Aqualisa Quartz Essay

What is the quartz value proposition to the plumbers? To consumers? The value propositions to the plumbers are †¢Due to Quartz easy installation plumber’s work is reduced to 25% of original time. †¢Plumbers find the installation is straightforward and hence they are ready to send their young apprentices †¢Plumbers said it’s just â€Å"Push-fit-connect’’ and it’s not in the wall and it’s very easy to use †¢On an average plumbers can do more jobs thereby increasing their profit The Value propositions to the consumers are †¢One of the major issues for the customer is to get conistent water pressure which is solved in Quartz †¢Customers can have their required temperature by Thermostatic control rather than checking it for the required temperature †¢Before quartz the survey says that 44% of shower needs replacement. By using Quartz there is less chance of breakdown and hence maintenance is much easy for the customer †¢The product had aesthetic look and elegant design †¢It’s good for the home with the children †¢Suitable for all types of water systems †¢One touch control system and ability to control remotely Aqualisa launched the most significant shower innovation in recent British history: the Quartz shower. The shower provides significant improvements in terms of quality, cost, and ease of installation. In product testing, the Quartz shower received rave reviews. However, early sales of the Quartz have been disappointing. The company is faced with some key issues about whether to change the channel strategy, promotional strategy, and the overall positioning of the product (niche or a mainstream product) in the context of their existing product line. This case shows that despite the fact Aqualisa had a great product it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is going to manifest in great sales of the product. Innovation needs managing in an integrated way; it is not enough  just to manage abilities in a technological superior product. Aqualisa had the generation of a technological innovation but lacked the ability to relate this to end users. The challenge for Aqualisa is in effectively communicating to its customers and making them aware of the fact that they have developed such a product, before their competitors catch up. In order, for Aqualisa to succeed they need to synergise the components of their marketing mix through an effective communication, positioning, and distribution strategies. In the case in states that only about 60% of U.K homes, consumers are only probably going to buy at most two showers in their lifetime and because key influencers in the decision making process like plumbers where apprehensive of adopting the new technology it also led to the company’s low sales because the majority of the UK shower market is made of replacement showers and plumbers tend to remain loyal to their selected brand as it is the most comfortable for them in using when installing because of their previous experiences. Quartz Value Proposition – Plumbers What Plumbers wanted †¢ Ease of installation †¢ Quality product with minimal breakdowns †¢ Service free (minimal service requirement) Product Benefits †¢ Flexible location of the controller unit requires minimal remodeling of the bathroom making shower installation simple, cutting the installation time to half a day Value Proposition Quick and easy installation requiring only basic skills (more installations per plumber per day resulting in higher income) Quartz Value Proposition – Customers What Customers wanted †¢ Aesthetic design (great looks) †¢ Good water pressure without temperature fluctuations †¢ Ease of use †¢ Quality product with minimal breakdowns Product Benefits †¢ Controller unit can be concealed in the ceiling or closet; leading to a sleeker look in the shower stall †¢ In-built pump provides more than adequate water pressure †¢ Electronic thermostat allows for easy controls and steady temperatures †¢ One touch control Value Proposition Clean and sleek looking shower which is easy to use and provides efficient and reliable water pressure and temperature Why is Quartz not selling? Sales Plumber’s Influence †¢Plumbers distrust electronic controls / new technical innovations †¢ Plumbers influence over 50% of shower purchases; In 25% of the cases the purchasing decision is at his sole discretion Limited Distribution Channel Product Price †¢ Priced at a premium and hence unappealing to D-I-Y buyers as well as developers which are both price sensitive segments †¢ Trade Shops account for 80% of mixer showers sales †¢ Staff in trade shops not high on product knowledge, driven by market demand †¢ Showrooms have be the best sales potential but Aqualisa is available in only 25% of all showrooms

