Development and Implementation of Human Resource Policies Research Paper

Development and Implementation of Human Resource Policies - Research Paper Example There is a certain consideration, that policies should cover every area of an organization because then its every employee would know the â€Å"rules of the game† (McConnell, 2005). Notwithstanding the fact, that some organizations have written procedures and policies, they have no relationship to the needs of its employees. There are also organizations that establish numerous policies, but no one reads them. In all cases, policies have a number of purposes, such as providing of clear communication between the organizational levels, forming a basis for applying all employees equally and setting guidelines for managers and supervisors in the organizations. Human resources policies refer to the decision on employees’ matters and can be made without submission to higher levels of the organization. Due to the fact, that top management is responsible for making decisions toward the employees of a certain organization, there is a need for HR policies to ensure such decisions to be made. HR policies ensure guidelines for the employment relations within the organization, thus identifying the recruitment intentions, promotion, and development of the employees, the compensation etc. They serve as the development program for the HR department of each organization (Acquinas, 2006). They refer to the rules of conduct, which the organization establishes to attain the objectives. The main purpose of HR policy is to provide the adjusted course of rules within the organization; to ensure a positive order to the organization; to provide the basis for the decisions; to lead the attainment of objectives.

Daily Life in Ancient Rome Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Daily Life in Ancient Rome - Research Paper Example According to John R. Clarke in his book â€Å"Roman Life,† (S)o much of what we know comes from classical literature, written by elite men. Naturally, the texts give the mindset of the upper classes of Roman society. There's not a single woman writer, nor are there any literary texts written by slaves, former slaves, or freeborn workers.1 It wasn’t until the Fifth Century BC that Romans were divided into classes during the census for the purpose of determining eligibility for military service.2 The lowest classes were slaves seized during conquest and just above them the proletariat or proletarii, the landless and unemployed poor who could not afford military equipment. Proletarii were not considered Roman citizens because of their landless status and thus could not vote or serve in the military. It wasn’t until 212 AD that all free men were counted as citizens, but not women or slaves. The Marian Reforms after 107 BC provided that the proletariat and freed slave s could serve in the military with equipment provided by the state.3 This was mostly out of need, since the ranks of the military, typically drawn from landowners and merchant classes, were stretched thin by foreign wars. Marius changed the structure of the military in revolutionary ways, discarding the Greek-influenced fighting cohort and strategy.4 Marius further granted Roman citizenship to all who served in the military.5 As landless poor, the proletariat class had nothing to return to after a military campaign and often remained in the military as career soldiers for many years. Some became wealthy owing to the spoils of war. Reforms affecting the lower classes were also proposed by the Gracchus brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, between 133-126 BC.6 Their proposed agrarian reforms would give the plebian masses a small parcel of land to work and make them eligible for military service. They were responding to the threat of an uprising among the landless poor who thronged to Rome as slaves now did the work they had once performed and they were thus unemployed with no means of earning a living.7 Where the older brother, Tiberius, failed, the younger brother, Gaius, succeeded. Unfortunately, Gaius was a bit too liberal in his intent to give citizenship to all Italians and the Senate put him down. As the mobs of plebians revolted, over 3000 were executed and Gaius had a slave kill him. The condition of the proletarian plebes hadn’t changed much by the time of Roman satirist Juvenal (55-127 AD). He opined that the masses looked to just two things, bread and circuses.8 This referred to the free grain and the many games and holidays provided by the elites in government to keep the unemployed masses of Rome from rising up and to guarantee their loyalty to their patrons.9 Since most unemployed plebians were illiterate and often uninformed on the issues, they usually sold their vote to the candidate offering the most to them.10 Thus the legislative assembly of th e Plebian Council lost much of its populist power and the masses resorted to occasional mobs and violent uprisings to make their voices heard. There were essentially only two political parties. The populares, or people’s party, and the optimates, or senatorial party.11 The populares were for the distribution of land and cancellation of debt. The

Allen, Douglas and Truth Essay Example for Free

Allen, Douglas and Truth Essay Conclusion A great deal of literature has been devoted to the subject of Black Christian Leadership during 1820 to 1860. How an enslaved people challenged yet still participated in the established religious system by founding, ad hoc and or organized significant religious groups with a social underlying movement. The essence of the multitude of visions was rooted simultaneously in a political, social and religious storm. However, thus knowing that a race has a strong or weak identity image based on current media of the day will not inform the listener about the nature of their true intent or power; however, since the records of the day is the only evidence we have, it gives considerable insight into the societal value system, political posture, and cultural stance. While Black leaders and churches were portrayed to have a greater capacity for audible and visible response to a speaker than any other group of religious listener at the time, the images were quick to focus on the probable survival of the comfort and consolation syndrome prevalent in black plantation churches. In these churches, the listeners, moved by sin and guilt but much more by the need to release tensions brought on by the daily miseries of slavery, came forth with vocal responses to particularly consoling passages in the preachers sermons. Allen, Douglas and Truth’s methods were clearly beneficial for the improvement of African Americans for then as well as well as any period. Promoting racial success was the most fundamental element in the struggle for racial uplift through the universal message of the religious institutions. Understanding and able to recognize the changing conditions would allow the national objective of racial equality be the sole purpose. As active leaders in the religious and social revolution of the late 1800’s, they knew that access to religious and social opportunities would lead to greater possibilities, i.e. education and commerce. Many of their contemporaries of the day given relatively few choices signed on to the teachings and messages presented by Allen, Douglass and Truth. This was option was clearly the proper path, noted by the number of successful Post slavery organizations and movements that flourished following the civil war. Even though African Americans had limited political power and remained segregated socially, pure religious and economic growth accelerated true racial uplift and the issue of economical inequality. Before the war, black spokespersons had unfailingly demanded that white America simply give them a chance to demonstrate the truths underlying their analyses of a prejudiced American society. Through the Civil War and Reconstruction, whites grudgingly conceded that chance. Everything was at stake in vindicating antebellum black religious and social thought. The role Black Religious leaders as spokespersons and positions as black leaders have assumed the destiny of the race and of America. Antebellum black northerners had been correct to employ the universalism of the American Revolution. This was an effort call the nation back to its first principles. In finality, the right to stress self-help, moral uplift, and elevation as the keys to rising in a liberal economic order and thus compelling the majority of American to yield rights to African Americans was the remaining position to assume. In a tacit understanding, Black religious leaders were clearly justified in their growing sense that the conversation with white America mattered when seeking the power of national acceptance and the eventually the ability to establish their own interests. Never before had visionaries of slave ancestry faced the hope and challenge of so practical a test of their ideas. Bibliography Satterwhite, John H. The Black Methodist Churches, unpublished background paper prepared for The Black Church in the African American Experience research project, p. 29. Campbell, James T. Songs of Zion: The African Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States and South Africa. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1995. Page Number: 3. Rupe Simms Controlling Images and the Gender Construction of Enslaved African Women Gender and Society, Vol.15, No. 6 (Dec. , 2001), pp. 879-897 Deborrah E. S. Frable , 1997, Article Title: Gender, Racial Ethnic, Sexual andClass Identities. Journal Title: Annual Review of Psychology. Volume: 48. Page Number: 139+. Cedric J. Robinson, 1997, Black Movements in America. (New York: Routledge,. p. 179, 92 ) Conyers, James L. Black Lives: Essays in African American Biography. Publisher: M. E. Sharpe. Place of Publication: Armonk, NY. Publication Year: 1999. Page Number: 44. Bay, Mia. The White Image in the Black Mind: African-American Ideas about White People, 1830-1925. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. http://www. questia.com/PM. qst? a=od=90463626. Burrowes, Carl Patrick. Black Christian Republicanism: A Southern Ideology in Early Liberia, 1822 to 1847. The Journal of Negro History 86, no. 1 (2001): 30+. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5000633712. Douglass, Frederick Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: His Early Life as a Slave, His Escape from Bondage, and His Complete History. Publisher: Collier Books. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1962. Page Number: 202. Martin Jr. , Waldo E. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. Publisher: University of North Carolina Press. Place of Publication: Chapel Hill, NC. Publication Year: 1984. Page Number: 18. Mcfeely, William S. Frederick Douglass. Publisher: W. W. Norton. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1991. Page Number: 217. Lampe, Gregory P. Frederick Douglass: Freedoms Voice, 1818-1845. Publisher: Michigan State University Press. Place of Publication: East Lansing, MI. Publication Year: 1998. Page Number: 1. http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part3/3narr3. html PBS, Allen, The Black Church Graham, Peter W. Byron, Sully and the Power of Portraiture. Wordsworth Circle 36, no. 4 (2005): 149+. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5014835905. http://www. pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4narr2. html PBS Africans in America Kirby, John B. Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol. The Historian 61, no. 2 (1999): 429. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5001250782. Mandziuk, Roseann M. Commemorating Sojourner Truth: Negotiating the Politics of Race and Gender in the Spaces of Public Memory. Western Journal of Communication 67, no. 3 (2003): 271+. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=5002554424. Rael, Patrick. Black Identity and Black Protest in the Antebellum North. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2002. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=101423509.

