Isys104 Tutorial -Week4 Essay Example

Isys104 Tutorial Isys104 Tutorial -Week4 Essay Isys104 Tutorial -Week4 Essay ISYS104 Tutorial – week 4 Review Questions 1. Which features of organizations do managers need to know about to build and use information systems successfully? What is the impact of information systems on organizations? Define an organization and compare the technical definition of organizations with the behavioral definition. Students can make use of Figures 3–2 and Figure 3–3 in answering this question. The technical definition for an organization defines an organization as a stable, formal social structure that takes resources from the environment and processes them to produce outputs. This definition of an organization focuses on three elements: capital, labor, and production and products for consumption. The technical definition also implies that organizations are more stable than an informal group, are formal legal entities, and are social structures. The behavioral definition states that an organization is a collection of rights, privileges, obligations, and responsibilities that are delicately balanced over a period of time through conflict and conflict resolution. This definition highlights the people within the organization, their ways of working, and their relationships. The technical definition shows us how a firm combines capital, labor, and information technology. The behavioral definition examines how information technology impacts the inner workings of the organization. Identify and describe the features of organizations that help explain differences in organizations’ use of information systems. Common features for organizations include formal structure, standard operating procedures, politics, and culture. Organizations can differ in their organizational type, environment, goals, power, constituencies, function, leadership, tasks, technology, and business processes. Describe the major economic theories that help explain how information systems affect organizations. The two economic theories discussed in the book are transaction cost theory and agency theory. The transaction cost theory is based on the notion that a firm incurs transaction costs when it buys goods in the marketplace rather than making products for itself. Traditionally, firms sought to reduce transaction costs by getting bigger, hiring more employees, vertical and horizontal integration, and small-company takeovers. Information technology helps firms lower the cost of market participation (transaction costs) and helps firms shrink in size while producing the same or greater amount of output. The agency theory views the firm as a nexus of contracts among interested individuals. The owner employs agents (employees) to perform work on his or her behalf and delegates some decision-making authority to the agents. Agents need constant supervision and management, which introduces management costs. As firms grow, management costs rise. Information technology reduces agency costs by providing information more easily so that managers can supervise a larger number of people with fewer resources. Describe the major behavioral theories that help explain how information systems affect organizations. Behavioral theories, from sociology, psychology, and political science, are useful for describing the behavior of individual firms. Behavioral researchers theorize that information technology could change the decision-making hierarchy by lowering the costs of information acquisition and distribution. IT could eliminate middle managers and their clerical support by sending information from operating units directly to senior management and by enabling information to be sent directly to lower-level operating units. It even enables some organizations to act as virtual organizations because they are no longer limited by geographic locations. One behavioral approach views information systems as the outcome of political competition between organizational subgroups. IT becomes very involved with this competition because it controls who has access to what information, and information systems can control who does what, when, where, and how. Explain why there is considerable organizational resistance to the introduction of information systems. There is considerable organizational resistance to new information systems because they change many important organizational dimensions, such as culture, structure, politics, and work. Leavitt puts forth a model that says that changes in technology are absorbed, deflected, and defeated by organizational task arrangements, structures, and people. In this model the only way to bring about change is to change the technology, tasks, structure, and people simultaneously. In a second model, the authors speak of the need to unfreeze organizations before introducing an innovation, quickly implementing the new system, and then refreezing or institutionalizing the change. Describe the impact of the Internet and disruptive technologies on organizations. The Internet increases the accessibility, storage, and distribution of information and knowledge for organizations; nearly any information can be available anywhere at any time. The Internet increases the scope, depth, and range of information and knowledge storage. It lowers the cost and raises the quality of information and knowledge distribution. That is, it lowers transaction costs and information acquisition costs. By using the Internet, organizations may reduce several levels of management, enabling closer and quicker communication between upper levels of management and the lower levels. The Internet also lowers agency costs. Disruptive technologies caused by technological changes can have different effects on different companies depending on how they handle the changes. Some companies create the disruptions and succeed very well. Other companies learn about the disruption and successfully adopt it. Other companies are obliterated by the changes because they are very efficient at doing what no longer needs to be done. Some disruptions mostly benefit the firm. Other disruptions mostly benefit consumers. 