Leadership Team Formation And Strategic Management Within An Essay - 1

Leadership Team Formation And Strategic Management Within An Organization - Essay Example For any group that intends to work together, team formation is an important aspect that defines how the involved individuals relate with one another. To begin within, there is the number of issues that were important for our group. My group was made of friends and this was an upper hand on matters of cooperation, willingness to work together and alignment to the group goals. At some point, we had to absorb one student who lacked a group and the instructor requested that he joins out the group. While we were classmates, this new individual was way distant to us and it became an important issue to assimilate him into the group and to get him on board our group targets and goals. This is expected in any given organization that some employees will join the workforce at some point and there is need to align them to the management goals to enable them to work in harmony with other employees (Augier, 2013). This burden rests on the shoulder of human resource managers. One important aspect o f human resource management is to establish a strong team which starts right from the moment of recruitment. The organization selection and recruitment process is an activity that the human resource managers take seriously to obtain the best workforce within the institution (Nordensson, Ash, & Kelley, 2010). The selection process is an activity that involves selection of only qualified employees who suit the minimum requirements of the position and fill the existing employee gaps effectively.

Biology lesson 4 Exam Essay Example for Free

Biology lesson 4 Exam Essay Question 1 2 points Save Plant seed coats, mycorrhizae, and cuticles are examples of ways plants have adapted to life on land. evolutionary adaptations to limit water absorption. mechanisms to enhance carbon dioxide release. both b and c. (page 502) Question 2 2 points Save The advantages of vascular tissue over nonvascular tissue are evident in whether organisms have alternation of generations. an organisms size and complexity. (page 504) the number of individual offspring produced by each organism. all of the above. Question 3 2 points Save The typical vascular plant sporophyte  includes the developing embryo. has roots, shoots, and meristems. has specialized tissues that develop into conducting vessels. both b and c. (page 507) Question 4 2 points Save Fruits and vegetables provide ____________ and are important sources of _____________ . nutrients; carbohydrates dietary fiber; protein protein; vitamins and minerals dietary fiber; vitamins and minerals (page 516) Question 5 2 points Save More than 70 percent of the worlds cultivated farmland is used for growing _________ rich in ____________. fruits; carbohydrates and fiber roots; starch  grains; carbohydrates and fiber (page 518) legumes; Protein Question 6 2 points Save Several nonfood uses of plants include paper, synthetic clothing, and building material. medicines, rayon, and lumber. (pages 520-523) ceramics, cabinets, and rope. violins, ivory, and rubber. Question 7 2 points Save Salicin, derived from the bark of willow trees, is the starting compound used to make paper. clothes. rubber. aspirin. (page 522) Question 8 2 points Save Medicinal uses of plants include all of the following EXCEPT cancer treatment. treatment of cardiac disorders. decongestant. Albinism treatment. (page 521) Question 9 2 points Save Two plants that are used to make BOTH paper and cloth are bamboo and flax. flax and cotton. (page 522) sisal and bamboo. rice and cotton. Question 10 2 points Save Refer to the illustration below it shows the stem of a coleus plant. The tissue labeled A, which gives support to the vascular structures in the plant stem, is called vascular tissue. dermal tissue. epidermis. ground tissue. (pages 552-553) Question 11 2 points Save Protection, water and mineral absorption, and gas exchange are all functions of dermal tissue. (page 553)  vascular bundles. mesophyll cells. heartwood. Question 12 2 points Save The plumbing system that transports water and nutrients throughout a plant is called epidermis. vascular tissue. (page 554) pith. transpiration. Question 13 2 points Save The movement of water through a plant is caused, in part, by the attraction of water molecules for each other. osmosis. transpiration. (page 560) all of the above. Question 14 2 points Save The stomata are responsible for translocation. leaf growth. regulating water loss. (page 560) the transport of minerals. Question 15 2 points Save. The guard cells that surround a stoma have no walls. swell with water, causing the stoma to open. (page 561) shrivel up when opening the stoma. are responsible for translocation. Question 16 2 points Save Seed germination in a bean sprout uses a hooked shoot to protect the sprout tip from damage. (page 572) occurs after the seed coat has been damaged. is aided by a protective sheath which covers the shoot tip. only occurs after the soil has warmed to 17oC. Question 17 2 points Save Corn plants are perennial plants, storing nutrients in their roots for the next year. Must have their seeds exposed to fire before they germinate. have secondary growth that makes the stems resistant to damage. have sheaths that cover the growing shoot during germination. (page 572) Question 18 2 points Save Growth by cell division that makes both ends of a plant longer but not wider is called secondary growth. annual ring growth. vascular growth. primary growth. (page 574) Question 19 2 points Save The secondary xylem and phloem form from cork cambium. vascular cambium. apical meristems. bark. (page 574) Question 20 2 points Save. One difference between a gastrovascular cavity and a one-way digestive system is the presence or absence of cell specialization. (page 605) digestive enzymes. digestion within body cells. a moist membrane for nutrient diffusion. Question 21 2 points Save In an open circulatory system, water is drawn into the mantle cavity to provide oxygen to body tissues. lungs branch into small tubules to provide oxygen to tissues. wastes are eliminated directly to the environment from tissues. body tissues are bathed directly in fluid containing oxygen. (page 606) Question 22 2 points Save. The system that does not allow for direct contact between oxygen-carrying cells and tissues is called a one-way digestive system. the excretory system. a closed circulatory system. (page 606) an open respiratory system. Question 23 7 points Save Match the animal systems in Column I with their functions in Column II. digestive E. break down food excretory B. removal of waste products skeletal C. body support and movement circulatory D. transport nutrients and oxygen nervous – A. coordinate body activities respiratory F. perform cellular metabolism reproductive G. carry on the species.

Progeria - Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome Essay -- genetic childhood dis

Progeria, otherwise known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome is an extremely rare, genetic childhood disorder with a reported incidence of about one in a million. Hutchinson reported the syndrome in 1886 when he found the first patient with Progeria. In 1904 Gilford described a second case of Progeria, thus creating the term to reflect the syndrome’s senile features. There are only about a hundred reported cases since the disorder has been discovered over a century ago. Currently, there are about thirty to forty known cases worldwide of Progeria. Affected children age up to seven times faster, have â€Å"plucked bird† appearance, many health problems and their lifespan is about thirteen years. There is neither known cause nor cure for this disease. It is usually first diagnosed based only on appearance and treatment is given for other conditions associated with the aging process rather the disease it self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Effected children usually appear normal at birth. But within the first year of life severe changes come into accordance. These include: baldness and bodily hair loss, including eyebrows and eyelashes; â€Å"skin wrinkling accompanied by pigmented age spots; [†¦] unusually high pitched voice; undeveloped or underdeveloped sexual maturation; bone lesions, often resulting in fractures and hip dislocation† (Livneh, Antonak and Maron, 1995, p.434). Death usually occurs between the age of twelve and thirteen and it is due to â€Å"cardiovascular deterioration and generally includes arthrosclerosis, myocardial infraction and congestive heart failure (Livneh, Antonak and Maron, 1995, p.434).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cause of Progeria is unknown as of yet. Because of its very rare nature, no definite cause can be pinpointed. However it is determined to be generic. In other words, it is thought that it is due to single mutated gene and each case might represent a single sporadic new mutation, which happens at conception. Therefore, as mentioned above, the diagnosis must be made solely on the appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During my Internet research on this subject, I have found a real story of a thirteen-year-old girl, named Ashley. Her story captured my heart and I would like to use Ashley as an example in helping to understand the disease, its progress and how it affects people involved. Ashley was born on May 23, 1991 as what it seemed a normal and healthy baby girl. In July 1991 doctors disco... ...f the disease and death to help cope and adapt properly. General intervention recommendations can focus on; the child’s needs, other family members and the parents. Other intervention can address social issues such as spirituality, emotionality, coping modes and adaptation techniques. It is very hard to say to a parent of a dying child that any of the above might help a broken heart, however, professional help, understanding and loving environment and family might ease the hardships of loosing one’s child, sibling or a friend. Bibliography DeBusk, F.L. (1972). The Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Jurnal of Pediatrics, 80, 697-724.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Livneh, Hanoch; Antonak, Richard F.; Maron, Sheldon. (1995). Progeria: Medical aspects, psycholosocial perspectives, and intervention guidelines. Death Studies, Vol .19(5), Sep-Oct 1995. pp. 433-452. Lori and Ashley’s Website. http://www.geocities.com/lori_and_ashley/. Visited on April 23, 2003. Mac Michael, R.A. (1996-2003) Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome Network. http://www.hgps.net/about/. Visited on April 23, 2003. Progeria Research Foundation Inc. (1999) http://www.progeriaresearch.org/. Visited on May 2, 2002.

