Thursday, December 26, 2019

The New Jim Crow And The Article On The Myth Os Mass...

After reading both The New Jim Crow and the article on the myth os mass incarceration, I was surprised to see how different they really were. The book is suggesting that mass incarceration is in fact the new Jim Crow, while the very title of the article infers that mass incarceration is a â€Å"myth† and is something that is not actually happening. That being said, I believe there are many ways in which Michelle Alexander would respond to this article in order to defend the topic of mass incarceration, and the fact that it is African-Americans in particular who are suffering from these disparities. To begin, I would like to point out a statement at the very beginning of the article regarding the myth of mass incarceration: â€Å"Violent crime, not drugs, has driven imprisonment. And drug offenses usually are for dealing, not using† (Latzer). While this may be what the statistics show, I believe that Alexander would argue that this does not necessarily disprove that mass incarceration is not an issue in the United States. I think she would show that the is sue of mass incarceration is not explicitly based upon the drug war alone. She would probably argue something along the lines of ‘who was actually being accused of, and charged for, these violent crimes?’. She would probably conclude that it would, more often than not, be people from the colored populations who are being placed in prison for these violent crimes, at least far more frequently than those from the white

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Epic Of Homer s The Iliad - 1297 Words

Over 2,000 years ago the story of the Trojan War and the heroic Achilles came to be. This was portrayed in the writing of Homer’s The Iliad. Fast-forward to 2004, the age of media, where the epic adventure war film Troy was released, starring none other than Brad Pitt as Achilles; so dreamy. Despite the fact these works of art were executed in different cultures thousands of years apart, as well as in different mediums, their characters greatly contrast each other. On the other hand, these different genres are comparable in the fact that Troy follows many of the important plot concepts as The Iliad. The filming techniques and acting used in movies really makes or breaks the production. In Troy the director uses panning in and close ups to really show deep thought and emotion, I think this is done too much which then makes the acting seem cheesy. In cases like when Odysseus is speaking to Achilles and tells him the war is important and those that fight will never be forgotten. If there is any tension in a conversation, the camera immediately zooms in for a close up of the person who is speaking. We understand the importance of what is being said without being forced to stare at someone’s face for the entirety of the conversation. Since the actor’s cameos are not as impressive as I’d like, it is somewhat made up in the epic battle scenes. You can tell that the pressure was felt to produce epic battle scenes given that the movie was based on one the greatest battles of allShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Homer s Epic Of The Iliad And Odyssey903 Words   |  4 PagesWith this personal narrative, I will analyze two themes from Homer’s epic’s pertaining to the Iliad and the Odyssey. I have chosen hospitality (Xenia) and shame (Aidos) as the subject of interest, and will focus on these as a main source of the topic. Xenia is the ancient Greek word for â€Å"hospitality†, which is the consideration and kindness shown to those who are far from home and/or associates of the person bestowing xenia upon them. The rituals of hospitality created and conveyed a reciprocalRead MoreHomer s Epic Poems, The Iliad And The Odyssey1254 Words   |  6 Pagesknown about the Greek Poet Homer. Actually, there are many who believe that no such ‘Homer’ ever even existed in Ancient Greece. Nonetheless, it is agreed that Homer is one of the first writers that have shaped our culture immensely. Homer gives us a look into what morals the Greeks followed and what their beliefs were. Homer shows us how the Greeks put these beliefs into action by presenting multiple struggles that our characters must go through. Homer’s epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey, are thousandsRead MoreTroy By Wolfgang Petersen And Homer s Historic Epic Iliad1828 Words   |  8 PagesThe 2004 film Troy by Wolfgang Pe tersen and Homer’s historic epic Iliad both center on the Trojan War between the Achaeans and the Trojans, but with two distinct differences in coverage. During Homer’s era, these heroes, the great Achilles and Hector, were known to all, but in modern times they are not as prevalent and thus both artists needed to adapt their approach to this tale. Homer’s Iliad delves into the ninth year of strife with Achilles and Agamemnon‘s quarrel in full effect and the GreeksRead MoreThe Epic Of The Iliad1019 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the epic of the Iliad, there are a multitude of moral lessons. It is a story of war, loss, love, and forgiveness. The main character, Achilles, faces many difficult decisions where he is faced with discerning what is right and what is wrong. This is the focus of the epic in whole, but there is a definite emphasis on morality in Book 24. In this book, not only does Achilles face this struggle, but Priam as well. The vision of mora lity that emerges from the Iliad is understanding the importanceRead MoreWomen in the Illiad and the Odyssey1331 Words   |  6 PagesSarah Kirkus ENG 2423 8A March 21, 2013 Roles of Women in The Iliad and The Odyssey Homer wrote two epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Iliad is a tragedy that tells about the battles of the Trojan War. The Odyssey is somewhat of a sequel, the story of Odysseus s travels home after the Trojan War. An article found in â€Å"The American Scholar† states, â€Å" One might begin by asking what both epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, would be like if there were no women in them. The Trojan warRead MoreGreek Epics873 Words   |  4 PagesGreek Epics There are some challenges in each history period, and authors will create some heroes in their epics that reflect values of the culture at the time. By studying the hero’s actions and his motivations, it tells the society conditions and the civilization of that history period. Homer; the authors of The Iliad and The Odyssey; and Vergil; the authors of The Aeneid are two of the greatest writers in ancient western civilization. There are heroes in these three literatures to reflectRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1498 Words   |  6 PagesAn Influential Poem The Iliad is a poem that provides important stories with insight into early human society. It was an ancient story written centuries ago about two civilizations that battled against each other. â€Å"The Iliad tells the story of the clash of two great civilizations, and the effects of war on both the winners and losers† (Homer 222). In addition to its influence on Greek poetry, the Iliad is a great Homeric epic that has long helped shape critical schools of thought. It is notRead MoreComparing The Iliad And The Aeneid1517 Words   |  7 PagesHomer once said, â€Å"Two urns on Jove s high throne have ever stood, the source of evil one, and one of good; from thence the cup of mortal man he fills, blessings to these, to those distributes ills; to most he mingles both. What the great philosopher is establishing is that the source of good and evil are the same while being different. Reminiscent of how The Iliad and the Aeneid are both epic poems that share similarities such as the setting, the reoccurring motif of gods, as well as aspects likeRead MoreComparing The Iliad And The Odyssey905 Words   |  4 PagesThis short essay will identify five traditional epic characteristics that are evident in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. The first epic characteristic evident in both epics is catalogs and genealogies. For instance, Book VIII of the Odyssey features a list of participants in the game (115-125) and the Iliad Book II features a catalog of ships (484-759). Secondly, both epics start in media res. The Odyssey starts ten years after the Trojan War and the Illiad starts nine years after the start of theRead MoreThe Iliad Or The Poem Of Force1472 Words   |  6 PagesIn her essay, The Iliad or The Poem of Force, Simone Weil argues, â€Å"The true hero, the true subject matter, the center of the Iliad, is force,† (152). â€Å"Force† is defined as, â€Å"that x that turns anybody who is subjected to it/ into a thing,† (153). Weil perceives force as an active entity that is capable of profound, negative, influences on the lives it touches (153). For a hero, force replaces his rational sensibilities by an uncontrollable urge to slaughter his opponent in an animalistic fashion,

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Principles of Financial Reporting Budget

