Benchmar Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benchmar Exercise - Essay Example The student also attacked the demerit system utilized in the college. This is because it is unfair for a student to be sanctioned based on incorrect information or perception. In April 2014, one female student called Samantha Field wrote an online article that accused the college of failing to give her adequate support after a rape incident within the college premises. The Haredi College was established in 2001 in Jerusalem. The college was mainly targeted for the ultra-Orthodox public. The college is mainly managed by Adina Bar-Shalom, the daughter of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. But the college has experienced several controversial issues. Recent media information illustrates that the college is about to be closed, due to approximately $1.7 million debt. Several other Heredi colleges are experiencing financial challenges; for instance, Lander College that has filed for bankruptcy, and Makor HaMayanot. The Ministry of Education in Israel gave the responsibility of financial management at the college, to an accounting

Effects of Evaluation and Monitoring of Ecde Programmes Essay Example for Free

Effects of Evaluation and Monitoring of Ecde Programmes Essay The researcher will attempt to investigate the background information, statement of the problem, purpose of the study; objective of the study, significant of the study, limitation of the study and delimitation of the study. The period between 0-6 years is also referred to as formative years. According to guideline series (2006) children are extremely dependent on the people for life sustaining support for example in provision of food, shelter, clothing and attention. Through interaction, punishment and rewards children turn to be individuals whom teachers, parents and other care givers want them to be. This period is very important for children because it is the foundation of their total life. Experiences of these years continue to influence the individual throughout life. It is also a period of the fastest growth and development in all aspects. The brain of the child is most malleable at this stage and hence influences such as care have greater impact. It is therefore very important to invest in early years of a child because research findings show that holistic development of an individual is during thee years Ragor(2008). Most recognized psychologist like Freud and Piaget came up with their theories after many years of observing infants in their formative years. In the united states of America(USA), the CCB is dedicated to enhancing the quality and affordable child care services for all families that was according internet(July 2001). CCB administers federal funds to states territories and tribes to assist low income families in accessing child care service while parents participate in education or training activities. CCB also funds a network of Technical Assistance projects that promote quality and strengthen programme administration. It also shares research findings and help policy makers, programme administrators, communities, caregivers and parents to understand and make good decisions about child care. In Mauritius ECDE is under the Ministry of Women Rights, child development, family welfare and Ministry of Education. 0% of pre-school are run by the state. In 1998 Ministry of Education Acts put the teacher pupil ratio of 1:19. The sector is dominated by untrained caregivers with no minimum qualification. There are three types of staff for example school directors, teachers, and assistant teachers. Teachers have a general education of specific training for pre-school teaching provided by credited Mauritius institute of Education. Teachers and their assistants are paid by the government. Teachers, helpers, learners and auxiliary staff are paid by Parents Teachers Association (PTA). The researcher found that in Kenya after independence the government got directly involve in education activities of young children. Nursery schools and Day-care centres were established. They became directly under the Ministry of Health and Home Affairs. These ministries inspected schools that were stated at that time. The responsibility was later shifted to the Ministry of Education. Many seminars were held which covered all areas including co-ordination, supervision, provision of materials, research and sources of finance. Training programmes were organized for trainers and supervisors so that they could monitors and evaluate ECDE programmes in the grassroots level. However currently according to Ngaroga(2006) the government to contributed to the current expenditure on early childhood development education (ECDE) is 0. 1% where as the primary education is free. At the county level, the ECDE teachers are employed and paid by different employers namely community, parents, local authorities or Faith Based Organizations (FBO). This combination of emotional security and stimulation does not just happen. Those developing and implementing curriculum should bear in mind the ways in which they will create these. Active planning of good routine and activities as well as toys and equipment that will encourage children to play and explore is fundamental. Teachers, caregivers and parents ought to have knowledge skills and attitudes towards helping children to acquire them. Despite government vision to have education for all by the year (2015), quality education has never been realized since the ECDE sector has not been given the attention it deserves. Ngaroga(2005) states that little has been done about educational assessment which should be conducted by various professionals in order to establish the educational needs of the child. This involves very thorough examination of the child in relation to the capabilities and handicap the child is identified to be having. This assessment involves various personnel in different fields. Evaluation and monitoring motivates the learner and measures his or her achievement of the intended objectives and progress. It also enables teachers to give an objective report of an individual child’s performance and determine the usefulness of the method used in teaching children. Thus provides the basis for improving educational programmes.

Disability And Sexuality And Social Work Practice Social Work Essay

Disability And Sexuality And Social Work Practice Social Work Essay There is a growing recognition of the need to provide sex education to people with learning disabilities, as well as their right to achieve such education. Despite a desire to help with this, social workers and other health professionals can lack the confidence and tools to deliver sex education to this population. In an effort to accumulate evidence of best practice thus far, a narrative review of the literature will be conducted to answer the following question: What interventions are available within social work practice for the delivery of sexuality education to people with learning disabilities? By identifying the key consistencies and inconsistencies across effective interventions, feasible interventions can be established and further research identify. Background and Rationale In the past, people with learning disabilities were excluded from sexual education or help with issues around their sexuality. Fortunately, in modern day society this exclusion is beginning to change, which is in part due to a shift from institutionalised care to supported living. This has resulted in an increase in independent living as well as a greater acknowledgement of the needs of people with learning disabilities. Furthermore, the myth that people with learning disabilities are eternal children (McCarthy, 1999) no longer holds sway and it is acknowledged that people with learning disabilities are not asexual; they have the same needs as people without a learning disability, including needs regarding sexuality. The Sex and Relationships research project, set up in 2007, was particularly influential in challenging the previously faulty beliefs and myths that maintained the exclusion of people with learning disabilities. This was a 3-year research programme conducted by CHANGE (2009), a national organisation that fights for the rights of people with learning disabilities. As part of this project it was found that people with learning disabilities, aged 16-25 years old, shared that they were not told about sex and relationships when they were younger. Furthermore, they also said that if they had been given better sex education, they might have made different choices as adults. This highlights a clear unmet need experienced by people with learning disabilities, as well as indicates that these unmet needs discriminate individuals via reduced choice in adulthood. Professionals working within the field of learning disabilities, including social workers, remain reluctant to become involved in sexuality education due to lack of confidence and lack of availability of educational materials designed for this population (Howard-Barr et al., 2005). They want to support people with learning disabilities, but do not have the information or skills to do so (Garbutt, 2008). Thus, there is a need to establish effective interventions designed to equip social workers and other healthcare professionals with the personal and professional tools necessary to deliver sex education to people with learning disabilities. This provides the rationale for a narrative review of the literature. Research Question The research question posed from the background literature is: What interventions are available within social work practice for the delivery of sexuality education to people with learning disabilities? More specifically: What effective interventions are already available? What are the key concepts and theories relevant to effective interventions? How has efficacy of interventions been assessed? What are the key consistencies and inconsistencies across studies? What answers remain? Research Design and Methods A narrative review of the literature will be conducted in order to identify interventions available within social work practice for the delivery of sexuality education to people with learning disabilities. A narrative review has been selected due to its recommended use with comprehensive topics (Collins and Fauser, 2005), and the benefits that derive from being able to include subjective interpretations based on personal experience of social work practice. Social work is a person-centred and holistic discipline that warrants this phenomenological approach. Furthermore, a narrative review can be used to synthesise evidence from both quantitative and qualitative studies, thus benefiting from the strengths of both approaches, the former of which offers scientific rigour and the latter of which offers subjectivity and depth. The relevant literature will be synthesised through the use of data extraction forms (appendix 1), the identification of key themes and controversies between studies, and the development of a considered narrative for each key theme. By identifying established knowledge within this area, as well as where gaps in knowledge remain, conclusions will be made on the efficacy of different interventions or techniques that social workers could utilise in the delivery of sexuality education to people with learning disabilities. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria Inclusion in this review will be confined to primary research meeting the following additional inclusion criteria: Randomised control trials (RCTs); control trials; prospective pre- and post-test cohort studies; qualitative studies. The study needs to be testing or exploring an intervention for the delivery of sexuality education to people with learning disabilities. Population: social workers or other healthcare professionals working with people who have learning disabilities. Studies conducted over the last 5 years (2006-2011). In addition, the following exclusion criteria apply: Studies conducted before 2006. Non-English studies. Studies that do not meet the pre-defined inclusion criteria. Search Strategy A search of the literature will be undertaken using Boolean logic, which will allow for a more sensitive search of the title and abstracts of the following databases: the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Medline, Embase, PsychINFO and The Cochrane Library of clinical trials. Keywords to be searched include learning disabilities OR learning dis*AND sex* AND educ* OR train* OR interv* OR intervention studies. The truncation symbol (*) will be applied to search for words that might have various endings (e.g. sex* will find sex, sexuality, sexual). The reference list of all articles that are obtained in full will also be hand-searched for relevant studies. In addition, two key social work journals will be hand-searched from 2010 to 2011 to identify the most up to date research in this area: British Journal of Social Work and Journal of Social Work. The title and abstracts of all literature identified by the search strategy will be scanned for relevance, with irrelevant or duplicate articles being excluded. All records meeting the pre-defined inclusion criteria will be obtained in full for data extraction. A data extraction form recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2010) will be used to elicit key details from each of the studies obtained (appendix 1), including: study design; intervention; and, main findings. Synthesis of Findings Thematic content analysis will be used to identify key themes across studies, followed by the identification of convergent and divergent findings within these key themes (Aveyard, 2010). Narratives will be created for the most prominent themes. A critical analysis of how social work practice could be informed, developed and improved with respect to the evidence obtained from this review will be included, with a specific emphasis on the importance of evidence-based practice. Study Resources, Risks and Timetable Internet databases that provide access to academic peer reviewed journals will be the primary source utilised for searching the literature. The university library will also be a valuable resource for locating learning disability and social work journals that can be hand-searched, as well as providing access to a librarian who can be asked for advice on suitable web-based subject gateways. In addition, the reference lists of reviewed articles are a source of access to further relevant research. Ethical approval will not be required for this review. A timetable for completing this review is presented in Table 1, with the deadline for submitting the reviewing being February 2012. Table 1: Timetable for Review Action Dates 1. Choose research question based on scoping of the literature and consideration of relevant policy. Beginning of March 2011 2. Conduct a preliminary literature search to gather information on the background and rationale for review. Mid-March 2011 3. Develop a review proposal and timetable, including search strategy and inclusion criteria, etc. End of March 2011 4. Conduct first search of the literature, utilising selected web-based databases, excluding irrelevant or duplicate records and obtaining the full text of remaining records. Complete data extraction forms for each study. April and May 2011 4. Hand-search selected journals, obtaining the full text of relevant records and completing data extraction forms for each study. June 2011 5. Hand-search the reference lists of all articles included from the database and journal searches, obtaining the abstract of potential articles of relevance. Exclude those that become irrelevant on closer inspection and obtain the full text of remaining references. Complete data extraction forms for each study. July 2011 6. Identify the key themes and controversies between studies. Write a narrative for each key theme, including objective discussion of studies and subjective interpretations in relation to experience, knowledge, and social work policy. August and September 2011 7. First draft of introduction and rationale chapter. October 2011 8. First draft of methods and results. November 2011 9. First draft of discussion chapter. December 2011 10. First full draft of review make necessary adjustments and finalise. January 2011 11. Submit final review. February 2012

