The American Revolution Popular Culture Essay - 1354 Words

Jocelyn Lopez Professor Scott Keys History 111 December 14, 2016 The American Revolution: Popular culture One of the most critical components that helped define the American Revolution was the convergence of political and economic rights into one setting. The American Revolution was a political uprising that took place between the years of 1765 and 1783. It was at this time that thirteen colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrowing the authority of Great Britain in order to create the United States of America. The article Societal Impacts of the American Revolution stated that, â€Å"a strong compelling case could be made which displays how the American Revolution was fought on the grounds for expanding political rights.† This can be seen in the Colonists notions of being free and living a life where they could be active agents of their own narratives. At the same time, the meaning of the Revolution can be seen as an articulation of the colonists economic rights. The convergence of freedom became a critical element in understanding the meaning for the A merican Revolution. The era of the American Revolution changed America because it led to the establishment of a free independent nation. Through popular culture, America was able to expand their economic market, break free of Britain and overall grow into a strong new nation. Popular culture during this time of expansion included: colonial merchants, reading (due to invention of the printing press),Show MoreRelatedThe Sexual Revolution And The Contraceptive Pill1239 Words   |  5 PagesThe Sexual Revolution has been one of the most defining movements in recent world history. It is the only event other than a world war that has irrevocably shaped our global public consciousness. When we here the term, The Sexual Revolution, we unconsciously begin to associate it with several late 20th century cultural movements and philosophies. The most famous of these are its influences through music, and the contraceptive pill. On May 9th, 1960, the United States Food and Drug Admiration approve dRead MoreThe Sixties Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesThe sixties was a time where American culture moved from being conservative to new and insightful ways of thinking. With these changes, it brought a new counter culture that would be known as the hippie culture. The hippies led way into a new sexual revolution that would break the old fashioned boundaries. The hippies also ushered in a new era where drugs became popular to a large public as well as within their own culture. Drugs were becoming a part of American culture, as well as new scientific researchRead MoreAmerica s Influence On American Culture1414 Words   |  6 PagesPopular culture in America has visibly had an immense impact in other countries. It has created superheros such as Superman and The Avengers, invented cartoons that symbolize the childhoods of the youth such as Mickey Mouse and Scooby Doo, and globalized figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. There is no doubt that these idols represent positive images tha t spread influential ideas to other countries, but these positive ideas are only a small fraction of what American popular culture is. AmericanRead MoreEssay about The Cultural Change of Music1089 Words   |  5 Pages The popular culture of music has changed dramatically over the course of sixty five years. Since this time, new genres of music have been introduced, existing genres have changed, and fixed stereotypes have been associated with certain genres of music. Music has become a major part of popular culture, and is portrayed almost everywhere in first world societies, including on television, radio, at shopping centers, sporting events and in every area of popular culture. Music has becomeRead MorePropaganda in American Media Essay805 Words   |  4 PagesPropaganda in American Media One of the greatest revolutions in the twentieth century was not political in nature, however, it aided in many different political revolutions. This revolution was the communications revolution. The twentieth century has experienced one of the greatest changes in means of communication including technologies such as radio, motion pictures, the Internet, advanced communications and most importantly the television. Sadly, political leaders and the government to convinceRead MoreThe Revolution Will Not Be Televised By Gil Scott Heron1454 Words   |  6 Pagesattention to the issue at hand. T.V. shows and advertisements did not change or show any support. Even though a change was taking place, the messages were not being shown to the American public. With that being said, the black power movement had a saying for this â€Å"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised†. â€Å"The Revolution Will Not be Televised† was written by Gil Scott-Heron in 1970. This was during the time after the Civil right movement was big. Equality was still a struggle, but things wereRead MoreThe Role of Technology Advancements in Society837 Words   |  3 Pagesused universal is the computer. The computer has unquestionably impacted popular culture in America. After the Industrial Revolution, the computer age developed. The Computer Age (also known as the Information Age) was a period in human history where new forms of research, work and communication developed in the United States. From the beginning of the decade, to the end, advancements in the computer have greatly changed American society from what life was like before by impacting the fields of scienceRead MoreGil Scott Heron Essay1407 Words   |  6 Pagesforty years ago, however, rap music focused on an entirely different subject matter. During the 1970s, African Americans sung rap songs to express the need for Black empowerment in society; though their form of singing was not called rapping back then, it was called spoken word poetry, a form of song in which verses of poetry were performed with a fixed beat before an audience. African Americans used this style of singing to express the discontent with the economics and politics during the 1970s. TheRead MoreThe Music Of Pop Art1301 Words   |  6 PagesThe art movement I have chosen to write about is pop art. The pop art movement was about appealing to the eye through popular culture and through news and advertising. Pop art emerged in the mid 1950’s in the United States. British artists Richard Hamilton and Eduardo Paolozzi were critics that made pop art popular in Britain in 1952. Paolozzi’s first creation in pop art was a collage of newspaper clippings. A film was made by Ken Russell, which gave life to the idea of pop art in Britain. MeanwhileRead MoreEssay about 1968: A Year Of American Transformation164 9 Words   |  7 PagesIn the duration of one year, 1968, the American national mood shifted from general confidence and optimism to chaotic confusion. Certainly the most turbulent twelve months of the post-WWII period and arguably one of the most disturbing episodes the country has endured since the Civil War, 1968 offers the world a glimpse into the tumultuous workings of a revolution. Although the entire epoch of the 1960s remains significant in US history, 1968 stands alone as the pivotal year of the decade; it

Baldwin Bicycle Company Background of the Study Free Essays

BA-561 MAC Abdulgaffur G. Deki Oscar M. Inocencio Chester V. We will write a custom essay sample on Baldwin Bicycle Company: Background of the Study or any similar topic only for you Order Now Lagutin Felomena C. Baal Edsel Cariz J. Tiu 12 October 2012 â€Å"Baldwin Bicycle Company† Background of the Study: Baldwin Bicycle Company (BBC) is a full-line bicycle manufacturing company with 40 years of experience. In 1982, BBC has revenue of over $10M for 98,791 units produced. BBC exclusively distributes through independently-owned retailers, their bicycles are known for their above-average quality. In May 1983, a rapid-growing Northwestern discount retail chain, Hi-Valu, Suzanne Leister, VP Marketing, proposed a private-label agreement. Under this program, BBC would manufacture the Challenger line of bicycles exclusively for Hi-Valu. The Challenger line was to be a low-priced value bicycle, sold at retail prices under BBC’s normal product lines. Statement of the problem: What is the overall impact to the company if BBC will accept the proposal in terms of? a. ) PROFIT b. ) RETURN ON SALES c. ) RETURN ON ASSETS d. ) RETURN ON EQUITY Objectives: 1. To be able to show and analyze the proposal depending on the result which will be used to serve as a basis for making decisions. 2. To determine the total relevant cost in producing additional orders for Hi-Valu. Areas of consideration: 1. BBC sales over the next three years would be 100,000 bikes a year if they will forego the Hi-Valu deal. 2. If BBC will accept the offer, 3,000 units will be lost in regular sales volume a year. 3. According to Ms Leister, Vice President for Marketing, she was acutely aware that the â€Å"bicycle boom† had fattened out, and that poor economy had caused Baldwin sales volume to fall. 4. BBC was currently operating its plant at about 75% of capacity meaning, 75,000 units is currently produced. excess capacity 25,000 units) 5. The contract between BBC and Hi-Valu is for three years and will be automatically extended on a year to year basis, unless one party gave notice that it did not wish to extend the contract. 6. Most of BBC sales were into independently toy stores and bicycles shops, BBC had never before distributed to its product to department store. Its BBC’s fir st time to deal such client. 7. Hi-Valu wanted to purchase bikes from BBC at lower prices that the wholesale prices of comparable bikes sold through Baldwin usual channels. 8. If the proposal will pursue BBC requirement for purchasing, inventory and production cost will increased. 9. Hi-Valu would hold the units on consignment in its own warehouses and withhold payment until delivery to a specific store. 10. A bicycle would be paid within 30 days once a bicycle was shipped to a specific store or 120 days had elapsed in the regional warehouse. Alternative courses of action: 1. Reject proposal RISKS: a. ) BBC may face continually declining sales due to a poor economy. b. ) BBC will continue to produce at only 75% production capacity. c. Another disadvantage is that the offer price of Hi-Valu was lower than the regular selling price. d. ) There is an additional cost involved in producing additional units from Hi-Valu the $5,000 additional cost plus the asset related cost. e. ) The possibility that the current dealers of BBC might drop-out line if they find that BBC is making bikes for Hi-Valu. f. ) The freight charge will be shouldered by BBC until it reached the destination of Hi-Valu warehouse. g. ) additional from regular sales of 3,000 units from regular costumers. ADVANTAGES: a. ) Maintain loyalty from current distributors . ) Maintain 40-year reputation for above average quality and price. 2. Accept Proposal RISKS: a. ) Current dealers may drop Baldwin line. b. ) Current dealers may request a similar product c. ) Putting faith in a new product d. ) BBC may find itself with an abundance of Challenger-specific inventory e. ) Extra costs may result in having to use cheaper materials f. ) Loss of â€Å"street cred† ADVANTAGES: a. ) Greater penetration of the mark through new market segments b. ) I f Baldwin name is not on the Challenger bike, BBC’s reputation may not be damaged c. Strong Challenger sales may balance weak Baldwin sales d. ) With Challenger line, BBC will be producing at a higher capacity Recommendation: The group recommends the alternative courses of action number two which state Accept the Proposal. The followi ng computations was the basis of the recommendation. Potential Problem Analysis: 1. Additional cost is involved. 2. Lost additional sales from the costumers 3. Additional investment to finance additional increase in receivables, inventories, record-keeping,tax inventory, handling labor and equipment, possible obsolescence and or damage. How to cite Baldwin Bicycle Company: Background of the Study, Essay examples