Question: Discuss about thePrinciples of Financial Reporting`for Budget. Answer: Brief Overview: Budget can be termed as a tool, which assists, in accurate forecasting. To perform the forecast several elements such as unconstrained demand, stay patterns and booking pace are taken into the considerations. While preparing a budget one should be realistic in their approach along with the time to set new goals with improved target. In order to answer various elements of budgeting several aspects such line of visibility, marketing and sales resources should be developed on regular basis to meet the daily business needs. In the following report of Grand City Hotel the analysis of the financial statement along with budget can therefore be created in terms of room nights and revenue. The budget is usually forecasted through annual forecasting of its accounting items. Such analysis of the financial statement helps in understanding the business demand and leisure demand of Grand City Hotel. The analysis enables Grand City Hotel to sell the rooms for the upcoming months to maintain its cor porate accounts. Financial Analysis: The current forecasting undertaken for the Grand City Hotel will reflect the anticipated situation of the hotel in long run. Forecast will be compared to the budget along with the new rate and selling strategies which is applied depending upon the revenue maximisation. Beside the analysis of the financials statement Grand City Hotel also implements the budgetary method to determine the annual growth with projected rate and the changes being represented in the yearly revenues (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2013). The financial statement made is helpful in determining the budgetary forecast for the same in the next financial year. Grand City Hotel revenue for the financial year of 2015 amounted to $542,186 reflecting an increase of $72,795 for the degree of turnover registered during the financial year of 2014. The increase of 16% in revenue is mainly due to the higher occupancies higher amount of room rate averages achieved from the hotel premises. According to the financial statement it can b e understood that the average increase in room occupancies and average rate of room during the year 2015 in central Asia was 13.7% and 25.1% respectively reflecting an increase in the revenue generated from the available per room is 35.4%. From the financial report it can be understood that the continued positive performance of Grand City Hotel mitigated the impact of the hotel industry recession and thereby it is limiting the overall shortfalls in turnover of the hotel as a whole (Horngren et al. 2012). Commenting on the salaries and wages it reflects that number of cost saving measures were implemented during the financial year of 2014, which was aimed to reduce the operating cost and keeping other expenses in control. The valuation of Grand City Hotel rooms is mostly based on the positive results achieved during the year 2014. The ultimate effect of such adjustment was the net revaluation of the room revenues generated from its various segments such as corporate rooms, conference rooms, government rooms, leisure and walk in rooms. Thus, the final revenues generated stood $768,955 as compared to the previous year of $647,125 with an increase of 19% from the previous year. Revenue Management of Grand City Hotel: From the revenue management A demand calendar is the primary step in financial analysis and it also helps in making informed decision based on the prices of the rooms on the solid data and statistics (Chen, Lin and Zhou 2013). Therefore, such strategies is understood as the tool for building annual revenue road map for effective revenue management strategy. A budgetary statement illustrates the yearly demand pattern by matching them with the future events. Grand City Hotel from the budgetary statement helps to evaluate the revenue from the each of its facilities and amenities provided by undertaking the demand considerations and exceptions. An exception also applies concerning the behaviour of Grand City Hotel one segment, which is not normal, which is walking government bookings than on usual days or much less is the walk-in bookings than the usual leisure bookings. To further provide an in depth into such bookings is the number of rooms sold during the budgeted year from the actual number of rooms originally sold by Grand City Hotel. The budgeted walk-in bookings for the financial year of 2014 was 560 whereas, only 150 walk-in rooms were actually sold. On the other hand, the budgeted government booking for the financial year of 2014 was 300 and the actual amount of room sold was higher than the budgeted amount. In addition to this, in the following year 2015 the budgeted amount for government rooms was 760 however, the actual rooms sold were only 465. This represents a fall in demand for government rooms and such fluctuations should ideally be recorded in the demand calendar to understand the behaviour of such segments. During the financial year of 2015 Grand City Hotel reported an increase in the revenue by 19% with equivalent of $769,855. An increase in revenue is principally due to the enhanced marketing with the increase in the conference and events business leading to higher yielding of room sales through its advertisement channel (Crivelli and Staal 2013). For the second year in a row Grand City Hotel continued to implement the strategy of enhancing the low yielding of room bookings generated through walk-in and leisure rooms. Analysis of Expenditure: The other aspects of the financial statement focus on the number of rooms sold for conference purpose. From the budgeted report it is understood that the during the year 2014 the budgeted number of room bookings for conference was 295 and the total number of actual rooms sold was 295 rooms. On the other hand, in the following year 2015 the budgeted number of bookings for conference was 2777 however, 2930 number of rooms were actually sold. This represents constrained demand of rooms from the projected demand for a particular date irrespective of the hotel capacity. It is worth mentioning that Grand City Hotel should specify the unconstrained demand, which is an important part of the revenue management strategy. The unconstrained demand will assist the Grand City Hotel in evaluating the value of the last room for certain particular dates along with the possibility of length of stay of guest (Titman, Keown and Martin, 2015). Once the peak periods are identified, Grand City Hotel may st art to regret the low paying business. Financial data obtained will help in computation of potential unconstrained demand. During the financial year of 2011, expenses amounting to sum paid for wages and salaries incurred by Grand City Hotel for front office which consists of the cost for manager, Duty Managers, Receptionist, Night auditors. On the other hand, Grand City Hotel also incurs the cost for housing keeping which consists of the supervisor, room attendants and other cost occurred for super work cover. Analysis of Salaries and Wages: The total amount of wages and salaries actually incurred for the financial year 2014 stood 110,460 whereas the budgeted amount was $123,964. Results derived from the Grand City Hotel operations during the financial year of 2014 have generally been positive. On the other hand, the revenue for the financial year of 2015 also reflects increase of 72,795 from 542,186 to 469,392. The main factors which is responsible for the increase in revenue from the previous year is the significant amount of improvements made by the hotel through its hospitality services (Sato and Hirao 2013). An improvement in the economic conditions has also significantly contributed to hospitality market with an increase in the consumer spending. In the financial year of 2016 the actual amount of room revenue generated were 10,01,250 with improved gross profit of 42%. It is noteworthy to denote that the operational cost increased proportionately with more growth in revenue and the gross profit was relatively higher from the previous financial year of 2015. The overall earnings of Grand City Hotel for the financial year of 2016 increased by $2,32,295 which also benefited the hotel in the initial year. During the year 2016, the comprehensive budgeted statement amounted a positive balance of $10,01,250. The uplift was due to the offset of expenses incurred on wages and salaries in the valuation of hotel rooms mainly due to the higher demand (Brigham and Houston 2012). The increase in revenue has resulted from the oversupply of hotel rooms in the respective consumer market and the average room rate for the respective elements is associated with the economic situation and associated risks. In addition to this, there has been a positive uplift of the value of Grand City Hotel properties with the total revenue of 7,71,183 for the financial year of 2016. However, this positive performance was more than the offset of substantial charges of finance cost. The operating results has been the outcome of the financial statement as the profit residue from the investment made is the uplift in the value of hotel rooms amounting to $768,955 and $10,01,250 for financial year of 2015 and 2016 respectively. The turnover of the hotel is anticipated to grow by 10% for the financial year 2014 and 12% for the year 2015 (Weil, Schipper and Francis 2013). Although the positive forecasted amount is for the financial year of 2016 is short by 7% of the anticipated revenue achieve by the hotel. Grand City Hotel is anticipated to continue with the process of occupancy in increasing the occupancy furthermore the revenue is projected to increase to 10,860,95 to continue with the occupancy for achieving the desired operational result. As a result of revenues for the financial year of 2015 and 2016 are estimated at 657,591 and 826,239 respectively and the gross operating profit before salaries and wages amounted to $7,68,955 and $10,01,250 respectively. The projections which is presented in the budgeted statement in the current document assumes that the total room revenue will reflect an upward trend. Therefore, it is worth mentioning that no such adjustment has been made on the possible impairment or uplift of the rooms that may be sold which will materially create an impact on the consolidated income statement (Titman, Keown and Martin 2015). Beside the hotel fixed cost in the salaries and wages cost of utilities and depreciation are the major items, which have effected on the cost and low profit margin. For three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016 the hotel has made enormous growth and this is largely due to the ample of liquidity and low profit margin. From the financial statement it is highlighted that the total room revenue and the total cost expenses with the cost of salaries and wages of the financial statement of Grand City Hotel from the financial year of 2014 to 2016 recorded the total revenue of rooms includes $6,47,125 , $7,68,955 and $10,01,250 respectively. However, the salaries and wages amounted 110,460 from the budgeted amount of $123,964, which accounted 17% of the total revenue. The other expenses of the hotel for the year ended 2014 accounted for 10% of the total revenue (Fabozzi and Peterson 2013). The salaries and wages concerning the front office for the year 2015 is $135,228 where as for the following year 2016 was $1,47,042. It should be noted that the projected expenses was 1,28,596 for the year 2015 whereas 1,55,814 for 2015 however there total salaries and wages was higher than that of the budgeted amount. Conclusion: To conclude with the management of the hotel has achieved the desired level of operations to manage the efficiency of the hotel based on the above stated analysis. It is the conclusive evident that high amount of liquidity and its higher profitability margin has been the major factor for success. There are however, issues with the lower occupancies of the rooms sold for the walk-in purpose and liquidity purpose due to low turnover probable guest. The analysis also takes into the consideration the operational management cost incurred from the activities from the cleaning expenses, guest amenities, supplies for guest etc. From the analysis of the financial statement, it is evident that Grand City Hotel for the three consecutive years have managed to preserve the trend of gaining heights thorough improved performance and higher incidence of profit margin. Reference List: Arnold, G., 2014.Corporate financial management. Pearson Higher Ed. Brigham, E.F. and Ehrhardt, M.C., 2013.Financial management: Theory practice. Cengage Learning. Chen, X., Lin, Q. and Zhou, D., 2013. Optimistic Knowledge Gradient Policy for Optimal Budget Allocation in Crowdsourcing. InICML (3)(pp. 64-72). Crivelli, E. and Staal, K., 2013. Size, spillovers and soft budget constraints.International Tax and Public Finance,20(2), pp.338-356. Deegan, C., 2013.Financial accounting theory. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Fabozzi, F.J. and Peterson, P.P., 2013.Analysis of Financial Statements. Wiley. Fernandez-Tapia, J., 2015. Rigorous budget allocation for programmatic ad-buying. Henderson, S., Peirson, G., Herbohn, K. and Howieson, B., 2015.Issues in financial accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Horngren, C., Harrison, W., Oliver, S., Best, P., Fraser, D. and Tan, R., 2012.Financial Accounting. Pearson Higher Education AU. Otto, A., Otto, F.E., Boucher, O., Church, J., Hegerl, G., Forster, P.M., Gillett, N.P., Gregory, J., Johnson, G.C., Knutti, R. and Lewis, N., 2013. Energy budget constraints on climate response.Nature Geoscience,6(6), pp.415-416. Pratt, J., 2013.Financial accounting in an economic context. Wiley Global Education. Royset, J.O. and Szechtman, R., 2013. Optimal budget allocation for sample average approximation.Operations Research,61(3), pp.762-776. Sato, T. and Hirao, M., 2013. Optimum budget allocation method for projects with critical risks.International Journal of project management,31(1), pp.126-135. Titman, S., Keown, A.J. and Martin, J.D., 2015.Financial management: Principles and applications. Pearson. Tran-Thanh, L., Huynh, T.D., Rosenfeld, A., Ramchurn, S.D. and Jennings, N.R., 2015. Crowdsourcing complex workflows under budget constraints. Weil, R.L., Schipper, K. and Francis, J., 2013.Financial accounting: an introduction to concepts, methods and uses. Cengage Learning.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Saudi Aramco Organisational Innovation