The Great War Essay -- essays research papers

Imperialism The late nineteenth and early twentieth century saw a great deal of colonization of Asia and Africa by European powers, each trying to fulfill its own version of manifest destiny. England controlled vast holds in Africa, as well as India; the Belgians ruled the Congo; Germany, France, and Italy also held several African lands. These colonies funded a great part of the ruling countries' economies and provided foreign markets for European products, and expansion became necessary and desirable to advance the glory and the wealth of each European power. However, the land available diminished as Germany, France, England, Italy, and Belgium occupied increasingly large tracts of land. Oftentimes, border disputes would break out between colonists of different nationalities; for example the Boer War in South Africa between the Dutch and the English. Furthermore, in the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman Empire was alluring Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia. Militarism An arms race punctuated the hostile feelings among the European nations. Acknowledging that Germany was the leader in military organization and efficiency, the other great powers of Europe copied the universal conscription, large reserves and detailed planning of the Prussian system. Technological and organizational developments led to the formation of general staffs with precise plans for mobilization and attack that often could not be reversed once they were begun. The German von Schlieffen Plan to attack France before Russia in the event of war with Russia was one such complicated plan that drew more countries into war than necessary. Armies and navies were greatly expanded. The standing armies of France and Germany doubled in size between 1870 and 1914. Naval expansion was also extremely competitive, particularly between Germany and Great Britain. By 1889, the British had established the principle that in order to maintain naval superiority in the event of war, they would have to have a navy two and a half times as large as the second-largest navy. This motivated the British to launch the Dreadnought, invented by Admiral Sir John Fisher, in 1906. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 had demonstsrated how effective these battleships were. As Britain increased their output of battleships, Germany correspondingly stepped up their naval production, including the Dreadnought. Althou... ... Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a Serbian nationalist belonging to an organization known as the Black Hand(Narodna Obrana). Immediately following the assassination Germany pledged its full support (blank check) to Austria-Hungary, pressuring them to declare war on Serbia, while France strengthened its backing of Russia. Convinced that the Serbian government had conspired against them, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an ultimatum which the Serbs could not possibly answer in time, but to which Serbia consented almost entirely. Unsatisfied, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. On July 29, Russia ordered a partial mobilization only against Austria-Hungary in support of Serbia, which escalated into a general mobilization. The Germans threatened war on July 31 if the Russians did not demobilize. Upon being asked by Germany what it would do in the event of a Russo-German War, France responded that it would act in its own interests and mobilized. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, and two days later, on France. The German invasion of Belgium to attack France, which violated Belgium's official neutrality, prompted Britain to declare war on Germany. World War I had begun.

Pulp Fiction Analysis

Pulp Fiction – 1994 Color – 154 mins. Producer: Lawrence Bender Director: Quentin Tarantino Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary Director of Photography: Andrzej Sekula Editor: Sally Menke Music: Rolf Johnson Introduction Released in October of 1994, this crime/thriller/gangster film, directed by Quentin Tarantino, is still one of the most widely controversial classic American movies of all time. Pulp Fiction blew the Box Office away when it received a whopping nine million dollars on opening night alone. The film is known for its extremely ironic blend of humor and brutal violence, as well as its multiple story lines that eventually weave themselves together. Quentin Tarantino strays from the ordinary script by giving the characters long, intense, and surprisingly profound monologues and dialogues throughout this film. The film’s title, Pulp Fiction, comes from magazines and novels about gangs and crime that were popular during the time of the films release. Tarantino presents his trademark style of the out of order plot in this film, just as in many of his others. The inspiration of this film has been profoundly felt throughout many aspects of the film industry, even having an affect on the independent film world, though it is not an independent movie. Pulp Fiction stars many famous Hollywood actors such as John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, and Bruce Willis. In 1995 Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary won the Oscar for Best Writing for this film, and it was nominated for six other Oscars in the same year. Tarantino was also awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his directing this movie in 1994. Pulp Fiction was truly an influential movie for its time and, without a doubt, a classic American film. Plot Summary As the credits end a title card is shown which gives two dictionary definitions of the word â€Å"pulp. † The camera then fades to show a couple sitting in a diner having a discussion about robbing banks and liquor stores. The woman, called â€Å"Honey Bunny,† and the man, â€Å"Pumpkin,† decide they would likely make more from customers wallets than they would from the till itself. They proceed to stand up in their booth and announce that they are robbing the diner. Immediately after he announces this the scene cuts and the opening credits begin. We then see two men, who we later learn are Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, driving a car and discussing a recent trip to Europe. The two are wearing dress suits and are on their way to get a briefcase for their boss, Marsellus Wallace, from a man that did business with Wallace without paying him for it. Winnfield and Vega discuss foot massages, their bosses wife, and â€Å"Royale with Cheeses† before ultimately entering the mans room, retrieving the briefcase, and killing the man and another man in the room. The scene cuts and we are in what appears to be an empty restaurant with Butch Coolidge, a fighter, and Marsellus Wallace. Coolidge agrees to lose his upcoming fight in exchange for a great deal of money from Wallace. The next day, Vega drives to a friends house to shoot up heroin before heading to Marsellus Wallace's house to take his wife, Mia Wallace, out for the night, just as Wallace asked him to while he is away. They arrive at Jack Rabbit Slim’s, a fifties diner, and participate in a twist competition, and return to the Wallace house. While Vega is in the bathroom, Mia finds a bag of heroin in his jacket pocket and, thinking it is cocaine, shorts it and overdoses. Scared and worried, Vega rushes Mia to his heroin dealers house to try and save her. They proceed to give her a shot of adrenaline in her chest which awakens her, and Mia and Vincent decide not to tell Wallace about what happened. The story then goes back to Coolidge, the fighter, preparing for his fight. Having received the money from Wallace to throw the fight prior to the fight, he wins the fight, flees the arena, and hops in a cab. He learns from the driver that he killed his opponent and hides out in a motel with his girlfriend before realizing that she forgot to pack his watch. When he returns to his apartment he notices a gun on the counter and, upon seeing Vega exit his bathroom, he shoots and kills him. When leaving the apartment Coolidge hits Wallace with his car. After a foot chase, kidnapping by a shop owner, and Coolidge saving Wallace’s life, Wallace agrees to forget about the fight so long as he does not tell anyone bout what happened with the shop owner. The story then returns to Vega and Winnfield at the apartment when a man they were not aware was there jumps out of the bathroom and shoots at them. He misses every shot and is killed when Vega and Winnfield return fire, and Winnfield is convinced it is a sign from God that they were not hit with a single bullet. They then take the only man left alive in the apartment, Marvin, to be their informant. While in the car talking about the â€Å"m iracle from God,† Vega accidentally shoot Marvin in the face. In an act to get their blood covered car out of public the two men call upon a friend, played by Quentin Tarantino, for help cleaning up. With the help of a â€Å"The Wolf† the men and their friend are able to clean up the car, themselves, and dispose of the body and go to breakfast. As they eat breakfast in a coffee shop, they discuss Winnfield’s plan of retiring due to the â€Å"sign from God. † The story then cuts to Honey Bunny and Pumpkin and their discussion from the first scene of the movie, just before they hold up the same restaurant where Vega and Winnfield are eating. With Vega in the bathroom, Honey Bunny and Pumpkin announce they are robbing the place and request Winnfield’s mysterious briefcase. Winnfield draws his gun on Pumpkin which causes Honey Bunny to point her gun at Winnfield as well until Vega emerges from the bathroom with his gun pointed at Honey Bunny. Winnfield tells the couple he will let them go with the money they collected from the customers wallets so long as he lets him keep the briefcase. They agree and leave the restaurant with their loot. Winnfield decides he is going to be retiring after they give Wallace the briefcase. The scene then fades to black and the movie is over. Comments/Response To me, this film is a one of a kind piece of art that Quentin Tarantino beautifully wrote and directed. Some aspects of the movie – the fact that the audience must decode the order of the scenes – were not my favorite, but overall this film is one of the greatest, in my eyes. Tarantino’s use of dialogue in this film is astonishingly clever as most people would not think of â€Å"gangsters† as the type to enjoy a good intellectual conversation. Similarly, I found it interesting that Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jules Winnfield, seemed to be a religious man in that twice during the movie he recites Ezekiel 25:17 from the bible, as well as believing that the fact that they had been shot at several times and had not been hit was a sign from God. Tarantino does an outstanding job with having the first and the last scenes partially overlap as well as having them unfold at the same time, even though they are not presented together in the movie. He ultimately allows the audience to see the same scene twice but from an entirely new perspective without even realizing it at first. All in all, Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is not only a classic American film that has forever changed several media, but it also successfully skews the audiences morals into unknowingly viewing the â€Å"bad guys† as the heros, which is no easy task in film. This is a must see film for all who love a great film as well as a good deal of blood.