Aau (Academy of Arts University Essay Example For Students

Aau (Academy of Arts University Essay In other words it picks out certain (specific elements) to focus on; bringing those images to light and casting the others into a shadows Thus, Rembrandt utilizes diffused eight rather than sharp contrasts to convey an emotion or mood (perhaps observed by the viewer). In the case of this painting, Self-Portrait, 1659-1660 his exchange with light conveys and older man with a facial expression Of a lived life. The facial expression is captured by dark shadows overtook the brow, through the crease of the eye, as well on the sagging cheeks; light and shadow converge around his pensive eyes further emphasizing his maturity. In this manner, Rembrandt draws upon tenebrous, casting shadows to dramatist an emotion in the painting but differs from Carving by doing o in a subtle manner rather than striking contrast. Whereas Carving may have used finer lines to distinguish the portrait from the background, Rembrandt blurs the dark-light contrast so that the portrait emerges into focus just as it would in ones line of vision. 10. 2 The introduction of Module 10 gives you a brief explanation of the positive effects of a free art market. What might be the down side to such a system? Why would some artists have preferred to work tort as established patron such as the Church or Monarchy? Artistically, in my opinion, there is no down-side to a free market. Again, some additional positives include the ability for anyone to follow their passion, art, in whichever shape and form they viewed it The notion of a free art market squanders judgments; constraints of right and wrong, good and bad, and true talent or real are dissipate. One can deduce the red dot in the middle off blank white canvas is just as much art as any of Van Sagos masterpieces; after all art is in the eye Of the beholder, right? The downsides may include economic and professional effects. The economic downside is two-fold. First, artists may have to work harder to sell a piece cause the availability Of art is widespread, thus creating stiff competition. Second, art in the traditional sense loses its value. No longer are a few art pieces available to the well-to-do but a montage of art is available to most anyone. Professionally, it may become a less coveted talented now that anyone can put their artwork on the market. Previously commissioned artists may have short- lived careers. And artists have to create a niche in order to standout amongst a sea of painters. Thus, it is reasonable to think that some artists (mostly those accustomed to be noninsured the select and talented few would prefer to work for an established patron. This type of work brings economic stability and professional prestige. 11. 1 Whats going on in Frontwards painting The Swing? Describe the subject matter and mood. How does this image depart from the type of subject matter and stylistic characteristics we have seen in earlier artistic movements such as the Renaissance and Baroque? Frontwards painting The Swing was a blueprint of Parisian life for the female aristocrat as portrayed by prominent male artists, It seemingly celebrates the aperture tot the regiment elite imposed by Louis XIV. A women swinging relaxed and playful, she is comfortable in the attention she attracts from her male suitors. Color and motion creates the female as a magnetized force. The TNT men frolic at her feet, literally and figuratively. This style is a departure from previous periods that focused their themes on religious and moral subjects, even past secular painting conveyed a moralistic opinions In this painting we witness a care-tree, playful lifestyle; whereby the female became the ultimate *host in this artistic period. Again the pastel color accompanied by the sway of he dress creates a softer form than is witnessed in Renaissance and Baroque art. .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 , .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .postImageUrl , .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 , .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:hover , .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:visited , .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:active { border:0!important; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:active , .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2 .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u52a7e67e10a39989af913b31547e5ee2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Women and the american revolution EssayRococo style artists tended to use softer pastel colors and loose brush strokes to dramatist the fantasy-like lifestyle rather than primary colors, bold brush strokes, and clear lines expressed by Baroque artists. Despite the Obvious technical artistic difference, Frontwards work was very similar to all and any Other artists. He painted What he saw and/or perceived. 1 1. 2 until recently feminist historians have tended to give female artists like Veggie-Lubber a hard time for only painting images of women and children. Why o you think these artists chose these subjects? Why do you suppose historians have had to rethink their critique of these women? Artists such as Veggie-Lubber perhaps chose to primarily paint women and children because these subjects were a great muse. It was an opportunity to paint her story, Similar to men that painted what they knew, women did the same; it is no different. Also, perhaps these women chose to create a niche in such a male dominated profession, whereby women and children could finally come into focus as seen through the female perspective. Veggie-Lubber, in her self-portrait, may be interpreted as a satire. Indeed Veggie-Lubbers painting was a departure from the Rococo style which was described as superficial eye-candy and embodied the characteristics akin to the conversations held in salons by female aristocracy an art based on practiced with and flattery rather than sincerity. In fact, her painting avgas a power move to see the female from the feminist perspective ? independent and with/of substance. In my opinion, historians interpretations Of any art, event, person, etcetera is ever-evolving. Thus it is no surprise, to me, that some may have had to rethink their critiques Of female artists during this period. Historians are human. Ultimately, their interpretations are cultivated by many variables, including background, circumstance, influence, and knowledge. After all, history itself is fluid. More specifically, the profession of historian was also a male dominated profession. Thus it is not surprising, that a focus on women and children in art painted in a manner other than submissive and innocent would be critiqued, Veggie-Lubber, in her self-portrait, portrayed a progressive woman, an iconic image that challenged the typical perception of women, This notion threatened the male position as it had been upheld tort so long.