Abstract This paper intends to look into the issue of innovation at Saudi Aramco. Progress is not merely based on the kind systems adopted by an organization. As for the case of Aramco, knowledge infrastructure has been understood to consist of technology, culture and structures. The importance of knowledge management in the organisation also needs to be backed by process architectures.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Saudi Aramco Organisational Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such architectures should be able to facilitate acquisition, conversion and application of important organisational capabilities for the effective handling of the knowledge. Protection of the knowledge is another essential feature of these architectures. The main aim of intellectual capital and knowledge management need to be made clear through innovation in the organisation. Overview and Objective of Case Study Implementat ion of knowledge management systems, as well as utilisation of intellectual capital in organisations does not indicate performance or progress on their own. Knowledge infrastructure in Aramco, for instance, has been indicated to consist of technology, culture and structures. The usefulness of knowledge management in the organisation should also be backed by process architectures. The architectures should facilitate acquisition, conversion and application of important organisational capabilities for the effective management of the knowledge. Protection of the knowledge is another essential feature of these architectures. The ultimate results of intellectual capital and knowledge management should be made apparent through organisational innovation. The following study explores Saudi Aramco organisational innovation. The Concept of Organisational Innovation In the modern world, all business have to be aware of the term innovation and how they can apply it in their operations. According to Abdi and AmatSenin (2014), innovation entails creativity. Innovation involves taking action with regard to creative ideas. The successful execution of creative ideas within any particular organisation results to innovation (Dadfara, Dahlgaarda, Bregea Alamirhoor, 2013). The definitions reveal that creativity, whether by teams or individuals constitutes the initial point of innovation. One of the viewpoints manifests creativity as the first essential step to innovation while the second advocates for implementation. Although the first viewpoint is essential, the condition is not efficient for the latter.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Dadfara et al. (2013), innovation is fundamentally a management or organisational process. Under the diverse viewpoints, creativity is viewed as the foundation of innovation. The successful execution of creative ideas in a ny organisation is hence innovation. The viewpoints also reveal that although creativity can be exhibited by an individual, innovation, on the other hand, occurs under the context of an organisation only. The concept of organisational innovation generally means mechanisms employed by organisations in order to adapt to various conditions (Doroodian, et al., 2014). The changes can include competition and technological advancements. Organisations also seek to adapt to market expansion through newer systems, techniques and products. Consequently, organisational innovation is, â€Å"the tendency of the organization to develop new or improved products/services and its success in bringing those products/services to the market† (Gumusluoglu Ilsev, 2009, p.467). Usefulness is the inherent feature in innovation. It distinguishes innovation from invention as the latter does not necessarily have to exhibit practical application. In business organisations such as Saudi Aramco, the primar y desire is for innovations to make a contribution towards performance. Saudi Aramco’s Background and Focus of the Study Khursani, Bazuhair and Khan (2011) have indicated in their case study of Saudi Aramco that the company intellectual property and knowledge management systems are very extensive. One of the major reasons for the company investing in these systems is in order to develop the capabilities of the firm, chief among them being innovation. Company knowledge management systems such as ShareK, among others, have a great capability of driving the organisational innovation.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Saudi Aramco Organisational Innovation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business organisations operating locally in Saudi Arabia or internationally have realised that the global environment presents them with challenging competition. The inclination towards competitiveness has resulted in the identification of innovation as being very crucial to profitability and survival in the information age. Saudi Aramco as one of these organisations has to ensure that innovation in not only a dynamic process but also iterative. The organisational innovation process should facilitate creation and identification of ideas, as well as their development. The outcome should be applied in the provision of services, processes, products, policies and structures that are new to the company. According to Khursani, Bazuhair and Khan (2011), ShareK utilised in Saudi Aramco has three major objectives. The initial purpose involved promoting partnership, to help improve abilitiy. The objective apparently seeks to have reduction concerning redundancy in efforts. Essentially, Saudi Aramco boasts of numerous technologies, databases and solutions which are linked through ShareK. Another objective entails harvesting of knowledge from the system, in order to extend the technology and tools used in the c ompany (Khursani, Bazuhair Khan, 2011). The overall desired outcome of ShareK is, however, increasing Saudi Aramco’s intellectual capital and performance improvement leading to operational excellence. Despite the developments, it is apparent that Saudi Aramco intellectual capital and knowledge management have concentrated on employees’ and talent development. Consequently, the organisation needs to harness the extensive benefits derived from these systems to advance organisational innovation. Organisational Innovation Flow in Saudi Aramco from Exploiting Data and Analytics The main aim investing on innovation capability is in order to set up the appropriate technologies, or production of commodities or services that respond to market needs adequately (Razavi Attarnezhad, 2013).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, innovation capability should also be able to enable an organisation responds to competitive conditions as well as unexpected technological developments. Apparently, the ability to respond and adapt to market dynamics relies on the speed and efficiency of an organisation to respond to changes. Read (2000), presents organisational innovation capability as a multifaceted development, that exhibits multiple aspects which both the managers and researchers need to have. Some of the dimensions of organisational innovation capabilities include learning, as well as research and development capabilities. Others include manufacturing, marketing, organisational, strategic and resource exploiting capabilities. The various innovation capabilities indicate that organisational innovation touches on all aspects of a firm’s operations. The range of these aspects is management process, human resource development, knowledge management, intellectual capital and market dynamics. Apparently, Saudi Aramco organisational inovation needs to be developed further, since the current company structure, culture and human capital are not enough. Organisational innovation capability can be enhanced by introducing several features into the company intellectual capital and knowledge management, and also in the operations function. The first area of improvement should be an organisational vision and strategy with a focus on the development of innovation in the company. Apparently, the present mission statement of the company addresses this requirement to a point. According to Khursani, Bazuhair and Khan (2011), the 2020 strategic mission is to be â€Å"the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals company facilitating the Kingdom’s sustainable economic growth in a knowledge economy; and enabling a high-growth, vibrant Saudi energy sector.† The mission is a very significant step towards institutionalising innovation in Saudi Aramco. According to Razavi and Attarnezhad (2013), articulation of the common mission determines facilitates determination of the duration of innovativeness, leading to successful strategy formulation. Saudi Aramco strategy for innovation should discourage deviation of interest and attention towards realisation of this goal. For instance, Saudi Aramco has only embarked on development of a retail market for the company after being in the industry for numerous years. The company should in the future manifest innovativeness by being market leaders in terms of developing and investing in new markets. The recent initiative has perhaps been excited by the company’s enhanced intellectual capital and knowledge management developments. The second aspect in developing innovation capabilities in Saudi Aramco should be drawing on the competence-base. The concept implies the competence of an organisation in managing and allocating resources in an appropriate manner, to areas which facilitate innovative output. The know ledge management initiatives in Saudi Aramco attest to the level of organisational capabilities the company hopes to achieve. However, more needs to be done. According to Dadfara et al. (2013), firms are required to develop three fundamental perspectives of organisational innovative capabilities in order to harness the same. Organisations’ should encourage entrepreneurship and risk-taking through resources mobilisation at various degrees of the innovation process. Stimulation of innovation potential through various initiatives such as combining knowledge and resources and more investments should also facilitate innovativeness in the company. Saudi Aramco currently boasts of a very broad intellectual capital base. The company, however, needs to tap more into organisational intelligence to enhance competitiveness. Razavi and Attarnezhad (2013) define organisational intelligence as the capacity to process, encode, interpret, access and manipulate information. The process should be done in a manner which goal-directed and purposeful, in order to increase the organisation’s potential within the environment of operations. To facilitate innovation process through organisational intelligence in Saudi Aramco, the company should lessen potential uncertainty and ambiguity through intelligence surveillance. The company should learn about competitors as well as from its customers. Proactive competitive analysis, environmental scanning and technological forecasting should be carried out continuously. Ultimately, organisation intelligence should be useful in eliminating unprofitable ventures and identifying better options through utilisation of up-to-date information. Creativity enhancement and idea management are another essential aspects of enhancing organisational innovativeness in Saudi Aramco. Apparently, creativity has been immensely supported in the company, especially through the communities of practise (Khursani, Bazuhair Khan, 2011). The company shou ld however, further this initiative by allowing the unrealised, divergent and untested thinking. Also, radical ideas having the capability of creating new or transforming the existing businesses strategies should be acknowledge and acted upon. The consequence of these actions might be organisational innovation for the long-term. According to Razavi and Attarnezhad (2013), innovative ventures can be successfully implemented through either knowledge-driven or vision-driven idea management. According to Dadfara et al., (2013), innovative organisations allow their employees to by-pass rigid barriers by facilitating establishment of permeable and organic business boundaries. The structure of Saudi Aramco can be enhanced through rewards. Apparently, radical innovations and idea generation can be facilitated through individual rewards. Incremental innovations and implementation, on the other hand, relies heavily on group reward (Abdi AmatSenin, 2014). The reward structure in an organisati on thus plays a very significant role in the development of innovativeness. Creative firms’ create and establish motivating rewarding structures, which provide both financial bonuses and public recognition, among others. Although Saudi Aramco has also facilitated a culture of innovativeness therein, the company can do more to enhance this strength. Some of the factors concerning organisational culture and innovation that the company should focus on include tolerance towards ambiguity. Tolerance can be brought about by introducing manageable levels of uncertainty, controlling project milestones strictly and managing information effectively. Tight controls and tolerance should facilitate commitment from all the stakeholders in the innovation process. Under the organisational culture, employees should also be empowered by investing in them and respecting their exceptionalities and abilities. Communication and knowledge sharing should also be maintained, as is the case in Saudi A ramco. Cross-functional, hierarchical and technological sharing within the organisation as well as with external networks should be enhanced. Apparently, there is no doubt that Saudi Aramco is one of the most technologically competent organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The fact can be attested to by the full range of knowledge management and intellectual capital harnessing initiatives in the company. However, in order to meet the gross objectives of the business, technological competence should be enhanced. Apart from investing in the technological systems, Saudi Aramco should facilitate employees understanding of information technology. In addition, the fundamental factor here should be the integration of innovation and business strategies. Razavi and Attarnezhad (2013) postulate that research and development performance relies heavily on the effectiveness of the link between technology and business strategies. Technology competence has fundamental impact capability of e nhancing an organisation’s innovation capacity. Impact of Saudi Aramco Innovation Capability on Transformation of Saudi Arabia into a Knowledge-Driven Economy The various knowledge management initiatives undertaken in Saudi Aramco are in line with the national objective of transforming Saudi Arabia into a knowledge-driven economy. Apparently, Saudi Arabia is a commodity-driven economy, especially concerning oil and oil products. Considering that Saudi Aramco is a state-owned company, the firm is in a good position to offer a benchmark to others in the economy. The company offers a framework, as well as an example of the direction the government wants business firms’ in all the other sectors to embrace. Saudi Aramco is a position to manifest benefits of harnessing intellectual capital and knowledge management to other companies in the economy. The efforts in Saudi Aramco do not only suit the organisation’s operations but also propagate the overall national missio n and vision of being a knowledge-driven economy. Reflection on Contribution of Organizational Informatics Emergences of knowledge economies, technological advancements and high levels of non-price competition in businesses have led to innovation being the key to competitiveness. Technologically driven firms’ require being more innovative as well as pioneering in all aspects, for them to be sustainable. Organisational informatics is apparently the future of business firms. Economies as well as business institutions are becoming more knowledge-driven as opposed to being commodity-driven. The capability of an organisation to become more competitive and innovative depends on their ability to exploit the ever-growing market information. It is thus essential that all firms’ take stock of their intellectual capital and develop knowledge management systems suitable for their sustainability in future. Conclusion Realising such ambitious vision relies on organisations such as S audi Aramco to set the way. The intellectual capital base and knowledge management initiatives have the potential of making the company one of the best performing companies globally in the near future. With the implementation of the right concepts, the company can be sure of great success in the future. The management needs to put in place measures that will ensure the success of organizational innovation in order to realise immense growth. References Abdi, K., AmatSenin, A. (2014). Investigating the Impact of Knowledge Management on Organizational Innovation: Conceptual Framework. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 8(6), 686-691. Dadfara, H., Dahlgaarda, J., Bregea, S., Alamirhoor, M. (2013). Linkage between Organisational Innovation Capability, Product Platform Development and Performance. Total Quality Management, 24(7), 819–834. Doroodian, M., Ab Rahman, M., Kamarulzaman, Y., Muhamad, N. (2014). Designing and Validating a Model for Measuring Innovation Capacity Construct. Advances in Decision Sciences, 1(1), 1-11. Gumusluoglu, L., Ilsev, A. (2009). Transformational leadership, creativity, and organizational innovation. Journal of Business Research , 62 (1), 461–473. Khursani, S., Bazuhair, O., Khan, R. (2011). Strategy for Rapid Transformation of Saudi Arabia by Leveraging Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management. Web. Razavi, S., Attarnezhad, O. (2013). Management of Organizational Innovation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4 (1), 226-232. Read, A. (2000). Determinants of Successful Organisational Innovation: A Review of Current Research. Journal of Management Practice, 3(1), 95-119. Bibliography Abdi, K., AmatSenin, A. (2014). Investigating the Impact of Knowledge Management on Organizational Innovation: Conceptual Framework. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 8(6), 686-691. Cantner, U., Conti, E., Meder, A. (2010). Networks and innovation: The role of social assets in explaining firms’ innovative capacity. European Planning Studies,18(12), 1937–1956. Cormican, K., O’Sullivan, D. (2004). Auditing best practice for effective product innovation management. Technovation, 24(10), 819–829. Dadfara, H., Dahlgaarda, J., Bregea, S., Alamirhoor, M. (2013). Linkage between Organisational Innovation Capability, Product Platform Development and Performance. Total Quality Management, 24(7), 819–834. Doroodian, M., Ab Rahman, M., Kamarulzaman, Y., Muhamad, N. (2014). Designing and Validating a Model for Measuring Innovation Capacity Construct. Advances in Decision Sciences, 1(1), 1-11. Energy is Opportunity: Annual Review 2013. (2014). Web. Gold, A., Malhotra, A., Segars, A. (2001). Knowledge Management: An Organisational Capabilities Perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 185-214. Gumusluoglu, L., Ilsev, A. (2009). Transformational leadership, creativity, and organizational innov ation. Journal of Business Research , 62 (1), 461–473. Khursani, S., Bazuhair, O., Khan, R. (2011). Strategy for Rapid Transformation of Saudi Arabia by Leveraging Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management. Web. Kling, R. (2000). Learning about Information Technologies and Social Change: The Contribution of Social Informatics. The Information Society, 16(1), 217-232. Marcel, V., Mitchell, J. (2006). Oil titans national oil companies in the Middle East. London: Chatham House. Ramiller, N., Swanson, E. (2003).Organizing Visions for Information Technology and the Information Systems Executive Response. Journal of Management Information Systems, 20(1),13-50. Razavi, S., Attarnezhad, O. (2013). Management of Organizational Innovation. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4 (1), 226-232. Read, A. (2000). Determinants of Successful Organisational Innovation: A Review of Current Research. Journal of Management Practice, 3(1), 95-119. This case study on Saudi Aramco Organisational Innovation was written and submitted by user Wyatt Gibson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Top Training Companies for New Truckers

