The nature of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The nature of Crime - Essay Example However, an understanding of both these theories is important because they help in knowing the nature of crime. The central proposition made by the strain theory is the idea that social structures and individual situations within a society may be the causes of crimes since the strain put on the individual due to them encourages criminal behavior. This theory emerges from the work of Émile Durkheim and has been further developed by many social scientists following in his footsteps (Cullen, & Agnew, 2006). With regard to the strain which causes crime, there are two possible sources i.e. social structures and individual experiences (Miller et. al., 2002). The first one comes from the social structures which define how the needs of an individual are to be satisfied. If the social structures are inadequate, especially with regard to satisfying the needs of the middle class, then more people from the middle class may turn to crime if they see a lack of opportunities and have limited means (Miller et. al., 2002). Therefore, in this respect, the blame for criminal activity or the increased rate of crime comes from a failure of social institutions rather than individual negligence. The second strain can come from the individual since the experience of a person within society can lead him/her to a life of crime (Wikipedia, 2006). For example, if a middle class person sees enough things which lead him to desire more than his/her means then s/he may choose to do things which are illegal to attain those things (Miller et. al., 2002). Of course that person may not actually need those things for their basic survival but the creation of the need can come from their own experiences. Similar to the strain theory, the social disorganization theory also focuses on the relationship between the individual and the social setup. However, the primary focus

Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) For Vehicles

Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) For Vehicles During deceleration, traditional brake of a vehicle transforms the kinetic energy into thermal energy. This is due to the fact that when brakes are applied the friction between the brakes shoe or the calliper as used in modern disc brakes and the wheel not only restricts the motion of the wheel but at the same time a lot of heat energy is generated due to this braking action. Unfortunately there is a huge waste of the generated energy in the form of heat as a large amount of it dissipates into the air. Hence in order to make use of this heat energy, the idea of kinetic energy recovery for vehicles has been explored. Although this system is in use in motorsport and other few selected high performance fields, method like using regenerative brake to generate electric energy is already used in hybrid cars. However, transforming the mechanical energy into an electrical form has a limited efficiency and is not an easy task, but requires complex mechanical systems. Working By using acceleration sensor controlled gear box, acceleration and deceleration could be performed by the transfer of mechanical energy between the vehicle and its energy storing unit, thus reduce energy consumption. The design contains three basic parts: a control unit, an infinitely continuously variable transmission gearbox and an energy storing unit. There are two possible solutions for the energy storing unit: a big torsion spring or a flywheel. Both the two solutions work with the system. THE SPRING SYSTEM: During deceleration of a train, instead of using break, the wheels are connected to a torsion spring with the help of the gearbox. This in turn transforms the kinetic energy into the springs potential energy. However, the spring does not provide constant torque, according to Hookes law. In order to perform stable deceleration, the sensor controlled gearbox changes the gear ratio through a continuously variable transmission mechanism. The desired deceleration rate is determined by the driver. The acceleration sensor senses the actual deceleration rate and gives accurate feedback. Through a feedback control loop, the gear ratio is adjusted continuously and deceleration rate can be maintained at the desired level. In cases when spring has its maximum load, normal braking is activated. When the train stops, the spring will be held. When the train starts again, instead of using its engine or motor, the gear box connects the spring to the wheels but in an opposite way to drive the train. T he acceleration torque provided by the spring decreases with the release of the spring. Again, through sensor feedback control loop, the transmission gear ratio is adjusted continuously to maintain the acceleration rate. Once the spring is fully released, the motor is again activated. THE FLYWHEEL SYSTEM: System with a flywheel works in a similar way. Energy is stored into the wheel by increasing of the spinning speed. In order to provide constant torque transmission gear ratio need to change. With the implementation of acceleration feedback control, the braking output could be adjusted through changing the transmission gear ratio. The kinetic energy could be completely (except the loss on bearings and transmission gears) stored during braking and given back during acceleration. This system could work with both combustion engines and electric motors. Thus the limited energy recourses could be saved. KERS is essentially an energy-storing flywheel attached to an efficient Continuously Variable Transmission. Under braking, energy that would usually be expended as heat is instead used to accelerate the flywheel. When needed the power can then be used to augment that of the internal combustion engine What makes the system green isnt the added performance, but the use of energy that has traditionally been wasted. Working and Specification Kinetic Energy Recovery System  (KERS) is the word which is being associated with Formula 1 cars and has been in the Headlines for quite a while. All 2010 Formula 1 cars feature KERS as an integral part after it was made mandatory by FIA to be installed and is currently being manufactured by  Flybrid Systems. What is KERS? KERS  as the name suggests is an energy recovery system also known as regenerative system but importantly the KERS is quite advanced than the conventional energy recovery systems. The mechanism functions in a way that it reduces the speed of the vehicle by converting some of its kinetic energy and/or potential energy( in case of elevations) and storing it into a useful form of energy instead of dissipating it as heat as seen in conventional dynamic braking system. Technically KERS can be defined as an Electric generation, storage, and propulsion system generating electricity during slow down or braking, storing it in batteries, and later assisting the gasoline engine by boosting acceleration with the help of electric drive motors. The device will be installed in F1 cars to save energy utilized while braking, store it and further use it when required. KERS is of two types one mechanical and the other electrical. What does KERS contains? The system basically consists of a CVT( Continuously Variable Transmission ) unit , a clutch, an epicyclic gearbox and a flywheel (The mechanical type contains a FLYWHEEL to retain power while the Electrical type contains an electric motor twinned with a BATTERY or CAPACITOR or FLYWHEEL) Working of Kinetic Energy Recovery System The engine drives the KERS system and it is coupled with the drivetrain. The drive comes into the CVT unit which effectively changes the gear ratio in accordance with the flywheel and rotates the flywheel. The control pistons seamlessly change the gear ratios between the input and the flywheel moving at a much faster rate than the actual drive (5:1 ratio at 64,000 rpm). The amount of energy stored or released depends upon the torque transfer taking place within the CVT unit, which is controlled by the position of the levers. Conclusion KERS is a particularly appealing proposition for road-going vehicles because of its lack of weight and relative simplicity over the energy storing systems in current hybrids like the Toyota Prius. KERS doesnt need batteries and is therefore free of their weight and the environmental impact that comes from creating and disposing of them. In city riding KERS would have a significant impact on emissions, providing emissions-free power for initial acceleration away from stoplights and similar. In performance applications the system could provide on-demand extra power for overtaking or accelerating hard out of corners, using power that wouldve normally been wasted as brake heat on corner entry. More power using less fuel can be easily achieved.

Cyberterrorism Essay -- Cyber Terrorism Internet

Cyberterrorism Introduction Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the information stored therein. Possibly to intimidate, influence a government or its people to further political or social gain. To qualify as cyberterrorism, an attack should result in violence against persons or property, or generate fear. Attacks that lead to death or bodily injury, explosions, plane crashes, water contamination, or severe economic loss would be examples, serious attacks against important infrastructures could be acts of cyberterrorism, depending on their impact. This essay will illustrate and analyse the main issues and ideas behind cyberterrorism. This will include information that has led to the internet being used in a mailicous way, ethical issues, paradigms that cyberterrorism follows, motivations and incidents that have occurred in the past. One FBI spokespersons definition is- 'Cyber terrorism' means intentional use or threat of use, without legally recognized authority, of violence, disruption, or interference against cyber systems, when it is likely that such use would result in death or injury of a person or persons, substantial damage to physical property, civil disorder, or significant economic harm'. Cyber attacks and effects Cyberspace is constantly under assault. Cyber spies, thieves, saboteurs, and thrill seekers break into computer systems, steal personal data and trade secrets, vandalize Web sites, disrupt service, sabotage data and systems, launch computer viruses and worms, conduct fraudulent transactions, and harass individuals and companies. These attacks are facilitated with increasingly powerful and easy-to-use software tools, which are readily available for free from thousands of Web sites on the Internet. Many of the attacks are serious and costly. The ILOVEYOU virus for example, was estimated to have infected tens of millions of users and cost billions of dollars in damage. In light of these serious threats from cyberspace, it is worth noting that the discourse on cyberterrorism is something that – fortunately has not been carried out in its most destructive capabilities. It is, therefore, d... ...ital world today. In addition to cyberattacks against digital data and systems, many people are being terrorized on the Internet today with threats of physical violence. On line stalking, death threats, and hate messages are abundant. These crimes are serious and must be addressed. In so doing, governments around the world will be in a better position to police and respond to cyberterrorism if and when the threat becomes imminent. Sources Author Unknown. "Cyber Terrorism: Understanding Cyber Threats" https://www.hamiltoncountyohio-tewg.org/cyber_terrorism/ Aldo Leon. "The New Age of Cyberterrorism" http://www.sabianet.com/Res_The%20New%20Age%20of%20Cyberterrorism.pdf Dorothy E. Denning. "Cyberterrorism" http://palmer.wellesley.edu/~ivolic/pdf/USEM/Cyberterror-Denning.pdf Mohamed Chawki. "A Critical Look at the Regulation of Cybercrime" http://www.crime-research.org/library/Critical.doc. Robert Malà ½. "Virtual communities and cyber terrorism" http://www.unob.cz/spi/2007/presentace/2007-May-03/06-Jirovsky_CyberTer.ppt. Peter Reilly. "How Real is the Threat of Cyber Terrorism?" http://www2.lhric.org/security/desk/letter8.html