Xemba Translations Project Plan

Xemba Translations Project Plan Project Performance Measurement Metrics The broad objectives of the work of any project manager are the delivery of a project on time, within budget, and within the quality criteria. These objectives provide the basis for the development of performance measurement metrics for any project. The following five metrics will be applied to the performance measurement of the Xemba Translations Project.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Xemba Translations Project Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first metric is the measurement of the budgeted cost of labor versus actual cost of labor. While general metric dealing with all costs would still provide some information, the nature of labor in this project calls for proper accounting for its use. The human resource for this project came with a price tag. The hourly pay model gives a clear indication of what it costs the company to motivate human resource commitement to the project. The measurement for this metric will be the number of hours billed versus the number of hours in the project plan. The project will be performing poorly if the budgeted hours are less than the hours actually used in the project for the designated work packages. The second metric is similar to the first one, although it is related to the cost of acquisitions. It measures the budgeted versus the actual cost of acquisitions. This metric needs monitoring because of the expected increase in the cost of acquisitions. This expectation arose from the realization that the company will need twelve more computers to complete the project. The measurement of the metric will be similar to the method used to measure staff performance. This is the calculation of the money actually spent on acquisitions versus the money budgeted. If more money goes to the acquisitions compared to the money in the budget for that purpose, then the project will be off budget. The third metric to be used in the measurement of project performance will be the variance between the scheduled versus the actual time spent on the activities of the project. The deadline for the project is the beginning of the third quota. A failure to keep time will have consequences for the company’s operations. This measure will come from the Gantt charts for the project, which show the amount of time needed to complete the project.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A related metric will be the task completion rate. This metric will combine the Gantt chart values with time indicators to determine whether the project stakeholders are handling their tasks as planned. The task completion rate will help determine whether the pace of the project at any time is commensurate to the targets set to complete these tasks. This metric, calculated weekly, will give a value indicating the pa ce of the project. The project is currently behind schedule and there is need to monitor the daily progress of the tasks to ensure that everything ends on time. The task completion rate will provide the basis for making conclusions about any discrepancies in the delivery of work packages. It is essential to complete the project on time, which is before the third quarter. The reason why the work packages are important to measure is that they provide critical information for reporting the progress of the project to all stakeholders. The completion of any work package constitutes a project milestone. The calculation for this metric will rely on time. Justification of Metrics The need to deliver the project on time and within budget informed the decisions that guided the choice of metrics for performance measurement for the project. The five metrics deal with time management or financial management. The justification for the using labor expenses as a metric for the project is as follows . First, the company committed some employees and contract workers to work on the project. The company bills the project for the time the employees and contract workers spend working on the project. Secondly, the time that the members of staff spend working on project reduces the overall project time. This means that an observation of how much money goes towards paying for the resource persons is an indirect indicator of the progress of the project.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Xemba Translations Project Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The decision to have a separate metric measuring the cost of project acquisitions came from the realization that there is need to keep track of the cost of items earmarked for purchase. The main items that the company will need to acquire are new computers that can replace slower ones. There is information that the number of computers the company needs to buy to replace the slow computers is more than the number estimated at the beginning of the project. A second reason to monitor these computers is that the supplier will be late in supplying the computers by two weeks. This is because there was a fire that affected their main supplier. In addition to these two reasons, it is necessary to make a decision regarding the type of computers to buy. The choices that exist now are between laptops and desktop computers. The laptops are more expensive. This means that buying desktop computers may help in managing the budget. However, there are operational factors regarding their use that need consideration. The third metric regarding schedule management arose because of the need to bring the project back on track. All the work packages are behind schedule. There is need to identify the causes of delay and to find ways of ensuring that the project concludes on time. Keeping track of the schedule will benefit the project in two ways. First, it will ensure tha t there is an objective measure of the use of time at regular intervals. This will help in the identification and elimination of the sources of delay in the project delivery. Failure to uncover the causes of delay may cause further interruptions to the project. Secondly, the project needs to recover time because of the delays already experienced. The only way to measure the degree of recovery needed and the impact of new measures geared towards the recovery of time is by using a performance measure that tracks the schedule. The task completion rate as a metric will help monitor the actual output derived from the project resources. The first reason for measuring the task completion rate is that this is the only way that the project management team can know whether the resources assigned to the project are creating value for the project.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, task completion is the basic unit of measurement of the delivery of project goals. It is an accurate means of measuring the progress of the project. The final metric chosen to measure project performance is the rate of delivery of work packages. The work package is a larger unit of work which completion amounts to a milestone for the project. The first reason for choosing this metric is that it is very important for reporting progress to the stakeholders such as the management. Secondly, the delivery of a work package is a milestone for the project with a complete set of benefits. It is important to keep track of the completion rate of the work packages in this regard. Project Status Based on Metrics Resource Name Cost per Hour ($) Budgeted Hours Budgeted Cost ($) Work Completed ($) Remaining Hours Projected Hours to Complete Project Time Overrun (hrs) Cost Overrun ($) Elizabeth 70 121.43 8500.1 122 -0.57 0 0.57 39.9 Hugh 70 120 8400 103 17 17 0 0 Kimberly 70 76 5 320 72 4 16 12 840 Phoebe 68 98 6664 76 22 20 -2 -136 Ben 68 138 9384 93 45 52 7 476 Zeke 65 384.67 25003.55 153 231.67 245 13.33 866.45 Malinda 75 224 16800 58 166 160 -6 -450 Willis 70 108 7560 160 -52 68 120 8400 Jackson 45 268 12060 177 91 112 21 945 Valene 60 150 9000 116 34 64 30 1800 Kendrick 40 78 3120 86 -8 0 8 320 Marcel 75 432.85 32463.75 268 164.85 200 35.15 2636.25 Clemencia 80 218.05 17444 104 114.05 114 -0.05 -4 Lianne 37.5 204 7650 170 34 110 76 2850 Darius 55 72 3960 30 42 42 0 0 TOTAL 2693 173329.4 1788 905 1220 315 18583.6 Table 2: Analysis table for various costs The Budgeted cost of labor for the project was 173,329.4 dollars. Projected time overrun shows that the money required for the project to go to completion is 18,583.6 dollars. This is an increase of 10.7% from the original budget. This proves that there is a need to monitor the way the resources use project time because of the obvious increase in the budgetary deficit for th e project. Willis and Marcel lead in both the time spent on the project above the budgeted time, and the time needed to complete their tasks. Special focus needs to go into monitoring the time these two employees spend on the project. The company budget shows that acquisitions for the project must not exceed 73,670.57 dollars. The report presented, which is related to the need to acquire new computers shows that the company needs to buy twelve extra computers. The initial plan was to buy thirty-five computers. However, after auditing the existing ones, the total number of computers due for replacement went up to forty-seven. This will escalate the cost by between 11,400 dollars and 14,200 dollars, depending on whether the company acquires desktop computers or laptops. Variance in Activity Time Task Name Work (hrs) Baseline (hrs) Variance (hrs) Actual (hrs) Remaining (hrs) % Work Complete Computer inventory and requirements 375.95 340 35.95 375.95 0 100% Technical support 197. 