Unit Assignment

Theory of Vocational Types. This approach gives explicit attention to behavioral style or personality types as the major influence in career choice development. The following is a transcript of my interview with Mr.. Clubber: Question 1 . ) In what ways do you take into consideration the person's age, culture, and family structure when working with individuals in later life? Mr.. Clubber: Depending upon the age gap an individual's conversation will be guarded based on maturity or the lack thereof. In addition, their age will determine their likes and dislikes.An individual's culture and family structure shapes the moral fiber of their existence. Therefore, each conversation should be tailored based on age, and culture which drives the facilitators conversation with the individual. Question 2. ) What, if any, are the challenges you can identify when working with individuals through the later stages of their lives? Mr.. Clubber: The challenges that I encounter With individuals during t heir later years are: their mind instruct the body to do one thing however their physical abilities prevents the opportunity. This depresses the individual.Also, they are concerned as to if they have been a good father, mother or friend. Another question previously asked was: Have they completed everything that's required to prevent them from being a burden to their family? They tend to blame themselves for previous transgression and time lost during their youth. Lastly, they are sadden by frequent deaths. Question 3. ) What, if any, are the challenges you can identify when working with individuals who are coming to the end of their lives? Mr.. Clubber: Coming to grip that they will no longer be around to enjoy love ones. TheyOften wonder if they have done their very best and request validation. Some become bitter imagining what will happen to their personal items and the fear of the unknown. Question 4. ) How did you choose to make the career decision to work with this population? Mr.. Clubber: I chose this profession because I enjoy working with people. Death is also a part of living. Providing feedback and assistance during bereavement, although ifs very sad, gives me the opportunity to encourage those individuals that are encountering the inevitable. Question 5. ) What are some of the rewards that you can identify room working with this population? Mr..Clubber: The reward for working with this population is to provide encouragement and to prove that God is able to bring them out of any circumstance and bridge the gap between death and life. Question 6. ) Can you share career advice to new professionals thinking about working with this population? Mr.. Clubber: Never take anything personal. If you do not have a heart to serve, you should not become a part of the ministry. A minister's contribution should not be based on his knowledge or financial status but his willingness to extend himself to others. Question 7. What is the process that you use to assess f or elder abuse and neglect?Mr.. Clubber: I assess elder abuse by engaging conversation and listening to the elder. Hoover & Polios, 2014 suggest that elder mistreatment includes intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or trusted person that harm a vulnerable older person. And it can occur in a variety of settings. They go on to allude that one out of 10 older adults experience some form of abuse or neglect by a caregiver each year, and the incidence is expected to increase. In addition, the challenges of working with individuals in this stage of life includes guiding these individuals through the stages of grief affected by pending deaths.On the flip side, the reward is observing how the individual or families deal with this emotion and observing the different resiliency and/ or coping methods displayed by individuals and family members. Moreover, since prior research suggests that the opportunity for increased elder abuse is concluded; that family members should take an activ e interest into the treatment of family elders by care givers but more importantly, question and listen to our elders about their treatment. Furthermore, Mr..Clubber was able to share an additional insight during this interview in that death is a part of living and you haven't lived until you have experienced death; and death should be celebrated just as we celebrate the beginning of a new life. From a professional perspective, this interview demonstrated the importance of being familiar with the different stages individuals and families experience when faced with later stages of life including death. This in turn will position future mental health counselors to better guide themselves and clients when acing elder hood.Part 2: Connection to My Experiences From a family and personal perspective, we were raised to believe that dying is a small event that occurs at the end of life. It is a process that we must experience. This belief is rooted in our religious culture and belief that J esus Christ die for our sins and that death leads to the joining of God who has prepared an afterlife with him in heaven. My professional trade is a Radiology Technologist. And for twenty-five years, I have observed many families grieving after love ones die within the hospitals where was employed.Even though I felt empathy in those situations, nothing compared to the grief that was experienced by myself and family members when our oldest sister passed. It was especially difficult for myself since the donation of a kidney to her ten years earlier. During this time, I observed each family member grieve every process that has been covered in this course. However, also witnessed the matriarch of our family; my mother who had the resiliency in keeping our family together. When comparing death to other cultures such as Islam, a Muslim wife for instance, is only allowed to mourn ere husband for 4 months and 10 days.The Muslims are allowed to mourn anyone dying other than a spouse, for 3 d ays only. So when a woman loses her husband, no matter how painful the death is, the devout Muslim must say only â€Å"Nina Lila WA Nina Allah ration This means â€Å"to Allah we belong and to him is our return. â€Å". (How to Cope 2014) In contrast to western beliefs, there is no time table for how long individuals may mourn an individual's death Many themes are found across cultures and religions. One such pervasive theme was that beliefs about the soul of the deceased lead families to reform rituals and ceremonies that fostered a passage to God, the â€Å"light,† or another life.The stronger their beliefs, the more dedicated the family is in completing the rituals and ceremonies in the way dictated by their religion or culture. (Lobar & Youngest, Verboten 2006) Cultural knowledge will be useful in work as a counselor because it gives the future counselor an understanding that individuals are different and with that difference comes a different culture belief then your own. Therefore, different techniques may need to be utilized when working with clients. Unit Assignment Theory of Vocational Types. This approach gives explicit attention to behavioral style or personality types as the major influence in career choice development. The following is a transcript of my interview with Mr.. Clubber: Question 1 . ) In what ways do you take into consideration the person's age, culture, and family structure when working with individuals in later life? Mr.. Clubber: Depending upon the age gap an individual's conversation will be guarded based on maturity or the lack thereof. In addition, their age will determine their likes and dislikes.An individual's culture and family structure shapes the moral fiber of their existence. Therefore, each conversation should be tailored based on age, and culture which drives the facilitators conversation with the individual. Question 2. ) What, if any, are the challenges you can identify when working with individuals through the later stages of their lives? Mr.. Clubber: The challenges that I encounter With individuals during t heir later years are: their mind instruct the body to do one thing however their physical abilities prevents the opportunity. This depresses the individual.Also, they are concerned as to if they have been a good father, mother or friend. Another question previously asked was: Have they completed everything that's required to prevent them from being a burden to their family? They tend to blame themselves for previous transgression and time lost during their youth. Lastly, they are sadden by frequent deaths. Question 3. ) What, if any, are the challenges you can identify when working with individuals who are coming to the end of their lives? Mr.. Clubber: Coming to grip that they will no longer be around to enjoy love ones. TheyOften wonder if they have done their very best and request validation. Some become bitter imagining what will happen to their personal items and the fear of the unknown. Question 4. ) How did you choose to make the career decision to work with this population? Mr.. Clubber: I chose this profession because I enjoy working with people. Death is also a part of living. Providing feedback and assistance during bereavement, although ifs very sad, gives me the opportunity to encourage those individuals that are encountering the inevitable. Question 5. ) What are some of the rewards that you can identify room working with this population? Mr..Clubber: The reward for working with this population is to provide encouragement and to prove that God is able to bring them out of any circumstance and bridge the gap between death and life. Question 6. ) Can you share career advice to new professionals thinking about working with this population? Mr.. Clubber: Never take anything personal. If you do not have a heart to serve, you should not become a part of the ministry. A minister's contribution should not be based on his knowledge or financial status but his willingness to extend himself to others. Question 7. What is the process that you use to assess f or elder abuse and neglect?Mr.. Clubber: I assess elder abuse by engaging conversation and listening to the elder. Hoover & Polios, 2014 suggest that elder mistreatment includes intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or trusted person that harm a vulnerable older person. And it can occur in a variety of settings. They go on to allude that one out of 10 older adults experience some form of abuse or neglect by a caregiver each year, and the incidence is expected to increase. In addition, the challenges of working with individuals in this stage of life includes guiding these individuals through the stages of grief affected by pending deaths.On the flip side, the reward is observing how the individual or families deal with this emotion and observing the different resiliency and/ or coping methods displayed by individuals and family members. Moreover, since prior research suggests that the opportunity for increased elder abuse is concluded; that family members should take an activ e interest into the treatment of family elders by care givers but more importantly, question and listen to our elders about their treatment. Furthermore, Mr..Clubber was able to share an additional insight during this interview in that death is a part of living and you haven't lived until you have experienced death; and death should be celebrated just as we celebrate the beginning of a new life. From a professional perspective, this interview demonstrated the importance of being familiar with the different stages individuals and families experience when faced with later stages of life including death. This in turn will position future mental health counselors to better guide themselves and clients when acing elder hood.Part 2: Connection to My Experiences From a family and personal perspective, we were raised to believe that dying is a small event that occurs at the end of life. It is a process that we must experience. This belief is rooted in our religious culture and belief that J esus Christ die for our sins and that death leads to the joining of God who has prepared an afterlife with him in heaven. My professional trade is a Radiology Technologist. And for twenty-five years, I have observed many families grieving after love ones die within the hospitals where was employed.Even though I felt empathy in those situations, nothing compared to the grief that was experienced by myself and family members when our oldest sister passed. It was especially difficult for myself since the donation of a kidney to her ten years earlier. During this time, I observed each family member grieve every process that has been covered in this course. However, also witnessed the matriarch of our family; my mother who had the resiliency in keeping our family together. When comparing death to other cultures such as Islam, a Muslim wife for instance, is only allowed to mourn ere husband for 4 months and 10 days.The Muslims are allowed to mourn anyone dying other than a spouse, for 3 d ays only. So when a woman loses her husband, no matter how painful the death is, the devout Muslim must say only â€Å"Nina Lila WA Nina Allah ration This means â€Å"to Allah we belong and to him is our return. â€Å". (How to Cope 2014) In contrast to western beliefs, there is no time table for how long individuals may mourn an individual's death Many themes are found across cultures and religions. One such pervasive theme was that beliefs about the soul of the deceased lead families to reform rituals and ceremonies that fostered a passage to God, the â€Å"light,† or another life.The stronger their beliefs, the more dedicated the family is in completing the rituals and ceremonies in the way dictated by their religion or culture. (Lobar & Youngest, Verboten 2006) Cultural knowledge will be useful in work as a counselor because it gives the future counselor an understanding that individuals are different and with that difference comes a different culture belief then your own. Therefore, different techniques may need to be utilized when working with clients.