My walk with the Lord

I realized I needed the Lord as a teenager. Because I grew up in a Christian home, and went to church on a regular basis, I never really experienced that close and personal relationship with the Lord. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I grew close to Christ. My father fought stomach cancer for two years, and the three months he spent at home with our family taught me to rely on God for everything. It was only through prayer and reading Bible passages that I was able to be strong as my father passed away. This was a tumultuous period for me; I was begging God for more time with my father, and praying for Him to ease my father’s pain. Instead of God healing my father, he showed me that Jesus is alive and with us. I was desperate to walk with Jesus Christ, and He helped me to see that He was with my father and my family. I always understood that Jesus is our Savior, yet I didn’t truly believe that He is alive in our heart, until my father’s illness. That was when I felt the promise that He would always listen to my prayers and be with me. The Spirit guided me through my prayers during different times, especially during my junior year in high school. I have faith in eternal life and a strong conviction that I could never obtain through education, but only by experience in Jesus Christ. As a result, I have decided I will do whatever God leads me to do until the day I get to meet my father in heaven. I now truly understand the principles and ideas being taught in my church, and I have begun applying them to my own life. I have learned that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above (James 1:17) and also that if I ask, it shall be given; seek, and I shall find; knock and it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7). These lessons, although filled with a joyful promise, have not always come easy. There have been times I have prayed so much for something, to have it not happen or to not be fulfilled. It has taken many years to understand that The Lord’s path is the right path, and my way is not always what is best for me. Often times, however, I have been able to see God’s plan for me, after the fact, and was thankful that e is in control of my life. Any problems or questions I find in my life, I have learned that I can turn to the scriptures for the answers, like a handbook for life. I also know that the Lord is with me at all times. Like in Psalms 23, probably one of the most well-known verses, I know that The Lord is my Shepard, and I shall not want. And Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. In times of solitude or despair, I have taken comfort from this passage. My walk with The Lord is a constant journey. Each day I learn more and trust in His grace further. Although at times it is hard to trust in the unknown, I have put all of my heart into Him, and I know that He will provide for me. Because I realize this, I hope to help others to also understand and come to know Jesus. He has said, in Luke 16:15-16, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. I want to live my life for Christ. I want others to see His good works through me. I want to continue to grow in His Almighty grace and spirit. I want to help unbelievers experience the incredible rock that I have found to help me through good times and bad, and to know the one I call Jesus.

Federalists vs Democrats 18th Century Essay

Throughout the 1790s the birth of American political parties emerged. Many of Americas founding fathers hated the idea of political parties because they represented political parties came about because of the difference in opinions among the population. The newborn constitution brought about issues such as north and south, rich and poor, and agriculture vs. industries that would revolutionize the way people in America thought, and their beliefs, thus giving birth to political parties. The political parties were divided as follows. There was Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist, and his followers who believed in a strong central government that would support their interests in commerce and industry. Amongst the Federalists supporters were some of the most influential men of the time, including: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and John Jay. These men had great opposition to the constitution and wrote about them in their â€Å"Federalist Papers† and were read all across the nation. The Federalists wanted to solve the issues of the nation themselves. Thomas Jefferson was categorized as a Democratic-Republican. The Republicans believed in a decentralized agrarian republic in which federal government had limited powers. The two parties struggled against each other heavily in the beginning. After the ratification of Jays Treaty in 1794, providing a somewhat sugar-coated commercial relationship, awoke differing opinions between the Federalists and the Republicans. In one corner stood John Adams, federalist, supporting the ratification of Jays Treaty because it avoided war and continued trade. On the other side there was Jefferson, Democratic-Republican, who believed the treaty left doors open for the British to continue abuses of power such as impressment. For a long time, opposing political parties consumed what was the â€Å"media† of the era and created an opinion among the people. Although with its great efforts and philosophers, the Federalist party soon seized to exist, and for years the Democratic-Republicans regulated what is the United States.

When Should I Take the ACT for the First Time

When Should I Take the ACT for the First Time SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you starting to ask yourself, When should I take the ACT for the first time?The answer to this is a little more complex thanthe question. There are several factors to consider here, so let's review them so you can make an informed decision. First, when do most students take the ACT for the first time? Typical ACT Schedule Many students take the ACT two or three times to try to improve and hit their target scores. They take it for the first time in the fall of junior year, again in the spring, and for the final time in the fall of senior year. This schedule is a solid plan for a lot of students and gives them a good balance between schoolwork, test prep, and college applications. Apart from the pros of this typical schedule, there are a few cons to consider. The first and foremost is that it limits your available test dates. While the ACT is offered 6times throughout the year, in September, October, December, February, April, and June, realistically you'll need time between each test sitting to prep effectively and see score improvements. Taking the ACT in the fall of junior year leaves most studentswith about three test dates to hit their target scores. This might be totally sufficient for some students, but others might benefit from having more chances to take the ACT. Having more test dates protects you if you have a fluke testing day and get sick or can't sleep the night before. Starting earlier so you have more test datesmight also take off some of the pressure, because you won't feel like you're running out of time to achieve your scores. Let's look closer at some reasons why many students step outside this typical test-taking schedule and sign up to take the ACT earlier than the fall of junior year. Why Would You Take the ACT Early? As I touched on briefly above, one major motivation for signing up your first ACT earlier than junior year is simply to give yourself more test dates, and thus more opportunities, to hit your target scores. More Test Dates Let's say you take the ACT in the fall of sophomore year. Your scores are okay, but you think you can make them even better. You have a sense of what you need to study to improve and focus your test prep on those sections or question types. Then you take it again in the spring of sophomore year. If you're still not satisfied, you still have a bunch more test dates to choose from and over a year to keep prepping. Just starting a year earlier could double your opportunities to take the ACT. This could help relieve stress and safeguard you in case anything unexpected comes up and interferes with testing day. Rather than pushing your test dates up against your college application deadlines, you can separate these two pursuits and give yourself more space to breathe and take your time. At the same time, you only want to sign up for and take the ACT if you've put in some test prep first. You want to study for at least 10 hours to familiarize yourself with the format, timing, and instructions of the test. However, in our experience, something like 100 hours of total study time is better to gain expertise and see a real improvement in your approach, understanding, and scores. If you're taking the ACT early, you also should prep early. While taking the real test is valuable experience, you also shouldn't take any real tests with absolutely zero preparation. In rare cases, a huge score change between your first and second test could alert ACT scorers and lead to them withholding or even canceling your scores. So moving your first ACT test date up a year or two should also coincide with moving your prep schedule up. Another reason you might take this approach is if you're "superscoring" the ACT and building up your scores one section at a time. You're Superscoring the ACT Many colleges superscore the ACT, or take your highest section scores across all test dates and recombine them into a new, highest composite score. Not a lot of students know that theycan actually use this policy to their advantage by "superscoring" their tests, just like the colleges. What I mean by superscoring your tests is that you can strategically build up your ACT superscore section by section. On one test date, for example, you could focus a lot of your prep and energy on getting a high Reading score. The next you could focus intensively on English, then on math, and then on science (or focus on two or three sections at a time). As long as your colleges take your highest section scores, and not your highest "sitting" score on one date, then you might get a high ACT score gradually, rather than all at once. Just as I mentioned above, you don't want to treat any test date or section as a "throwaway," because huge fluctuations could be a red flag to colleges or the ACT scorers. For the most part, you can choose which score reports to send to colleges, but some require that you send all your scores across all testing dates and expect you to be honest and comply with this policy. When designing your testing schedule, you want to be aware of your colleges' policy towards standardized tests and countit in as an important factor. If your collegesdon't require all scores, then really you could take the ACT as many times as you want (well, technically you can take it a maximum of 12 times). But I wouldn't suggest going past 6 times, as it could start to be a waste of time and money. Plus if you're finding yourself dissatisfied with your scores over and over, you probably should rethink your test prep strategy and figure out how to make it more productive and effective. Besides being strategic about raising your ACT scores, you might also want to take the ACT earlier just to gain valuable real test experience. Real Test Experience While timing yourself and taking practice tests (and analyzing your results) is a key part of test prep, no practice test can truly mimic the experience of sitting for the official ACT. You might want to sign up for the test just to get this valuable experience, so you know exactly what to bring, when to arrive, and what snacks will boost your energy during the breaks. If you're worried about all the other factors around taking the test, like logistics of getting to your testing center and how exactly to fill out and proofread your bubble sheet, then you might benefit from taking the official ACT. You'll learn how you handle the whole experience and be prepared to improve on any weaknesses for the next time. You might also be pleasantly surprised that you have the content knowledge and skills to do well on the ACT early on, like in freshman or sophomore year. Prepared for anything. You're Prepared Enough to Take the ACT Early While the ACT covers more advanced math than the SAT and has a science section, it does not require very advanced content knowledge that only upperclassmen have. Instead, you might be well prepared with the skills and knowledge in English, Reading, Math, and Science to do well on the ACT in your freshman or sophomore year. You might even surpass the content once you move into junior and senior year, like by taking pre-calculus or calculus, and have to look back and review concepts from past years, like algebra and geometry, that have gotten rusty. Prepping early could be beneficial both for reinforcing class concepts in the context of the ACT and developing the study habits that will help you get good grades in school. You might have more time in freshman and sophomore year, before you're busy with college applications, AP classes, varsity sports, community service, or any of the other activities in which you get involved. If you're prepared with class and have the time, then putting in the effort to prep and take the ACT in 10th or even 9th grade might let you finish taking the ACT early and free up your time in junior and/or senior year. Finally, some students take the ACT even earlier, like in middle school, to qualify for special academic and talent programs. You're Competing in Talent Search Programs While the ACT is mainly a college entrance exam, some students take it earlier to qualify for talent competitions and academic programs. These programs includeBESTS at the University of Iowa, CTY at Johns Hopkins University, JBA at Truman State University, MATS at Northwestern University, and TIP at Duke University. All of these reasons described above are good ones for signing up for your first ACT earlier than the typical junior year test date. As I mentioned,there are also a few reasons to be cautious when answering the question, When should I take my first ACT? Why Might You Not Take the ACT Earlier? I touched on some reasons why you want to be careful about taking the ACT before you're ready and will elaborate on them in some more detail here. The main reason would simply be lack of preparation. While sitting for the real test is really helpful experience, it's not a good idea to go into the ACT with zero studying. Here's a more extreme case. I actually worked with a student who took the ACT just as a trial run. His scores weren't that great, so he studied for several months and then took it again. He did much better. So much better, in fact, that the ACT withheld his scores and made him go through a long process ofappeal that involved gathering letters from teachers and making a dozen phone calls to all different departments. In the end, the ACT never released his scores. This situation is very rare, but it can happen if the ACT sees a huge jump or senses inconsistencies in your test scores. Especially with recent security breaches around the ACT and SAT, these organizations carefully monitor any hint of foulplay. The moral of this story is that you don't want to take the ACT with absolutely no preparation just to see what it's like, becausethis could not only look strange to ACT, Inc, but could also just be a wasted opportunity to test. The other consideration is that some colleges want you to send all your scores from all test sittings. I would say taking the ACT up to 6 times is fair game, but any more than that might start to send the message that you're not putting in the effort to prep and have a hard time achieving your scores. To sum up, preparation is the name of the game with the ACT, so you want to find a balance between test prep and leaving yourself enough test dates to hit your target scores, line up the test with school, and design a productive schedule for you. Ask yourself these questions. Questions to Ask Yourself Along with asking, when should I take the ACT for the first time, you can ask yourself these key questions: Have I done some test prep? If you answer yes, then you can likely go ahead and register for the ACT. If no, then make some time to study before signing up. Even 10 hours of prep can make a big difference in familiarizing yourselfwith the test. What are my target scores? If you have defined your target scores, take a practice test and see how close you are to achieving them. If you are scoring much lower than your goals, then you might want to prep some more before signing up for your first ACT. How many test dates do I think I need to achieve my target scores? If you think you need more than two or three test dates to reach your target scores, or feel uneasy aboutthe idea of testing in the fall of senior year, then you probably should sign up to take the ACT as a sophomore. What are my colleges' policies regarding superscoring and sending score reports? If your colleges superscore your results, then this might be part of your testing strategy, as described above. If they want you to send all your score reports, then you might be more cautious in your approach. How can I fit test prep into my current and future schedule? If you are planning to take three AP courses junior year or are joining a varsity sports team, you might consider doing Future You a favor and prepping earlier rather than later, when you have more time and flexibility in your schedule. Once you've answered these questions, you should have a clearer sense of what prep and testing schedule work best for you. Rather than simply following the typical schedule, you should make sure you make a plan that works best with your schedule, classes, and personal goals. What's Next? Are you taking the ACT in 9th grade? What about in 10th grade? Read aboutwhat makes a good score for freshmen and sophomores on the ACT and how you can improve for next time. The best way to prepare for the ACT is with official practice questions. Download official ACT practice tests here. Time yourself, score your tests, and make sure you really analyze and understand your strengths and weaknesses. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