Job Design Model Analysis

Job Design Model Analysis Topic 2 Business process and job re-design Collaborative space Curtin University has embarked on a BPR program called EQUIP. What is the primary objective of the program? The primary objective for the EQUIP program been put into place at Curtin University is to enable Curtin to streamline/improve business processes in administration, support services, clarify responsibility among faculties and to seek out ways to make better use of current and future technologies. For example, Curtin, every semester has a high intake of new students so administration will be under intense pressure to process applications and get student timetable sorted out in a timely manner. With EQUIP being put into place Curtin can propose implementing better automation software, which in turn highlights one of Curtin strategic plan to be a responsive and innovative organisation. Describe the job design model. In EQUIP the job design model will greatly impact the staffing at Curtin as faculties reporting lines will change drastically, which may decrease paperwork or getting approval from multiple sources. All student service staff from July will be forced to join a transitional pool meaning that staff will be eligible to apply from new vacant Teaching Support Coordinator and teaching support staff position. This may require staff to get re-trained in these new job roles or Curtin have found a way to regulate the amount of staffing they have in the Student Service faculty. New proposed positions will be readily available for Curtin staff members at all level of employment allowing the staff to be focused on specialising in their roles. Senior leadership roles may not be filled by current Curtin Staff in which case Curtin will look from external applicants. What implementation issues will the University need to manage? The implementation of EQUIP in Curtin will greatly impact the staff as it will affect 600 to 700 staff members. The Curtin Hierarchy must work closely with faculty managers and supervisors to give staffing clear instruction to save mass confusion on how their roles will be affected. Another implementation issue will be how staff training will be provided for the enormous number of staff be relocated and be put into new job roles which may differ from their current role which they occupy. Staffing in research administration, HR and finance must be aware of the new reporting lines and processes. How will the University know if it has done a good job or otherwise? Curtin will know they have done a good job by conducting staff survey in each affected faculty. Another way of seeing if the implementation has been affected is by considering staff complaints in regards to the implementation. Thirdly another way to compare if the EQUIP implementation compare historical data on involuntary redundancies and staffing requests to new roles. What are the ethical issues of using internal consultants? (refer to the six values of the ACS Code of Ethics) Public interest will be put at risk as internal consultants might have formed strong bonds will departments or have family working for Curtin so the personal interest will be placed above public interests, resulting in unfair decisions been made effectively. This sort of judgement issues will lead to Curtin staff not seeing the consultant as a professional staff member who can perform their job with competency. Ethical morals will get distorted as good principles, values and beliefs wont be at the forefront of decision making. Social ethics can change drastically as the consultants deals with certain departments it may not like on a personal level ruling in unfairness against them. For example HR was slow in processing the consultants annual leave so the consultants may deal with that department in a fair manner. Refer to the article Trading places brick by brick provided in class. What changes in business process would Hadrian force? Hadrian would revolutionise the business processes of the brick trading business as this machine would set over a medium to long term new standard on how fast and efficient the brick layering industry will be. A good return on investment will enlighten the invests as the robots helping hand in decreasing production cost will be outweighed by initial set up. Construction companies can potentially save more money brick for brick with robots as they natural hold leverage over the brickies who are over charging due to shortages in various parts of Australia. Hadrians introduction into the construction industry will force the workforce to become more technology savvy which will require specialised training/certifications. This might indicate the older generation of the workforce might have to change career. This automation movement will just be like the one the automotive industry has experienced. Human interaction has become very limited in this industry as only electricians and machine operaters are the only human element of the automotive left in contact with the cars. Robots have provided the automotive industry with the means to achieve high throughputs with the least amount of spending. Definite deductions in scheduling and cost will encourage more buying customers to buy land to build houses as Hadrian would drive down housing cost. A normal business processes in the construction industry having a lot off cover insurance on workers to cover the company which can cost a lot of money but with Hadrian that process become less and less important as the human element of building houses will be eliminated. Hadrian would slowly phase out the older workforce leaving the industry reaping the benefits of a younger workforce, as retirement packages and pensions costs will be lowed. The whole industry will experience a decrease in pension/retirement payouts and health care costs because of lower aging work force and lack of retirees. How would jobs be redesigned? Jobs can be redesign in the fact that tradies wont be obsolete; trades men will still be needed to do the task like window, insulation installations, electrics and joinery in housing projects. It will be an environment where machines and humans can work in sync with one another. Another way jobs can be redesigned is tradies can become trained certified specialists in programming, operating and troubleshooting the machine. For example, job roles like configuration analyst or control engineer will be available in the brickie industry as jobs. Old workforce will be phased out as they would cost more to retrain then training a post graduate TAFE student getting trained in the field, making jobs for the younger generation easier to come by. Brickies would have to reinvest them self as window fitter or be qualified on mechanic to be able to work with Hadrian. Once Hadrian hits commercial usage and become industry standard, the industry will become 85% machine 15% human making jobs harder and harder to come by within the industry.

Friedrich Froebel and Marie Clay Essay -- essays papers

Friedrich Froebel and Marie Clay Friedrich August Wilhelm Froebel was born in Oberweissback, Germany in April 21, 1782 (Ransbury, 1995). He was the sixth child of a Lutheran Minister, but lost his mother before his first birthday. As a young boy, he played and explored in the gardens surrounding his home most of the time. His deep love of nature would later influence his educational philosophy. He did not become educated until age eleven. When he was fifteen years old, he was apprenticed to a Forester. He then studied at the University of Jena. He accepted a teaching position at the Frankfurt Model School in Yverdon, Switzerland. This school was based on the teachings of Johann Heirnrich Pestalozzi. Froebel embraced Pestalozzi’s philosophy that children need to be active learners. He left the school to be a private tutor where the children’s parents offered him a small patch of the property to use as a garden. The learning experiences that the children had there made Froebel realize that â€Å"ac tion and direct observation were the best ways to educate† (â€Å"Friedrich Froebel,† 2000). Froebel continued his education at the Universities of Berlin and Gottingen. In 1813 he served in the Prussian Army against Napoleon. His invention of Gifts might have been shaped while he was an assistant in the Mineralogical Museum in Berlin. His first book, The Education of Man, was published in 1826. In 1837, at the age of fifty-five, Froebel founded his own school in Blankenburg. It was called â€Å"Kindergarten,† a garden of children. This would be a place to cultivate a child’s development and socialization because prior to Froebel’s Kindergarten children under the age of seven did not attend school (Sadker and Sadker, 2000). People believed that young children did not have the ability to focus or to develop cognitive and emotional skills, but Froebel stated, â€Å"because learning begins when consciousness erupts, education must also† (â€Å"Friedrich Froebel†, 2000). Kindergarten acts as a bridge between home play and school life. Froebel expanded on Pestalozzi’s philosophy that school should be an emotionally secure environment. He said the teacher should act as a moral and cultural model for children, a model worthy of emulation. Before this time teachers were considered a disciplinarian. The early years in education are the most critical for forming a foundation ... ... (1998). By Different Paths to Common Outcomes. York, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers. Corbett, B. Friedrich Froebel. Retrieved October 17, 2001, from http://www.froebel.com/Philosophy/About%20Froebels.htm Gaffney, J., & Askew, B. (Eds.). (1999). Stirring the Waters: The Influence of Marie Clay. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Jalongo, M. & Isenberg, J. (2000). Exploring Your Role: A Practitioner’s Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill. Ransbury, M. (1995). Friedrich Froebel. In M. A. Johnson & G. F. Roberson. (Eds.), A Century of Early Childhood (pp. 15-17). Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Custom Pub. Sadker, M. & Sadker, D. (2000). Teachers, Schools, and Society. Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw Hill. (Original Work Published in 1988). Thomas, R. (1992). Reading Recovery. Retrieved October 17, 2001, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/readrec.html Woodill, G. (1995). The European Roots of Early Childhood Education in North America. In M. A. Johnson & G. F. Roberson. (Eds.), A Century of Early Childhood (pp.4-11). Needham Heights, MA: Simon & Schuster Custom Pub.