Yahoo! Internal Analysis

The Company When Yahoo! was founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph. D. students, David Filo and Jerry Yang, it began as their hobby and has evolved into a global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, find and access information, and make purchases. Today, Yahoo! Inc. is the Internet's leading global consumer and business Services Company, offering a comprehensive network of essential services for Web users around the globe as well as businesses of all sizes. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, Yahoo! www. yahoo. com) is the leader in traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is also the most recognized and valuable Internet brand globally, reaching over 345 million unique users in 25 countries and 13 languages. The Only Place Anyone Needs To Go Find Anything, Communicate With Anyone, or Buy Anything Serving the world's largest Web audience, Yahoo! remains focused on becoming increasingly essential to the lives of consumers. St arting with its comprehensive, hand-built directory as well as the popular My Yahoo! ervice, Yahoo! offers a broad and deep array of communications, commerce and content services in over 100 distinct properties that lead consumers to make Yahoo! their home on the Internet and wireless devices. Fitting the lifestyles of the mobile consumer, Yahoo! offers an increasing array of essential, personalized, localized and timely information on wireless devices, including wireless phones, two-way pagers and personal digital assistants. Committed to extending content and services beyond the desktop, Yahoo! as the largest global mobile audience and the greatest breadth of wireless products and services of any Web content provider. Becoming Increasingly Essential to Businesses & Enterprises Worldwide As the No. 1 Internet network on corporate desktops, surpassing a 70 percent reach in the U. S. workplace, Yahoo! also offers a range of services for businesses and enterprises of all sizes. Corpor ate Yahoo! is an information portal solution that enables companies to communicate and interact directly with their employees, customers and shareholders over a secure and scalable platform. Yahoo!Broadcast Services is the leading provider of Internet audio and video streaming solutions for corporate and consumer communications, delivering thousands of live and on-demand, corporate events including: product launches, marketing programs, training/distance learning, keynote addresses, annual shareholder meetings, and quarterly earnings calls. Yahoo! ‘s Small Business services enable small businesses and professionals to establish and grow a business presence with services such as Yahoo! Domains, Yahoo! Website Services, Yahoo! Servers and Yahoo! Store. An industry leader in online advertising, Yahoo! ffers an integrated set of marketing services through Yahoo! Fusion Marketing that unite Yahoo! ‘s media, e-commerce, direct marketing, broadcast, and communication tools to a llow clients to find any audience, connect with anyone, and sell anything. Yahoo! ‘s data driven services provide unparalleled targeting and measurement capabilities far beyond banners, clicks, and conversions. Customized to integrate clients' traditional marketing programs online, Yahoo! Fusion Marketing programs generate greater customer acquisition and retention, extended brand value, and increased sales in today's global marketplace. SWOT AnalysisThe external environment includes all the factors outside the organization which provide opportunities or pose threats to the organization. The internal environment refers to all the factors within an organization which impart strengths or cause weakness of a strategic nature . The environment in which an organization exists can be, therefore defined as the opportunities and threats operating in the external environment apart from the strengths and weakness existing in the internal environment. A systematic approach to understand the environment of Yahoo is the SWOT analysis. Internal Factor Analysis (IFA) of the Yahoo CorporationStrengths The strength is an inherent capacity which an organization uses to gain a strategic and competitive advantage. The strengths of Yahoo Corporation are: * Yahoo! ‘s Overture is a tremendously profitable Internet advertising business. It focuses on affiliate advertising for large advertising accounts, in the same way as Google's Adsense programme. This is an important income stream for Yahoo!. * Yahoo! has over 500 million users of its services and solutions. This makes it a very powerful marketing company, with a very well known brand. Some reports indicate that it is the most popular website in the World. A key long-term strength is Yahoo! ‘s international business presence. As the Internet expands and it is adopted by more nations the opportunities for Internet brands begin to emerge. Yahoo! is well placed to take advantage of these opportunities with its strat egic business units in Asia, Europe and Australia. * The Yahoo! Directory is an original source of structured information. It has built over the last decade, and unlike mainstream search engines, its content is moderated (i. e. sites are vetted before their inclusion). Weaknesses: A weakness is an inherent limitation or constraint which creates strategic disadvantages for the company.It is overdependence on a single product line, which is potentially risky. The weaknesses of Yahoo are: * As per Jan 2012 data, a survey says yahoo’s market share in search engine is only 6% * Google already has more than 50% market share and the immediate competitors are Baidu which has same 6% and bing has 4% in search engine * Google being the leading the service provider on the internet , is grabbing the revenues from advertisements * Most of the services provided by Yahoo are unknown in the internet space. * Yahoo is ranked 5th in visitors among video sites. YouTube was first owned by Google .There has been near about 3 % slump per year in Yahoo’s image search. * Google search results produce double revenues as compared to Yahoo. * Yahoo is losing its market share in mailing services very gradually due to Google’s strong presence in search engine market and it related product portfolio complementing to search engine services * For Yahoo, differentiation is difficult. Almost all of its services are available from other sources such as Mail services, news, shopping, financial data and business directory services are provided by many others like MSN, CNN, e-bay, Money control etc. The future of Yahoo is uncertain as the technology develops and new unforeseen advertising media emerges. * Financial health of the company is not so promising for the investors. The company’s assets both in terms of intangible and tangible are on the declining side. Matching analysis Match the external factors against the internal factors of YAHOO! Opportunities| Threats| * Internet video advertising spending expected to increase by 82% to $610 million by 2009. * Yahoo! Inc has purchased Flickr. * Broadband expansion. * Yahoo! as a strong and talented employee base. * Yahoo! has penetrated markets that are still untouched by competitors. | * Google commands about 50% of all online searches and Yahoo! has only 24% according to Neilson/NetRating. * Consumer attitudes towards online advertising may become more negative. * Increasing strength of competitors. * Social websites such as MySpace and Facebook are now breaking into the online advertising market. * Google is surpassing Yahoo! in revenues. | Strengths| Weaknesses| * Yahoo! Inc. has beaten Google in the mobile market. * Yahoo!Inc. has many more auxiliary products compared to the competition. * Yahoo! Inc. has strong brand recognition. * Partnerships with MLB, VISA and NFL. * Access is available to anyone with internet access. | * Yahoo! is ranked 5th in visitors among video sites. YouTube which is owned by Google is ranked 1st. * Yahoo! image search has been declining 3% per year. * Google search results generate twice as much revenue as Yahoo!. * Advertising revenues are falling due to Google and other competitors in the market. | Alternative strategies or RecommendationsIt is clear that the Yahoo Corporation has faced some major challenges in staying on top of the Internet market. It is suggested that the corporation should continue to grow its customer base. The corporation can grow its customer base by successfully capturing the international market. In addition, Yahoo can enlarge its target customer statistics by including customers outside the age group of 18-34 like people of above 55 years. Yahoo has to distinguish itself from the rest of its competitors in the Internet market in order to successfully accomplish these objectives.The alternative strategy that the Yahoo Corporation can adopt is: Capturing the international market: In capturing the international market, Yahoo has been comparatively unsuccessful. Though, Yahoo provides its services in a variety of languages but it has been unable to contend with national companies of other countries. For example, in China, Yahoo holds less than 5% of the total Chinese market share. The majority of the China market is dominated by Chinese search engine known as Baidu. com. In August 2005, Google, the American rival has captured a significant portion i. . approximately 33% of the Chinese market. Moreover, near about 71. 3% of the overall international market has been captured by Google. Some of this percentage was grabbed from Yahoo. Yahoo must ensure that internet access is available to its target market in order to strategically grow its customer base. If the target market does not have the means or ability to access services, Yahoo will not be successful. It is important for Yahoo Corporation to capture international customers during the exposure to the Internet. This can create a comfort-zone for its new users.Yahoo also, should become familiar with the likes, dislikes, habits and other characteristics of each niche of the international market. The company should use appropriate marketing channels to create the demand in international market. The marketing techniques like sales promotion, advertising, publicity, etc. will work more effectively to capture international market. Expanding the target market: To become successful, it is important for the Yahoo Corporation to expand its target market. It is important that Yahoo tries to capture those who are its first-time Internet users.Through partnerships with telecommunications providers and cable companies, Yahoo should work to become a primary part of a new Internet service package. Yahoo can successfully get new web users to begin their Internet use. The users use the internet because it allows them to communicate with their friends and family members who are separated geographically. Furthermore, people like the Internet b ecause it allows them to find information and items that they can’t find elsewhere. With this demographic, travel, leisure and financial information tend to be popular.Yahoo should promote its different offerings in publications and media to achieve the best reach and to focus on the particular areas. Yahoo should publicize itself as a source of health information as well as a site that provides travel information for those who plan for retirement. Yahoo should portray itself as a portal of information. Differentiation: To remain competitive, Yahoo should adopt and initiate new projects. The company should begin as a search engine and expand its offerings by including finance, personals and hot Jobs and other activities.For example, Yahoo has realized that the potential users of Yahoo music consequently acquire a significant share of the online music industry. The ability to differentiate itself from its competitors is the main reason for the success of Yahoo. To promote new products, Yahoo is able to take advantage of its brand equity and its large user base. Yahoo should not limit itself to fixed media sites. Yahoo should attempt to commence a multimedia Internet project called runner. This video-intensive and web-based reality TV project will focus on a fugitive crisscrossing the country.Yahoo Corporation should also expand its Internet-based market to compete against traditional media. Conclusion Thus, it is concluded that in the dynamic Internet market, Yahoo is a strong and relatively established company. Its core competence includes focus on young adult users, regularly improving fixed web sites, driving advertising revenue and encouraging employees to be practical. All this points have been a formula for its success. Yahoo must apply aggressive strategies and maintain healthy financial statement to remain competitive.It is important that Yahoo carefully review all these strategies and examine the timing of its initiatives. The company can achiev e its target and growth by hiring competent managers and experienced consultants as well as by remaining focused on its core competencies. By maintaining the strategies, Yahoo will be able to position itself to become a leader in the race for multimedia domination. An understanding of the external environment in terms of opportunities and threats and the internal environment in term of strengths and weaknesses is important for the existence, growth and profitability of Yahoo Corporation.