Learning Plan Essay

The learning plan described in this paper is to have students debate a topic related to the Civil War. The debate topic is â€Å"Was the Emancipation Proclamation enacted for moral reasons or political reasons?† The main concept of this learning plan is to have students work collaboratively to research facts, and recall and use facts from the Civil War unit to incorporate into their arguments. (It should be noted that the learning plan described in this paper will take several classes to complete, however the learning plan procedures will only address the class where the debate will occur.) It is assumed that debate skills were taught in a previous class. The learning theory certainly incorporates constructivist aspects. They are constructing knowledge rather than absorbing it. This is constructivist approach is illustrated through the collaborative nature of the assignment, as well as through the research that students’ must produce. In terms of the use of technology a nd media; the students will be instructed to research one source of information, from the internet, related to their argument. They must submit a one-page analysis of the information in which they found along with a references page. This must be submitted to the teacher a week before the scheduled debate. The teacher will assess the content of the paper, but the references page will also be important. Teacher must evaluate the kinds of internet sources that the students have used. The credibility of the internet source, and the strength of student’s research will be analyzed by the teacher. The purpose is to assess student’s traditional literacy and critical analytical skills (assessed when evaluating the content), and information literacy/interpretation skills of online material (assessed by reviewing the reference page). Finally, the teacher will hand back papers to the students, and he/she will instruct each group to use at least two of their group members’ papers into their group’s arguments. Media and technology will also be incorporated with the use of social media. The teacher will tell students that their debates will be recorded and submitted to youtube or a private school website (if issues of privacy are raised). Others will be allowed to view the video to evaluate the strength of each team’s arguments. Based on the comments of public viewers, a winner will be chosen (by popular vote). This popular vote will be incorporated as a small percentage into the assessment. This is being done as to allow students to  participate in new media opportunities within an educational context. Learning Plan Context Setting The high needs school will be a High School in the Bay Area, either in San Francisco or Oakland. There will be 25-30 students in an individual classroom.  The lesson will take place the week after the Civil War unit is finished. It is anticipated that the unit will last about two weeks, therefore the debate class will occur during the third week. The actual debate class will take up one class period. The content area is US History/Politics. The grade level is Juniors (11th grade). In sum, the curriculum unit is 11th grade, US History/Politics, Civil War unit. Standards According to California standards for literacy in History/Social Studies in 6-12th grades. A student must be able to demonstrate analysis of primary and secondary sources, and connect these insights to the understanding of the whole text. This ability will be addressed and assessed when students must incorporate information learned from the textbook with information gained from the internet, and use both sources of information, into their debate. The student’s ability to undertake this task will be evaluated by the teacher with the submission of student’s sources, and also during the debate. (http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/finalelaccssstandards.pdf.) Also according to California standards, students must be able to evaluate various explanations for events and actions. Learning Objective Students will be able to collaboratively demonstrate their knowledge of Civil War policy, events and information, from the textbook and from online sources, by formulating arguments to be presented within a debate. Learning Theory Applications Constructivism is certainly at play in this lesson plan: The activity allows knowledge to be organized into schemas, concepts, and worldviews. This activity is emphasizing the use of authentic activities by constructing knowledge through interaction with the environments (internet and peers), and applying it to real-life situations (debate). The collaborative component certainly illustrates constuctivism; learners will help each other create conceptual connections. Finally, students are working autonomously with the help of the teacher as facilitator, supporter, and model (Ormrod, 2006). Learning Accommodations: Individualized Education Plan for Special Accomodations: In each team, all students will be assigned a role. For example, â€Å"speaker†, â€Å"writer†, â€Å"time-keeper†. A student’s IEP will be taken into consideration when assigning roles. A student with an IEP, will be assigned a role that best fits their IEP. For example, a student with ADD, may be best suited to be a time-keeper since their attention span is not as focused. They may be anxious to change the pace of the group’s discussions, and therefore they may be eager to keep track of the time. Language Development needs: When assigning the internet-based research; the teacher will give ELL students a website to navigate to, instead of having the students navigate the internet themselves. Teacher will give explicit instructions as to where to look on the website so students do not feel too overwhelmed with the English language. Teacher will ask the students to try to comprehend some of the information, however if this proves too difficult, then the teacher will ask the students to find 15-20 words from the website that the student did not understand. The student will then find the meanings of these words in their own language. They must write at least a paragraph about the Civil War unit incorporating five of the words that they found on the internet. Also,  at least two of these words must be incorporated into the arguments of their team. Gifted and Talented needs: This is a challenging component to consider because a gifted/talented student does not necessarily mean an academic-rigorous student. To really tailor the lesson to address the interests of a gifted/talented student, then the teacher will have to be familiar with the personality of that particular student. However, some situations will be addressed here. First of all, from the research, the lesson itself befits that of a gifted/talented studen t. Competition, which characterizes a debate, usually suits the nature of gifted/talented students. The first situation to consider is a student who is gifted/talented, but not academically rigorous. This student will be given a leadership role within his/her team. He/she may be assigned to organize/manage all the ideas of the students. He/she is the one who will be given the rubric for what the teacher is assessing when observing the team’s discussions and arguments. He/she is the manager, and he/she will be assessed on their ability to keep his/her team on task. In this way, this student isn’t necessarily doing more â€Å"academic† work, but he/she is being challenged in a rather difficult manner. A second situation to consider is to have a gifted/talented student who is academically rigorous. The teacher will give this student a second component to add to his/her research paper. The student must connect textbook material and internet material to the US politics o f today. This is increasing the cognitive process from analyze (which all students must do with their research papers) to evaluate (Anderson and Krathwol, 2001). The student can choose to incorporate this extra component into their team’s arguments. Resource Accommodations: Low tech: There are no computers, projector, or internet access in the classroom. If this is the case, teacher may have to allocate time in different lessons to use school facilities where computers are available. Computers must be used so that the teacher can show students the kinds of websites that are credible, as well as to use sites, like youtube, to show students examples of debates. Computer use is necessary so teacher may have to take time before or after school to meet with students (who are willing) to show them the above-mentioned websites. Mid tech: One computer connected  to a projector is available in the classroom. The teacher can use this computer to show examples of credible websites, as well as to show examples of debates online. High tech: Class is equipped with several computers. Teams can go online themselves to view videos of debates and start research for their paper. In this way, the collaborative nature of the lesson will start even earlier (in the pre-plan ning stage). Content-Based Literacy Skills In terms of text-based literacy; students must incorporate information from their textbook into their arguments Critical thinking, reflective thought, and text-supported thinking will be illustrated when students must draw connections between internet-based information and textbook information while doing their analysis/research paper. This connection will be evaluated when student’s cute their sources within their paper. (This explanation will also illustrate students’ information literacy.) New Media Literacy Skills Performance: This skill is illustrated when students view sample debates on the internet and use this as models of performance in their own debates. Collective Intelligence: This skill is done when students are within their respective teams and they must draw upon their own and others ideas, research, and knowledge to formulate strong arguments. Judgement: This skill is illustrated when students must judge which websites and information are to be included in their research/analysis paper. Networking: Once again, this skill is illustrated when students must search, connect, and analyze information on the internet for the purpose of their research/analysis paper (Jenkins, 2001). Learning Material: Textbook: Learners will need textbook so that they can recall information. Paper, pen: Leaners will need so that they can write down information. Rubric: Both the learner and teacher needs. Learners need it so that they are aware of what’s expected of them while working in teams and formulating their arguments. Teacher needs it so that he/she can refer to it when assessing the team’s progress. Notes: Learners will need them as a reference when formulating arguments. Stopwatch/watch: This will be given to  the student whose job is timekeeper. Video Camera: Used to record the debate Learning Plan Procedures Phase I: Motivation Activity Teacher will show a short clip of a very powerful, interesting debate. Possibly a presidential debate. The clip will only show the most poignant part (according to the teacher) of the debate. Hopefully the clip will be no longer than 5 minutes long. (if there’s no computer available, then teacher must bring in her/his own computer.) In a class of 30 chair/table. There will be 15 chairs/ tables on each side of the room. They will be facing eachother. Learners will enter the classroom and sit down immediately with their team. The teacher will then show the video as soon as the class is seated and quiet. This activity is being done to motivate, encourage, and remind students of what a good debate looks like so that the output of the students’ debates can match skills such as speaking (clear and concise) and eye-contact of the debaters within the video. Phase II: Input (Teacher Driven) Activity: During this class, the teacher will, serve only as facilitator, therefore not much activity will be driven by the teacher. However, after the video, the teacher will remind students of the rubric that was given to them, and tell students that she/he is only their to assist in the logistics of the debate (time, flow, managing emotions if this becomes a problem). The teacher will also instruct students to take notes on each other’s arguments because this assignment will be important for their homework assignment. She/he will also remind student that they will be recorded. Teacher will tell all students to take out their rubrics. She/He will go over some key point from the rubric as it relates to the debate. The teacher will tell students to make sure that they keep these key points in mind because these points will be assessed during the debate. The teacher will instruct students to have their rubrics out for the entire class so they can monitor their team’s progress by themselves. Teacher will formally go over key questions from the rubric that he/she hopes the teams have incorporated into the nature of the debate (clear speech, eye contact,  concise points, respectful behavior) as well as into the content of the debate. In term of the nature of the debate, questions might look like â€Å"Is my team being quiet/respectful as the other team presents their arguments?†, â€Å"Are my responses to the other’s teams arguments not insulting?† etc. In terms of the content of the debate, questions may look like, â€Å"Did my team incorporate facts from the textbook?†, â€Å"Did my team use at least two credible internet sources within the argument?†, â€Å"Did my team follow special instructions assigned by the teacher (e.g. incorporating ideas from IEP students, ELL student, gifted students)?.† This activity and these questions serve to remind students of the importance of the collaborative nature of the learning objective. They also serve to remind students that they must be able to demonstrate their understanding of the Civil War unit, as well as their understanding of outside sources within the context of an argument. Phase III: Output (Learner Driven) Activity Students will take part in a debate. The topic is â€Å"Was the Emancipation Proclamation enacted for moral reasons or political reasons?† This activity will illustrate the learning objective in several ways. First, the collaborative nature of the previous classes will finally be demonstrated. Second, the students must illustrate their knowledge of Civil War policies within their arguments. Third, both sides’ arguments must include information from outside sources. The teacher will select one team to present their arguments first. Recording will begin The speaker of that team will stand up and come to the front of the class. They will present their team’s argument. In the argument they must mention the sources in which they got their information. For example, if they got a particular piece of data from the textbook, then they must state â€Å"As is presented in the textbook†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . If they got a particular piece of data from the internet then they must state, â€Å"As is presented on so-called website, or by so-called author†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They must also explicitly state how they used the â€Å"special instructions† from the teacher. For example, â€Å"(ELL’s student’s name) found that ‘compromise’ was not a possible solution of the Civil War.† In this example, it is assumed that compromise was on a list of words that an ELL student did not understand. He/she presented these list of words to  his/her team. The team reviewed the list, and chose to use the word compromise as part of their argument. The student will finish the presentation of his/her argument. The teacher will tell the next team to present its argument. The team will follow the same procedure as above. The teacher will then stop recording of the debate. This debate will naturally lead to questions, comments from both the teacher and the students. Phase IV: Culmination  The teacher will ask the groups to clear up any misunderstandings or misinformation the teams may have had within their argument. This is to give other team members a chance to speak about the argument, which reinforces the collaborative effort of the lesson. The teacher will also ask students how their team’s or the other team’s information and debate skills differed and how these things were similar to the debate presented in the beginning of the class. As a smaller activity, the teacher will instruct all the students to come up with one question, comment, critique of the other team’s argument. This assignment will illustrate each student’s understanding of the Civil War Unit because it challenges students to relate, connect, or counter-argue their own knowledge of the unit. This question will be submitted to the teacher. Phase V: Exten sion For homework, students will write a one-page analysis of the opposing teams arguments. The student will address the opposing side’s arguments. He/she will evaluate the argument’s weaknesses, strengths; and why he/she disagreed or agreed with the points that were made. Learning Plan Analysis Formative assessments will include analyzing the collaborative efforts of the team, the behavior of each team during the presentation of the opposing team’s arguments, how well each team member took on their role within their team, and how well the team incorporated textbook information, outside information, and ‘†special instructions† from the teacher into their argument. A summative assessment will include the teacher’s evaluation of the internet analysis/research paper, the one-page analysis of opposing team’s argument, teacher’s evaluations of the strength of the arguments, and finally the â€Å"popular vote† (the results of youtube or school-based website). Weaknesses of this lesson plan include time constraints, and the many assessments involved. It may be difficult to accurately assess how well each team members took on their roles. Some students may still be taking on more work than others. Also, incorporating ELL/IEP students proved to be a difficult task.. Strength of the lesson is it fosters team work, analytical skills, and gives students more power in the direction and implementation of a lesson. The teacher will implement these varied assessments in its first year, and then will evaluate the effectiveness of these assessments for future classes. The learning theories applied in the first phase was Vygotzky’s Cognitive Process. Students are witnessing two adults debating and they are expected to try to learn/imitate the behaviors of those adults. In the second phase, social cognitive theory is at play. The teacher both models desired behaviors/outcomes, as well as emphasizes self-efficacy and self-regulation. In the third phase, constructivism is illustrated. The debate is student-driven because the students are demonstrating their constructed knowledge within the debate. The assessments have a behaviorist component. Negative reinforcement (decrease a behavior) is illustrated when the teacher warns students that if they are not respectful or a team member does not contribute meaningfully, then they may be marked down (Ormrod, 2008). References Anderson, L. W. , & Krathwol, D. R. (2001) . A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, 28-31. California Department of Education. (2013) California Common Core State Standards. http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/finalelaccssstandards.pdf Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A. J., and Weigel, M. (2006). â€Å"Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century.† Chicago, IL: MacArthur Foundation. Ormrod, J. E. (2008). Educational Psychology Developing Learners, 8. 25-36. Teachers First. (2014) http://www.teachersfirst.com/gifted_strategies.cfm