How to Keep a Reading Log or Book Journal

How to Keep a Reading Log or Book Journal A reading log or book journal is a great place to note your reactions to what youre reading. Writing down your responses will allow you to discover  how you feel about the characters. Youll also gain insight into the theme and plot, and it may enable you to deepen your overall enjoyment of reading literature. You can keep a hand-written reading journal using a notebook and a pen, or you can keep an electronic one on a computer or tablet.   Below are a few idea starters to get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to build your list of questions. You may find yourself starting a life-long habit of keeping a reading log or book journal. How to Keep a Reading Journal First and foremost, start recording your immediate reactions to the text as you read it. Begin with  the opening chapter of the book. How do your impressions change (if they do) after reading half the book? Do you feel any differently after finishing the book? Would you read the book again? What emotions did the book invoke: laughter, tears, smiles, anger? Or did the book seem boring and meaningless you? If so, why? Record some of your reactions. Sometimes books touch you, reminding you of your own life as part of the larger human experience. Are there connections between the text and your own experience? Or does the book remind you of an event (or events) that happened to someone you know? Does the book remind you of what happened in another book youve read? Write about the characters, considering these questions: Which one is your favorite? What do you like about that character?Are there any personality traits that youd like to have?Conversely, is there a character you dislike? Why?What traits could you change about that character? Do you think that any of the characters represent  real  people?Does anything about a particular character seem to be related to the authors true personality?Do any of the characters represent general personality types? Is the author commenting on these types of people? Consider the Names Used in the Book If you were the author, would you have changed the name of a character or altered the location of a scene?What does the name mean to you?Do you have a negative connotation associated with the name (or the place)?What would you name the character instead?What would you use as a setting? Do You Have More Questions Than Answers? Upon finishing the book, does it leave you with questions? What are they?Would you like to direct your questions at a particular character?What questions would you like to ask the author of the book?Are they questions that you may be able to answer by reading more about the authors life and works?   Being Confused is Okay Are you confused about what happened (or didnt happen) in the book?What events or characters do you not understand?Does the use of language in the book confuse you?How did your confusion affect how you liked the book?Is there anything that the author could have done to clarify or answer any questions you were left with? Taking Notes Is there an idea in the book that makes you stop and think or prompts questions? Identify the idea and explain your responses. What are your favorite lines or quotes? Copy them into your journal and explain why these passages caught your attention.   How have you changed after reading the book? What did you learn that you never knew before? Who else should read this book? Should anyone  be discouraged from reading this book? Why? Would you recommend the book to a friend or  classmate? Would you like to read more books by this author? Have you already read other books by the author? Why or why not? What about other similar  authors  or authors of the same period? Write a summary or review of the book. What happened? What didnt happen? Capture what stands out about the book for you (or what doesnt). Tips on Keeping a Book Log Keeping a reading log or book journal can work well for poetry, plays, and other works of literature as well, though you may want to adjust the questions accordingly.  Consider reading the diaries, logs, or journals that great writers have kept about their reading experiences. You may even be able to compare notes. How do your reactions to books compare to the thoughts of famous writers?