Snatch by Guy Ritchie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Snatch by Guy Ritchie - Essay Example In the previous work of Ritchie, the use of impenetrable accent by non-British was very common while in the current work; a character represented by Brad Pitt has played a major part in bringing up another complicated gypsy dialect that other characters find difficult to understand in the movie. The character represented by Brad Pitt, paradoxically finds it very easy to communicate using this language understood by fewer people than other characters who find it very difficult to communicate using the language understood by all. Brad Pitt sounds like the combination of Professor Backwards and Adam Sandler. Therefore, this becomes an advantage to Brad Pitt since no one would really concentrate on his presence since no one understands the language he speaks thus he does not experience the discrimination as the rest face. Ritchie is a professional director, he is not interested in crime, but instead, he pays more attention to the voltage. According to Hrubes, Postmodernist Intertextuality in David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, the events of the play, Snatch, make it very interesting to viewers even if no one really hopes to understand the plot or rather no one of the viewers is very keen to understand the plot. The clothesline for Ritchie’s’ pyrotechnics is whereby he seems like very close to tell the audience that understanding the plot does not really matter that much. The plot of the play revolves around interlocked stories, which include, pigs, stolen diamonds, and wicked boxing. Franky Four Fingers steal a diamond from Belgium in Antwerp and runs back to London, two men, Avi, a gangster from America and Borris the Blade, a Russian, try to separate Franky Four Finger from the diamond. This becomes very hard to separate since he is handcuffed with the diamond to the wrist. Eventually, two s hady promoters find themselves involved in the crime after Gorgeous George, a boxer, is found lying flat on the stomach after being knocked down. This leads to the recruitment of the gypsy is a very great fighter that London would not recognize, in desperation for a winner. Pigs feed on the bodies of the discriminated people. When the blacks, the thieves, and other discriminated groups of people die in London, pigs feast on their dead bodies. The part played by Pitt and gypsy constitute the most interesting parts of the movie. The characters in this movie have cartoon faces, and the actions seem outright and Ritchie is very aggressive in his camera style, which makes the movie captivating and interesting. Despite all these facts concerning the movie, the movie ends up nowhere in particular and it does not build or develop anybody. Therefore, this movie entertains more than it educates the viewers. The Snatch is partly a comedy and every event carried out is a dark comedy. It revolve s around death and murder, and decay whereby in Snatch, Ritchie keeps on throwing things that just do not fit in the movie at that time just to break the monotony of deaths, murder, and decay. Stunning things like a Russian who just does not die, a man who has four fingers, and a dog that is able to swallow a squeaky toy among other stunning and strange things. All these characters that Ritchie uses

Driver's Use of Cell Phones While Vehicles are in Motion Should Be Coursework

Driver's Use of Cell Phones While Vehicles are in Motion Should Be Prohibited - Coursework Example Talking on a cell phone while driving makes a person four times more likely to be in a crash. This is a much higher risk than most other distracting activities, including eating, drinking, reading billboards, listening to the radio, or talking to other passengers. It’s the cell phone conversation that diverts people’s attention from the road.† Keeping all this in mind, I believe that driver’s use of cell phones while driving should be banned. Having a conversation on a cell phone during driving is unsafe and must be prohibited since the usage of cell phones distracts the person driving, weaken their management of the automobile and decreases their attentiveness of what is going around on the path they are driving at. A number of people demand that government should not be supposed to legislate in opposition to individual’s free will to use their mobiles wherever and whenever they like. Even though independence and rights of individuals are significan t, they must not be permitted to extend so much that they place others in jeopardy. At first, physical distraction caused by these cell phones ought to be addressed. When using a cellular phone, the person driving a vehicle ought to take off his hand from the steering wheel to operate and clasp the phone. They even have to divert their eyes away from the path, no less than for a moment to hold the phone or dial a call. At the same time as using a mobile, the driver has to carry on operating the automobile such as gear change, steer, handling indicator and so on with just a single hand. Moving on, apart from the physical distraction the driver has to face the cognitive distraction as well. When tasks performed by the mind are done simultaneously, the functioning of those tasks together is most of the times terrible comparative to if they would have been carried out individually, since concentration ought to be divided, or swap, among the errands ,they have to struggle for the similar cognitive procedures. When a person driving is using a cell phone or even a hands-free, he has to give share of their concentration to handling the mobile and continuing the chat on the phone and another portion of it to managing the automobile and reacting to the continuously altering traffic and road situations. The hassle of the conversation on the cell phone ought to contend with the stress of handling the automobile securely increasing the chances of an accident. According to a study â€Å"using driving stimulator researchers found that dialing a long telephone number significantly interfered with the driver’s ability to follow the road in an optimal manner and led to a significant increase in accident risks† we can conclude that using a mobile phone while driving does impair driving performance. It damages the upholding of positioning of the lane, maintenance of suitable and expected pace, continuation of proper space from automobiles in front of them and time f or reaction to various situations on the road. Texting is a new form of conversation quite famous in most of the individuals, posing a great threat to the safety of people doing it while driving. Although many people argue that using a hand fee device will decrease the ratio of accidents cell phones should not be prohibited while driving. Others put forward the point that they have memorized the keys of their cell phones due to which they

Universal Preschool Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Universal Preschool - Thesis Example According to Brotherson (2005), â€Å"A 3-year-old toddler's brain is twice as active as an adult's brain.† However, given today’s scenario of every increasing cost of living it is very difficult for parents to stay at home all the time to take care of their young children. Additionally, most parents cannot afford to send them to a good day care/preschoolwhere the child would be taken care of not just in terms of their basic need of being fed and kept clean, but also their psychological development needs. A ‘Universal Preschool’ is a program which addresses both the concerns. Both about the financial aspects and quality of care provided. HISTORY Universal preschool is a program spanning across international geographies. It is said to have started in France in 1834. However, in the US the Head Start program which started in 1965 as a summer school marked the beginning of universal preschool. Many states now have their own universal preschool programs which may differ in structure, but cater to the same needs. For example, Georgia’s universal preschool program which began in 1995 serves all 4 year olds and is a voluntary program. Similarly, Florida started in 2005 with a voluntary program serving 4 year old children (LeMire, 2009). Oth er states which are running such a program: Illinois, New Jersey, Oklahoma and West Virginia. States which are currently doing ground work to implement universal preschool program: Vermont, Wisconsin, Maryland, New York, Maine, Louisiana, and New Mexico (LeMire, 2009). RISKS The most common arguments given against universal preschools are: huge cost to the state, no long-term impact, negative behavioral and lack of substantial difference in child’s development and cognitive ability.All of these in turn raise questions on efficiency of tax-dollars spent. Out of these, the one associated with behavior problems is more important and something that needs more serious consideration. According to Hanson (2007), Dr. David Scott in 1989 said addressing an international psychiatric conference in Eastern Europe: â€Å"Institutionalized children... suffered developmental retardation and deprivation. In comparison with children raised in families, the institutionalized children suffered heightened emotional disorders, fear, tension, behavioral disorders, and even such physical symptoms as weight loss and more frequent respiratory infections.† These were the findings for a 20 year period after WWII when 90% of Czech children were sent to state run preschools. (p. 1) BENEFITS Universal preschoolsadhere to better health and safety standards than most substitutes. Another important benefit of the program is the separation of policy for infants/toddlers and preschoolers (Bushouse, 2009). It prepares children for better performance in kinder garden and later on in schools. Universal preschools also help the non-English speaking children. For example, when non-English speaking start kinder garden, they often lack comprehension just because they do not know the language well enough. There is a very high probability that the school then puts them through special language programs, which can be frustrating and create extra burden for the child. A universal preschool w ould help such children by developing English language skills early on. An increase in the number of working mothers has resulted in a large number of preschoolers being in some kind of non-parental care. For example, in the state of