2. How does Porter’s competitive forces model help companies develop competitive strategies using information systems? Define Porter’s competitive forces model and explain how it works. This model provides a general view of the firm, its competitors, and the firm’s environment. Porter’s model is all about the firm’s general business environment. In this model, five competitive forces shape the fate of the firm: traditional competitors new market entrants substitute products and services customers suppliers Describe what the competitive forces model explains about competitive advantage. Some firms do better than other because they either have access to special resources that others do not, or they are able to use commonly available resource more efficiently. It could be because of superior knowledge and information assets. Regardless, they excel in revenue growth, profitability, or productivity growth, ultimately increasing their stock market valuations compared to their competitors. List and describe four competitive strategies enabled by information systems that firms can pursue. Table 3. 2 can be used to help answer this question. The four generic strategies, each of which often is enabled by using information technology and systems include: Low-cost leadership: lowest operational costs and the lowest prices. Product differentiation: enable new products and services, or greatly change the customer convenience in using existing products and services. Focus on market niche: enable a specific market focus and serve this narrow target market better than competitors. Strengthen customer and suppliers: tighten linkages with suppliers and develop intimacy with customers. Describe how information systems can support each of these competitive strategies and give examples. Low-cost leadership: use informa tion systems to improve inventory management, supply management, and create efficient customer response systems. Example: Wal: Google, eBay, Apple, Lands’ End. Focus on market niche: use information systems to produce and analyze data for finely tuned sales and marketing techniques. Analyze customer buying patterns, tastes, and preferences closely in order to efficiently pitch advertising and marketing campaigns to smaller target markets. Example: Hilton Hotels, Harrah’s. Strengthen customer and supplier intimacies: use information systems to facilitate direct access from suppliers to information within the company. Increase switching costs and loyalty to the company. Example: IBM, Amazon. com Explain why aligning IT with business objectives is essential for strategic use of systems. The basic principle of IT strategy for a business is to ensure the technology serves the business and not the other way around. The more successfully a firm can align its IT with its business goals, the more profitable it will be. Business people must take an active role in shaping IT to the enterpri se. They cannot ignore IT issues. They cannot tolerate failure in the IT area as just a nuisance to work around. They must understand what IT can do, how it works, and measure its impact on revenues and profits. 3. How do the value chain and value web models help businesses identify opportunities for strategic information system applications? Define and describe the value chain model. The value chain model highlights specific activities in the business where competitive strategies can best be applied and where information systems will most likely have a strategic impact. The model identifies specific, critical leverage points where a firm can use information technology most effectively to enhance its competitive position. The value chain model views the firm as a series of basic activities that add a margin of value to a firm’s products or services. The activities are categorized as either primary or support activities. Primary activities are most directly related to production and distribution of the firm’s products and services, which create value for the customer. Support activities make the delivery of primary activities possible and consist of organization infrastructure. A firm’s value chain can be linked to the value chains of its suppliers, distributors, and customers. Explain how the value chain model can be used to identify opportunities for information systems. Information systems can be used at each stage of the value chain to improve operational efficiency, lower costs, improve profit margins, and forge a closer relationship with customers and suppliers. Define the value web and show how it is related to the value chain. A value web is a collection of independent firms that use information technology to coordinate their value chains to collectively produce a product or service. It is more customer driven and operates in a less linear fashion than the traditional value chain. The value web is a networked system that can synchronize the business processes of customers, suppliers, and trading partners among different companies in an industry or in related industries. Explain how the value web helps businesses identify opportunities for strategic information systems. Information systems enable value webs that are flexible and adaptive to changes in supply and demand. Relationships can be bundled or unbundled in response to changing market conditions. Firms will accelerate time to market and to customers by optimizing their value web relationships to make quick decisions on who can deliver the required products or services at the right price and location. Information systems make it possible for companies to establish and operate value webs. Describe how the Internet has changed competitive forces and competitive advantage. The Internet has nearly destroyed some industries and severely threatened others. The Internet has also created