Negative Effects Of Modern Day Testing | Education

Negative Effects Of Modern Day Testing | Education Utilizing state sanctioned tests to assess understudies and instructors has been an extraordinary mix-up of the instructive framework. The apparently impeccable thought that high grades demonstrate powerful instructing and able understudies has neglected to be exact. As indicated by Alfie Kohn in The Case Against Standardized Testing government sanctioned tests cannot quantify activity, innovativeness, creative mind, applied reasoning, interest, exertion, incongruity, judgment, duty, subtlety, cooperative attitude, moral reflection, or a large group of other important demeanors and characteristics. Understudies remember more than they learn and hold and don't gain proficiency with the equivalent and even educators have been discovered cheating to keep their employments. Numerous supporters even utilize state administered tests to exploit the training framework. Government sanctioned tests have sabotaged training and the achievement of numerous understudies. While most of present day people groups and educators have acknowledged government sanctioned tests to be the best technique for assessing understudies mental capacity, actually they neglect to represent the genuine capacity of individual understudies and instructors while additionally affecting them adversely. Government sanctioned tests disseminated by the state are known as high stakes tests. They are called so on the grounds that schools with high results can get acclaim and budgetary prizes while schools with low results are proclaimed unsuitable and may get sanctions. Besides, understudies with low scores might be kept down in a specific evaluation. These are a couple of the numerous stakes on the line with government sanctioned tests. It has just been as of late that schools have traded utilization of state administered tests for scholarly arrangement and for deciding understudy needs, with making a decision about understudies knowledge and keeping them away from confirmations (Kohn). Impacts Against Students To most, this thought appears to be fine, yet there are numerous issues with it. Gregory J. Dealer expresses that the National Association of School Psychologists thinks keeping understudies down is terrible strategy with decimating impacts (3). Numerous urban communities have bombed understudies for underachieving in state administered tests. In Baltimore, 20,000 understudies were kept down. For the understudy, being selected as the idiotic one could harm them mentally. Singular understudies could get left behind by the companions and companions they esteem most in their own evaluation level. Not exclusively will this impact people, however enormous masses of understudies get kept down prompting nervousness about state sanctioned tests. Understudies in same level evaluations may be at various degrees of their intellectual turn of events, yet because of evaluation levels utilization old enough rather than insight level, a considerable lot of those understudies are stuck stepping thro ugh examinations made for the advantage of the class and leaving them the outcomes of organic components. . While it is a great idea to have understudies be at their own knowledge level with peers, it is smarter to change age level based evaluations. An expansion of disappointment and maintenance from grade level to review level could likewise prompt an increment of dropout rates because of weight. In Boston, the dropout rate was expanded by 300 percent which was straightforwardly ascribed to state administered tests (Merchant 3). It has likewise been analyzed that tests made for instructive designs were one-sided on minority cognizance (Myers 334). At the end of the day minorities for the most part do more terrible on these tests than a considerable lot of the prevailing white lion's share. This likewise prompts a significant number of those minorities, to feel unacceptable and generally speaking stupider. Being Hispanic in secondary school and watching a significant number of my companions, kin, and family members who have dropped out, there have been numerous events in which Hispanics accept they couldn't further their instruction. My companions likewise had the mentality that they were to dropout or simply enter the workforce following secondary school. These stakes make understudies further dread tests as well as make them wonder, as they float through school, I this going to be on the test? Tension, dread, and outrage towards state sanctioned tests are flooding understudies minds. Perspectives towards test not just show themselves in understudies through cheating and loafing yet in addition restrain accomplishment on tests by plunging understudies with uneasiness. (Trader 4). Ten million understudies in basic and optional schools performed beneath capacity on tests in light of tension (Merchant 4). Trader clarifies a potential increment because of the expanded accentuation and significance of testing (4). Tests have appeared to cause a ton of physical and mental issues for understudies. Truancy and stress all make the training framework contrarily sway understudies, particularly the youthful ones. The degree that advanced schools cause understudies to take a stab at greatness past the bustling work of the homeroom is forsaken. The most any understudy has to know is a condition and numbers to connect, however there is no real information on the genuine condition utilized. Presently, the only things that are in any way important is what will be on the test. What does mx + b mean when everything you do is plug in numbers appropriately. I would say with school I have never really had to know and comprehend material completely to accomplish a passing mark despite the fact that I have strived to do as such. Moreover I have just needed to think fundamentally in a bunch of circumstances. There has been A factual relationship between high scores on government sanctioned tests and generally shallow reasoning (Kohn). Albeit numerous inventive scholars additionally score well on tests and many shallow masterminds some of the time score high, the bases that somebody can excel on a test by only replicating down answers, speculating a great deal, and avoiding the hard parts makes an extraordinary hole in exact estimations of understudies information (Kohn). Numerous understudies see little of the subject or strategies being utilized. While exclusively viable instructors do help, it is still fantastically hard to accomplish appropriate estimations in a contemporary day study hall concentrating on state tests and different plans. Tests are presently utilized as a gauge for understudies and educators accomplishment however the scores don't appropriately mirror the nature of the scholarly community. In the first place, tests are a correlation of one individual comparative with the remainder of the number of inhabitants in understudies. This thusly makes it extraordinarily hard to set up a test as per the information that ought to be built up at each level. One purpose behind that being that not every person at a similar age is at a similar level. Potential isn't estimated by where somebody is nevertheless where they can go. Another negative impact of this thought is that if a state with 140,000 understudies rose the standard cutoff score for a specific evaluation to be five additional percentiles, 7,000 understudies would not go to the following level or be viewed as normal (Merchant 2). Thus, understudies additionally don't realize what they ought to realize or increase real insight. Gregory expresses that essential things that understudies should ace don't appear on tests, and because of cutoff points of time, a specific inquiries endeavoring to quantify information might be too not many to even think about having solid estimations of explicit expertise (Merchant 3). Gregory even proceeds to state that a couple of good theories or skipped answers may decide the expertise level of understudies. Government sanctioned tests at that point show their impediments in surveying genuine understudy development (3). Consequences for Teachers For the eighteen years I have been in school endeavoring toward scholastic accomplishment and scoring huge numbers on state administered tests, the center has been intellectual turn of events, understanding through idea. In spite of the fact that this isn't awful, the manners in which schools have gone about it is frightfully off-base. School, through my experience, has comprised of incalculable long periods of sitting in a room gazing toward what instructors were stating. This technique, while working for certain understudies, has neglected to genuinely challenge understudies intellectually just as not altogether instruct others. One of the primary purposes behind these, to be honest, exhausting classes is state sanctioned tests. These capacities will at last hurt the understudies. Do educators attempt to show a balanced understudy or a decent test taker? Impacts of state sanctioned tests are handily found in the study hall. It is additionally imagined that great scores mirror the educators viability. Hanging tight time on planning for tests as opposed to learning other material is a genuine factor. Instructors stressed over awful tests scores invest an extraordinary measure of energy showing understudies how to step through examinations as opposed to showing learning abilities and information (Merchant 4). Instructors start to concentrate on materials understudies need on the tests. The educational plan at that point begins to be limited. Gregory expresses that instructors even quit concentrating on inventive learning, for example, ventures, to restore address techniques (4). The awful piece of this is awful educators centered around tests could get made look like great instructors when in actuality they are most certainly not. Schools cut out music, workmansh ip, and social investigations to concentrate on perusing and math for tests and train them as needs be to excel on tests, which thus cuts a significant chance of learning for understudies. Indeed, even the ACT science test focusses on understudies capacity to peruse instead of information on science. These strategies don't simply hurt understudies by ignoring endless regions of study yet additionally by oppressing them as equivalent students. The hypothesis of Multiple Intelligence discloses to us that various individuals think and see in an unexpected way. Howard Gardner a notable analyst communicates insight in eight distinct bundles, one being substantially sensation which requires development not at all like that of a study hall. Another analyst, Robert Sternberg, proposed three insights. Sternberg called one of these insights systematic knowledge which communicates what might be known as insight designed for present day school study hall (Myers 330 333). One of the conceivably most exceedingly terrible results of this recently discovered strategy is the cheating by instructors all through the states. Since numerous states currently use tests to gauge instructors as well, educators start to cheat to keep their occupations just as show signs of improvement financing. While this thought isn't common there have be

Tablet PC Essay -- Technology Computers

TABLET PCs Consolidates Simplicity of Paper with Full Power of Windows-Based Computing For as far back as scarcely any years, the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) has become massively mainstream. Notwithstanding, because of size limitations, it has consistently filled in as an auxiliary gadget to the personal computer. So various equipment producers revealed another type of correspondence, the Tablet PC. What precisely is a Tablet PC? It is a scratch pad PC with a touch-touchy screen and is somewhat bigger than the size of a piece of paper. Tablet PCs will have two arrangements: the convertible model with an incorporated console and a showcase that pivots 180 degrees that can be collapsed down over the console, and the record style with a removable console. It permits clients to spare their composed info either as pictures or as changed over content. It is fundamentally the same as a PDA, just bigger and all the more impressive, and weighs not as much as the present PCs yet is completely designed for PC tasks and Internet applications. By joining the best characteristi cs of a PDA and PC, the Tablet PC can be utilized in applications where a PC would be excessively cumbersome, and a PDA would not be incredible enough. Previously, field administration laborers with cell phones would in general have just a single application on their gadget. With the Tablet PC working framework, they can interface and utilize a lot more applications. A since quite a while ago valued objective for innovation visionaries and PC architects, the Tablet PC will speak to the following significant development in PC plan and usefulness. While holding the full capacity to run every current Window based programming applications, the Tablet PC grows endeavor processing to address already neglected necessities, for example, the capacity to take notes at gatherings, comment on existing electronic reports and ... ...ning up organizations to the world, the utilization of a Tablet PC will be much increasingly useful when sharing data across mainland lines. The Tablet PC stage has built up itself as one of the PC industry’s most encouraging developments. Liberated from links and console, the Tablet PC gives a minimized, effectively versatile gadget which is both in vogue and at last reasonable. It has all the ability to run normal efficiency applications anyplace and all the illustrations execution to augment the Internet experience. Additionally, with the across the board and expanding reception of WLAN association innovation, Internet perusing and email are getting progressively open. In spite of the fact that right now, the Tablet PC innovation is still in its early stages, the regularly improving innovation will make Tablet PCs more easy to use and handy which brings us one bit nearer to a paperless society.