Ageism in the Workplace Essay -- Age Discrimination

Age discrimination has long been present in society due to the rapid development happening around us. According to Farney, Aday & Breault (2006), this era of ageism is defined as "discrimination against any age group", but it often is pointed to age discrimination among adults which is slowly causing a negative effect for them in the workplace. In the workplace, adults with more experience and longer history behind them are targets of this ageism belief that companies and employers tend to have (Farney, Aday, & Breault, 2006). They are shunned and even fired in favor of accepting new and fresh faces for the company they have worked for. Unknown to most companies and employers, this notion of favoring the young and banishing the old can cause them a lot of losses in terms of business, economy and individually if this continues on. For this paper, it is my fervent belief that this concept of age discrimination in the workplace can be stopped if there is a proper decorum on addressing t he importance of older employees in the workforce and the discussion of the possible consequences of continuing this age discrimination practice and how revise the current recruitment system so that employees are given equal opportunities and not fire them just because of their ages. The problem of age discrimination especially in the older generation is not a new issue as it has been around for quite a long time. Segrave (2001) noted that most workers are deemed old if they reach their forties in the early nineteenth century. Employers and companies would already start firing people just because of this particular notion on age. Employees find this idea ludicrous and insulting as they are judged just because of their age and some would file charges ... ...younger generation would also feel this stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice once they step in the age where they can be classified as part of the older generation. The problem of age discrimination is a long cycle of problems that all members of society would face in some point of their lives. Now that everyone is taking good interest of worker rights, they would realize that this old notion of age discrimination is still happening and they would stop at nothing to get rid of the problem before they experience it themselves. Once this problem is resolved and eliminated, not only would the older generation benefit from it but also the society in general. Everyone must be given a chance to work on their professions even in their golden years, as long as they are happy and stress free because of the lack of discrimination on their age, we should let them be.

Welch On Management :: essays research papers

MGT4121 Week Eight Journal Submission : Chapter 14 Case Study: Jack Welch In a classroom where Jack Welch has appeared more than 250 times in the past seventeen years to engage some 15,000 GE managers and executives, something extraordinary happens. The legendary chairman of GE, the take-no-prisoners tough guy who gets results at any cost, becomes human. His slight stutter, a handicap that has bedeviled him since childhood, makes him oddly vulnerable. The students see all of Jack here: the management theorist, strategic thinker, business teacher, and corporate icon who made it to the top despite his working-class background. The fact is no one leaves the room untouched. If leadership is an art, then surely Mr. Welch has proved himself a master painter. Few have personified corporate leadership more dramatically. Fewer still have so consistently delivered on the results of that leadership. For 17 years, while big companies and their chieftains have come and gone, Welch has led GE to one revenue and earnings record after another. What can be inferred from th is case study is the fact that Jack Welch does it through sheer force of personality, coupled with an unbridled passion for winning the game of business and a keen attention to details many chieftains would simply overlook. He does it because he encourages near-brutal candor in the meetings he holds to guide the company through each work year. And he does it because, above all else, he’s a fierce believer in the power of his people. Welch likes to call GE the â€Å"grocery store.† The metaphor, however quirky for such a large firm, allows Welch to mentally roll up his sleeves, slip into an apron, and get behind the counter. There, he can get to know every employee and serve every customer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being extremely skeptical of quality programs, what’s going on at GE now is Six Sigma. Jack Welch felt that quality programs were too heavy on slogans and to short on results. Yet, Six Sigma is different. A Six Sigma quality level in a company like GE can save a company a great deal of money.

Napster Case Study

Napster & MP3: Redefining The Music Industry Introduction Napster was the first, very innovative music technology application that allowed users to download MP3 from the internet and other peers for free, or at a cost. Napster strongly adapted the word sharing and put it their own terms to avoid any copyright infringement but it ended badly on their part. This disruptive technology was leading the market and had over 60 million users by 2001. Although very similar technologies were soon after developed, Napster was still on top and lead the market.Many users knew exactly what they wanted but getting it seemed to be the difficult part once Napster and the RIAA went into a legal battle. More commonly, the industry has been shaped from Napster and the base product that has been derived. Napster may have been a failure to the industry but it shaped the industry for the future from 2001 until present and for years to come. 1. What is Napster’s business model? Being as though Napste r was the first to market with their music search engine for MP3 files, they successfully managed to set up an online community where users could download these files.Napster had its market segments and was targeting the college and high school demographic, as described in the case study. The main objective was to give users the opportunity to listen to the songs before they wanted to go ahead and purchase them. During the dot. com boom, when Napster was created, it seemed as though the developers only wanted to create the program to attract a client base to increase the value of the company mainly to sell it off to a larger, more valuable company. Once the main database of Napster was created, they started off by seemingly trying to create a membership based business model.They had a free membership to start as a trial run, basic membership for relatively inexpensive that would cost between $2. 95 and $4. 95 per month. This basic membership would have a limit on file transfers. The y also had a premium membership that would cost between $5. 95 and $9. 95 with an unlimited amount of file transfers. Most of these file transfers came from peer-to-peer which was part of the interesting aspect of Napster. Users could upload files from their computer to their Napster desktop and another user could download straight from their computer.Certain users had a better rating than others and so forth. It seems as though their business model was working until the music industry became aware of what was really going on. 2. How have Napster and MP3 changed the music industry? Napster and MP3 were the start to the online music industry databases during the dot. com boom. This was the beginning of the greatest innovations yet to come. Not only did this lead to what we now use as iTunes but it went through multiple transformations with different music download programs and revamped the way artists were selling their music.CDs were most common before Napster and now, the percentag e of CDs compared to online purchases are completely reversed. Many people don’t even own CD players unless they are on their computers and iPod or iPhones are the new use of music play. Without Napster, none of this would even be possible because the whole concept of having the MP3 on a database where you can see each song and download right from the Internet. Now, you have to purchase each song or album and the artists get credit for their work.Back when Napster was the source with MP3, there were possible ways around the memberships and for a very light fee, you could get music for almost nothing where the artists were not getting the compensation that they deserved and worked for. The music industry is completed revamped since Napster and thanks to Napster and MP3, we now have the convenience to purchase a song or album right at the touch of our fingertips or click of a button as opposed to going to a store and buying a CD. 3. Who are the winners and the losers in the ind ustry transformation?Explain why in detail. Within the industry transformation, there are many different aspects to be considered when discussing the winners and the losers. In terms of the artists and musicians, I believe that although they started out as losers, in the end, they ended up winning because for already discovered, well-known singers, they are getting the royalties they are owed and for new, up and coming artists, they are getting their name out there in a much less expensive way than before and still making some sort of money to support their dream.The agents and label companies will become winners as well through the transformations. The larger companies will most likely lose some strength and then gain back once they begin to find new artists and those artists begin to take off. The risk/reward of the digital market here will yield much more reward and their financial strength from the start will help them be a winner here. I feel the biggest loser in throughout the entire industry transformation is the packaging and CD production industry. Because CDs are no longer at an all time high, they will no longer be needed.There is very little need for this and it has almost become a niche market, barely used for music anymore, unless someone is burning their own music onto a CD. Albums being created and sold solely onto a CD has decreased substantially and within the next few years could become something in the past. This is the biggest loser by far through the music industry transformation. Although customers might think they are losing because now they have to pay for songs, they are winners because the quality of the music is better as well as the people creating.The level of effort matters to the customers when creating their next masterpiece of an album and if they weren’t getting the compensation they feel they deserve, it would be hard to justify a very complete, well written album. Customers are winners during the industry transformat ion. As for the biggest winner, I believe digital retail has won in this category. Apple and Microsoft have both done an amazing job with allowing iTunes to properly run on both of their software where it is so extremely easy to access any song, album, artists, video, TV show, movie, you name that a person could possible think of.To have a song on there takes a very small amount of work for Apple and it is one of the most genius programs to every be invented by one of the most powerful companies we will ever come across. At this time, if you were to watch a TV reality singing show, for example, X-factor, and you see a live performance you really enjoy, you can literally go on iTunes the very next day and purchase that specific person singing that very song. The digital retail market is only growing and technology has done something so amazing by growing the concept of Napster into something that can yield such amazing results.This is by far the biggest winner of the music industry t ransformation. 4. From the perspective of the stakeholder who stands to lose, is there anything you can do to change this? From the perspective of the stakeholders in Napster, it seems that they would all end up losing and there really is not much to be done to change this. Even though the concept of Napster really did drive the entire music and social media industry to a new place, it was a highly illegal application where many people lost a ton of money.Because of the money put into this application, stakeholders will end up being the losers when they lose their investment when they expected a return. 5. How will the industry change over the next 5-year period? As difficult as it is to say how the industry will change within the next 5 year period, I believe there will be many more drastic changes between now and then. Technology is rapidly growing and altering while new products are being brought into the market.I believe that iTunes will be around for some time but as they conti nue to update and make it better, faster and stronger, it will only take up more of the market share. As of right now, they have a tool called â€Å"genius† where it searches through the music you already have and suggests new music for you to buy. This tool is extremely helpful and can create thousands of new playlists and songs for a person to listen to. New artists, groups, reality TV shows, YouTube sensations and small town discoveries are being made every single day.The next pop star could be in the local coffee shop one day and on your TV screen the next. The industry is so quickly growing that it is almost impossible to keep up with technology and talent wise. 6. As viewed from the perspective of the record companies, retailers, artists, and Napster, what strategy would you pursue, and how? If I were viewing this situation from the perspective of the record companies, retailers, artists and Napster, I would pursue the strategy of Phase 2.In this day and age, many peopl e try and keep up with the technology that they are given. Napster was first to market with their idea and what they were given but many people were not happy. In Phase 2, it gives Napster the option to still let people play the music that they had already had on their original Napster, but from there forth, purchase the rest of the music and pay where the price is due. Napster was a disruptive technology that absolutely lacked refinement and had some major performance problems whether those were the slow search or the filters.However, this application was proven to be somewhat practical once it was perfected through the years. Apple used Napster’s disruptive technology and built their sustaining technology from the concept and played out the revenue aspect of Phase 2. That being said, I would stick with Phase 2 and continue to grow the industry based of of each song and price because even though many customers would initially complain, this would eventually turn into the nor m, like it has, and will drive the music industry to become a much more organized and beneficial industry.