Molly Drug Usage in the American Society

Article summary James McKinley article in The New York Times discusses overdose of an ecstasy drug called Molly, and death resulting from the same. Molly is a new ecstasy drug sold to the youth in the United States. To be precise, Molly is a street name for a drug referred as MDMA (3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine). In most cases, the ecstasy drug is sold as a pill or powder.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Molly Drug Usage in the American Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Medical experts and psychologists allege that Molly is a typical stimulant and is used to help patients with mental disorders to open up during counseling sessions. From this perspective, the drug is essential in helping patients socialize and open up to people around them. The right dosage of the MDMA drug is recommended. However, an overdose of the drug is considered harmful and results to abuse. The article was written to provide in sightful information regarding abuse of Molly among the youth. In fact, the article uses an example to articulate on dangers of abusing the drug. The article discusses how two young individuals died as a result of abusing the ecstasy drug. McKinley’s article is based on evidence that the drug has previously affected the youth in similar occasions. For example, the drug seems to be sold among the youths attending electric music parties. From the article, it is evident that Molly is popular among the youths aged below 25 years. According to the author, the two individuals who died at the Electric Zoo festival during Labor Day of 2013 were aged 20 and 23 years old. Evidence showing how the drug is prominent among the youths indicates similar deaths in New York. Other indications showing dangers of the drug among the youths reveals that at least 4 people die of MDMA overdose every year in New York. In addition, statistics show that at least 43 young people died from MDMA overdose between 2000 and 2011. The reason why the youth are a target of the MDMA usage is because the drug is cheap and not physically addictive. Moreover, electric music parties where the drug is sold are attractive to young people. Prolonged usage and abuse of molly has negative physiological and psychological effects. From a physiological perspective, abusers of Molly lose appetite, experience exhaustion, insomnia, jaw soreness, dizziness and constipation. Psychological effects of abusing the drug include depression, impaired attention and paranoia. McKinley’s article is interesting since it focuses on current drug abuse in the United States. The article focus on a new drug abuse trend in the country raises fundamental issues about availability of the drug off the pharmaceutical shelves. MDMA drug is meant for psychiatry and is only licensed for sale in pharmaceuticals.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The article also suggests a possible mixing of Molly with methylone, making the drug fatal. The article is interesting as it associates abuse of the drug with Electric music parties. The connection between the drug and music parties is intriguing and forms a basis for further research on the same. I chose the article for its significance in research on drug abuse among the American youth. The article provides a new dimension about popular drugs abused in the country besides cocaine, heroine, marijuana and alcohol. For example, the article has information on how drugs are adulterated with dangerous substances that are fatal to users. Therefore, the article’s information can harness further research about drug abuse and required interventions. Works Cited McKinley, C. James. â€Å"Overdoses of ‘Molly’ led to Electric Zoo deaths†. The New York Times 12 Sept. 2013. Web. https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/overdoses-of -molly-led-to-electric-zoo-deaths/. This essay on Molly Drug Usage in the American Society was written and submitted by user Taryn Briggs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Pronouncing the Spanish C and Z

Pronouncing the Spanish C and Z The letter c of Spanish has three sounds that are very different from each other - and one of those three sounds, which is also the z sound of Spanish, varies with the region. Fortunately, the distinction as to which sound is used follows a rule much like that used in determining the pronunciation of c in English. 3 Pronunciations of C The sound of the c depends on the letter that follows: When the c is followed by h, the two letters together form the ch sound, which is very similar to the the ch sound of English in words such as church and cheap. It is never pronounced like the ch in architecture (the Spanish equivalent is arquitectura).When the c is followed by any other consonant or by the vowel  o, or u, it has sound of the English k but is slightly less explosive. Note that the English c has approximately the same sound when followed by the same letters. Thus casa (house) is pronounced much like CAH-sah, and clase (class) is pronounced much like CLAH-seh.The third sound is the one that varies by region. For most Spanish speakers, including nearly all in Latin America, the c is pronounced much like the English s when it comes before an e or i. Note that the same is true in English. So cielo (sky) is pronounced much like SYEH-loh for most Spanish speakers, and cena (dinner) is pronounced much like SEH-nah. However, in most of Spain, especially outside the areas wh ere Catalan is also spoken, the c before e or i is pronounced much like that th in thin - but not the th in that. In most of Spain, then, cielo is pronounced like THYEH-low and cena like THEH-nah. (To avoid confusion between the two th sounds, linguists sometimes represent the unvoiced th with ÃŽ ¸, the Greek letter theta. So the pronunciations of the two words might be represented as ÃŽ ¸YEH-loh and ÃŽ ¸EH-nah.) Contrary to a common urban legend, the third sound of c in Spain is not a lisp. It is simply the way the letter is pronounced. Pronouncing the Z The third c sound represents the z sound as well. The z sound doesnt vary with the letters that follow. You can hear the letter, including regional variations, pronounced here. Note that the z sound doesnt have the buzz that it does in English. So while you may be tempted to prononce zumbar (to hum) as someing like zoom-BAHR, its correct pronunciation is either soom-BAHR or thoom-BAHR, depending on whether youre in Spain or Latin America. In the word pizza, however, the double-z is generally pronounced in imitation of Italian, giving the word a pronunciation similar to what it has in English. Spelling With the C and Z With few exceptions, the z isnt followed by an e or i; a c is used before those letters instead. Thus the equivalent of zero is cero, zinc is cinc, and zebra is cebra. Among the few exceptions are words of foreign origin such as zigzaguear (to zigzag) and zepelà ­n (zeppelin). When a noun or adjective ends in z and is made plural, the z changes to c. Thus the plural of faz (face) is faces, and the plural of pez (fish) is peces. More examples: una actriz feliz, dos actrices felices (one happy actress, two happy actresses)una nariz, tres narices (one nose, three noses)la luz, las luces (the light, the lights)el juez voraz, los juezes voraces (the greedy judge, the greedy judges) The c and z can also change in conjugated verb forms. The z changes to c if it becomes followed by an e, so one of the forms of empezar (to begin) is empecà ©. Also, the c changes to qu when followed by an e or i, so the forms of tocar (to touch or play) include toquà © and toquemos. Some other examples of verb  conjugations affected by these spelling rules: comenzar, comencà ©, que comiences, que comiencen (to begin, I began, that you begin, that they begin)trozar, trocà ©, que troces, que troccen (to break, I break, that you break, that they break)cocer, que yo cueza. que cozamos (to cook, that I cook, that we cook)

The Relationship Between Electricity and Magnetism

The Relationship Between Electricity and Magnetism Electricity and magnetism are separate yet interconnected phenomena associated with the electromagnetic force. Together, they form the basis for electromagnetism, a key physics discipline. Key Takeaways: Electricity and Magnetism Electricity and magnetism are two related phenomena  produced by the electromagnetic force. Together, they form electromagnetism.A moving electric charge generates a magnetic field.A magnetic field induces electric charge movement, producing an electric current.In an electromagnetic wave, the electric field and magnetic field are perpendicular  to one another. Except for behavior due to the force of gravity, nearly every occurrence  in daily life stems from the electromagnetic force. It is responsible for the interactions between atoms and the flow between matter and energy. The other fundamental forces are the weak and strong nuclear force, which govern radioactive decay and the formation of atomic nuclei. Since electricity and magnetism are incredibly important, its a good idea to begin with a basic understanding of what they are and how they work. Basic Principles of Electricity Electricity is the phenomenon associated with either stationary or moving electric charges. The source of the electric charge could be an elementary particle, an electron (which has a negative charge), a proton (which has a positive charge), an ion, or any larger body that has an imbalance of positive and negative charge. Positive and negative charges attracts each other (e.g., protons are attracted to electrons), while like charges repel each other (e.g., protons repel other protons and electrons repel other electrons).   Familiar examples of electricity include lightning, electrical current from an outlet or battery, and static electricity. Common SI units of electricity include the ampere (A) for current, coulomb (C) for electric charge, volt (V) for potential difference, ohm (ÃŽ ©) for resistance, and watt (W) for power. A stationary point charge has an electric field, but if the charge is set in motion, it also generates a magnetic field. Basic Principles of Magnetism Magnetism is defined as the physical phenomenon  produced by moving electric charge. Also, a magnetic field can induce charged particles to move, producing an electric current. An electromagnetic wave (such as light) has both an electric and magnetic component. The two components of the wave travel in the same direction, but oriented at a right angle (90 degrees) to one another. Like electricity, magnetism produces attraction and repulsion between objects. While electricity is based on positive and negative charges, there are no known magnetic monopoles. Any magnetic particle or object has a north and south pole, with the directions based on the orientation of the Earths magnetic field. Like poles of a magnet repel each other (e.g., north repels north), while opposite poles attract one another (north and south attract). Familiar examples of magnetism include a compass needles reaction to Earths magnetic field, attraction and repulsion of bar magnets, and the field surrounding electromagnets. Yet, every moving electric charge has a magnetic field, so the orbiting electrons of atoms produce a magnetic field; there is a magnetic field associated with power lines; and hard discs and speakers rely on magnetic fields to function. Key SI units of magnetism include the tesla (T) for magnetic flux density, weber (Wb) for magnetic flux, ampere per meter (A/m) for magnetic field strength, and henry (H) for inductance. The Fundamental Principles of Electromagnetism The word electromagnetism comes from a combination of the Greek works elektron, meaning amber and magnetis lithos, meaning Magnesian stone, which is a magnetic iron ore. The ancient Greeks were familiar with electricity and magnetism, but considered them to be two separate phenomena. The relationship known as electromagnetism wasnt described until James Clerk Maxwell published A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism in 1873. Maxwells work included twenty famous equations, which have since been condensed into four partial differential equations. The basic concepts represented by the equations are as follows:   Like electric charges repel, and unlike electric charges attract. The force of attraction or repulsion is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.Magnetic poles always exist as north-south pairs. Like poles repel like and attract unlike.An electric current in a wire generates a magnetic field around the wire. The direction of the magnetic field (clockwise or counterclockwise) depends on the direction of the current. This is the right hand rule, where the direction of the magnetic field follows the fingers of your right hand if your thumb is pointing in the current direction.Moving a loop of wire toward or away from a magnetic field induces a current in the wire. The direction of the current depends on the direction of the movement. Maxwells theory contradicted Newtonian mechanics, yet experiments proved Maxwells equations. The conflict was finally resolved by Einsteins theory of special relativity. Sources Hunt, Bruce J. (2005). The Maxwellians. Cornell: Cornell University Press. pp. 165–166. ISBN 978-0-8014-8234-2.International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (1993). Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, 2nd edition, Oxford: Blackwell Science. ISBN 0-632-03583-8. pp. 14–15.Ravaioli, Fawwaz T. Ulaby, Eric Michielssen, Umberto (2010). Fundamentals of applied electromagnetics (6th ed.). Boston: Prentice Hall. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-13-213931-1.