Blog Archive Mission Admission Which Font Should I Use

Blog Archive Mission Admission Which Font Should I Use Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday. Should I use Calibri or Times New Roman font for my essays? Should I list my GPA to the third or fourth decimal place? I dont have enough space to enter my full title, so should I write Vice President or VP Sales? As candidates approach their first application deadline, small questions start to ariseâ€"questions that often require a little judgment to answer. No one was ever kept out of Harvard Business School for listing his/her GPA to the third decimal point or for abbreviating a title. Remember, the admissions officers are not punitive. They are not mean-spirited people, reading your application and searching for reasons to reject you. So, if you have a small lingering question about your application, you can connect with the admissions office and ask someone there. Most often, they will ask you to  use your judgment. As long as your broad story is compelling, the smallest details should take care of themselves. Share ThisTweet Mission Admission

Intervening Variable Definition and Examples in Sociology

An intervening variable is something that impacts the relationship between an independent and a dependent variable. Usually, the intervening variable is caused by the independent variable, and is itself a cause of the dependent variable. For example, there is an observed positive correlation between level of education and level of income, such that people with higher levels of education tend to earn higher levels of income. This observable trend, however, is not directly causal in nature. Occupation serves as the intervening variable between the two, since education level (the independent variable) influences what kind of occupation one will have (the dependent variable), and therefore how much money one will earn.  In other words, more schooling tends to mean a higher status job, which in turn tends to bring a higher income. How an Intervening Variable Works When researchers conduct experiments or studies they are usually interested in understanding the relationship between two variables: an independent and a dependent variable. The independent variable is usually hypothesized to be the cause of the dependent variable, and the research is designed to prove whether or not this is true. In many cases, like the link between education and income described above, a statistically significant relationship is observable, but it is not proven that the indirect variable is directly causing the dependent variable to behave as it does. When this occurs researchers then hypothesize what other variables could be influencing the relationship, or how a variable might intervene between the two. With the example given above, occupation intervenes to mediate the connection between level of education and level of income. (Statisticians consider an intervening variable to be a kind of mediating variable.) Thinking causally, the intervening variable  follows the independent variable but precedes the dependent variable. From a research standpoint, it clarifies the nature of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Other Examples of Intervening Variables in Sociology Research Another example of an intervening variable that sociologists monitor is the effect of systemic racism on college completion rates. There is a documented relationship between race and college completion rates. Research shows that among 25 to 29-year-old adults in the U.S., Asian Americans are most likely to have completed college, followed by whites, while Blacks and Hispanics have much lower rates of college completion. This represents a statistically significant relationship between race (independent variable) and level of education (dependent variable). However, it is not accurate to say that race itself influences level of education. Rather, the experience of racism is an intervening variable between the two.​ Many studies have shown that racism has a strong effect on the quality of K-12 education that one receives in the U.S. The nations long history of segregation and housing patterns today mean that the nations least-funded schools primarily serve students of color while the nations best-funded schools primarily serve white students. In this way, racism intervenes to affect the quality of education. Additionally, studies have shown that implicit racial biases among educators lead to Black and Latino students receiving less encouragement and more discouragement in the classroom than white and Asian students, and also, that they are more regularly and harshly punished for acting out. This means that racism, as it manifests in the thoughts and actions of educators, once again intervenes to impact college completion rates on the basis of race. There are numerous other ways in which racism acts as an intervening variable between race and level of education.

The Revenue Picture For American Journalism - 1651 Words

The Revenue Picture for American Journalism, and How It Is Changing 1. Advertising Still Dominates a. 69% of all domestic news revenue comes from advertising i. $43 billion of $63 b. Audience revenue accounts for 24% of the total revenue i. Subscriptions, cable fees, etc. c. Event hosting, marketing services and web consulting account for 7% of the total d. 1% total comes from Personal wealth, philanthropy 2. The Old and the New a. 58% combined digital and print ads i. Decline 2005: $49 billion (and 82% of total newspaper revenue) b. For-profit digital news outlets i. The Huffington Post, Vice Media, Buzzfeed, Gawker 1. 1% to 2% of all news ad revenue 3. Shift in Balance of News Revenue a. Other ways of paying for news are becoming more evident i. Events, digital marketing services, e-commerce, content licensing and even commercial printing and delivery 1. Tech sites 2. Corporate sponsorship and ticket sales 3. NY Times Hosted 16 events in 2013 4. Marketing services in local newspapers ii. Philanthropic Support 1. a larger role since the recession of 2008 and 2009 2. Investments from wealthy individuals 3. Purchasing and creating new journalism outlets b. Growth in Audience Revenue i. Finding ways to squeeze more money out of less paying viewers 4. Summary a. Internet has made it possible for revenue to expand b. Traditional sectors and the traditional forms account for most of the revenue supporting news gathering in the United States c. While newspaper industry isShow MoreRelatedSolution for the Decline of Circulation of Newspaper1065 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as the television, the radio, and the biggest competition, the World Wide Web. With the fast advancement in technology, news no longer needs to be viewed sedentarily. Electronic companies are catering to the fast-paced and busy lifestyles of Americans; therefore, creating devices that are portable and convenient for getting the news. New technology such as tablet PCs, e-book readers, and smart phones are replacing the way we have been receiving the news. However, these new devices cannot replaceRead MoreThe Rise of WikiLeaks was both necessary and inevitable  ¨Reality is an aspect of property, it1700 Words   |  7 Pages ¨Reality is an aspect of property, it must be seized, and investigative journalism is the noble art of seizing reality back from the powerful ¨(Assange 59), thus spoke Julian Assange, the praised and hated founder of Wikileaks. A Wikileaks, a non-profit international organization founded in 2006, definitely opened a new dimension of journalism by releasing information that should not be banned from the public in the name of the American idea of greater democracy. The citizens deserve to know the truthRead MoreSituation Analysis : The Nation s Newspaper1425 Words   |  6 PagesUnfortunately, today, the paper faces unprecedented competition from a variety of sources at a time when more and more Americans, especially younger people, are turning away from printed news. That shift has affected the company financially as well. USA Today and other newspapers have struggled with falling revenues and increased costs for several years. Both print and online advertising revenues have been falling steadily, declining by over 51 percent since 2005. Classified advertising has been hit particularlyRead MoreEssay on Mass Media1405 Words   |  6 Pagespopular virtual community, such as, My Space, and Face book. Both sites can be used to upload pictures, videos, post messages, and create a personal profile. The Mobile Phone: has evolved over the years. Some phones are now capable of doing all the mentioned above. 2 One of the greatest benefits of social media is the ability to access individuals by interacting through web conferencing, sharing pictures, gathering information from the internet, building virtual communities, and relationships.Read MoreHistorical Accuracy Of The Film Good Night, And Good Luck2340 Words   |  10 PagesHistorical Accuracy of the film Good Night, and Good Luck Ed Murrow is one of the most well known and respected American television journalists of all time, and a source of inspiration for many. He is portrayed in George Clooney’s, Good Night, and Good Luck, as the anchor to the news show, See it Now, specifically surrounding the episodes focused on McCarthyism. These episodes were aired in the early 1950’s in the midst of the cold war and an era of intense anti-communist sentiment in America. McCarthyismRead MoreRupert Murdoch ¬Ã‚ ¥S Media Monopoly5481 Words   |  22 PagesÂ…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â… p. 3 1. The development of television Â…Â…Â….. p. 4 2. Globalisation of the TV market and its effects Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…. p. 5 3. How legislation can influence the quality of journalism Â…Â…Â…Â…Â….. p. 6 4. How television can be abusedÂ…Â….Â…Â…p. 8 5. Rupert Murdoch ´s media monopoly and its effects on American television and society Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â… p.10 Conclusion Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â… p. 15 Bibliography Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…Â…. p. 17 Introduction The following term paper deals with the developmentRead MoreEssay about We Should NOT Censor Internet Pornography1331 Words   |  6 Pageswho knowingly makes indecent material available to children under eighteen5. The Act used sweeping generalizations, which banned all forms of nudity in written and graphic form on the Internet. The clauses of the Act were so broad that posting pictures of famous works of art on the Internet, such as Michaelangelos David, would be grounds for a heavy fine. Sexually related articles and photos, which are constitutionally protected in tangible form, would have been deemed unconstitutional in electronicRead MoreEssay on Mass Media Coverage of Presidential Election1460 Words   |  6 Pagescoverage of the U.S. presidential election involves two key elements- news reporting and paid advertising. Combined they make the media an important and influential factor in the election process. The media depends upon the campaigns for both news and revenues. The candidates then rely upon the media to get in touch with the largest number of voters possible. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Media has a â€Å" very powerful and justifiable role† (Fullerton-1) to play in presidentialRead More Public Opinion and Television Essay5264 Words   |  22 Pagesmanipulate the public opinion. Outlining the success story of this important means of mass media at the beginning of the first chapter, I will then explain the effects of globalisation on the TV market. Considering the example of commercialised American television, I will demonstrate in which ways the extreme competition between TV companies and their struggle for the top ratings has influenced the quality of TV programs. In the second chapter I will deal with media control and show how televisionRead MoreStereotypes Of Stereotypes Are Everywhere2445 Words   |  10 Pagesmultiple years as a member of the American military. As a child of the Cold War, Mr. V was always taught that the Russians were the enemy. This teaching went even further during Mr. V s service in the military, where he was trained to not only hate Russians, but to kill them as well. Americans during the Cold war were constantly plagued and bombarded by stereotypes brought about by propaganda. Russians were the primary enemy and were the main targets of this yellow1 journalism. The most prevalent stereotypes