Autism 2

Autism 2 Essay There are many diseases and disorders that plague todays society, but one of the most serious of those disorders is autism. Autism is not nearly as widely known as the familiar Downs Syndrome, yet, surprisingly, autism is far more widespread. In fact, autism is the third most common developmental disability, affecting 400,000 people worldwide (Autism Society of America). As of yet there is no cure for this debilitating disorder, only a variety of treatments. Autism is a developmental disability, not a mental illness, that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects 15 of every 10,000 individuals. No one is certain why it occurs, but researchers have found that MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans of people with autism show abnormalities in the structure of the brain. Significant abnormalities include differences in the cerebellum and in the size and number of Purkinje cells within the brain. Sometimes there is a pattern that exists within families from generation to generation. This indicates the possibility that autism is genetically related. However, no gene has been found. Every person with autism is different and there is no set type or typical person with autism. This is because autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that symptoms and characteristics of the disorder can present themselves in a variety of ways, from mild to severe. Usually children with autism have deficiencies in both verbal and non-verbal communication. Their language develops slowly or not at all and they have very short attention spans. They often lack social skills and will spend time alone, rather than with others. In more severe cases, children have unusual reactions to physical sensations such as being overly sensitive to touch or under responsive to pain. Most commonly, children with autism lack imagination and imitate others ideas, rather than initiate their own. Lastly, behavior is greatly affected by autism. They may be overactive or very passive and throw frequent tantrums, injuring themselves, for no apparent reason other than to gather attention. They often lack common sense and show aggressive or violent behavior. While some people only show one or two symptoms, others have all or nearly all and find it extremely difficult to function in society. People with autism do live normal life spans and the behaviors associated may change or disappear over time. As of yet, there is no cure for autism. However, with the proper treatment, many of the behaviors can be positively changed. Some of the treatments include behavioral training, teaching of communication and social skills, auditory training, medications, and a change in diet. Behavioral training or modification, as it is also called, deals with changing or extinguishing inappropriate behaviors and increasing positive behaviors. A few methods are used to do this. One way is self-management where the individual monitors their behavior and receives self-reinforcement. Another method used is modeling. This is when the teacher or therapist demonstrates what is being done so the child can model the steps. Behavioral training is effective in stopping self-inflicted pain by shaping and distributing positive reinforcement. The teaching of communication and social skills is an integral part of treating autism. Speech therapy may include gaining language skills or learning sign language. Some devices are used frequently such as picture communication boards. Another device is used with a trained professional supporting the hand or arm of the person helping them to punch keys on a device. This technique, called facilitated communication, is highly controversial because it is sometimes thought that the facilitator is directing the persons arm unknowingly. One of the main characteristics of autism is the lack of understanding of social cues (Autism Society of America). The person with autism may be taught how to communicate in social situations or respond to certain facial expressions and emotions. If the emphasis is on social communication, a speech therapist will work closely with the child to ensure proper communication in social situations. Auditory training is sometimes used for those individuals who are oversensitive to sound. An audiologist plays a different variety of sound frequencies in this therapy. Food allergies and sensitivities have been shown to produce a variety of symptoms associated with .

Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nutrition - Essay Example It is I this regard that a program that is aimed at reducing the incidence and prevalence of this condition among preschool children is justifiable. Project Plan The plan of the project includes identification of the needs of preschool children and their parents in relation to childhood obesity. Needs such as education requirements for parents on nutrition will be assessed during the program. The needs of children for improved health will be determined during the project through screening criteria. This includes determining the seriousness of the obesity condition among these children including the impact that it has had on their physical, emotional and cognitive well being. The assessment and determination of needs will be followed by a design and implementation of the most appropriate interventions for overcoming the problem. This includes the involvement of various stakeholders and the community in the project. Evaluation of the project in relation to effectiveness in achievement of the set goals and objectives will also be part of the project which will be culminated by reporting of the findings and recommendations to relevant authorities, partners and players. Expected Outcomes It is expected that at the end of the project, the society is aware of the proper nutritional measure that will help them to prevent childhood obesity among preschool children. ... In addition, training of teachers and parents on the management of the children in preventing obesity is one of the major expected outcomes of the project. In addition, the preschoolers are expected to have been involved in between moderate to strenuous physical activity as a way through which they would keep fit both physically and cognitively. Target Audience The target audience for the project includes parents, teachers and the preschoolers themselves. This is because the activities that will be conducted within the project aim at solving the problem of obesity among the children with the help of their parents and teachers. For example the playground which is one of the outcomes of the project aims at allowing the children to utilize it in physical exercise which will be a prerequisite for improved health and prevention of obesity among them. Moreover the training program will target the teachers and parents so that they would be equipped with adequate skills and knowledge in help ing the young children to overcome their condition. Stakeholders/Partners The stakeholders of this project include the government, non-governmental organizations, health care systems, health care professionals, school administrators, teachers, parents, the community and the preschool children themselves. Each of these stakeholders will play important roles in promoting the achievement of the goals and objectives of the project. The government through its agencies at the local level will approve the project in addition to provision financial resources to support the project upon approval by the relevant authorities. The non-governmental organizations are also part of the donors of the

Dave and Buster's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dave and Buster's - Essay Example In various places, Dave and Buster’s restaurants are constantly packed with guests; both regular and new. While days are usually fun packed with events and activities, nights have proved to be busiest as most patrons have enough time to spend unwinding after work. The company’s revenues have grown significantly over the years. By 1998, its revenues topped 13.2 million US dollars and the company achieved an average growth of 6% from the previous year. As of 2008, the company earned close to 536.4 million US dollars in revenues and employed about 7,500 people in different states and locations. Many commentators have noted that Dave and Buster’s original concept of providing a quality environment for relaxing with food and drink was indeed brilliant. From an initial capital investment of three million USD, the organization has managed to grow and out do many of its competitors including Hard Rock Cafà © international incorporated and Planet Hollywood International Incorporated. The company has also managed to gain international presence by trading its concept with overseas organizations through agreements and area licensing. Apart from engaging in business generating activities, Dave and Buster’s contributes to the community. This it does by sponsoring different events including Bowling for Soup rock band concert tour, World Wrestling Entertainment, and Dave Bevan’s Children funds drive. The organization also encourages people to visit its venues by posting commercial adverts on several television networks.

Psychology (William James's basic idea) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psychology (William James's basic idea) - Essay Example Certain sequences of pure experiences constitute physical objects, and others constitute persons; but one pure experience (say the perception of a chair) may be part both of the sequence constituting the chair and of the sequence constituting a person. Indeed, one pure experience might be part of two distinct minds, as James explains in a chapter entitled "How Two Minds Can Know One Thing." Simplifying and to a large extent over-ruling James's ideas came Sigmund Freud and his concept of psychoanalysis. Freud based his notions of the unconscious mind as a reservoir for repressed memories of traumatic events that continuously influence conscious thought and behaviour. Freud divided the state of mental activity to exist at three levels: the Id, the Ego, and the Superego. He considered Id as the centre of our primitive instincts; something that caters to the business of gratifying our desires and pleasures. To Freud, the new-born infant is the personification of the Id and the Ego develops out of the Id as the child grows. The Ego acts as censor to the Id, checking the primitive desires for immediate gratification, and conflicts between the Id and the Ego can result in a person having neuroses. ... Related to these questionable assumptions of psychoanalysis are two equally questionable methods of investigating the alleged memories hidden in the unconscious: free association and the interpretation of dreams. If Freud said that the goal of therapy was to make the unconscious conscious, a younger colleague of his, Carl Jung, was to make the exploration of this "inner space". For Jung, an empirical investigation of the realms of dream, myth, personality and soul represented the manner to understand the "inner space" of the human psyche. He regarded the encounter between the individual and the unconscious as the most important facet of this process. Jung held that human beings experience the unconscious through symbols encountered in all aspects of life: in dreams, art, religion, and the symbolic dramas we enact in our relationships and our day to day life. Essential to the encounter with the unconscious, and the reconciliation of the individual's consciousness with this broader world, is learning this symbolic language. Jung believed that only through attention and unprejudiced, flexible powers of thinking can the individual be able to harmonise his life with what he called as the "archetyp al forces". To undergo the individuation process, the individual must be open to the parts of oneself beyond one's own ego. The modern individual must pay attention to dreams, explore the world of religion and spirituality, and question the assumptions of the operant societal worldview. Alfred Adler examined human personality around the same time as Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud. They worked on some theories together until Adler rejected Freud's emphasis on sex, and maintained that personality difficulties are rooted in a