Effects of Social Media on the Youth Essay

Various forms of media, such as the television, radio, newspapers, movies, magazines and most notably, the internet, have impacted heavily on the youth. The media not only serves as a source of information but also provides a source of entertainment. Media sources have relentlessly worked on creating appealing images that entice the youth to their content. Although these may be informative, the youths have been coerced into consuming more time reading or browsing for such information. Recent advancements in computers and mobile phones have led to ease of access of the internet via advanced wireless devices. Whereas this creates a tech-savvy generation, the content provided by some media houses may be uncensored and entails violent acts, obscene scenes and vulgar language. In addition, adolescents have been enticed into spending longer hours with strangers rather than family. This undesirable environment, coupled with the fact that today’s parents are heavily burdened with income generating activities hence find little or no time to talk to their children, has led to high incidences of youth violence and untoward behavior. However, the media content has not been entirely negative. This essay analyzes the impact of various forms of the media on the youth and presents various arguments for and against letting young adolescents spend their time scanning media content. Read more:  Influence of social media on youth essay. How has the media changed the lives of adolescents? First, today’s youths spend less time with their families and spend more time with strangers. Tamar Lewin, in â€Å"If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re probably Online† notes that children between the ‘ages 8 and 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day’ using electronic devices (Lewin 1). Five to six years ago, youths spent on average one hour less. In addition, the emergence of advanced electronic media devices has curtailed time spent doing group activities which has been channeled to solitary activities (â€Å"Awake†). Brent Staples in â€Å"What Adolescents Miss When We Let Them Grow Up in Cyberspace† notes that whereas the traditional media content was largely aired through such mediums as the television, which is watched by a family at the same time, currently, the internet has taken over. Secondly, the youth chat, send e-mails and post their daily encounters and problems on the web. Instead of relating such experiences to their parents, they accept and follow the advice presented by total strangers. This has left teens with ‘nonexistent social skills’ for they are more flexible and aware of the virtual space where they can assume a different personality under a pseudonym, which would otherwise not be possible in the real world (Staples 2). Thirdly, the media has presented various options that aid in circumnavigating life’s hurdles and challenges. As Staple notes, during his childhood, he was presented with situations whereby he had to prove his worth to other people other than his own family members (â€Å"Cyberspace†). Adolescents, in today’s world, can easily skip this and opt to send messages or video chat via electronic devices such as mobile phones or the computer. However, this comes at a cost: They develop ‘low-quality relationships in virtual reality’ at the expense of ‘higher-quality relationships in the real world’ (Staples 2). Therefore, these relationships may appear perfect when the teenagers are on a virtual space but are in reality not practical. Finally, the media has given teenagers a platform via which they can gain an identity and prove their worth. Teenagers, and their advice or point of view, are normally disregarded even when their arguments are valid. The internet avails an equal opportunity platform through which they can air their grievances or opinions either under a pseudonym or an incognito handle without being disregarded. However, they have been known to violate the law. For instance, Michael Lewis is a teenager who offered his expertise to the Internet Information Service by posing as a 25-year old (â€Å"Cyberspace†). However, it is noteworthy that not all teenagers use such pseudonyms with an intention of breaking the law. They may be in fact trying to escape from the ‘boring’ and conventional set-up where information is mainly presented in books (Staples 2). How much contact with the physical world do the youth need? Lewin outlines a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation in which it was found out that today’s teenagers spend around seven and a half hours using electronic gadgets (â€Å"Awake†). This did not include the time spent texting or talking on their cell phones. Obviously, this time spent in contact with the virtual world is too much. There is a need to spend more time with family members and others in the physical world. Whereas Dr. Rich feels that parents and other key players in teenagers’ lives should accept the usage of media devices as part of the youth’s environment, there is a need to limit the hours spent on the internet and other media sources (â€Å"Awake†). On the other hand, parents should not entirely limit their children from accessing media content via electronic gadgets. Teens may end up feeling left out or develop an anti-social behavior in retaliation. Lewin outlines Ms. Calinan’s decision to limit her child’s access to video games to one and a half hours on weekends. Whereas this may force Trey, her son, to work harder in his studies, it may limit his development on the usage of electronic devices in this tech-savvy era (â€Å"Awake†). Therefore, the question as to how much time the youth should spend with the physical world has no straightforward answer. It should vary from child to child. Different teens have different reasons and needs. Whereas most heavy internet users have been linked to ‘behavior problems and lower grades,’ not all teens have been affected in a similar fashion (Lewin 1). For instance, Lewin found out that Francisco Sepulveda used his cell phone as an alarm clock in addition to accessing media content. However, his mother felt that he did not use his phone for its rightful purpose: To work on his assignments (â€Å"Awake†).Hence, parents should regulate their teen’s access to media content according to their teenagers’ situations rather than ascribe to a particular schedule. Do social media benefits outweigh the costs? Although both Lewin (2010) and Staples (2004) have presented their arguments by bordering on the negative influences of social media, there are numerous merits that cannot be overlooked. Teenagers can easily access a host of information sources that they would otherwise not be interested in were they to be limited to the traditional sources of information. For instance, unlike their parents and other preceding generations, few teens devote their time to watching news. However, the internet, through social sites such as Twitter and Facebook and search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, provides a direct link to the world’s current news. Hence, it can be argued that today’s teens receive breaking news even before their parents have received such news. The social media creates a rich source of information that caters for the youth in an appealing and sensational way. In addition, teens find a way to express themselves fully and anonymously in a manner that they could not h ave achieved in the real world. The virtual world breaks the conventional rules and hierarchical structure that teenagers are forced to submit to. Although this may come with various demerits, such as fraud and emotional troubles, one cannot afford to ignore the relief that the social media avails to teenagers who may be in dire need to express their feelings without being judged. Although there are outstanding demerits, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Lewin and Staples have avidly described disadvantages such as untoward social behavior, fraud and criminology, obesity and dwindling academic performance. However, these are resultant problems when sources and devices that avail social media content are not properly regulated. They are a result of overuse rather than the proper usage of electronic media gadgets. How might Staples argument be problematic and to some extent fallacious? Staples arguments may not necessarily hold water given that the internet and other forms of social media have successfully started off relationships. In fact, various couples have met and fallen in love via the internet and are currently happily married. The supposition that career couples have had their lives ‘taken over by e-mail and wireless tethers’ is in fact fallacious (Staples 1). People have adopted technology which avails a cheap means of communication. Rather than rely on older means of communication, which are quite cumbersome, they have chosen to adapt fast and efficient electronic devices. In addition, not all adolescents are drawn to the cyberspace so as to commit fraud or to ‘discard (their) quotidian identities’ (Staples 2). For instance, most adolescents prefer social sites such as Facebook which demand that the user should log in using a valid name. In conclusion, social media has made great impacts on today’s youths. Not only are they spending more time in this virtual space but they are also seeking entertainment and information in areas previously untested. Therefore, they face numerous challenges in adopting technology in order to suit their own ends. Therefore, parents should take a firm stand and guide their children through these perilous grounds in order to transform these young adults into successful people in future.

Are We an Overmedicated Society Essay

Are we an overmedicated society? Have you ever opened your medicine cabinet, and really looked at its contents? Have you ever stopped to wonder exactly what is in those bottles, and what it is doing inside your body? Do we really need all of those drugs? These are the questions I began asking myself a few years ago, and I feel most people should be questioning these things more often. Every time that I see a new commercial or advertisement that highlights a dangerous drug and the resulting lawsuits, I have to wonder how many drugs out there are just as dangerous, but haven’t been documented yet. How many diseases are fabricated so that more drugs can be sold? We have been engineered to believe that every human emotion and condition is a disease and should be medicated. But how much is too much? My first argument is that society today has become much too reliant on prescription medications and it has gotten to be out of control on many grounds. The two groups of individuals I feel are most at risk for this type of over-indulgence are children and the elderly. A third group of concern involves the mentally impaired or depressed segment of society, which I will get to. But first, I will divulge my assessment of children’s psychiatry from my viewpoint. A century ago, parents were free to discipline their children in the way they saw fit. As a result, children grew up to be respectable adults with jobs and accountability for their actions. There were still those who deviated of course, but it seems it was much less prevalent than it is today. Now, we have become a society who is afraid to discipline their children for fear of repercussion from social services and the threat of losing their children. As a result, we now have many children growing up who learn that they are in charge of their parents. These children are not required to respect their parents, and this results in a lack of respect for humans in general. This has consequently led to a rise in sociopathic behavior among teenagers and young adults who have been raised with absolutely no accountability for their actions or respect for human life. For those parents whose children have gotten out of control, they customarily turn to their family physicians for advice. I believe this has led to a rise in the creation of childhood diseases and medications to go along with them. In recent years, there appears to be a huge increase in the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and different levels of the Autism spectrum. These children are being sedated with pills instead of learning how to behave in a socially acceptable manner. They then grow up never learning how to properly integrate into society, and from there we have mentally impaired, depressed, and often sociopathic adults who are told they will require more medication and sedation for their entire lives. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a second segment of society that is suffering from pharmaceutical negligence is the elderly population. You may have noticed the number of medications typically found in your grandmother’s medicine cabinet, and this scenario is not atypical. Seniors are taking medications for things that don’t need to be medicated. As a result, they need additional medications to combat the side effects of the original medications prescribed. It is like a domino effect, each one building on another. One drug might be taken for low glucose levels. This drug may cause high blood pressure and high cholesterol, giving rise to the need for additional medications to counteract those two life-threatening conditions. In turn the secondary medications might have adverse reactions requiring additional medications and so on, creating a dangerous level of chemicals taken daily. Having to take so many medications, and often on a low or fixed income, puts a huge strain on the average elderly patient, and significantly lowers the quality of life experienced in the last phase of life. In addition to young children and senior citizens, my third area of concern is the mental health arena. We are currently diagnosing illnesses and prescribing pills for every range of normal human emotion and behavior. Feelings of anger, elation, sadness, and anxiety are all normal human responses to different stresses issued from the natural environment around us. But we have been manufactured to believe that any one of these can signal the presence of serious illness and disease, and if we are experiencing these we had better hightail it to the nearest doctor and get a pill to erase it all. This is what the pharmaceutical companies want us to believe, and it has been working amazingly well for them so far. The doctor is not programmed to tell you that you are experiencing normal human emotions, instead, they get you very upset and worried that you are actually suffering from a major mental disorder that requires immediate action and medication. Now, I agree that therapy is often needed for excess amounts of any one of these emotions. However, I feel that in most cases medication is simply not needed. Would you apply a Band-Aid to a surgical wound? That is what I feel the value of most of these medications really is. It never solves the root of the issue, so the patient continues to take these medications that their body becomes dependent on, thus supporting the drug companies for the rest of their lives. One of the main issues when it comes to mental health in patients of all ages is the subject of anti-anxiety medications. I recently discovered an article which was penned with regard to the use of anxiety medications in the United States and internationally, and whether or not it is a concern. According to Armstrong, â€Å"their use has increased in America at the rate of 7 million prescriptions a year† (1). This raises the concern that the exponential growth of these drugs will eventually lead to an entire country of sedated citizens. Despite popular belief, however, most of these prescriptions are written by family physicians and not psychiatrists, to deal with patients who believe they have a disease they don’t have and are demanding pills. Despite reassurances of the safety of the use of benzodiazepines, concerns still linger as to how much is too much. The pharmaceutical industry is greatly to blame for fueling this negligent over-use of harmful chemicals. It really is all about money, when it comes down to it. It seems like they are eager to produce any concoction that they can market to the American public that will sell in mass quantities, whether or not it is actually necessary for anyone’s health. It is possible, even, that they go as far as to manufacture their own illnesses so they can capitalize on it any way they can. As a result, there doesn’t seem to be enough research going into many of the drugs that are approved by the FDA and take up space on a pharmacy shelf. They might run it by a group of not-so-randomly selected individuals for a quick test-run. Then, even if adverse reactions are found, they are justified and dismissed and the public never even finds out. If they do, it is usually in small print at the end of a drug advertisement, and the public never even takes notice of it because they are so hyped up about the possible positive outcomes this drug may have in store for them. The marketing is so intense that it convinces many people they have diseases they don’t even have and they rush to the doctor to fill their demands. According to Strand & Wallace, â€Å"†¦fewer than 50% of all of the serious adverse reactions to a new drug the FDA releases are identified prior to its release into the marketplace† (2, pg 46). This is a very alarming statistic that needs to be taken seriously! The doctors, in turn, are often pressured by the drug companies to market these drugs to patients who do not even present with symptoms which would call for such drugs. These doctors are often enticed by incentives and benefits offered by these companies to convince them to dole out these unnecessary medications. Essentially, they are â€Å"wined and dined† by the pharmaceutical companies. The other issue facing doctors is that these patients show up in droves with complaints and expect pills. If they are turned away or refused, the doctor faces possible legal actions, possibly law suits or malpractice claims. So, the easy solution is to give the patient what they want, not what they need. Essentially, the conventional doctor/patient relationship has eroded almost entirely. Patients are now doctoring themselves, deciding which drugs they need, and then going to the doctor with their demands since they cannot fill their scripts without a prescription. The book, â€Å"Death By Prescription†, has an excellent example of this. The author provides a story of a patient named Cynthia who goes in for her annual exam, confirms the presence of menopause, and against her better judgment is prescribed hormone replacement therapy. Everything seems to be going well for a few months, and then she unexpectedly collapses one day, completely at random, from acute cardiac arrest. After she has been put to rest, the husband then discovers that there were concerns about heart related problems for a year before his wife was initially prescribed this medication. (2, pgs 3-7) The doctor who wrote this book speaks of his dismay that potentially life-threatening drug reactions are never brought to the consumer’s attention until it is too late. Since these drugs are hitting the market without adequate research to possible drug reactions or interactions, more and more lawsuits are being filed. Every time I see a new lawsuit for a drug that was heavily marketed, I wonder which one will be next. I take a few prescriptions myself, only because they are necessary to control severe acid reflux which could erode my entire esophagus and to keep allergies in check which have a tendency to cause ear infections with me. I wouldn’t take them if I didn’t absolutely need to. One that I’ve seen recently is a lawsuit for a popular birth control drug, Yasmin, that I clearly remember advertisements for which involved many women in bright yellow bathing suits. Other examples that I can think of just off the top of my head are Avandia, Phen Phen, and Thalidomide. A famous example, though, is the whole Vioxx fiasco. Vioxx was a popular pain reliever that was touted as more effective than ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, but little was known about its potentially fatal side effects, mostly related to heart problems. According to Carey, Barrett, and Cropper, â€Å"†¦society needs to understand that drugs are a double-edged sword. Doctors should do a better job of keeping up with pharmaceutical findings. And patients should know that all medicines are potentially dangerous and should be used cautiously. In the past, â€Å"people accepted that there was no such thing as a totally safe drug,† says McKillop. Today we have become much more risk-averse. † Adds Dr. Mary H. Parks, a top FDA drug-approval official: â€Å"Even in the best case, with full due diligence, we will never know everything about a drug. † That’s why it will always be a struggle to hit just the right balance between help and harm. † (3) This lends credence to my belief that most drugs that have b een on the market less than 10 years should not be trusted. Hopefully, this paper has influenced the general perspective on the pharmaceutical industry itself and how many drugs should be taken by the average consumer on a daily basis. How many times have doctors prescribed brand new â€Å"cures† for diseases that no one has ever heard of? Consumers should be taking note of just how many drugs are being over-marketed and should be aware of the dangers posed by the chemicals ingested on a daily basis. If it is something that is not needed for normal daily functioning, should it even be prescribed? Is it doing more harm than good? How much research has been conducted for this particular drug? Whether the individual is a young child, a middle-aged adult, a psychiatric or geriatric patient, these are the questions that each person should be asking every day.