Essay about Concept Analysis on Self Perception - 1071 Words

This is a concept analysis on self-perception. Self-perception is non-discriminatory in that it crosses all socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The effects of self-perception can be and usually are life altering. Self-perception can tear at the fabric of the victims self-confidence, self-worth and trust in their perceptions when relating to life events, eventually causing a chasm or warped view of the inner self. The reason for examining self-perception relates to how it affects the healing process and the relationships with those providing care. Introduction Working in a healthcare system you encounter people from various ages and statuses. It has always been concerning to see how self-perception affects a person’s†¦show more content†¦Perception can be influenced by outside factors and is constantly changing as a person matures into their life and socio-economic status. Method The Walker Avant (2005) concept analysis method guided the analysis. The analysis includes research from the following literature: nursing, medicine, philosophy and psychology. Essential and Critical Attributes Self-concept and self-esteem are critical attributes when understanding self-perception. This is influenced by other critical attributes that include being able to bond; having relationships, societal standards also contribute to a person’s self-perception. Understanding the psychological effects of self, determine how well we respond to stressors in life such as healthcare problems or relationship development. Psychological and philosophical ideas of self; help in defining self-perception within the nursing profession. Nursing has become more adaptive to the perception of self in that there are theories developed that include holistic care and account for a patient’s self-perception. When assessing the concept of self-perception the interrelationship with self-esteem is very evident. Self-perception has seemed to evolve from self-concept or knowing of self. Self-perception or self-concept can be†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ traced to Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle.† Rayner p.26) Most research address self-esteem which is the major influence for self-perception. Therefore, due to the interconnectionShow MoreRelatedThe Self Essay1414 Words   |  6 PagesThe Self Our perception is often skewed by what the media or what others deem as attractive and beautiful. Self-concept affects individuals directly through interpersonal communications and how others perceive several aspects of our behaviour and attitudes. Self-Esteem and Body Image are also common factors which help define who we are, and are significant in today’s society. These three issues today, can have a huge impact on an individual’s development and overall personality. By definition, perceptionRead MoreAnalysis Of My Sister, Geyonia, And Me Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagesthe analysis: Relationship analysis of my sister – Geyonia – and me. Using the concepts: Self-concept Emotional display Perception impact Nonverbal behaviors/communication Listening styles Stage of relationship Disclosure styles Communication climates Confirming and disconfirming messages Conflict event and styles Types of resolution I will be relating my week of analysis of the relationship with my sister to the above concepts and explaining the relationship I have with Geyonia. Self-concept is theRead MorePuriteen Case1419 Words   |  6 PagesPGP 2012-14 Consumer Behaviour Case Analysis: PURITEEN COSMETICS Ajinkya Ankit Mate Nitin Verma Rajat Shubham Saini Sonakshi Saini 2012PGP427 2012PGP199 2012PGP233 2012PGP292 2012PGP359 2012PGP367 CASE BACKGROUND A cosmetics company Puriteen has acquired a perfume and cologne company previously managed by the Depuys Henri and Marie who named the two perfumes after their names. Puriteen aimed to develop a marketing program for the two newly acquired perfumes. Despite being rated high in consumerRead MoreConcept Analysis Of Pain And Pain1650 Words   |  7 PagesConcept Analysis of Pain The most common reason that people seek medical care is pain, and pain is the leading cause of disability (Peterson Bredow, 2013, p. 51; National Institute of Health, 2010). Pain is such an important topic in healthcare that the United States congress â€Å"identified 2000 to 2010 as the Decade of Pain Control and Research† (Brunner L. S., et al., 2010, p. 231). Unfortunatelly, patients are reporting a small increase in satisfaction with the pain management while in the hospitalRead MoreSelf -Esteem and Student Success1511 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effects of Self-Esteem on Student Success Cristine Scott Central Michigan University CED 502 Student Development in Higher Education Mr. John Lalibertà © In today’s’ society, success is often measured by academic and professional achievement. Higher education provides more opportunity and freedom. Statistics verify that generally, the more highly educated have higher earnings and there is a significant difference between wages earned by employees with College degrees and those without. HigherRead MoreA Research Study On Alcohol Abuse836 Words   |  4 PagesBandura’s concept of â€Å"reciprocal determinism† related to Social Learning Theory (1978) and Life Course Theory (Elder, 1998) as developmental theory will help explain that victimization (a risk factor) as a direct or indirect predictor of adolescents’ alcohol abuse, as well as interpersonal relationship with family and peers as a protective factor, which can moderate the predictive effect of victimization on self-perception, perception towards alcohol, and alcohol abuse. In the proposed path analysis, allRead MoreDavid Hume s Bundle 1041 Wo rds   |  5 Pagesas a reply to Descartes) The silhouette of a subject was drawn by a council of moments and David Hume named it an illusion, humanity named it the self. In the modern ages of philosophy while Rene Descartes’ affect still remains eminent, David Hume comes with an argument which kills the I Descartes created and lets it fly as a ghost in human perception. Not only in the case of the subject, the contrast between Hume’s and Descartes’ ideas can be seen in their search for a priori as well. i. DavidRead MoreAnalysis Of Nell And The Wilderness Of North Carolina Essay1442 Words   |  6 Pagescommunication concepts, specifically the concept of self, how perception is shaped, and the creation of interpersonal communication competence. While the film does not go into great analysis of each concept, it provides an adequate overview of interpersonal communication as whole, and acts as an example of real life application of interpersonal communication concepts. The concept of self made an important appearance, early in the film. Self is defined as an â€Å"evolving composite of self-awareness, self-conceptRead MoreConcept Analysis In Nursing1158 Words   |  5 PagesApplication of Concept Analysis to Practice In recent years there has been a movement in nursing to further understand the many terms (concepts) that are used. Concepts in nursing often seem vague or appear to have ambiguous meanings. For the purpose of this paper, we will take a deeper look at one specific concept, emotional intelligence, and examine a peer reviewed article that utilizes the Walker and Avant method to deconstruct the meaning. Emotional intelligence is asks the nurse to look atRead Moremr dddsdddd1164 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿GS0155 Interpersonal Communication Summary of concepts from Lecture 1 to Lecture 10 Lecture 1: Universals of IPC What is interpersonal communication? Nature of IPC: dyadic approach a. Dyadic b. Dyadic primacy c. Dyads Two types of dyadic connection: a. Dyadic coalition b. Dyadic consciousness Elements of Interpersonal Communication: (the model of IPC) a. Source-Receiver (encode, decode) b. Messages (feedback message, feed forward message) c. Channel d. Noise (Physical, Physiological

Dream Deffered free essay sample

I think what Langston meant by this is that life may be broken, but you still have to keep on going. If you cant fly, walk, if you cant walk, crawl, but what ever you do keep on going and dont stop. Also it says â€Å"Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go†. This means again dont take advantage of your dreams. The last two lines say â€Å"Life is a barren field frozen with snow†. This means its empty of all life but frozen. The theme of this poem that you should never give up on your goals or dreams in your life. But you must be strong while your living because if not, you will end of suffering. Life is tough but you must keep going. If your dream gets ruined, try to do chase another dream. Dont just give up. Life WILL give you ups and downs but if your strong enough to fight through it, everything will be worth it in the end. We will write a custom essay sample on Dream Deffered or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some people take dreams serious but some dont. Dreams are a real thing that can happen too people and they make their life much better than what most peoples are. Dreams help you through life, no matter what is going on. I think Langston put over 100 meanings in just 8 lines in a tiny poem. The poem is touching and will mean something to someone as soon as they read it. My favorite line or lines is the one where it says â€Å"life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly† because it kind of relates to a human being. Because if youre broken you cant fly. But you can still keep on moving towards what you want in life. Just because something came up and is holding you back from your dream, doesnt mean you cant break free and proceed too that dream. Never stop for what you want in life. Life may be broken, but you shouldnt let that stop you from chasing your dream or accomplishing a goal. Push yourself to be successful at life so you wont have to struggle . Some people wish for things to happen instead of having dreams. With wishing, you wish for something to come true that probably wont. With dreaming and believing, it will come true if you do whatever it takes to make it. Everyone has dreams and goals, some people don t have the strength or really want it to become real. But other people have faith and will stride for that goal or dream to become reality. Also some people let other people change your mind about your goal or dream. But no, you shouldnt! Its your dream or your goal so why let someone else change that? But thats my view on that. I feel like Langston went through hard times, but he didnt give up. Now hes a legend with his poems. A lot of people succeed because they believe they can do whatever they like or want to do. So they go for it and end up reaching that spot they want to be at in life. So just remember to stride for your dreams and never stop till you get to that dream or goal.