entirely new markets and formed the basis of thousands of new businesses. The Internet has enabled new products and services, new business models, and new industries to rapidly develop. Because of the Internet, competitive rivalry has become much more intense. Internet technology is based on universal standards that any company can use, making it easy for rivals to compete on price alone and for new competitors to enter the market. Because information is available to everyone, the Internet raises the bargaining power of customers, who can quickly find the lowest-cost provider on the Web. 4. How do information systems help businesses use synergies, core competencies and network-based strategies to achieve competitive advantage? Explain how information systems promote synergies and core competencies. A large corporation is typically a collection of businesses that are organized as a collection of strategic business units. Information systems can improve the overall performance of these business units by promoting synergies and core competencies. Describe how promoting synergies and core competencies enhances competitive advantages. The concept of synergy is that when the output of some units can be used as inputs to other units, or two organizations can pool markets and expertise, these relationships lower costs and generate profits. In applying synergy to situations, information systems are used to tie together the operations of disparate business units so that they can act as a whole. A core competency is an activity for which a firm is a world-class leader. In general, a core competency relies on knowledge that is gained over many years of experience and a first-class research organization or simply key people who stay abreast of new external knowledge. Any information system that encourages the sharing of knowledge across business units enhances competency. Explain how businesses benefit by using network economics. In a network, the marginal costs of adding another participant are almost zero, whereas the marginal gain is much larger. The larger the number of participants in a network, the greater the value to all participants because each user can interact with more people. The availability of Internet and networking technology has inspired strategies that take advantage of the abilities of the firm to create networks or network with each other. In a network economy, information systems facilitate business models based on large networks of users or subscribers that take advantage of network economies. Internet sites can be used by firms to build communities of users that can result in building customer loyalty and enjoyment and build unique ties to customers, suppliers, and business partners. Define and describe a virtual company and the benefits of pursuing a virtual company strategy. A virtual company uses networks to link people, assets, and ideas, enabling it to ally with other companies to create and distribute products and services without being limited by traditional organizational boundaries or physical locations. One company can use the capabilities of another company without being physically tied to that company. The virtual company model is useful when a company finds it cheaper to acquire products, services, or capabilities from an external vendor or when it needs to move quickly to exploit new market opportunities and lacks the time and resources to respond on its own. . What are the challenges posed by strategic information systems and how should they be addressed? List and describe the management challenges posed by strategic information systems. Information systems are closely intertwined with an organization’s structure, culture, and business processes. New systems disrupt established patterns of work and power relationships, so there is oft en considerable resistance to them when they are introduced. Implementing strategic systems often requires extensive organizational change and a transition from one sociotechnical level to another. Such changes are called strategic transitions and are often difficult and painful to achieve. Moreover, not all strategic systems are profitable. They are expensive and difficult to build because they entail massive sociotechnical changes within the organization. Many strategic information systems are easily copied by other firms so that strategic advantage is not always sustainable. The complex relationship between information systems, organizational performance, and decision making must be carefully managed. Explain how to perform a strategic systems analysis. Managers should ask the following questions to help them identify the types of systems that may provide them with a strategic advantage. 1. What is the structure of the industry in which the firm is located? Analyze the competitive forces at work in the industry; determine the basis of competition; determine the direction and nature of change within the industry; and analyze how the industry is currently using information technology. 2. What are the business, firm, and industry value chains for this particular firm? Decide how the company creates value for its customers; determine how the firm uses best practices to manage its business processes; analyze how the firm leverages its core competencies; verify how the industry supply chain and customer base are changing; establish the benefit of strategic partnerships and value webs; clarify where information systems will provide the greatest value in the firm’s value chain. 