Operational Risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operational Risk management - Essay Example For chemical agents, hazard is distinct by biologic activity possible - cell obliteration, change or metabolic interference (Teneyuca, D, 2001, pp. 54-59). Exposure is the quantity of the substance available for uptake into the life form. For a physical agent, the danger is defined by the scale of the agent's aptitude to release or broadcast energy to the life form. Exposure is the incidence to which the life form is exposed to the manager. Become a documented business advisor to management by thinking deliberately. Focus on how EHS initiatives and savings contribute to better employee physical condition and safety, and at the similar occasion, add to business procedure improvements, client satisfaction, and productivity, manufactured goods quality, commerce growth and, in the end, enhanced financial presentation. In this piece of writing, we desire to focus on the part of a plan that eliminates operational risk. Operational risk and improved security performance are two sides of the similar coin. Risk, risk receipt and risk management are issues decision-making management can appreciate because it is akin to commerce risk, which they contract with routinely. Business risk is a multiplicative association flanked by the value of assets and the exposure of those assets to business and monetary markets. Risk Assessment and Management According to the expert analysis Wharton (1992) concludes that risk appraisal is the articulation of risks in terms of their probability and seriousness. Risks should be concentrating on from the create of a project, at theoretical stages and then watched intimately as scheme go on. Insight in to early project factors probable to threaten project success determination help project mangers and other stakeholders to better forecast the probability of their projects achievement (Proccaccino, 2002). Many organisations approximately the world enumerate risks of new IT infrastructures based on risk organization techniques quite that just happening on a scheme. This is due to the disaster cause by IT failures in the past (Yourdon, E and Constantine, L, 2005). A typical instance would be the London Ambulance armed forces effort to mechanize ambulances at dangerous periods around London, which misshapen when brought online, no risk appraisal or unforeseen event was developed to run and resol ve risks. Poor supplies are involved in most scheme failures (Verner, 2002). The requirements require to be addressed by risk assessment and organization techniques. Risk organization, the process of commerce with the recognized and assessed risks (Wharton 1992). Risk organization techniques and methodologies can be put into practice inside organisations to battle risks at the early stage of the lifecycle, for instance at the start and assortment stages, risk analysis identifies risks and then at the assessment stages of IT project, risks organization can be criticised and better for the prospect. Proactive and Reactive Approaches to Risk Management Risk assessment and danger evaluation at the start stages can take shape in two dissimilar ways. Firstly risks can be recognized by the organization in a reactive way, this is at what time risks are merely combated

Talk about genre and style, and dramatic action of the play Vanya and Essay

Talk about genre and style, and dramatic action of the play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike - Essay Example As the story progresses through Vanya and Sonia first start out all fine with each other, but immediately afterwards Sonia got angry at Vanya and started to argue with him because of the coffee which he made. From this conflict of two old people fighting over something so minor, we can see that this is the start of the dramatic action. We see more of this as the Play progresses through, when their sister comes and visits them in their farmhouse we can see how much is tries to rub her success, as an actress, in Sonia’s face. Here we can see that jealousy is present in Sonia. Her character seems to feel that her life has been considerably boring and she doesn’t seem to happy about it, While her sister Masha has traveled all around the world and ended up with fame and success. Also to add on to Masha’s rubbing her success of Sonia, she brought a young man named spike to the join her visit to the farmhouse (Durang, 50). The fact that an old lady would date someone younger and intentional bring him home to her family members seems like an intentional showing off, implying that Masha maybe old but she is still wanted by young men. The arrival of Nina, a young and beautiful aspiring actress who is a neighbor to the siblings stirs up another dramatic action in the play. Nina is everything that both sisters want but do not have. Masha is more envious of her because she wants to be like her again. Spike also has some lustful feelings for Nina. Another dramatic action is evident when spike, a handsome, young man with a well built toned body shows off to Vanya. Vanya is an old gay man who has not lived his life to the fullest and is being teased by spike who seizes every opportunity to strip down and show off his muscles (Durang, 70). This is very bad for Vanya who has not even travelled anywhere but has lived all his life is the same house he was brought up in. Although Masha may think that she has herself a young man who

The Miller's Tale From Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay

The Miller's Tale From Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer - Essay Example George Saintsbury has rightly pointed out that â€Å"we perceive in the Canterbury Tales the completion of his command of verse† (George, 129). All the characters in the poem are individuals, reflecting the men and manners of the people of Chaucer’s time. His realistic vision embraces all, rich and poor, bringing out their inmost qualities through careful external descriptions. In this paper I have done an analysis of the â€Å"Miller’s Tale†, examining all the characters in it in order to see Chaucer’s attitude to love and sex. Miller is a down-to-earth man. When the Knight completed his story the Monk wanted to tell his story. But the Miller would not allow him. The host at the inn had doubts about Miller’s skill in narrating a story, and it was also not proper to give Miller the next chance after a Knight who holds respectable place in his society had just finished his noble story. The Miller was badly drunk too. He insisted that he must tell his story. I think here Chaucer cleverly manipulates the plot to escape from the moral responsibility of inserting a bawdy story immediately after narrating one which deals with courtly love. Chaucer is, however, praised for his realistic approach to literature. He believes that all should be given equal place in life and the success of the story lies in variety and contrast, be it moral and immoral. The best narrative devices are, he knows, humor and contrast. Hence, the Miller gets his chance immediately after the Knight. Chaucer is also able to use Miller to challenge the conventions deciding values in life or literature. Therefore, the study of Chaucer’s approach to love and lust reflected through the Miller’s story becomes significant. Though the Miller’s tale looks like a parody to the story narrated by the Knight, it deals with the serious subjects like marriage, love, and sexual relationships. I think Chaucer likes Alison

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Hinduism, History of Christian Thought, and Greek Philosophy - Research Paper Example A study of the religious scriptures in Hindu mythology reveals various forms of Krishna and its simultaneous worships. The figures of Krishna as the supreme manifestation of power have been portrayed in every form. Three levels of Krishna mythology have been evident from the study of religious doctrines. The oldest and the most popular form of Krishna are evident in the oldest core of the Mahabharata. In Mahabharata Krishna is depicted as the son of the Vasudeva and Devaki. In Mahabharata Krishna has been portrayed to belong from the Yadava society and plays an instrumental part in the war of Kurukshetra where he served as the charioteer of Arjuna. In the expanded version of Mahabharata we find Krishna as the incarnation of Vishnu and the wisdoms of the Bhagwad Gita, The holy book of the Hindu’s are proclaimed through him. The form of incarnation of Visnu was found after 300 B.C.E which is popularly known as the early Hindu period. After 200 C.E. Krishna is depicted as the cowherd of Vrindavana and symbolizes as the passionate lover of Gopis and Radha in particular. This depiction of character of Krishna is found in Harivamsa and Vishnu purana. Other than a passionate lover Krishna he is portrayed as a slayer of demons. However in the Pre Aryan period there is no evidence of w orship of Krishna. The first two images of Krishna as the chief of Yadava and the reincarnation of lord Vishnu settled from the area of Dwarka to Mathura. However the form of Krishna as the cowherd of Vrindavana is not there in the Bhagwat Gita. The divine power of Krishna is evident in the Vishnu purana from his childhood where he demolishes various demons encountered by him. In Viishnu Purana however Krishna is not portrayed to take part in the war nor is a teacher of Gita. (Hopkins, p 99-104) The different form of Krishna often raises confusion. But the portrayal of Krishna in different forms in different era of Hindu mythology stresses on the fact that the presence of Krishna is there as a form of good source of energy and its presence cannot be ignored. The idea of re-incarnation of Vishnu as Krishna also is based on the same propositions as Vishnu is claimed to have ten other avatars. The Hindus have handled the different adaptations oh Krishna but worships them as a single fo rce of power. The importance of historical study is important in understanding the theology of Hindu. The different forms of Krishna and its significance can be clearly understood by studying the different religious chronicle in different times of history. The division of Hindu mythology is also very vast and should be studied minutely to have a clear understanding of the proceedings. The depiction of varied character of Krishna in Vishnu purana and Gita shows considerable link between them and helps to conclude that both of the characters are of the same person. Worksheet -15 1. The teachings of Athanasius were held as harsh by the church of Alexandaeria. His teachings tried to pry matters outside his domain which made him look unpopular. However his teachings were in favor of the council of Nicaea. He also used homousious and he believed that the divinity of the worlds would not have been possible by the divine participation of god. His meltian opponents were Eusebius and Arsenius . He exiled to Trier to prevail peace between the church and the east and the rise of the hostility with the opponents. He refused to attend many types of council as charges would be stacked against him. (Frend, 524) 2. The council of Sardica took place under a series of events. Constantine was governing the empire and he himself murdered his wife Fusta. The eastern frontier on the other hand was managed by his nephew. Constantine used his administrative skills to manage the empire. The importance of the council lies in the fact that the three brothers who were ruling had different views. Constantine II and Constants promoted the views of Nicaea whereas Constantius was guided by the view of Eusebi. In order to prevent the difference of view and reach a

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Extended Trial Balance Essay The extended trial balance works in very much the same way as the trial balance except that there are a few adjustments to make after which you can then separate out the entries that belong to the balance sheet and which belong to the income statement. The extended trial balance is used for making adjustments to the accounts at the end of an accounting period. The reason for this is because of the matching principle of accounting, where revenues are matched with expenses in the accounting period in which they were incurred; adjusting entries need to be made. These adjusting entries account for such things as expenses that have been incurred but not yet paid, revenues that have been earned but not yet recorded, and depreciation on equipment. Using the extended trial balance also ensures that the full double entry method is used correctly to each adjustment without having the wait for the adjustments to be written into the ledger Example of extended The picture shows that company have made a profit of $3,500 and also the document is ready for the end of the accounting period. However, if the columns above did not equal, the company would have to look to see what error has been made. In the picture you can see extended trial balance with the adjustments and extended figures made and the totals of the columns show to agree. If you are an accountant and you will be using this extended trial balance, you will be able to calculate whether the company has made profit or a loss. From this picture, you can also see that the accountant set up extended trial balance and added the adjustments which included salaries expenses, accounts receivable and revenue. When the adjustments were made the total for each pair of columns (debit and credit) should equal each other which have shown to be true in the table.

Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay Example for Free

Manage Resistance to Change Proactively Essay Register for this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. emeraldinsight. com/0262-1711. htm Managing diversity using a strategic planned change approach Earnest Friday Management in the College of Business Administration, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA, and Managing diversity 863 Received October 2002 Revised February 2003 Accepted February 2003 Shawnta S. Friday School of Business and Industry at Florida AM University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA Keywords Diversity management, Strategic management, Change management Abstract Many organizations have implemented various types of initiatives within the last few decades in an effort to deal with diversity. A possible missing vinculum (link) between how an organization deals with diversity and its impact on the bottomline is a corporate diversity strategy that is executed using a planned change approach to systemically manage diversity. While many organizations have implemented a corporate diversity strategy, most have not used a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy†. The lack of a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy† is quite likely to inhibit managing diversity from becoming systemic to an organization’s culture and its way of doing business, thus tending to disallow the potential bene? ts of diversity to be maximized. Hence, this paper offers a framework for using a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy† to: progress along the â€Å"diversity continuum† starting with acknowledging to valuing, and ultimately to managing diversity; and systemically managing diversity using a eight-step â€Å"managing diversity process†. Introduction Over the past few decades, academicians, practitioners and organizational researchers have recognized that diversity is a phenomenon that has a wide array of affects within the workplace, and society in general (Koonce, 2001; Stark, 2001; Williams and O’Reilly, 1997). In this paper, diversity refers to any attribute that happens to be salient to an individual that makes him/her perceive that he/she is different from another individual (Williams and O’Reilly, 1997). Some widely accepted differentiating attributes include racioethnicity (which encompasses race and ethnicity), gender, nationality, religion, functional expertise, and age. Even though racioethnic and gender diversity tend to receive the majority of the attention in the organizational diversity literature (Stark, 2001; Williams and O’Reilly, 1997), this de? ition allows for the frameworks offered to be applied to any type of organizational diversity salient to members. Diversity programs have been implemented in many multinational organizations, primarily, in an effort to improve working relationships Journal of Management Development Vol. 22 No. 10, 2003 pp. 863-880 q MCB UP Limited 0262-1711 DOI 10. 1108/02621710310505467 JMD 22,10 864 between white males, whose relative numbers continue to decrease, and demographically different individuals, whose numbers continue to increase in the workplace (Friedman and DiTomaso, 1996). While many multinational organizations have a corporate diversity strategy, most have not implemented it using the suggested planned changed approach posited in this paper. Given the intensifying â€Å"war for talent† in today’s competitive, global business environment, it is imperative that the execution and evaluation of a corporate diversity strategy use a planned changed approach to not only acknowledge and value diversity, but to also systemically manage and inculcate diversity into an organization’s corporate culture. This type of approach can contribute immensely to an organization’s ability to use all of its human capital as a strategic means to gain and maintain a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic, global marketplace (Richard, 2000). It has been purported that if diversity can be effectively managed in an organization, some potential bene? ts to the organization include greater creativity and innovation, and improved decision-making (Cox, 1991). Conversely, if diversity is not managed effectively, some potential major costs to the organization include, at a minimum, breakdowns in communication, interpersonal con? ict, and higher turnover (Cox, 1991). While there may not be much empirical evidence to substantiate claims that effectively managed diversity directly leads to bottomline increases (Chatman et al. , 1998; Richard, 2000; Stark, 2001), there is real-world evidence (e. g. Coca-Cola, Denny’s, Publix, and Texaco settlements) to suggest that not effectively managing gender and racioethnic diversity has been, and can be, detrimental to organizations and their bottomlines. Thus, it is a logical extrapolation that an organization’s ability or inability to create a culture in which diversity is systemically acknowledged, valued, and effectively managed is more likely to determine the affects diversity will have on it’s bottomline. Many organizations have implemented various diversity initiatives as a part of their corporate diversity strategy (Koonce, 2001), but most have not used a planned change approach to strategically align their initiatives with their long-term objectives and strategic positioning. It is highly probable that this lack of planned strategic alignment contributes immensely to the purported ineffectiveness of many diversity initiatives (Stark, 2001). Consequently, an organization that seeks to maximize the potential bene? s of diversity should devise a â€Å"planned change-corporate diversity strategy† prior to implementing diversity initiatives. The purpose of the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is to align the organization’s diversity initiatives (designed to manage diversity) with the organization’s strategic goals, and ultimately make managing diversity an integral part of the organization’s culture. An aligned planned change-corporate diversity st rategy will contribute immensely to the long-term effectiveness of diversity initiatives aimed at better managing all of he organization’s human resources. This is especially signi? cant for organizations with a highly diversi? ed workforce. With a planned change-corporate diversity strategy, diversity initiatives are aligned with organizational policies, procedures, and systems. Such alignment is desired to systemically reinforce an organizational culture that encourages the effective management of all employees in order to garner diversity’s purported bene? ts, including the end goal of increasing the bottomline. Thus, frameworks are presented for using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy to: advance from the initial passive states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the ? nal active state of managing diversity on the â€Å"diversity continuum†; and systemically manage diversity using the speci? c eight-step â€Å"managing diversity process†. The diversity continuum and the planned change approach Valuing diversity and managing diversity as distinct phenomena Over the last few decades, a myriad of articles have been written on the subjects of valuing diversity and managing diversity (Wanguri, 1996). In some cases, valuing diversity and managing diversity have been considered, and sometimes used, interchangeable when, in fact, they are two different phenomena (Jenner, 1994). By the very nature of their de? nitions, valuing and managing diversity are distinctly different. Valuing refers to the relative worth, importance, or signi? cance of something, whereas managing refers to taking charge or coordinating and supervising situations. Given these de? nitions, valuing diversity should be considered a more passive phenomenon, where importance or signi? ance is given to individuals’ differences, which does not automatically lead to visible actions or reactions on the part of the individuals valuing the diversity or differences. Managing diversity, on the other hand, should be considered an active phenomenon, which involves supervising or coordinating and directing the diversity or differences individuals bring to the organization to ensure the organization’s strategic go als are being fully and effectively met. In other words, it refers to successfully organizing the organizational inputs of individuals with diverse backgrounds. This de? nition is consistent with the managing diversity de? nition given by Thomas’ (1991): â€Å"a ‘way of thinking’ toward the objective of creating an environment that will enable all employees to reach their full potential in pursuit of organizational objectives†. The diversity continuum As a result of the confusion in the literature between the two phenomena, valuing diversity and managing diversity, it is not dif? cult to understand why consensus does not exist on the claims of bottomline bene? s as a result of the attempts organizations have made to value and/or manage diversity. In addition to the confusion, lack of consensus could also be a function of the Managing diversity 865 JMD 22,10 866 complexity of the diversity concept in the organizational context. Given the complexity of diversity within an organizational setting, it is possible that perceiving it in terms of a set of three elements that delineates what to do with diversity may serve t o simplify or clarify the confusion in the diversity literature. Therefore, a diversity continuum is offered to guide researchers and practitioners in moving from the more passive states of acknowledging diversity and valuing diversity, on through to the more active state of managing diversity. As individuals ? nd themselves in situations with diverse individuals, they are likely to take one of two courses of action: avoid dealing with the diversity, or recognize that the diversity exists. In the case where individuals avoid diversity, they do not face the fact that diversity is an issue. It is likely that these individuals do not accept the idea that they are likely to be biased in their interactions with others that they perceive to be different from themselves. Although avoiding diversity is viewed as a possible response to diversity, it is not included in the diversity continuum. The diversity continuum is based on the assumption that individuals take the second course of action and recognize diversity. Once diversity is recognized, as previously stated, the diversity continuum serves as a framework to delineate the three potential states of dealing with diversity: acknowledging, valuing, and managing diversity. The three sequential components of the diversity continuum are: acknowledging diversity; valuing diversity; and managing diversity (see Figure 1). Acknowledging diversity, the ? rst component, refers to recognizing the existence of diversity or the individual differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. In order for individuals to truly acknowledge diversity, they must be exposed to it, experience it, acquire knowledge about it, and they must develop an understanding of diversity. The second component of the diversity continuum is valuing diversity. Valuing diversity, as de? ed above, refers to the signi? cance or importance being given to the diversity or differences individuals bring with them to a particular setting. Having an appreciation for, as well as respect for, the differences that diverse individuals bring with them to the work setting can lead to the last component. The last component of the diversity continuum is managing diversity. As stated above, m anaging diversity refers to the planning, organizing, leading of individuals with differences or diversity in a particular setting, such that their inputs are used to accomplish the organization’s strategic goals. Even in racioethnically homogeneous organizational settings, organizations make large investments to ensure an appropriate organizational culture is fostered. An appropriate organizational culture is desirous, such that individuals are systemically managed to perform and accomplish its goals, not just hoping that their performance will somehow lead to the accomplishment of the organizations’ desired goals. Thus, similar systemic efforts are necessary in order to manage Managing diversity 867 Figure 1. The strategic management process emographically diverse individuals such that the organization can gain the maximum synergistic bene? ts from their contributions as well. The planned change approach Rather than being reactive and waiting for a â€Å"diversity crisis† to take place before a change is made (i. e. Coca-Cola, Denny’s, Publix, and Texaco settlements), an organization should be proactive in systemically Managing Diversity. Hence, an organization and its m embers should make the necessary changes to proactively move from just settling for the ? rst stage of acknowledging diversity to the ? al stage of managing diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model is offered as the theoretical framework to proactively and systemically facilitate the management of diversity in organizations. This planned change model is based on the premise that the organizational forces propelling change must subdue the forces resisting change for highly effective