offenders back to society. (5) The Probation Service which is charged with dealing with offenders coming out of prison and their aftercare with integration into society. (Sanders et al 2010; 2-6). In order to determine whether these agencies have both common and distinctive functions they will be discussed in detail below and the paper will then draw conclusions on their role and aims within criminal justice. The Police: Policing in England and Wales is decentralised to local police forces which operate through the country in approximately 43 forces. The powers provided to the police can be characterised by the right to stop and search people and their property, the right to arrest a suspect, the right to detain a suspect at the police service for interrogation, the right to collect evidence and the right to compile reports for the CPS to allow them to determine whether a case should proceed to trial. (Sanders et al 2010). The discretion afforded to police officers in exercising their public duty is a characteristic of the nature of how criminal laws operate, in that discretion underpins the operation of the police officers role within criminal justice. (Clarkson et al 1994; 6-8). The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) provide the main statutory framework for the operation of the police in conducting criminal investigations. The Act is supplemented with Codes of Practice which set out goods standards for policing in conducting their business of detecting and investigating crime . PACE 1984 allows the police powers of stop and search, arrest, detention and the collection of evidence. The role and function of the police can be identified as the primary role in managing and dealing with crime. (Sanders 1986; 303). They will be the first agency of the criminal justice system which come into contact with suspected offenders. Their role as distinct from the other agencies will primarily be based around detecting and investigating crime in addition to the collection of vital evidence as proof of the commission of the offence. (Ibid). The common function to all other agencies of criminal justice is to manage and control crime. The Crown Prosecution Service: One of the CPSs roles within the criminal justice system is to exercise a public interest in determining which cases should be prosecuted through the courts. (Moody and Tombs 1982; 44-52). It is the control mechanism within criminal justice to filter out cases which can be considered inappropriate to proceed to the next stage within the criminal justice system. It is the value judgements made by the CPS that allows an assessment to be made on the strength of the evidence collected by the police and the public interest in bringing the case which can be identified as being the distinctive functions of the CPS. It is therefore possible to identify that there is a linkage between the first agency of policing to the second agency of prosecuting where there is an inter-dependency for success in controlling crime. The CPS will only be able to bring cases which have compelling evidence to succeed in the prosecution. Therefore the distinctive role the prosecution attains within the criminal j ustice system is that of deciding which cases to allow proceed to court based upon the work of the police in collecting evidence. The Courts: The courts occupy a special terrain within the criminal justice system in that they allow the facilitation of evidence to be tried and tested to a standard of beyond all reasonable doubt. (McConville 1994; 228). They occupy the neutral position of being able to afford both sides equality to put their case in a fair and just manner. The secondary role is focused very much on determining a case, deciding which side present the strongest arguments on the evidence. The final role is centred upon sentencing an offender in accordance with the law and gravity of the offence before the court where a conviction is founded on the evidence. The core function of the courts is to facilitate the presentation of evidence in a fair and balanced way, to adjudicate according to the laws of England and Wales and finally to sentence in accordance with sentencing principles. It is arguable a very special and distinctive position within criminal justice in that it allows the full operation of the law in p ractice in determining an offenders culpability for a charged offence. However, it is also possible to establish that the courts service have the common function of dealing with crime and controlling crime through its sentencing regimes. The Prison Service: The prison service deals exclusively with offenders convicted and sentenced to a custodial sentence. Their role within criminal justice is to facilitate a judicial decision to deprive an offenders liberty in order to fulfil the sentence of a court. The role is distinctive because it is primarily directed to controlling and managing the offenders behaviour throughout their sentence. However, it is common to the other agencies within criminal justice in that it facilitates crime control and contributes to an offenders rehabilitation into society. The Probation Service: The probation service will also occupy a special position within criminal justice in that they will become involved with offenders during sentencing at the trial stage but also when an offender is released from prison in their integration back into society. Therefore they provide the key transition support for offenders allowing their integration back into society to live lives without crime. Conclusion: Although there are other criminal justice agencies such as the Criminal Defence Service, the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, the focus of this paper has been primarily directed at the core agencies within criminal justice dealing with the progression of an offender through the system. It is identifiable that the very nature of the fragmentation of crime and criminal justice necessitates an array of agencies to deal with the specific nature of criminal offending. Each of these agencies occupies a particular space within criminal justice in dealing with crime and in contributing to the overall control and management of crime. Further, it is clear that each agency has a distinctive role in that the police are the initial gatekeepers of criminal justice by deciding which cases to investigate and how they collect evidence. Similarly the prosecution have a specific role in deciding to prosecute and executing a prosecution. The courts also occupy a special function of delivering justice and facilitating a trial of an offender. It is clear that all of the agencies of the criminal justice have very specific roles and functions which serve particular goals and aims of criminal justice at particular points when dealing with offenders. Each role contributes to the overall aim of managing and controlling crime in society. In final conclusion it can be argued that each agency within criminal justice have distinctive but yet common goals within the criminal justice system.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Famous :: essays research papers