3. Have we aligned IT with our business strategy and goals? Articulate the firm’s business strategy and goals; decide if IT is improving the right business processes and activities in accordance with the firm’s strategy; agree on the right metrics to measure progress toward the goals. Discussion Questions 1. It has been said that there is no such thing as a sustainable competitive advantage. Do you agree? Why or why not? Students will argue both sides, and there is no definite answer to the question. There is little that a company can do that cannot be duplicated over time. Citibank and its ATM machines and American Airlines and its reservation systems are good examples. Think about companies that had strategic advantages in the 1920s or 1940s that no longer exist. In contrast, some companies, such as Wal-Mart, maintain a strategic advantage for a long time. Wal-Mart maintains its lead by striving to advance even further. Gary Hamel, whom some call the leading strategy expert in business today, says there is no such thing as sustainable strategic advantage. Hamel is founder and chairman of Strategos and a research fellow at Harvard Business School. He believes that, in the past, most companies were built to do one thing exceedingly well for an exceedingly long period of time. In today’s marketplace, companies built for scale, replication, diligence, and exactitude must learn to change, adapt, and experiment at the speed that you see in the new economy. New economy companies must master some virtues of the old economy. These companies are learning that scale, operational excellence, and global infrastructure are important. They can constitute hard-to-duplicate competitive advantages that allow them to capture the rents on their innovation. Many have been trained to think that there is no such a thing as sustainable competitive advantage. They have been trained to think about innovation in products and technology, not innovation in business models. They assume that being radical is risky and being incremental is safe. We have to rewire people with new thinking skills. 2. It has been said that the advantage that leading-edge retailers such as Dell and Wal-Mart have over their competition isn’t technology; it’s their management. Do you agree? Why or why not? Student answers will vary but here are some points their answers should include: How well has each company, Dell and Wal-Mart, used information systems to reduce transaction costs and agency costs? How well has each company used information systems to take advantage of Porter’s Competitive Forces model: o Keeping new market entrants out o Either preventing substitute products and services that may compete with their own, or introducing substitute products and services that pull customers away from their competitors o Holding onto customers by c ompeting on prices alone when there is very little product differentiation o Exercising more control over suppliers How well has each company’s management used information systems to enhance o Low-cost leadership – Wal-Mart is the king at this; Dell sometimes uses this strategy o Product differentiation – Dell uses this strategy against Apple and HP (the two leading computer sellers) o Focusing on market niche – neither company uses this much o Strengthening customer and supplier intimacy – Wal-Mart wrote the book on this one; Dell uses this strategy extensively. Business Problem-Solving Case: YouTube, the Internet, and the Future of Movies 1. What competitive forces have challenged the movie industry? What problems have these forces created? What changes have these problems caused the movie and television studios to make? New market entrants and substitute products are the two main competitive forces challenging the movie industry. The traditional outlets for viewing movies – theatres, cable television, and movie rental businesses – are all challenged by new ways for customers to obtain products. The traditional outlets were very easy to control and ensured that the movie producers received compensation for their products. The distribution system was created, not necessarily for the customer’s convenience, but to provide an orderly process for all the players to make money. With the advent of downloadable movies, the system is changing to more of a viewer-centric process. The main problem is that movie studios and producers, outlets for selling the movies, and the myriad of people involved in the old system, have no way of controlling downloads from all the different Web sites that make them available. With no controls in place, the industry cannot ensure its receiving just payments and rewards for the work they produce. Several distributors have tried to squelch the download outlets but its virtually impossible to monitor all the Web sites and all their content. As NBC Universal’s general counsel, Rick Cotton admitted, â€Å"There is only so much we can do. † Some of the major studios entered into negotiations with YouTube and established licensing agreements. Other solutions follow the music industry trends of taking advantage of movie downloads and view them as another source of revenue. YouTube is helping build a revenue-sharing model with content creators and developing a filtering and digital fingerprinting technology that will help it control the unauthorized use of copyright protected material. 2. Describe the impact of disruptive technology on the companies discussed in this case? YouTube is to the motion picture industry what Napster was to the music industry. That is, it’s a conduit to new processes that are more customer-driven than the old ones. YouTube has become the most popular video-sharing Web site because it gives users what they want when they want it. People wanted an outlet for the creative video diaries and amateur films that they created using inexpensive digital video equipment. Disruptive technologies continually displace old technologies that, while they are still good products, no longer serve a customer base. That explains what is causing the changes in how customers want to receive motion pictures. Basically, once the cat is out of the bag, it’s very difficult to get it back in. 3. How have the movie studios responded to YouTube? What is the goal of the response? What can the movie studios learn from music industry’s dealings with online digital music and copyright infringement? If you want to lay blame for all that’s happening in the movie industry you could almost point your finger at hardware and software video-related manufacturers who provided cheap, easy-to-use tools for the average person. Originally the movie industry tried to fight the thousands of illegal uses of their copyrighted material- much as the music industry tried to fight their battle years ago. It was and is a losing battle- both in protecting their copyrighted content and in the public relations fight for loyal customers. Many producers have chosen to not fight their customers but are trying to find ways to meet the needs and demands of both sides- the producers and the customers. It’s a wise decision. 