Sister essays

Sister essays In the play called Antigone it was about how Antigone wanted to give her brother a proper burial but her uncle Creon would not allow it. Antigone went against his will and buried him anyways. When Creon found out he sentenced her to death and her sister Ismene wanted to die with her. Creon did not want to kill Ismene because even though she said she helped Antigone he she was lying. When he killed Antigone his son killed himself because he wanted to marry her. Then Creons wife killed herself because her son died. In the end he was left alone. What drew my attention to the play the most was the love Antigone and Ismene had for each other and the relationship they shared. In the beginning of the play Antigone came to Ismene and ask her to help give there brother a proper barrel she said no because that will be going against Creons will. Antigone let her know that no matter what she was going to give her brother a proper barrel and if she didnt want to help then she would hate her. When Antigone was caught and sentenced to death her sister came to her side even through all of the arguing they had been through. When Antigone and Ismene were arguing about barring there brother it reminded me of my sister and I when we would argue and sometimes even tell each other that we hate one another. Then whenever one of us has a problem we know that we can count on the other to come through for us just like Ismene did for Antigone when she was caught for going against Creon rules. I believe that Antigone and Ismene role in the play was meant to show the relationship between two sisters. I also believe that Antigones role was meant to show the love that Antigone had for her brother. ...

Free Essays on Abuse Of Alcohol And Drugs

Abuse of Alcohol and Drugs These days many students consume alcohol and drugs. However, all of them have their own problems which they want to â€Å"escape† from. Family problems, social problems, the bad clique, physical and mental abuses are small part of what the students that take drugs are associated with. On the other hand, maybe, it is only to show off, who knows! Students who consume illegal substances have poor academic performance and are much likely to cut out of school. They cannot concentrate and think clearly, but when they do, they are under the influence of some drug. The drugs often become a habit, and even when you don’t need it to escape reality, you take it and it becomes a part of you; the bad part of you. Some students say that â€Å"it is extremely important to seek new experience†. Psychedelic drugs make evident what already exists within the human mind. According to a new report from Harvard School of Pub Health researchers, the prevalence of recent Marijuana use among U.S students rose from 12.9% to25.7% between 1993 and 1999. Illegal drugs are easy to find because almost everyone knows somebody who is consuming drugs. Millions of students go to school where tobacco, drugs and alcohol are already available and parents, teachers, administrators and communities do very little to discourage use of these substances, according to the results of a six-year study. â€Å"American schools are decidedly not alcohol and drug-free,† said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., chairman and president of Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substances Abuse, which conducted the massive study of middle and high school students . The effects from alcohol include: loss of muscle control, impaired reflexes, vomiting, and unconsciousness. Because alcohol goes directly into the bloodstream, overuse of alcohol can affect almost every system in the body. Long term use can cause cancer, brain damage, cirrhosis o... Free Essays on Abuse Of Alcohol And Drugs Free Essays on Abuse Of Alcohol And Drugs Abuse of Alcohol and Drugs These days many students consume alcohol and drugs. However, all of them have their own problems which they want to â€Å"escape† from. Family problems, social problems, the bad clique, physical and mental abuses are small part of what the students that take drugs are associated with. On the other hand, maybe, it is only to show off, who knows! Students who consume illegal substances have poor academic performance and are much likely to cut out of school. They cannot concentrate and think clearly, but when they do, they are under the influence of some drug. The drugs often become a habit, and even when you don’t need it to escape reality, you take it and it becomes a part of you; the bad part of you. Some students say that â€Å"it is extremely important to seek new experience†. Psychedelic drugs make evident what already exists within the human mind. According to a new report from Harvard School of Pub Health researchers, the prevalence of recent Marijuana use among U.S students rose from 12.9% to25.7% between 1993 and 1999. Illegal drugs are easy to find because almost everyone knows somebody who is consuming drugs. Millions of students go to school where tobacco, drugs and alcohol are already available and parents, teachers, administrators and communities do very little to discourage use of these substances, according to the results of a six-year study. â€Å"American schools are decidedly not alcohol and drug-free,† said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., chairman and president of Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substances Abuse, which conducted the massive study of middle and high school students . The effects from alcohol include: loss of muscle control, impaired reflexes, vomiting, and unconsciousness. Because alcohol goes directly into the bloodstream, overuse of alcohol can affect almost every system in the body. Long term use can cause cancer, brain damage, cirrhosis o...

Where Can I Find Sources for My Research Paper or 7 Search Engines Used for Scientific Purposes

Where Can I Find Sources for My Research Paper or 7 Search Engines Used for Scientific Purposes Where Can I Find Sources for My Research Paper or 7 Search Engines Used for Scientific Purposes When it is time for writing research papers, students often do not know what to begin with. The first step is to find some sources for your paper, but these sources must be accurate and reliable. Here are seven search engines that will help you find credible information for your research paper. 1. Google Scholar The main benefit of Google Scholar is that it is extremely easy to use, since it functions just like the standard Google search engine. The key difference is the quality and credibility of the sources Google Scholar provides. The specialized search engine filters out the most reliable scholarly results, so it includes many journal articles and other resources written by academics. If you want a quick, easy, and reliable search engine, try using Google Scholar next time you have to write a research paper. 2. Intute This UK-based search engine employs specialists that evaluate thousands of resources to help determine which are safe and credible for students to use. In addition to filtering out unreliable and unnecessary sites, Intute offers 60 free tutorials from experts like librarians and college professors on how to develop your online research skills. This can be an excellent resource for freshmen in particular, who may have little or no experience with high-level researches. 3. RefSeek Like other scholarly search engines, RefSeek filters out the thrum that crowds the Internet and brings credible sources to the forefront. Designed specifically for students and other researchers, RefSeek allows you to search for only actual documents to help ensure that you have found the most credible information for your research paper. 4. Your School’s Online Library One of the best sources for writing your research paper is the school’s online library. At most colleges and universities, you can visit your school library via your computer or mobile device. Online libraries typically provide students with wonderful resources like credible online databases, eBooks, scholarly journal articles and periodicals. 5. iSeek iSeek is a simple search engine that functions similarly to Google. You type a question into the search engine or keywords related to your research topic. Resources on the search engine include the information from universities and a variety of other sites. All commercial sites and sources are filtered out, and it shows only the most relevant, credible sources. 6. Internet Public Library This search engine does not provide scholarly articles, but directs you to websites instead. However, it will link you to the most credible sites ending with .gov and .org. The Internet Public Library also allows you to search by subject, and online librarians are available to help you find the most relevant sources for your research paper. If you’re interested in websites more than scholarly articles, the Internet Public Library is a good search engine to direct you to the most reliable ones. 7. Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) ERIC is a database that can be a bit more complex than some of the search engines listed above. However, it includes more specific search settings that can help you narrow your searching to the most useful information for your research paper. With ERIC, you can limit your results to articles written only within a specific time period, and you can select articles that are peer reviews or full texts only. The full text option ensures that you will not find yourself intrigued by a scholarly article, only will receive a notification that you must pay $20 to continue reading. If you do not mind a slightly more complicated search, ERIC can help you find some excellent and relevant resources for your research paper. Check out the seven search engines we have shared with you here, and see which one works best for you. Each option listed here will help you find only the most credible, reliable, and accurate resources for your research paper. If you use these sites, you will never find yourself asking, â€Å"Where can I find sources for my research paper?† again.