Consecuencias de tener bebé en EE.UU. como turista

Consecuencias de tener bebà © en EE.UU. como turista Tener un hijo en Estados Unidos mientras se est en el paà ­s en condicià ³n de turista puede tener consecuencias migratorias positivas y tambià ©n muy negativas. Esto aplica a aquellas personas extranjeras que ingresan con visa de turista, con visa lser tambià ©n conocida como tarjeta de cruce y, por à ºltimo, a los que ingresan sin visa bajo el Programa de Exencià ³n de Visados. En este artà ­culo se explica el efecto positivo y por el que realmente los padres pueden sentirse inclinados a que su bebà © nazca en Estados Unidos. Pero tambià ©n se hace referencia pormenorizada a las posibles consecuencias negativas, ya que cada vez son ms frecuentes y, por regla general, puede decirse que los padres nunca piensan en ellas, hasta que se encuentran con el problema. Por à ºltimo, se explica cà ³mo evitar las consecuencias negativas para lo cual se menciona cul es el costo medio de dar a luz en Estados Unidos, el paà ­s de todo el mundo donde es ms caro nacer. Consecuencias positivas cuando turista da a luz en EE.UU. Todos los bebà ©s nacidos en el paà ­s son ciudadanos americanos desde el momento de su nacimiento con la excepcià ³n de los hijos de diplomticos que se encuentran en Estados Unidos en dicha funcià ³n. En este caso, el bebà © adquiere la nacionalidad de sus padres. El resto de bebà ©s, es decir, los que no son hijos de diplomticos destinados en Estados Unidos, adquieren la ciudadanà ­a en virtud de lo que se conoce como ius soli. Es indiferente el estatus migratorio de los padres, tampoco importa  si residen habitualmente en Estados Unidos o solamete estn de paso o disfrutando una temporada. Con el acta de nacimiento del recià ©n nacido se puede obtener un pasaporte para el menor, teniendo en cuenta que para solicitarlo han de estar presentes el bebà © y los dos padres y, si no fuera posible la presencia de ambos, hay que cumplir con otros requisitos legales. El nià ±o o la nià ±a ser ciudadanos americanos de por vida, a menos que renuncien expresamente a ser estadounidenses o de adultos realicen alguna accià ³n que tenga como castigo la pà ©rdida de la nacionalidad. Seguirn siendo estadounidenses aunque al poco de nacer regresen al paà ­s de sus paps y vivan all el resto de sus vidas y adquieran tambià ©n la ciudadanà ­a de los padres. En cuanto a posibles derechos migratorios de los paps de un nià ±o ciudadano americano hay que decir que existen muchas ideas equivocadas, ya que un ciudadano estadounidense menor de 21 aà ±os jams puede reclamar papeles para sus padres. Y aà ºn en ese caso existen là ­mites segà ºn el estatus migratorio de los padres en Estados Unidos. En otras palabras, dar a luz en Estados Unidos no da derecho a los padres a quedarse en el paà ­s ni a regular la situacià ³n. Por à ºltimo, hay que tener en cuenta otra cuestià ³n importante, que es la de la doble nacionalidad. Estados Unidos no pone problemas a la hora de que un bebà © nacido en el paà ­s adquiera tambià ©n otra nacionalidad por razà ³n de sus padres. Sin embargo, no todos los paà ­ses admiten la doble nacionalidad, por lo tanto ese es un tema que cada padre y madre debe verificar con su embajada o consulado. Consecuencias negativas de tener un hijo en EE.UU. como turista Para evitar tener problemas hay que tener un seguro mà ©dico o pagar del propio bolsillo todos los gastos mà ©dicos derivados del nacimiento. En este punto destacar que es prcticamente imposible obtener un seguro mà ©dico en Estados Unidos o en otro paà ­s que cubra a los turistas los gastos de dar a luz. Esto significa en la prctica que el padre y/o la madre deben hacerse cargo de los gastos del nacimiento del bebà © y de posibles cuidados mà ©dicos que necesite la madre. El problema es que en Estados Unidos dar a luz es muy caro, si bien hay importantes diferencias entre estados. Asà ­, segà ºn datos de International Federation of Health Plans, el costo medio de dar a luz de forma natural y sin complicaciones es de $10.808. En el caso de ser necesaria una cesrea, el costo medio es de $51.125, segà ºn datos de Childbirth Connection. Los gastos se incrementan en el caso de complicaciones, partos prematuros y necesidad de incubadora o partos mà ºltiples. En muchas ocasiones los paps extranjeros desconocen que estos son los costos y cuando llega el momento del parto acuden al hospital sin seguro mà ©dico y sin dinero suficiente para cubrir los costos. En estos casos, se le asigna un trabajador social y el recibo ocasionado por el nacimiento lo cubre Medicaid  de Emergencia, un seguro gubernamental que cubre los gastos mà ©dicos de los estadounidenses ms pobres y de ciertos extranjeros como residentes permanentes legales en casos muy concretos, refugiados y asilados. Y aquà ­ es donde se origina el problema, al ocasionar un gasto a las arcas pà ºblicas americanas y convertirse asà ­ en lo que se conoce como una carga pà ºblica. Posibles consecuencias de no pagar gastos de nacimiento Si no se paga por el nacimiento de un bebà © y Medicaid se hace cargo del gasto pueden surgir graves problemas migratorios. En primer lugar, la visa de ambos padres puede ser revocada o cancelada. Para entender esto hay que recordar que una de las condiciones para que se conceda la visa en primer lugar es probar que no se va a ser una carga pà ºblica para el gobierno americano. Y al dejar sin pagar una factura mà ©dica a la que debe hacer frente Medicaid se ha hecho precisamente eso. Por lo tanto, es muy posible quedarse sin visa. Adems, puede que el titular de la visa no se entere de que à ©sta ha sido cancelada hasta que intenta entrar de nuevo a Estados Unidos y se encuentra con problemas en la aduana y que no se le permite la entrada. Asimismo, puede suceder que cuando se va al consulado a renovar la visa, se niegue la solicitud. Esto aplica tambià ©n a los padres con visa lser y a los que ingresaron sin visa por el Programa de Exencià ³n de Visados. En este caso, podrà ­an perder este privilegio. El problema no suele surgir de inmediato, sino en el momento de renovar la visa o la ESTA o cuando se solicita la renovacià ³n del pasaporte estadounidense del hijo. Por el tipo de preguntas que se realizan en los formularios queda claro que el bebà © nacià ³ cuando la mam estaba como turista en Estados Unidos y se pueden hacer preguntas para determinar si los padres pagaron por el parto y pueden demostrarlo o, por el contrario, si fueron una carga pà ºblica.  ¿Es posible arreglar el problema pagando ms tarde a Medicaid? No, no es posible. Esto lo intentan muchos padres cuando se encuentra con el problema entre las manos. Pero Medicaid simplemente no tiene establecido un trmite para recuperar el dinero en estos casos, sà ³lo cuando ha habido fraude. A consecuencia de ello, esa deuda queda siempre ahà ­ pendiente y puede ser el origen de muchos disgustos relacionados con rechazos de visas y otras peticiones migratorias.  ¿Quà © hacer cuando se viaja a EE.UU. para evitar estos problemas? La solucià ³n es viajar siempre con un buen seguro mà ©dico y/o con dinero suficiente para hacer frente a gastos sanitarios. Es muy importante tener en cuenta que los gastos mà ©dicos en Estados Unidos son altà ­simos y que un parto sin complicacià ³n alguna puede costar varios miles de dà ³lares. Hay que destacar que muchos seguros mà ©dicos excluyen cubrir por un parto en el extranjero y que ningà ºn seguro mà ©dico de Estados Unidos va a cubrir por un parto de una persona de otro paà ­s que quiere venir a dar a luz aquà ­. Si pagà ³ por el parto es muy recomendable que lleve consigo las facturas siempre que viaje a Estados Unidos. Si surge un problema en la aduana por este motivo, conveniente tener a mano justificacià ³n del pago. Tambià ©n es altamente recomendable  no quedarse ms tiempo del permitido, ni siquiera alegando que se recià ©n se tuvo un bebà © y que estaba muy chiquito para viajar o que estaba enfermo o la madre no estaba recuperada del parto. Esa no es razà ³n vlida para permanecer en Estados Unidos ms all del tiempo autorizado.   Precisamente para evitar posibles problemas en los que se puede incurrir por ignorancia, es recomendable  tomar este  quiz, trivial o test sobre visas  de gran ayuda para conocer lo fundamental sobre cà ³mo obtener la visa y cà ³mo conservarla. Curiosidad sobre bebà ©s hispanos en Estados Unidos El alto à ­ndice de nacimientos latinos en Estados Unidos ha colocado a los hispanos como la minorà ­a ms numerosa, habiendo sobrepasado a los afroamericanos. Un reflejo de ello es que tres apellidos hispanos se encuentran entre los 10 ms comunes. Este artà ­culo es meramente informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal para ningà ºn caso en particular.

Money Judgement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Money Judgement - Essay Example In most cases, people intentionally do this, while some others face difficulties because of their poverty or personal inconveniences. Debt collection indicates a means which helps in collecting individual debts and reminds the debtors of their requirements to pay outstanding debt. "The matter of debt collection comes into the issue when procuring debt payment from debtors through ordinary credit control process is proved ineffective" (Getting Paid by Debtors, 2006). "Debt recovery policy is concerned primarily with the recovery of debts prior to legal action being taken but the principles should still be applied wherever appropriate even if litigation has commenced (Debt Management, 2007, p.3). A fair and sound debt recovery policy is a sine qua non for the effective and working finance regime in a given country. "Debt recovery policy should be fair to everyone, particularly for the well- being of low incomes people" (Corporate Debt, 2005, p.3). People are to suffer much hardship in collecting debts. However, in order to win the legal battle in recovering debt money, concerned party or creditor is to arrange sufficient documents and evidences for the courts satisfaction that the said creditor is entitled to have the disputed debt money. "Successful debt recovery suggests the conglomeration of adequate evidences and in particular proof of rent arrears, invoices for remedial work and copies of the inventory and condition check" (Made Easy, 2005). The growing expansion and gradual development of trade and commerce within a state and between states have made the financial dealings and business regulations more complicated. As a result, countries have sharply experienced the necessity of a well- structured debt collection policy corresponding to the existing business regulation. "An ideal debt collection policy provides an overarching framework and covers the collection of Rents, Council Tax, Business Rates, Sundry Debts and Housing and Council Tax Benefit overpayments" (Corporate Debt, 2005). Debt recovery strategy requires a close and continuous contact between the debtor and creditor or the solicitor appointed by the creditor for recovering the debt money. "An effective debt recovery strategy involves a combination of communication methods; such as, telephone, mail, visiting and so on" (Debt Recovery Guidelines, 2002, p.5). Of course, the manner of such contacts should not be oppressive or threatening, and must conform to t he accepted good practices. Implementing an effective UK debt recovery strategy is a priority for any business wishing to maximise its cash flow. Amongst nations, UK is mostly concerned to reform its debt recovery strategy and accordingly it has been continuously striving to erect a well-shaped debt recovery strategy. "Debt recovery procedures were significantly changed in 1999 following the reforms implemented by Lord Woolf after the Woolf report" (Debt recovery Agents, n.d.). Again, it is said that "[d]ebt recovery procedures and a corporate debt recovery policy were last approved by Cabinet in June 2006. The procedure relates to all types of debt i.e. Council Tax arrears, Business Rates and sundry debts" (Report of DCS, 2007, p.2). 3. Modes of Recovering Debt money Frequent Cash flow and the prompt

District School and School Boundary Research Paper

District School and School Boundary - Research Paper Example Some schools or districts use an alternative term for this category and usually refer to it as intermediary school or junior high school. Junior high schools usually refer to schools that engulfs grade seven through nine, while intermediate schools cover grades three through five or sometimes when these grades are separated from elementary schools. Finally, the high school category that includes grades nine through twelve. Sometimes it may incorporate grade seven and above. There are numerous cases where high school covers only grades ten to twelve, and this category is sometimes regarded as senior high school. All categories of the schools that have been discussed herein are responsible for the management of district schools. Public schools are public learning institutions that are managed by school districts that are independently instituted dependent school systems or special purpose governments. These management systems are controlled and closely governed by local and state gover nment (Suzanne and O'Neill, 2007). Notably, district schools are never interfered with by the nation’s politic since they are legally independent body corporate and politic (Daniel and Aladjem, 2006). District learning institutions or the district schools are regarded as local government that have the same mandates and powers as those of a county or township that include eminent domain and taxation. However, the Virginia district divisions have taxing system within its district authority; thus, depends it must seek aid of other local governments including city, county, or town authorities for funding the school. The district school governing body is typically elected through the direct voting system. Nonetheless, the entire governing organ can be appointed by officials within the government (Suzanne and O'Neill, 2007). The district school governing body also known as stakeholders include school board, board of education, board of trustees, school committee, local school board s, district leaders, district accountability committee, school leaders, and school accountability committee. The superintendent is appointed by this body. Normally, an experienced pubic school administrator is appointed in the position of the superintendent. The superintendent’s functions are likened to those of districts chief executive. That is carrying and executing everyday’s decision making and implementing the institutions policies and strategies. Additionally, the school board may be mandated with responsibility such as quasi-judicial functions in matters relating to a serious student or employee discipline matters (Tierney and Fairchild, 2011). All the stakeholders within the school system have varies responsibilities; thus, they are expected to be accountable and supportive along their lines of duty. Other than the mentioned above, the district school stakeholders also include the parents (Suzanne and O'Neill, 2007). Every stakeholder has its own different con tribution to the school success. The Education Department is responsible for ensuring that high-quality information is provided to varied stakeholders including the students, especially concerning the school and district performance. This department is mandated to evaluating the performance of each and every public school, districts, and states applying the already stipulated set of common academic performance indicators (Tierney and