33 200 -2.67 160.67 36.67 81% Computing support 258 210 48 192 66 74% Document servers 356 330 26 242 114 68% Shared drives 351.2 310 41.2 228.8 122.4 65% FTP Sites 621.67 609 12.67 230.87 390.8 37% Firewalls 417.6 424 -6.4 97.6 320 23% Web-based meetings 430 270 160 260 170 60% 3007.75 2693 314.75 1787.89 1219.87 Table 3: Activity summary of tasks and work packages Task Completion Rate The activity summary shows that in almost all areas, there will be a need for more time than scheduled. Various factors affected the progress of the project. The important issue to bear in mind at this point is that most work packages will require more time to deliver. Table 2 also shows that work package delivery is still very low, with the completion of only one work package. The high number of hours beyond the planned time that the project requires before completion is of more interest. Impact of Current Problems The analysis of the status of the project revealed the following i ssues. First, two employees will account for more than fifty percent of all cost overruns related to labor. The two employees carry the highest staff costs for the project. Marcel and Willie will require more than 10,000 dollars out of the total projected cost overrun of about 18,000 dollars. This presents three problems to the project. First, it means that any interruption in the availability of these two employees will lead to further delays in the project. Secondly, the nature of task distribution that led to this situation reveals a fundamental problem with the original organization of the project. The two employees seem to carry an inordinate amount of responsibility in the project. This may lead to lapses or inclusion of errors in their output because of the strain on them. Thirdly the two employees need extra time to complete their tasks because of the exhaustion of their previous time allocation This is an indication that there is need to investigate the actual distribution of work in relation to the two employees. Is there a chance that the two employees are not creating value for the project as initially intended? The second main problem that the analysis revealed is that the project will exceed the budget by more than ten percent. This conclusion comes from two observations. The first observation comes from the projection that the cost of staff will exceed the budget by 10.7 %. These projections came from the estimated time the project staff members require to deliver the project. The causes of the delays that led to the need for more time still exist. For instance, not all information that relates to the operations of the final system is available. It is only wise to anticipate some more delays that may lead to the need for more time, especially in relation to the testing of the new system. The second observation is that the cost of acquisitions will exceed the budget. The reason for this is that there are components whose necessity became apparent only after the inception of the project. For instance, the budget estimates show that the number of new computers the organization will need to buy to replace the slower ones is thirty-five. However, the actual number of computers that the organization needs to replace is forty-seven. This will increase the cost of acquisitions by more than 10,000 dollars. The third main problem the analysis revealed is the risk of catastrophic failure of the system. The two main aspects of the project that will lead to this eventuality are time and technical constraints. The rigid deadline set when the project started, demands the completion of the project before the third quarter. The project is already behind the schedule because of various factors. The only way to ensure that the project ends on time is to increase the work rate of the employees available or to assign more employees to the project. The second problem related to the technical limits is that the team must work within. Many techni cal risks exist around the project. If any of the associated risk events occurs, the project will be in jeopardy. The relationship between this situation and the analysis above is that the project is under dire time and resource constraints. If there is no injection of new resources to support the delivery of the project on time, then the available resources may not be sufficient to mitigate the risks. All it will take for a catastrophic failure to occur is one mistake. Mitigation Measures The mitigation measures needed to deal with these problems are as follows. First, there is a need to undertake an audit of the work assigned to Marcel and Willis. This will help determine the cause of the huge time requirements that they need to complete their work packages. In the event that the distribution of work was overwhelming for them, then it will be important to assign more resources to handle aspects of their work packages. If the audit shows that they are incompetent, then the best act ion in the interest of the project will be to replace them. Nothing can bring the project back on budget at this stage. Since the management gave an allowance of going over-budget by up to ten percent, there is need to approve the necessary funds to cover for the impending shortfall. This will ensure that the team meets the quality criteria for the project. The board needs to approve a supplementary budget to cater for the financial shortfalls experienced by the project so far. The risk of catastrophic failure due to time and resource constraints is the most challenging issue to deal with in this project. The risk management matrix revealed that several risks could occur concurrently leading to catastrophic failure. This will require very careful management of the project to keep these risks from taking place. The best way to ensure that the entire project succeeds is to bring the project online in phases. It will also help to carry out more performance tests than earlier planned. I t is also possible to increase the resources available to the project to increase the work rate of the employees. This will enable the project team to handle the risks more easily. Executive Summary Xemba Translations is in the middle of an IT project geared towards making it possible for telecommuters to work effectively for Xemba. The new risks identified include the likelihood for resource competition among project priorities, and an increase in labor costs. Other risks are the failure to meet the project deadline and the potential for a catastrophic technical failure due to implementation mistakes arising from pressure to deliver the project on time. The metrics that will help in measuring the performance of the project are as follows. The first metric is a comparison of budgeted cost versus the actual cost of labor. This arises from the realization that labor consumes project funds at an hourly rate. The second metric is a comparison of the budgeted cost of acquisitions versus the actual cost. The third metric is the measurement of the actual time consumed by project activities, compared to the scheduled time. The fourth metric is the task completion rate. The project has fifty-five tasks. This metric will help to measure how well the project is performing based on task completion rate. The fifth metric is the measurement of the delivery of work packages. After applying these metrics, the main problems uncovered during the project are that two resource persons account for more than fifty percent of labor cost overruns. Marcel and Willie need more 10,000 dollars to complete their work. The second problem is that the project will exceed the budget by more than ten percent. The third main problem is that there is a risk of catastrophic failure of the project arising from the time and resource constraints. The measures required to mitigate against these problems include auditing Marcel and Willie’s work to ensure they are competent and that they are ca pable to deliver on their workpackages within the remaining time. Secondly, the project requires more money for it to be completed on time. It is necessary to approve the required money as soon as possible because it exceeds the 10,000 dollar threshold. Thirdly, from this point, the project manager must observe every process closely to ensure no more time goes to waste. References Arson, E. W., Gray, C. F. (2011). Project Management: The Managerial Process,. New York, NY: McGraw Hill International. Meredeth, J. R., Mantel, S. J. (2011). Project Management: A Managerial Approach (8 ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Phillips, J. (2010). IT Project Management. New York: McGraw Hill Professional.