Between Harrison Bergeron and a&P

Tim Kenda English 102 Short Story Essay 2/28/10 Heroism Through Choice When people think of heroes, they often think of muscle bound men in spandex with unrealistic powers of flight, strength, or x-ray vision. But in real life, heroes are often determined based on the smallest of situations and their outcomes. In both of the stories I have chosen (A&P and Harrison Bergeron), the main characters are classified as heroes because of their willingness to defy the authoritive forces around them, whether it be the store manager Lengel in A&P or the Handicapper General in Harrison Bergeron, as well as their willingness to strike out on their own instead of adhering to social norms. In Harrison Bergeron, the main character Harrison stands up to a society that attempts to dull his individual qualities by ripping off his physical handicaps and temporarily liberating all of the oppressed people watching the television for a moment. In A&P, the main character stands up to his dreary, Sunday school teaching boss when he feels as though his boss has embarrassed three female customers in a grocery store. Both Harrison and the cashier pay the price for their defiance (Harrison gets killed and the cashier loses his job), and it is because of the character’s selflessness that the actions appear heroic. Both characters fit the definition of a hero, the cashier for his willingness to lose his job over what he deems an inappropriate action by his manager, and Harrison for ripping off (literally) the shackles that his society has placed on him in a fight to show his individualism. The fact that they performed these actions with no thought towards their own outcome helps outline their true heroic qualities. In the story A&P, the cashier exhibits a heroic quality when he quits his job due to a perceived insult made by his manager to three young ladies. While it first appears to be a dangerous and rash decision (quitting your job over an apparent slight made by your manager to a girl you do not know), the underlying factors actually make this a very heroic choice. When the cashier quits the A&P, he is not quitting as a direct result of that one insult but rather he is quitting because he does not want to work in what he views as a strict and religious workplace. After he quits, he looks back and sees â€Å"Lengel in [his] place in the slot, checking the sheep through. † and then goes on to describe Lengel by saying â€Å"His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron. †(Updike 529). When he sees Lengel in this state, he realizes that moments before that had been him. At the end of the story, the cashier becomes a symbol of the thoughts of many young people during the late fifties and early sixties. He does not want to work in the same dreary place for his whole life. He does not want to be just like his parents and Lengel. And despite that fact that he knows it will be hard, he makes the decision to strike out on his own, and consequently to fight back against what he views as a dreary and depressing reality. That is a hard decision to make, and a heroic one as well. As a result of his actions, the cashier in A&P not only commits a heroic gesture, he also becomes a symbol of the change that was taking place in the late fifties and early sixties. Many young people at that point in time were breaking away from what their parents were doing and were bravely striking off onto their own paths, just like the hero in our story. The overall theme of the story mirrors the same path, showing the drear and the tension and the uncertainty that crept into the American conscious following the start of the cold war and the adolescent urge to do something better than what ones parents did. The cashier represents many of America’s younger generation in that aspect. In the story Harrison Bergeron, the main character is a â€Å"genius and an athlete† and is sent to jail for â€Å"suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. †(Vonnegut 536). He then breaks out of jail and declares on national television that he is the emperor. Now in our society, these actions would be considered those of a madman or a lunatic. But in his society, Harrison’s actions are very heroic. When Harrison rips off his handicaps and declares to the world he is emperor, he represents the idea that individualism and competition are superior to similarity and monotony. His actions also represent the destruction of the limitations that society has attempted to place on him just because he was different. Also, the fact that he did this and was then killed makes it even more heroic. This shows us that Harrison’s real intent was not to simply take over the world, but rather his intent was to show everyone that they could be different and they could fight the limitations imposed on them. The theme of this story is one of oppression and normalcy, and idea that Harrison attempts to destroy. Harrison becomes a symbol of freedom and liberation, showing us as readers that it is possible to break free of social normalcy despite the possibly grave consequences. In both Harrison Bergeron and A&P the main characters in the story are considered heroic for their willingness to stand up against authority and their ability to commit what they perceive as â€Å"good† actions regardless of the consequences they face. In both stories society is a dull, oppressive place, and the characters fight against the oppression in their own unique ways. And ultimately each character suffers a consequence as a result of their actions. But despite these consequences, which in the story were apparent before the characters committed their actions, both characters made their choices based on what they believed was right. This is why the cashier and Harrison are both heroic figures in their stories. Works Cited 1. Updike, John. _A&P. Literature and its Writers. Ed. _Ann Charters, Samuel Charters. Bedford/St. Martins, Boston. 2009. 2. Vonnegut, Kurt. _Harrison Bergeron. Literature and its Writers. _Ed. Ann Charters, Samuel Charters. Bedford/St Martins, Boston. 2009.

Employer †Employee Relationship Essay

Little Lamb Company needs an additional programmer for a special project. The company enters into a contract with Mary to complete this project. Just as the project is nearing completion, initially an independent contractor as she had a high degree of control over how the work is accomplished, and enters into a contract with the company a new need arises for her services. She is asked to continue with the company to complete the new project. While completing the new project, the supervisor begins working more closely with Mary and requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules. Mary seems to be moving toward an â€Å"at-will† employee position, because she appears to have less control over how the work is accomplished as she will probably have to answer to the supervisor, and using the companies materials and equipment and adhering to the company work schedules. After two years suggests â€Å"at-will† employee because of the length of time being 2 years, economic conditions force the company to make budget cuts. Mary is asked to leave as an employee, as she is obviously no longer working as an independent contractor, when asked to leave the company. Thirty days later, a major contract is acquired by the company, which reinstates the need for Mary’s services as a programmer. However, the supervisor chooses to hire his equally-qualified cousin and not offer Mary the opportunity to return. The use of word â€Å"hire† implied that Mary had been an employee and not an independent contractor. Is Mary an independent contractor or an employee? Describe the factors that led to your determination. There are several criteria to determine if Mary is a contractor or an employee. For example, one critical aspect to distinguish an independent contractor from an employee is the degree of control over how the work is accomplished. Initially Mary seemed to have more control than she did at the end, so it seems that she moved from being a independent contractor at the beginning to an employee over time. However, there are many factors to consider in making a determination as to whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee. Some of these criteria include:†¢Whether a distinct occupation or business is  being performed; e.g. programmer, so initially Mary was contracted as an independent contractor for a specific project. †¢The amount of supervision over the means by which the work is performed; e.g. â€Å"the supervisor begins working more closely with Mary and requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules† implies a move away from independent contractor towards an â€Å"at will† employee. †¢The degree of skill required to perform the work; e.g., â€Å"programmer† â€Å"equally-qualified cousin†Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Who provides the tools used to perform the work, and, e.g., â€Å"requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules† and therefore moving towards being an â€Å"at-will† employee†¢The place where the work is done; e.g. Mary is working in the office, â€Å"the supervisor begins working more closely with Mary and requires her to use company materials and equipment while adhering to company work schedules† suggesting an â€Å"at-will† employee position. Has the employer/employee relationship changed over the course of time? If so, how?As mentioned above, it did seem to change over time. It seems that initially, Mary could be considered an independent contractor because â€Å"Little Lamb Company needs an additional programmer for a special project† and Mary entered into a contract with the company. However, Mary was later asked to stay on and began working close to the supervisor, who expected Mary to used the company materials and equipment, to follow the company work schedule, and was terminated at will when economic conditions demanded. Thus, Mary seemed to move from an independent contractor to an â€Å"at-will† employee. 3) Was Mary’s release legal under the doctrine of employment-at-will? Why or why not?This is murky water and it depends. If Mary had moved into an â€Å"at will† employee, then the doctrine of employment-at-will allows her employee to let her go without reason (however, they initially had a contract, which we look at in the next part of this question below). In the scenario, it says Mary enters into a contract for the first project, however, makes no  mention of a contract when she is asked to stay on (however, sometimes contracts are implied). For example, in most states of the United States all employees are considered â€Å"at will† employees. That means that the employer can terminate or change the employment relationship â€Å"at will†, unless there is a contract with the employer. In general, an employer can fire an â€Å"at will† employee, or change the employee’s position or compensation with no notice and no reason. Likewise, the employee can terminate his employment â€Å"at will† without notice or reason. However, there are three possible legitimated reasons employee can challenge a wrongful termination:If not, which of the following exceptions to employment-at-will have been violated? Why?a) Breach of public policy (Perhaps) Values, principles and basic rules that the courts and legislatures consider to be in the best interest of individuals and the general public. Employer violations of specific labor and employment laws might be called violations of public policy, instead of or in addition to violations of the specific laws. That is because it is in the best interest of all workers that all employers obey such laws. Public policy may be written or implied, and varies among states and municipalities. Consequently, whether or not an employer has violated public policy is often a matter of interpretation by a court or arbitrator (i.e., hired cousin instead of having Mary return). b) Breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Probably not, because it is dealing with contracts and the question is dealing with â€Å"at-will† exceptions. c) Breach of implied contract (this is a possibility). Why? For example, in a â€Å"contract† between the employer and the employee, even in the absence of a formal written employment agreement. For example, language in an employee handbook may promise â€Å"all layoffs are based on seniority† or â€Å"we give employees at least 2 weeks notice of all layoffs†. Therefore, if Mary thins she is wrongfully terminated, as an employee; she can challenge a wrongful termination for these legitimate reasons