Jake Barnes as a Hemingway Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jake Barnes as a Hemingway Hero - Essay Example Cohn likes Barnes so much that he wants to travel to South America, then to the fiesta in Spain. Brett often turns to Barnes for advice. Brett expresses a wish to be with Barnes, if the circumstances were different. Outsiders looking at Jake Barnes’ life would think he had everything. An example would be when Georgette, a girl Barnes’ met one night, commented to him â€Å"You have nice friends† (Hemingway 27). All of these friends did not help Barnes’ misery ebb. Barnes’ misery stems from a World War I wound. This wound has left Barnes impotent. The foremost pain in Barnes’ heart is Brett’s rejection of him based on his impotency. Barnes loves Brett. He would do anything for Brett. However the one thing he cannot provide, intimacy, is what she demands. Another facet of Barnes’ misery due to his impotency is his feelings of unmanliness. Since he cannot consummate any relationship physically, any relationship with Brett or any other woman is out of the question. This depresses Barnes. Most men equate being a man with their sexual prowess. In Barnes’ life journey accepting his impotency and moving on is crucial. Through out this novel, Jake Barnes is searching for the meaning of life or happiness. At first Barnes thinks happiness would only be found by being with Brett. Upon her rejection, Barnes tries to simplify his life in order to find the meaning of life. He goes fishing with Cohn, and then they go onto the fiesta. Every time Barnes gathers his thoughts, or tries to leave Brett to her own devices, she draws him back in. The futility of his life, of just living of being living with no meaning, can be summed up by Brett’s statement of the following â€Å"Oh, Jake . . . we could have had such a damned good time together† and Barnes reply of â€Å"Yes, isn’t it pretty to think so?† (Hemingway 248) Barnes

Enterprise Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enterprise Project Management - Assignment Example At such a point, the PMOs opt to use Scrum itself to sprint the PMO. Planning monthly and conducting daily scrums like all the other teams. The community of practice is that group that involves the like-skilled individuals who have the ability to build the high performance work groups .Such groups are based on the collaboration and facilitation that best apply in the project management. One of the most significant things that the PMO should do is to help in support the formation of such communities and then promote them. For that reason, communities of practice help in spreading Scrum throughout the organization. These groups also help in spreading all the good ideas from one team to the other (Pries & Quigley, 2012). Most PMOs are not fully implemented or even fail to get configured after sometime. In the process of changing the environment, the organization needs to see the results fast before starting a long term investment in a new PMO. When one starts reconfiguring the PMO, the set standards helps in planning and scheduling the progress and deviations of the projects. The tools necessary for enabling the PMO and other significant managers in the project environment helps to examine capabilities and potentialities as well as supervise the available resources and implement the operational planning and support activities such as training program management applications (Pries & Quigley, 2012). 2(b) The PMO is committed to the pursuit of excellence in all the project management practices. While ensuring that the project performance contributes to improving business performance, this will be carried out as the component of the PMO charter that requires to be clearly confirmed. For that reason, if the business intention of the PMO is not clearly stated, the PMO is viewed as the ad hoc attempt in fixing a temporary situation in the project

Mark Zuckerberg as an Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mark Zuckerberg as an Entrepreneur - Essay Example 54). Individuals who add value to themselves by swindles or other socially distasteful acts are not helping society and, hence, are not entrepreneurs in our eyes. Even if an enterprise makes a profit by, for example, selling drugs to schoolchildren, it has not met the test of adding value to society Entrepreneurship is based on innovation and change as the main driven forces in business. Entrepreneurial behavior is a potential candidate to significantly influence marketing thought and practice because it deals directly with a key concept in marketing: bringing innovation successfully to market. Mark Zuckerberg is an entrepreneur and co-founder of the social networking site, Facebook. His personality and approach to business reflect the idea that diffusion of innovation is the discipline of marketing, it is an area of thought and practice that is relatively undeveloped in comparison to managing products in mature markets. Mark Zuckerberg borrowed the idea of social networking from his school, known as "Harvard-thing", This site links only Harvard students, so Zuckerberg decided to expend it and link it to other schools. His personal example shows that in Entrepreneur activities, a careful review of ideas is combined with the quantity and quality of accumulated knowledge about markets created by innovation and the marketing of innovation, as well as other activity directly dependent on marketing, is relatively scarce and in comparison with other areas, deficient. The scarcity and deficiency of accumulated knowledge can not be attributed to a single cause. However, three causes may partially explain the situation as it exists today. The first is the strong marketing discipline preoccupation with managing in mature markets. It should be clearly noted, of course, that most product markets are mature. The largest revenue streams and profit lie in maturity. Consequently, most current marketing texts are, a t least implicitly, primarily focused on issues centered in the environment of maturity and the strategies of market leaders and challengers. Zuckerberg is characterised as craft entrepreneur who applied two main drivers of innovation: expansion and growth (Burns, 2001). Reasons Modern management is often more "brand" orientated than "product" or innovation orientated. In contrast to this view, Zuckerberg followed a completely different approach based on unique decision-making. With the increasingly turbulent environment and the shorter product life cycle, this focus, of necessity, will have to change. Zuckerberg is characterized as a scientific craftsman who possesses a professional nature. He applied professional knowledge and skills in business world and developed a new product interested for millions of people around the globe. Type of Personalities Zuckerberg is a leader who possesses such skills as independent thinking and decision-making. What is important is to recognize that, for a variety of reasons, innovation, which is the central value of entrepreneurial behavior as well as a key concept in marketing, is increasingly important. It is important because innovation is disruptive, the product life cycle continues to shorten, more products are in the early stage of the product life

The Concept of Globalization. Main Effects of the Process of Essay

The Concept of Globalization. Main Effects of the Process of Globalization in the Contemporary World - Essay Example The paper outlines the growing importance of the globalization in the world of today, which is defined as the integration of the world economies by the way of lifting restrictions on trade and finance, and critically considers its advantages and disadvantages, which it brings to disparate in economic respect countries. Proponents of the globalization say that it is a positive force that is making the world a better place. In fact, they say, economic and social indicators show that the world's people are better off than they were before globalization. The solution to economies that are not sufficiently open to trade is more globalization, in the form of free trade, not less. As globalization went on, the plight of the world's poor has improved. The number of people, living in the poverty would undoubtedly be higher and the level of poverty deeper if not for the advances, such as open economies and technology transfers, brought about by globalization, they argue. Some people are totally opposed to globalization, claiming that, among other ill effects, it hinders the efforts of poor nations to climb out of poverty. They believe that the process of opening borders to trade and the free flow of money and ideas should be abandoned. Globalization has failed to deliver the promised benefits to the world's poor. There have been improvements in certain areas, such as health care and infant mortality rates in parts of the developing world, they concede, but, overall, the vast majority of wealth and opportunity still goes to a disproportionately small percentage of population. Although the common perception is that globalization is a new phenomenon, some economists and historians say that it has been taking place for centuries.

Mark Zuckerberg as an Entrepreneur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mark Zuckerberg as an Entrepreneur - Essay Example 54). Individuals who add value to themselves by swindles or other socially distasteful acts are not helping society and, hence, are not entrepreneurs in our eyes. Even if an enterprise makes a profit by, for example, selling drugs to schoolchildren, it has not met the test of adding value to society Entrepreneurship is based on innovation and change as the main driven forces in business. Entrepreneurial behavior is a potential candidate to significantly influence marketing thought and practice because it deals directly with a key concept in marketing: bringing innovation successfully to market. Mark Zuckerberg is an entrepreneur and co-founder of the social networking site, Facebook. His personality and approach to business reflect the idea that diffusion of innovation is the discipline of marketing, it is an area of thought and practice that is relatively undeveloped in comparison to managing products in mature markets. Mark Zuckerberg borrowed the idea of social networking from his school, known as "Harvard-thing", This site links only Harvard students, so Zuckerberg decided to expend it and link it to other schools. His personal example shows that in Entrepreneur activities, a careful review of ideas is combined with the quantity and quality of accumulated knowledge about markets created by innovation and the marketing of innovation, as well as other activity directly dependent on marketing, is relatively scarce and in comparison with other areas, deficient. The scarcity and deficiency of accumulated knowledge can not be attributed to a single cause. However, three causes may partially explain the situation as it exists today. The first is the strong marketing discipline preoccupation with managing in mature markets. It should be clearly noted, of course, that most product markets are mature. The largest revenue streams and profit lie in maturity. Consequently, most current marketing texts are, a t least implicitly, primarily focused on issues centered in the environment of maturity and the strategies of market leaders and challengers. Zuckerberg is characterised as craft entrepreneur who applied two main drivers of innovation: expansion and growth (Burns, 2001). Reasons Modern management is often more "brand" orientated than "product" or innovation orientated. In contrast to this view, Zuckerberg followed a completely different approach based on unique decision-making. With the increasingly turbulent environment and the shorter product life cycle, this focus, of necessity, will have to change. Zuckerberg is characterized as a scientific craftsman who possesses a professional nature. He applied professional knowledge and skills in business world and developed a new product interested for millions of people around the globe. Type of Personalities Zuckerberg is a leader who possesses such skills as independent thinking and decision-making. What is important is to recognize that, for a variety of reasons, innovation, which is the central value of entrepreneurial behavior as well as a key concept in marketing, is increasingly important. It is important because innovation is disruptive, the product life cycle continues to shorten, more products are in the early stage of the product life