2 to 3 Page Student Life Comparison Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

2 to 3 Page Student Life Comparison Paper - Essay Example The Senior Management Team, which includes the Assistant Vice President for Student Life, is headed by the Vice President for Student Affairs (Caltech, 2006c). The deans and directors of the different colleges and departments, respectively, are also under the Student Affairs Office (Caltech, 2006c). On the other hand, Pepperdine University has different Student Life Offices, one for each of its five colleges: Seaver College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Graziadio School of Business and Management, Graduate School of Education and Psychology School of Law, and School of Public Policy (Pepperdine University, 2009a). They also have varying titles, Student Services, Student Affairs, and Student Life, to name three. Each of these offices is headed by the Dean of the college or school; all are under the Provost, who acts as the chief academic officer (Pepperdine, 2009b). The Student Affairs Office of Caltech handles housing, financial aid, health aid, counseling, career development, athletics, fellowships, and international programs, among other things (Caltech, 2006c). Like Caltech, Pepperdine’s five student life offices also offer the same services, with the exception of fellowships. What is interesting is that Caltech has a Women’s Center that was established in 1993 to â€Å"work for the advancement of women in science and engineering† (California Institute of Technology Womens Center, 2008). Pepperdine also has a program focused on the needs of women. However, the Women’s Ministry program is a part of the Family Faith network that aims to enlighten and reinforce women’s beliefs and practices â€Å"about Gods role in family life† (Pepperdine University, 2009c; Pepperdine University, 2009d). While the former aims to break gender barriers in the dominantly male composition of science and engineering, the l atter seems to promote a regression in gender equality by

Scientology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scientology - Term Paper Example Scientology can be described as a valuable study that preserves its spiritual relationship to the principles of the universe and that of other creatures (Lewis 5-100). Thesis Statement The paper intends to briefly explore the concept of Scientology and understand its various aspects. The discussion of this paper highlights major characteristics and various facts about the religion of Scientology. Moreover, the discussion also considers the major principles of Scientology and its significance in the human life through its various controversial facts. Discussion The dimension of Scientology emanates from the ‘scientia’, a Latin word which signifies knowledge and skills of each individual. According to Hubbard, â€Å"[s]cientology is the science of knowing how to know the answers. It is an organized system of axioms and processes which resolve the problem of existence† (Hubbard 25). Therefore, it can be recognized that the religion of Scientology is prepared with reg ard to the spiritual viewpoint that encloses an appropriate and practical description of the spirit and is competent to develop the spiritual behaviors. L. Ronald Hubbard also mentioned that Scientology transformed in the tradition of thousands of years of religious philosophy that significantly is considered a result of the investigation upon various religions including Veda, Buddhism, The Tao, and Christianity among others. It is a Gnostic faith which is considered as an appropriate knowledge of knowing things. Scientology can reveal that it can achieve the objectives that are set for any individuals by all religions that include human insights, good health, and immortality (Hubbard 25). In order to recognize Scientology in more expressive way, the nature and the scope of Dianetics need to be significantly identified. Dianetics can be illustrated as the fundamental concept of scientific principles of human thoughts and beliefs and is significantly related to discover the power of knowledge which is possessed within the human mind (Hubbard 7). Scientology can also be regarded as an association which relies in between religion and psychology. The approach significantly focuses to each individual in terms of properly evaluating the power of knowledge that releases full potential of an individual. The appropriate utilization of ideas or knowledge considerably provides the benefit to each individual to empower innate superhuman nature. According to the philosophical principles of Scientology, major challenges of each individual that affect in achieving desired goals include lack of confidence, physical or psychological disabilities, and psychosomatic infirmities. Elimination of such human limitations is quite essential for any individual in order to successfully achieve desired goals and objectives (Wallis, â€Å"The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological Analysis of Scientology†). Major Aspects of Scientology Scientology involves two major principles that are described in its ARC and KRC triangles. ARC and KRC triangles of Scientology significantly describe the relationship between its three major concepts. The ARC triangle within the periphery of Scientology is a major aspect that significantly possesses the principles and values of Scientology, including power of knowledge and skills of individuals (Neusner 228). ARC Triangle The ARC triangle consists of three major aspects: Affinity, Reality and Communication. Affinity in

How Firms Try to Extract Consumer Surplus Using Two-Part Tariffs Essay

How Firms Try to Extract Consumer Surplus Using Two-Part Tariffs - Essay Example This study declares that consumer surplus may be defined as â€Å"The difference between the price that a consumer is willing to pay for a good and the amount actually paid†. A two-part tariff (TPT) has many interpretations, one of which is: â€Å"A form of pricing in which consumers are charged both an entry and a usage fee† (ibid, 317). There is more to two-part tariffs than described. It is essential to understand certain associated economic factors before getting at the rather complex topic. In this paper, I will explain in brief Consumer Surplus; Consumer Surplus and Demand; Monopoly and Pricing Strategies with Market Power. Two-part tariffs and consumer surplus are closely linked; I will explain what two-part tariff means in practical terms and show how firms try to extract consumer surplus using it. This paper highlights the public purchases goods only if there is some benefit to be had. Consumer surplus is a valuation of how much benefit individuals gain as a total on completing their purchase of the product in question. Most people have differing methods of evaluating the intrinsic value of a good. Such extraneous factors, apart from purely commercial reasons, decide for these individuals the maximum price they are willing to fork out for an item. If an individual is willing to pay  £ 100 for a Liverpool vs Chelsea soccer match, but manages a ticket for  £ 40; his consumer surplus is  £ 60. According to Pindyk, Rubinfeld and Mehta, â€Å"A demand curve is the relationship between the quantity of a good consumers are willing to buy and the price of that good.† They add, â€Å"It is fairly simple to calculate consumer surplus if the corresponding demand curve is known and their relationship can be examined†. Let us do so for an individual, as advised by the a uthors.

What do we learn about international strategies for protecting human Essay

What do we learn about international strategies for protecting human rights from an examination of the record of the UN in action on Terrorism - Essay Example Without diminishing this obligation, it is also the duty of the UN to protect human rights in the course of pursuing counter-terrorist activities. For this reason, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has been instituted. In the 2005 Madrid Summit, then UN Secretary-General echoed the unanimous observation of international rights experts, both within and outside the UN system, that counter-terrorism measures that have been adopted to that date have all infringed on human rights and fundamental freedoms in one way or another (Foot, 2007). It was therefore determined that in the course of pursuing the counter-terrorism effort, the protection of human rights must be assured. It is the official position of the UN and its member states that these twin pursuits – counter-terrorism and the protection of human rights – are deemed complementary and that they mutually reinforce each other’s goals. The UN has committed to pursue measures to halt the violation of human rights, and to adopt counter-terrorism measures which comply fully with the obligation to protect human rights (UNACT, 2013). ... The UN has committed to pursue measures to halt the violation of human rights, and to adopt counter-terrorism measures which comply fully with the obligation to protect human rights (UNACT, 2013). The commitments provide assurances that the anti-terrorism effort shall be coupled with the observance of human rights, at least in principle. However, the robustness of this observance in practice should be ascertained by an examination of the records pertaining to the records of the committees of the UN Security Council, which are tasked with the implementation of counter-terrorist measures. In order to abide by this commitment to ensure that human rights are respected even and especially during the course of combatting terrorism, the post of Special Rapporteur was created in 2005. The Special Rapporteur shall be concerned with the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while undertaking counter-terrorist activities (UN General Assembly, 4 June 2012). Despite as surances in treaties and the expression of agreement in human rights conventions, there is grave concern, from accounts of victims and investigative journalism reports, that human rights are consistently being violated in the interest of stemming the rise in terrorist activities worldwide. On the one hand, the undue curtailment of human rights is a violation of the UN conventions to which member States are signatories, and should therefore be sanctions. On the other hand, fear of a repetition of attacks such as that of the World Trade Centre appears to justify this resort to violation of the rights of a few to obtain information and prevent the deaths of many. This

Ancient and Medieval Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient and Medieval Cultures - Essay Example Also God spoke to man through dreams and visions in the book of Genesis. After the destruction that happened at the time of Noah, God promised himself that he will never bring similar destruction ever to mankind. God and man had a close, clear cut fellowship in the book of Genesis. Man and woman were very innocent when God created them. It is not given anywhere that they had any sexual feelings before committing sin. Sex came into picture only after man committed sin. Adam and Eve could realize their nakedness only after they committed sin. Man lost his naà ¯ve nature only when he displeased God. So the most important consequence of the sin committed by man was that he lost his innocent nature and sexual nature started appearing in him. When God created man, God gave him certain special blessings but woman was not given any special blessings like that. God created woman because man needed a perfect match for him. In short woman was created for the sake of man. Man got life out of the breath of God but woman was created from man. Also man was given the responsibility of taking care of Eden Garden. It was woman not man who committed sin first. Devil knew that it would be easy to influence woman than man. All these reveal the inferior nature of woman. Before committing sin Adam was found to be a complete man with all the blessings of god. God gave him many rights and made him the king of Eden. He had every right over nature and over all living and non-living beings of this world. He was given the responsibility of protecting Eden Garden. He was given full right over all resources of Eden garden. He was the master of the nature and everything it constitutes, and was not a mere part of it. God created everything for man only. He had more rights than the powerful angels who serve God. God punished Cain for killing his brother Abel, and Cain had to be a cursed fugitive roaming all