Definition Essay Sample on Nuclear Energy and Key Issues

Definition Essay Sample on Nuclear Energy and Key Issues Nuclear energy is defined by Webster’s Encyclopaedia as energy from the inner core or nucleus of the atom, as opposed to energy released in chemical processes, which is derived from the electrons surrounding the nucleus. Thus, since the atom was split, releasing nuclear energy for the first time, it ushered in a new era of political, economic and social debate in the history of humankind. For the first time humanity had to grapple with the intricacies that this new nuclear age brought with it. People had to struggle with the dichotomy of nuclear energy, in time recognising both the benefits and the drawbacks associated with nuclear energy. Thus, over time as people became more educated and the level of awareness about nuclear energy was raised (especially during the activist years of 1960’s and 1970’s) the question is nuclear energy good or bad was increasingly being asked. This essay will therefore discuss the value of nuclear energy. It will focus on very pertinent issues that have long been debated in the area of nuclear energy. These issues include aspects such as nuclear waste, environmental costs, nuclear safety, nuclear sustainability and nuclear weapons. Nuclear waste The fuels in nuclear power reactors are a major source of the most dangerous and most radioactive waste produced. In the last 50 years, irradiated fuel has been responsible for 95% of radioactivity generated. 500 pounds of plutonium and approximately 30 tons of high-level radioactive waste are produced by a 1000-megawatt nuclear power plant on average each year. Nuclear waste is thus a very important and real problem that society has to deal with. Governments and private nuclear plants have to adequately and effectively deal with the safe removal of nuclear waste. When not done so, nuclear waste has the potential to become a very bad negative outcome from the use of nuclear power and energy. Nuclear waste is thus an instance that shows that nuclear energy can be construed as ‘bad.’ Environmental Costs The nuclear fuel cycle, which generates electricity from nuclear energy, releases carbon dioxide during mining, fuel enrichment and plant construction. Carbon dioxide intensivity is increased during uranium mining. As uranium mining proliferates as the demand for electrical energy and new nuclear plant construction increases, so will carbon dioxide levels in the earth’s atmosphere. In contrast to renewable energy, nuclear energy generates four to five times more CO2 per unit of energy produced, taking into account the total nuclear fuel cycle. Another somewhat startling fact is that the United Stated government allows the release of radioactive water into the environment at â€Å"permissible† levels. One can also not obtain a true and accurate picture of the exact amounts of nuclear and radioactive wastes and emissions leaked into the air, water and soil as the figures for these are not available, according to the nuclearfiles.org website. At these rates, the earth’s atmosphere and ecosystem will soon be unable to cope with the amounts of waste and radioactivity injected into it. For these reasons, the impact of nuclear energy and waste has high environmental costs. Many people thus see nuclear energy’s impact on the environment as a negative cost that will inevitably not be sustained over the long term. For these reasons the Kyoto Protocol has been drawn up. It is an attempt to limit the negative impact that nuclear energy has on the environment. It is also an indication of the global trend in recognising that the costs of the nuclear age is and will continue to catch up with humanity. President Bush of the United States by refusing to sign the protocol and align the United States with the principles of the Kyoto Protocol has angered many in the international community. Nuclear safety There have been concerns around the use of nuclear energy as well as the storage of nuclear weapons. Repetitive problems have occurred with security, safety and environmental impact in the nuclear industry. High levels of radioactivity are thus dangerous to human health and well being. Safety at nuclear plants and reactors is therefore vital. Human error plays a major part in nuclear safety as in the case of the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine. There a nuclear leak caused by nuclear heating in a non pressurised boiling water nuclear reactor. The fallout killed over 250 people, thousands of square miles were contaminated and clouds of radioactive isotopes were found as far away as Sweden. Anxiety over the use of nuclear energy has been heightened by the Chernobyl disaster as well as accidents at Windscale in the UK and Five Mile Island in the US. Since governments do not recognise the dangers of radiation and radiation sickness nuclear safety is still a controversial subject. Nuclear Weapons Aligned to the issue of nuclear safety is the presence of nuclear weapons and arms. Nuclear weapons including the atom bomb, the hydrogen bomb and the neutron bomb and the vast numbers of weapons the world’s superpowers have amassed, have left those holding the power with the ability to destroy the world many times over. For many years during the cold war between the democratic west and the communist east, the world lived in fear of a nuclear winter. This is obviously a negative aspect associated with the nuclear age. While this essay thus far has discussed the negative aspects associated with nuclear energy, there are some benefits that go along with the use of nuclear energy. The Benefits of Nuclear Energy/Nuclear Sustainability Safety While no source of electrical power generation is completely safe, nuclear power has a remarkable record. About 20% of electricity generated in the U.S. comes from nuclear power, and in the last forty years of this production, not one single fatality has occurred as a result of the operation of a civilian nuclear power plant in the United States, Western Europe, Japan, or South Korea. No other form of energy production can even come close. Zero risk of large-scale oil spills Incidentally, getting rid of our dependence on imported oil is desirable not only from an environmental standpoint, but from a political one. The largest single activity of our military today is ensuring the security of the Middle East for U.S. interests. As far as the risk of large oil spills, the Exxon Valdez spill of 1989 was one of the worst environmental disasters in history. Economical Nuclear power plants are one of the most economical forms of energy production. Fuel costs for an equivalent amount of power run from 1/3rd to 1/6th the cost for fossil production, and capital and non-fuel operating costs are roughly equivalent, resulting in the overall cost of nuclear generation of electricity running 50% to 80% that of other sources. This is in spite of the fact that capital costs have been hugely inflated due to lawsuits, court injunctions, and other delaying tactics used by individuals and organizations opposed to nuclear power. Reliability Nuclear power plant capacity factors average about 75%. This is about equivalent to those of fossil fired plants, and since nuclear plants are required by the NRC to shut down for what often amounts to trivial reasons, that would indicate they are actually more reliable than fossil plants. Wind and Solar power cant come close to the capacity factors of nuclear power, for obvious reasons. Sustainability Even if Uranium mining were stopped today, the use of breeder reactors (which create more fuel than they use) would permit us to continue generating electricity at present levels for over a thousand years into the future. Conclusion There are thus benefits as well as well as drawbacks associated with nuclear energy. The advances made for humanity through the use of nuclear power has been significant (as seen through the advantaged of nuclear energy discussed in the previous section). However, the dangers associated with nuclear energy in the shape of weapons of mass destruction and the danger and potential of nuclear leaks and reactor meltdowns has also made people more apprehensive about nuclear energy. This contradiction that the nuclear age has brought the world makes it very challenging for one to decisively say that nuclear energy has been entirely good or entirely bad. This is because the inherent dangers in the use of nuclear energy mirror the dangers that were brought with other inventions and innovations that advanced and changed the shape of society, such as automobiles and air travel. Both these modes of transport present very real risks to the person that chooses to use it. However, there are also ma ny benefits, making it difficult for a realist to say that the automobile has been good or bad. This form of logic and analysis can be applied to the use of nuclear energy in society. We have to recognise the benefits that we have derived from it. If society had to continue using coal and other such sources as fuel, the world, with its exponential population explosion could very well have run out of these sources by now. It is for this reason that I recognise the value that the nuclear age has brought humanity and thus would have to agree that nuclear energy can be good. This is not an endorsement of nuclear weapons in any way. I recognise the potential for harm that they bring to the world at large and their use by governments as a form of threat in lieu of diplomacy violates ethical and moral guidelines and principles, when the norm of reciprocity should ideally dictate international relations and geopolitics. My recognition that nuclear energy as a good factor in society also comes with a further limitation; that safety and security at power plants and reactors be made the m ost important factor so that the safety of the community in which the plant is located is ensured. You can order a custom essay, research paper, term paper, thesis or dissertation on Nuclear Energy topics from our professional custom essay writing service which provides high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.

Top 7 Job Skills You’ll Need in 10 Years To Stay Up To Date

Top 7 Job Skills You’ll Need in 10 Years To Stay Up To Date There’s an awful lot of doomsday chatter about the future of the workforce and how all our jobs will be replaced by robots by 2020. A lot of that might be true. The World Economic Forum’s 2016 Future of Jobs Report estimated that over 5 million jobs will be lost to automation by that time- and that number will only continue to grow. Your usual fall back jobs- you know those â€Å"safe bets† your parents always lectured you about: manufacturing, law, administrative jobs, etc.- these will probably suffer the most cuts. But the good news is this: in times of great change, there’s always room for the enterprising and entrepreneurial to clean up. It’s just that there will be new and different skills to master- skills that will be most valuable in a new economy and in a changing world.Here are some of the top skills you’ll need if you want to get a leg up on the future of the workforce.1. TechTech skills will of course be in high demand, as will an ything to do with â€Å"computational thinking.† If the world is being taken over by computers, you’ll need to think like one. Learn to manage and synthesize the massive amounts of data we already process daily- and make sense of patterns.Jobs that will be fairly secure include: software developer, computer systems analyst, market research analyst, and marketing specialist- among other positions. In short: boost your analytical skills.2. Soft SmartsIf you’re just not a techie person, never fear. It will take a very long time for robots to be as emotionally intelligent as people, or as socially savvy. Focus on social intelligence and literacy with new media forms and platforms and you’ll be just fine. Sales, marketing, customer service, etc. are all the new â€Å"safe bets.†3. World BuildingVirtual reality already feels like a retro technology, but it’s here to stay. And it’s appearing more and more in everyday use. If you have skills that can lead to creating, managing, and manipulating virtual worlds, you’re golden. Also, storytelling skills will prove to be invaluable. It’s not all CGI bells and whistles. Someone has to make the worlds believable.4. AdaptationUnfortunately, â€Å"being adaptable† isn’t really a thing you can get paid to do exactly, but it is a skill you’ll need for almost anything in the changing workforce. Expand yourself and your mind, get outside your comfort zone and stay there- comfort zones will be disappearing altogether.Also make sure to learn and understand deeply how business works. Figure out ways to make a living as an independent contractor, or scout jobs in management analysis, accounting, and auditing.5. Constant LearningWith so much information, data, and constant change, those who keep on top of the latest trends and information will have a major leg up. Don’t rest on the laurels of what you know. Keep learning, even if only in 10 minu te chunks while commuting. Learn coding. Refresh your C++. Try a new language. And if you can do all this and teach or train, then you’re in great shape to stay employed.6. CaregivingAgain, if you’re just not that into business or tech, remember there will always be a need for caregivers- especially as the human lifespan lengthens. You’ll be relieved to know that nearly half of the hottest sectors for jobs through 2025 are health care or caregiving related. Anything in the fields of medical tech, physical therapy, workplace ergonomics, veterinary medicine, etc. Even medical secretaries and medical assistants will stay employed.7. Shallow ExpertiseThere will always be a need for specialists. But if you aren’t one, or you don’t care to become one, the new world will also require a host of people who can be ready to be a â€Å"shallow expert† on nearly anything at a moment’s notice. The sooner you can become well-versed on a wide variety of software programs, platforms, systems, and services, the more likely you are to stay on top.

Barriers to Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Barriers to Critical Thinking - Essay Example Meaning, it deprives individuals of an opportunity of making their own independent decisions. Instead, it compels them to conform to certain behaviors and standards accepted by the family. Unfortunately, this happens even if not the best approach to adopt is. For example, a family might require all its members to abide by certain traditions and practices that do not necessarily suit all its members (Elder & Richard, 2006). In this situation, everyone would have to behave and think in a certain manner regardless of its relevance, and objectivity thus ending up making decisions without critically thinking about them. So, family can be a great obstacle to critical thinking because it does not allow everyone to make their individual decisions based on their reflection, reason and understanding. As the saying goes, â€Å"When everyone thinks alike, no one thinks very much† (Cederblom & Paulsen, 2006). Group-centered thinking is not objective as it is promptly don e without creating enough time to think and deliberate over the issue of concern. To prevent such a problem, I would have to be autonomous in my thoughts and decisions. On the other hand, critical thinking can be harmed by emotions. Once a person is overwhelmed by emotional distress, one can not make a rational decision because it does not provide a conducive environment to do so. Emotional feelings such as stress can result into prejudice, stereotypes, arrogance and intolerance. All these can prevent a person from making a critical and objective decision as this needs to be done when one is in a sober and relaxed condition (Hendricks, 2005). For example, when a person is seriously distressed, he can not get an ample opportunity to sit down, reason, reflect and make proper decisions. Instead, they will be acting under pressure to hurriedly make a decision without thinking about it. Personally, when faced with such a situation, I