ETHICS DAY QUESTIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ETHICS DAY QUESTIONS - Essay Example This simply means that people confirm and acknowledge that the religious teaching on doing unto others what one wants others to do unto thyself is evidently grounded on ethical and moral codes. In one’s experience, religion, through teachings like the Ten Commandments, provide guidelines for doing what is right and abiding by universal standards of morality and ethics. This is most applicable in situations and cultures where teachings have been imbibed and transferred from one generation to another. Likewise, one also believes that some people could abide by moral and ethical standards; and yet assert that they are not affiliated with any religious groups. A public figure, Barack Obama, who exemplifies or exhibits an ethical theory that best fits this person is utilitarianism, or asserting that actions should be conducted based on the potential outcome of benefitting the greatest number of people for the greater good. Obama’s religion was noted to be Christian (Lederman, 2013). As the President of the United States, a nation known to promote diversity, he is expected to be unbiased in practicing the religion that varied people prefer. As such, the most viable ethical theory is the promotion of utilitarianism which fits Obama, as the president of a powerful and democratic nation. Lederman, J. (2013, October 19). Obamas Religion Is Out Of Spotlight But Christian Spirituality Serves During Tough Times. Retrieved from Huffington Post:

PR In Travel And Tourism Sector

PR In Travel And Tourism Sector Travel and tourism is consists in selling services, and services are hard to manage. Thats why PR and Promotions are widely used here. In this assignment I will look at real importance of PR and its role for Travel and Tourism industry. I will try to determine criteria for evaluation of PR effectiveness, skills a PR specialist need and types of media available for PR specialists. In last practical part of the assignment I will try to create a PR plan for a luxury hotel and will look at criteria for evaluation of a PR plan. Task 1. Evaluate the importance of PR in Travel and Tourism sector. 1.1 Role of PR as a promotional tool. There are many definitions of PR, such as the process of creating positive image in third partys minds or practice of managing information flow between an organization and the public. All these definitions have a common point: PR is used to shape the favorable image of a product, organization, and individual; to help a business to meet its objectives effectively, efficiently and successfully. The target of PR is Image (positive in most cases, sometimes negative) and the tool used to achieve it is called publicity. Publicity can be positive or negative, and not always can be controlled by the organization. Natural disasters are not controllable by companies managing travel resorts, these disasters however will bring lots of attention of media and damage profits. Scandals and bad rumors about a celebrity person face of a company cannot always be controlled. Some people say that there is no such thing as bad publicity any publicity is good. This statement is arguable, as bad publicity may create bad image of the business. PR is closely related to marketing activities of the organization, the targets and objectives of both departments are interrelated and often very much dependent on results of each other. The objectives of marketing are to introduce product to a customer in the right place at the right time, sell the product on the market. PR helps to achieve these objectives by making public (market) aware of company and its products, creating good image of the company. PR is part of Promotional mix (Advertising, PR, sales promotions and direct selling). PR is closely related to advertising, helps to make people aware of a product/business, getting attention of various public and making sales and profit. Various public includes customers, shareholders, community, general public (potential customers), money lenders However PR and advertisement are different, advertising are controllable, costs more, less credible and PR means less control, lower costs, more credibility. Different uses of PR include press relations, product publicity, corporate communication, sponsorships, influencing specific groups (community). They all work in different way, but all have the aim of building a good reputation, attracting attention, creating good image of a product or a company inside (corporate communication) and outside the company. Important use of PR is defending product reputation through large amount of positive publicity, covering negative image and scandals related to a product/company. 1.2 Importance of PR in travel and tourism. PR is important promotional tool for Travel and Tourism. It has multiple purposes, such as promoting an event or destination, building reputation of a company as green and responsible citizen, detracting attention of public from negative events (accidents, natural disasters). Lets look closer to different uses of PR in Travel and Tourism industry Promotional tool. PR is used alone or with other elements of promotional mix. The aim of promotion is create positive impact on public. An organization may wish to promote new activity, change in objectives, change in management, etc. PR is very important here, as promotion will be going through press releases, press conferences, sponsorships and prizes in competitions, invitation of journalists to try new activities (hotel, attraction, flight) for free. Communicational tool. Internal and external communication is very important areas of business existence and PR is widely used in both of them. Internal communication means communication with companys employees. Is often underestimated, which may result in bad morale and affect quality of products and especially services of the company. Service part is very important for tourism industry, as most of the products here are paired with services. External communication means keeping external parties (customers, shareholders, etc.) informed about changes in business. Is usually done through media releases, conferences with invitation of important guests (where the news are communicated face-to-face). Creating awareness. Awareness means attention and credit from public (customers, investors, money lenders), is important for any business. Awareness may be general, created through advertisement, supporting local charities; orientated to special person/organization as business plan presented to money lenders (bank); a simple note about changes in opening hours in the shop window. Awareness is important part of PR activities as it gets attention from existing and new stakeholders and creates base for building relationship. New hotel or travel resort opening will be served will waste publicity to bring public attention and create awareness. Building credibility. Credibility means successful operation of business. PR is important here as simple advertising will not have the same effect as well done press release (people tend to pay better attention an article than to annoying adverts). Advertising is done and hidden in journalist review of restaurant or attraction, special press release about Eco project. The key of success here is first-hand experience, Tourism industry sells experience mostly. Sky resort will prefer article in national newspaper written as third party experience to simple advert. Crisis management. Managing negative publicity is another important task of PR. Bad things happen and cannot always be controlled. Negative rumors can ruin tourism business, as customer experience and good reputation are vital part of tourism services. Overcoming negative consequences and covering them with positive publicity (press releases, official apologies, consequences management plan) is part of PR. After consequences of tsunami 2011 in Japan were liquidated national tour operators invited travel agents and journalists from around the world to visit Japan, to raise the credit and attention of the public again and bring sales to devastated national tourism. Sponsorship of an event, competition, charity is an effective way of gaining and maintaining good reputation. It has other benefits: is a way to work together with other organizations, establish relationship for mutual benefits, please important stakeholders by presenting them VIP passes to events (such as free VIP Olympic Games passes were presented to travel agencies staff by Games sponsors). Task 2 Evaluate the effectiveness of PR in Travel and Tourism business and skills necessary for effective PR. 2.1 Determine the range of PR and promotional skills. Successful PR activity requires certain skills from people engaged in it. In PR quality of information is more important that its quantity, quality PR is the key to success for a Tourism business. Lets look closer at important for PR person skills: Recognizing good opportunities quickly. Opportunity is a window to success. The crucial point here is to see good, creative, profitable opportunity and maximize it, use it before competitors do it. This skill forms with education and experience; studying, practicing and constantly refining experience is the way to maximize the PR potential. Find information which is really interesting for a presenter (press, media). Not all the information is of value for the media, press is only interested in colorful, well written and hot stories. Recognizing the value of potential story quickly and presenting it to the media in the right way is valuable knowledge for a PR person. The ability to choose the right media and offer information to necessary people is very much also important. Ability to present information well (in internal and external publications). Is basic PR skill, requires ability to write grammatically correct, present information in interesting and creative way (style, layout, language, use graphic components as tables and images). Creativity is an important here. Communicational materials (brochures, newsletters, magazines, reports) are of huge use in any business, helping to research and influence the market (promote, draw attention, build image). Ability to draw attention of right people to organization activity. The Importance of PR events cannot be underestimated. Press conferences, functions, opening parties, exhibitions help to bring attention of important people, to establish relationships, get positive feedback in the media. Presence of important people at an event (such as potential investors or journalists) is crucial here. Ability to build customer relations. This is interpersonal skill and partially formed with experience. However, the base of relationship is natural, personal ability to listen, communicate well and gain empathy of strangers. The ability to find what customers want and need is crucial to building positive customer relations and bringing public attention. 2.2 Effective use of PR in Travel and Tourism. Case study: budget accommodation (youth hostel) in central London As we already know PR is crucial for setting and enhancing image of the company. The use of PR may be positive (new product launch) or negative (crisis management). Lets look closer at the case study. Piccadilly Hostel is large youth hostel in Central London. It has 7 floors, 300 bedrooms (dormitories of 4, 6, 8 and 10 people and private rooms), able to accommodate 700 guests at a time. The hostel is the only business of Piccadilly Hotel Ltd. Marketing function here starts with 4P marketing mix (product, price, promotion and place). Product is quality accommodation in central London, closed to underground station and main tourist attractions. The hostel sets budget price, orientated on youth travellers and people who is simply travelling on a budget, people from all around the world. Promotions hostel is reaching its customers via online advertisement, direct e-mails, social media (Facebook, Twitter), working with international travel agencies and posting on comparison websites such as Trip Advisor. Place the hostel sells most of its beds online, directly on the website or through travel agents. Promotional approaches used are: Sales promotions, direct marketing .The hostel sets price offers in off-peak periods, e-mails vouchers and money off coupons to its former customers, sets price offers for big groups of people and customers who stays for long time. Educational visits. Hostel works closely with various travel agencies and investors groups. The representatives are often invited for short educational tour (observe the hotel facilities) and to try the hotel facilities (stay in the hotel). Advertisement and articles online and in social media. The hostel regularly advertises online, places articles on international travel websites around the world (TripAdvisor, Expedia). Hostel has official accounts on Facebook and Twitter, using them to communicate to fellow customers and post latest price offers and news. Street advertising. Piccadilly Hostel places advertisement on a huge electronic billboard next to closest underground station, where it can be seen by many tourists every day. By combining different means of PR and advertising Piccadilly Hostel gets attention of public around the world and acts as successful business with huge customer base, represents interest for potential partners and investors. Task 3 Understand the use of media in PR applied to Travel and Tourism. 