The Bermuda Triangle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example s bizarre theories regarding this Bermuda Triangle, none of the theories confirms that the puzzling disappearances occur more frequently in comparison to other most-traveled areas of the ocean (Baumgardner 2012). Theorists have blamed the Bermuda triangle’s supposed mystery on everything from Atlantis, aliens and sea monsters to reverse gravity fields and time warps. However, most scientifically psyched theorists have pointed the bizarre to waterspouts, magnetic anomalies or huge explosion of methane gas from the floor of the ocean, yet overalls, there is no single theory that solves the mystery. Plate boundaries separate the earths continents and seafloors. The crust that forms the bottom of the earths oceans is being generated constantly along mid-ocean ridges and mountain ranges. According to Baumgardner (2012), "Mid-ocean ridges are the boundaries between tectonic plates and forms the separation points of the plates." The central process of formation of new ocean crust is known, however little is understood about exactly what occurs in the unstable environment of the mid-ocean ridges and how fast the process occurs. Volcanos are found where tectonic plates come together or pull apart. Most of the volcanos are caused by mid-ocean ridges, a perfect example of the area of the Bermuda Triangle, like the mid-Atlantic ridge. Therefore, the location of the alleged Bermuda Triangle exposes it to volcanic eruptions that cause the ships to sink and planes to vanish. The U.S. Navy has no belief of the existence of the does Bermuda Triangle neither does the U.S. Board on Geographic Names recognizes the name as an official, but the truth is, the triangle exists (Baumgardner

Reflective review 'Making informed decision' Essay

Reflective review 'Making informed decision' - Essay Example Research and practical assistance are provided in this reformation center to strategize its intervention for those needing its assistance and support. To realize its programs, quality staffs are hired to provide quality services for children under its care and custody. Child protection and welfare topped as its priority agenda, especially those serving their sentences as child offenders based on the national policy and the enforcement of international rights of the child. The justice center is likewise in observance to the juvenile justice system which limits the standard age of child’s criminal liability at ten years old but the state qualified that those children between 10 to 14 years old, there is a refutable presumption that they are incapable of forming criminal intent to make them instantly guilty of committing a crime (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1) This is handled and managed by separate laws, process and court jurisdiction for children. Child ren are therefore brought under the custody of the Justice Center in relation to the result of the judgement rendered following their prosecution out of the offense committed or they are subject for alternative proceedings based on the nature of the allegations and the capacity of the child to respond to the case (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1). Aside from this, the justice courts also afford child protection, like in cases when they suffer from abuses or if the child is the lone witness to criminal cases. This is a mandatory function of the center to ensure the child’s welfare and to veer them from significant harm (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1). This includes children who are suffering from severe problems on trafficking, slavery, sexual servitude, deceptive recruiting and exploitation (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1). As of these days, the institution is challenged with the increasing number of juve niles under its custody and the limited number of quality staff that can provide responses to their needs. Thus, the management proposed to purchase monitoring technology and to mount these in the bedrooms of the children. So how does informed decision-making be done in this case? As of 2012, the statistics of juveniles in Australia sentenced by court has reached the figures of 2,537 in New South Wales, 737 from Victoria, 815 in Queensland, 532 from South Australia, 108 in Tasmania and 154 in Australian Capital Territory (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1) . There are no records from Western Australia and in Northern Territory. Data further bared that the detention rate per 1,000 children aging 10-17 years old are 3.2 in New South Wales, 0.8 in Victoria, 1.7 in Queensland, 3.0 in South Australia, 1.8 in Tasmania and 4.3 in Australian Capital Territory (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1). In an average rate, Australia has 2.5% youth rate dete ntion. The rate of indigenous children under detention is also different. In New South Wales, there are 29.5 rate per 1,000 children are detained as of 2012, 11.6 in Victoria, 14.4 in Queensland, 33.7 in South Australia, 5.6 in Tasmania and 57.0 from Australian Capital Territory (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012, p. 1). Considering these figures, staffs of the Judicial Center will certainly find exhausting difficulties in

Managing Communication in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Managing Communication in Business - Essay Example Organizational communication is very important as for a business to precede and expand, the management should have strong communication ties with its employees. Non-verbal communication is a category of communication that plays a crucial role in terms of organizational communication. In this paper, all kinds of non-verbal communication are described that can affect organizational communication. Along with the description of forms of non-verbal communication, the factors such as gender, age and culture are also analyzed in the paper. After description of all the forms of non-verbal communication, a conclusion is given. The conclusion summarizes the whole essay in a short form. Kinesics can be explained as body movements (Pelachaud, et. al 1996). There are many kinds of bodily movements such as making use of emblematic signs through hands or fingers, making use of hands or legs to stress on or illustrate something, by regulating spoken or listened words and sentences, expression of feelings through bodily movements and gestures and by making use of some adapter to indicate towards a meaningful situation (Depaulo 1992). Body movements are employed in many ways to communicate non-verbally (Argyle 1988). Making use of emblems, adapters, illustrating, adjusting and revealing feelings and gestures, all come in kinesics. In an organizational setting, people make use of kinesics to communicate and by repetitive usage of some bodily movements; people identify them (Burgoon, et.al 1996). For different cultures, people make use of different emblems for the same message. For example, for admitting to some suggestion, many people make use of bowing the head a little, while others can make use of hands to indicate, â€Å"Yes† (Gudykunst and Ting-Toomey 1988). Through body movements, people can communicate their feelings and expressions (Harbridge 1998). In case, a person is tense, he/she can move back and forth that is a clear sign of

MANAGEMENT REPORT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MANAGEMENT REPORT - Assignment Example The revenue from the natural resource makes the country rich. That is why the country has seen a sustained economic growth in last few years even though the rest of the world was suffering from global financial crisis. For years Qatar was among the fastest growing economy, but from the crisis period in 2008 it is among the top three countries in terms of the growth of GDP. The positive economic scenario allows the banking sector of Qatar to grow. Qatar is the place where the eastern sides meet western people. Apart from the domestic business houses, the hydrocarbon economy has attracted many foreign investors to invest in Qatar, Kerbaj (2006). The contribution of Petroleum is 70% of the government revenue, 85% of the export earning and more than 60% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. According to Shachmurove (2009) a very interesting fact about Qatar is that, there is no income tax for Qatari and GCC nationals. However, it is not a tax free country. Taxes are being collected from business houses, corporate and foreign investor. That is why the banking system in Qatar is bit different from the rest of the world. The apex bank of the country is Central Bank of Qatar. Many commercial bank and foreign banks are operating in the territory of the country. The banking system of Qatar is secure, well financed and well regulated. Regular banking services like, retail banking, corporate banking, branch banking, online banking, mobile banking, credit and debit facilities are available from the bank. Hasim & Chaker (2009) argued that, like in other parts of the world Qatar is also bending towards using new technologies in the banking system such as online banking and telephonic banking as these instruments have made banking easier and accessible. Elsamadisy et al. (2013) argued that, the banking scenario has seen a big change during the pre and post global financial crisis. The monetary policies and other banking policies

Smoking Cigarettes is Good for Your Health Essay - 1

Smoking Cigarettes is Good for Your Health - Essay Example For example, many manufacturing firms use celebs, sportsmen and peer groups to create awareness that, the character prospered and accomplished a given task on smoking the brand. The advert attracts different old and new buyers alike, leading to increased profitability (Owing, 2005). Therefore, the good thing about smoking is the aspect of belongingness to a distinctive consumer group, enhancing the producer’s profitability levels accordingly. The following describes the effects of smoking, and the risks associated with the habit for new and existing users to the cigarette smokers. Smoking poses as a risky practice has a wide range of hazardous health effects to humans. Different smoking products in the market contain nicotine, tar and other chemical composites that affect ones health over the period of indulgence into the smoking behavior. Smoking of cigarettes, cannabis sativa, and other narcotic has taken verge over youths worldwide, who perceive the behavior as stylish and entry to a de sired group of personalities in the society. All smoking products emit smoke that contains tar, and nicotine, which increases the risks of conducting cancerous diseases, associated top the breathing system (Bernhard, 2011). Carbon monoxide, once inhaled, deoxygenizes the blood such that the smoker feels dizzy, whilst the deoxygenated cells die off slowly. The dead cells result to wrinkling of tissues of the affected. Secondly, smoking impairs justice and the likeliness that smokers will assume difficult situations as oblivious are relatively high. Precisely, all the content s in every smoke tend to stimulate a false feeling whilst generating a long-term health issue to the smoker (Brandt, 2009). The behavior of smoking is recurring, thus, whenever a person seeks to derive the effect of smoking, he will go ahead and light. Therefore, the habit, which once cropped as a less serious practice, takes over and charges the man to addiction. This is the most wary stage