Literary Analysis of the Dubliners Essay Example

Literary Analysis of the Dubliners Paper ENG 301 Literature Analysis Title: Dubliners â€Å"Eveline†, James Joyce Cast: Main Characters: Eveline Hill, her father, her mother, Frank, Minor Characters: a man, the children playing in the field( the Devines, Waters, Dunns, little Keogh, her brothers and sisters, Ernest, Tizzie Dunn, Margaret Alacovaz, Miss Gaven, Harry and the organ player Character: Eveline Hill Caregiver: The character Eveline is portrayed as the caretaker. â€Å"She had hard work to keep the house together and to see that the two young children whom had been left to her to charge went to school regularly and got their meals regularly. ( Eveline to self, 37) Since her mother has pasted on, Eveline has had to assume the role of the nurturer because she was the only one that was capable of doing so. She was in charge of the dusting, cleaning and taking care of everything since her mother had past so to her this just seemed to be so routine to her, as well as living in Dublin for all these years this is just what she knows and feels comfortable with. Conformist: Her father seemed to be somewhat of a director towards her as well as does her lover Frank. He father doesn’t seem to condone her relationship with Frank. â€Å"The organ player had been ordered to go away and given six pence. She remembered her father strutting back into the sickroom saying Damned Italians! Coming over here! †(Eveline to self, 39) Her father is very domineering and tries to tell her what to do and that he seems to know what is best for her. He even goes as far as taking her paycheck that she gets from the store that she works at and from watching the children as well. She also seems to think that Franks will drown her if she ends up going with him as opposed to staying because she will have the challenges with a new marriage, a new home and possibly children. Oppressor: Paralysis seems to be another factor within the story. â€Å"She sat her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. †(Eveline to self, 41) It’s like she freezes when the opportunity arises to be able to gain from her new experiences. She can’t seem to let go of the memories which again is what seems to also be holding her back. We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of the Dubliners specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of the Dubliners specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis of the Dubliners specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer She seems to have an epiphany when she realizes that he is gone and that she is going to have to deal with the regret of not going with Frank just to see how it would have been if she had made the decision to go with him. Loner: There are many senses that are used quite often throughout this reading. â€Å"Windows† is a common word repeated throughout. â€Å"She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. † (Eveline to self, 34) This seems to show a reflection on her own situations and relations she has with other people. She hears the organ and it reminds her of her mother and how she lived and she doesn’t want to have a repeat of her life, but her impulses and the reliance she has seems to override the impulses. One other sense that seems to be reoccurring is hearing. She hears footsteps outside the window in front of the new houses and this again shows that there seems to be some sense of a loner town and that there is really nothing keeping her there but again her family. Survivor: â€Å"She gripped with both hands at the iron railing. (Eveline to self, 40) This shows that she has comfort in staying and surviving the life she has in Dublin. She had the chance to leave what she has always known but instead she decides to stay and live up to her word that she told her dying mother. Setting: Dublin, Ireland, 1904, an old room mainly setting in the window, the dock Plot: A young lady named Eveline Hill is setting alone in her home pondering the idea of leaving Dublin’s ordinary life tha t seem to be based on experiences to elope with her love Frank the sailor, but in the end she abandons him at the dock. Theme: â€Å"He rushed beyond the barrier and called to her to follow. He was shouted at to go on but he still called to her. She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition. † (40,Eveline to self) Within this story, it depicts a young lady named Eveline trying to debate if she wants to stay in Dublin and what she has always known or to take an adventure with her lover to Buenos Ayres to live. This seems to be her only way to escape from everyone/everything and be able to have a chance to be able to start a new life with her lover Frank. This seems to portray some type of relation between life and death. The reason being is that Eveline seems to think that her leaving is in a way of that particular part of her life dying off and with her leaving, this is a way to a new life for her away from everyone in Dublin. She seems to be pondering the idea of giving up her chance at love so that she may stay where she has always been. Eveline has done the same jobs of working for other people, giving her paychecks to her dad and taking care of her brothers for so long that she is not quite sure how to really do anything else. She is so stuck in her routine with the way of doing things for others that she is willing to let go of her chance at true romance. It seems to be that they are trying to make her feel bad in a way of mental abuse so that she will not leave them. It seems to be so that she can have the chance to experience new things, such as moving away to be with her lover Frank and for once have happiness in her life. Eveline’s father as well as her brothers don’t really care or care to see what makes her happy. They are all in it for themselves. Her father and brothers have had things done for them for so long they don’t want to have to actually do something for themselves. Her family knows that if she stays, she will continue on with her daily routine. From this particular story, family seems to be the overall big picture for the theme. Everything seems to come back to the family. She does what she does on her daily routine because of her family; she does everything to help out her family even if it doesn’t make her happy. In the end she lets her lover leave without her because of her family as well.

Birth, Death Marriage Records in Alberta Canada

Birth, Death Marriage Records in Alberta Canada The Province of Alberta was formed in 1905, but civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths in Alberta dates back to 1870 when Alberta was part of the Northwest Territories. A few, scattered birth records date back as far as 1850. How to Request an Alberta Vital Record: Government Services, Alberta RegistriesVital StatisticsBox 2023Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4W7Phone: (780) 427-7013 Alberta residents applying for an event which occurred in Alberta must apply through a Registry Agent, either in person or in writing. Applications by non-Alberta residents for a vital event which occurred in Alberta may apply through Registry Connect.Certificate Request for Alberta Residents The minimum fee for a birth, marriage or death certificate requested through a registry agent by an Alberta resident is $20 Canadian. Postage and handling, plus an agency fee is added on top, however, meaning that the actual fee charged will vary by registry agent. The cost for each certificate requested by people living outside of Alberta through Registry Connect is $40 Canadian, which includes GST and postage (except for rush delivery). Website: Alberta Vital Statistics Alberta Birth Records: Dates: From about 1850* Cost of copy: varies by registry agent (see above) Comments: When requesting the record for genealogical purposes, be sure to request a certified photocopy of a registration of birth (long form). This record will contain the name, date, and place of birth, sex, names of parents, and registration number and date, and may contain the age and/or birth date and birth place of parents. Birth records in Alberta are not public until after 100 years have passed from the date of birth. To apply for a genealogical search of birth records less than 100 years old, you must be able to show that the individual is deceased  and that you are an eligible next-of-kin (parent, sibling, children or spouse). Alberta Death Records: Dates: From about 1890* Cost of copy: varies by registry agent (see above) Comments: When requesting the record for genealogical purposes, be sure to request a certified photocopy of a registration of birth (long form). This record will generally contain the name, date, and place of death, sex, age, marital status and registration number and date, and may contain the name of spouse, names and birth places of parents, usual residence, occupation and date and place of birth. Death records in Alberta are not public until after 50 years have passed from the date of death. To apply for a genealogical search of death records less than 50 years old, you must be able to show that you are an eligible next-of-kin (parent, sibling, children or spouse). Alberta Marriage Records: Dates: From about 1890 Cost of copy: varies by registry agent (see above) Comments: When requesting the record for genealogical purposes, be sure to request a certified photocopy of a registration of birth (long form). This record will contain the names of bride and groom, date and place of marriage, birthplaces of bride and groom and registration number and date, and may contain the age and/or birthdate of bride and groom and the names and birth places of parents. Marriage records in Alberta are not public until after 76 years have passed from the date of marriage. To apply for a genealogical search of marriage records less than 75 years old, you must be able to show that the bride and groom are deceased  and that you are an eligible next-of-kin (parent, sibling, children or spouse). Divorce Records: Dates: From 1867 Cost of copy: varies Comments: For information on divorce proceedings in Alberta from 1867-1919 contact the Senate of Canada at the following address: Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary CounselRoom 3043rd Floor222 Queen StreetOTTAWA, ON K1A 0A4Phone: (613) 992-2416 After 1919 divorce proceedings were handled by the provincial courts. Write to the provincial courthouse for location and availability or enquire at the county courthouse concerning indexes and searches.Website: Alberta Courts * Original birth records from approximately 1850 through the 1980s for some communities are in the custody of the Provincial Archives of Alberta. Transcripts of these birth certificates can be obtained for $5.00, plus GST and postage fees. This is a cheaper option than obtaining the records through Alberta Vital Statistics, but photocopies of the original records are not available - only the transcripts.

Motivation, preparation and experiences of teaching Headteachers in Essay

Motivation, preparation and experiences of teaching Headteachers in Retirement in Ireland - Essay Example By following a well a systematic collection, data analysis and interpretation (Cohen & Manion, 1994, p. 40; Marshall and Rossman, 1999, p. 21: McMillan & Schumacher, 2001, p. 35), undertaken by inductive analytical strategies (McMillan & Schumacher, 2001; Ritchie & Lewis, 2003). A review of pertinent literature provides a prediction that the number of principal retirees in Ireland. The growing numbers of them, in light of motivating factors like age and health provides an opportunity for researchers to conduct research studies on this topical issue. In chapter 1 as indicated, the motivation, preparation and experiences of individual head teachers are investigated. This will satisfactorily be studied by the researchers as they seek to build on the hypothesis. This hence indicates that the research study is explanatory, exploratory and descriptive in its natural setting (Babbie & Mouton, 2001, pp. 79-81; Marshall & Rossman, 1999, p. 33.). The exploratory part of the study seeks and aims to investigate the underresearched phenomena, with a sole aim of developing and providing an understanding, shading more light and providing substantive arguments in s research area least understood. In essence, this research consequently provides a platform and invents new ideas for conducting further research. In respect to further research, scientific determination and identification of argumentative categories of hypothetically proven meaning is achieved. In such cases, more knowledge is added in identifying plausible relationships that shape up phenomenon (Marshall & Rossman, 1999, p. 33). The research is descriptive as it describes underlines and documents complexities associated with the phenomena under research, how personalities influence it, differences in opinions on critical issues and the extent to which opinion differences defines and influences the outcome (Merriam,