Top Training Companies for New Truckers Listen up, new and inexperienced drivers! If you can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a truck and start earning a paycheck as a professional driver, then keep reading! RJ Trucker Blog has some no-nonsense advice for getting yourself road-ready and employed in no time- including some top picks for company-sponsored training! Are you worried that your lack of training or experience will make it impossible for you to get started? Don’t be! There are plenty of companies that have sponsored training programs- you can get trained and hired all at once! This includes either company-subsidized training or training hosted by the company itself, often in return for work for a specified length of time or some repayment arrangement, or both.Here’s a list of some top trucking companies that offer sponsored CDL training:U.S. Xpress, Inc.Schneider NationalKLLM Transportation ServicesBaylor TruckingCrete Carrier Corp.Werner EnterprisesJB HuntTMC TransportationPrime IncMaverick TransportationGordon Trucking, Inc.Con-way TruckloadCovenant TransportShaffer TruckingAll of the companies on this list are well known and have solid reputations, but don’t forget- you should still do your research when choosing the one that’s best for you. Company-sponsored training can be fast, easy, and free you from upfront costs, but be certain that the specific terms in the agreement are acceptable before signing on. Make sure you choose a good company that offers thorough training and reasonable work hours at an acceptable wage!

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Bus Stop, a 1955 Broadway Play by William Inge

Bus Stop, a 1955 Broadway Play by William Inge William Inges comedy, Bus Stop, is filled with sentimental characters and a slow-but-pleasant, slice-of-life storyline. Although dated, Bus Stop manages to charm its modern audience, if only due to our inherent longing for a simpler, more innocent past. Most of William Inges plays are a mixture of comedy and drama. Bus Stop is no different. It premiered on Broadway in 1955, just on the heels of Inges first Broadway success, Picnic. In 1956, Bus Stop was brought to the silver screen, starring Marilyn Monroe in the role of Cherie. The Plot Bus Stop takes place inside a street-corner restaurant in a small Kansas town about thirty miles west of Kansas City. Due to icy conditions, an inter-state bus is forced to stop for the night. One by one, the bus passengers are introduced, each with their own quirks and conflicts. The Romantic Leads Bo Decker is a young ranch-owner from Montana. He has just fallen head-over-heels for a nightclub singer named Cherie. In fact, he has fallen so wildly in love with her (mainly because he just lost his virginity), he has whisked her onto a bus with the assumption that the young lady will marry him. Cherie, on the other hand, is not exactly going along for the ride. Once she arrives at the bus stop, she informs the local sheriff, Will Masters, that she is being held against her will. What unfolds during the course of the evening is Bos macho attempt at luring her into marriage, followed by a humbling fist-fight with the sheriff. Once he is put in his place, he begins to see things, especially Cherie, differently. Ensemble Characters Virgil Blessing, Bos best friend, and father-figure is the wisest and kindest of the bus passengers. Throughout the play, he tries to educate Bo on the ways of women and the civilized world outside of Montana. Dr. Gerald Lyman is a retired college professor. While at the bus stop cafe, he enjoys reciting poetry, flirting with the teenage waitress, and steadily increasing his blood-alcohol levels. Grace is the owner of the little restaurant. She is set in her ways, having gotten used to being alone. She is friendly, but not trusting. Grace doesnt get too attached to people, making the bus stop an ideal setting for her. In a revealing and amusing scene, Grace explains why she never serves sandwiches with cheese: GRACE: I guess Im kinda self-centered, Will. I dont care for cheese mself, so I never think torder it for someone else. The young waitress, Elma, is the antithesis of Grace. Elma represents youth and naivete. She lends a sympathetic ear to the misbegotten characters, especially the old professor. In the final act, it is revealed that Kansas City authorities have chased Dr. Lyman out of town. Why? Because he keeps making advances on high-school girls. When Grace explains that old fogies like him cant leave young girls alone, Elma is flattered instead of disgusted. This spot is one of many in which Bus Stop shows its wrinkles. Lymans desire for Elma is shaded in sentimental tones, whereas a modern playwright would probably handle the professors deviant nature in a much more serious manner. Pros and Cons Most of the characters are very willing to talk the night away as they wait for the roads to clear. The more they open their mouths, the more clichà © the characters become. In many ways, Bus Stop feels like antiquated sit-com writing which is not necessarily a bad thing; though it does make the writing feel dated. Some of the humor and the comradery taste a bit stale (especially the talent show that Elma coerces the others into). The finest characters in the play are the ones who dont blather as much as the others. Will Masters is the tough-but-fair sheriff. Think of Andy Griffiths amiable nature backed up by Chuck Norris ability to kick butt. Thats Will Masters in a nutshell. Virgil Blessing, perhaps the most admirable character in Bus Stop, is the one who tugs at our heartstrings the most. In the conclusion, when the cafe is closing up, Virgil is forced to stand outside, alone in the dark, frosty morning. Grace says, Im sorry, Mister, but youre just left out in the cold. Virgil replies, mainly to himself, Well... thats what happens to some people. Its a line that redeems the play - a moment of truth that transcends its dated style and its otherwise flat characters. Its a line that makes us wish that the Virgil Blessings and the William Inges of the world would find comfort and solace, a warm place to take off lifes chill.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organization Culture Pictorial Project Assignment - 1