change to occur. Therefore, it is posited in this paper that the Lewin-Schein change model is a framework that can assist organizations and individuals in moving through the sequential elements of the diversity continuum. It is also posited that this model can be applicable at JMD 22,10 868 both the organizational and individual level for managing diversity. While Allen and Montgomery (2001) offered the Lewin-Schein change model as a framework for creating diversity, the model is offered in this paper as a framework for Managing Diversity. The Lewin-Schein change model involves three stages: unfreezing, change (moving), and refreezing (Lewin, 1951; Schein, 1992). For the organization or individual to experience successful change, the three stages need to be addressed in succession. Unfreezing using a planned change-corporate diversity strategy In the unfreezing stage, the organization’s or individual’s present culture (which includes perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors) toward diversity, needs to be unfrozen. This means there needs to be enough motivation within the organization or individual to want to change from its present state to the new desired state. Thus, in moving from one end of the diversity continuum to the other end, with managing diversity being the desired outcome, management must desire that its members move from just acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. As presented previously, managing diversity refers to systemically organizing and directing the inputs of all organizational members (including diverse individuals) to ensure the organization’s strategic goals are met. Likewise, the individual must want to move from just acknowledging and/or valuing diversity to the ? nal phase of managing diversity. At the individual level, this movement involves governing one’s actions toward diverse individuals in a way that allows for healthy, productive interaction with those diverse others. Therefore, to unfreeze the organization’s culture and its members’ current state of mind toward diversity, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised and aligned with the organization’s strategic positioning to reduce the forces that are striving to maintain the status quo (Dobbs, 1998). A ? rm’s strategic positioning The strategic management process is employed by many organizations in order to distinguish themselves from their competitors in the marketplace (David, 2001; Porter, 1985; Steiner, 1997). Although there are several schools of thought in the strategic management ? ld, the generally accepted components of the strategic management process are: strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation as explained in Figure 2 (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Strategy formulation is comprised of developing or reviewing the organization’s mission, vision, and long-term goals; conducting internal and exte rnal assessments to identify the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); setting selection criteria and selecting the strategies that will afford the organization the best strategic positioning relative to its competitors (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy implementation entails allocating the appropriate resources to ensure the Managing diversity 869 Figure 2. The three levels of organizational strategy selected strategies are properly executed (David, 2001; Steiner, 1997). Strategy evaluation involves setting control processes to continuously review, evaluate, and provide feedback concerning the implemented strategies to determine if the desired results are being accomplished, such that corrective measures may be taken if warranted (Hill and Jones, 1998; Steiner, 1997). As illustrated in Figure 3, there are usually three levels of strategy associated with large-scale organizations. The corporate level strategy de? nes the organization’s purpose and the lines of businesses in which it plans to operate, thereby providing the overarching direction for the organization. If an organization only operates in one line of business, its corporate level strategy and business level strategy are effectively one in the same (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). A business level strategy is the blueprint that should enable an organization to leverage its resources in order to differentiate itself from the competition within a particular line of business (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). The functional-level strategies serve to support the organization’s business-level strategy by providing direction for the appropriate short-term activities required by each functional area to meet the goals established in the business-level strategy (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998). Consequently, having properly aligned corporate, business, and functional level strategies aid an organization in its efforts to accomplish its goals, thereby strategically positioning itself to successfully compete within the marketplace (David, 2001; Hill and Jones, 1998; Porter, 1985). Combining highly differentiated and ef? cient human capital with clearly delineated corporate, business, and functional level strategies can prove to be a competitive advantage for an organization (Barney, 1991, 1997; Wright et al. , 1995). An organization must view strategies for developing and managing its employees JMD 22,10 870 Figure 3. Alignment between corporate strategy and planned change-corporate diversity strategy as a part of its overarching corporate level strategy if it desires to have highly differentiated and ef? ient human capital in today’s competitive, global environment. Therefore, one argument of this paper is that any organization seeking to realize the maximum bene? t from having a diversi? ed workforce should have a planned change-corporate diversity strategy that is aligned with the organization’s overall strategic positioning. Developing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy The organization â€Å"wishing to create an environment that enables all employees to reach their full potential will have to . . . change organizational practices as necessary† (Thomas, 1991). However, prior to changing any organizational practice, a comprehensive strategy for how to accomplish that change should be devised based on an in-depth understanding of relevant organizational dynamics (i. e. culture, structure, ? nancial position, strategic initiatives, etc). Theoretically, a strategy should precede the structure of an organization. Consequently, a planned change-corporate diversity strategy should be devised to align with the organization’s corporate strategy before structuring diversity initiatives (as illustrated in Figure 4), and reinforced using a planned change approach. Organizations that have elevated their diversity strategist to executive-level management are likely to have an overarching corporate diversity strategy in place. But, it is not as likely that the diversity strategist is using a corporate-wide planned change approach to systemically reinforce the proposed changes in the corporate diversity strategy throughout all of the Managing diversity 871 Figure 4. The diversity continuum organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. Regardless of whether an organization has a corporate diversity strategy or not, it may be necessary to superimpose a planned change-corporate diversity strategy over existing disjointed diversity strategies and initiatives. At the onset of such an endeavor or superimposition, corporate diversity mission statement, vision, and goals must be formulated to articulate the purpose diversity initiatives will serve within the organization and the desired outcomes to be achieved from such initiatives. The delineated desired outcome should be designed to systemically manage diversity. Conducting internal and external assessments are essential steps in devising a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. An internal assessment will allow the diversity strategist to decide how to position diversity strategies and initiatives within the organization’s structure, and to align them with all of the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. To assess the external environment, the diversity strategist should use environmental scanning tools to extract best practices based on benchmarked diversity strategies and initiatives at other leading organizations. Through the internal assessment, the diversity strategist should become intimately familiar with the organization’s values, vision, mission, strategies, goals, and initiatives, all of which constitute a sound basis for understanding the organization’s culture, policies, procedures, systems, and overall strategic positioning. The diversity strategist must become equally familiar with the bene? ts and shortfalls of various diversity initiatives. The strategist must conduct an analysis to determine the most appropriate linkages between the organization’s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, and its diversity initiatives. Before proceeding, the diversity strategist must recognize and effectively articulate a clear strategic ? t and alignment amongst the organization’s overall strategic positioning, policies, procedures, systems, JMD 22,10 872 and diversity. Both strategic ? t and strategic alignment are necessary to strengthen the business case for allocating resources to support the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. In order to realize the maximum bene? ts from diversity, the planned change-corporate diversity strategy needs to be properly executed, evaluated and refrozen to ensure that the stated goals are being met, and that the organization’s culture and members are moving toward and sustaining the desired state of systemically managing diversity. Moving to systemically managing diversity Once the present state is unfrozen, the move that will allow the organization’s culture and members to advance to the desired state should be put in place. In this case, the move is to culturally reengineer the organization and its members to the true state of managing diversity by implementing the managing diversity process. The social learning theory (Bandura, 1977) is offered as the theoretical framework for the managing diversity process. It has also been offered as the theoretical framework for developing training programs in the cross-cultural and expatriate literature (Black and Mendenhall, 1989; Harrison, 1994). There are four major tenets of social learning theory: motivation, attention, retention, and reproduction (Bandura, 1977). These tenets are re? ected in the eight steps of the managing diversity process. In an effort to truly manage diversity, a change in the attitudes and behaviors of individuals, and in organizations’ systemic and institutional ways of doing business is required. Therefore, it is posited that utilizing the tenets of social learning theory can aid in the acquisition of the learning that is necessary for organizations to maximize the inputs of all of its diverse members. The planned change-corporate diversity strategy serves as the motivation for the learning of new behaviors and attitudes. Hence, once the planned change-corporate diversity strategy is articulated, the move through the eight steps of the managing diversity process should be instituted to assist individuals and organizations in culturally reengineering and moving to the desired state of managing diversity. The eight sequential steps of the managing diversity process include: (1) exposure; (2) experience; (3) knowledge; (4) understanding; (5) appreciate; (6) respect; (7) modify attitudes and behavior; and (8) healthy interaction. All of these are undergirded by tolerance (see Figure 5). The acknowledging diversity component of the diversity continuum is composed of steps (1)-(4), and they re? ect the â€Å"attention tenet† of social learning theory. The valuing diversity component of the diversity continuum is comprised of steps (5) and (6), and is re? ective of the â€Å"retention tenet† of social learning theory. Steps (7) and (8) constitute the managing diversity component of the diversity continuum and the â€Å"reproduction tenet† of social learning theory. The movement through each of the eight steps requires individuals to progressively develop appropriate skills to enable them to manage how they deal with individuals whom they consider different from themselves. Therefore, executing the eight steps in the managing diversity process serve as the necessary movement required to progress from acknowledging and valuing diversity to managing diversity. The true movement through the eight steps from acknowledging diversity to managing diversity is a paradigm shift, in that it entails a change in the treatment of diverse individuals (Fitzpatrick, 1997). Managing diversity 873 Diversity training In order for an organization to realize the potential bene? ts that can be afforded by employing diverse individuals, there needs to be a paradigm shift in which the inputs of diverse individuals are systemically managed within an organization to enable the successful accomplishment of its strategic goals. Training of individuals is viewed as a necessary tool to facilitate the organization in achieving