4. Should motion picture companies continue to use YouTube to promote their new films? Why or why not? The answers obviously will vary. It’s important to understand that YouTube continues to be the most popular video sharing Web site. With Google’s clout behind it, it will continue to be a force to reckon with. The movie industry should continue to work with YouTube to find ways to use the site, if for nothing else than promotional reasons. By putting their own short videos and film clips on the site, before others do, movie studios can thwart some of the illegal use of their films. The average person would rather see a well-produced video than a second- or third-rate clip. By taking proactive measures rather than being reactive, the industry can control (to a greater extent) what appears on YouTube’s site. 5. Go to YouTube. com and search for videos from your favorite movie or television show. What do you find on the site? Do you see any advertisements attached to the video? Do you feel this way of advertising is effective? Why or why not? Answers will vary to most of this question but it should provoke some good classroom discussions or discussions in a chat forum. Key elements students should understand is that all artists, producers, and distributors deserve some compensation for their talent, time, investments, and labor. Illegally using copyrighted material is an act of theft. Both users and video- and audio-sharing Web sites are equally and legally responsible for properly using someone else’s property. Advertising is becoming a major source of revenue for many Web sites and YouTube is no different. That’s especially true since Google, a company very dependent on advertising dollars, purchased YouTube. It’s probably true that YouTube ads help get customers excited about seeing the actual movie. Note: Demonstrating the use of Michael Porter’s competitive forces model would be a good exercise in this discussion.

Cognitive Development Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cognitive Development Theory - Essay Example This test was adopted to be used in the United States in 1905 by a psychologist called Lewis Terman (Morra, 2008). The intelligent quotient has its scoring concept based on the mental age. In this test, the average intelligence of a child needs to match with his/her age. However, a gifted child has his or her performance compared to that of older children while the slow leaners are identified through comparisons with younger children. There are a number of theories of cognitive development, yet there is none that gives explanations to all the cognitive development aspects. The Jean Piaget theory is one of the most comprehensive and influential postulate. Jean argues that intelligence is an enabling agent for one to adapt to an environment. Ones intelligence is shown by his or her response towards a certain stimuli. He was interested in the reaction of children towards the environment (Morra, 2008). The knowledge of a child contains basic units referred to as schemas which organize ex periences acquired in the past and provide grounds in which new ones are understood. Piaget establishes four main stages of development and each of these stages build on the experiences a child acquires from the previous stage. These stages include; 1) Sensory or infancy stage: During this period intelligence is shown through the reflex activity that does not involve the use of symbols. The knowledge develops in a limited manner as a result of reduced physical, interactive activities and various experiences gained. Infants begin learning the world around them by using their senses. They mostly focus on the movement of various objects around them, separate pitch and sounds, perceive colors and anticipate events such as suckling once they see their mothers nipples. 2) Pre-operational stage also known as toddler or early childhood: Here, the child’s intelligence is demonstrated by the involvement of symbols. It is also associated by development of memory and imaginations, improv ement of language, and predomination of opportunistic thinking. However, thinking is demonstrated in an illogical or irreversible manner. Toddlers strive to be independent posing a challenge of their safety to the parents. They also show an understanding of what is appropriate or not. They are knowledgeable on the permanence and displacement of the various objects or people, and starts using different tools and instruments within their reach. 3) Concrete operational stage also referred to as elementary and early adolescence: This stage is characterized by logical interpretation and systematic analysis of symbols that relates to concrete events and objects (Morra, 2008). Reversible mental actions dominate while the egocentric thinking diminishes. At this stage, they acquire imagery, memorizing and social interaction skills. They learn negative actions such as lying, abusing and bullying. 4) Formal operational stage also known as adolescence and adulthood: Abstract concepts and logica l application of symbols describe the intelligence in this stage. Formal thinking and a slight demonstration of egocentrism characterize this people. Their judgments on various occurrences are based on their ability to analyze past experiences. School age children are able to think on what is possible and stop limiting their thoughts to what is real. Their thinking is hypothetical. They are able to comprehend abstract ideas in a logical manner,