Samsung Electronics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Samsung Electronics - Case Study Example The memory industry is characterized by having few powerful suppliers. The consumers are extremely price conscious thus profit margins are low. In order to be able to get lower prices from suppliers companies have to buy in bulk. Suppliers give high volume buyers a 5% purchase discount. Memory represents about 4-12% of the cost of an OEM computer. The OEM computer industry is the primary buyers of DRAM. The OEM computer industry is fragmented and no single OEM manufacturer holds more than a 20% market share. Quality is a critical success factor for companies in the memory industry. Product quality allows companies to achieve customer retention (Kotler, 2002). Defective memory is high risk for a computer manufacturer because it could destroy product value. OEM companies are willing to pay an extra 1% price premium for reliable suppliers. Samsung which is a successful player in the memory industry developed new types of cutting edge memory chips that enable them to differentiate themselves from the competition. The use of innovation enabled the company to have a great product variety and penetrate niche markets within the industry were they could charge higher prices. In 2003 Samsung offered 1200 types of DRAM products. This gave the company an advantage because by 2005 the prices of the older memory technology started to depreciate in price. When this occur the best approach for companies that did not have the new innovative products like Samsung was to utilize a strategy to gain market share. Chinese manufacturers utilized the strategic approach of increasing market share. Another critical success factor in the industry is having organizational experience and tacit knowledge to master the design and production process. Testing chips for reliability during the production process was imperative. Successful companies designed process improvements to allow more

Implications of Business Process Management for Operations Management Essay Example for Free