Asset Assesment and E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Asset Assesment and E-Commerce - Essay Example early internal audit reports Delineation of Authorities and Responsibilities Roles defined and responsibilities delineated for: Overall fixed asset officer: 1. planning and overseeing of system asset management 2. involving in the implementation of asset management plan 3. taking action of defective or obsolete assets Hardware and software custodians (as related): 1. obtaining resources 2. performing functions 3. documenting and maintaining records 4. deployment and controls 5. managing contract agreements, internal and external customers’ relationships Asset Management manual and strategic plans, roles and responsibilities specified in the job description Organization-wide communication of the specified responsibilities Minutes of meetings, e-mails, posting in bulletin board Policies and Procedures Availability of policy and procedure development, periodic review, approvals, issuance, and control Approved policy and documented implementation Documented policies including: 1. Employees and leadership responsibilities on of software and hardware in use 2. limitations on the use of assets and software for personal use 3. compliance to legal and regulatory requirements, propriety and protection of data 4. asset acquisition 5. approval on installation and use of software 6. consequences of violating the policies Review of policies and documents on implementation Organization-wide communication of policies including: 1. newly joined employees during orientation period 2. continuing annually through in-house trainings 3. signing on acknowledgement 4. accessible to all anytime needed Publications through the e-mails, system database for manuals, adding to the code of conduct, e-mailing and minutes of meeting MANAGEMENT OF ASSETS INVENTORY Identification of Software Asset... This study shows that per audit checklist used, internal audit is not conducted periodically. Hardware changes are not covered in internal audit. Technology resources were not considered in the current year budget plan. Functions in control of assets overlap with overall fixed custodian and software and hardware custodians. Purchasing officer has nothing to do with assets contracts. Computer games are installed in the computer networks. No regular training of employees related to information technology. Positive findings deserve appreciation from the management to the responsible employees. â€Å"Keep up the good work.† On the other hand, all employees should get training on information technology. IT Department should be part of orientation program presenters for new employees. The human Resources yearly training program should include information technology topics. All employees should sign the â€Å"statement of confidentiality†. Storage of software, backup system an d consequences of information system violations should be included in the security policy.Findings from Belarc Advisor system audit recommendation should configure settings on account lockout, passwords, event logs, files permission, security options, user-right assignment and system services. Define policies for password issuance and usage, audit, the Internet, Explorer Seven and local computer. Impose restrictions on local computer administration templates, network, systems, and Windows. Create profiles for Windows firewall, domain, and standard.

Code Red For The Red Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code Red For The Red Regimes - Essay Example After Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and the United State’s Ronald Reagan took power in 1979 and 1981, respectively, they effectively called for and predicted the demise of the iron grip of communism, virtually declaring war on the Soviet influence throughout Europe and Asia. Reagan’s increased military pressure on the Soviets in the Cold War and the emergence of a more western-embracing Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev − coupled with the U.S.S.R.’s widespread economic demise − ushered in the avalanche that ultimately dissolved the grip of communism throughout the region. Furthermore, the ‘80s â€Å"Solidarity† movement challenged the communist grip in Poland and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the Warsaw Pact, making Poland, followed by Hungary, the first nation to strip away from Soviet control. East Germany was soon caught in the wake, as Ronald Reagan’s famous June 17, 1987, speech at the Berlin Wall, when he excl aimed, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" − symbolizing the end of the age of communist oppression − became a reality just a couple years later. The support beams undergirding the Red – or â€Å"evil empire,† as Reagan called it – were now pulled, and what â€Å"The Gipper† predicted would become â€Å"the ash heap of history† came crashing down in the following years, as communism lost its grip to more liberated western rule from East Germany to modern-day Russia’s Siberia.

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay Example for Free

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay Introduction Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the companys sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the corporate attitudes (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. In the 1980s and 1990s rationalisation and downsizing (Legge, K, 1995: 53) were very much the order of the day therefore empowerment became a business necessity. Empowerment has been in the forefront of quality improvement efforts (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Organizations are reportedly introducing soft and hard (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67) employee relations policies associated with the shift to human resource management (HRM). Softer aspects of HRM, based on the encouragement of employee commitment in support of management aims, have received particular attention given their proposed linkage with improved organizational performance (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67). This has, in turn, led many organizations to adopt schemes designed to encourage employee involvement. The concept of empowerment has been identified as a recent and advanced manifestation of employee involvement (Cole, G, A, 1997: 68). Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is a fundamentally different way of working together (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 271) and quite different from the traditional notion of control (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to none managerial roles such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having increased authority (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or power (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers (Graham Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more flat democratic organisational structure (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a quality management system (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the results are not always impressive (Graham Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because people do not think it through (Mabey Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are middle managers (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a flatter organisational structure (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may resist these new responsibilities (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, the fear of ones own greatness (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be cynical and suspicious of this approach (Gennard Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the employees feeling too empowered (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to release the creative and innovative capacities of employees (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for empowerment emerging as a concept for our time (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisations are driven by profit generating, cost reduct ion and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has greater justification for management in HRM terms (Beardwell Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time not undermining managerial prerogatives (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide an opportunity to empower and motivate employees (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction (Gennard Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Spencer Pruss, 1992 : 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through quality management (Mabey Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment (Mabey Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward (Mabey Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become an important Human Resource Management tool (Graham Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. With the rationalization of layers of management, promotion is becoming less realistic and, therefore, middle managers share with non-managerial employees growing feelings of cynicism as well as a heightened sense of estrangement from the predominant goals and values of their employing organizations (Denham, N et al, 1997). According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead forced to submit to anothers will and think and act under constant supervision (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring organisational survival (Mabey Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employees maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly for their own good (Mabey Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors (Gennard Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations delayer (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare may encourage union member ship (sparrow Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to avoid collective action by employees (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity (Mabey Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can increase efficiency and effectiveness inside an organization (Graham Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. salaries, rent, heat and advertising (Mabey Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the shared knowledge of workers (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers (Gennard Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will improve profits through repeated business (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase revenue and improve the bottom line (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship (Sparrow Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a sense of personal and professional balance (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in personal growth (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a win-win situation (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organizations culture itself. Benefits require changes in management and employees (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the management pyramid (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see empowerment as a threat (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the rules and decisions always came from above (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to enhance job responsibility (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to increase their contentment with the job (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be effective members of the workforce (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be now shared with employees (Gennard Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under high commitment management workers would be committed to managements vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment will feel more secure and empowered (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, employees feel more valued (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the companys overall success (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find new ways to express their creativity (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in negotiating an effective team contract (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the companys objectives. Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are commonly promoted (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits (Graham Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to restrict its best people (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are learning to give up control and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as stakeholders for the road of success (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful (Erstad, M, 1997). Bibliography Armstrong, M (1996) A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice, Sixth Edition, Kogan Page Beardwell, I Holden, L (1994) Human resource Management- A contemporary perspective, Pitman Cole, G, A (1997) Personnel Management, Fourth Edition, Letts Denham, N, Ackers, P Travers, C (1997) Doing yourself out of a job? : How middle managers cope with empowerment , Employee Relations; Volume 19 No. 2; Erstad, M (1997) Empowerment and organizational change, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Volume 9 No. 7; Gennard, J Judge, G (1997) Employee relations, Institute of Personnel Development Graham, H, T Bennett, R (1995) Human Resources Management, Eight Edition, M+E handbooks Honold, L (1997) A review of the literature on employee empowerment, Empowerment in Organisations; Volume 5 No. 4 Legge, K (1995) Human Resource Management-Rhetorics Realities, Macmillan Business Mabey, C Salaman, G (1997) Strategic Human Resource Management, Blackwell Business Mabey, C, Skinner, D Clark, T, (1998) Experiencing Human Resource Management, Sage Sparrow, P Marchington, M (1998) Human Resource Management-The New Agenda, Pitman Spencer, J Pruss, A (1992) Managing your team, Piatkus Wilkinson, A (1998) Empowerment: theory and practice, Personnel Review; Volume 27 No. 1