Operatons management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operatons management - Essay Example Moreover, the advancement of the information technology is another important add-on for logistic management. With the used of the advance IT system, operators can track the flow of materials from the point of purchasing inputs for productions to the point finished products are sold in the retail stores. This gives enough data for logistics managers to make a wise decision for the overall business operations. Lastly, the principles and value chain are also discussed. The principles of logistic management give pointers for managers to help them gauge the correctness and effectiveness of their decision making. Transport and logistics, according to the report written by Shepherd, is a sector in which global value chain (GVCs) play a vital role in connecting countries. It is also responsible for spreading technologies. It also promotes best practice with all the countries in the world. Major shipping, freight forwarding, express delivery firms are just a few of the notable firms involved with this sector. Not only big and notable firms – transport and logistics also partners with local operators. It does not focus on first world countries alone as it extends hands to low income countries or commonly known as the third world countries to help boost their flow of goods, information and other valuable resources. In addition to its vital role as a global value chains, this sector also helps improve the trade performance of many countries around the world. For example, in order for manufacturing and agricultural industries to deliver their produce or goods to consumers quickly and reliably, they need the help of the transport and logistics sectors. A banana plantation industry depends on transports and logistics sectors to ship tons of harvested bananas to different countries. Without a cost-effective model of delivering these

The Need For Natural Resource Preservation Environmental Sciences Essay

The Need For Natural Resource Preservation Environmental Sciences Essay Introduction Natural resources are those things that exist naturally within the environment and subsist relatively undisturbed in a normal and natural form. The world is blessed with diverse natural resources wealth that has helped mankind meet their daily needs for food, shelter, clothing, medicine and other important chemical elements that are vital for making useful products. Uplifting the life standards of human beings depend wholly on the wise use of the available natural resources (Phil, 2010). The primary natural resources include air, sun, forests, land, water, minerals, wildlife, and fisheries. Natural resources protection or conservation involves employing and adopting environmental protection techniques that will prohibit further destruction or unwise use of our natural resources. Studies indicate that, despite the vast significance of protecting and conserving natural resources, there are also far-reaching demerits in relation to the same. This paper is going to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conserving natural resources. Advantages For the world to sustain future generations, the human community at large should embrace conservation of natural resources both renewable and non-renewable. Recent studies have estimated that many of the natural resource exploited by people has decreased to less than 25%, particularly oil and coal (Phil, 2010). This therefore, implies that the world cannot even support the present human population indefinitely. It should be noted that coal and oil (non-renewable resources) are one of the primary sources of energy, and without limiting and regulating exploitation of these vital natural resources then it means that, the coming generation will be deprived for these resources. In addition, in order to avoid future starvations, deaths, and conflicts over the scarce natural resources; we need to wisely use the available resources (Phil, 2010). Human physical and industrial activities have played a big role in depleting the beauty of our environment. For instance, the agricultural activities in Egypt and Asia; burning of agricultural wastes like rice straws and garbage has led to the formation of black cloud. This is where soot, dust particles, and other lethal elements are deposited into the atmosphere polluting the air natural resource. These particles interfere with the normal environmental setting and contributing to global warming effects. Elements like nitrous oxides, methane and carbon monoxide readily combine with vapor in the atmosphere to form acidic rains. Acidic rains are responsible for corroding and destructing manmade structures, destroying plants and animals. Through good environment conservation practices, the environment will remain pure and a good habitat for all organisms (Phil, 2010). Everything that we throw a way in the form of waste has diverse impact on degrading and destroying our natural resources. For instance, landfills have taken up valuable space and have contributed to both ground water pollution and air pollution by releasing significant amount of air pollutants like methane, and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere (Recharge Colorado, 2010). Natural resources conservation through reducing, reusing and recycling helps in decreasing household waste thus reducing landfills. In essence reducing involves manufacturing, designing, purchasing or using materials like products and packaging materials in manner that decreases the overall toxic levels of trash. On the other hand, reusing entails avoiding disposal of an item by reusing it in a similar way or devising a new way to use it (Recharge Colorado, 2010). Recycling is another