Implications of Business Process Management for Operations Management Essay Implications of business process management for operations management Colin Armistead and Simon Machin The Business School at Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK Introduction Operations management is concerned with the management of people, processes, technology and other resources in order to produce goods and services. There is a resonance from operations management into business process re-engineering (BPR) of the process paradigm and of the concepts and techniques of designing, managing and improving operational processes. Doubtless much can be learned from operations management for the application of BPR[1]. But business process management is more than just BPR applied to operational processes. What are the implications of the wider consideration of business processes for operations management and can the concepts and techniques from operations management be directly applied to all types of business processes? This paper introduces the concepts of business processes and business process management, and reports findings from interviews in four organizations which are continuing to develop their approaches to managing processes. These findings are then positioned within a categorization of business processes, by way of research propositions. Finally, implications for operations management are discussed. What are business processes? Business processes can be thought of as a series of interrelated activities, crossing functional boundaries with inputs and outputs. Why are they important and why are organizations moving to adopt approaches to explicitly manage by business processes? Reasons include[2] that the process view: †¢ allows increasing flexibility in organizations to meet changing external demands; †¢ addresses the speed to market of new products and services and the responsiveness to the demands of customers; †¢ facilitates the reduction of costs; †¢ facilitates in creased delivery reliability; and †¢ helps address the quality of products and services in terms of their consistency and capability. Processes are part of the philosophy of total quality management (TQM)[3]. Both the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award[4] and the European International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 17 No. 9, 1997, pp. 886-898.  © MCB University Press, 0144-3577 Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model[5], on which the European Implications of Quality Award is based, have at their heart the consideration of business business process processes. Such models require the identification of processes, the management management of these processes with review and targetary, innovation and creativity applied to processes and the management of process change. A second route that leads organizations to consider their business processes 887 is BPR[6-9] which promotes the radical change of business processes. Some have illustrated the complementary nature of BPR and TQM[10], others the conflict[11]. Regardless of this, the fact is that organizations come to consider their business processes through TQM, or through BPR, or potentially through both avenues. What is business process management? There is considerable debate about what business process management means and how organizations interpret the business process paradigm[2,12]. Business process management cannot be considered simply as BPR. Rather it is concerned with how to manage processes on an ongoing basis, and not just with the one-off radical changes associated with BPR. But how are organizations actually managing their business processes? What approaches have they developed? What lessons have they learned and what can be drawn from their experiences? The aim of the research reported in this paper is to address such questions by considering organizations at the leading edge of process management. Methodology A qualitative methodology was adopted in conducting the research. During a pilot phase interviews were conducted in four organizations: TSB; Rank Xerox; Kodak; and Birds Eye Walls. This, coupled with knowledge of the approach within Royal Mail, led to an initial understanding of the approaches being adopted by organizations[13]. This was followed by further interviews in four organizations (including within a different part of Rank Xerox), and it is these that form the basis of the findings reported in this paper. The four organizations, in this second phase of interviews, were: (1) Rank Xerox – European Quality Award (EQA) winners in 1992; (2) Nortel – Netas, a subsidiary of Nortel, were EQA winners in 1996; (3) Texas  Instruments – EQA winners in 1995; (4) Hewlett-Packard – who do not use the EFQM model, but have been using their own â€Å"Quality Maturity System† for several years, with many similarities to the EFQM model, including the central role of processes. While these organizations are at varying stages of their approach to business process management they can be considered â€Å"excellent† against many crit eria (including process management), as shown above, and the findings and lessons derived from the research should inform other organizations which are just starting their approach to process management. IJOPM 17,9 888 In two cases the quality director of the UK operation was interviewed; in one case the participant was the business process manager; in another the participant was a direct report to a service director. We consider that the roles and experience of the participants make possible sensible comparison between the organizations, based on the interviews. Semi-structured open-ended interviews (typically of between two and three hours), based on the ideas emerging from the pilot interviews, were carried out in each organization. The interviews were supported by other documentation from each organization which included process maps, planning frameworks and organizational structures. Interviews were transcribed and the transcriptions used as the basis for analysis. Each interview transcription was read and examined several times and lists of concepts developed[14]. A cognitive map[15] of all four interviews was then constructed showing the concepts emerging from the data and how the concepts i nformed on each other (based on the perception of the authors). Concepts were then clustered, with six clusters, or themes, readily appearing. The clusters were then checked against the transcripts from the pilot interviews and documentary material from the case organizations to ensure consistency of findings. Findings The six clusters emerging from the research we have labelled: organization coordination; process definition; organization structuring; cultural fit; improvement; measurement. While some of these might not be novel in  themselves we discuss them first individually and then as a set. Organization co-ordination One property associated with business processes is their â€Å"end-to-end† nature. They start with input at the business boundary and finish with outputs from the business boundary. Hence their cross-functional nature and, implicit in this, is their ability to integrate and co-ordinate activity. For example, â€Å"a better way to think about process is that it is an organizing concept that pulls together absolutely everything necessary to deliver some important component of strategic value†[16]. It is perhaps not surprising therefore that a strong theme emerging from the interviews was that the process paradigm provides an approach for co-ordination across the whole organization. This integration through the use of business processes is perhaps most simply illustrated by the fact that participants, in describing their approaches to business process management, described how they run and organize their entire business. The co-ordination took a number of forms. For example, business process management was strongly positioned in the overall approaches to business planning adopted by the organizations. This was illustrated in one organization with their long- and medium-term plans explicitly linked to annual plans for their key processes. Business process management also provided an approach for integration through increased knowledge within the organizations (for example, about strategic direction), without the need for bureaucratic procedures or hierarchical control: Implications of business process The concepts of business processes emerged as providing a link between the management top of the organization and activity at the lower levels: â€Å"the bit in the middle†. Central to this is the concept of different levels of processes and typically the organizations reported having identified three or four levels of process from the top-level architecture through to the individual or task level. In providing the co-ordination across the organization, the importance of managing the boundaries of processes was strongly emphasized. One organization, for example, was addressing these boundary issues between their processes through the use of networks of individuals representing the interests of their process. They used networks around each process to formulate and implement strategy, and identified which processes have boundary issues with  other processes. Individuals from one process network then attend meetings of the other process networks on this boundary to address the potential issues. Without some form of co-ordination between processes, changes in one process could also lead to changes in performance of other processes such that strategic goals would be compromised, typically in the areas of quality and costs. but what we were trying to do was create a very free environment, a very innovative environment, but an environment where we knew exactly where we were going. 889 Process definition Much of the literature on managing processes is concerned with process improvement[17,18] and this is typically directed at how to improve the actual operation of processes. However, a view expressed during the interviews was that the real value derived from the process approach is through the understanding and development of an approach at higher levels within the organizations, rather than simply process improvement activity at the task or team level. Nevertheless, these organizations recognized that they struggled with this and acknowledged that, in reality, the understanding of processes was often still at the task level, with a natural tendency for procedure writing. Approaches to help overcome this included communication across the different levels of the organization to develop common understanding (and, in particular, to develop better understanding between process owners and process operatives) and a focus within process flowcharts on value steps and decision points, together with the definition and management of process boundaries. Process flowcharting is often presented as a panacea for understanding and managing processes, but some organizations reported problems with applying the methodology to all processes: the methodology of flowcharting †¦ is OK for consistent, regularly operated, reliable processes – it is not that useful for processes that are very iterative and processes that run infrequently, the more complex processes. Certainly the organizations were coming to realize that such process maps in themselves were not sufficient: people talked a lot about process re-engineering and all they ever did was diddle around with process maps, and they didn’t really get the big picture. IJOPM 17,9 and we have used a flow-charting methodology widely deployed across the company†¦we have still got a lot of problems though in terms of processes gathering dust on the shelf. 890 Also, while the organizations recognized the need to specify processes beneath their high level processes, the need certainly did not emerge to map all processes to the same level or detail. It would be unusual to go to an entity and show all the processes in detail to all depths. In general, the drive appeared to be to use business process management more as a long-term and living tool than just a remedial tool for short-term, tactical issues. Long-term plans were needed for processes to enable the process owners to focus on the future requirements of their processes. Also there was the need to develop methodologies other than flowcharting to support a more holistic approach to business process management, and to directly consider the â€Å"process of managing processes†. Organizational structuring Much has been written about the role of processes in structuring organizations and, in particular, the development of horizontal organizations structured purely around processes[2,19,20]. In general, the organizations interviewed in this research appeared to be taking a less radical view. Instead they had developed matrix-based organizations between functions and processes, and tended to adjust their functional structure to align with their identified processes. They thus saw processes as simply another dimension of the organization structure[21]. Indeed they seemed to have implicitly balanced the dimensions of autonomy/co-ordination,  motivation/ control and efficiency/learning[22] and in doing so derived the matrix structure. This perhaps also reflects other organizational paradoxes[23]. Their reasoning was influenced by a view that personal relationships were the key to effective organizations, as much as the formal, imposed structure. Processes were seen to provide a framework for these relationships in terms of building understanding and common approach across the organization. This framework was reported to help establish empowerment in a structured way, matching level of empowerment with control and support. Hence the entering of the process dimension into their structure. However, they were unwilling to do away with the functional dimension, due to the perception that functions better supported the actual personal relationships within the framework of processes and better supported specialist expertise: people don’t necessarily align with processes, they align with other people, and entities and organizations. People don’t go to parties on processes! and if you start bashing on about process organizations, and â€Å"you’ve got to do away with the silos, and the function† and so on†¦you’re denying it in a way – something to do with that relationship side of things. This has a resonance with reports that moves to process-based organizations Implications of can be ineffective if the personal relationship and cultural aspects are business process overlooked[24]. management These matrix structures were regarded as relatively unstable[13] with a tendency to drift back to a functional structure, or to move too far towards a process focus, but the organizations saw the role of their â€Å"quality professionals† 891 as the catalyst to ensure balance between functions and processes. More interesting is that, in these matrix-based organizations, there appeared to be no desire to move towards a purely process-based structure, with the matrix recognized as a desirable state, enabling constant and efficient reorganization through its flexibility. Inevitably the matrix adds complexity, but it seems that these organizations are willing to trade this complexity against the flexibility and personal relationship aspects supported by the matrix structure. One organization did, however, report a  totally process-based structure, and this did appear to support a high degree of simplicity against the complexity of the matrix approach. There may therefore be value for organizations in explicitly considering the trade-offs between processes and functions in forming their approach. Regardless of the process/function structure, the approach of process groups and process owners at different levels of the processes was common. Cultural fit Culture is an ambiguous concept which is difficult to define[25]. However, most organizations have some notion of their culture, and this was the case in all four organizations, where culture had an implicit meaning. It is an important concept in thinking about organizations since people and processes m ust combine to produce output. However, within the organizations, processes were not seen as a constraint, rather, as reported above, as providing a framework for empowerment. There emerged a general view that the overall approach to business process management needed to fit initially with the culture of the organization, and allow that culture to be maintained, at least in the short term. This is not to say that there was not a longer-term objective to address culture, but culture drove the appropriate initial approach: that’s why it works well, because we’re a highly empowered organization, and a team of people are comfortable working as a team, so bringing them together for a process team is perfectly easy – all we had to do was teach them the tools to do it and a bit of flowcharting and away they go. But that fits well with the culture. This is in stark contrast to some business process re-engineering approaches which may often be insensitive to culture or may have an immediate objective of changing culture[26]. Where BPR was deployed in the organizations it tended to be positioned as part of the overall approach to business process management, for example, alongside process stabilization and continuous improvement, rather than instead of. When used in this context, there were examples of culture change for smaller organization groupings. There were also IJOPM 17,9 892 examples where the failure of BPR initiatives was directly attributed to a culture within the organization which so strongly supported constant, but incremental, change that radical change, as proposed by BPR was rejected. All four of the organizations embraced TQM and, in particular, continuous improvement. The concept and language of teams and â€Å"teams of teams†[27] featured strongly, with rewards and recognition often linked to team performance. The formation of cross-functional teams in improving processes happened naturally in these organizations, and appeared critical to the success of their approach in managing processes. Improvement through business process management Unsurprisingly the interviews supported a drive within the organizations to constantly improve processes and this is reflected in the above discussions of culture. Examples of specific approaches included the use of benchmarking to understand and set best practices and the development of compendiums and databases of best practices and the linkage of improvements to assessments against European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), Baldrige and other quality models. While BPR was clearly used in some of the organizations (indeed Texas Instruments and Rank Xerox are well known for their re-engineering work) this tended to be talked about more at the process simplification or process improvement end of the spectrum of definitions placed on BPR[28-30]: you would not change the overall process radically in a short space of time, but for people (in the process) I think it is a drastic step. and I would not anticipate the total process radically changing over a short space of time because one could not manage it, so you have to move forward in sizeful steps at each part of the process. One organization reported benefits through using human resource professionals alongside process engineers on BPR projects to â€Å"keep some sanity in what the re-engineering was doing†. Measurement and business process management Measurement is a key principle to managing processes[18] with the need to identify trends, assess stability, determine whether customer requirements are actually met and drive improvement. This was confirmed by the interviews  and measurement emerged as central to successful approaches to business process management. There seemed to be a genuine attitude of â€Å"living and breathing† measurement within the organizations: if you can’t actually get good metrics you won’t manage a process, so it’s absolutely fundamental to managing a process. and if we don’t define the metrics we’ve had it. Increasing importance was being given to customer satisfaction and customer Implications of loyalty measures and there was a recognition of the importance of developing business process efficiency measures for the processes as opposed to just measuring whether management processes actually delivered. There was also a drive towards examining the tails of distributions of the measures (process variation) not just average values, consistent with the view of statistical process control[31,32]. 