The Transforming of Women in Medieval Literature Essay Example for Free

The Transforming of Women in Medieval Literature Essay Over the countless years of history man and woman have realized that they must come together in order to survive. Whether it was solely for the continuation of our race through procreation, or by uniting one with another in matrimony; the two genders have found it impediment to spend their lives in each other’s midst. Over the span of several millennia we not only see the evolution of these relationships, but we can also witness the transformation of the roles each gender plays in everyday life. One such period where we see many of these roles evolving occur is chronicled in Medieval Literature. Writings such including Chaucer’s â€Å"The Canterbury Tales† and many Arthurian Legends present women and their treatment by their male counterparts in a ways uncommon to earlier writings. One of the best representations of such thinking is found in â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. † The text includes women of varying types and gives an excellent paradigm to the changing culture of the Medieval Era. At the genesis of the tale we are presented with the ideal medieval lady. The narrator describes Queen Guenevere’s immense beauty and states that â€Å"fair queen, without a flaw†¦ A seemlier that once he saw, / In truth no man could say† (81-84). Guenevere serves as an example of the prior period’s typical woman. She is quiet, obedient to her husband, and the attractive object of the male gaze. Previously this was the norm for woman, to be confined to a set of restrictions that kept her inferior to all other men. Compared to Chaucer’s Wife of Bath who is loud, assertive, and extremely sexually open, Guenevere knows her roles and offers little complaint of her place in the castle. The lack of her contention exemplifies the base portrayal of a woman’s traditional position. The next female we come across in the journey of Gawain is Bertilak’s wife. At the first moment of meeting the lovely lady, we are presented with the fact that she is of a different breed than Guenevere. As she enters the room, Gawain’s mind wanders, â€Å"her body and her bearing were beyond praise, / And excelled the queen herself† (944-945). Here a knight admits the greatness of a lady beyond his own queen. This reveals the higher complexity found in the lady of the castle. Where we see the deepening contrasts is in the lady’s actual description. Whereas Guenevere was praised for solely her beauty and carriage, we see depth beyond this in the description of Bertilak’s wife. In lines 1204-1207, we read, â€Å"sweetly she does speak / And kindling glances dart, / Blent white and red on cheek / And laughing lips apart,† a noticeably more sexualized description than the one offered for our former lady. Delving even deeper into the story we read her actions as exceedingly daring for the wife. She wanders into the room of the night herself to seduce him for a kiss. In this time period women made no attempt at such provocation of a man’s lustful desires. Now one may point out that the lady was under orders from Bertilak. What I see is the man counting his wife as equal and including her in his plan to trick Gawain. Either case we see a woman who enjoys the confines of being a lady yet at the same time the freedoms of equality. In this we see more of a modern woman. She is developed more complexly in that she is neither completely virtuous yet neither is she corrupt. Finally we have one last woman; one whom tears down all the conceptions of the conventional feminine roles of the time. Gawain’s Aunt Morgan la Faye is the magical temptress who devises the plan to test her worthy nephew. La Faye is the ultimate foil of our first character and an extreme version of the second. She has no husband and nor any other male too hold her to the constraints of society. She is able to use her powerful skills to do as she pleases and cause any amount of mayhem she sees fit. For example we find out at the end of the tale the old lady accompanying Bertialk’s wife is indeed Morgan la Faye in disguise. Morgan though she is extremely beautiful and young in her true form, stands for the free unconfined woman. Women across time have continually had to deal with confining gender roles. Yet in ever period there have been women who redefined the roles and pushed to break the trends stressed upon them. This condition is reflected by the writers of the time. From their efforts we are able to see the transformation and how the human condition has been affected. The poet who penned †Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† was able to cleverly weave this into the tale. From the examples of Guenevere’s demure attitude, to Lady Bertilak’s seductive ways, and finally ending with Morgan la Faye’s free and chaotic spirit; this paradigm is clearer in the middle ages than many others. Woman made great strides in the era of chivalry and began to break free of the bonds that contained them.