Organization Culture Pictorial Project - Assignment Example ever, the most common technique that is used by the majority of companies that are rated among the top in the world includes the maintenance of a particular organizational culture. This is reflected from the way that items are placed and arranged within the buildings, from the exterior appearance of the buildings and from the way that activities and organized and conducted within the firms. It is from the way that the Starbucks conducts its activities and portrays the elements within and without the building that elicits a lot of my interest towards the company. At Starbucks, a strong culture has been inculcated among all the employees. This is meant to motivate and encourage all the employees at all levels of management. Subsequently, this culture is extended to the customers who get the most impressive customers. The exemplary services provided by the employees make the customers want to come back for more service as well as attracts other new customers. In turn, the company has managed to witness a tremendous growth in their profits and the revenues they receive. At Starbucks, one of the most important things is the organizational culture. It starts from the leaders at the top management of the company. The president of the company describes himself as one who is fanatical about communication. This is a photo that reflects the manner in which the activities of the Starbucks Company are conducted within the premises. In particular, it reflects the kind of culture that is maintained among the employees. It is based on the American culture where a lot of efforts are made to save as much cash as possible but not at the expense of the employees. As such, the company promotes productivity by including the employees as partners in the business and making them to not only have the feeling that they are employees but that they are Starbucks itself (Burrows, 2015). This is the slogan of the Starbucks Company. It is placed just above the entrance door. It is an

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Comparing the novel of 'jesus's son' by Denis Johnson with the movie Essay

Comparing the novel of 'jesus's son' by Denis Johnson with the movie of 'jesus's son' - Essay Example He tries to explain in the connection of the short stories, through the different aspects of the drug connection the author articulate a different take on drug abuse. On the other had the movie is a compilation of the short stories with parts of the book edited to fit the characters. The book is detailed, which gives the reader a chance to make images of descriptions articulated in the book. The main issue is that the main character is involved in a flow. The movie borrows Johnson’s ideas on the stories of the characters. The contemporary fiction is made in the 70s fashion of the hippies and junkies. Some will protest that the scenes in the movie push too freely against one another citing it as a description of a squashy narrative in which the guns go wrong and the cars lack have brakes in some people’s perspective. I believe the short stories are accurate for an account concerning druggies. Their lives are too sporadic, the good times, lows settle out into detached esc apades and story, estranged by emptiness, and pass outs. The movie is not as indulging as the books since people have different opinions on what they see more compared to the things they read. The book and the move have several differences, which are going to be tackled. The first difference in the movie that the book does not depict is the character ambiguity. The main character does not resemble the books character. The movie is strongly presented in the fashion of the 70s where it was a clear directionless time and the characters take the audience spinning from the moments of hilarity to the heartbreak. The book is geared to making the people to change the drug trends into respectability. The author takes the reader into the dungeons of drug use and hopelessness with the aim to give the reader the extent of drug abuse in the society. The movie has a different take n the drugs. It does not condemn or appraise the use of drugs but gives the reader the point of view of a survivor. T he lives of the characters are framed so episodically to add up to the novels depictions of the stories these difference makes the book more interactive and fluid compared to the movie. With disconnects depicted in the movie, characters come out to give the audience the feelings of desperations they have. The author coined the book depicting the Para-realities of the characters as they aspire to walk in the tattered cruelties that they bring on themselves and the deplorable treacheries. The movie lacks the oomph the author put in the expression of the Para-realities. For instance, the unlovely trauma that the narrator’s girlfriend has that eh author explains with no excuses or apology. The lies in the relationships and the constant reliance on the company of their fellow drug users is more clear in the book as compared to the novel where it is faded. The imagery of the title is not given more emphasis in the movie. Rather the producer gave the movie a velvet underground in it s entirety. Another clear character difference is the lack of plot in the film where the producer did not have one. The movie is told in complete flashbacks watering the books purpose that the author had on the flow of the events of the druggies depicted in the book. The swearing in the movie characters dilutes the articulation of the books information. The characters have several arguments where they have they

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Research Paper on Drinking & Driving Essay Example for Free

Research Paper on Drinking Driving Essay Course Project_Final Draft A real-world problem that I have conducted my research on was drinking and driving in teens. Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver (cdc.gov). Each year there are thousands of deaths because teens seem to believe they are invincible even to drinking, they get behind the wheel, and well you can imagine the consequences to that, they don’t know they don’t only put their lives at risk but those on the road as well. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion. Conducting research can lead you to so many gateways of knowledge you never could have imaged, this especially includes statistics. You never really know about anything until you are able to see numbers, information, charts or even professional speakers giving presentations based on information that is proven to be true do to these real world problems. Statistics is a math that can give you world-wide range of numbers. Statistical methods that have helped me see my research into a bigger picture were the statistical graphics, such as dot plots, bar graphs, pie graphs, etc. A little bit of describing, exploring and comparing data came in handy as well. Data collection is the best way to be able to see or show an audience your statistics, I couldn’t have looked up a better resource than what I did, I used www.cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). I liked this resource not only because I know it’s a reliable website since it’s a government based website but also because its gives you clear numbers, years, percentages but also visual statistical graphs that display their data. In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. In that same year, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, that’s one of the 112 million self-reported assurances of alcohol-impaired driving each year. With all this information it makes you think who is all at risk? The main top categories of people who are at most risk of getting behind the  wheel un der the influence are young people, motorcyclists as well as drivers with prior driving while impaired convictions such as a DUI. Young people are at risk because the levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is at greater risk than those of older people. Drivers with levels of 0.08% or higher involved in fatal crashes in 2010 were one of every 3 were between the ages of 21-24 which is 34%. The next two largest groups were the ages of 25-34 and then 35-44 and from 25-44 age group there is a lower percent tile of accidents, which can tell you teens are at great risk. Motorcyclists are at great risk because 28% of fatal crashes in 2010 were alcohol impaired motorcyclists between the ages of 40 or older. For those drivers that have had a prior driving impaired conviction are four times more like to have a BAC of 0.08% or higher of involvement in fatal crashes due to the same fact that they have done the action in their life before. Undergoing such scary and cruel information many of us think what is happening to the world?! What can we do about it?! There are many laws and actions trying to be done but all I can do is to think a little more and see what else can be done besides just increasing the legal drinking age, or taking away driver licenses of those driving while intoxicated. We have the option of parents or friends to not allow your friend to drive their car if they know they will be drinking or if you know you won’t be driving you can indicate yourself as the DD (designated driver). Other options that I believe can really help is have the media promoting more on the NO DRINKING AND DRIVING, instead of just promoting the alcoholic beverages on TV, radio etc. The biggest things that I believe that can make a difference is to come up with some kind of technology that can be installed in the car that can help detect or see if the driver is ok to drive the vehicle. Sprint has this new sort of technology that goes along with the NO TEXTING AND DRIVING, this happens by when the driver getting into the car, the cellphone shuts down automatically and it won’t come on until the car is in a complete none motion and engine off, pretty neat huh? We as Americans need to think about the box and realize there are bigger things out there causing great effects and so we then must build bigger and better.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Cold War Manderin Essay -- Comparative, Ngo Dinh Diem, Seth Jacobs

The book, Cold War Mandarin Ngo Dinh Diem and the Origins of America’s War in Vietnam 1950-1963, by Seth Jacobs is a comprehensive retelling of the rise and fall of Ngo Dinh Diem’s government in South Vietnam. In that retelling Jacob focuses on the major events that took place in Vietnam as well as showed how America backed a leader that did nothing to booster his nation and led America into one of the worst wars in its history. The Diem regime was a corrupt and tyrannical government that used the United States’ fears of communism to push its own goals that ultimately led to its own demise. Jacob viewed the escalation of America’s involvement in Vietnam as the following, â€Å"The nine-year â€Å"experiment† that ended when Diem died was America’s crossover point from advice and support to active cobelligerency in a Vietnamese civil war† (8). Jacob in his book is very critical of the actions that both the Americans and Diem took in the establishment of South Vietnam. As the title of the book suggests, the author claims that Diem and his actions resulted in America becoming stuck in a war that would last over a decade. Diem, who was not very well known in either the United States as well as his own nation at the time the book starts in the early 1950s, was able to perpetuate himself into a position of power through use of both his faith as well as perpetuating generalized American fears. In the first chapter of his book, Jacobs looks at Diem’s early rise to power. Diem first worked under the French where he stood as a Minister of the Interior in the Bao Dai puppet government. Where Diem hated that the French who had control over Vietnam both economically as well as politically, one thing he hated more where the Viet Minh. The Vi... ... Ngo Dinh Diem and his regime. In Diems attempts to maintain a sense of national independence and ignoring American advisors in regards to how to manage his nation placed both himself and America in a very bad situation. Jacob broke down the reasons why Diem’s policies and decisions as head of state in Vietnam ultimately led to its demise, from his totalitarian policies and misuses of American funding/support. Jacobs does not put all blame on Diem but also points out that despite information gathered from American officials in Vietnam the American government supported a government that was unpopular and full of corruption. In the end Jacob reinforces his claim that the United States and their â€Å"Diem experiment† pushed America into a shifting relationship with Vietnam that would ultimately lock the nation into a state involvement that it could not back out of.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Macro Systems Paper Essay