893 One danger that was reported is related to the â€Å"level† issues discussed above: detailed measures were implemented into lower-level process maps, directly related to processes, as one would hope – however, this resulted in a large number of measures that it was then difficult to prioritize, because, at a higher level, measures had not been (or had not been properly) defined. A particularly interesting approach to measurement was in one organization where they had established â€Å"business fundamentals† as performance measures on key processes, deployed worldwide and at all levels. All professional staff in the organization have business fundamentals which are deliverable, cost, customer or people measures, but self-driven measurements rather than management-driven measurements. These business fundamentals are linked to the key processes, and individuals self-assess their progress against these, using a simple rating scale. Every quarter there is then a formal review across the organization against the business fundamentals. The same approach is used to track individual performance, performance against plans, and process performance, providing an integrated approach to measurement across the organization, and a strong illustration of integrating process measures with other organizational measures. Process categorization Different categorizations of processes have been proposed in the literature[28]. For  example the CIM-OSA Standards[33] use the categorization of manage, operate and support. In describing processes we have found a categorization into operational, support, direction setting and managerial processes to be useful (see Figure 1). The separation of direction setting and managerial processes is driven by two considerations: Operational Managerial Direction setting Support Figure 1. Categorization of business processes IJOPM 17,9 894 (1) on a practical level models, such as the EFQM model, adopted by organizations, separately identify leadership from policy and strategy formulation; and (2) the strategy literature regards development of strategy as a process in its own right[34,35]. Operational processes are the way in which work gets done within an organization, to produce goods and services. These processes are the ones which have been the subject of much of the focus to date in TQM and BPR. They run across the organization and are associated with outcomes such as product development or order fulfilment. They are recognized in the ideas of integrated supply chains and logistics and in simultaneous engineering and are part of justin-time approaches. The same ideas for improvement in flow and reduction in cycle times come through into service organizations in the practices of BPR. Support processes are those which enable the operational processes. They are concerned with the provision of support technology, or systems, with personnel and human resource management, and with accounting management. Direction-setting processes are concerned with setting strategy for the organization, its markets and the location of resources as well as managing change within the organization. Direction-setting processes involve a mix of the prescribed steps within a formal planning process and also less well-defined  frameworks. Managerial processes are to some extent superordinate to the other categories and contain the decision-making and communication activities. For example, the entrepreneurial, competence-building and renewal processes proposed by Ghoshal and Bartlett[20] are managerial processes. Some organizations have tried to formalize these processes and have adopted a structured approach to, for example, decision making and communication. This categorization, like any other, does not necessarily fit with the view taken by all organiza tions (for example, some organizations would position the direction setting processes as part of their operational processes) but it provides a useful framework for discussion of the research findings, and for describing propositions for further research. Discussion and propositions arising from the research The six clusters identified in the findings of organization co-ordination – process definition, organization structuring, cultural fit, improvement and measurement can be considered in the light of these process definitions. The issue of process definition at a top level is a view of how organizations work to satisfy strategic intents. The translation of top-level architecture into an operational reality is influenced by aspects of organizational culture which affect both organizational co-ordination and organizational structure. In no cases is the disappearance of functions apparent; rather the functional organization is replaced by a matrix structure. This form of organizational structure derives its co-ordinating strength from the formation of cross-functional teams. The issues of measurement and improvement reflected in the findings reinforce the need for Implications of effective measurement which drives process improvement in a form which co- business process ordinates and prioritizes activity; something which many organizations find management difficult. The findings suggest that taking a business process management approach is one way to overcome some of the difficulties. It is our observation that organizations in approaching business process 895 management tend to initially address their operational processes, then move to focus on support processes, while continuing to improve their operational processes, and next to focus on direction setting processes while continuing to improve operational and support processes. Thus there is a similarity to the operations management  sandcone model, as proposed by Ferdows and De Meyer[36], used to show that cost reduction relies on the cumulative foundation of improvement in objectives. We propose that an organization’s approach to process management is similarly constituted by its approach across process categories, and that to build a stable sandcone the approach to, first, operational processes must be created (see Figure 2). This proposal has practical value, since it is the operational processes that directly impact on customers and so can yield quick benefits. Thus attention to the operational processes ensures capability of delivery; attention then moves to encompass support processes, since these in turn ensure the capability of the operational processes; attention to the direction setting processes recognizes that capability can only be maintained with good direction setting. The superordinate nature of managerial processes positions them outside the sandcone, with influences from the other categories. This sandcone model for business processes implies further propositions based on our findings. P1: As organizations develop their approach to business process management, moving through the sandcone, the appropriateness of techniques will change. Flowcharting methods are well tested in understanding operational and some support processes. However, the organizations in this phase of our research were discovering that such methods were inflexible for other types of process. Operational Operational + support Operational + support + direction setting Figure 2. A sandcone model for developing approaches to business process management IJOPM 17,9 896 The appropriate methodology for understanding the managerial and directionsetting processes may lie in the fields of systems thinking[37] and business dynamics[38] and the shape of a process for managing such processes needs further attention. Thus the appropriateness of â€Å"soft mapping† techniques increases as an organization moves through the sandcone. P2: As  organizations move through the sandcone there is an increasing impact on organization structure, with the need to address structural changes to reap the benefits from the process approach. Increasingly organizations will need to consider organization design as an explicit, rather than implicit, activity to ensure organizational effectiveness. This need not necessitate a move towards a complete process-based structure, but may mean a trade-off between process and functional structures[39]. This trade-off includes the need to consider factors such as personal relationships and cultural aspects. For example, in some organizations a purely processbased structure will be appropriate while in others the process-function matrix approach will be best utilized. P 3: We propose that there is an increasing need for maturity in TQM throughout the organization to ensure a successful process paradigm, as the organization moves through the sandcone. This raises the immediate question as to whether TQM is a necessity before a process-based approach can be effectively initiated. Certainly all organizations in this phase of our research had developed a TQM-based culture. It also raises questions as to whether the continual application of the radical end of the BPR spectrum[28-30] makes it impossible to address all process categories, with the associated lack of care for the human dimension and resulting demoralized workforce. P4: We propose that the degree of co-ordination across the organization increases with moves through the sandcone. As the process approach spreads through the sandcone it forces the question of what integration actually means for an organization and clarifies the requirements for coordination. This is readily understood for operational processes, with a key element being the elimination of barriers to flow. The co-ordination includes the need for a co-ordinated approach to measurement (an example is illustrated in the measurement section above). Further implications for operations management There is a clear message emerging from this research of the need to manage the boundaries between the categories of processes and between the processes themselves. The appropriate approach will be determined by the category of process being addressed and organizations may find the sandcone logic useful in placing their current position. There are different requirements at different points in the sandcone: knowledge and understanding of process flowcharting techniques at one end of the spectrum through to knowledge and understanding of â€Å"softer† mapping techniques; the need to consider the Implications of appropriate organization structure and trade-offs between process- and business process function-based structures; the degree of maturity in TQM; the degree of comanagement ordination desirable and possible and, in particular, the need for a co-ordinated approach to measurement. The research supports a view that there is a need to consider performance 897 improvement methods and concepts such as TQM, lean production and supply and â€Å"agile† manufacturing in a wider context, as applied to all business processes, and not just operational processes with the associated need to manage the interfaces between operations management and other disciplines. References 1. Armistead, C., Harrison, A. and Rowlands, P., â€Å"Business process re-engineering: lessons from operations management†, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 15 No. 12, 1995. 2. Garvi n, D., â€Å"Leveraging processes for strategic advantage†, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1995, pp. 77-90. 3. Oakland, J.S., Total Quality Management, Heinemann Professional, Oxford, 1989. 4. George, S., The Baldrige Quality System, Wiley, New York, NY, 1992. 5. Hakes, C., The Corporate Self-assessment Handbook for Measuring Business Excellence, Chapman Hall, London, 1995. 6. Hammer, M., â€Å"Re-engineering work: don’t automate, obliterate†, Harvard Business Review, June 1990. 7. Hammer, M. and Champy, J., Re-engineering the Corporation, Free Press, New York, NY, 1993. 8. Johansson, H.J., McHugh, P., Pendlebury, A.J. and Wheeler, W., Business Process Reengineering – Breakpoint Strategies for Market Dominance, Wiley-Hamilton, Santa Barbara, CA, 1993. 9. Davenport, T.H., Process Innovation: Re-engineering Work through Information Technology, Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA, 1993. 10. Macdonald, J., â€Å"Together TQM and BPR are winners†, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 7 No. 3, 1995, pp. 21-5. 11. Mumford, E. and Hendricks, R., â€Å"Business process re-engineering RIP†, People Management, 2 May 1996, pp. 22-9. 12. Hinterhuber, H.H., â€Å"Business process management: the European approach†, Business Change Re-engineering, Vol. 2 No. 4, 1995, pp. 63-73. 13. Armistead, C. and Grant, A., â€Å"Business process management: the future of organisations?†, Proceedings of the Third European Academic Conference on Business Process Redesign, Cranfield University, 21-22 February 1996. 14.  Strauss, A. and Corbin, J., Basics of Qualitative Research, Sage, Newbury Park, CA, 1990. 15. Eden, C., â€Å"Cognitive mapping†, European Journal of Operational Research, Vol. 36, 1988, pp. 1-13. 16. Browning, J., â€Å"The power of process redesign†, McKinsey Quarterly, Vol. 1, pp. 47-58, 1993. 17. Tucker, M., Successful Process Management in a Week, Headway-Hodder Stoughton, Sevenoaks, Kent, 1996. 18. Melan, E., â€Å"Process management: a unifying framework†, National Productivity Review, 1989, Vol. 8, pp. 395-406. 19. Stewart, T., â€Å"The search for the organisation of tomorrow†, Fortune, May 1992, pp. 91-8. IJOPM 17,9 898 20. Ghoshal, S. and Bartlett, C., â€Å"Changing the role of top management: beyond structure to processes†, Harvard Business Review, January-February 1995, pp. 86-96. 21. Galbraith, J.R., Designing Organisations, Jossey Bass, San Francisco, CA, 1995. 22. Hendry, J., â€Å"Process reengineering and the dynamic balance of the organisation†, European Management Journal, Vol. 13 No. 1, March 1995. 23. Cameron, K.S., â€Å"Effectiveness as paradox: consensus and conflict in conceptions of organisational effectiveness†, Management Science, Vol. 32 No. 5, May 1986, pp. 539-53. 24. Majchrzak, A. and Wang, Q., â€Å"Breaking the functional mind-set in process organisations†, Harvard Business Review, September-October 1996, pp. 93-9. 25. Kroeber and Kluckhohn, â€Å"Culture; a critical review of concepts and definitions†, Harvard University papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 47, 1952. 26. Ascari, A., Rock, M. and Dutta, S., â€Å"Reengineering and organisational change: lessons from a comparative analysis of company experiences†, European Management Journal, Vol. 13 No. 1, March 1995. 27. O’Brien, D. and Wainwright, J., â€Å"Winning as a team of teams – transforming the mindset of the organisation at National and Provincial Building Society†, The Journal of Corporate Transformation, Vol. 1 No. 3, 1993. 28. Childe, S.J., Maull, R.S. and Bennett, J., â€Å"Frameworks for understanding business process re-engineering†, International Journal of Operations Production Management, Vol. 14 No. 12, 1994, pp. 22-34. 29. Coulson-Thomas, C.J., â€Å"Business process re-engineering: the development requirements and implications†, Executive Development, Vol. 8 No. 2, 1995, pp. 3-6. 30. Crawley, W.J., Mekechuk, B.J. and Oickle, G.K., â€Å"Powering up for change†, CA Magazine, June/July 1995, pp. 33-8. 31. Deming, W.E., Out of Crisis, Cambridge University Press, 1986. 32. Wheeler, D.J., Understanding Variation – The Key to Managing Chaos, SPC Press, Knoxville, TN, 1993. 33. CIM-OSA Standards, CIM-OSA Reference Architecture, AMICE ESPRIT, 1989. 34. Araujo, L. and Easton, G., â€Å"Strategy: where is the pattern?†, Organisation, Vol. 3 No. 3, 1996, pp. 361-83. 35. Segal-Horn, S. and Bowman, C., â€Å"Strategic management and BPR†, in Managing Business Processes: BPR and Beyond, John Wiley Sons, New York, NY, 1996, pp. 85-101. 36. Ferdows, K. and De Meyer, A., â€Å"Lasting improvement in manufacturing performance: in search of a new theory†, INSEAD Working Paper, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, 1989. 37. Senge, P.M., The Fifth Discipline, Century Business, London, 1990. 38. Davies, M., â€Å"Business dynamics: business process re-engineering and systems dynamics†, in Managing Business Processes: BPR and Beyond, John Wiley, New York, NY, 1996, pp. 215-42. 39. Armistead, C.G. and Rowland, P., Managing Business Processes: BPR and Beyond, John Wiley, New York, NY, 1996, pp. 39-61.