Project Management and Innovation Past and Future Essay Example for Free

Project Management and Innovation Past and Future Essay It is unsurprising that development of innovation is often run as a project. Yet, theoretically both project management and innovation studies have evolved over time as distinctively separate disciplines. In this paper we make an attempt to conceptualize the innovation project management and past as well as future of same. By doing so, we contribute to the nascent academic debate on the interplay between innovation and project management. This paper is concerned with three topics and the interplay between them, namely â€Å"Innovation†, â€Å"Research and Development (RD)† and â€Å"Project Management†. The interest in these topics has exploded recently as they emerged both on the policy agenda and in the corporate strategies. The contribution of technological innovation to national economic growth has been well established in the economic literature. In the last couple of decades, new technologies, new industries, and new business models have powered impressive gains in productivity and GDP growth. While originally there was a tendency to equate RD and innovation, contemporary understanding of innovation is much broader than purely RD. RD is one component of innovation activities and knowledge creation among others. Innovation emerges as a pervasive and complex force, not only in the high-tech sectors in advanced economies, but also as a phenomenon existing in low-tech industry of developing, or catching-up economies. Still, the link between RD and innovation is often at the core of the innovation studies. Presently, we are witnessing â€Å"projectification† of the world as a growing number of specialists organise their work in projects rather than on on-going functional basis. The connection between RD and project management has a long history. Most tools of project management have been developed from the management of RD, often with military purposes (Lorell, 1995). The most vivid example of managing RD projects in the public sector is the PRINCE2 method (UK OGC, 2005). Due to the above mentioned difference between RD and innovation, RD projects should be distinguished from innovation projects too. Innovation is a non-linear process, not necessarily technology-led and may not necessarily result from formal RD investments. Innovation is the exploration and exploitation of new ideas and recombination of existing knowledge in the pursuit of sustained competitive advantage. Besides, both innovation and RD projects by their nature differ from conventional projects. Thus, there is a need to examine the Innovation Project Management (IPM) as a distinctive area of managing innovation in projects, using the tools and methods of the project management. The Evolution of Project Management Theory The genesis of the ideas that led to the development of modern project management can arguably be traced back to the protestant reformation of the 15th century. The Protestants and later the Puritans introduced a number of ideas including ‘reductionism’, ‘individualism’ and the ‘protestant work ethic’ (PWE) that resonate strongly in the spirit of modern project management. Reductionism focuses on removing unnecessary elements of a process or ‘ceremony’ and then breaking the process down into its smallest task or unit to ‘understand’ how it works. Individualism assumes we are active, independent agents who can manage risks and create ideas. These ideas are made into ‘real things’ by social actions contingent upon the availability of a language to describe them. The PWE focuses on the intrinsic value of work. Prior to the protestant reformation most people saw work either as a necessary evil, or as a means to an end. For Protestants, serving God included participating in and working hard at worldly activities as this was part of God’s purpose for each individual. From the perspective of the evolution of modern project management, these ideas were incorporated into two key philosophies, Liberalism and Newtonianism. Liberalism included the ideas of capitalism (Adam Smith), the division of labour, and that an industrious lifestyle would lead to wealthy societies Newton saw the world as a harmonious mechanism controlled by a ‘universal law’. Applying scientific observations to parts of the whole would allow understanding and insights to occur and eventually a complete understanding. LITERATURE REVIEW In this paper we seek to establish bridges between two distinctive disciplines – project management and innovation management (innovation studies). Despite seemingly interrelated nature of both subjects, these two research domains have been developing relatively isolated from each other. Innovation Studies Innovation studies are rooted in the seminal writing of Joseph Schumpeter in the 1920s-1930s (e. g. Schumpeter, 1934), whose ideas started to gain popularity in the 1960s, as the general interest among policymakers and scholars in technological change, RD and innovation increased. The field formed as a distinctive academic discipline from the 1980s. Scholars like Richard Nelson, Chris Freeman, Bengt-Ake Lundvall, Keith Pavitt, Luc Soete, Giovanni Dosi, Jan Fagerberg, Bart Verspagen, Eric von Hippel and others have shaped and formed this discipline. The seminal publications in the area include, inter alia, Freeman (1982), Freeman and Soete (1997), Lundvall (1992), Nelson and Winter (1977, 1982), von Hippel (1988). Regarding the definition of innovation – a general consensus has been achieved among innovation scholars who broadly understand this phenomenon as a transformation of knowledge into new products, processes and services. An in-depth review of the innovation literature is beyond the scope of this paper (refer to Fagerberg (2004) for such analysis). Our intention is to outline main directions of research. In a recent paper, Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) provide a comprehensive analysis of the cognitive and organizational characteristics of the emerging field of innovation studies and consider its prospects and challenges. The authors trace evolution and dynamics of the field. Reflecting the complex nature of innovation, the field of innovation studies unites various academic disciplines. For examples, Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009) define four main clusters of innovation scholars. They are â€Å"Management† (cluster 1), â€Å"Schumpeter Crowd† (cluster 2), â€Å"Geography and Policy† (cluster 3. 1), Periphery† (cluster 3. 2) and â€Å"Industrial Economics† (cluster 4). For the purposes of our analysis we shall have a closer look at the â€Å"Management† cluster, since it is here where the connection between innovation and Project Management can be found. In fact â€Å"Management† is the smallest cluster within the entire network of innovation scholars, consisting of only 22 scholars, mainly sociologists and management scholars, with a geographical bias towards the USA. This small number of scholars (22) is in sharp contrast with the biggest clusters ? â€Å"Geography and Policy† (298 scholars) or â€Å"Schumpeter Crowd† (309). In terms of publication preferences, apart from Research Policy, the favorite journal for innovation scholars, members of â€Å"Management† cluster see management journals as the most relevant publishing outlets, particularly Journal of Product Innovation Management, Management Science and Strategic Management Journal. Fagerberg and Verspagen (2009, p. 29) see a strong link between innovation and management and provide a following description: â€Å"Management is to some extent a cross-disciplinary field by default and firm-level innovation falls naturally within its portfolio. †¦. So between innovation studies and management there clearly is some common ground†. Project Management The project management as a human activity has a long history; e. g. construction of Egyptian pyramids in 2000 BC may be regarded as a project activity. However, the start for the modern Project Management era, as a distinctive research area, was in the 1950s. Maylor (2005) determines three major stages of the PM historical development. Before the 1950s, the PM as such was not recognized. In the 1950s, tools and techniques were developed to support the management of complex projects. The dominant thinking was based on â€Å"one best way† approach, based on numerical methods. The third stage, from the 1990s onwards is characterized by the changing environment in which projects take place. It is more and more realized that a project management approach should be contingent upon its context. It is also noted that a shift is observed over time in development of project management – from focus on sole project management to the broader management of projects and strategic project management (Fangel, 1993; Morris, 1994; Bryde, 2003). Reflecting these changes in the managerial practices, the body of academic literature on PM has evolved and burgeoned. International Journal of Project Management and Project Management Journals became the flagship publication outlets for PM scholars and practitioners. A large number of (managerial) handbooks outlining the methods and techniques of PM have been published, e. g. Andersen et al (2004), Bruijn et al (2004) Kerzner (2005), Maylor (2005), Meredith and Mantel (2006), Muller (2009), Roberts (2007), Turner (1999), Turner and Turner (2008). Despite a growing number of publications, there is no unified theoretical basis and there is no unified theory of project management, due to its multidisciplinary nature (Smyth and Morris, 2007). Project management has a more applied nature than other management disciplines. Although the PM has formed as a distinct research field, there is no universal, generally accepted definition of a project and project management. Turner (1999) develops a generic definition of a project: A project is an endeavor in which human, financial and material resources are organized in a novel way to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification, which constraints of cost and time, so as to achieve beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives. There have been several attempts to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art research in PM and outline its trends and future directions (e. g. , PMI, 2004; Betts and Lansley, 1995; Themistocleous and Wearne, 2003; Crawford et al, 2006; Kloppenberg and Opfer, 2002). In a recent article, Kwak and Anbari (2009) review relevant academic journals and identify eight allied disciplines, in which PM is being applied and developed. These disciplines include such areas as Operation Management, Organizational Behavior, Information Technology, Engineering and Construction, Strategy/Integration, Project Finance and Accounting, and Quality and Management. Notably, one of these eight allied disciplines is â€Å"Technology Application / Innovation / New Product Development / Research and Development†. The authors found that only 11% of journal publications on the subject of project management fell under the â€Å"Innovation† heading. Yet, importantly, this area showed sustained upward interest, and hence the number of publications, since the 1960s. Overall, Kwak and Anbari (2009) conclude that the mainstream PM research proceeds largely in the â€Å"Strategy / Integration / Portfolio Management / Value of PM / Marketing† direction (30% of all publications examined by the authors). PM AND INNOVATION: THE PAST Projects in one form or another have been undertaken for millennia, but it was only in the latter part of the 20th century people started talking about ‘project management’. Earlier endeavors were seen as acts of worship, engineering or nation building. And the people controlling the endeavors saw themselves as members of groups focused on specific callings such as generals, priests and architects. There is an important distinction to be drawn here between projects: ‘a temporary Endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ and the profession of project management; or at least ‘modern project management’. For a discipline to be considered a profession a number of attributes are generally considered necessary; these are: †¢ Practitioners are required to meet formal educational and entry requirements, †¢ autonomy over the terms and conditions of practice, a code of ethics, †¢ a commitment to service ideals, †¢ a monopoly over a discrete body of knowledge and related skills. Within this context, project management is best considered an ‘emerging profession’ that has developed during the last 30 to 40 years. Over this period project management associations around the world have developed a generally consistent view of the processes involved in ‘project management’, encoded these views into ‘Bodies of Knowledge’ (BoKs), described competent behaviors and are now certifying knowledgeable and/or competent ‘Project Managers’. Certainly, if ‘modern project management’ does not qualify as a fully fledged profession at this point in time, it will evolve into one fairly quickly. The Evolution of Project Management Tools The central theme running through the various project management concepts is that project management is an integrative process that has at its core, the balancing of the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and output. All three facets must be present for a management process to be considered project management. The evolution of cost and scope control into relatively precise processes occurred during the 14th and 18th Centuries respectively. Time management lacked effective measurement and control until the emergence of ‘critical path’ scheduling in the 1960s. The branch of management that gave rise to the development of the Critical Path Method of scheduling was Operational Research (OR). OR is an interdisciplinary science which uses methods such as mathematical modeling and statistics to assist decision making in complex real-world situations. It is distinguished by its ability to look at and improve an entire system, rather than concentrating on specific processes which was the focus of Taylor’s ‘scientific management’. The growth of OR was facilitated by the increasing availability and power of computers which were needed to carry out the large numbers of calculations typically required to analyze a system. [pic] Figure 1. The Iron Triangle The first ‘project’ to add science to the process of time control was undertaken by Kelley and Walker to develop the Critical Path Method (CPM) for E. I. du Pont de Numours. In 1956/57 Kelly and Walker started developing the algorithms that became CPM. The program they developed was trialled on plant shutdowns in 1957 And the first paper on critical path scheduling was published in 1959. The critical meeting to approve this project was held on the 7th May 1957 in Newark, Delaware, where DuPont and Remington Rand jointly committed US$226,400 to fund the project. The foundations of modern project management were laid in 1957; but it took another 12 years before Dr Martin Barnes first described the ‘iron triangle’ of time, cost and output in a course he developed for his UK clients in 1969 called ‘Time and Money in Contract Control’. PM AND INNOVATION: THE FUTURE Defining PM for Future The biggest challenge facing project management is answering the question ‘what is a project? ’ Until this question can be answered unambiguously the foundation of project management cannot be defined. Current definitions such as the PMBOK’s ‘a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result’ can apply to the baking of a cake as easily as the construction of a multi story building. They are both temporary endeavors to create a unique outcome but in all probability the baking of a cake is not a project. The traditional view of projects embedded in the various BoKs is derived from both the management theories underpinning ‘modern project management’ and the industrial base of early project management practitioners (construction / defense / engineering). The BoKs tend to treat projects as naturally occurring entities that need to be managed. This is an easy enough assumption when focusing on a building or a battle ship. There is a physical presence that occupies a defined space that needs creating in a defined timeframe to a defined scope. This view assumes project exists and project management is about transforming the raw materials of the project into a finished and useful form. Consequently it is the presence of the project itself that defines ‘project management’. The PMBOKs version is ‘The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements’. However, if we cannot precisely define a ‘project’, there is no basis for project management and consequently no foundation for a useable theory of project management. Researchers and academics are starting to reverse the idea that a project is necessary for project management to exist and suggest it is the application of ‘project management’ to an endeavour that creates a project. Some of the ideas being discussed include: †¢ Projects as ‘Temporary Knowledge Organizations (TKOs)’. This school of thought focuses on the idea that the primary instrument of project management is the project team and the recognition that predictability is not a reality of project management. Some key ideas include: o The concept of the project team as a ‘complex adaptive system (or organism)’, living on the ‘edge of chaos’; responding and adapting to its surroundings (ie the project’s stakeholders) offers one new set of insights. o The idea of ‘Nonlinearity’ suggests that you can do the same thing several times over and get completely different results. Small differences may lead to big changes whilst big variations may have minimal effect. This idea questions the validity of ‘detailed programming’ attempting to predict the path of a project (the ‘butterfly effect’, constrained by ‘strange attractors’). The concept of ‘Complex Responsive Processes of Relating’ (CRPR) puts emphasis on the interaction among people and the essentially responsive and participative nature of the human processes of organizing and relating. According to the modern trend in these field, consequence of accepting these theories is to shift the focus of ‘project management’ from the object of the project to the people involved in the project (ie, its stakeholders), and to recognize that it is people who create the project, work on the project and close the project with all innovation. Consequently the purpose of most if not all project ‘control documents’ such as schedules and cost plans shift from being an attempt to ‘control the future’ this is impossible; to a process for communicating with and influencing stakeholders to encourage and guide their involvement in the project. Notwithstanding the advantages of project management, it would be unreasonable to expect all innovation to be carried out through projects. In fact, many ideas are generated by employees in a company on a regular basis, not only within project teams. Thus, there is certainly a room for functional, on-going organization of innovation process. Even more so, in certain situations project management can be detrimental to innovation. Aggeri and Segrestin (2007) show that the recent project development methods in automotive industry can induce negative effects on collective learning processes and these effects have managerial implications for innovative developments. Argument for Managing Innovation in Projects The origins of project management in the manufacturing and construction ndustries determine an engineering perspective, viewing a project as a task-focused entity, proceeding in a linear or similar way from the point of initiation to implementation. This view prevailed until comparatively recently. This view is seemingly in stark contrast with the nature of innovation. It is increasingly being acknowledged that the innovation is a complex non-linear process. The earliest view on innovation process as a pipeline model (whereby a given input is transformed to a specific output) has been largely abandoned. Presently, however, project management is increasingly recognised as a key generic skill for business management (Fangel, 1993), rather than a planning-oriented technique or an application of engineering sciences and optimization theory, in which project management has its roots (Soderlund, 2004). The â€Å"management by projects† has emerged as general mode of organizing for all forms of enterprise (Turner 2003). This new conceptualization of project management enables to embrace the non-linear nature of innovation. Even a creative and non-linear nature of innovation is often characterized as an organizational or management process, rather than spontaneous improvisation. Davila et al. (2006) state, Innovation, like many business functions, is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline. Hence, a project, with its defined objective, scope, budget and limitations, can be an appropriate setting of innovation. The other closely linked element in the new world of project management with innovation is embracing uncertainty. Writing on paper cannot control the future! Schedules do not control time; cost plans do not control costs. Plans outline a possible future and provided a basis for recognizing when things ‘are not going to plan’. For innovation project management to succeed, both project and senior management are going to need to embrace uncertainty and learn skills to manage it rather than expecting predictability and inevitably being disappointed by the variability of ‘reality’ as it unfolds. Challenges of Empirical Studies Scarcity and unreliability, or even lack of data poses a big challenge in research in both innovation and project management. A macro-level research n PM is obstructed by the lack of data on the number of projects, carried out by firms and public institutions, and their characteristics. Problems stem from the definition of a project and the non-disclosure policy of most companies. In such circumstances, PM research has tended to rely on case-studies or on small-scale tailor-made surveys. There i s a widely acknowledged lack of large-scale empirical research in PM (Kloppenborg and Opfer, 2002; Soderlund, 2004). It is claimed that the Independent Project Analysis (IPA) is the market leader in quantitative analysis of project management systems, i. . in project evaluation and project system benchmarking (IPA, 2007). All IPA analyses and research are based on proprietary databases. As of mid-2009, IPA’s databases contain more than 11,000 projects of all sizes ($20,000 to $25 billion) executed across the world. Each year, approximately 1,000 projects are added with representation from the many different industries served by IPA. Each project in our databases is characterized by over 2,000 project attributes, including technology, project scope, project type, project costs, year of authorization, and geographical location (IPA 2009). All information contained in the IPA databases is carefully protected and kept as confidential proprietary data (IPA, 2009). Due to the issues of confidentiality, access for academic researchers is restricted. In the innovation field, academic community has been increasingly using several sources of data, such as granted patents, tailor-made surveys, as well as other data provided by national statistical offices. European research on innovation uses several instruments to obtain data on innovation indicators and to assess national innovation performance. The two main instruments are the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) and the European Innovation Scorecard (EIS). As of 2009, five successful CIS surveys have been carried out: CIS1 (1992), CIS2 (1996), CIS3 (2001), CIS4 (2004) and CIS 2006. Each new round was characterized by an improved questionnaire, in line with the evolution of understanding of the phenomenon of innovation. The more recent surveys embraced understanding of innovation in a broader sense, and for example, paid more attention to service innovations. Further, it is expected that the future surveys will also include management techniques, organizational change, environmental benefits, and design and marketing issues. We argue that, taken into consideration the growing relevance of innovation projects, a clearer and explicit wording should be used in CIS questionnaire for determining whether innovation is organized and carried out in projects or functionally. CONCLUSIONS Innovation studies and project management as distinctive disciplines have been developing in a relative isolation from each other. The analysis in innovation studies domain has rarely explored the mechanisms and patterns of innovation in projects in contrast to traditional (functional or hierarchical) organization. However, since innovation management in companies is increasingly organized in projects, it is of utmost importance to directly address the interplay between innovation management and project management. In this paper, based on the relevant literature and insights from practice, we conceptually examined the relationships between these two research areas aiming at bridging the gap between them. It is widely acknowledged within the discipline of innovation studies that there is a high percentage of failure of innovation initiatives, in other words, failure is inevitable when managing innovation. The key skill set of the competent project manager will be identifying and managing stakeholder expectations using tools such as the Stakeholder circle to help identify the project’s key stakeholders. Innovation is perceived as a luxury, not as a necessity. Therefore, it is of high priority to manage innovation effectively and efficiently with constrained budgets.