its goals. Diversity training should be viewed no differently than any other type of training in which an organization invests. Therefore, it should also be viewed as a necessary tool to manage members’ behaviors and their ability to work productively with diverse individuals. After canvassing the literature, it has been noted that most diversity training programs merely raise individuals’ awareness of or sensitivity to diversity (Grubb, 1995; Jenner, 1994). Some few diversity training programs go as far as attempting to change individuals’ perceptions of diversity and how they communicate with people different from themselves (Grubb, 1995). However, these programs tend to be offered to only select employees, and they tend to be short in duration, ranging from a one-hour session to a series of one-day sessions several times a year (Koonce, 2001). The major drawbacks to most existing diversity training programs are that: . they do not build skills to facilitate individuals’ ability to actually manage their interactions with individuals different from themselves; . they are not rigorous nor time-intensive enough to create a paradigm shift in individuals’ treatment toward individuals different from themselves; and JMD 22,10 874 Figure 5. The continuous managing diversity process . there are no enduring reinforcement mechanisms embedded in the organization’s culture to ensure all individuals’ inputs are successfully managed to met the organization’s strategic goals. Managing diversity As a result, most (if not all) existing diversity programs have not been successful in creating enduring change in the way individuals interact with individuals different from themselves, nor have they been successful in changing their organization’s culture to one that systemically manages diversity. In order to create enduring change in individuals and the organization’s culture, members of the organization at all levels need to participate in diversity training that encapsulates the comprehensive managing diversity process. The outcomes that should be expected from participation include, but are not limited to, skill building in the following areas: the ability to clearly articulate their ideas and feelings; con? ict management skills; effective giving and receiving of feedback; effective listening; group observation skills; and group decision-making skills, all of which will facilitate modi? d attitudes and behaviors, and healthy interaction with diverse individuals. Individuals have to come to grips with their feelings, thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors toward diversity and others with whom they are different. In the ? rst step of Exposure, individuals provide public notice of where they are at that point. They do this by: laying open who they are; divulging where the y are; unmasking themselves; and receiving others’ culture. Step (2), experience, involves gathering information through personal involvement, encountering, seeing ? rst-hand, and living through events. In the third step of Knowledge, individuals become well informed, thus able to be conversant because they become familiar or acquainted with the culture of others. Knowledge serves as the basis for step (4), understanding. Because of their grasp of cultural realities, individuals are able to comprehend (understanding) relevant cultural dynamics, which leads them to be sensitive, and enables them to share unique insights and perceptions. In step (5), appreciate, individuals’ acceptance of the worth of a person’s culture and values makes it easier for them to welcome and â€Å"justly† estimate diverse individuals. Resultantly, individuals are able to respect (step (6)) diverse individuals; thus, they are able to pay attention, pay deference, and pay tribute to the values, worth, and culture of diverse others, as well as give personal consideration to the diverse individuals. Successful movement through the ? rst six steps, along with tolerance underpinning each step, should lead to modi? cations in individuals’ attitudes and behaviors toward diverse individuals, which is step (7), modify attitudes and behaviors. This change in attitudes and behaviors, again, along with tolerance should lead to healthy interaction (step (8)) with and amongst diverse individuals. Step (8) is a function of continuous acceptance and execution of steps (1)-(7). Therefore, this is a ? uid (not static) process that must be recognized for its ever-changing and 875 JMD 22,10 876 evolving nature. The requirements for successful execution of the managing diversity process are strenuous and time intensive because it requires individuals to modify their attitudes and behaviors. Thus, they must modify the way they interact with individuals different from themselves, and not just expect that they either avoid, acknowledge, or value those individuals that are different. Given that all individuals in today’s global business environment are likely to encounter others that are different from themselves on a frequent basis, the managing diversity process should be viewed as analogous to the open systems approach – it is a continuous process that maintains a constant reciprocal relationship with the environment. Refreezing the systemic management of diversity Successful movement through the managing diversity process requires individuals to change. Resistance to change is inherent in any change process, and it will be no different in this process (Harrison, 1994). Therefore, the managing diversity process is a ? uid, continuous process that needs to be systematically reinforced and embedded in the organization’s culture and individuals’ interactions, such that the organization’s culture and its members do not revert back to just acknowledging or valuing diversity. Hence, refreezing the desired state of managing diversity requires reinforcing the new perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors with emphasis on the modi? ed behaviors and healthy interactions individuals have adopted as a result of going through the managing diversity process. In order for individuals and organizations not to revert back to their previous states, the new desired state must go through the refreezing stage to be institutionalized. This should be accomplished through systemic, on-going training and daily interactions at the individual level, and through revised policies, procedures, and systems at the organizational level. At the individual level, the systemic, on-going training should not be just periodic training that merely exposes individuals to diversity. A great deal of time is necessary to cement these newly adopted attitudes, behaviors, and skills for healthy interaction. This kind of cementation is required for these newly acquired attitudes, behaviors, and skills to become totally embedded in the individuals’ natural way of interacting with diverse individuals. The systemic, on-going training needs to be skill-based and experiential in nature to promote long-term changes in the way individuals work with individuals different from themselves. This type of reinforcement at the individual level will contribute to the cultural reengineering that also must take place at the organizational level. To reinforce the desired state of managing diversity at the organizational level, revised recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems, as well as an enforceable diversity policy need to be implemented (Allen and Montgomery, 2001; Hemphill and Haines, 1998; Miller, 1998). The revised policies, procedures, and recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems need to re? ct the organization’s position on how the inputs of diverse individuals will be managed, such that their contributions fully aid the organization in meeting its strategic goals. A written, enforceable diversity policy, stating the systemic action steps and behaviors expected by all employees is a must as it relates to effectively managing the organizational inputs of all individuals. Everyone’s inputs should be effectively managed to contri bute to the achievement of the organization’s strategic goals. The revised policies, procedures, and systems should also align with the planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Given the resources and time required to revise and initiate implementation of the revised organizational policies, procedures, and systems, individuals are likely to resist these changes initially. Therefore, it is quite likely to be a dif? cult and time-consuming process to make the appropriate and necessary revisions to the organization’s policies, procedures, and systems. This is an essential and critical step necessary to ensure the organization and its members do not revert back to their previous attitudinal and behavioral states. It is paramount that revised policies, procedures, systems, and planned change-corporate diversity strategy are clearly communicated to all members of the organization to ensure that it can be appropriately recognized, executed, evaluated, and reinforced. To reinforce this cultural reengineering effort, management needs to initiate and actively participate in the refreezing stage, the same as they must genuinely participate at the unfreezing and moving stages. Potential limitations As with any theoretical model, there are limitations. One potential limitation of this notional model is that no matter how well it is implemented, there are likely to be some individuals whose attitudes may never change or they may continue to consciously or unconsciously show favoritism toward those whom they consider to be similar to themselves (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000; Miller, 1998). Another potential limitation is that subtle forms of biases against diverse individuals may still exist informally within the organization and/or outside of the work environment; thus, highly impacting individuals within the organization. Backlash is also a potential limitation; members of the majority are likely to perceived that they are being excluded at the expense of including diverse individuals (Hemphill and Haines, 1998). Additionally, if the training initiated to implement the managing diversity process is perceived as a bad experience, the organization’s leadership may abandon the initial implementation, hence dooming all future diversity efforts. However, by using the suggested planned change approach along with well enforced diversity policies and disciplinary procedures for violations of the diversity policy, it is more likely that individuals’ behaviors can be altered to be more tolerant of others whom they consider to be Managing diversity 877 JMD 22,10 different (Gilbert and Ivancevich, 2000). This will allow the talents, skills, and abilities of all individuals in the work setting to be used to meet organizational objectives. Conclusion Given that individuals are less willing to leave their differences outside the doors of the workplace (Thomas, 1991), an organization’s ability to systemically manage diversity will become more important, in years yet to come, if it wants to ensure its ability to compete successfully in the global marketplace. This paper suggests that, ? rst, a planned change approach should be used to systemically manage diversity, by developing and implementing a planned change-corporate diversity strategy. Second, organizations should execute their cultural reengineering efforts to move individuals and the organizational culture along the diversity continuum from the states of acknowledging and valuing diversity to the desired state of managing diversity. Movement to the desired state of managing diversity can be achieved by using the managing diversity process. It is also suggested that the organization needs to provide on-going training, and needs to institute new policies and procedures. Additionally, it must engage in appropriately different recruiting, appraisal, development, and reward systems that systemically reinforce the cultural reengineering of moving to the state of managing diversity. These new undertakings will ensure that the newly reengineered culture of managing diversity is inculcated into the organization’s culture, and its way of conducting business domestically and abroad. By adopting and executing the frameworks offered in this paper for ystemically managing diversity through a strategic planned change approach, managers will have created an organizational environment where they will be able to enjoy healthy, innovative, and productive interactions amongst diverse members of the organization. The following is a list of other potential bene? ts that may be derived from using the offered frameworks: . in general, individuals will develop an increased knowledge of and appreciation for other cultures; . individuals will learn to value and respect the cultural norms, behaviors, and attitudes of others; . here is likely to be a greater receptivity to necessary organizational changes; . there is likely to be a lessening of workplace anxieties; . a reduction in organizational con? ict; . a more pleasant work environment; and . increased performance and productivity. 878 In conclusion, the proactive management of diverse human resources will aid organizations in gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic global marketplace.