Essay --

Amongst the pandemonium of relentless sparring and political unpredictability of the Shang and Zhou era, various intellectual thinkers ascended and conveyed such insightful perspectives in the fields of religion, politics and philosophy; the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life. During Chinas rise to Empire, Chinese Philosophers like Kongfuzi, or Confucius, Mencius, and Han Fei implemented two prestige philosophies Confucianism and Legalism. Although Confucianism and Legalism approaches bare a couple of distinct similarities, the differences between the philosophies are significantly evident. The first difference between Confucianism and Legalism is they have completely different beliefs. Based off the teachings of Confucius the Confucianism beliefs were established. The main focus of Confucianism is to instil how to live a harmonious life and adapt socially. Knowledge, humaneness, integrity, righteousness or justice, and etiquette or propriety are the five core virtues that arose from the teachings of Confucianism. The virtues are further instilled in filial piety, contingency, loyalty, and righteousness. Confucianism also communicates that relationships and family are top priorities within one’s lifetime. In contrast to Confucianism, Legalism is a pragmatic political philosophy, and believed using a system of rewards for good citizenship "set clear strict laws, or deliver harsh punishment" for law-breaking citizens, and its essential principle is one of jurisprudence. They believed that human nature is inherently bad, which is why strict laws were needed to keep people under control. This belief about human nature justified dictatorships and authoritarian rulers, which often led to corruption in ... ...he Chinese civilization in to a successful empire. In China from ca. 770 B.C.E. – 220 C.C, two magnificent philosophies were introduced to the Chinese civilization. Although Confucianism and Legalism philosophy approaches bare a couple of distinct similarities, the differences between the philosophies are significantly evident. Since we have examined the similarities and differences between Confucianism and Legalism. It’s clear that Confucianism is an ethical and philosophical system that is normally considered one of the world’s religion. Legalism is a political philosophy that does not address higher questions pertaining to the nature and purpose of existence. Just strict and harsh punishments. Even in our modern day these philosophies are still being practices in the Chinese culture. â€Å"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.†- Confucius

Income and Wealth Equality Essay

Discuss whether the most effective way to have income and wealth equality is to tax income more progressively. Income is a stable flow of money, often a salary, which someone works for but this can also be made through interest on savings. This flow of money is often very unequal from person to person due to wage differentials, this then creates inequality. Wealth on the other hand is a stock of assets which have a market value, which may change over time e.g. houses or cars. These are often inherited but can be bought by someone through their income. Wealth and income often found together however someone who is wealthy doesn’t always have a large income. Their relationship with inequality is also very different with a lot more inequality found in wealth as a fifth of wealth is concentrated among the richest one per cent of households however there is still some in income. One way the government can stop this inequality is through a progressive taxation system that aims to tax the poorest people very little but make the money up by taxing the richer. This would work at several boundaries with someone income being taxed higher when it exceeds a certain limit. This then creates equality as the richer people have less money and the poorer have more from not paying tax and then the unemployed get benefits. This then reduces the budget deficit as the tax payers pay for people benefits, helping to reduce the class system. However one problem with this is that it may cause the highest earners to leave the country to avoid paying tax and companies moving their headquarters abroad where they will pay less tax. This happened in the 70s with the rolling stones but is also happening with corporations such Amazon and Costa and this something that may happen more if the richer are taxed too much. This is also taking money out of the economy as they spend their money abroad, out of the flow of income in the UK. Another problem with this system is that it creates ‘the poverty trap’. A type of government failure, this is when there is no incentive for people to get off benefits as they won’t make any more money. To stop this there may need to be a re-evaluation of the system as the replacement ratio is too high. This can also create poor attitudes, with generations of people not working. This is also found in the work place with some people refusing pay rises as they will have to pay more money in tax as they go through a tax boundary. However more recently this has happened with child benefits as these are being reduced depending on how much someone earns another reason why someone would refuse a pay rise. Wealth is often harder to tax however it is often caused by income so the tax system previously described may be used to reduce wealth and thus stopping inequality. This system can also be found in wealth though, with inheritance tax being used progressively. For example any money above 325,000 is taxed at 40%. This then creates a source of revenue for the government but also stops people inheriting huge sums of money, stopping inequality. However this system has its flaws as the tax has to be paid first, it could also be argued as unfair as someone who works for their money is entitled to leave it to who they want, especially as it was already taxed when it was earned. This system has also caused many pensioners to move abroad where what they leave is taxed less. The money inherited is also often used by entrepreneurs to fund businesses so the system may also reduce the possibility for future in income tax. This systems also sonly raises  £2.9bn a year, a mere 0.18% of GDP, which sometimes ends up being spent on court cases as people argue against the system. One alternative system for reducing inequality is by providing incentives for people to get into work. This could be done by changing the minimum wage as it would reduce the replacement ratio. This can also be achieved by reducing the unemployment benefits or making them harder to get. Reducing benefits would also lower the budget deficit as the government can save money. However this could be hard on people who genuinely can’t work due to long term illness or disability. Another way of increasing the work force is by increasing spending on training of workers but also in the education system. This will create better skilled and qualified workers, allowing them to make more money and giving them more job opportunities. This type of supply side policy can be expensive but there should be future benefits as their will be more money made from income tax. They would also create job opportunities for teachers or other people to teach skills. Other examples of this include apprenticeships and part time work schemes that together should create a job for everyone, reducing the tax bill. However they won’t work for everyone as there is always someone who will be left behind and It may also be hard to change the mind set of people who are used to not working. These types of policies would also all stop inequality as the poorer people would have employment opportunities giving them a higher source of income. However there are very little alternatives to redistribute wealth as it is impossible to give people items of value as those who are in poverty often don’t even have a house. The government may be able to provide schemes for people to work for their homes and other areas of wealth. It is also hard for them to find things of wealth at an affordable rate especially as it is normally found through work done by relatives. This is why it is unlikely to be done as it wouldn’t be very sustainable and effective however in theory the re distribution of wealth could be done. In conclusion the progressive tax system has its benefits as it provides a simple way of reducing inequality by taxing the rich and giving the poor money, bringing them closer financially. However in my opinion the system is the easy solution with short term benefits rather than long term gains that might happen through providing incentives rather than disincentives for people. However the problem with wealth is greater as it can’t be easily moved but through redistributing income wealth will consequently be redistributed as ultimately income is the main cause of wealth.