3.1 Types of media used by PR. The term Media relates to print, broadcasting media, electronic and on-line media (relatively new and becoming increasingly popular), face-to-face contact. Printed media. Newspapers, magazines, journals and directories and catalogues always played huge role in advertising and PR activities of Tourism industry. Press releases covering new hotel or attraction, brochures about a companys services (hotel, flight, and travel agency), articles in newspapers and magazines, printed directories for travellers with contact information of attractions and venues have always been of large use in Tourism. Printed press can cover large amount of customers at a time at relatively low cost, it can be addressed to a specific group of customers (business magazines, free newspapers read by large group of potential travellers, etc.). Is mobile, gives opportunity to calculate readers response by special coupons, has additional credibility factor (advertisement in form of news or review article). Press presents experience in interesting, colorful way. Is important for Travel and Tourism industry which relies on selling mostly experience. Broadcasting is often referred to radio and television, although cinema, theatre and relatively new electronic and social media form part of broadcasting media. Each media has own advantages and disadvantages, thats why broadcasting media often used in complex. a) Television has always been widely used in PR for promoting products and services (especially by FMCG companies). It can cover large amount of customers in real time, can be zoned (divided by regions, different PR can be used in different areas), is interactive (provides opportunity for real time responses and sales), is popular, can be viewed at customers home in comfort. b) Radio is owned and listened by large amount of people, is very mobile (doesnt require a special set, can be listened on the go via mobile phone), real time and up to date, broadcasts 24/7. Although radio has disadvantages no picture can be transmitted, which is not good for advertisement of a travel destination. c) Cinema and theatre are important media for Travel advertisement, as customers can be shown a colorful advertisement (restaurant, tourist destination). People cannot skip a cinema ad, and tend to be loyal and less annoyed by advertising as they came to the cinema/theatre to enjoy. Electronic media appeared not long ago, but getting increasingly popular, especially in youth auditory; with advantages as low cost, popularity, coverage of different audiences, real time operation. Websites, social media, direct e-mails provide good mean of communication, PR, sales. Sales and reviews of new product (new flight, attraction) can be done through own website for free or through partners website for a fee (travel agency). Online accounts on social media (Facebook) give opportunity for live updates and real time customer communication at low cost. Review websites as Trip Advisor provide free, real time and credible reviews of tourism business. The popularity of electronic media is rising with growing use of computers and Internet, low cost mobile Broadband and free Wi-Fi hotspots. However, the disadvantage here may be the need of special equipment (computer, tablet, smartphone) and special skills to use it. Sponsorship is a mean of attracting attention to companys services, creating favorable image in the community (customers), widely used in Tourism business. Travel channels, competition sponsorships, celebrities using services of a company, tourist services featured in movies (resort, flight) are good means of PR. Often public doesnt notice the PR part in it, such as movie featuring a resort or celebrity choice of flight/hotel. Sponsorships however are expensive (although very effective) means of PR. 3.2 Uses of PR in Travel and tourism business. Different types of media have different advantages and disadvantages. The choice of appropriate medium means careful work and depends on nature of event or product promoted. The PR person can choose from editorials (printed media), press conferences, product presentation events, educational visits. Editorials are presented in form of news article, although have indirect function of advertising. Paid as advertisement by a company but controlled by editorial media staff. Editorials are liked by Tourism businesses because of credibility factor and presentation in form of first hand (journalists) experience. Editorial doesnt look like advertisement (getting more attention of public) but acts in advertising way (attracting attention, creating good image). Examples are promotional articles about hotels, flights, resorts in newspapers and magazines. Press conferences are used to make a special announcement, demonstrate new product. They are attended by journalists from different media (press, broadcasting, electronic) and used for spreading message across different media simultaneously, in real time. Press conferences have benefits of being personalized, real time events (opportunity of asking questions, establish important contacts). The disadvantage here is the possibility of difficult questions (which need to be answered) and not knowing how many guests will exactly turn up. Press conference is ideal mean of crisis management (such as accidents and natural disasters handling which unfortunately are common for Tourism industry). Product launch is a big and less formal occasion, usually is opening party. Is aimed to bring attention and get reaction in media. It can be a cocktail reception, dinner, seminar, with invitation of journalists, celebrities, partners, potential investors, senior members of community. The presence of TV at the event is welcomed as live translation is good for the host company. New resort openings, new jet demonstrations, festive parties organized by large companies (with invitation of journalists and celebrities) are common for Travel and Tourism. Educational visits are popular in Tourism business. Visits involve inviting journalists; travel agencies/partners staff to experience the product (new hotel, resort) in first hand. They are aimed to bring popularity, increase sales, show product to partners (sellers). Its often followed by advertisement-article describing (usually in good way) the experience. These visits are also used as educational aim for travel agency staff (helps to know better he product they sell). Sales promotion is separate part of promotional mix, however, very closely related to PR and often used as PR tool. Is short-term price incentive to boost sales, making money is main target here. Usually used in off-peak periods, can be used all around the year. Vouchers, discounts, money off coupons, loyalty cards are part of sales promotions. Most air carriers have loyalty programs, giving discounts and presents for frequent customers. Task 4 Create PR plan in Travel and Tourism context. 4.1 Create and explain PR plan using Jeffkins model. Francis Jeffkins created 6 points PR planning model, arguing that planning can be done in 6 simple steps. Effective PR doesnt happen by accident, it needs to be carefully planned. As any plan, PR plan has objectives, strategies and actions. The objectives may change with time, PR planning is constant process and reflects any change in circumstances and always uses any free or low cost opportunity for publicity. Most popular and widely accepted model is Jeffkins model consists in: Situation Analysis (Research) analyzes current situation as SWOT, mission and values of organization, external factors as pressure groups activity and competition. PR plan should fit in overall marketing planning and never go against goals and mission of the company. PR plan research however needs additional research of target audience and its preferences, effective media, etc. Establishing the Marketing Objectives part includes defining objectives (goals), strategies and tactics. Most popular objectives of PR plan are creating awareness (new product, new management, new charity program); build credibility (make people believe that the publicity is coming from third party and not a planned and paid effort of the company self); increase sales; build good image; defend declining image and lower promotional costs. Objectives are never static, they change together with circumstances. Defining the Target Audience (Publics) is defining relevant audience and researching issues important for given audience. Building right message for the right public is crucial for success of PR plan. Important thing here is creating messages that dont deny each other (for different groups interests) and carefully check that a message is not offensive for other, not target, audiences. Media Selection. The media will bring the message to the target audience, choosing the right media means choosing best way to achieve the audience. Media available for PR specialists include printed press, TV and radio broadcasting, conferences and events (charity events, sponsorships, opening parties, press conferences), Internet (quite new but already very powerful mean of communication and PR). Establishing a Budget. PR, as any other activity of organization should be cost effective and budget planning helps to find optimal cost-result way for PR. Some PR activities come for free (as word of mouth) but most are paid and sometimes quite expensive. The costs include salaries of PR staff, agents and media fees, costs of setting up events and sponsorships, etc. There are hidden costs that need to be counted for, as costs of free promotional items (food samples, hotel rooms) and revenue lost because these items were not sold (opportunity cost). Implementation and Control. Implementation is about making PR plan work. Not all press releases or online articles will be published, grand openings and sponsorships need to be reflected about in media to get attention and make PR plan work. Making PR events interesting for media and establishing good relationship with media owners is crucial point of PR plan implementation. Control is an important point as it shows how effective PR plan was (by comparing forecasted results of PR activity with actual ones). The control points may be presented by sales, brand loyalty, market position, attention from the public, etc. Practical task: PR plan for Opening of new branch of luxury hotel. Hilton is international hotel chain providing luxury services for travellers. It plans to open new hotel in London, UK. PR specialists created plan to undermine the opening. Situation analysis. London is huge city with developed network of accommodation for any pocket, including luxury services, the competition is great here. There are still areas in Central London with great potential where no luxury accommodation exists. Hilton is brand recognized worldwide with brilliant reputation. Corporation plans to build luxury accommodation and bring new life to the Central London area, with casino and bars, luxury shopping center, 5 star dining and strictly guarded hotel access to protect privacy of the guests. Target audience includes celebrities, members of worldwide governments, wealthy businessmen, famous music and movie stars. PR campaign will consist of: Press conference before even starting the building works to draw attention of journalists worldwide. Articles about Hilton Corporation featuring plans for new hotel in London in press around the world, TV broadcasting during music shows and concerts to draw attention of general public and make people talk about new hotel. Constant updates in worldwide press and TV about how building, decorating, furnishing works are going to keep the public interested, TV program featuring new hotel when is ready to open. Inviting worldwide famous chefs, barmen to work for new hotel venues, featuring this on the TV worldwide. Grand opening party with concert of the worldwide famous stars; journalists from around the world and other important guests, welcoming of the stars, journalists and guests to stay for free after party. The media used are press, TV for their worldwide coverage and ability to reach target audience: celebrities and stars mostly. Internet will be used as secondary media, featuring new hotel in blogs and celebrity websites (is cheaper that TV) The budget of this PR plan is huge, constant TV broadcasting; final opening party, famous chefs to work at Hilton and free night for the guests will cost fortune. The Hilton Corporation will make sure it has the money to cover building works and PR campaign. 4.2 Identify and explain ways to determine the effectiveness of PR plan. PR is part of Promotional mix and comes in scope with other elements. Thats why checking the effectiveness of PR only as promotional tool may be difficult. The possible ways to see how effective PR is are: Exposures in the media is attention from the public brought by PR. Ways to measure it are online and press comments, search engine ranks, positive discussions in the media, raise in public awareness. PR agencies supply clients with clipping books showing all exposure achieved in a time period (for example last month) in all the media (TV, radio, press, online). However, exposure may be hard to count (is impossible to know exactly how many people seen the TV ad) and quantity of exposure solely doesnt show PR effectiveness (not all the exposure may come from target audience). For example, aircraft presentation will bring exposure from the public in form of online comments and discussions, video viewings online, TV and radio discussions not paid by the company owing the aircraft. All this exposure will be carefully checked and measured to see how effective the presentation was. Awareness from the public is another way to measure PR effectiveness, is change in public attention due to PR event. Is measured in research, checking how well people witnessed PR event (presentation, opening, news) can recall this event. Awareness is effective way to check stand-alone PR activity. However is not so efficient when PR event went together with other promotions (sales promotion, advertising). If hotel opening event was supported by advertising is hard to tell which of these two brought more attention. Attitude change is one of the key objectives of PR campaign and a way to measure its success. Any PR activity will result in attitude change which is monitored in researches. On-line panels, phone or personal interviews will show the shift in public attitude before and after PR event. Promotional campaign showing benefits of ecotourism by travel agency will raise the demand and positive attitude of public to ecotourism. Surveying the people after the campaign will show how effective it was. However, attitude shift may not only be the result of this given PR campaign (but other related news and articles, not related to given campaign). Popularity of ecotourism may be partially the result of government campaign or activity of green groups. Media relations as way to measure success of PR plan are about level of cooperation with different media. Successful PR campaign will raise the attention of journalists and make them want to be part of the campaign now and in future. Thats why journalists, important people from the media and various celebrities are often invited grand hotel openings, new aircraft presentations, new tourist destination launches. The more famous guests are present, the better will be attention in the media. Contribution to profits is most effective way to measure PR plan success. Raising sales and profits are best news for company directors. PR plan is part of overall company activity though and raising sales may not be the result of PR campaign only, is hard to determine exactly which percentage of sales was contributed by PR activity. Any PR plan has own objectives, determining how effectively and efficiently these objectives achieved is the way to see effectiveness of a PR plan. PR plan, however forms part of overall business activity and promotional mix, is hard to measure effectiveness PR plan individually. Conclusion Importance of PR is hard to underestimate, it helps tourism businesses grow and expand, make profit in quickly changing circumstances. It is relatively new, but growing more popular area of science, with demand for good PR specialists. PR is about creating and managing the image of companies, products and whole industries and Travel industry is not an exception.