What do we learn about international strategies for protecting human Essay

What do we learn about international strategies for protecting human rights from an examination of the record of the UN in action on Terrorism - Essay Example Without diminishing this obligation, it is also the duty of the UN to protect human rights in the course of pursuing counter-terrorist activities. For this reason, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has been instituted. In the 2005 Madrid Summit, then UN Secretary-General echoed the unanimous observation of international rights experts, both within and outside the UN system, that counter-terrorism measures that have been adopted to that date have all infringed on human rights and fundamental freedoms in one way or another (Foot, 2007). It was therefore determined that in the course of pursuing the counter-terrorism effort, the protection of human rights must be assured. It is the official position of the UN and its member states that these twin pursuits – counter-terrorism and the protection of human rights – are deemed complementary and that they mutually reinforce each other’s goals. The UN has committed to pursue measures to halt the violation of human rights, and to adopt counter-terrorism measures which comply fully with the obligation to protect human rights (UNACT, 2013). ... The UN has committed to pursue measures to halt the violation of human rights, and to adopt counter-terrorism measures which comply fully with the obligation to protect human rights (UNACT, 2013). The commitments provide assurances that the anti-terrorism effort shall be coupled with the observance of human rights, at least in principle. However, the robustness of this observance in practice should be ascertained by an examination of the records pertaining to the records of the committees of the UN Security Council, which are tasked with the implementation of counter-terrorist measures. In order to abide by this commitment to ensure that human rights are respected even and especially during the course of combatting terrorism, the post of Special Rapporteur was created in 2005. The Special Rapporteur shall be concerned with the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while undertaking counter-terrorist activities (UN General Assembly, 4 June 2012). Despite as surances in treaties and the expression of agreement in human rights conventions, there is grave concern, from accounts of victims and investigative journalism reports, that human rights are consistently being violated in the interest of stemming the rise in terrorist activities worldwide. On the one hand, the undue curtailment of human rights is a violation of the UN conventions to which member States are signatories, and should therefore be sanctions. On the other hand, fear of a repetition of attacks such as that of the World Trade Centre appears to justify this resort to violation of the rights of a few to obtain information and prevent the deaths of many. This

Effects of human behavior on contemporary architecture design Essay

Effects of human behavior on contemporary architecture design - Essay Example Human beings in their natural way interact with the physical environment. They shape the environment to suit their needs. Human beings are always under conditions of uncertainty. They have unlimited needs that require to be satisfied for their survival. It is the unique nature for humans to have a sense of place (Newman and Douglas 72). The idea of place can be based on the built entity and the component of social order. This creates a need to possess a certain territory. The territory should provide comfort and shelter. Shelter is a basic need of human beings and an important factor in architectural design. At this level people seek out housing that fits their requirement, and will prefer to work in locations that reflect their ideals of social status. Individuals have a great deal of influence on modern architectural design in the manner they behave, interact and control space. Their safety and security connects to personal feelings and space that they inhabit. These feelings bear a great deal of influence on how design solutions appear relative to the surrounding society. Cultural traits are those characteristics that define culture and sub-culture. They are the human norms that govern actions, the view of the world and approach of human behaviors (Newman and Douglas 72). The most common trait definitions are cultural values, roles and norms. Cultural values call for an architectural design that is relevant to the cultural norms. A successful facility must provide aesthetic and functional significance to the society.

Relational Calculus Essay Example for Free

Relational Calculus Essay Introduction Procedural Query language query specification involves giving a step by step process of obtaining the query result e.g., relational algebra usage calls for detailed knowledge of the operators involved difficult for the use of non-experts Declarative Query language query specification involves giving the logical conditions the results are required to satisfy easy for the use of non-experts Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 1 TRC – a declarative query language Tuple variable – associated with a relation ( called the range relation ) †¢ takes tuples from the range relation as its values †¢ t: tuple variable over relation r with scheme R(A,B,C ) t. A stands for value of column A etc TRC Query – basic form: { t1.Ai1, t2.Ai2,†¦tm.Aim | ÃŽ ¸ } predicate calculus expression involving tuple variables t1, t2,†¦, tm, tm+1,†¦,ts specifies the condition to be satisfied Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 2 An example TRC query student (rollNo, name, degree, year, sex, deptNo, advisor ) department (deptId, name, hod, phone ) Obtain the rollNo, name of all girl students in the Maths Dept (deptId = 2) {s.rollNo,s.name| student(s)^ s.sex=‘F’^ s.deptNo=2} attributes required in the result This predicate is true whenever value of s is a tuple from the student relation, false otherwise In general, if t is a tuple variable with range relation r, r( t ) is taken as a predicate which is true if and only if the value of t is a tuple in r Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 3 General form of the condition in TRC queries Atomic expressions are the following: 1. r ( t ) -true if t is a tuple in the relation instance r 2. t1. Ai t2 .Aj compOp is one of {, ≠¥, =, ≠  } 3. t.Ai c c is a constant of appropriate type Composite expressions: 1. Any atomic expression 2. F1 ∠§ F2 ,, F1 ∠¨ F2 ,  ¬ F1 where F1 and F2 are expressions 3. (∀t) (F), (âˆÆ't) (F) where F is an expression and t is a tuple variable Free Variables Bound Variables – quantified variables Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 4 Interpretation of the query in TRC All possible tuple assignments to the free variables in the query are considered. For any specific assignment, if the expression to the right of the vertical bar evaluates to true, that combination of tuple values would be used to produce a tuple in the result relation. While producing the result tuple, the values of the attributes for the corresponding tuple variables as specified on the left side of the vertical bar would be used. Note: The only free variables are the ones that appear to the left of the vertical bar Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 5 Example TRC queries Obtain the rollNo, name of all girl students in the Maths Dept {s.rollNo,s.name | student(s) ^ s.sex=‘F’ ^ (âˆÆ' d)(department(d) ^ d.name=‘Maths’ ^ d.deptId = s.deptNo)} s: free tuple variable d: existentially bound tuple variable Existentially or universally quantified tuple variables can be used on the RHS of the vertical bar to specify query conditions Attributes of free (or unbound ) tuple variables can be used on LHS of vertical bar to specify attributes required in the results Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 6 Example Relational Scheme student (rollNo, name, degree, year, sex, deptNo, advisor) department (deptId, name, hod, phone) professor (empId, name, sex, startYear, deptNo, phone) course (courseId, cname, credits, deptNo) enrollment (rollNo, courseId, sem, year, grade) teaching (empId, courseId, sem, year, classRoom) preRequisite (preReqCourse, courseID) Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 7 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Example queries in TRC (1/5) 1)Determine the departments that do not have any girl students student (rollNo, name, degree, year, sex, deptNo, advisor) department (deptId, name, hod, phone) {d.name|department(d) ^  ¬(âˆÆ' s)(student(s) ^ s.sex =‘F’ ^ s.deptNo = d.deptId) Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 8 Examples queries in TRC (2/5) Schema 2)Obtain the names of courses enrolled by student named Mahesh {c.name | course(c) ^ (âˆÆ's) (âˆÆ'e) ( student(s) ^ enrollment(e) ^ s.name = â€Å"Mahesh† ^ s.rollNo = e.rollNo ^ c.courseId = e.courseId } Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 9 Examples queries in TRC (3/5) Schema 3)Get the names of students who have scored ‘S’ in all subjects they have enrolled. Assume that every student is enrolled in at least one course. {s.name | student(s) ^ (∀e)(( enrollment(e) ^ e.rollNo = s.rollNo) → e.grade =‘S’)} person P with all S grades: for enrollment tuples not having her roll number, LHS is false for enrollment tuples having her roll number, LHS is true, RHS also true so the implication is true for all e tuples person Q with some non-S grades: for enrollment tuples not having her roll number, LHS is false for enrollment tuples having her roll number, LHS is true, but RHS is false for at least one tuple. So the implication is not true for at least one tuple. Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 10 Examples queries in TRC (4/5) Schema 4) Get the names of students who have taken at least one course taught by their advisor {s.name | student(s) ^ (âˆÆ'e)(âˆÆ't)(enrollment(e) ^ teaching(t) ^ e.courseId = t.courseId ^ e.rollNo = s.rollNo ^ t.empId = s.advisor} 5) Display the departments whose HODs are teaching at least one course in the current semester {d.name | department(d) ^(âˆÆ't)(teaching(t) ^ t.empid = d.hod ^ t.sem = ‘odd’ ^ t.year = ‘2008’)} Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 11 Examples queries in TRC (5/5) Schema 6)Determine the students who are enrolled for every course taught by Prof Ramanujam. Assume that Prof Ramanujam teaches at least one course. 1. {s.rollNo | student (s) ^ 2. (∀c)(course (c) ^ 3. ((âˆÆ't),(âˆÆ'p)( teaching(t) ^ professor(p) ^ 4. t.courseId = c.courseId ^ 5. p.name = â€Å"Ramanujam† ^ 6. p.empId = t.empId )) → 7. (âˆÆ'e) (enrollment(e) ^ 8. e.courseId = c.courseId ^ 9. e.rollNo = s.rollNo) 10. ) 11. } Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 12 Problem with unrestricted use of Negation What is the result of the query: {s.rollNo |  ¬ student(s)} ? Infinite answers !! Unsafe TRC expression : Any expression whose result uses â€Å"constants / values† that do not appear in the instances of any of the database relations. Unsafe expressions are to be avoided while specifying TRC queries. Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM. 13 Expressive power of TRC and Relational Algebra It can be shown that both Tuple Relational Calculus and Relational Algebra have the same expressive power A query can be formulated in (safe) TRC if and only if it can be formulated in RA Both can not be used to formulate queries involving transitive closure find all direct or indirect pre-requisites of a course find all subordinates of a specific employee etc. Prof P Sreenivasa Kumar, Department of CSE, IITM.