Collective Effort and Collective Liability Essay

Collective Effort and Collective Liability - Essay Example These intentional misuses of personal information are punishable whether they are carried out by hand, through the conventional postage system, or through electronic means (18 U.S.C. section 1028 (c).   Because the Identity Theft Act of 1998 was deemed an inadequate deterrent, Congress passed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act in 2004 in order to increase sentences for violators of the 1998 Act (18 U.S.C. 1028A).   Despite these new laws, and the enhanced punishments, identity theft continues to plague individuals (Lahey & Matejkovic, 2001), businesses (Beales, 2002; Collins, 2003), and even powerful and well-resourced governmental organizations (Identity Theft.   Internal Revenue Service, nd; Kahn & Roberds, 2005).   The irony is that the identity theft crime has many enemies, legislation in place to criminalize all acts associated with identity theft, enhanced punishment legislation, and yet the crime is increasing rather than decreasing; clearly, therefore, current responses are inadequate.   Even a cursory examination of the relevant data and statistics is sobering.   From a financial point of view, Collins notes that â€Å"Personal identity theft is a $100-billion perannum industry worldwide; however,†¦the cost of stolen business identities can be expected to be even greater† (2003).   The statistics are similarly disturbing in terms of the sheer number of individuals, businesses, and governmental organizations which have been victimized in some.... As a preliminary matter, identity theft is defined by federal statute. The Identity Theft Act defines identity theft as occurring whenever a person "knowingly and without lawful authority produces an identification document or a false identification document" (18 U.S.C. section 1028(a)(1), 1998) or otherwise possesses, transfers, uses, or creates an identification document or false identification document while knowing that any of these acts are unlawful. (18 U.S.C. sections1028 (a)(2)-(a)(7), 1998). These intentional misuses of personal information are punishable whether they are carried out by hand, through the conventional postage system, or through electronic means (18 U.S.C. section 1028 (c). Because the Identity Theft Act of 1998 was deemed an inadequate deterrent, Congress passed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act in 2004 in order to increase sentences for violators of the 1998 Act (18 U.S.C. 1028A). Despite these new laws, and the enhanced punishments, identity theft continues to plague individuals (Lahey & Matejkovic, 2001), businesses (Beales, 2002; Collins, 2003), and even powerful and well-resourced governmental organizations (Identity Theft. Internal Revenue Service, nd; Kahn & Roberds, 2005). The irony is that the identity theft crime has many enemies, legislation in place to criminalize all acts associated with identity theft, enhanced punishment legislation, and yet the crime is increasing rather than decreasing; clearly, therefore, current responses are inadequate. Even a cursory examination of the relevant data and statistics is sobering. From a financial point of view, Collins notes that

Netflix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Netflix - Research Paper Example The service also includes delivery of DVD’s directly at the customers place with no extra charges from the company. Netflix service has a user rating facility which helps viewer to rate the available movies and suggest recommendation according to the genre and preferences. For this report the target market is the class room group who are within the age group of 22 to 35 years. It can have a great potential for Netflix with the movie services which are in huge demand amongst the young generation. With the high-tech innovation in the modern communication industry the use of internet are growing at a very fast pace especially amongst the young age group who are more acquainted with the online services. Thus Netflix service can act as a very demanding service for the classroom group. Brief Overview Target market specifically includes the section of the overall market that would serve as the targeted customer base of the company. Under a targeting strategy a firm tries to select th e best possible customer segment as a part of its primary customer base. The marketing mix is then formulated that seeks to provide tailor made services to the customers to meet their demands (Armstrong, p.31). In the present case the class is assumed to be the target market segment. The age group of the target market is between 22-35 years of age and includes both male as well as female customers. The choice of the target audience assumes significance considering the nature of services offered by Netflix. Netflix offers a wide range of services that includes unlimited access to movies and TV programs that can be watched by the customers on a TV, tablet PC or a laptop. Considering the net savvy and large scale exposure of the target market respondents towards these devices the chosen target market can offer a wide range of services to satisfy the demands of the chosen target customer base of the organization. Netflix owning to its brand image and efficient customer service along wit h a unique and innovative product offering in form of contents shown can present a formidable challenge to its competitors in the market. The competitive advantage of Netflix also comes from the fact that the device sold by the company is compatible with almost 20 different devices. These devices are among the most popular gadgets that are used by the selected target market. The company recently announced that the device would also be compatible with popular gaming consoles that include X Box 360 and Sony Plantation. Customers can watch unlimited movies from a large collection of diverse genres by paying only 7.99US dollars in a month. In addition to this the efficient level of customer service also serves to make it the best choice for the chosen target consumer segment (Netflix, â€Å"Company Profile†). Marketing Mix The elements of marketing mix for a service oriented organization like Netflix includes the elements of product, price, place, promotions, people, process and physical evidence. Product The product portfolio for Netflix with regards to the target market audience would include a complete subscription package that would include the devices as well as access to a large number of movies that would be backed by a collection

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Research Paper

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Research Paper Example The branches are also somehow linked to the nature of their general functions.LegislativeThe legislative branch is tasked with endorsing the laws of the state and fitting the funds necessary to control the State (Nelson & Donovan, 2012). The Legislative division is split into the Chamber of Representative and the Senate. For a bill to be declared a law, it has to go through the two chambers. The House of DelegatesThe house of representative consists of 435 elected members and they are divided among the 50 States. It also consists of six non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and four other areas of the US. It is led by the Speaker who is elected by the members (United States et al., 2013). Election of the members takes place after every two years, and the candidates should be twenty-five years of age (Nelson & Donovan, 2012). It has several powers that include the authority to initiate revenue bill. It also has the authority to indi ct federal officials. The SenateIt has 100 senators, and they are elected by people of each state that they represent. Unlike the representative, the senators must be thirty years old. The Senate is led by the Vice President of the State. It is tasked with confirming the president’s appointments that need consent. They also ratify treaties. However, the house of representative should also approve the Vice President’s appointment. The house should also approve agreements involving foreign trade.

Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America (1835, 1840) and John Essay

Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America (1835, 1840) and John Stuart Mill On Liberty (1859) - Essay Example The system of democracy has arisen as a result of oppression by aristocracy and monarchy. Aristocrats and monarchs pledged allegiance to Catholicism and often suppressed certain liberties. As the world’s first modern democracy, America stands as a beacon to the world. Marked disparities lie in both narratives of De Tocqueville and Mill. Both De Tocqueville and Mill carry onerous burdens about the tyranny of the majority in their theses; however they both attack the same topic, justifying their fears about the majority rule using different premises. On one hand, De Tocqueville takes note of American democracy as it implements the majority as its government its distinguishing traits and also downfalls; on the other, Mill is more predisposed to liberty considerations, detailing the distinctive qualities of liberty – both tackling the pitfalls of governing the individual, threats to individuality and by extension the nation under the rule of the majority. The combination of all these causes forms so great a mass of influences hostile to Individuality, that it is not easy to see how it can stand its ground. It will do so with increasing difficulty, unless the public can be made to feel its value—to see that it is good there should be differences, even though not for the better, even though, as it may appear to them, some should be for the worse. If the claims of Individuality are ever to be asserted, the time is now, while much is still lacking to complete the enforced assimilation.   De Tocqueville’s â€Å"Democracy in America† and John Stuart Mill’s â€Å"On Liberty,’ are similar because they both have numerous legitimate concerns about the right and plight of the minority and individual in the face of a system of politics ruled by the majority. Both thinkers delve into these pertinent subjects to substantiate their points. The narratives of both political thinkers also concur because they continue to dissect all forms of government and trace the effects of certain governmental structures and distributions of power, concentrating power into the hands of the public. De Tocqueville’s main preoccupation is the definition and sovereignty of the American people, whereas Mill’s is the supremacy of the general will. These differences exist because De Tocqueville’s argument centers on the system of democracy – a brand of government for the people, of the people and by the people. De Tocqueville reasons that for government, one party must be lesser, while the next must be greater. Following this logic, he realizes that even democracy has its inequalities. He refers to the origins of democracy – a system of government put into effect by the people, for the people and of the people. However, he is quick to underscore that there are some weighty implications with the rule of the people. Collective government is evidently encapsulated in the U.S. Constitution, â€Å"W e, the people.† The elections, the democratic process, is actually glaring evidence of the rule of the majority in which the people elect a government based on a majority count. Since minorities are not given enough say or authority, American democracy ultimately tyrannizes the minority, empowered with the ability to ignore conveniently, prosecute and persecute dissidents. By elucidating on the repressive origin and character of democracy, De Tocqueville informs that American democracy is ruled by a majority, suppresses the minority, conforming to the general will. Likewise, John Stuart Mill critiques the power of the general wil

Use of Fear Appeal Messages in Advertising Essay

Use of Fear Appeal Messages in Advertising - Essay Example A harmonious and catchy tune ensures that the brand remains synonymous with people’s wishes and desires of the product that is being discussed. It also guarantees that it remains close to their heart and thus associations are built with the brand whenever there is some form of linkage with the brand in one way or the other. Another effect that can be had from these messages is that they build a solid and heart warming relationship with the consumers and the rapport is rock solid when it comes to the potential users of the brand. The message is a significant milestone in the marketing communications philosophy. This dissertation aims to investigate the basis of the research aspects related with fear messages that are incorporated into the advertising world of today and how they connect with the target and potential audiences on a one to one level. It will study the shock form of advertising and thus would look to manifest the basis for its plus points as well as the downsides. This is done so as to find a common ground that needs to be reached in order to meet a point of significance for the fear messages that are being published in different media vehicles and types. This would assist everyone related with the research of such messages on a global level and hence a lot of incentives could be drawn up for brands and/or organizations. These brands and/or organizations are the ones considering these people are thinking on the lines of investing on fear form of messages for the particular brands and/or organizations. Also, the ethical and moral constructs would be discussed so as to give the other side of the picture – a side taken by the societal norms, values and belief hierarchy. The conclusions and recommendations that could be drawn from the analysis of the research done on the fear aspect of messages in advertising is that they are beneficial for the brands and/or