Going Green To Save The Environment Essay

The purpose of this essay is to enumerate and discuss several ways to save the environment through the principle of green living. Conservation is really an umbrella principle for all of green living. It really means using only what truly needs to be used in order to save something for coming generations (Green Living Ideas, 2007). Conserving energy by way of recycling is a crucial environmental benefit. As the natural energy sources become scarcer it is important to learn how to save energy. Making smaller, more fuel efficient cars can help conserve energy. Riding a bike instead of a car is much better since a bicycle doesn’t use gas. Making new houses that are well insulated also helps to save energy. According to Seventh Generation (2007), â€Å"Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), more commonly known as trash or garbage, consists of everyday items such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This is commonly generated from peoples’ homes, but it also comes from commercial, institutional, and industrial sources. † One man’s trash is another man’s treasure† is among the many adages being revived with fresh significance and recycling supports this idea. It has been in the American vocabulary for years now and in many households it is a way of life. Very simply, it finds new uses for old materials, mainly trash. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling, including composting, diverted 72 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators. Not only does this spare the environment, the EPA said a study found that recycling can create jobs as well. The consumer-oriented economical and environmental merits of reuse were easily recognized by our grandparents. And even today having a jar of salvaged nails, bolts, and screws can save several trips to the hardware store. Recycling paper products saves our trees and water resources as well! Making a ton of paper from materials that were recycled protects 17 trees from harm and consumes 50% less water, or 7,000 gallons (Quest4glory, 2004). But, while the philosophy of reuse is working its way into the business sector, the complexities of a global economy demand that the practical advantages and disadvantages of reuse be continually discussed and evaluated. However, industrialized nations are coming full-circle: governments are passing regulations, businesses are cutting costs, and consumers are reducing waste in the realization that applying the reuse philosophy in all areas will help to sustain our comfortable quality of life, enhance it for others, and maintain it for future generations. Furthermore, the most appealing reason to recycle is because of its ability to create a myriad of jobs, which can consequently improve the US economy. Recycling creates eight times the amount of jobs incinerator and landfill companies generate. Reuse, recycling, and waste reduction offer direct development opportunities for communities (Quest4glory, 2004). In conclusion, the benefits of recycling and conservation of energy cannot be overemphasized. Technology is making it easy to be green. Renewable energy can make your home more efficient. Efforts to clean up our air and water, preserve our non-renewable resources, and stop endangering plant and animal species, will ultimately lead to happier, healthier humankind living in partnership with the earth. Reference Green Living Ideas. (2007). Reuse. Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from http://greenlivingideas. com/reuse/reuse. html Quest4glory. (2004, July 5). Recycling: It’s time to clean up. Retrieved September 7, 2007 from http://www. echeat. com/essay. php? t=26204 Seventh Generation. (). Living Green: Reduce, reuse, recycle. Retrieved September 7, 2007 from http://www. seventhgeneration. com. /living_green/reduce_reuse_recycle. php

Top 5 Jobs in the Southwest

Top 5 Jobs in the Southwest If you’re looking for a career change (or a change of scenery!),   here are some of the fastest-growing jobs for 2016 in the southwestern part of the united states, a region  that  according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Home to a number of vibrant and diverse cultures from Santa Fe to Houston to New Orleans, the Southwestern part of the country is also a hotbed of growth and renewal in a number of industries. if you have a taste for the spicy (steaming tex-mex plates or New Mexico’s famous hatch chili peppers, anyone?) and are looking for a career jumpstart, definitely consider this region.1. Java DeveloperAustin, TX, is one of the growing tech start-up hubs putting the southwest on the map. it also has some old-school tech flavor as well: IBM, Dell, Google, and Facebook all have outposts in the region. one of the fastest-growing positions in the region is for java developers, who develop an d refine code specifically for the java programming language across different platforms.Developers have a median salary of $97,990, and the field is likely to expand by at least 17% per the BLS.2. Health Services ManagerLike everywhere else in the nation, the Southwest is seeing a booming healthcare industry as the population ages and insurance coverage gets more complex. and while you might think of medical professionals like nurses and physician assistants as the primary career path in the industry, there’s also the administrative arm, as well. Health services managers are not directly involved in patient medical care, but they work with the patients and families to plan, direct, and coordinate health services. They can advise on insurance coverage issues, and ensure that patients and medical facilities are up to date on changes in healthcare regulations and technology.The median salary for this role is $92,810 per year, with 17% growth expected in the near future.3. Oil/Ga s Truck DriverThe Southwestern part of the U.S. is home to much of the country’s energy industry, which includes some of the largest oil reserves and refineries. this calls for specialized truck drivers to transport oil and related materials. Truck driving in general requires on-the-job experience rather than specific degrees, but oil and gas driving jobs may require additional hazardous material licensing.The median salary for truck drivers is $38,200, and the field is expected to grow by at least 11% in the coming years. These specialized drivers will continue to be in high demand as the nation’s energy needs continue to grow and change.4. Medical AssistantIn a hectic medical office or hospital, the medical assistants are often the busiest people around. medical assistants may be called on to help with administrative tasks (processing patient records, receiving patients) or clinical ones (taking vital signs, preparing equipment, handling samples for testing). In addi tion to a high school diploma, this role often calls for additional certification, depending on the state.The median salary is $29,960, and the field is expected to grow by at least 23% in the near future.5. Personal Financial AdvisorWith the realities of housing, student loans, and healthcare coverage growing more complex all the time, the need for personal financial advisors is definitely expanding. Financial advisors work with clients to create personal financial plans for investments, insurance, mortgages, education, taxes, and retirement planning.One of the quickest-growing industries in the southwest, overall demand for these advisors is expected to grow by an astounding 30% by 2022. This position typically requires a bachelor’s degree, and the median salary is $81,060.So what do you think? Is a career change with a Southwestern flair on deck for you?

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women

To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation.

Wenxuecity. Chinese immigrants on-line community. Ethnical issues Dissertation

Wenxuecity. Chinese immigrants on-line community. Ethnical issues - Dissertation Example They were sent an invitation to participate in the study further through an interactive interview conducted through emails or instant messaging platforms of their choice. They were also asked the following questions in order to qualify them for the second criterion – that traditional media does not play a significant role in his daily life (Appendix B). Based on the responses to these questions, I selected twenty users who display the second criterion the most. That is, they exhibit interest in getting the latest updates about China, and the Chinese people and culture at large, and that they do not get this information from traditional media. Furthermore, they exhibit knowledge about the fifth question’s subject matter, not only through their actual subscriptions and affiliations, but through their expression of interest to get connected and develop deeper understanding. After twenty users were selected based on the criteria mentioned above, I proceeded to schedule the interactive interviews. These happened within a period of one month since the questions were sent one after another, the succeeding question mainly based on the previous answer. I also allowed the respondent during the time to deliver a meaningful personal account of experiences, and the flexibility to do it at his or her own pace. Data Analysis The method of analyzing data is to analyze the transcripts to discern patterns of responses. The patterns are ascertained by examining a series of coded utterances, with an eye towards data which fit the overall themes of the research at hand. What I found was that the respondents used the website for a variety of reasons, therefore the challenge was to ascertain under what theme the reasons fit. For instance, a common response from Respondents was that... Each of the members of the group stated that they felt the need to connect with other Chinese people, because they felt out of place in the current society, in one way or another. Under this theme were several sub-themes. One sub-theme was that the Chinese in this survey felt that they needed to bond with one another because they felt somehow at odds with American culture. Therefore, the question regarding this sub-theme is why do the Chinese feel at odds with American culture, and how does Wenxuecity help in combating these feelings? Another sub-theme was that Wenxuecity helps the Respondents is how does Wenxuecity help with this feeling of connectedness with their Chinese family and friends? These sub-themes are explored below. Feelings of disconnection with the larger culture, and how the Wenxuecity helps the Respondents feel connected to one another. One of the major themes which emerged is that the Respondents felt that they were not a part of the dominant culture, and they needed to feel a sense of connectedness with others, so this site is their way of feeling that they are a part of a community. Some of the Resondents, as, for instance, A, C, G, S, and T, state that they currently have friends who are American, along with those who are Chinese, yet they do not entirely relate to their American friends. G states that his American friends simply do not â€Å"get it† - in other words, they do not get what it means to be Chinese. There are different values, beliefs and backgrounds that the Respondents have from their American cohorts and friends, and that is simply something that cannot be bridged. The respondents state that they feel out of place in the dominant culture, despite the fact that some of the respondents have been here in American for many years.