Business Have Social Responsibility Other Than Maximizing Profits Philosophy Essay

Business Have Social Responsibility Other Than Maximizing Profits Philosophy Essay Companies do not operate in vacuum, according to Times of Malta (2010), yet they are a necessary part of society in which they operate. As a result, like any other responsible social citizen, businesses also have certain social responsibilities to fulfill such as maximizing profit without which the very existence of the businesses would be in jeopardy. There is of course another very vital reason as to why businesses should be considerate about fulfilling their social responsibility. If they perform as socially responsible citizens they would gain social approval that would enhance their goodwill among prospective customers and this in its turn would increase their sales. Moreover, they would not attract governmental penalties that would be their business in any risk of shutting down. Any form of unethical social acts will make it that much more difficult for them to convince prospective customers and impact will be more severe and more damaging to their organization than one can ima gine and can jeopardize their business to close down. The added problem of penalties imposed by the government, which would make it even more difficult for them to survive. At this stage, the difference between charity and social responsibility must be clarified. For example donating funds to a hospital is sure a creditable act it cannot be called as fulfilling social responsibility as a business does not fulfill any responsibility by doing charity. It is not obliged to do an act of charity but it is obligated to the society to fulfill its social responsibility. Carrying this similarity a little further, if a businessman earns money through illegal means and uses that money to open and run a hospital that treats poor patients free of cost, still that businessman cannot be said to have carried out his social responsibility. A business is said to be socially responsible if it does not engage in any activity that might harm the society even if it increases profit in the short run. Soci al responsibility of businesses implies nonparticipation in cheating customers through false advertisements and eliminating dishonesty to society itself. Social responsibility also includes decent working conditions to employees and taking care of their health and welfare. Profit, not social responsibility, should be the sole motive of business Profit itself should be the main aim of businesses. It might apparently sound rather outrageous, especially if we view this statement from the perspective of distancing profit from ethics and morality. Society may tend to view profit by itself as something unethical and immoral and any attempt at making profit is looked upon as being manipulative to society Milton Friedman illustrates, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits (Friedman 1970), tries to put things in proper perspective by discussing certain very basic and relevant issues in regards of businesses increasing profits as the initial goal. Before society look s into what is exactly meant by social responsibility of corporations one has to admit that corporations initial goal have a long prosperous future and are not expected to have similar social responsibilities that are not involved in the business aspect. At the most, one might admit that these businesses can have social responsibilities that would, quite obviously, be different from real social responsibilities of real persons that do not own businesses. Honoring social responsibility therefore falls on managers of those corporations as they are persons that implement and execute policies and activities. This brings us to another important aspect, that is, the relationships between managers and their stockholders, who are the real owners, of a corporation. Managers are responsible of any action on their part to fulfill so-called social responsibility. However, this does not mean that managers being individual citizens cannot do anything to fulfill what they might perceive as social responsibility. But they can do so with their own money and not with companys funds whose money and utilization has to be done according to the wishes and desires of their stockholders as they are working as a team for their business. Stockholders on the other hand can also with their own money engage in any form activity that they may believe to fit as fulfillment of social responsibility. Freidman also explains that That is why, in my book Capitalism and Freedom, I have called it a fundamentally subversive doctrine in a free society, and have said that in such a society, there is one and only one social responsibility of businessto use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.(Freidman, 1970) So, it is perhaps clear that the whole concept of corporate social responsibility is more of a controversial nature rather than hav ing a solid and logical base. But does that mean corporations should never engage in any activity other than profit maximization? The answer obviously cannot be in the No. According to Cosans in his scholarly article The Coperate Stake in Social Cohesion, a corporate has to operate within the legal and ethical norms of the society in which it operates and any violation of those norms would surely invite executive penalty and social censure and consequent loss of goodwill. Therefore, no corporation can take such a risk and can never engage in any activity that is either illegal or unethical (Cosans 2008). A corporation can surely set free the concepts of social responsibility if its investors decide so. A donation for a charitable purpose can be considered as an act of social responsibility, it can also be seen as an act that is motivated by genuine unselfishness to unwell and ill organizations less privileged individuals. Yet, it is perhaps needless to state that such attempts are t riggered purely by profit maximization motive and surely not social responsibility. As Freidman states if businesses to want to be socially responsible they must do it at their own expense The difficulty of exercising social responsibility illustrates, of course, the great virtue of private competitive enterpriseit forces people to be responsible for their own actions and makes it difficult for them to exploit other people for either selfish or unselfish purposes. They can do goodbut only at their own expense. (Friedman, 1970) So, however one may look at it, the main objective of corporations firmly remain maximization of profits. Corporations must fulfill their social responsibility John Steinbeck in his classic Grapes of Wrath had described profit making in such an controversial viewpoint that any one reading that text would instantly become a hater of large corporations. The setting is indeed overemotional where we find the bank on one side and the unfortunate starving farmers o n the other. The bank can be seen as such a monster that it cannot survive without making profit and it is prepared to oust people from their homes on to the roads where an uncertain future stares at them simply because it has to earn profit by some means or the other. The bank is owner of hundred thousand acres of land and is evicting small and marginal landowners from the only land they have simply because these poor farmers could not pay interest on small amounts borrowed from this bank (Steinbeck 1988). Steinbeck illustrates profit making in such harsh and dishonest ways in which the bank tries to make profit from the farmers who cannot afford to pay the bank. Just because they are poor quite obviously does not give them the right to usurp the money they had taken as loan. Steinbeck though very expressive in describing the sadness of these poor people is however silent on why should investors in these banks suffer due to the inefficiencies of these poor farmers. Though it did no t rain that year and farmers were unable to grow cotton for no fault of theirs but this definitely cannot be a justification for denying investors of the rightful due. The bank workers suggest the farmers to choose for social security measures and leave to West California, but the farmers remain stubborn on refusing to vacate the land Grampa had acquired after killing Indians and snakes. Steinbeck illustrates no remorse for the bank who had lent out money to these farmers and the employees of the bank and rather he remorses for the farmers. One might say, the author remains focused on describing in graphic detail the agonies and deprivations of these poor farmers and not understand the banks point of view as an organization and its duties. Even through the farmers harsh and immoral comments saying bring one war and once the cotton prices get high they would be able to repay all the money they owe to the bank (Steinbeck 1988). Possibly Steinbeck also realized the emptiness of the exp ression he had used to describe the vulnerability of the farmers and he tries to bring some balance through the driver who caustically remarks that such language might bring praise for the tenant man but would not be enough to earn three dollars per day the tractor driver is earning. The sorrow is sensitive by the unrealistic attempt by the tenant man to defend his dwelling from collapsing by lifting his rifle but not being sure who to aim at. It seems Steinbeck was also not sure who exactly to blame for this unpleasant situation and he chose the most convenient enemy the faceless profit eating monster called the bank. Such an outcome of profit making will only raise eyebrows rather than any serious thoughts (Steinbeck 1988). Moses Oketch however presents an highly balanced and reasonable view of why corporations should fulfill their social responsibility. While admitting that earning of profit is essential for the survival of a business and unless it survives it cannot perform any responsibility in terms of social or otherwise, Oketch speak out that for any business to prosper it needs to earn the trust of the community wherein it operates. This trust can only be earned if the corporation works towards social consistent that looks beyond the narrow imprison of shareholders to the wider ground of stakeholders. If it can execute unbiased and reasonable norms of corporate governance it would win unqualified support of its employees and who does not know that motivated and committed human resource is the greatest asset any corporation can ever possess. Oketch terms transparent and fair governance as one example of how corporations can fulfill their social responsibility. Zero tolerance of corrupt practices also would paint the organization in very favorable light in the eyes of society and it would consider the organization to be even more trustworthy. Other examples of social responsibility include engaging in partnership with governments and non-governmental or ganizations to undertake programs that might not have any direct bearing with its line of business but are burning social issues nonetheless like fight against HIV and AIDS. The main thrust of Oketchs argument is that a business must undertake socially cohesive measures as part of its social responsibility if it wants to survive and prosper (Oketch 2004). Conclusion If we keep the viewpoint of Steinbeck aside and look into the positions taken by Friedman and Oketch we find that there is hardly any difference between the two approaches. Both these authors endorse the primacy profit making and while Friedman does not elaborate more than mentioning that every business should operate within the legal and ethical framework of the society they are functioning in, Oketch goes on to detail the various steps a corporation should take to fulfill its social obligations and responsibilities. He further elaborates the extent of corporate attention from only shareholders to all stakeholders. But Friedman also hints at it when he mentions legal and ethical obligations. All the actions that corporations should initiate for social consistent have a single aim that of increasing mutual trust with society as a whole. Friedman termed it as goodwill and I guess was not very far off the mark. Therefore it can be concluded that if a corporation takes all necessary steps to make certain a steady long term profit, it is clear to carry out all those activities that are termed as corporate social responsibility not out of any social or ethical or even moral compulsion but out of pure and complete profit motive.