key factor in natural resources conservation, for example, items that could have been used by consumers and discarded form the raw material for manufacturing other items. Recyclable items can be recollected and redeveloped into new products that are of equal importance (Jay, et al. 2010). This reduces pressure on exploitation of natural resources thus protecting them. Nevertheless, recycling saves energy conserves natural resources like timber, water and mineral salts thereby inhibiting and preventing environmental pollution. Consequently, it provides room to preserve resources for future generations. The commonly recycled materials are; papers, yard Trimmings e.g. grass, leaves, and shrubs which are recycled through compositing, Glass, bottles and jars, Aluminum à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ mostly beverage containers, and plastics like soda bottles, milk jugs, plastic bags and detergent containers (Jay. et al. 2010). Energy is what drives the world economy, without energy the world will be a very different place. Electrical energy has greatly transformed various sectors such as education, manufacturing, farming, lighting and agriculture. Conserving this primary and original natural resource will provide diverse innovations and development in the world as a whole. The lighting element of energy is widely used allover the world, therefore, conserving this natural resource is of great importance. This can be done through use of compact fluorescent lamps/bulbs (CFL), which has been found to be the more appropriate way of conserving electricity as opposed to using ordinary incandescent bulbs. According to a study done in relation to this issue, it was established that, household electricity consumption in the US accounted for 9% in 2001(Keefe, 2007). Also it was established that for a given light output fluorescent tubes/bulbs use approximately 20 to 33 percent of the power consumed by incandescent la mps/ordinary bulbs (Keefe, 2007). When incandescent lamps were replaced by the fluorescent tubes the total household electricity consumption decreased form 9% to 7% (Keefe, 2007). Disadvantages Raw materials, food and technology all come about as a result of exploitation of natural resources. Food industries and factories rely on the agricultural produce as their basic raw materials. For these raw materials to be available, forests and grasslands must be cleared to pave way for agricultural activities to take place. Energy, for instance, used in these industries must also be available for industries and factories to completely manufacture relevant products that help satisfying basic human needs (Phil, 2010). Fossil energy like coal and petroleum must be extensively utilized to provide the required energy. Without exploitation of these natural resources the economic development we all want will not be achieved. Exploitation of these natural resources is the sole drive for economical growth in all economies. The learning process since time immemorial has fundamentally relied on paper. The primary source of paper is trees or forests. Without cutting these trees and processing them into paper, education sector will suffer greatly, so will other sectors that depend on paper. As Phil (2010) adds, management in almost all kinds of institutions and record keeping which are very crucial entities in smooth running of any institution rely on paper. Exploitation of these natural resources has resulted into employment opportunities, where many individuals earn their livelihood from. If exploitation of these resource is stopped, many people jobless hence jeopardizing their daily well being. Though natural resources are scary, people still have to continue exploiting them to survive, what can be done is creating new innovative ways to exploit these resources. In deed, many US based car manufacturing companies have been forced to be more innovative to meet the needs of their customers. Instead of relying solely on cars that use petroleum as the only source of combustion energy in their combustion engines, they have devised new electrical cars that use electrical energy in their electrical engines. In relation to this, it is clear that, natural resources should be exploited to the maximum in order for persons to be innovative with regard to the prevailing situation. In the US, Americans have turned trash or waste into a new source of opportunity. For instance the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle agencies have come up with a single most idea to conserve the environment. But letà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s view it from this perspective, if it were not for destroying and destructing the environment by throwing waste and trash, and creating more landfills, the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle program could have not been there at all. These programs have both economic and environmental benefits in the US (Recharge Colorado, 2010). It has created more employment opportunities for the US citizens. In view of these arguments, it can be stated that though natural resource should be conserved for sustainable development, their exploitation should continue. In deed people have the ability to come up with new and better ways of using these natural resources when they understand that they are scarce. Conclusion In conclusion, conservation of natural resources is something that should be undertaken with serious consideration. In order to create a favorable environment for future economic growth in the world, we should develop strategies that promote more conservation than exploitation. On a wider view of this matter, there should be in place programs that regulate human population growth to ease pressure on the few remaining natural resources. Sustainable proper use of the existing natural resource should be encouraged by all governments to give room for both economical growth and environmental conservation (Phil, 2010).