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Research Paper

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Research Paper Example The branches are also somehow linked to the nature of their general functions.LegislativeThe legislative branch is tasked with endorsing the laws of the state and fitting the funds necessary to control the State (Nelson & Donovan, 2012). The Legislative division is split into the Chamber of Representative and the Senate. For a bill to be declared a law, it has to go through the two chambers. The House of DelegatesThe house of representative consists of 435 elected members and they are divided among the 50 States. It also consists of six non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and four other areas of the US. It is led by the Speaker who is elected by the members (United States et al., 2013). Election of the members takes place after every two years, and the candidates should be twenty-five years of age (Nelson & Donovan, 2012). It has several powers that include the authority to initiate revenue bill. It also has the authority to indi ct federal officials. The SenateIt has 100 senators, and they are elected by people of each state that they represent. Unlike the representative, the senators must be thirty years old. The Senate is led by the Vice President of the State. It is tasked with confirming the president’s appointments that need consent. They also ratify treaties. However, the house of representative should also approve the Vice President’s appointment. The house should also approve agreements involving foreign trade.

Use of Fear Appeal Messages in Advertising Essay

Use of Fear Appeal Messages in Advertising - Essay Example A harmonious and catchy tune ensures that the brand remains synonymous with people’s wishes and desires of the product that is being discussed. It also guarantees that it remains close to their heart and thus associations are built with the brand whenever there is some form of linkage with the brand in one way or the other. Another effect that can be had from these messages is that they build a solid and heart warming relationship with the consumers and the rapport is rock solid when it comes to the potential users of the brand. The message is a significant milestone in the marketing communications philosophy. This dissertation aims to investigate the basis of the research aspects related with fear messages that are incorporated into the advertising world of today and how they connect with the target and potential audiences on a one to one level. It will study the shock form of advertising and thus would look to manifest the basis for its plus points as well as the downsides. This is done so as to find a common ground that needs to be reached in order to meet a point of significance for the fear messages that are being published in different media vehicles and types. This would assist everyone related with the research of such messages on a global level and hence a lot of incentives could be drawn up for brands and/or organizations. These brands and/or organizations are the ones considering these people are thinking on the lines of investing on fear form of messages for the particular brands and/or organizations. Also, the ethical and moral constructs would be discussed so as to give the other side of the picture – a side taken by the societal norms, values and belief hierarchy. The conclusions and recommendations that could be drawn from the analysis of the research done on the fear aspect of messages in advertising is that they are beneficial for the brands and/or

Reasons for United States Possible Attack on Iran Essay Example for Free

Reasons for United States Possible Attack on Iran Essay The topic on the possibility of United States launching a military attack against Iran has dominated much news for several years since the Bush administration and during which some quarters speculated that such an attack would be ordered before the administration left office. As early as 2005, a number of articles had started revealing the imminent plans by Pentagon to order military operations against Iran. While people and the media may speculate and give their opinions about many aspects of the imminent war, the most important issue to understand is the reasons which may spark the attack. It is therefore the objective of this paper to discuss the reasons why US would engage in a military land war with Iran. 2. 0 The Euro-Based Oil Bourse This is one of the major reasons which revolve around the plan by Tehran government in 2005 and 2006 to start competing with the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the largest physical commodity futures exchange in the world based in New York and the London based International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) by using the euro-dominated oil trading mechanism (Clark, 2004). The logic behind this is that by using this mechanism in international oil trades, the euro is going to take dominance and establish a firm ground which will serve to overshadow the strength of the U. S dollar in the global oil market. The U. S government therefore considers this a real threat by Tehran government which warrants intervention to protect the dollar from being toppled off from its long term monopoly in the critical international oil market. It is worth noting that lack of an oil pricing standard that is euro-dominated also referred to oil â€Å"marker† in the oil trading industry is one of the technical challenges facing the euro-based trading system in oil transactions. The oil markers currently in operation today are the U. S dollar dominated which include Norway Brent crude, West Texas Intermediate crude, and the UAE Dubai crude. In the spring of 2003, Iran laid down a requirement that all the transactions for its Asian and European oil exports be conducted using the euro currency though the pricing of oil was still predominantly controlled by the dollar. Following an official announcement in 2004 that Iran had intentions to develop an Iranian oil Bourse, it raised the concerns that a stiff competition would ensue between the Iranian oil bourse and the U. S owned NYME and the IPE (Clark, 2004). The macroeconomic implications of such a development would cause a shift in the international commerce in both Middle East and the European Union which is the largest importer of oil from OPEC producers. Consequently, the financial hegemony enjoyed by the IPE and NYMEX would be greatly challenged and thus the U. S is likely to avoid this through military action. 3. 0 The Ambitious Nuclear Program of Iran The Tehran’s nuclear ambition is another possible reason as to why the U. S may launch a land military attack on Iran. This has been seen from the latest series of sanctions on Iran by the Obama administration which mainly targets the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps which is the most powerful social, political and economic institution in Iran. The organization also has a large number of companies and banks and therefore makes it an appropriate target for these sanctions (LANDLER COOPER, 2010). However, the critical thing to focus on with regard to this issue is whether these sanctions have the capacity to compel Iran to halt its nuclear program. If the history of political and economic sanctions against countries is anything to go by, then Iran may not change its course despite the sanctions and this may lead to war. The reason for the sanctions is to â€Å"contain† Tehran which depicts a link which leads from diplomatic pressure to military action (Nadal, 2010). Tehran views this threat as real considering that its two neighbors to the west and to the east have a large number of U. S troops. 4. 0 Conclusion A possible military action on Iran by the US cannot be overlooked since the reasons surrounding this possibility would also have major effects on the economy and the security of the US. Considering the economic problems facing the US, the attempts by Iran to establish the euro-based oil bourse may seem as an attempt to suppress the dollar in the international oil market. The nuclear program also would threaten the security not only of the US but also of the world if it is not either regulated or completely halted. To aver the nuclear weapons development, Washington ought to try and alter the perceptions of threat harbored by Iran against America. References Clark, W. (2004). The Real Reasons Why Iran is the Next Target: The Emerging Euro-denominated International Oil Marker. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. globalresearch. ca/articles/CLA410A. html LANDLER, M. , COOPER, H. (2010). U. S. Eyes New Sanctions Over Iran Nuclear Program. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. nytimes. com/2010/02/10/world/middleeast/10sanctions. html? _r=1 Nadal, A. (2010). Sanctions against Iran and the Next War. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www. campaigniran. org/casmii/index. php? q=node/10518