So here I am, microphone in hand, about to sing in front of 100 million people across the world. The cameras are on me, and the audience has fallen silent in anticipation. How did this happen, you ask? How did I, Katie Skipton – an ordinary 15-year-old schoolgirl just a couple of days ago – get to become an overnight superstar? Glad you asked. Sit back, relax, and let me tell you about the craziest day of my life†¦   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three days ago, my class and I were looking forward to a fieldtrip that we were taking to France. We were studying Europe, and as the whole school knows, the sixth grade class votes on which country in Europe they want to visit. We voted on France this year because that’s the language that most of us were learning to speak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anyway, we were all at the airport waiting impatiently for our flight to come. People were looking at us funny. I mean, it’s not every day you see about 150 kids strolling around an airport with only ten adults. As I was sitting there, bored to death, I saw some of my friends go to the shops and cafà ©s, so I decided to go with them. We stopped by the bathrooms since most of us really needed to go badly. I always seem to take quite a while going to the bathroom. My friends already knew this, so they said that they would meet me at the cafà © across the hall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was finally done going to the bathroom and washing my hands very thoroughly, I saw that there were three cafà ©s across the hallway. Which one did they go to? They could have at least had somebody wait here for me. Such good friends they are. Any way, I chose the one that looked most inviting, the one that would attract a lot of teens with its colorful appearance. I stepped inside and wandered around. Out of all the tables that were in there, none of them seated my friends. I had to find my friends because I didn’t know my way back to the waiting room.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I went to the next restaurant. I didn’t think they would be in here because it looked kind of junky and all I could see was a bar. They wouldn’t be allowed there. I had no luck in the last cafà ©, either.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

European Travel and the Spread of Western Ideology Essay -- European E

European Travel and the Spread of Western Ideology Humans began their existence as travelers, slowly making their way across the earth hunting and gathering. This travel was quite slow and gradual, and could be termed a period of â€Å"human expansion†, as traveling groups rarely encountered other humans. It really wasn’t until the sixteenth century that a new kind of travel developed, a kind that was more global, occurred rapidly, and was filled with many encounters with other civilizations. This sort of travel signified not simply the spreading of humans across the earth, but more the spreading of ideas among people. And during this particular period, the travelers were predominantly European, and so it was Europeans who, believing in their own superiority, most imposed their ideas on others. Overall, therefore, human travel could more accurately be termed European: its effect was to increase both the power and scope of European ideas. These ideas, in turn, affected many different civilizations, changing the thinking, and actions, of people all over the world, and therefore changing their impact on the world. While many civilizations have traveled at various points, it was the Europeans who, beginning in the sixteenth century, began to travel the most. â€Å"It was the Europeans who went out to the peoples of Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and never the reverse† (Adas, p. 2). As soon as European ships could be built that were large enough to endure long voyages, the Europeans set out in them, realizing that this was advantageous: â€Å"the relative advantage of Europeans was on the seas† (Cippola, 138). Through this, they visited many foreign countries, and were usually the ones doing the conquering. Other people were unprepared for t... ..., Michael, "Machines as the Meaure of Men: Science, Technology, and Ideologies of Western Dominance", Cornell Univ. Press 1989. Cipolla, Carlo M., "Guns, Sails, and Empires: Technological Innovation and the Early Phases of European Expansion, 1400-1700" Sunflower Univ. Press, 1996. Diamond, Jared, "Guns, Germs, and Steel" W.W. Norton & Co, 1997. Ponting, Clive. "A Green History of the World," St. Martins Press, NYC, 1991. Pursell, Carroll W. Jr., Ch. 1 and 2 in "Early Stationary Steam Engines in America: a study in the migration of a technology" Smithsonian Inst. Press, 1969, pp. 1-27. Schneider, Jane. Rumpelstilskin's Bargain: Folklore and the Merchant Capitalist Intensification of Linen Manufacture in Early Modern Europe. In Cloth and Human Experience, edited by Annette B. Weiner and Jane Schneider. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1993.