Macro Systems are the division of the broad practices of Social Work. The divisions of social work are often divided into three practices which include the categories of macro, mezzo, and micro. Often commended as being a system which provides intervention services that affect entire communities and their systems of care and concern, Macro level social work has been known to be highly effective. Responsibility of the Human Service Worker in the Macro Environment Because Macro System focuses on large groups, socials workers who use this practice most often work in efforts to help clients more so on a community level rather than individually. Lobbying to change health care laws, organizing state-wide activist groups or being activist for social policy change have often become battles of social workers who see the needs of their clients who are not in a position to initiate the necessary changes. Social Workers ultimate responsibility in the macro system environment is to be the voice of the people to which they provide their services. It is also left up to human service workers to collaborate with those people who are the over seers of the services that they distribute to make certain that the services provided meet the needs of the people. Personal, Interpersonal, and Political Empowerment Empowerment is essential in the Macro system environment. Personal  empowerment is centered on the individual and is the functionality of having an influence on events which are personified in the ideology of the person. Interpersonal Empowerment is proportioned by the successful interaction with others and the level of concern that we place on the regards other people have for us. This level of empowerment is based on social status, class, gender and sex and refers to a person’s ability of influence others. Political empowerment is the process of allocating resources, and stresses the goals of social change as well as social actions. Political empowerment is very interactive with society but still makes room for a person to maintain his or her individuality Individual Involvement in Multiple Social Systems An individual’s involvement in multiple social systems is very common. In the micro system the focus is based on individual personal interaction. In the micro system an individual may discover that he or she needs counseling and may seek one on one professional help. The mezzo system includes communities, institutions, or small structures such as neighborhoods. This system is a derivative of such organizations as self-help groups or community advocacy programs. Taking on an active role in the mezzo and micro systems as well, the macro system addresses issues in these systems as well. The macro system affects systems and communities. In the macro system individuals are actively involved in creating change in social programs such as health care. Macro Systems in Response to Child Maltreatment, Sexual Abuse, Crime, and Delinquency Child maltreatment, sexual abuse, crime, and delinquency are key factors in the mere existence of the social work program. In the macro system child maltreat takes precedence over all else and because of strict guidelines of care and concern in reference to children, the macro system provides several outlets to report abuse or suspected abuse of children as well as vulnerable adults. In response to Sexual Abuse in the macro systems have come up with medical procedures to detect sexual abuse in some cases and certain laws such as PREA (Prison, Rape, and Elimination Act) were established to protect individuals in prison communities from enduring sexual abuse. Crime and Delinquency which often go hand in hand are  addressed on different levels. In the macro system, children who are delinquent are often placed in juvenile corrections in an effort to rehabilitate. Boots Camps such as the Mississippi Challenge Academy at Camp Shelby which was established in 1993. This program was considered a second chance for juvenile delinquents. In the macro system there is no clear cut or precise course of actions because every case is different. The level of response is totally dependent upon the mitigating circumstance surrounding the event. Functionalism and Interactionist Theory Relative to Poverty â€Å"A functionalist framework is used to synthesize well-known ideas about societal integration and, conversely, disintegration. If the underlying Darwinian metaphor in functional analysis is retained, and supplemented by dialectical metaphors, then functional theorizing can insightfully address the forces of societal disintegration. (Turner, Johnathan H. A macro-level functional theory of societal disintegration. The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. (1996): P36)†. In regards to the functionalism theory applied to poverty in the macro system it exemplifies that there is a place for poverty in society. Impoverished people and their needs are essential to social workers as well as service providers who distribute or allocate resources those who need them. â€Å"Many social workers have made use of symbolic interactionism as a microsociological underpinning for work with individuals, couples, families and groups. The profession has less often applied interactionist thought to work with larger social systems. Queralt (1996), however, in her text on human behavior and the social environment, gave importance to the community theorizing of Robert Park, a Chicago School sociologist who taught many symbolic interactionists. In addition, she discussed Park’s application of concepts like the â€Å"web of life,† succession, and competition to community processes and judged these as forerunners of the modern social work ecological model. (Breakwell, G. M. (1982). The holly and the ivy: Social psychology and social work. In P. Stringer (Ed.), Confronting social issues: Applications of social psychology, Vol. 1 (pp. 204-223). London: Academic Press.) In total contrast to the functionalist theory, the interactionist theory concludes that people are poor because of situations or circumstance occurring in life  which was by far beyond their control. In the essence of poverty the functionalist believe that there is a place for poor people in society and that it’s necessary to have poor people and the interactionist basically believes that no one should be poor. Conclusion In conclusion the macro system is a major component of social work. Unlike the micro a mezzo systems, the macro system focus on larger entities of society which include schools, neighborhoods, or communities. I most favor the macro system because it’s much easier to determine your effectiveness as a social worker. It’s great to be able to help individuals but in the macro systems, the social worker serves as the voice of the people and often cause or create change in policies, allocations of resources, and brainstorming new ideas to improve those resources already in place. References Breakwell, G. M. (1982). The holly and the ivy: Social psychology and social work. In P. Stringer (Ed.), Confronting social issues: Applications of social psychology, Vol. 1 (pp. 204-223). London: Academic Press. Konopka, G. (1972). Social group work: A helping process. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Turner, Johnathan H. A macro-level functional theory of societal disintegration. The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. (1996): P36)†

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Explorers of the Renaissance

Bartholomew Dais, the explorer for Portugal, planned to head an expedition in search of a sea route to India. Though, at the end of his voyage he only became the first sail to the tip of Africa. This, landing has only created a new name for the Cabot ads Galahs and the cape Cabot ads Torments for his country. Dais had a voyage that inspired explorers to try a faster or better route to travel, which lead to the discoveries of newer lands;also, this voyage helped encourage inventors and scientists to invent effective techniques and new technology that could help future expeditions.Magellan studied very famous explorers for many years in Portugal. He planed to find a route to the Spice Islands by sailing west and around the world. Ferdinand Magellan, an explorer of Spain, has amazed us with his courage by venturing through the chaotic and the untouched world. Through his voyage Magellan provided the first positive proof that the world was round, thus opening trade routes to explorers al l over the world. Ferdinand Magellan is recognized as the first person to circumnavigate the world.His discovery of this route had the effects in many ways; for example, the religion of Christianity has also traveled along his Journeys, and also his geographical finding has made the current map more accurate then it originally was. Jacques Carrier sailed in the name of France. Carrier searched to find a Northwest Passage to India and the Spice Islands and also looking for new places to trade. In the end Carrier was the first to sail up the SST. Lawrence River and Canada. Canada was claimed as a piece of France; furthermore, this opened up for trade with the natives.

Friday, November 8, 2019

20 Topics for Speech on Martin Luther King

20 Topics for Speech on Martin Luther King If you are looking for a great topic on Martin Luther King for a speech than you you’ve come to the right place. Do consider the 20 topics below: Defining Martin Luther Kings Idea of Racial Equality How Martin Luther Kings Dream Continues Today The Importance of Social Justice: The Works and Writings of Martin Luther King The Importance of Economic Justice: The Influence of Martin Luther King The Importance of Social Change: How Nonviolence has been Historically more Successful than Violence Why it is Important to Celebrate Martin Luther King The Purpose in Going to Jail for Causes in which You Believe The Willingness of Others to Suffer Violence for a Cause: The Real Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Willingness of Others to Support a Cause in the Face of Death: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Use of Nonviolent Tactics to Create Positive Change: How The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. Had Earned the Nobel Peace Prize The importance of Peace and Equality The Greatest Achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Importance of Civil Rights The Impact of Racism Across the Nation: How The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. Changed the Racial Landscape The Meaning of a â€Å"Beloved Community† Reputations Live on In the Face of Critical Reception: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. How Poverty Encourages Violence How Poverty Ruins and Nation: Changing Socioeconomic Status with Martin Luther King How Non-Violence can Create a Lasting Change Segregation Today: What if Martin Luther King Jr. had Not Initiated Change Arent those ideas great? If you really love those ideas you will also find the following sample essay on one of the topics from the list above great too.   Now you can see what a sample speech looks like. Sample Speech â€Å"Reputations Live on in the Face of Critical Reception: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr.† Martin Luther King Jr. lived from 1929 until his death in 1968. He was the leader of the civil rights movement across the United States from the 1950s through the 1960s. He embodied a nonviolent approach to political activism as well as social reform. This was characterized by the large marches and gatherings he cultivated which were designed to demonstrate the acceptance of current civil rights as well as the barbarism of those people who opposed civil rights. These methods stood in stark contrast to confrontational methods which were espoused by other people such as Malcolm X. Today some of the speeches written by Martin Luther King Jr. are considered landmarks for the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta Georgia. He grew up in a middle-class family with a father and grandfather who had pursued and encouraged theological education and worked hard for changes within civil rights themselves. During the course of his study he focused on undoing social injustices and particularly the philosophies of nonviolence espoused by Gandhi. He completed his doctoral studies in 1951 immediately after which he received his PhD in theology. It was in 1955 after receiving his PhD that Martin Luther King Jr. had begun to rise among the civil rights leaders and organized the protest which supported Rosa Parks who had recently been removed for sitting in the white’s only section of the public bus. His work continued throughout the 1950s and youre the end of 1962 he started to focus his efforts on desegregating Birmingham. His leadership efforts produced agreements with the Justice Department which helped to desegregate fitting rooms, drinking fountains, lunch counters, and restrooms. But he did not stop there. In 1963 he helped 250,000 people to plan and implement a massive march on Washington DC. It was during this time that he presented his famous speech I have a dream. The following year he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He continued to battle violence among police officers and civilians because of his efforts to campaign for voting rights for African-Americans, particularly in Alabama. The results of these were violent clashes leading to the voting rights act being signed into law in 1965. Martin Luther King Jr. continued his work with social campaigns until he was assassinated in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. has written many major works which reflect upon his heritage among the southern black churches as well as his thorough knowledge of western philosophies. The first bookkeeper published implemented a great deal of Biblical theology as well as the philosophies of Gandhi. In this book he discussed what events helped lead the way to the Montgomery bus boycott. In other books he went into great detail about his efforts to desegregate Birmingham and his personal responses to the rise of the black power movement. In other written works he had displayed his rather sermonic style with apical rhetoric particularly throughout letters he published for his critics. While his writings have been heavily praised for their widespread appeal and their ability to evoke emotions out of listeners, some have criticized the great Martin Luther King Jr. for relying too heavily upon the use of rhetorical flourishes and avoiding concrete solutions to the economic, social, and political problems he sought to address. While his efforts were sound and he meant well, provided no real notion of how the goals he set up should have been attained or where those goals might lead. Rather than giving legitimate information as to what steps need to be taken in order to rectify problems within the civil rights time. Dr. Martin Luther King simply focused on demanding change in a calm and polite fashion with many supporters by his side. Even with this critical reception he has made some significant contributions either directly or inadvertently to changes across the legal landscape as we know it today. His legacy will continue to live on as a strong and devout leader for the civil rights movement. This concludes our sample essay on Martin Luther King Jr. It should give you a good idea of the writing process. Don’t forget to check a few other pieces that greatly complement it: our 10 facts on Martin Luther King as well as the guide on preparing the speech about this prominent figure and his ideas. References: Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr London: IPM in association with Little Brown and Co., 1999. Print. Downing, F. L. Martin Luther King, Jr. As Public Theologian.  Theology Today  44.1 (1987): 15-31. Web. Franklin, Robert. A Testament Of Hope: The Essential Writings Of Martin Luther King, Jr. James M. Washington Martin Luther King, Jr..  The Journal of Religion  67.3 (1987): 430-431. Web. King Jr., Martin Luther. Martin Luther King Jr. On The Black Revolution Of 1968.  KF  2.1 (2015): n. pag. Web. Miller, Keith D. Composing Martin Luther King, Jr..  PMLA  105.1 (1990): 70. Web. Sources For Martin Luther King, Jr..  OAH Magazine of History  19.1 (2005): 11-12. Web. Torres, Denis. Martin Luther King Jr. Hoy.  Cultura de Paz  20.64 (2015): n. pag. Web. Williams, Reggie L. Christ-Centered Concreteness: The Christian Activism Of Dietrich Bonhoeffer And Martin Luther King Jr..  Dialog  53.3 (2014): 185-194. Web.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Are You a Fraud or a Genius