Naturalism The Open Boat To Build A Fire English Literature Essay

Naturalism The Open Boat To Build A Fire English Literature Essay Naturalism is a form of literature that strives to achieve the reproduction of the human characters with the involvements of environment, heredity, instinct, chance, and also the present social conditions of the particular time in which the work was written. American literary naturalism is closely associated with literary realism, and is heavily influenced by determinism: which states that a persons behaviors are swayed by heredity and environment. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalism) In these short stories authors Stephen Crane and Jack London try to portray their characters accurately through their characters internal thoughts and actions influenced by the indifferent forces of nature. Instead of the characters having free reign in the short stories, the naturalist authors portray the characters action and thoughts being heavily influenced by uncontrollable environmental forces. The characters in the authors short stories struggle to survive against an inhuman and an insensitive universe. The authors strive to gain meanings within their own writings of the experience, which in return establishes authenticity of the characters human endeavor. In Stephen Cranes short story, The Open Boat, Crane writes of four mens thoughts and actions while fighting to survive against the brutal forces of the open sea. Crane reveals mans conflicts with an indifferent nature; that isnt necessarily concerned with human actions and humanity desire to live. As the moon falls, and the sun begins to beam the light of day the men began to grasp the full aspects of their situation. As the men look ashore for safety, the four crew members are prone to mistakes and confusion on thoughts of safely making it ashore. The correspondent is presented to readers as inquisitive, curious to know the reason for the situation he seems to be trapped in. The cook is seems to be almost light-hearted and sure of life. The captain is constantly struggling to find a successful plan for bringing his crew successfully ashore. The oiler is presented as the most composed, and also most skeptical of there success of reaching the safety of land. Crane develops the brotherhood of the four men crew as an opposing force against the destructive and indifferent forces of the ea surrounding them. The world around the four men battling against the seas harsh nature is dramatically and constantly referred as indifferent to their attempts at humane survival. The cook states he believes that they will be saved by people ashore, who will recognize the danger theyre in, and send a rescue party to save them. Cook, remarked the captain, there dont seem to be any signs of life about your house of refugee. No, replied the cook. Funny the dont see us!(pg.191.ln.59-60) Crane seems to be suggesting the uncertainties of life that we believe in things not realistically possible and hope for things not there. True to the naturalistic style of literature, the men almost never seem to be free of the grasp of the menacing sea around them. Recognizing that they are unlikely to be rescued the captain plans bring the boat into the shore themselves. As they come near to shore, fierce waves force all four men out of the boat.Only the oiler does not survive. Crane suggests that this life and death struggle with the ocean must demand some price. In this tale, the price to be paid for battling against nature and emerging victorious is that one man must die. Crane seems to choose the oiler as the sacrificial lamb since he is the least friendly of the crew and the closest to living as if dead when he was alive. To battle the sea a man must be willing to give his all and choose life.  Crane ends his extraordinary tale with the same compressed elegance with which it began. None of the men may have known the color of the sky as they sat in the dinghy for hours tossed on the sea, but they intimately learned the colors of the sea. the captain, the cook and the correspondent know that they have acquired new knowledge. They have survived to become interpreters of the sea, its sounds, rhythms and cruelties. The oiler has vanished but the cheerful cook was able to float ashore with a lazy grace desiring to eat another slice of the pie of life. Nature is always pushing man to his limits. When man heeds the warning signs that nature has to offer and those warnings of other men, he is most likely to conquer nature. When he ignores these warnings, nature is sure to defeat man. To build a fire is a prime example of this scenario. In the short story, To Build a Fire by Jack London, an inexperienced traveler in the Yukon travels alone with his dog, even though it is ill advised to do so. The man is strong and smart but nature humbled him during his quest to reach his friends. The mans inexperience with traveling in the cold subzero temperatures doomed him from the beginning, but his strong focus under extreme pressure and his keen sense of observation are what allows him t o survive as long as he did. The ignorance of the old-timers words of wisdom slowly haunts him and catches up with him in the end. The mans disregard for natures power is his demise during his journey.  Although the mans inexperience is his demise, he has very keen observing skills and strong focusing abilities. London writes, he was keenly observant, and he noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber-jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet.(Pg.117.  ¶.2,ln.1)   The dog, on the other hand, although guided by his learned behavior still has its instincts. The dog follows the man throughout the ill fated journey, but after the man dies he relies on his instincts to survive the brutal forces of nature on the journey through the Yukon. Then it turned and trotted up the trail in the direction of the camp it knew, where there were other food providers and fire providers (129). London chose to use nature as the antagonist, a force working again st the main characters will to survive. Very similar to the use of the environment in Stephen Cranes The Open Boat. London accomplishes his personification in the story by giving the environment many humane characteristics. He had to accept the inevitable. Not only did he have to accept death, he had to acknowledge that the Old-Timer was right when warning him about traveling alone.   While the man was dying, he was angry at the dog because of its natural warmth, instincts that he had, and the survival skills that the dog used. Those were the elements that the man lacked. It was a shame that the protagonist had to suffer and die in order to find out that mans frail body cannot withstand natures harsh elements in spite of his over-confident, psychological strength.   Naturalistic writers Stephen Crane and Jack London focus on qualities of men usually associated with the heroic or adventurous, acts of violence, bodily strength, and desperate moments usually attached with acts of survival. The authors seek not only to reproduce stories of real life, but journey into the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters in their stories. The stories deal with the raw and unpleasant experiences while struggling for survival; which helps with the understanding of the intermingling in life of the controlling forces of nature and individual worth, without dehumanizing their characters. Beaver, Harold. Realism and Naturalism in Nineteenth-Century American Literature.  Modern Language Review  83.2 (1988): 423-424.  Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

Nasty Trick in Stephen Cranes The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky Essay

Nasty Trick in Stephen Crane's The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky "The great Pullman was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that the plains of Texas were pouring eastward" (91). Boom! We're on a train witnessing the liquid landscape of Texas. This fact is all Stephen Crane chooses to tell us. In fact, he doesn't even use the word "train" until the ninth paragraph when he is writing dialogue for the man who is the betrothed to the woman implied in the title of the piece, "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky." We learn in the second paragraph that the couple is on a coach from San Antonio and that "the man's face was reddened from many days in the wind and the sun" (91). We also learn that the "bride was not pretty, nor was she young" and it would seem that this couple are rather out of place on this coach speeding away from San Antonio (91). Crane is up to something. Don't think he's going to leave them on this train. No, I am here to inform you that he has a nasty little trick up his sleeve an d his goal is to "deceive to delight"; he is going to try a fast bait and switch, dangling the barbed hook before your startled imagination, and then, when you least expect it, he plans to go for the kill, jerking the carpet out from beneath your very feet. The couple "were evidently very happy" (91). The "man's face in particular beamed with an elation that made him appear ridiculous to the negro porter" (92). It would seem that this handyman "bullied" them in ways to which they seemingly naà ¯ve. In fact, everything about this couple seems naà ¯ve, simple, unsophisticated. She tells him the time "with a shy and clumsy coquetry" which causes a passerby to grow "excessively sardonic" and... ... of Yellow Sky to learn of Potter's new marriage. Upon bearing witness to this fact, a befuddles Scratchy replies "Well, I s'pose it's all off now," and, "placing both weapons in their holsters," his feet make "funnel-shaped tracks in the sand" as they carry him out of the story, the covers of the book folding shut on this scene (99). And this, I suppose, explains that nasty little trick Cain had up his sleeve, his goal of "deceiving to delight" accomplished with whatever degree of success the reader is willing to grant him, his fast bait and switch ploy holding up an "innocent and unsuspecting" simpleton only to, with deft slight of pen, transform him into a hero before our unsuspecting eyes. Works Cited: Crane, Stephen. "Bride Comes to Yellow Sky." Literature: The Human Experience. 8th ed. Ed. Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz. Boston: Bedford, 2002. 91-99.