Convert Decimal Degrees into Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

Convert Decimal Degrees into Degrees, Minutes, Seconds When looking at maps and surveys, youll sometimes  find degrees given in decimal degrees (121.135 degrees) instead of the more common degrees, minutes, and seconds (121 degrees, 8 minutes, and 6 seconds). Its easy to convert from a decimal to the sexagesimal system if, for example, you need to combine data from maps that are calculated in two different systems. Or maybe youve done some math with some data in decimal degrees format and need to convert back to degrees, minutes, and seconds to plot the coordinates on a map. When you use GPS systems, for example when geocaching, you should be able to switch between the different coordinate systems on your device.   Heres How to Do the Conversion There are online calculators, but its not that tough to do the calculation from decimal degrees to degrees, minutes, and seconds by hand when needed; you start by breaking down your existing figure.   The whole units of degrees will remain the same (e.g., if your figure is 121.135 degrees longitude, start with 121 degrees).Multiply the decimal portion of the figure by 60 (e.g., .135 * 60 8.1).The whole number becomes the minutes (8).Take the remaining decimal and multiply it by 60  (e.g., .1 * 60 6).The resulting number becomes the seconds (6 seconds). Seconds can remain as a decimal if needed.Take your three sets of numbers and put them together, (e.g., 121 °86 longitude would be equivalent to 121.135 degrees longitude). FYI After you have degrees, minutes, and seconds, its often easier to find your location on most maps (especially topographic maps).Though there are 360 degrees in a circle, each degree is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is divided into 60 seconds.A degree is 70 miles (113 km), a minute 1.2 miles (1.9 km), and a second is .02 miles, or 106 feet (32  m).  Use a negative sign before figures in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Western Hemisphere.

Free Essays on Divine Retribution In The Inferno

In the classic Christian allegory Dante’s Inferno, the spirit Virgil guides Dante the pilgrim through the nine circles of hell. Each Circle is reserved for a certain type of sinner, such examples include the Second (Lustful), the Seventh (Violent), and the Eighth(simple fraud/malice). The reason behind the hierarchy of hell in this book is because each sinner receives a punishment that has certain significance to the sin committed, either by an outside agent of torture, a demon, or within themselves An example of an outside agent of torture being utilized is in the Second Circle. Virgil and Dante see various naked shades spun around in a constant hurricane (p. 110). These were the lustful, and included in this ring were many people, ranging from the empress Semiramus (p. 111) to the adulterer Francesca (p. 113). The significance of this punishment is that their actions do not indicate a tranquil demeanor and that the sinners are oblivious to common sense (p. 115) In the Seventh Circle, there are 3 rings for different types of violence; one of them is the Wood of the Suicides. As their punishment, they were to exist as trees (p. 186-7) and the only way they can speak is if a demon breaks off a branch, which causes much pain. As an addend to their suffering, on judgment day, they will not be able to use their bodies, for they will hang â€Å"on a thorn of it’s own alien shade† (p. 189). The punishment is significant in that they used pain as an outlet in life, so it would be their only outlet in the afterlife. Furthermore, because they didn’t respect their physical form on earth, they can never receive it again in hell (p. 193). In the Eighth Circle of Hell, there are 10 bolgias reserved for different types of fraud. The 10th Bolgia is reserved for the falsifiers. As their punishment, they were afflicted with different illnesses (p. 337). They were divided into 4 distinct categories, the alchemists, who had leprosy (p. 338-9),... Free Essays on Divine Retribution In The Inferno Free Essays on Divine Retribution In The Inferno In the classic Christian allegory Dante’s Inferno, the spirit Virgil guides Dante the pilgrim through the nine circles of hell. Each Circle is reserved for a certain type of sinner, such examples include the Second (Lustful), the Seventh (Violent), and the Eighth(simple fraud/malice). The reason behind the hierarchy of hell in this book is because each sinner receives a punishment that has certain significance to the sin committed, either by an outside agent of torture, a demon, or within themselves An example of an outside agent of torture being utilized is in the Second Circle. Virgil and Dante see various naked shades spun around in a constant hurricane (p. 110). These were the lustful, and included in this ring were many people, ranging from the empress Semiramus (p. 111) to the adulterer Francesca (p. 113). The significance of this punishment is that their actions do not indicate a tranquil demeanor and that the sinners are oblivious to common sense (p. 115) In the Seventh Circle, there are 3 rings for different types of violence; one of them is the Wood of the Suicides. As their punishment, they were to exist as trees (p. 186-7) and the only way they can speak is if a demon breaks off a branch, which causes much pain. As an addend to their suffering, on judgment day, they will not be able to use their bodies, for they will hang â€Å"on a thorn of it’s own alien shade† (p. 189). The punishment is significant in that they used pain as an outlet in life, so it would be their only outlet in the afterlife. Furthermore, because they didn’t respect their physical form on earth, they can never receive it again in hell (p. 193). In the Eighth Circle of Hell, there are 10 bolgias reserved for different types of fraud. The 10th Bolgia is reserved for the falsifiers. As their punishment, they were afflicted with different illnesses (p. 337). They were divided into 4 distinct categories, the alchemists, who had leprosy (p. 338-9),...

The Commonly Confused Words Prescribe and Proscribe

The Commonly Confused Words Prescribe and Proscribe The words prescribe and proscribe  are similar in pronunciation and can be easily confused, but are almost opposite in meaning. Definitions The verb prescribe means to recommend, establish, or lay down as a rule. Similarly, prescribe means to authorize a medical prescription. The verb proscribe means to ban, forbid, or condemn. Examples When doctors prescribe medicine for a child, they take the childs size and weight into account and adjust the dose accordingly.He read her temperature as 98.8. Very, very slight, he told her. I prescribe sleep.(John Updike, Married Life)Each year as many as two million Americans suffer from antibiotic-resistant illnesses, and 23,000 die as a result. Clearly, we need to get doctors to  prescribe  antibiotics more selectively. But how can this be done?(Craig R. Fox et al., How to Stop Overprescribing Antibiotics. The New York Times, March 25, 2016)Many localities have passed ordinances that proscribe the use of leaf blowers.The First Amendment generally prevents government from  proscribing  speech, or even expressive conduct, because of disapproval of the ideas expressed.(Earl E. Pollock,  The Supreme Court and American Democracy, 2009) Usage Notes Prescribe is a much commoner word and means either issue a medical prescription or recommend with authority, as in the doctor prescribed antibiotics. Proscribe, on the other hand, is a formal word meaning condemn or forbid, as in gambling was strictly proscribed by the authorities.(Maurice Waite, ed., Oxford Thesaurus of English, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2009)These are almost direct opposites, and ought not to be confused. To prescribe is to define a remedy, to ordain, to decree. To proscribe is to prohibit, to forbid, to ban. When the Food and Drug Administration proscribed Laetrile, it meant that no doctor could lawfully prescribe it.(James J. Kilpatrick, The Writers Art. Andrews McMeel, 1984) Practice (a) It is illegal to pay doctors to _____ certain medicines to their patients.(b) Chinas laws severely _____ public demonstrations. Answers to Practice Exercises: Prescribe and Proscribe (a) It is illegal to pay doctors to prescribe certain medicines to their patients.(b) Chinas laws severely proscribe public demonstrations. Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Why Marijuana Should be Legalized