Personal activities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal activities - Essay Example The privilege of sharing my passion with the audience only brings me greater joy. If I can inspire even one other individual, I feel it will melt away all my years of toil and endless practices. 2. Apart from your first and second languages, what other languages do you speak and write Baring English and Chinese, which are my first and second languages, respectively, I am currently studying Gaeilge through home study courses. When I first heard Gaeilge spoken I was enthralled with it. I feel its oral beauty, fluidity and woven vocal patterns are unmatched. However, in the future, I also desire to pursue the Spanish and Japanese languages. 3. Do you already have a university course in mind If so, give details. I am yet to ascertain my course of study, though, I am sure to pursue a career in diplomacy. I have varied interests including, but not limited to: finance, economics and world history; however, prior to selecting a major course, I feel it best to explore the possibilities in the direction of my current interests. I am not a scholarship recipient now; however I am applying for a 50% award. Such a scholarship will give me the opportunity to find, explore and fund my own future.

Prevention of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections Through Research Paper

Prevention of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections Through Education - Research Paper Example CLABSIs have been estimated to occur in the United States hospitals in the range of 250, 000-500, 000 cases annually. This has resulted in high costs of care for patients who have been hospitalized. The need to cut down the costs associated with CLABSIs resulted in research aimed at developing a feasible solution. Research has yielded a mechanism that will see nurses educated on best practices that will them take an active role in the prevention of CLABSIs. This paper will focus on implementation of a plan to prevent central line associated blood stream infections by way of educating nurses. Problem Identification and Importance According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), every year an estimated 41,000 Central line associated blood stream infections occur in hospitals in U.S. The infections are typically serious and result in protracted stay in hospitals with increased costs. These infections also come with an increased risk of mortality (CDC, 2012). CLABSI (central line assoc iated blood stream infections) are typically prevented by proper management of the central line. CLABSIs are considered to be part of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and have been reported to responsible for mortality ranging from 12-15%. In a study conducted by CDC, the findings revealed that approximately 43,000 CLABSIs occurred in hospitalized patients in ICU in U.S hospitals. There was a reduction in the number of CLABSIs by approximately 18000 in the year 2009. CLABSIs resulting from Staphyloccocus aureus represented the greatest decrease than even the gram negative rods like Candida spp and Enterococcus spp. In the same year, 23,000 CLABSIs occurred among inpatient individuals in the inpatient wards of U.S hospitals. In the year 2008, approximately 37, 000 CLABSIs occurred in outpatient clients receiving outpatient hemodialysis (CDC, 2011). These statistics serve to underscore the importance of CLABSIs in U.S hospitals. CLABSIs have resulted in an increased cost of med ical treatment. Hospitalized persons are paying huge amounts of money for their medical costs (Moe, 2012). It is this CLABSI associated costs that created a need for research activities that would see the CLABSIs kept to a minimum. The research activities have resulted in current evidence based guidelines that when executed, the incidence of CLABSIs will reduce. The mechanism requires that nurses be educated on prevention of CLABSIs. CLABSIs are not only responsible for high medical cost but are also responsible for morbidity and mortality in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units (Bizzarro, 2011). According to Bizzaro (2011), although implementation of evidence based catheter care bundles has reduced the infection rates, CLABSIs remain a fundamental problem in the pediatric and neonatal critical care units. CLABSIs are responsible for both pediatric, neonatal and adult morbidity and mortality in U.S citizens. Costs According to a study conducted by Shannon, et al (2006), the i nfections that are acquired while in hospital add considerable mortality and morbidity to patient care. A detailed economic analysis of the hospital expenses and revenues in 54 patient cases who had contracted central line associated blood stream infections over a period of three years in two intensive care units was conducted. The financial data was compared to data of other patients who were of