The Political Writings of Charles Brockden Brown Essay examples -- Cha

The Political Writings of Charles Brockden Brown Charles Brockden Brown, famous as the first professional American writer, was an inventive creator of novels, stories, pamphlets and journal articles. His life extended from 1771-1810, over some of the most significant periods of American history. He came from a Quaker community of Philadelphia, a very intellectually and politically active city. Not surprisingly, Brown was â€Å"swept up in a strong current of challenges to traditional authority† (Watts: 51). He was heavily influenced by the thought of his time, notably Godwin, Wollstonecraft, French Revolutionary thinkers and the American â€Å"disciples† of Locke (Clark:110). Much of his political writing addressed specific situations, though Brown also held very strong beliefs on government and power generally: â€Å"[Law] is the shortest and safest road to the possession of power, and power must be desirable by bad men for its own sake, and by good men for the sake of the beneficial employment of it† (Th e Rhapsodist: 108). Due to this focus on legislative power, Brown’s political writings are intensely critical of the Jefferson government and its actions. â€Å"He is a moralist, and extractor of lessons from specific incidents, not a pointer of people in action† (Warfel: X). Brown was generally concerned with the theory of government and its relation to happiness. Throughout the 1790s he developed many Utopian visions in an attempt to create the perfect political world (Watts : 65). He adamantly demanded â€Å"artistic, intellectual, commercial, and†¦ political independence from Europe† (Axelrod: 4): â€Å"In every work proceeding from my pen, my chief demand†¦ [is] the liberty of judging for myself† (The Rhapsodist: 22). Brown... ...nd the Cession of the Mississippi to France, drawn up by a Counsellor of State. Ed. David Lee Clark. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1952. pp. 261-268. ----. Monroe’s Embassy, of the Conduct of the Government in Relation to our Claims to the Navigation of the Mississippi. Ed. David Lee Clark. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1952. pp. 268-270. ---. The Rhapsodist. Ed. Harry R. Warfel. New York: Scholar’s Facsimiles and Reprints, 1977. Clark, David Lee. Charles Brockden Brown: Pioneer Voice of America. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1952. Warfel, Harry R. Introduction. The Rhapsodist. Ed. Harry R. Warfel. New York: Scholar’s Facsimiles and Reprints, 1977. pp. v-xii. Watts, Steven. â€Å"The Young Artist as Social Visionary† The Romance of Real Life. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994. pp. 49-70.

The Internet and the Justice System :: Government Judicial Web Cyberspace Essays

The Internet and the Justice System I. Introduction. The American legal system has faced many challenges in the past century, mainly due to population growth throughout the nation. The American ‘way-of-life’ has also changed significantly as a result. The legislative and judicial systems need to adapt to these developments. These include advances in information technology, particularly the Internet. This expanding communication network has created different behavioral patterns within our society. This paper will examine some of these changes and try to determine if indeed changes are in order. Issues will be presented from the public manager’s perspective and the position of the justice system, relative to their affect upon citizens. Is it necessary to institute some form of desirable control or regulation over the Internet? If so, will an inordinate amount of public freedom be sacrificed in the process? These questions will be addressed, along with analyzing present policy and possible directions for future legislation. II. The Internet Defined. Public Manager’s Perspective. The introduction of the Internet as an additional mass communication media has created new alternatives for information transmission. The ensuing popularity of the Internet has created many challenges that the public sector must deal with. Estimates in 1999 found that there are approximately 171 million Internet users worldwide (Group Computing, Jan/Feb 2000, p. 56). Change in the societal environment has made the Internet an integral part of the American economy. Privatization. An interesting historical paradox is that, although the Internet has U.S. Defense Department origins, it is scarcely perceived as a public utility by most users anymore. (Abrahamson, JMQC vol 75, no 1, p. 16) Public reaction to the specific and continuing privatization of the Internet has been anything but an organized protest. Greater portions of it have, in name as well as effect, become privatized by larger corporations. This includes Microsoft, the largest player in the nation’s information technology marketplace. This conglomerate is widely recognized as a commercial enterprise with well-documented monopolistic tendencies. Justice System’s Perspective. The justice system must consider the legal issues. New technology has led to a societal issue that must be interpreted in its relevance to the First Amendment. The justice system is supposed to guarantee the rights of every citizen, yet has instead elected to offer more protection to private entities first. These include private companies such as newspaper publishers or, in this instance, the private enterprises found on the Internet.

Puritan Society In Hesters Life :: essays research papers

The Godly beliefs and punishments followed by the Puritans stemmed from their English experience and complete involvement in religion. The Puritan society molded itself and created a government based upon the Bible and implemented it with force. Hester’s act of adultery was welcomed with rage and was qualified for serious punishment. Boston became more involved in Hester’s life after her crime was announced than it had ever been before—the religious based, justice system formally punished her and society collectively tortured her. Based upon the religious, governmental, and social design of the society, Hester’s entire existence revolved around her sin and the Puritan perception thereof; this association breaks way to society significantly becoming involved in her life. The importance of a social framework for the new society, where the Church would be all encompassing, developed from the teachings of such religious reformers as John Wycliffe and John Calvin. The Church would be directly involved in the running of the community and its regime. Enforcing such laws established by scripture read from the Bible, the government disciplined Hester for her committed sin. The Puritans considered the Bible as the â€Å"true law of God that provided guidelines for church and government†. They wished to shape the Church of England to meet their ideals, emphasizing Bible reading, prayer, and preaching in worship services. They simplified the ritual of the sacraments and also wanted more personal and fewer prescribed prayers. The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue while including a basic knowledge of unacceptable actions of the time. Obtaining virtue was expected to secure order and peace within the Puritan community. The Church officials, who played a direct role in the government, calculated the penalties for various sins. When sins arose, the government took the role as chief executive of corrective punishment and instituted castigation. Hester found herself very much a part of the local Church and government’s heavy hand. Everyone was aware of her sinful act, for she was placed on a scaffold amidst the entire people for a painful viewing. The religious morals instilled in the Puritan society caused her much pain long after the public humiliation. Permanently â€Å"symbolized as a sinner†, Hester was branded for life with a cloth letter worn on her bosom. For years after the letter was first revealed on the scaffold, Hester was associated with the sin and the scarlet letter. Because the Puritans contoured religion, social life, and government together, each member of the society was involved in the religion, social life, and government—everybody in Boston saw the â€Å"A† on Hester’s chest in the same light.