Are You a Fraud or a Genius Eventually in your writing career, especially once youve published once or twice, youll receive some semblance of admiration from people. Some will be people you admired as you struggled. Some even might be authors youve idolized or teachers who knocked sense into a concept, who you could never thank enough for shaking you from whatever doldrums you were in. Suddenly, they admire you. Or lets say you place in a contest. Its great! But then you consider the win a fluke, a positive event that will not repeat itself. You are grateful, of course, but not expecting to do it again. What we are doing is trying to lessen the blow of rejection, disapproval, and criticism. Most of the famous, successful, and influential people of this world wrestle with the Imposter Syndrome. We call it grounding ourselves. Keeping it real. Avoiding being labeled arrogant or self-absorbed. We consider ourselves big fishes in small ponds for a temporary moment, then crawl back into our mudbanks and write for ourselves, ever dreaming of one day doing well. Even gifted geniuses think this way, almost sabotaging themselves from the success they are due. The easiest way to cope with the imposter syndrome is to take everything at face value. When you do well embrace it, accept the accolades. When complimented, just say thank you, without the buts, excuses, or IÂ  dont deserve it words, because at that moment in time, you do. When you get rejected, dont look for blame. Just know that your piece was not the best fit for where you submitted it. Back up, learn from the experience, then move on. Rewrite or resubmit. The good or the bad, just chalk it up as part of the journey. All that angst, name-blaming, and emotional baggage that comes with thinking youre a fraud just saps your creative energies. Take each step of this writing business as a rung on a ladder and a lesson to learn from. You are not an imposter. You are on a fresh journey you hope to travel the rest of your life. And like any journey, enjoy the scenery. Everyone Suffers from Impostor Syndrome https://hbr.org/2016/07/everyone-suffers-from-imposter-syndrome-heres-how-to-handle-it

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Argumentative Writing about Apocalypse Now and the Vietnam Conflict Essay

Argumentative Writing about Apocalypse Now and the Vietnam Conflict - Essay Example Kurtz is the manifestation of America’s inner collective awareness regarding Vietnam. He defends America’s participation by implying that the Viet Cong are stronger because of their montrosity. The movie portrays Kurtz as a product of the imperfect system, which takes its values to the most extreme conclusion. He was prepared and trained to fill a political position in the future but instead, he turned against the very forces that created him. (French, 1998) Kilgore utters his infamous phrase â€Å"I love the smell of napalm in the morning† at Charlie’s point. His helicopter name was death from above swept in, in sensational formation, accompanied by a musical score of The Ride of the Valkyries, which symbolized the significant passage of dead heroes into Valhalla. This scene lauds war wherein the soldiers become God-like heroes. The Vietnamese remained faceless but the camera isolated the agony of a sole US soldier and this aesthetic show of violence adds to the feel of twisted patriotism. America’s colonial belief were reproduced through the fighting that was occurring in the midst of the California surf. The audience were being encouraged to believe that, contrary to popular belief, the war was not unendurable for the soldiers and so the film made use of chauvinistic approaches to show how the actuality of this situation was compromised. It focuses on the suffering of the US by implying that they were fighting amongst themselves. They either fight or surf. Smoothness in contrast with orientation is a visible theme here. The war itself was compelling and full of meaning, however, a bunch of clowns were running the show. The mission was commendable but the missionaries themselves were not. As Willard was entrusted with the mission to to find and terminate Kurtz, with the full understanding that the man has gone insane, the methods he applied in order to achieve his goals were insufficient. The deeper Willard goes into the Vie tnamese jungle, the more his awareness was rising in regards to his comprehension of how and why Kurtz became what he is. Kurtz lost himself in the very heart of darkness wherein he had no choice but to make his own rules in order to survive. The characters in the story displayed deep respect for Kurtz, which, Willard himself felt compelled to admire himself. By confronting the shift in the shift in his opinion of Kurtz, Willard emphasized how Kurtz can not be judged the way an ordinary man will be judged. Kurtz is a man who was able to transcend to the heights of what other characters in the story are also longing for. Living far away in the jungle, Kurtz was able to escape the bonds which morality and conscientiousness that societies impose. He has turned into a creature filled with the deepest desires and wishes of a every human being, although suppressed. Willard kills him in the end. Kurtz’ last words â€Å"The Horror, the horror† associates to what he must have f elt while he was becoming a part of the wilderness. He acted with what his cardinal impulses were telling him. He killed whomever he wanted to kill and talked to people any way he wanted to and generally treated everyone like he was the one with the power or authority to decide. One view of the story is the message of how the environment can affect one’s mind. Sigmund Freud’s model of the human mind may be used in order to explain how Kurtz’ may have been influenced by the environment. When he left the society as a civilized human being and stepped into a whole new

Friday, November 1, 2019

Requirements and specifications Literature review

Requirements and specifications - Literature review Example ng the combo of MySQL and ASP.net is to make sure that the web interface is robust, data retrieval is quick and robust, and standards can be upgraded easily (Patton, 2005). In order to provide users a perfect match, different search algorithms were taken into consideration. The best one of all the considered algorithms is Classification Tree that would match matches on the basis of their common characteristics. The algorithm is not very complex yet reliable. Users would be able to extract accurate search results just by entering keywords, which would ensure satisfaction of the users and will save their precious time. Apart from this, the problem of users being overlapped by other users in the search results will be solved by implementing the idea of creating sub profiles. Every user will be able to maintain different profiles under different categories (this feature is also available on many other websites to avoid the overlapping issue in search results). The idea of this project is to build a secure and anonymous database for the experimental social science lab at Essex. It is required to set up a whole new database, develop a web portal and an interface for the paid participants that are taking part in the social science experiments in the Essex Laboratory. Database will be filled up by the researchers themselves, as they will upload the information about the subjects whom they want to recruit. Once the database is live, those subjects who meet a certain criteria, set up by the researchers, will be notified automatically. Those subjects who are notified via auto generated emails would be able to line up their visit at the experimental lab according to the system generated schedule. The recommended database for this project is MySQL and web interface would be developed on ASP, harnessing the power of .Net framework 4.0. Upon the entrance of the subjects in the laboratory, their identity will be checked automatically from the database. They will be able to go

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Report of the Field Week at Wiston Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Report of the Field Week at Wiston - Coursework Example Surveys are very important while carrying out all types of construction and land planning. The various applications of surveys include the plotting of a land and marking of boundaries for planning and ownership purposes, the correct orientation of the building, the leveling of an unduly ground surface, for setting out gradient of a road or field, for marking the center line of the roads, railways and transmission lines, for setting out horizontal as well as vertical curves for various purpose etc. So surveying can be deemed of as the very first step of any type of construction work and it also defines the accuracy of the construction (Schofield and Breach, 2007). Incorrect surveys lead to various complications during the construction because the project drawings are made according to the surveys carried out. Moreover surveys are also very important in the economics of a project because the estimates of a project are based on the drawings prepared through surveying. The various differ ent branches and disciplines of science on which surveying is based include trigonometry, geometry, physics and mathematics (Ghilani and Wolf, 2008). With the technological advancements in all other fields of science, surveying has also been developed and various new surveying instruments have been developed which provide high level of accuracy in work. There are various surveying techniques which have been classified on the basis of the type of land where they can be adopted and also on the basis of the objective of survey. This report elaborates the various tasks carried out during surveying work at Wiston and also explains the use of various instruments which were used for carrying out the various tasks. The major tasks carried out at Wiston provided an idea about the basics of surveys and the use of surveying instruments like theodolite and auto level. The various techniques which were studied and practiced include traversing, which is one the very basic techniques of surveying and involves the measurement of the distances and angles between various points on a close traverse. The setting out of a curve using chords and offsets was also studied and practiced. Chapter 2: Theodolites and Levels The instruments used during the surveying included Theodolites and Levels. The functioning, use and applications of these two instruments is described in this chapter. Theodolite Theodolite is one of the most widely used instruments in land surveying because of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Importance Of Teacher Student Interaction