Security Features Of Network Hardware Devices Computer Science Essay

Security Features Of Network Hardware Devices Computer Science Essay Describe the security features of network hardware devices. All network hardware devices need to have security functions which would prevent unauthorised access to systems and data and helps stop viruses malicious software from accessing the network. Network hardware devices include: Workstations Modems Routers Wireless Routers/WEP (Wireless Access points) Each network hardware device comes with its own security features. Workstation Workstations rely greatly on software to protect them from network threats. Anti-virus software programs help keep workstations safe and a software firewall is deployed to keep ports closed even if a program tries to open them. Keeping ports from being opened is like keeping a door closed; nothing can go in or out. This reduces the threat from unauthorised access. Routers To access the security settings of a router, a username and password is needed. If this is not configured anyone who gains access will be able to administer the network as if it was owned by them. This is set buy the administrator or the ISP. Wireless Routers/WAP (Wireless Access point) Wireless routers are more venerable to unauthorised access. This is because the LAN (Local Area Network) does not need to be accessed physically. If the wireless functions of a router are not configured properly, the network can be accessed and configured in administrative mode by anyone. This is a serious security risk. The wireless access can be controlled by configuring an encrypted password, setting a SSID (Service Set identifier) and choosing whether it is visible or not. If it is not visible, people will not be able to search for the access point; they will have to know the SSID before hand. For password encryption WEP and WPA can be used. WPA is more secure than WEP. Doing this stops unauthorised users from accessing the network. M2 Configure a networked device or specialist software to improve the security of the network. I have been asked to implement security to the plan below. This is the network security set-up of a bank. I have been given the task of creating a detailed diagram coupled with a full write-up including any evidence of how the network security has been improved. I will analyse the potential risks of each asset in this network to find out what types of threats the business may face and what can be done to defend or prevent these threats. Mainframe with customer accounts Customers are able to log directly onto the extranet using their personal details. This means that they are essentially giving away their personal, confidential information. Although an extranet is a private network it uses the internet for its external access feature. When sending information across the internet without the right protection, information could be intercepted and taken for later use. Information can even be altered at the time of sending for example a hacker might change the address that a customer wants to send money to in order to commit fraud. This is called the man-in-the-middle attack. If the website does not use encryption, people may start attempting to target the sites vulnerabilities. Depending on how popular the service is the likelihood of an attack can vary. The can be easily prevented by using a secure HTTPS connection on the website when dealing with personal and private information. This will also prevent the man-in-the-middle attack as time-stamps are used. This means if information transfer has been delayed, it may be altered so it is ignored. The network set-up can be made more secure by adding a dedicated firewall in between the extranet and the external customers. Although a firewall has already been installed, alternative routes can be taken to avoid the firewall. An example of when this will happen is when the connection is cut between the firewall and extranet, an alternative route may be taken when accessing customer details. Internal Bank Systems and All other bank data Because there is not firewall installed between the internet and extranet, malware and/or spyware may make it through the network, through the Internal Bank Systems and into the server that holds all the other bank data. This data can range from customer accounts to the banks future strategies and projects. This makes the bank venerable to hackers and even competitors as this information can be used for fraud and blackmail or it can be taken secretly by another bank to give the competitor an extra edge in the market. If the internal bank systems are taken over externally, money transferred illegally and records deleted, this would cause a huge problem for the banks as well as all of its customers and employees. Although it is not likely that other banks will hire hackers to attack the network, it is common for hackers to try to find information or ruin a banks system. This is popular and is also often seen in films. This can be prevented by installing anti-malware/spyware software on the server and installing a dedicated, properly configured firewall between the extranet and internet. External Access via Customers Advice can be given to customers to prevent Phishing and other threats. If the customer is knowledgeable in this area they will notice that it is a risk. This can be stopped by informing the customers that they should only go directly to the site before logging in and not to follow email based links. Firewall Its all good having lots of firewalls installed on the network blocking every possible entrance but if they are not configured correctly they may let in experienced hackers. In some cases the user cannot access the internet with a program they use often and so they open a bunch of ports on the firewall so they can access the internet. This is unprofessional and doing this greatly increases the risk of unauthorised access the network. A network administrator should be contacted in this type of situation to open the port needed and minimised network traffic. If unnecessary ports are open the bank will be extremely venerable to a Distributed Denial of Service Attack (DDoS). This type of attack in often aimed towards commercial websites that sell/provide goods and/or services. This attack involves a computer sending a virus to a large number of other computers. The virus will have a trigger. When this trigger is set off (by time or by another computer,) all of the computers infected will flood the victim server(s) with network traffic in order to shut down the server and their service. Here is a diagram that shows how this process takes place. If the server was turned off for even 5-10 minutes a vast amount of customers would complain. This bank may be targeted because if it is popular and well known. This type of attack can also be prevented by using a dedicated firewall that examines network ports to determine whether it is from a reliable or safe source. If it is a malicious packet it is dropped immediately. After receiving a packet it will send in on to the main server only if the packet is safe. Wireless Access point with WEP Wireless routers are more venerable to unauthorised access. This is because the LAN (Local Area Network) does not need to be accessed physically. This is done by using an encryption algorithm called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP). As this security measure has become used more, it has been examined by hackers and now had been cracked. For this reason the newer, more secure security method should be used; Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) If the wireless functions of a router are not configured properly, the network can be accessed and even configured in administrative mode by anyone. This is a serious security risk. The administrator needs to set an admin password and username in order to prevent this. I have produced an improved network diagram using the countermeasures mentioned above. This new network had improved the network security in every aspect above. I have done this by configuring all devices, installing security software on relevant devices and installing two extra firewalls. M3 Explain the similarities and differences between securing a wireless and wired network system. Wired and wireless networks are very similar in a logical diagram but physically can be very different. Wireless networks can go further than a wire, for example they can go through walls and building floors. Because of this wireless and wired network security is very different is some ways. Physical security Securing a traditional wired network, physical aspects of the network have to be looked at. For example servers have to be located in secure rooms with locked doors and wires have to be protected using wire covers. Below are examples of the kind of products that professional networks will have installed. Wire networks also need physical security but they can still be accessed wirelessly, because of this a password has to be used to restrict unauthorised access. This can be implemented using Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or the more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2). The network SSID (Service Set identifier) can be configured to an unsearchable setting. This prevents people even knowing that the wireless network exists. The SSID would have to be known in order to connect to the network in this case. Speed One of the main disadvantages to wireless networking is the reduced speed. Wireless Ethernet is either 11Mbps (802.11b) or 54Mbps (802.11a) or 160 Mbps (802.11n) whereas Wired Ethernet is can be from 100Mbps to 1Gbps (1000Mbps) or more! Performance Although the speed of wireless has been greatly increased due to the introduction of 802.11n, it still cannot keep up with the demand for bandwidth in networks today. If multiple people are gaming over the internet, sharing/downloading files and using bandwidth the network may be overloaded. With wired Ethernet 1Gbps can handle the large bandwidth demand and provide a good service to all users on the same network. Connection Both wired networks and wireless networks can communicate across a peer-to-peer network. This can be used to store and share data, communicate privately or transfer files. Although with a wireless connection files over 100MB problems have been said to occur. Client servers are used to centrally store client data and programs on a server giving them access from multiple locations. This is not possible over a wireless connection as a high performance and high bandwidth is needed. Protocols For communication wired and wireless systems have to use different protocols. Both use standard protocols such as HTTP, UDP and TCP. But for wireless connections encryption has to be used. This is because anyone can interrupt a wireless signal without being noticed.