Competitive Advantage And Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay

Competitive Advantage And Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay The idea of stakeholder approach to strategic management suggests that managers must formulate and implement processes which satisfy all and only those groups who have a stake in the business. The main task in the process is to manage and integrate the relationships and interests of shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, communities and other groups in a way that ensures the long-term success of the firm. Stakeholder approach suggests that we repaint our picture of the firm. For good or ill, there are myriad groups who have a stake in the success of the firm. Many traditional views of strategy have ignored some stakeholders, marginalized others and consistently traded-off the interests of others against favoured stakeholder groups. Such an approach may well be appropriate in relatively stable environments. However, changing world the limitations of traditional approaches to strategic management become increasingly apparent. The interests of key stakeholders must be integrated into the very purpose of the firm, and stakeholder relationships must be managed in a coherent and strategic fashion  [1]  . 2. Porter, M. E., Kramer, M. R., (2006). Strategy and society: The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. (2006, December) (Harvard Business Review), 84(12), p. 76-92. Although businesses have become increasingly aware of stakeholder pressure to demonstrate a commitment to their corporate social responsibilities (CSR), this does not necessarily mean the adoption of an integrated and strategic approach to CSR. Rather, as Michael Porter (Harvard Business School, Boston) and Mark Kramer (John F Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts) have recently argued in the Harvard Business Review (December 2006), current approaches to CSR are fragmented and disconnected from business goals. This has resulted in disparate and reactive initiatives designed to mollify vocal stakeholders or deflect attention from questionable business practices, and these have justifiably been criticised as feel good marketing campaigns which have failed to generate bottom line benefits. Porter and Kramer suggest a new approach to CSR which both (i) acknowledges the interdependence of companies and the broader community, and (ii) enables companies to develop a tailored, rather than generic, CSR strategy. In this way, companies will make the most significant social impact and reap the greatest business benefits. This note provides a summary of Porter and Kramers article, giving particular attention to the practical issues of creating a tailored corporate social agenda. 2.1 Background Companies which have responded to their CSR have usually done so for one, or a combination, of the following four reasons/principles moral obligation, sustainability, compliance or reputation. Moral obligation refers to the compulsion for companies to be good citizens and do the right thing. The sustainability argument emphasises the need for companies to have regard to the natural environment from which resources are drawn. The compliance or licence to operate argument reflects a pragmatic response to agendas set by Government regulators, and the reputation impetus is all about creating a positive impression on consumers, staff and shareholders. Porter and Kramer identify the individual deficiencies of each of these principles as a sufficient justification for CSR (e.g. they argue that the sustainability school of thought raises questions about balancing long term objectives against short term costs, but offers no framework for resolution). Fundamentally however, Porter and Kramer argue that there is an inherent weakness in all four school of thought, namely they focus on the tension between business and society, rather than their interdependence. Further each strategy creates a generic rationale that is not tied to the strategy and operations of any specific company or the places in which it operates. Porter and Kramer argue that the deficiencies in approach to CSR have resulted in unco-ordinated and non-strategic activities that neither make any meaningful social impact nor strengthen the firms long-term competitiveness. Having set the scene, Porter and Kramer suggest a new approach to CSR to achieve these outcomes. 2.2 A new approach Porter and Kramers new approach has two key elements. Firstly, they suggest that a CSR strategy should be predicated on an acceptance of the interdependence of business and society, i.e. successful corporations need a healthy society and a healthy society needs successful companies. Porter and Kramer suggest that the points of intersection between companies and society are both inside-out linkages (i.e. internal activities which affect the external environment such as hiring practices, emissions and waste control) and outside-in linkages (i.e. social conditions which affect a companys capacity to conduct business, e.g. rules and regulations, local education and health supports). This platform of understanding implies that both business decisions and social policy have shared values, and lifts CSR from a nice to do (which is reminiscent of the moral obligation argument or philanthropic approach to CSR) to the have to do (which, although not acknowledged by Porter and Kramer, is an ext ension of the sustainability argument). Secondly, and this is the real benefit of Porter and Kramers thesis, they argue that each company should create a tailored (rather than a generic) corporate social agenda, and provide a practical tool to chart that agenda i.e. to identify those areas of social context with the greatest strategic value. 2.3 The practice of developing a new CSR strategy Porter and Kramers practical tool to developing a new CSR strategy encompasses the following steps: Choosing which social issues to address. The essential test that should guide CSR is not whether the cause is worthy, but whether it presents an opportunity to create shared value that is, a meaningful benefit for society that is also meaningful to the business. Porter and Kramer argue that companies should sort social issues into three categories (i) generic social issues which affect all companies; (ii) value chain social impacts which have a direct affect on the companys ordinary course of business; and (iii) social dimensions of competitive context which significantly affect the underlying drivers of a companys competitiveness in a specific location. Once the social issues have been categorised they should be ranked, i.e. prioritised, for action Creating a corporate social agenda. The selected social issues should be identified in an explicit and affirmative corporate social agenda. This agenda will reflect an approach to CSR which is both  responsive  to stakeholder concerns and anticipated risks, andstrategic  (i.e. integrates inside-out and outside-in linkages) Organising for CSR. The corporate social agenda should be integrated into affirmative business practices, i.e. to ensure that operating management is engaged in processes that identify and prioritise social issues based on their salience to business operations and their importance to the companys competitive context. Further, Porter and Kramer suggest that measurement of outcomes is critical to the agenda, and that value chain and competitive context investments in CSR need to be incorporated into the performance managers with PL responsibility. In particular Porter and Kramer argue for the measurement of the CSR initiatives in terms of social impact (although omit to discuss what those measures might be). Conclusion Porter and Kramer offer a new approach to CSR which focuses on identifying the shared values between a particular company and its social context, and developing a tailored and strategic response. Using Porter and Kramers tool to map social opportunities, and practical steps to identify, develop and organise for CSR, companies now have a new CSR framework to enhance business and social outcomes. If companies are able to successfully use this model (and Porter and Kramers article provides numerous case studies to that effect) then the benefits will be reaped in terms of both a competitive advantage and social enhancement. 3.An Empirical Analysis of the Strategic Use of Corporate Social Responsibility by Donald S. Siegel and Donald F. Vitaliano In a recent insightful survey of CSR, The Economist (2005, 8) identified four varieties of CSR based on whether this activity raised or lowered profits and raised or lowered social welfare. This paper constitutes the first empirical test of recent theories of strategic CSR. Specifically, we focus on the importance of the type of product or service sold by a firm as a determinant of managements decision to invest in CSR. This decision could represent a signaling device regarding the quality of the firms output. Consistent with these theories of strategic CSR, we find that firms selling durable experience goods or credence services are much more likely than comparable firms to be socially responsible. Ceteris paribus, our results imply that a firmselling financial services (a credence service) is more likely to opt for CSR by about 23 percentage points (compared to firms selling search goods). Similarly, a firm producing durable experience goods, such as automobiles or software, is mor e likely (than a firm selling search goods) to be socially responsible by about 15 percentage points. Firms selling experience services or nondurable experience goods, by contrast, are no more likely to adopt CSR than a firm whose product is a search good. While additional research is needed to pin down the diverse reasons why firms adopt a CSR stance, the evidence presented here supports a view that it is consistent with strategic theories of CSR and rational, profit-seeking management decision making. Others may view the same evidence as proof that CSR is a fraud or smokescreen to disguise the same behavior, which they abhor. Regardless of interpretation, we hope that this exploratory paper stimulates additional empirical research on the strategic use of CSR. Several caveats should be mentioned. The first is that our empirical analysis is based on a single cross section of data. It would be useful to test theories of strategic CSR using panel data, which would enable us to better control for unobserved firm heterogeneity and changes in CSR behavior and its determinants over time. A second concern is the possibility that our econometric analysis is subject to omitted variables bias; in contrast to ordinary least squares estimation, the estimated Co-efficients in a probit model would be inconsistent even if the omitted variables are uncorrelated with the included regressors (see Greene, 2000, p. 828). It is impossible to assess the importance of this effect on our estimates of the impact of good type on the propensity of firms to engage in CSR. It is also difficult to classify a company cleanly into selling search, experience, or credence goods and service. Although we eliminated conglomerate firms from our sample and relied on the firms primary products or services for our industry classification, we recognize that many firms are diversified, which introduces a certain amount of measurement error in our empirical analysis. In an ideal world, the division or perhaps, the plant or establishment would serve as the unit of analysis, rather than the firm.

Magic Johnson Essay -- essays research papers fc

The L.A. Lakers in the 1980’s were a basketball powerhouse with household names such as James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kurt Rambis who would doubt it. They had class and displayed it on the court. Kareem could pull up for his patented sky hook, they could dish to Worthy for the dunk and Rambis could pull down a rebound, but without a certain Magic there would be no showtime in L.A. A certain young player who had it all, a flashy smile and a great no look pass. That certain player was a true point guard, Earvin Johnson Jr. There are five magic parts to Earvin Johnson Jr.’s life. On August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, Christine and Earvin Johnson gave birth to their third child, a beautiful baby boy named Earvin Jr. Earvin Jr. was born into the middle of a family of seven children. Quincy, Larry and Pearl were older and Kim and the twins, Evelyn and Yvonne were younger. This whole family squeezed into three small bedrooms and one bathroom. "The place turned into a real madhouse before school every morning, when we all lined up to use the bathroom. You learned to be quick." said Earvin once. (Johnson, p.4) Both of Earvin’s parents played high school basketball. Earvin played basketball a bunch with his older brother Larry. (Brenner, p.44) Earvin would wake up early and play basketball before school started. "People thought I was crazy," Earvin remembered. "It would be seven-thirty and they’d be going to work and say, ‘There’s that crazy June Bug, hoopin’." (Lovitt, p.5) June bug was what man y people called him, but his parents called him Junior and his friends called him E.J. (Johnson, p.4) When it snowed Earvin would go out and shovel the court. Earvin meet Jay Vincent, a child the same age of Earvin, who displayed the same love for basketball. The two became best friends. (Brenner, p.44) Earvin was suppose to go to Sexton High, but since of busing Earvin was forced to go to Everett a mostly white school. The Lansing School Board had to bus some kids to Everett to mix the races and to stop the growth at Sexton. Earvin lived a half of a mile away from Sexton and a mile and a half away from Everett. Pearl and Larry hated Everett and Larry was always in fights. The only Johnson who didn’t have to go to Everett was Quincy who was already in high school when the board made it... ...discusses safe sex. Earvin Johnson Jr. has had five magic parts in his life. Earvin is and always be a great role model. He is so classy on and off the court. His fun loving attitude is a great example of what we all should be. His courage to speak out and help others deal with AIDS and HIV is amazing. From June Bug to Magic, Earvin Johnson Jr. will always be a great man. Bibliography Brenner, Richard J. Jordan*Johnson. New York: East End Publishing, 1989 Haskins, James. Sports Great Magic Johnson Revised and Expanded. Springfield:Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1992 Lovitt, Chip. Magic Johnson. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1991 Johnson, Earvin "Magic." My Life. New York: Random House, Inc., 1992 The Fifty Greatest Players in NBA History: Magic Johnson. www.nba.com/. NBA Properties, Inc., 1996 *Reader these next two documents were not used in the product, but are good resources of information. "Johnson, Magic." World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia Standard Edition. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1997 "Magic Johnson." www.caphis.usc.edu/~yungkail/magic.html