Importance Of Teacher Student Interaction Teachers who have positive interaction with their students create classroom environments more helpful to learning and meet students developmental, emotional and educational needs. Teaching is a people profession that demands a large amount of time being dedicated to personal interaction. Positive teacher-student interaction has a very crucial role for effective teaching and learning to take place (Arthur, Gordon, Butterfield, 2003). There are many important factors including productive Teaching and learning. Positive teacher-student interaction can be defined by shared acceptance, understanding, affection, intimacy, trust, respect, care and cooperation (Krause, Bochner, Duchesne, 2006). The Teacher Student relationship depends on very large extent upon effort from both parties although the teacher plays a key role and in fact, the responsibility, to initiate positive interaction. The teacher who is practical in representation, recognition, understanding, intimacy, expectation, respect, care and cooperation towards his or her students not only works at initiating positive teacher-student relationships, but also increases the likelihood of building strong rela tionships that will endure over time (Barry King, 1993). Teacher-student interaction is important for many reasons. Teacher student interaction is highly influence a students skill to change to University, to do well at University, and to relate to peers (Pianta, 1999). Teachers who had positive and secure relationships with students reported that their students were less likely to stay away from school, appeared more independent, more supportive, and busy in learning (Birch Ladd, 1997; Klem Connell, 2004). Teacher-student Interaction has an impact on classroom management and affects learning and growth. According to developmental perspective, the establishment of a positive teacher-student relationship aids a students cognitive, social and emotional growth and enhances their mental well-being (Brazelton Greenspan, 2000). The teacher-student relationships impact productively on a students self-esteem and enhance their skills. Student-Teacher interactions are very important for the development of the students academic self-concept and enhancing their enthusiasm and success. Colleges and universities that actively promote close and frequent contact between their students and faculty members are more likely to reap a host of benefits from such initiatives. Faculty members taking an interest in their students academic progress could potentially make significant contributions in increasing their intellectual and professional development (Anaya Cole, 2001; Chickering, 1969; Chickering Reisser, 1993; Cokley, 2000; Terenzini Pascarella, 1980). There is evidence that students successful in knowing even one faculty member closely are likely to feel more satisfied with their college life and aspire to go further in their careers (Rosenthal et al., 2000). Although most interactions with faculty tend to occur w ithin the formal classroom setting, students who experience informal interactions tend to be more motivated, engaged, and actively involved in the learning process (Thompson, 2001; Woodside, Wong, Weist, 1999). Informal interaction between students and faculty has been identified as a primary agent of college culture, and has an important influence on the attitudes, interests, and values of college students (Chickering Reisser, 1993; Lambert, Terinzini, Lattuca, 2007; Pascarella, 1980b; Pascarella Terenzini, 1991, 2005; Thompson, 2001). However, although previous research has established that student-faculty interactions are important, we still need to identify which aspects of student-faculty interactions are helpful and how these could significantly influence students to stay in college, increase their desire to work hard, stimulate them to enjoy learning, and encourage them to strive toward high achievement standards (Bean,1985). The current study addresses this gap in the li terature by examining eight specific types of student-faculty interactions as predictors of academic self-concept and three types of academic motivation, as well as academic achievement in a sample of college students from a medium-sized, public university located in the Midwestern United States. Interactions between students and faculty members are inevitable and personal connections that emerge through advisement and mentoring are highly valued (Light, 2001). In responding to several implicit, unspoken, and nonverbal cues, students are more likely to interact with faculty members perceived to be sociable, intelligent, showing leadership, supportive, and objective (Babad, Avni-Babad, Rosenthal, 2003; Furnham Chamorro-Premuzic, 2005). Faculty members allowing students to use their first names are perceived as higher in warmth, approachability, and respect in comparison to faculty members who are addressed by formal titles (McDowell Westman, 2005). Student-faculty interactions can be formal or informal, occurring either inside or outside instructional settings, with both playing an important role in determining students academic success (Jacobi, 1991). The most frequent type of contact that students have with faculty members typically include situations in which they are asking for information about a course or visiting after class (Kuh Hu, 2001). Faculty-student interactions could take on a more intense flavor in a tutorialstyle classroom, where a faculty member may meet with two students at a time for an hour, eventually interacting closely with about five such pairs of students per week (Smallwood, 2002). Such close, intense, interaction seems to enhance student learning and intellectual stimulation, with both students and faculty valuing the opportunity to know each other at an informal and personal level. Cox and Orehovec (2007) identified four major types of student-faculty interactions with the most important, functional interaction, referring to academic-related interactions outside the classroom. The other three types include personal interactions about some personal issues unrelated to academics, incidental contact maintained by occasional greetings, and finally disengagement, where there is minimal interaction with the faculty member inside the classroom and little or no interpersonal exchange. Even though faculty members may not always be aware of i t, their interactions can have a far-reaching influence on their students. Faculty member-student relations are a strong motivator and indicator of learning (Christensen Menzel, 1998). In particular, Decker, Dona, and Christenson (2007) note that the student-faculty member relationship is more important in predicting students social-emotional functioning than their academic performance. This implies that there is a support-seeking dimension in student-faculty member relationships that can be carefully nurtured to shape positive outcomes for students. Informal interactions with faculty members outside the classroom have been found to have an incremental effect on students motivation over and above the typical predictors of academic performance such as secondary school performance or academic aptitude (Pascarella Terinzini, 2005; Pascarella, Terenzini, Hibel, 1978). Informal discussions with faculty members about intellectual issues are associated with increases in students aspirations to achieve at a hi gher level than would be predicted by pre-enrollment characteristics. Initial interactions with faculty members are also very influential in increasing the value placed on high academic achievement and in compensating for the general student culture that does not typically value such achievement. Mentoring provided by faculty members as a sponsor, confidant, and protector seem to be relatively more important than even peer support, for students who are transitioning into college (Mann, 1992; Shore; 2003). Thus, faculty members seem to play an important role in the overall college experience for new and continuing students. Adolescents who model themselves after their teachers rather than their friends report higher levels of school adjustment (Ryan et al., 1994). Informal faculty-student contacts play a particularly crucial role during the first year in college because they allow students to integrate their academic and extracurricular experiences (Goodman Pascarella, 2006; Pascarell Terenzini, 1977; Pascarella Terenzini, 2005). Further, students reporting high and moderate levels of interactions with faculty members (relative to low interactions) rate their academic program as being more interesting, exciting, and enjoyable, as well as more relevant and necessary for their career. Finally, substantive student-faculty interactions have been found to have a positive impact on students vocational preparation and intellectual development (Kuh Hu, 2001).These findings suggest that student-facultyinteractions have a multidimensional influence on the cognitive and emotional needs of students, thus valida ting the importance of faculty members as role models. Some researchers have found that students who spoke more frequently with faculty outside class and received advice about their educational program reported significantly higher academic self-confidence (Plecha, 2002). This finding is congruent with Endo and Harpel (1982) and Astin (1999)s work showing that interacting frequently with faculty members is part of being academically engaged and students who are more involved do better in college. Similarly, Bjorkland, Parente, and Sathiyanathan (2002) note that students who are in more frequent contact with faculty members and receive more feedback on their performance show remarkable improvement in communicating in a group, competence in their specific field, awareness about their future occupation, and general problem-solving skills. Other reported benefits of such student-faculty relationships include greater satisfaction with academic life, lesser likelihood of dropping out, and feeling more intellectually driven (Hazler Carney, 1993). In support of Chickerings (1969) model, recent data suggest that students engaging in meaningful interactions with faculty members are more likely to have a sense of purpose and competence for succeeding in college (Martin, 2000). Further, students who perceive their faculty members to be caring and have positive informal interactions with them often report greater learning (Teven McCroskey, 1997) as well as satisfaction with college and enhanced intellectual and personal development (Lamport, 1993). When Pakistan was founded in 1947 as a result of the partition with India, the country had only one institution of higher education, the University of the Punjab. Over the next 20 years, many private and public schools and higher education institutions were established to help fuel the countrys socio-economic development. In the early 1970s, all of Pakistans educational institutions were nationalized under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was committed to the idea of Islamic Socialism. For the next decade, Pakistans entire system of education was state-run. However, the growing demand for higher education fast outpaced the establishment of new public universities. During that period, the system could accommodate only 25 percent of the high school graduates who applied to higher education institutions. The overcrowding prompted many wealthy Pakistanis to seek university degrees abroad in the United States, Great Britain and Australia, while others sought out private tutors at home or entered the job market without a degree. In 1979 a government commission reviewed the consequences of nationalization and concluded that in view of the poor participation rates at all levels of education, the public sector could no longer be the countrys sole provider of education. By the mid-1980s, private educational institutions were allowed to operate on the condition that they comply with government-recognized standards. Until 1991, there were only two recognized private universities in Pakistan: Aga Khan University established in 1983; and Lahore University of Management Sciences established in 1985. By 1997, however, there were 10 private universities and in 2001-2002, this number had doubled to 20. In 2003-2004 Pakistan had a total of 53 private degree granting institutions. The rapid expansion of private higher education is even more remarkable if we look at the number of institutions established on a year-by-year basis. In 1997, for instance, three private institutions were established; in 2001 eleven new private institutions were opened; and in 2002 a total of 29 private sector institutions sprung up. According to HEC, there are total 128 recognized Universites in Pakistan, 70 are public and 58 are private. PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION While the quality of Pakistans private universities varies widely, they all share some common traits. Most of them have adopted the American model of higher education, which features a four-year bachelors degree and system of credits. Supporters of private higher education believe that non-government institutions can deliver higher quality education and do it far more efficiently than the public sector. They point to the fact that private schools rarely suffer the closures and class suspensions their public counterparts do, and that students enrolled at these schools are more apt to complete their degree programs on time. They also believe that private universities will introduce international standards of competence and accountability.