Why Marijuana Should be Legalized Free Online Research Papers Marijuana should be legal; it is as simple as that. Almost the entire population smokes or has smoked this drug, and people will get it no matter what the cost so why not make it legal. There are a lot or reasons why Marijuana should be legalized, and here the most important ones. First, there would be a lower drug rate, and less drug dealers on the streets. Secondly, the government will get more money from taxing the drug, and thirdly it will help people whom use it for medical reasons need obtain it more efficiently. Marijuana should be legalized because it would lower the drug rate and help keep drug dealers off the streets. If we made Marijuana legal there would be less drug dealers in the United States because less people will be arrested for crimes like this. There would still be drug dealers and illegal drugs but that is just one thing that will always be around. We cannot make ever drug legal-only the important ones. In the past 20 years, I believe that the drug rate has risen substantially, all because of Marijuana. I also believe that if marijuana becomes legal that the drug rate will decrease by at least half, maybe more; but this is just my hypothesis. Another reason why I think Marijuana should be legalized is money issues. The government loses billions and billions of dollars buy people buying illegal drugs on the streets. Now, if we legalize those drugs and tax them, the government will get what they want and so will the people who want the drug. This is a win-win situation for everyone. Even though people who are being taxed for it will not be that happy, they get what they want. They will be buying marijuana in the tobacco stores just as if they would buy camel menthols. The last and most important reason why Marijuana should be legalized is for medical reasons. People with terminal illnesses or any illness are usually prescribed some sort of Marijuana for help. I am not saying that it is prescribed for the common cold like Tylenol. It is more for like Cancer patients of people with brain tumors. When they are prescribed this however, it is hard to obtain it because it is illegal and all. However, if the government legalizes the marijuana then the patients can get it more efficiently. This is not a cure for cancer or tumors, but it helps ease the pain that comes along with the illness. People say that Marijuana should stay illegal for many reasons. They say more people will get addicted to it, or if we legalize this drug then we should legalize all drugs; but that is not the case. It does not matter what drugs we legalize or keep illegal people are going to try getting it. So why not make it easier for them. Personally, I think that it is safer to give people legalize drugs than having them find drug dealers and causing a whole bunch of mess with drug busts and such. There is no scientific proof that marijuana kills brain cells are has any negative affects. In my opinion, it actually helps. I am not saying that I have personally done drugs but I have friends that have and they said that it helps them with test, studying, and stress. It is like a cigarette. The drugs that we legalize are not just any drugs. They are drugs that actually have proof to helping people. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) would not go around legalizing ecstasy or heroin because they have no proven positive side effects. I think we are a little bit smarter than that. If not, then all the potheads should just move to Columbia and become addicted to Cocaine. Probably, there is a process goes along with legalizing a drug. We would have to weigh the options on why or why not to legalize a drug and go through all of the side effects. Overall, Legalizing Marijuana is more effective than keeping it illegal. I hope that you agree, too. Research Papers on Why Marijuana Should be LegalizedThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Hip-Hop is ArtCapital PunishmentMind TravelPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyQuebec and Canada

Defining a Good SAT Score

Defining a Good SAT Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While the definition of a â€Å"Good SAT Score† is can seem subjective, in fact, there are valid and objective ways to quantify it. In this article, I’ll go through four different methods you can use to decide what a good SAT score means for you. Having the wrong definition can be catastrophic to your college future, and having the right definition can be a strong motivator to achieve your SAT goals. What’s a Good Score Compared to the US Population? First, to understand what a good SAT score is, you must have a rough feeling for what the SAT scores of the US population of high school students look like overall. If you're not applying to the same colleges as the "average American," you might lack this broader perspective. The SAT in January 2016 and before is scored on a 2400 scale. The top score is 2400, and the bottom score is 600. The new SAT, which starts in March, will be scored on a 1600 point scale, so the maximum and minimum scores will change to 1600 and 400. The SAT gives students percentile rankings that show them how high their score is relative to other students across the country who took the test. I'll give you the scores defined by these percentiles for the current SAT and provide predicted scores for the new SAT. According to the most recent data: Ten percent of students score below an 00, so below an 00 is verylow score nationally. This should translate to around a 730 on the new SAT. The 25th percentile is around a 1300, so a score below 1300 isslightly low. This should translate to around an 870 on the new SAT. The 50th percentile mark is around a 1500; anything within 50-100 points of 1500 is an average score. This should translate to around a 1000 on the new SAT. The 75th percentile score is around a 1700, so anything above this isa great score. This should translate to around an 30 on the new SAT. The 90th percentile cutoff is around a 1900.Above this, you're in reach of the elite range of scores.This score should translate to around a 1270 on the new SAT. Read this article for more information on national score percentiles. Keep in mind that the predictions for the new SAT are very tentative since we only have data from the old version of the test. The scores that correspond to each percentile may change depending on how well students adapt to the new test. What’s a Good Score Compared to Your Peers? Unless you are exactly the average American, comparing yourself against the US national average may not be appropriate. You should care about what a good SAT score is for *you* personally, and a reasonable proxy is your peer group. After all, your peer group may have grown up in the same environment and have similar expectations for SAT scores. If you're a football star at an athletics-heavy high school, your varsity football team is a better comparison pool than a class of math geniusesin a selective private high school (and vice versa). In this case, the best method for determining where you stand is to ask at least four people in your peer group what their SAT scores are. This way you can get a sense of how you're doing. If you're way below all four, then you're doing poorly. If you're scoring better than two, then you're doing well. And if you're doing better than all four, you're doing spectacularly. The gold standard for comparison is the SAT score range of people in your peer group. Fortunately, you don't have to doallthe hard work! We did some heavily lifting for you and compiled data from two peer groups of competitive students. Honors students in the top third of their class: If you're in the top third of your class, to be in the 75th percentile on the SAT, you'll need to score 1928 or better. Thus, honor students should considerabout 1900 or more(around 1250-1300 on the new SAT)to be a good SAT score. Students in the top 10% of their class, or students in top 10% school districts. For this group, the 75th percentile score is as high as 2100. A stellar student should shoot for 2100 (around 1400 on the new SAT) as an SAT score goal. Students in National Honors Society may have a higher SAT target score. What Is aGood SAT Score for College? Even better than comparing against your peers is comparing against the scores of admitted students at a college that interests you. After all, most people take the SAT for college. It makes the most sense to start with figuring out what a good college is for you and then work backward to determine a target SAT score. The best way to figure outwhat score you should shootforis to look up the average test scores at the college of your choice and see where you fall.Most schools will give a range from the 25th percentile score to the 75th percentile score.If you’re hoping for a solid chance of admission, you should be aiming for the 75th percentile score at colleges that interest you.Consult this article on finding your target score for more details on how to find and interpret these numbers. If you look up the average scores at a college of your choice and find that your scores are much higher, you might consider aiming for a more competitive school.Doing socould give you a much more fulfilling learning experience. Selectivecolleges will have a driven student community and offer intellectually challenging classes.You’re likely to learn more at these schools, have access to greater opportunities, and be looked upon favorably in the future when you’re trying to find a job or apply to grad school. If you’re aiming for Ivy League or other highly competitive schools like Stanford and MIT, you’ll find that the 75th percentile score is sometimes close or equivalent to a perfect 2400.Obviously, you’re not going to be able to score any higher than this.In general, for these schools, you’ll need to have a 2200 or higher to end up with a reasonable chance of admission (most likely in the 1450-1500 range on the new SAT).College admissions have become extremely competitive lately, so these schools have had to adopt higher and higher standards to weed out students from the vast numbers of applications they receive. You may also choose to attend one of the Poison Ivy League schools I'm planning on founding. Coursework consists solely of going on hikes and learning how to recognize and treat poison ivy while playing poison ivy-related pranks on real Ivy League schools. What’s a Good Score for You? One of the best definitions of a good SAT score is based on your own potential. After all, if the best you can do is a 1300, and you get a 1280, then that's an excellent score. Conversely, if your potential is a 2300, then even a 2000 is a bad score for you personally. In considering what a â€Å"good score† means, it’s important to take stock of your starting point and limitations.In other words, you should be competing with yourself first and foremost to try and improve from your baseline score.Try studying for ten hours or so, and take a practice test.Treat this score as your baseline score. Students usually can improve on this score by 250 points or more with dedicated studying (this should translate to around a 170-point improvement on the new SAT). Many students find that they hit the upper limit of SAT studying toleration after 40-80 hours of studying.If you manage to do this amount of focused studying, the score you end up with should be a good one based on your own standards.If you ended up with a low score on the baseline test and didn’t improve much after a lot of studying, you might need to reassess your study habits and make sure that you really understand your mistakes.For a student who scores low initially, any score that indicates an improvement of more than 200 points (or more than 130 points on the new SAT) should be considered a good score. You after a long shift in the SAT factory. What's Next? Aiming high for college? Read our articles on how to get a 2400 on the SAT and what it takes to get into the most selective schools. If you're working on raising your score to reach your goals, check out my article that lists 15 quick tips for improving your SAT score. Worried about the discrepancy between your high GPA and low SAT score? Find out how to deal with this dilemma. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Samantha Lindsay About the Author Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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Gram Stain Procedure in Microbiology