Management Information System †Nokia Essay

1.1 History of Nokia Nokia started as a wood-pulp mill in southern Finland and started to manufacture paper in 1865 by engineer Fredick Idestam. Since the demand for paper and cardboard was high and there was European industrialization, Nokia become successful. In 1895, Nokia is passed to Gustaf Fogelholm. In 1920s, the Rubber Works started to use Nokia as their brand name. Nokia produced footwear, tyres, rubber bands, industrial as well as raincoats. After World War II, the Finnish Cable Works, which was a company that had increased its market share massively as there was increasing demand for power transmission, telegraph and telephone networks. Over a period of time, the ownership of the Rubber Works and the Cable Works companies consolidated. In 1967 the companies were merged to form the Nokia Group (link to Nokia company logos). The products of the Finished Cable Works were cables for telegraph and telephone networks. In 1960’s, research was conducted into semiconductor technology by Nokia ´s Cable Work’s Electronics department which was established in the 1960. This marked the beginning of Nokia into telecommunications. In 1967, the digital switch (Nokia DX 200) which was developed by Nokia. Nokia DX 200 was equipped with high-level computer language and Intel microprocessors which had gradually evolved into the multifaceted platform that is still the basis for Nokia’s network infrastructure today. In 1981, Nordic Mobile Telephony (NMT) was formed by Nokia. It is the world’s first multinational cellular network. At the end of the 1980s, Nokia developed a a common standard for digital mobile telephony which was Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). In 1991 Nokia made agreements to supply GSM networks to nine European countries and by August 1997 Nokia had supplied GSM systems to 59 operators in 31 countries. During the 1980s, Nokia’s operations rapidly expanded to new business sectors and products. Nokia was a large television manufacturer and the largest  information technology company in the Nordic Countries in 1988. Nokia’s telecommunications and mobile phones divisions supported Nokia during the deep recession in Finland at the beginning of the 1990s. In May 1992 Nokia changed its business strategies to fully focus on telecommunications. The company’s 2100 series phone was an amazing success. In 1994, the goal was to sell 500,000 units of phone but Nokia sold 20 million. In 1999, Nokia launches the Nokia 7110. It was a phone that had rudimentary web-based functions, including email. Then in November 2001 Nokia launches its first phone with a built-in camera, the Nokia 7650, and in September 2002 its first video capture phone, the Nokia 3650. In 2005, Nokia sells its billionth phone – a Nokia 1100 – in Nigeria, and global mobile phone subscriptions pass 2 billion. Two years later, Nokia is recognised as the 5th most valued brand in the world. By 2010, smartphone market is growing and competitors such as the iPhone and Android-based devices are affecting the sales of Nokia. However, Nokia realises it and is on its way to beat its competitors. 1.2 Mission and Strategy Nokia’s mission is simple: Connecting People. Nokia aims to build great mobile products that enable billions of people worldwide to enjoy more of what life has to offer. Nokia’s mission statement is powerful. Connecting people from all over the world is what Nokia planned to achieve. The mission statement of Nokia can be seen in its logo. Its mission statement is so powerful when people think of Nokia, they will immediately think of its mission statement. In order to achieve Nokia’s mission, Nokia has formed a strategic partnership with Microsoft in the hope to conquer smartphone market. Nokia-Microsoft ecosystem will deliver differentiated and innovative products with unrivalled scale in terms of product breadth, geographical reach and brand identity. On the other hand, Nokia’s strategy is to is to leverage its innovation and strength in growth markets to connect even more people to their first internet and application experience Nokia will continue the renewal of its Series 40 platform in QWERTY, touch  & type, dual SIM, Nokia services, including Maps, Browser, Life Tools, Web apps and  Nokia also develops its assets (platform, software, apps) from time to time to bring a modern mobile experience to consumers and enable business opportunities for developers. 1.3 Business Process Every company has its own business process in order to carry out its business activities such as planning, managing, production as well as sales in order to achieve the company’s goals. The same goes to Nokia Company. People are important to any organization as they are the asset of all the company while customers are equally vital as without them, the company will not be able to sustain the business. In Nokia, the management of people or employees is stressed. Nokia uses Human Resource Management System to manage its company personnel. On the other hand, to manage a good relationship with the customers, Customers Relationship Management (CRM) which is under Knowledge Management System is used. As in planning for Nokia’s future plans, Decision Support System (DSS) which is under Knowledge Management System is used to help managers to make decisions. The managers or leader of Nokia need to make tremendous decisions daily in operating Nokia’s business. In order to make Nokia’s business more productive, Supply Chain Management System is used to interlinked Nokia’s supplier, manufacturers, sales and logistics providers as well as customers. In conclusion, the business process of Nokia is carried out with the help of information technology and information system. 1.4 Leadership Team Stephen Elop is the President and CEO of Nokia Corporation. He is Nokia Board member since May 3, 2011 and Nokia Leadership Team member and Chairman since 2010. He joined Nokia as President and Chief Executive Officer as of September 21, 2010. He is assisted by Nokia’s Executive Vice Presidents. 2.1 Knowledge Management (KM) Information System 2.1.1 Introduction Knowledge Management is the discipline about learning, managing, and using the knowledge in terms of people, organization, technologies, technique, and other knowledge-based things. As the environment of cell phone industry has become more challenging where Nokia has to face a series of competitor such  as Apple. Inc, Sony Ericsson and Samsung Company, adapt into the new business world, survive in the market and make profit. In order to achieve these objectives and improve business performance in this knowledge era, elements such as critical thinking, creative and innovation, technology usage, ability and knowledge of employees are extremely important. Therefore, knowledge management information system is used by Nokia in order to keep up the pace of competitors and to improve the value and performance of the organization. Basically, there are three approaches to knowledge management which are system-theoretical, humanistic approach as well as sociotechnical approach. i) System theoretical approach System theoretical approach is the study of managing the information that can be applied. ii) Humanistic approach Humanistic approach is the study of how to manage the people or employee as well as emphasizing on leadership of every level of management. ii) Sociotechnical approach Sociotechnical approach is the study of the system that combines the advantages that can be achieved from both of the previous approaches. Knowledge management system that have been applied by Nokia is not necessary to be a computer system but it can be the process of various knowledge management activity such as organizing and utilizing the information, as well as other business action like strategic planning, solving problem and decision making. Input, Process, and Output Basically, there are three main elements in this information system which represents the input, process and output of the system respectively. These elements are people (input), process (process), and system (output). 2.1.1 Input (People) The system will enable Nokia company to form a long term program team which will last for one and a half years to unite the members and make sure everyone is on the right path towards the goal. Members are required to over communicate at every levels and the culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration must exist within the group. 2.1.2 Process (Process) In the process, a product taxonomy will be created to define the management process and the content acquisition for every source. In order to ensure all employees are able to access to validate the system, clear use cases are created. During the process, key metrics such as customer satisfaction, knowledge management cycle time, and other business aspect are defined. The process of information sharing also occurs within the group. The process also will identify the modification of Nokia business process. 2.1.3 Output (System) The output of the system is the better performance of business and higher ability of Nokia’s employees which represented by the knowledge management system. There is a mirror test system which enables the employee to access for testing as well as the demo of new information. This knowledge management system emphasize on the stability and efficiency of the employee that lead to higher business performance of Nokia. Diagram 2.1.1: Input, Process and Output of Knowledge Management System 2.2 Supply Chain Management System (SCM) 2.2.1 Introduction In order to ensure the entire product delivering process is undergoing correctly in term of date, destination, and quantity, Supply Chain Management (SCM) System is used by Nokia. One of the examples is Nokia-China has established an important department called Supply Logistics. Aspects such as production, material planning, resources allocating, inventories management, shipping and other supply chain activities are related to this department. The modern logistics is being described in term of the process of planning, organizing and controlling the flow and storage of products and services and these definitions are prompt to ensure customer satisfaction. The logistics activities can be divided into three parts which are supply logistics, business logistics and also sales logistics. The supply chain management system is an operational management technology that helps to manage Nokia’s activities involved from producing a product from raw  materials until the delivering of the product or service to the customers. The supply chain management is the expansion version of the integrated management of logistics with the goals to connect supplier’s partner, production and customers. 2.2.2 Input In this phase, customer order and the planning of manufacturing element are the main element for the system. The Nokia supply chain management system will receive the customer’s orders and start the planning of the manufacturing element such as resource preparation and distribution for production. The information about the delivering destination, type of product and quantity also will be identified during input processes. 2.2.3 Process During this stage, the supply chain management will complete the production proposal based on the information retrieved from the input stage. The system will allocate the production work to the available factories and distribute the amount of production based on the factor such as amount of worker and geographical reason. At the same time, the system will now start planning on the shipment schedule for the product as well as preparing the export quarantine QA form. The system will have to arrange the transportation route such as truck on land, cargo ship on sea or the flight on air, based on the location of final destination of products delivered. Once the products are finished, the production department staff will be required to attach a job ticket on the product in term of variance or not variance. Besides that, the system also needs to confirm the payment in order to release the shipment of the product as well as ensure the products are in good condition. 2.2.4 Output After the finished products are prepared to be delivered, the system will make the auto billing and perform the customs declaration. The goods will now be delivered to the final destination of the order via the decided route based on the efficiency of the route. 2.3 Human Resource Management System (HRMS) 2.3.1 Introduction HRMS is the structure and system which is progressing at the joint between human resource management (HRM) and information technology (IT). It combines HRM as a discipline and in precise its basic HR activities and processes with the information technology field, whereas the programming of data processing systems evolved into standardized procedures and packages of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. In Nokia, HRIS helps it to automate and manage their company’s activities, including human resource, payroll, and management, accounting activities. Throughout the process, HRIS able to allow strategic analysis of key business trends for better planning and informed decision-making. HRM is in charge of appealing, choosing, training, assessment, and rewarding of Nokia’s employees, also to manage an organization’s workforce. HRM also involve in overseeing organizational direction and philosophy, and guaranteeing obedience with employment and labour laws. HRM can be classifies into five main activities, which are Employee Record Management, Promotion and Recruitment, Training, Evaluation, Compensation and Benefits Management. 1. Employee Record Management(ERM) is an electronic and digitized system which allows Nokia members to modernise key administration tasks in easier way without looking back at filing cabinets, spread sheets or other complex processes, for example, using Microsoft Access to keep all personal info in soft copies. ERM keep and organize all personnel records of all organizational members by Human Resource department to satisfy laws requirements, for tax calculation and deposit and periodic reporting. 2. Promotion and recruitment of present and new Nokia’s employees both can be nominated by automating the process through searching database of applicants and present employees with precise requirements. Announcement of position vacancy through intranet, that works and supports Web application within organizational network able to reduce time and spending for open recruitment by allowing wide exposure. 3. Training of Nokia’s employees to increase and improve employees’ knowledge and skills is one of the important functions of Human Resource. Multimedia software training which include 3D  virtual reality simulated environment using information technology cuts training costs intensely, at the same time, reduces the risks and time taken in actual and traditional way of training. 4. Evaluating performances of Nokia’s employees periodically by supervisors, then up flow to Human Resource department is important to review individual working ability and to analyse future possibilities and planning. Employee’s practical capability, communication skills, professional behaviour and general performance are included using evaluation software to standardize the evaluation process and future comparison. 5. Compensation and benefits management that involves in Human Resource management which includes salary, wages, commissions and bonuses earned by individual and other benefits such as health and life insurance, and leave days, meanwhile, programs use by HRM could calculate pay and taxes automatically. All these are essential to encourage and compensate Nokia’s employees so they would improve and perform better in future, soon generate greater achievements for Nokia. 2.3.2 Inputs The input function of HRMS offers the capabilities needed to get the human resource information into HRMS. Some of the main things that must be established are the procedures and processes required to gather the essential data. In other words, they are the how, when and where the data will be collected. After collection, data must be entered into the system after classification. Once the data has been inserted, it must be authenticated to guarantee that it is correct. Validation tables may be used to determine if the data is acceptable. The system should have the ability of effortlessly updating and changing the validation table. For example, while open recruiting for new employees, personnel information and resumes are well kept and computerized in accordance to their experiences and performances. 2.3.3 Process The process or data maintenance in HRMS function is responsible for the actual updating of the data stores in the storage devices. As changes arise in human resource information, these should be attached into the system. As new data is brought into the system, it is often necessary to maintain the old data as future reference. For example, evaluation of employees’ performance by supervisors are noted and gathered with constructive upcoming steps and suggestions, current salaries fixed and planned increment of salaries in certain periods, and keep updating the latest information about employees include personal details. 