Plutonium Discovered more Harmful than Uranium Essay -- Scientific Res

There is no such thing as a â€Å"safe dose† of plutonium. While it was common to think that uranium was the most dangerous element on the periodic table a few decades ago, scientists have now discovered a more lethal element. Plutonium, Pu, element 94 on the periodic table is a transuranic radioactive chemical element; meaning it emits excess energy when it decays. Many previous studies on transuranic elements discovered uranium as the most deadly. Plutonium, recently reviewed by scientists, has also been found to emit alpha radiation, a highly hazardous type which is also emitted by Uranium. It has been concluded that plutonium has a higher radioactivity, hence a faster half-life. What is Radiation? Radiation is excess energy, which travels through space in the form of heat, light, sound, microwaves, radio waves and x-rays. Low radioactive substances can be found everywhere. When much more sophisticated elements are subject to decay, they release many types of radiation; the most common are alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Beta particles are negatively charged and small, allowing them to move fast and penetrate up to 2 centimetres of human skin. Gamma rays are high-energy waves, and can travel long distances and penetrate human skin. However, they can be blocked by concrete, led, metal or even water. Both beta and gamma rays are often found in most radioactive materials, while alpha particles appear in much more hazardous elements such as uranium and plutonium. Alpha Particles An alpha particle is a type an ionizing radiation, which emits particles, composed of two protons and two neutrons, without elections; giving it a net positive charge. The radiation is only effective if these alpha particles are e... ... used in fuels and nuclear power plants would not cause such a life-changing event, for those who live adjacent to neighbouring power plants. Only time will tell what the future will hold, but let’s all hope there’s a bright one ahead. Works Cited http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1222-plutonium-more-dangerous-uranium.html http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/raduranmed.txt http://www.arpansa.gov.au/radiationprotection/basics/alpha.cfm http://orise.orau.gov/reacts/guide/alpha.htm http://www.uraniumsa.org/about/radiation.htm http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2011/04/03/impact-of-mox-fuel-at-fukushima/ http://www.imagesco.com/articles/geiger/fig1.jpg http://gothamist.com/attachments/nyc_arts_john/041211fukushima.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ejgKzSsMG48/TYrbIi-O5GI/AAAAAAAAA_s/2sN9lJTEa2c/s1600/reactor_smoke_G_20110323232127.jpg Plutonium Discovered more Harmful than Uranium Essay -- Scientific Res There is no such thing as a â€Å"safe dose† of plutonium. While it was common to think that uranium was the most dangerous element on the periodic table a few decades ago, scientists have now discovered a more lethal element. Plutonium, Pu, element 94 on the periodic table is a transuranic radioactive chemical element; meaning it emits excess energy when it decays. Many previous studies on transuranic elements discovered uranium as the most deadly. Plutonium, recently reviewed by scientists, has also been found to emit alpha radiation, a highly hazardous type which is also emitted by Uranium. It has been concluded that plutonium has a higher radioactivity, hence a faster half-life. What is Radiation? Radiation is excess energy, which travels through space in the form of heat, light, sound, microwaves, radio waves and x-rays. Low radioactive substances can be found everywhere. When much more sophisticated elements are subject to decay, they release many types of radiation; the most common are alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Beta particles are negatively charged and small, allowing them to move fast and penetrate up to 2 centimetres of human skin. Gamma rays are high-energy waves, and can travel long distances and penetrate human skin. However, they can be blocked by concrete, led, metal or even water. Both beta and gamma rays are often found in most radioactive materials, while alpha particles appear in much more hazardous elements such as uranium and plutonium. Alpha Particles An alpha particle is a type an ionizing radiation, which emits particles, composed of two protons and two neutrons, without elections; giving it a net positive charge. The radiation is only effective if these alpha particles are e... ... used in fuels and nuclear power plants would not cause such a life-changing event, for those who live adjacent to neighbouring power plants. Only time will tell what the future will hold, but let’s all hope there’s a bright one ahead. Works Cited http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1222-plutonium-more-dangerous-uranium.html http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/raduranmed.txt http://www.arpansa.gov.au/radiationprotection/basics/alpha.cfm http://orise.orau.gov/reacts/guide/alpha.htm http://www.uraniumsa.org/about/radiation.htm http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2011/04/03/impact-of-mox-fuel-at-fukushima/ http://www.imagesco.com/articles/geiger/fig1.jpg http://gothamist.com/attachments/nyc_arts_john/041211fukushima.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ejgKzSsMG48/TYrbIi-O5GI/AAAAAAAAA_s/2sN9lJTEa2c/s1600/reactor_smoke_G_20110323232127.jpg

Democracy & America

In the world today and in America, democracy is the most valued and the vaguest political terms in the current political times and campaigns. The term democracy by definition is a governmental system in which the citizens retain and exercise the political sovereignty. This means that the citizens of a country have a direct say and would contribute in the administration of the country through one of their elected representative.The democracy in America is controlled by two major principles that has to be observed, these are; citizens have equal access to power and are guarded the same while the second one is that, the same power guards all members to enjoy the societal freedoms and liberties. Another very clear definition of democracy is that, it is a form of government which is constituted by the people of a country and in which the supreme power of that government is vested on the same people who constitute it.3 This government by the people lack any form of hereditary or class dist inction differentiation on class basis or privileges. True democracy is voted for by the majority and one that serves and works for the interest of the people, although in any country true democracy is not being experienced by the citizens, they have a voice during elections. This allows the citizens to elect whoever will represent their particular interest and standards. 4In the world there are three major types of democracy that are well known, namely direct democracy, representative democracy and liberal democracy; Direct democracy is a form of democracy in which the citizens have the right and the responsibility to attend meetings the national assembly and participate in the making of policies. In this case all the directly contribute and affect the decision making process. This system has representatives who drew the agendas for such assembly meetings.In this kind of democracy all the citizens have the right to vote and hold offices and it is the duty of all the citizens in a c ountry to actively participate in the decision making process which is determined by the majority. 5 Representative democracy is the kind of democracy that is used in the American Democracy. This form of democracy is characterized by the fact that the citizens elect their representatives who make the decisions on their behalf. Representative democracy is practiced both at the state level, local levels and eve n at the institutions levels. 6The third form of democracy is liberal democracy which is a form of representative democracy in which the elected representatives that hold offices and have the power of decision making on behalf of the public are moderated by the rule of law (constitution). The rule of law in all circumstances emphasizes the protection of the individual rights and the rights of the minority groups in the society. The most basic rights to be protected by the rule of law are like the rights of assembly and speech, the rights to owe and use private property, the rig hts and freedom to religion and the right to be equal before the rule of law.This democracy is as well characterized by elections; it is also characterized multi party systems and also an independent judiciary. These forms of democracy are being practiced in different countries and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. 7 A society that experiences any kind of democracy among the ones discussed above must meet some of the minimum characteristics. Those characteristics have to be met for a society to be referred to as democratic.The main characteristic of a democratic society is to educate the whole society to understand what democracy is and to know their obligations, contributions and requirements as citizens in a democratic society. 8 After the education of the public about their democracy they should also experience that they have the power to choose and replace the government through free and fair elections, the citizens should be actively be involved in the politics and the civil life, the democratic government should have the ability to protect the human rights and in that society the rule of law (i.e. the laws and the procedures) to apply equally to al citizens. All these are the minimum qualifications for a democratic society. 9 A democratic society first is characterized by a political System by which there is competition for power. Democratic societies have the mandate of to choose their leaders and to ensure that they are held accountable for their policies and conduct in office. In this due process of election the people decide who will represent them in parliament and who will head the government at the national and local levels.This is done in a fee and fair elections. In this society the government is based on the decision of the citizens because they are sovereign. In this society the elected representatives at the national and the local levels are always consulting their electorate and work according to their needs and representativ es. The principle of the public suggestion has to be observed since the public have the right and obligation to monitor their representatives business in the government and are free to criticize them.10 This requirement for a democratic society demands that free and fair elections be held after a regular interval as prescribed by law, this elections are not to be influenced by the people in power who do not have any right to extend their time in office without asking the consent of the people. In all democratic elections al the candidates also have the right to campaign freely and to present their ideologies to the voters.The whole process must be monitored by independent electoral observers and a committee that is to resolve any electoral disputes. 11 The second requirement to be met by a democratic society is that the citizens have a bigger responsibility to participate in public life. The society have the mandate and the obligations to be informed about public issues, they have t he obligation to watch carefully how their political representatives use the powers vested on them and to give their opinions and criticism on the same.This can only be achieved if the civil societies who represent a variety of interest and beliefs educate the public and especially women their democratic rights and responsibilities, improve their political skills, represent their common interests, and involve them in political life. In this system there is no one that should be forced to support any political party and the citizens should always be free to support any political party. 12The third requirement for a democratic society is that every citizen in the society has some basic right that is guaranteed under the international law and the state cannot take away from them. The citizens have the rights to have their own beliefs and to communicate freely. They too have the freedom of religion; this states that everyone is free to chose their own religion and to practice their reli gious norms as they deem fit for them. The citizens in such societies have the right to associate with other people and to be incorporate and to be incorporated in the organizations of their own choice.With all these freedoms and others, the state puts it upon the citizens to exercise these rights peacefully, with respect for the law and for the rights of others. 13 The fourth and last basic requirement for democracy in a society is that it be recognized as the rule of law. This rule of law protects the rights citizens, help in the maintenance of orders and helps to limit the power of government. In such a society all the citizens are treated equally under the rule of law and are not being discriminated based on their gender, race, religion or even the ethnic group.In this society the citizens are being protected by law and should never be arrested arbitrarily, they have the right to know their charges and anybody charged with a crime has the right to a fair, open and speedy public trial by an impartial public court. 14 In a democratic society no one is above the law and the law treats people equally. Although these are the requirements of any democratic society, all the societies in the world do not prove to obey them and to defend them. Therefore democracy is only a political term which is not put into practice.Work cited http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-liberal-democracy. htm Retrieved on 19th July 2008 Janda Kenneth and Et al (2004) The Challenge of Democracy: Government in America Houghton Mifflin Blaich Theodore Paul and Baumgartner Joseph Cornelius (1953) the Challenge of Democracy. Published by McGraw-Hill http://www. hewett. norfolk. sch. uk/CURRIC/POLIT/DEMOC. htm Retrieved on The 19th JULY 2008 http://college. hmco. com/polisci/janda/chall_dem/9e/student_home. html Retrieved on The July 19, 2008