Gram Stain Procedure in Microbiology The Gram stain is a differential method of staining used to assign bacteria to one of two groups (gram-positive and gram-negative) based on the properties of their cell walls. It is also known as Gram staining or Grams method. The procedure is named for the person who developed the technique, Danish bacteriologist Hans Christian Gram. How the Gram Stain Works The procedure is based on the reaction between peptidoglycan in the cell walls of some bacteria. The Gram stain involves staining bacteria, fixing the color with a mordant, decolorizing the cells, and applying a counterstain. The primary stain (crystal violet) binds to peptidoglycan, coloring cells purple. Both gram-positive and gram-negative cells have peptidoglycan in their cell walls, so initially, all bacteria stain violet.Grams iodine (iodine and potassium iodide) is applied as a mordant or fixative. Gram-positive cells form a crystal violet-iodine complex.Alcohol or acetone is used to decolorize the cells. Gram-negative bacteria have much less peptidoglycan in their cell walls, so this step essentially renders them colorless, while only some of the color is removed from gram-positive cells, which have more peptidoglycan (60-90% of the cell wall). The thick cell wall of gram-positive cells is dehydrated by the decolorizing step, causing them to shrink and trapping the stain-iodine complex inside.After the decolorizing step, a counterstain is applied (usually safranin, but sometimes fuchsine) to color the bacteria pink. Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria pick up the pink stain, but it is no t visible over the darker purple of the gram-positive bacteria. If the staining procedure is performed correctly, gram-positive bacteria will be purple, while gram-negative bacteria will be pink. Purpose of the Gram Staining Technique The results of the Gram stain are viewed using light microscopy. Because the bacteria are colored, not only is their Gram stain group identified, but their shape, size, and clumping pattern may be observed. This makes the Gram stain a valuable diagnostic tool for a medical clinic or lab. While the stain may not definitely identify bacteria, often knowing whether they are gram-positive or gram-negative is sufficient for prescribing an effective antibiotic. Limitations of the Technique Some bacteria may be gram-variable or gram-indeterminate. However, even this information may be useful in narrowing down bacterial identity. The technique is most reliable when cultures are less than 24 hours old. While it can be used on broth cultures, its best to centrifuge them first. The primary limitation of the technique is that it yields erroneous results if mistakes are made in the technique. Practice and skill are needed to produce a reliable result. Also, an infectious agent may not be bacterial. Eukaryotic pathogens stain gram-negative. However, most eukaryotic cells except fungi (including yeast) fail to stick to the slide during the process. Gram Staining Procedure Materials Crystal violet (primary stain)Grams iodine (mordant, to fix crystal violet in the cell wall)Ethanol or Acetone (decolorizer)Safranin (secondary stain or counterstain)Water in a squirt bottle or dropper bottleMicroscope slidesCompound microscope Note its better to use distilled water than tap water, as pH differences in water sources may affect results. Steps Place a small drop of bacterial sample on a slide. Heat fix the bacteria to the slide by passing it through the flame of a Bunsen burner three times. Applying too much heat or for too long can melt the bacteria  cell walls, distorting their shape and leading to an inaccurate result. If too little heat is applied, the bacteria will wash off the slide during staining.Use a dropper to apply the primary stain (crystal violet) to the slide and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Gently rinse the slide with water no longer than 5 seconds to remove excess stain. Rinsing too long can remove too much color, while not rinsing long enough may allow too much stain to remain on gram-negative cells.Use a dropper to apply Grams iodine to the slide to fix the crystal violet to the cell wall. Let it sit for 1 minute.Rinse the slide with alcohol or acetone about 3 seconds, followed immediately with a gentle rinse using water. The gram-negative cells will lose color, while the gram-positive cells will rema in violet or blue. However, if the decolorizer is left on too long, all cells will lose color! Apply the secondary stain, safranin, and allow it to sit for 1 minute. Gently rinse with water no longer than 5 seconds. The gram-negative cells should be stained red or pink, while the gram-positive cells will still appear purple or blue.View the slide using a compound microscope. A magnification of 500x to 1000x may be needed to distinguish cell shape and arrangement. Examples of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Pathogens Not all bacteria identified by the Gram stain are associated with diseases, but a few important examples include: Gram-positive cocci  (round)  -Staphylococcus aureusGram-negative cocci  -  Neisseria meningitidisGram-positive bacilli (rods)  -  Bacillus anthracisGram-negative bacilli  -  Escherichia coli

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment Essay

Employing Strategy in a Competitive Environment - Essay Example Strategic management is essential in necessitating business both short term and long-term development and expansion. However, business professionals have asserted that the formulation and implementation of a working business strategy is an extremely complex process that requires an all-inclusive mechanism. Moreover, consistent evaluation of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities have as well proved to be very productive and instrumental in the entire process of formulating a workable strategic management plan. This essay will therefore create an environmental scan for the Panera bread company indicating the most significant environmental threats. Panera Bread is a chain of cafe and restaurants in Canada and United States of America. The company’s headquarters are situated in Sunset Hills, Missouri. The Panera Bread also has a bakery for producing fresh breads and other bakery products. Apart from selling breads and other bakery products, Panera B read sell other products including cold sandwiches, muffins, bagels, soups and salads. Moreover, restaurant businesses in modern markets have proved to be very complicated and competitive. Over the years, the industry has encountered a consistent flow of new entrants that result in increased struggle for any company to make profit. Therefore, the Panera Bread Company has received consistent competition at all levels including specialty foods as well as fast casual dining. The main competitors of Panera Bread are Subways, Starbucks and McDonald’s. Despite the three main competitors, Panera Bread also encounters lively competition from other competitors at local, regional and national level. Increased competition has a negative impact on the company’s market share and revenue. As a result, to sustain its profitability, Panera Bread ought to frequently revisit and amend its menu to attract and sustain new and regular customers, fulfil the ever-changing customer demands an d preferences, as well as reacting and responding to various seasons of the year. By consistently changing its menu, Panera Bread would have an advantage over their competitors such as subways and McDonald who do not always change their menu forcing customers to loss interests in their products and services. In addition, in restaurant industry, there is no perfect substitute for food and drinks. Therefore, there is a relatively limited threat on food preparation. However, due to the existence of different operational and cultural background, Panera Bread Company is sometimes compelled to change their coffee selection to meet customers’ needs and cultural demands. Consistent change of coffee selection has emerged to be a very expensive and complicated process for Panera Bread restaurant (Panera Bread Company, 2012). Moreover, the company has created an atmosphere that encourages consistent interaction and consultation among all players in the organisation including the company ’s customers. To advance the competence of its employees, the company’s management is as well known for holding consistent strategic meetings with their employees and loyal customers. However, to counter the emerging alternative such as working from home, the company should offer an accommodating atmosphere to its employees in order to facilitate effective and uninterrupted working environment. Moreover, the limited barriers to new entry in restaurant markets have significantly increased in the market. It is