Rousseau and the Positive Theory of Liberty Essays -- Philosophy

Liberty impacts two main areas of political thought; the state of nature and the social contract. This essay will examine wither or not it is proper to characterize Jean Jacque Rousseau as holding a positive theory of liberty. To determine to what extends this is true the following areas must be taken into account and explored; the definitions of liberty and freedom, Isaiah Berlin’s concept of positive and negative liberty, Rousseau understands of Liberty and also why Rousseau’s theory can be characterised as positive liberty. The main argument of this essay is that Rousseau does hold a positive theory of liberty. Jean Jacque Rousseau was born on the 28th June 1712 and died on the 2nd July 1778. Rousseau was a major Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century during the Romanticism era. His political philosophy was heavily influenced by the French Revolution and the American Revolution and also influenced his overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought. Some of Rousseau’s famous works include the Social Contract or Du contrat social (1762) and Emile (1762). Firstly before establishing withers or not Rousseau’s theory of liberty is characterized as positive it important to begin defining what Liberty actually is. The Oxford dictionary defines liberty as ‘the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s behavior or political views’ (Oxford Dictionaries ). Isaiah Berlin (1909-97) argues that there are two different concepts of liberty: negative and positive. He states the negative liberty is ‘namely freedom from constraint or interface’ (Warburton, 2004, p. 232) or in other words absence of coercion, barriers, restraint or obstacl... ...rieved 12 2010, 9, from Oxford Dictionaries : http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0315030#m_en_gb0315030 (n.d.). Retrieved 12 2010, 9, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liberty-positive-negative/ Berlin, I. (1969). Two Concepts of Liberty. In Four Essays on Liberty. London: Oxford University Press. Haddock, B. (2008 ). A History of Political Thought . Cambridge: Polity . Replogle, R. (1989). Recovering the Social Contract. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc. Rousseau, J. J. (1923). The Social Contract and Discourses translated with an Introduction by G.D. H. Cole . Londan and Toronto: J.M Dent and Sons. Shklar, J. (1969). Men and Citizens: A study of Rousseau's social theory. Cambridge: Cambridge UNiversity Press. Warburton, N. (2004). Philosoph: Basic Reading Second Edition . New York : Routledge .

The Extreme Right in Britain Essay -- Political Politics

The Extreme Right in Britain Introduction Perhaps, one of the highly debated issues in the electoral procedures of different European nations is about the extreme right. Based on the premise that the nation is the primary unit of social and political organization, extremist nationalism has been revived since the demise of communism. Unlike civic nationalism, which stresses equality and solidarity, the exaggerated, chauvinistic, and aggressive nationalism of the extreme right upholds the significance of the nation and national identity against any other value. Each person is defined by membership in ancient ethnic and cultural groups that are hierarchically arranged according to the "natural order." In the extreme rights’ view, violating this natural order through racial combination leads to corruption in society. Consequently, the extreme right portrays itself as the defender of the nation, protecting society's integrity and purity from the onslaught of foreigners and unwanted change. Therefore, national identity subordinates all other identifications; it divides good from evil and friend from enemy. It is a source of pride that right-wing extremists feel has been denied them by the state and liberals. The resurgence of extreme right parties gained its first sudden and dramatic momentum when the Front National (FN), led by Jean-Marie LePen, scored 11.2 percent in the 1984 European elections. This took many by surprise, including political and social scientists, most of whom at the time had expected rightist extremism to disperse altogether. Indeed, until the mid-1980s, the organized extreme right remained completely marginalized in Europe, enjoyed little political support, and performed poorly in elections. Even mor... ... as Compared with Previous Ones. Jerusalem, 1996. Hainsworth, P. â€Å"The Extreme Right† In Politics of the Extreme Right: From the Margins to the Mainstream. London, 2000. Heath, A. â€Å"What has happened to the extreme Right in Britain. Working Paper, 23, 1993. Ignazi, P. Extreme Right parties in Western Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Margetts, H. John, P. Weir, S. Latent Support for the far-Right in British Politics: The BP and UKIP in the 2004 European and London Elections. Paper Presented to PSA EPOP conference: University of Oxford, 2004. Rensmann, L. â€Å"The New Politics of Prejudice; Comparative Perspectives on Extreme Right Parties in European democracies†. German Politics and Society, 21:4 (2003). Taguieff, P.A. "The New Cultural Racism in France". Telos, 83: Spring (1990) Walker, M. The National Front. Fontana Collins: Glasgow, 1978.

Tektronix Global Erp Implementation

1. Why did Tektronix implement ERP in stages? How should a company decide on implementing in stages or going big-bang? Tektronix implemented the ERP in many waves. Each wave delivered a specific functionality for a particular division or geographic region. The concept of waves was important: * implementing in waves allowed to obtain regular feedback * flexibility in scheduling – e. development at MBD took much longer than anticipated – but due to the wave concept there were no major delays in the whole project * easier to gain overall acceptance – it is able to show already first benefits * implement together what is similar allows a more smooth process * frequent victories kept the team moral high and ensured that the Board continued to support the high cost and long timeline of implementation * start with an area that effects all divisions or the division with the lowest complexity a continues learning process. Roll out started with one country (US) after that was successful with key region in Europe and than in larger waves that were implemented more or less together Big bang implantation only for smaller companies with lower complexity or in strongly centralized organization. With a big bang implementation the company looses some of the flexibility of the wave approach and faces higher risks. 2. How did Tektronix manage the risks of ERP implementation? Project steering committee In order to make sure that the overall goals were achieved, a steering committee was created that refined the company’s vision to develop a global business mode.The steering committee set out the overarching guidelines to which the system needed to adhere in order to be successful. In addition, they defined â€Å"Business Pratice Changes and Guiding Principles† to provide more concrete directions for the implementation. Project organization and management To implement these major changes, each of the three divisions had its own worldwide implementa tion of Order Management. The project team included strong leaders of each business division and Neun was given unlimited authority on the implementation. Nobody questioned his authority. Project implementationRisks were reduced by implementation of the ERP in several waves. This allowed a continuous learning process and the independent implementation for the three business divisions. Starting with the division of the lowest complexity allowed later waves to profit from that earlier experience when implementing their special needs. Also there was a more flexible scheduling allowing extended development periods for the individual divisions when required. 3. What is your overall assessment of the Tektronix ERP project? The implementation of the ERP fulfilled all requirements that were initially defined.They never lost track and after implementation were able to improve several processes. Moreover, complexity was strongly reduced and transparency increased, which allowed reducing overa ll costs. In addition, Tektronix recognized its own limitations and outsourced the whole implementation process. They worked together with several consulting and service firms and contributed different task according to the expertise provides by these firms. This process allowed them to stay focus and to implement the ERP in the most efficient way possible.