2.3.4 Output The output function of an HRMS is the most acquainted one because the majority of HRMS users are not involved with collecting, editing/validating and updating data, but they are concerned with the information and reports produced by the system. Most human resource reports contain of selecting sections of the total population for further assessment, performing some type of calculations, using the population and providing a report containing specific information concerning the particular population and the calculation of results. The demands on the output function are the major factors that affect the specific type of software to be used. For example, departments of company are assessable into database of company with exact and current information enables to ease the process of planning and implementing new ideas and projects, information of talented and capable employees are displayed when there are vacancy for certain positions. Diagram 2.3.4 Input, Process and Output of Human Resource Management System 3.4 Information Requirements 3.4.1 Knowledge Management System There are three levels of management which are strategic level, middle level, and operational level that need to acquire different information and make different decision based on the levels of management respectively. Examples of the scope of technologies for knowledge management are business intelligence, document management, intelligent agents, knowledge resource directories, groupware and collaboration technologies, and other related technologies. The below is the information requirement for the three levels of managements: Strategic level Strategic level of management makes long term planning and decision for the company and a great deal of uncertainty is involved during the process. The  knowledge management information system provides the strategic level management with analytical information such as data mining and data warehousing, and application of other information system such as decision making system, business intelligence, and other related information system. The knowledge management systems improves the usage of these information systems by the members of the organization and retrieve data to make strategic planning and gain competitive advantage. There are some technologies are enabled as well to contribute to the strategic planning decision making process such as intelligent agents, data analysis, and reporting tools. Middle level (Tactical Planning) The middle level management that makes tactical planning can retrieve information such as asset management from knowledge management information system. Information or skills such as intellectual property, knowledge valuation, knowledge repositories document management, and content management can be acquired from the knowledge management system. As an example, the document and content management as well as the knowledge valuation allow middle level management makes better and more precise planning such as working capital, budgets formulating, production scheduling. Tools that can help in this management level are document management tools, knowledge maps and library systems. Operational level The knowledge management system plays an important role in this level of management because the system provide information that help to increase Nokia’s operational worker’s ability as well as introducing new way to smoothen the business operation process and improve efficiency. Types of information that can be retrieved from this system are transactional (case-based reasoning, help desk application, service agent support applications), process (Process improvement, lessons learned, methodology, quality management), and developmental (skills development, staff competencies, learning and teaching). The technologies available are process management tools, rule-based expert system and computer based training. 3.4.2 Supply Chain Management In Nokia-China , the supply chain management system can help out the performance of the company as the system has the following function: i.) Improve the efficiency and the exchange of information between organization by simplifying the management. ii.) Provide the goods and services to the customers within a shorter period of time. iii.) Fully utilize the available resources. Strategic level The information that can be acquired by this strategic level manager are strategic alliance formulation, focused customer service analysis, development and refinement of ability and chances where all these information are help in strategic planning. This allows manager makes strategic planning and decision to achieve higher business performance in long term. Tactical level There are two type of information that can be acquired from the supply chain management system: i) Decision analysis The decision analysis information helps Nokia’s managers to do their planning and scheduling with information like route of transportation, inventory management, network location configuration and also vertical integration with the third party. ii) Management Control The management control provides the measurement information such as financial, assets, productivity and quality that enable the manager of Nokia to do effective budgeting and controlling the product quality. Operational level Under operational level management, the information that is required are mostly related to the transaction-based information such as order entry, shipping details, pricing and invoicing, order verification and customer inquiry. These information allow Nokia’s operational manager to make a better performance in especially the production lines as well as increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the production work. 3.4.3 Human Resource Information System (HRMS) Strategic level At strategic management level of Nokia Company, HRMS is used mainly for formulation of long term plans to make decisions by company’s decisions makers, such as Chief Executive Officers and other active stockholders. Information requirement in this level will be external, very wide and aggregate in nature. HRMS is used to improve the organization’s consciousness of its surroundings situation and its competitive position in terms of attraction and maintenance of talented individuals that could contribute in its competition of certain industry. HRMS is important in strategic management level for the top users to access into information, for example the effectiveness, profitability and cost of different departments members, the availability and cost of raising new internal talent pool, total cash need and capital equipment needs to upgrade existing employees and to make decisions whether to increase or reduce costs of human resource in overall. The enterprise widespread decision support system (DSS) is a HRMS that supports decision at the top management. Here, the HRMS is more interactive and is capable of developing decision models on many tactical issues. Tactical level At the middle or tactical level, normally derives from informal sources and is collected, evaluated, investigated and measured by the manager personally. HRMS is uses to evaluate and report on the organizations activities such as, over shooting of expenses on overtime payment for employees, estimation of funds by competitors to train and improve their employees, new legislation and labour laws, industrial relation HRM trends, and so on. Statistical analyses, predicting, investments, appraisal models by HRM are important for future planning of a company, such as forecasting the amount of human resource needed while opening a new franchise company within or outside country, how much to invest to generate better production of products and services, and other future planning that relates to other departments. The importance in this level is shifting from EDP level to management information systems (MIS) level with more inquiry and report generation flexibility. This is intended for middle level managers to control operation, matching budget or projection. Operational level In operational level, Nokia is interested in mechanizing processing of routine information, where the information required is largely internal, well defined, narrow and detailed. HRIS focuses is on data storage, processing and information flows at operational level of organization. Information required in this level is linking to routine or short term information needs of the organization for example, working hours of part time employees, rate of pay per hour, detail of employees deductions and additions, attendance records of the employees, or daily working syllabus and requirements by supervisors or HRM, with the purpose of wages examines details of the time each man spent on individual work during the week or month. Due to its capabilities to provide information for processing transaction of the organization, the information system is known as Transaction Processing System or Data Processing System. Some examples of information provided by such systems to other departments such as Finance and Production Departments are processing of orders, posting of entries in bank, evaluating overdue purchaser orders etc. In HRMS it is called Electronic Data Processing (EDP) which enables data and files storage. HRMS is mainly accessible by all the operational level operators, but only showing the basic information of each and every of the employees. Management Activity Level| Human Resource Management Strategic| Strategies for recruitment, salary, training, and benefits. Analysis of shift pattern of employment, education and wage rate etc.| Tactical| Variance analysis in hiring and firing, cost of recruitment, composition of skills inventory, cost of training, salary paid, and distribution of wage rates.| Operational| Decision on hiring, training, termination, changing pay rates and issuing benefits.| Table 3.4.3Matrixes of Management Activity Level and Human Resource Management (R. Panneerselvam) Chapter 4: Importance of Each Information System 4.1 Importance of Knowledge Management System As the business world is getting more competitive since the advantage of technologies and changing of customer preference and buying trends, company  like Nokia need to improve the overall ability of the organization in order to maintain the market status. Effective knowledge management can lead to a greater revolution in business such as bringing innovative elements into business in order to create new innovative product or services. As the knowledge management system can help to improve the ability and knowledge of the workers or managers, therefore, the overall performance of everyone in Nokia can be improved. Eventually, Nokia is able to gain competitive advantage by employing higher knowledge-based worker and achieve greater business performance in the market. 4.2 Importance of Supply Chain Management System One of the key factors that enable the company to gain competitive advantage in the market and improve business performance is to have an effective and efficient SCM system to work on daily operations. The SCM system plays an important role in Nokia since it is related to other business activities such as marketing, customer relationship management and product sales. By having a good supply chain management system within the company, Nokia is able to achieve competitive advantage such as low-cost production and value-added service. Diagram 4.2.1: Importance of Supply Chain Management System 4.3 Importance of Information System towards Organization An operative HRIS delivers information on just anything Nokia needs to track and study about employees, former employees, and future employees. With an appropriate HRIS, Nokia’s Human Resources staffs enable employees to do their own benefits updates and address changes, thus freeing HR staff for more strategic functions. Additionally, data necessary for Nokia’s employee management, knowledge development, career growth and development, equal treatment is facilitated. Finally, Nokia’s managers can access the information they need to legally, ethically, and effectively support the success of their reporting employees. The Human Resources Information System provides details on administration, payroll, recruitment, and training. This system is expected to deliver valuable results to their human resources division and their organization as a whole. It is a critical tool that aids  management in making strategic decisions. An HRIS can attest to be useful in the following ways: * Management of all Nokia’s employee information. * Reporting and analysis of Nokia’s employee information. * Company-related documents such as Nokia’s employee handbooks and safety guidelines. * Benefits administration comprising enrolment, status changes, and personal information updating. * Complete incorporation with payroll and other Nokia monetary software and accounting systems. * Candidate tracking and resume management. 5.0 Impact of Usage of Information System 5.1 Advantage of Knowledge Management Information System First of all, the knowledge management system enables the business analysis to collect more precise report in a shorter period of time by retrieving only the important and relevant information from the documents. The knowledge management system provide more significant advantage to Nokia that business is conducted globally where the system allow the manager from different location to communicate by using the accurate and relevant information that facilitated by the knowledge management system. Besides that, the systems also offer intelligent search which only search for the relevant information that helps the managers in their decision making g process. Furthermore, knowledge management system also helps to improve Nokia’s customer services as the system can adapt the customer feedback and provide a better solution or services to the problem faced. 5.2 Disadvantage of Knowledge Management Information System One of the disadvantages of using the knowledge management system is the inability of the system to consistently deliver the expected performance in term of information retrieving. Other than that, integrating information  technology to knowledge management requires acceptance from all aspects of an organization. 5.3 Advantage of Supply Chain Management System Supply Chain Management System allows Nokia to provide faster responses to customer needs as the advancing information technology able to shorten the time of good product delivering. The system also changes the focus of the operation from forecasting into customer demand which maintain providing efficient service at the same time. The system also using small variation of management in order to be fault-tolerance in case the unexpected accident or any damage to the system occurs. The examples of the events are the delay of receipt issue, damage of material or product and incorrect deliver destination. Other than that, the system also maintains the low inventory level with the aim to decrease the burden of stock and material as well as improved the turnover rate to ensure the fully utilization of the stock. In term of saving cost in transportation, the system has made an innovative change which gathers the shipment of small quantities with great quantities of integrated transport where this change will decrease the cost of transportation. As the system has strengthen the requirements of quality of the product and the improvement on quality control, production process are controlled well to make sure no damage is occurred and the quality of the product is maintain before delivered to customers. There will be reduction happens in the inventory that attributed to the use of supply chain information system. The company can actually use the saved money from the reduction to spend it in other resources. 5.4 Disadvantage of Supply Chain Management System Even though the usage of the supply chain management is able to bring out a lot of advantages to Nokia, yet there are still some barriers or disadvantages. In order to create a great-performance and high-security supply chain management system, a large amount of investment of time and money is required to be made into aspect such as machinery, customer needs, shipping planning and supplier selection. 5.5 Advantage of Human Resource Management System Human resource management system is a system that human resource department used to manage the process of recruitment and keep all the date and records of all the employees under Nokia company. There are a lot of benefits can be obtain from this system. A case in point, all the data and records are gathered together in one system for external as well as internal use. By this way, it allows the management team to easily access to the details of each and every single employee in their company. Besides that, this system also makes use of the advance of technology with the big storage of data that can store thousands or millions of employee’s data and records. Furthermore, the information in the human resources management system are more accurate compare to the manually records data. There will be no changes or errors made after all the details are key in. Besides that, the data can only be access by the members allowed with high privacy and password. As such, this system can protect the privacy of the information of their company. In addition, not only the managers, the employees can also get all the human resources information in a high speed and not need to personally go to the human resources department to ask for the information needed. 5.6 Disadvantage of Human Resource Management System On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages of this system. Although everything can be computerize, but human error might occurs during the process of input. There might be some typing errors or wrong information that key in into the wrong profile. Therefore, the person in charge has to beware of these mistakes to be happened. Next, the technology of this system has to be upgraded as there might be not enough application to support the system of the current human resources needs. This upgrading of the technology might cause to the increment of expenses happen as the system upgrades are very costly. Last but not least, the demands of the expertise in the information technology are high and these expertises are getting lesser and lesser. It is being more difficult to find a qualified person in this field. Chapter 6 Conclusion In a nutshell, information technology (IT) is important to all organization in order to attain competitive advantages and success in the competitive  world. Nokia understands the importance of utilizing IT and hence Nokia involves the use of IT in the company. Information system helps Nokia to make decisions in strategic, tactical and operational levels of Nokia. We get to understand why information system is so important nowadays and why is it there is a growing trend of people or organization using IT. In Nokia, Knowledge Management (KM) System helps it to learn, manage and use the knowledge of people, organization, technologies, technique as well as other knowledge-based stuffs. On the other hand, Supply Chain Management (SCM) System helps Nokia to manage the activities from procurement of products to handling Nokia’s products to the customers. Resource Management (HRM) System helps Nokia to manage its personnel in a better way. From this assignment, we understand that information technology (IT) helps Nokia in surviving in the competitive cell phone industry. IT helps a company to remain competitive in the growing competitive market. Now we understand why Nokia can remain competitive in the market as Nokia utilize massively information technology References 1. 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