Preventing Denture Stomatitis

Preventing Denture Stomatitis Ghani F and colleages20 did a study on 50 denture wearers and 50 non denture wearers assessing candida activity through recording pH changes in candida selective medium. Results showed pathological candida activity was significantly higher in denture wearers. While in a study by Yilmaz HH78 27 patients with denture stomatitis and 23 patients without clinical signs of denture stomatitis were compared. They found that there was a relationship between poor denture hygiene and denture stomatitis and the relationship between denture stomatitis and candidal hyphae was not significant. Therefore proper hygiene is important to prevent denture stomatitis and antifungal drugs should not be prescribed without mycological investigation. Opportunistic growth of pathogenic yeasts such as candida is promoted by constant denture wearing which maintains anaerobic and low pH conditions between the denture and mucosa.18. It was revealed in different studies that nearly one third of the patients evaluated slept with their dentures 19,22,89. Similarly other studies have found significant association between denture related stomatitis with denture age and continuous denture wearing88 moreover candida albicans hyphae and lactobacillus was also found in the saliva and palate of denture stomatitis patients89 SURFACE TEXTURE AND PERMEABILITY OF DENTURE BASE: Highly polished surfaces are important not only for aesthetics and patient's comfort but also for low plaque adherence, oral hygiene and denture longevity84. In an in vitro study Van Reenen79 demonstrated that penetration of the unpolished surface which is in contact with the mucosa with candida albicans was greater than that of polished surface. It was confirmed further with the use of fluorescent dye. Another study18 confirmed that surface roughness and cracks facilitate development of biofilm and adherence of plaque. The authors also noted that prolonged brushing of acrylic denture with toothbrush and abrasive dentrifices create scratches that can enhance bacterial attachment and biofilm growth22. DENTURE LINING MATERIALS AND ADHESIVES: In a study by Sato Y and colleagues90 it was found that denture adhesives enhance retention and stability of both ill fitting and well fitting dentures. AL et al 91 suggested that denture adhesives contribute to mucosal inflammation in denture wearers as they are commonly used throughout the day. While in an assessment of 24 denture wearing patients Oliveira and colleagues92 evaluated the number of colony forming units(CFUs) and Candida species in saliva samples which were collected at denture placement, 7 day and 14 day intervals from patients using an adhesive denture strip. 12 patients using the adhesive were compared with 12 patients not using the adhesive. There was no statistical difference between the groups at the 2 weeks analysis. MANAGEMENT OF DENTURE STOMATITIS: Placebo-controlled studies reported that treatment with either oral fluconazole (50mg/day for 2 weeks) or topical miconazole (2% gel applied to fitting surface of the denture 3 times daily for 2 weeks) significantly reduced the presence of candida on oral mucosa and decreased inflammation in denture stomatitis93 . Cross LJ et al94 reported capsule and liquid formulations of itraconazole ( 100 mg 4 times a day for 15 days), fluconazole alone ( 50 mg orally for 14 days) or in combination with chlorhexidine applied to fitting surface of the denture 2 times a day for 2 weeks and amphotericin ( 40mg oral dissolving lozenges 4 times daily and topical cream applied to fitting surface of denture) all to be effective in the treatment of denture stomatitis. In a study by Mililla L et al95 amorophiline antifungal varnish was applied once or twice a week for 6 months in patients affected by nystatin resistant denture stomatitis. Results showed significant decrease in candidal count and improvement in symptoms of denture stomatitis. In a study photodynamic therapy was found to be an effective method for resolving candida spp. on dentures96 In a study by Webb et al97 nursing home patients with denture stomatitis were randomized to maintain their usual hygiene procedures or had their dentures cleaned daily with overnight soaking in sodium hypochlorite and microwaving. Relative to control group both cleaning techniques showed 100% reduction in candida colonization and clinical improvement in denture stomatitis. In another study 10% vinegar solution was used for the immersion of dentures and was found to be effective in decreasing the quantity of candida spp in saliva and the presence of denture stomatitis 98 . Cryosurgery is the treatment of choice in patients with Type III denture stomatitis along with prosthesis substitution34. POST INSERTION INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF THE PROSTHESIS: To decrease the levels of biofilm and harmful micro organisms , patients who wear dentures must do the following: Dentures must be immersed and brushed with an effective and non abrasive denture cleanser everyday18. Denture cleanser must only be used to clean dentures outside the mouth62. Dentures must be rinsed thoroughly after immersion and brushing with denture cleansing solution before reinsertion in the oral cavity16. Dentures should be cleaned annually by a dentist using ultrasonic cleanser to minimize biofilm coverage overtime27. Dentures must never be placed in boiling water77. Dentures must never be soaked in sodium hypochlorite bleach for periods greater than 10 minutes because it may damage the dentures28. Dentures should be immersed in water after cleaning, when not inserted in oral cavity to avoid warping16. MECHANICAL METHODS OF DENTURE CLEANING: Brushing with tooth brush, denture brush and pastes: Scanning electron microscopic images and microbiologic essays have demonstrated that cleaning the dentures with water and tooth brushes is ineffective at removing microorganisms62. While in a study by Nishi Y and colleagues 25 it was found that the quantity of micro organisms was significantly reduced in the outpatients who used a denture brush for cleaning the prosthesis. Salles AES and Macedo LD99 found in a study that brushing with a denture paste|(Corega Brite) was the most effective method of disinfecting dentures followed by brushing with neutral soap and brushing with water only was the least effective method. It was found by Lira AF et al100 that tooth brushing promoted higher levels of surface roughness when compared to chemical disinfection while boiled resins were found to be more prone to surface roughness and biofilm accumulation than microwaved resins. Pisani MX and Bruhn JP et al101 analyzed surface roughness and weight loss in acrylic caused by dentrifices. They found that the conventional dentrifice containing sodium bicarbonate produced greatest weight loss and surface roughness while dentrifices containing chloramine T and fluorosurfactant produced less weight loss and surface roughness. While in another study it was found that dentrifices containing 1% chloramine T and 0.01% fluorosurfactant decreased biofilm coverage but were ineffective against candida102. Ultrasonic cleaning: Ultrasonic devices are helpful in removing the plaque adhering to dentures by producing microscopic cavities that grow and burst creating voids that result in localized areas of suction 16. Gwinnet et al103 showed in different ways effective disinfection of inoculated dentures using ultrasonic treatment in a water bath as well as in various baths of antiseptic and detergent agents. In another study it was found that ultrasonic cleaning when combined with immersion in a peroxide based cleanser solution effectively reduces the quantity of micro organisms surviving on dentures25. Hence may be a suitable method for elderly who find brushing their dentures difficult. Studies have found that ultrasonic cleaning is not completely bactericidal but improves the killing of bacteria16. Chemical Methods: Soaking in household solution: Sodium hypochlorite diluted 1:10 in tap water is adequate for killing adherent micro organisms but is ineffective against calculus buildup and stains. Metallic elements in the denture acquire a black stain after soaking in bleach for greater than 10 minutes daily62 In a study done by Dr. Roshan Khan 5.25% sodium hypochlorite was more effective in disinfecting dentures as compared to 0.2% chlorhexidine at a 5 minute immersion period28. Surface roughness was evaluated by Paranhos HDO et al64 and they found that immersing the acrylic resin denture in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution every night for more than a year and a half resulted in increased surface roughness while no effect was noted regarding the flexural strength of the acrylic. A major issue in immuno compromised and hospitalized patients is the emergence of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) which increases mortality rates significantly 16. Lee and colleagues104 showed that MRSA can be killed effectively with sodium hypochlorite. The use of vinegar (acetic acid) was evaluated by Basson et al105 and they found it effective at killing adherent micro organisms albeit less effective than sodium hypochlorite. Vinegar has an advantage over bleach and it is that inadequate rinsing after soaking in vinegar does not result in mucosal damage. In another study vinegar alone is found to be least effective at removing denture plaque but when used in combination with brushing its results were comparable with those of denture cleansers24 Soaking in a commercial solution: Immersing the dentures in denture cleansers reduces the micro organisms and plaque and is found to be a suitable method for denture cleansing specially for geriatric patients106. It was found that soaking in alkaline peroxide every night for more than a year resulted in color alteration of the resin64. In a study it was found that the combination of brushing and peroxide cleansers was the most efficacious method to remove denture plaque24. It was found in a study by de Andrade IM and colleagues107 that the effervescent tablets are effective in reducing streptococci mutans and total aerobes from denture biofilm. However, they were not as effective against C. albicans Mc Cabe and colleagues108 reported that effects of alkaline peroxide solution were enhanced using water at a temperature of 50 centigrade. In a study done to investigate the relationship between the frequency of use of denture cleanser and the quantity of micro organisms adhering to dentures it was found that patients who used denture cleansers daily or 3-4 times a week had significantly lower amount of micro organisms than the patients who used the denture cleanser once or less per month25. While in a study by Jose A and colleagues23 it was concluded that denture cleansers were effective against Candida albicans activity both in terms of removal and disinfection but residual biofilm retention that could lead to re growth and denture colonization was seen. Hence alternate mechanical cleaning methods are required to enhance biofilm removal.. New materials for denture immersion contain silicon polymer that provides a protective coating on denture as a final step in cleaning process. Coating helps to minimize adhesion of debris throughout the day until the next cleaning27. MICROWAVE RADIATION Effectiveness of microwaving depends on solution in which the dentures are immersed, the time of exposure, the level of power of microwave oven and the types of micro organisms adhering the denture109. Senno P and colleagues110 found that putting the dentures in denture cleanser and then microwaving was efficient in disinfecting dentures with lower irradiation time and temperature than the use of microwave irradiation alone therefore avoiding denture distortion. While in another study it was concluded that immersing the denture in a cup of water to transfer heat uniformly during microwave sterilization was more effective111. While Kaskin et al112 showed that independent of solution used irradiation for 15 minutes at 500 watt achieved complete sterilization of acrylic resin base materials contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, candida albicans and streptococcus mutans. It was concluded by Brondani MA et al109 that irradiation time above 15minutes and voltage greater than 850 watts may cause distortion and surface roughness of the denture while not affecting the hardness of the material. While in another study 50 seconds of exposure at 850 watt seemed to be sufficient to disinfect the acrylic denture without any adverse effect on the material113. ALTERNATE DENTURE CLEANSING METHODS: Chlorhexidine destroys bacteria by breaking their membranes and inducing cytoplasmic precipitation114. In a study by de Andrade IM and colleagues 107 60 CD wearers participated in a trial for 21 days after getting brushing instructions. They found that the biofilm coverage area after treatment with immersion in 2% chlorhexidine for 5 minutes was the lowest when compared to immersion in water and in 0.12% chlorhexdine for 20 minutes. While in a study by Uludamar A and colleagues26 it was found that patients whose upper dentures were sprayed with mouthwashes on palatal surface showed decreased candida count when compared to patients who used effervescent type denture cleansers for soaking and cleaning. It can be concluded that mouthwashes can be used as effective denture disinfectants. Tissue cleansing and massage is often neglected part of complete denture care. Brushing the tongue and residual ridges will improve the circulation and remove plaque and debris that may cause irritation of soft tissue and offensive odors 115. In a study by Marchini L116 it was found that 68% of the complete denture wearers didn't clean their tongue. PERIODIC RECALL FOR ORAL EXAMINATION: Patient recall must be a tool to help prevention, allow early intervention and ensure long term dental health117. In a study by Peracini A 51`% of the patients interviewed were not informed about their recall visits.118 An evidence based, patient centered approach taking into account multiple risk categories must be implemented in designing recall visits.119 The American College of Prosthodontists recommends that patients wearing complete dentures must be checked every year for assessment of oral health status, denture fit and function and for evaluation of bone loss as well as oral lesions such as denture stomatitis 16. This recommendation is based on the evidence regarding the relationship between proper complete denture oral hygiene and overall systemic health particularly in dependant elderly45.