Taxation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Taxation - Essay Example In such a society, every member has the capacity to identify what is good, and has the right to discuss the concept with others and make necessary changes based on what is considered as the best for the society. Thus, it is clear that Rawlsian liberalism will support some kind of basic structure that is just. In sharp contrast, conservatism as a political philosophy advocates for the retention of the traditional social orders and institutions. Generally, the traditional conservatives oppose modernism and want to return to the traditional systems (Muller 36). A look into the history of Great Britain proves that conservatives like Burke justified aristocracy and the social order in order to preserve tradition, and for such people, community and social harmony were more important than social reforms. Over the years, conservatism took various forms with increased and decreased intensity, like liberal conservatism, conservative liberalism, libertarian conservatism, fiscal conservatism, gr een conservatism, cultural and social conservatism and so on (Muller 3). A look into the history of conservatism in the United States will show that its main characteristics over the years were support for traditional system, anti-communist attitude, demand for low taxes, limited rules and regulations, and a free market. In addition, one can see conservatives do not hesitate to criticize various environmental issues (Schneider, 45). This attitude was clearly exhibited by the stringent opposition to the rising role of government in health care. Thus, one gets an idea that generally, conservatism is against taxation. Liberalism and taxation Liberalism can be described as the political ideology which favors social progress by improvising laws instead of revolution. This social progress will touch all spheres including social, political and economic rights. That means this social philosophy advocates the removal of inequalities in all these spheres. According to Rawls theory of justice, states should possess enough power to take necessary steps to ensure that the poorest in society are as well-off as they can be. Rawls points out in his theory that an unequal distribution of wealth and income is acceptable if those at the bottom of the society are better off than it is possible under any other distribution (Rawls 85). According to liberalism as suggested by Rawls, it is necessary for the members in a society to decide a just social contract. Also, the scholar points out that it is necessary to eliminate the possibility of any morally arbitrary bargaining advantages from influencing the Basic Structure. In order to achieve this end, the scholar points out that all the bargainers in the society need to be kept behind a veil of ignorance (Rawls 113). That means the members are not aware about their natural gifts, social class background, and such other factors. These members would agree to two principles in general; firstly, each person has an equal right to the most extensive liberties, and secondly, social and economic inequalities should be arranged in such a way that the least advantaged gets the greatest benefit (Rawls 143). Thus, the Difference principle as proposed by Rawls is the very basis of the claim that taxation will be welcomed by liberalism. This principle claims that society can initiate such projects which require giving more power to some people in terms of income and status if the initiative meets two criteria. Firstly, it can offer a better life to the worst off by

Old Testament and New Testament Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Old Testament and New Testament - Assignment Example Throughout the next few chapters, there were many stories of Jesus healing those who were sick and even dead in some cases. Before Jesus was crucified, He predicted that those who hated Him would want to kill Him. In the final chapter after Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus commanded his followers to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. Then Jesus ascended up to heaven. John The book of John was unlike the first three gospels; it was not a synoptic gospel. The difference was that Matthew, Mark, and Luke told the story of Jesus chronologically. On the other hand, the book of John was more about preaching what Jesus taught. This book was the last of the Gospels to be written. John wrote this book at the end of his life in approxiamately 90 A.D. This would have allowed John enough time to process what he had seen and heard and then gave him a great opportunity to dictate the story properly. Just as in the book of the previous Gospels, John described some of the signs and wonders t hat Jesus performed. In addition to this, the book of John used many direct quotes from Jesus himself, thus proclaiming why Jesus did the things He did. There are a number of lessons that a reader can get from becoming familier with the Gospel of John. Jesus often answered questions that were posed by different people. He always had a parable to relate a teaching principle to. Acts The book of Acts was a narrative story because it detailed the happenings of the early church. This book was written by the Apostle Luke, who was also the author of the book of Luke. The key character of this book was Paul, or Saul as he was previously known as. At the beginning of the book of Acts, the revival at Pentecost is described. This was where Jesus sent the Holy Spirit down to be available to anyone who would trust in God. Throughout the next few chapters, many of the early Christians performed miracles to those who needed it the most. However, the rulers at the time, the Romans, persecuted many Christians and even killed people such as Stephen by stoning him to death. In spite of this, the numbers of Christians increased rapidly. In the key event of the book, Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute some new believers. But, before he was able to reach his destination, Saul was met by the spirit of the Lord and had a conversion experience. After this, Saul changed his name to Paul and became the first well-known missionary to go out into the world. Hebrews The book of Hebrews was written by an anonymous author. Many historians think that Paul may have been the author, but this cannot be proven beyond doubt. This book is known as one of the epistles because it was written as a letter to the Hebrews. The main theme of Hebrews is a continuation of the teachings of Jesus that were previously found in preceding books of the New Testament. In the first chapter of the book, it was taught that Jesus was not an angel, but a servant from God. Throughout the middle chapters, a le sson was shown. Jesus is God, but became a man and is now our priest. In the Old Testament, priests killed animals so the people could be forgiven. Yet, Jesus chose to die Himself so God would accept His sacrifice and thus forgive us of our sins. In the penultimate chapter, the heroes of the faith are described along with the deeds that they did. Revelation The final book of the New Testam

Summary on evidence by roger sapsford Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary on evidence by roger sapsford - Essay Example In this light, the article by Sapsford is introductory in its essence, or, alternatively, recapitulative, if a reader is aiming to find a starting point in tackling tasks that seem to defy easy methodological approaches to them. In this role, the writing by Sapsford is very adequate as the author manages to consequently present the general overview of conventional divisions of methods applicable in social psychology, such as divisions exemplified by oppositions between naturalistic and controlled, structured and unstructured, and specific and generalizable types of experiments and approaches to the data analysis (Sapsford 1996, p. 146). With this general but very instructive distinction in mind, the author devotes an extended attention to the exploration of the division of methods of social research on the ones inspired by ‘scientific’ and ‘qualitative’ approaches. ‘Scientific’ research, according to Sapsford, is characterised by the observance of the rules of â€Å"clear measurement and logical design† (Sapsford 1996, p. 147), which in practice means adherence to the formalised ways of data gathering and analysis, such as questionnaires, creation of personality inventories, organisation of control groups, etc. Perhaps even more insightful is the association by the author of the ‘scientific’ research with the underlying assumption of researches that the objective knowledge is out there in the world, and that their task is to find ways to obtain that knowledge. In its turn, the philosophy behind the ‘qualitative’ research is based on the assumption that it is too often the case that straightforward approaches akin to those of the ‘scientific’ research may miss the true complexity of the real world, can fall a victim to the subjectivity of researchers, and, moreover, may influence, even though inadvertently, the object of

Evaluation of a New Curriculum Initiative Essay

Evaluation of a New Curriculum Initiative - Essay Example ng, is limited in that it can only assess certain types of knowledge.   For example, you can't test students' reasoning skills very far with giving them multiple choice items on a standardized test other than to know that they gave you the right answer. That doesn't help you very much.   But with a performance assessment of some type, such as an essay question or other assessment where students must create a product or a report of some type (where instructors don't have to "teach to the test"), a lot can be gained about what we call a student's "deep understanding" of the material.   So that is one reason why I think No Child Left Behind is a bad policy; it focuses on high-stakes testing and has left children behind when they really need it, in my opinion.   Unfortunately, standardized test scores are what drive AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) and keep schools open.   AYP is reached depending on test scores' improvement from last year, from what I understand.   If schools are not making AYP they can be put on Academic Watch Status (AWS), or Academic Early Watch Status (AEWS).   If these schools do not make AYP for a certain number of years, the schools can be restructured or even closed depending upon the number of years your school has or has not made AYP.   So testing is important in this regard.   Currently, the school which is being studied for this curriculum case study, made AYP this past school year but is on Academic Watch Status, for example, so they have to be careful.   Apparently, they have missed making AYP in one of their past years and have to make sure they make it in the future.   2. Socioeconomic and/or Political Factors [405]? Education reform (which turned into NCLB) was a campaign point for Governor Bush in 2000. This law mandates 100% achievement;... Curriculum should follow a philosophy of diversity. Celebrating diversity, according to Ornstein and Hunkins (2008), is very important (pp. 194). My philosophy of diversity encapsulates three key concepts which will serve to make my classroom a welcoming environment for all students to learn and to express themselves accordingly. These concepts which will make my classroom a successful learning environment for diverse learners are the following: promoting inclusivity; celebrating diversity; and, as the teacher, using caretaker language to make students feel comfortable. It is a keystone of my philosophy of diversity that the classroom be a place of inclusiveness—whether my students be Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, or of mixed race(s) or races not named here, and be of whatever socioeconomic status, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or cultural affiliation—that my students feel that they are equals in my classroom regardle ss of my particular cultural lens. An inclusive philosophy dictates that each student should have the same opportunity to learn the target subject. This includes being cognizant of striving against favoritism, especially based on gender or race. Students who are from lower levels socioeconomically should be given a fair chance to succeed by providing them with the tools they need to succeed in an environment which has typically favored the dominant culture’s hegemonic social strata. A level playing field is key. Stategies include having class materials available such as extra paper and pens. I want students of various national origins and religions to feel comfortable enough to express themselves within the dynamic of their own backgrounds.