Tender is the Night Essay -- Fitzgerald Literature Essays

Tender is the Night â€Å"Servant trouble†¦political worries†¦almost neurosis†¦drinking increased†¦arguments with Scottie†¦quarrel with Hemingway†¦quarrel with Bunny Wilson†¦quarrel with Gerald Murphy†¦breakdown of car†¦tight at Eddie Poe’s†¦sick again†¦first borrowing from mother†¦sick†¦ ‘The Fire’†¦Zelda weakens and goes to Hopkins†¦one servant and eating out.† (Mayfield 207) A short excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Ledger provides a small sample of the many hurdles Fitzgerald struggled to overcome while slaving away nine years with Tender is the Night. The labor which accompanied Fitzgerald’s fourth novel was not anticipated by the author. He had first envisioned Tender is the Night to be â€Å"something really new in form, idea, and structure—the model for the age that Joyce and Stein are searching for, that Conrad didn’t find†(Scribner 1). But disease, relative poverty, and heartbreak plagued Fitzgerald and repeatedly interrupted his work on the novel. Tender is the Night finally appeared on April 12, 1934. But despite Fitzgerald’s high expectations of hot reviews, the reception was, at best, luke warm. The novel sold only thirteen thousand copies and left Fitzgerald’s ego bruised and his hopes of its estimable success unfulfilled. Ernest Hemingway offered little praise. The characters, he believed, were â€Å"beautifully faked case histories rather than people† (Mayfield 209). Similarly unimpressed, Hal Borland of the Philadelphia Ledger remarked on April 13, 1934, â€Å"Most of the themes [of Tender is the Night] seem better fitted for clinical studies than for fiction. Fitzgerald’s novel is admirably done, and its dozens of cross-currents are well handled. But it is not the important nov... ...the critics’ reception of Tender is the Night. Though short in length, Scribner reveals several excerpts from Fitzgerald’s letters and personal writings which present for the readers a more personal view of Fitzgerald, the author. http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/fitzgeraldbio.html This website lists Fitzgerald’s published works and offers a detailed biography of the author himself. The highlighted texts serve to differentiate different eras in Fitzgerald’s life. The site also offers several links wherein additional information regarding influential people and events can be researched. http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald.com This website summarizes Fitzgerald’s life as well as the general reception of his novels. It also touches on the many hurdles Fitzgerald came across during his nine years of struggling with his fourth novel, Tender is the Night.

Reinventing the wheel at apex door company Essay

In 2011, a stock trader of a well-known investment firm along with two alleged accomplices was convicted of insider trading. The lawyers allegedly browsed around their law firm picking up information regarding corporate deals and would provide it to a person who would then pass the inside information to the trader. This information was then used by the trader for him to earn millions of dollars. Since the information came from the lawyers, the trader would thank them by providing envelopes filled with cash. II. Central Problem Screening out the potential bad stock traders and only those stock traders with good values and can be trusted with confidential information are selected. Find a way to control the behaviours of those already in the firm who are prone to engage in inside trading. III. Conclusion The firm shows that they have a poor system in selecting employees since unethical employees are able to enter their company. They also possess poor security regarding with the works of their employees that is why most probably some employees are able to do insider trading. And lastly there is limited communication between top management and the employees which lead to this kind of behaviour by employees. IV. Recommendation Due to the alarming case of insider trading we recommend that the firm should strengthen their employee selection program in order to select the right personnel with ethical values. With this improved selection program, top management would be able to identify who should be selected and who should be not.

The Christian Worldview - 1217 Words

The Christian Worldview is very widely known in today’s society. This religion has many strong beliefs about the creation of the world and what waits for believers in the afterlife. Psalms 111:10 gives a good idea of the foundation of the Christian worldview by saying. â€Å"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.† (New International Version). The Christian worldview has very specific beliefs and expectations in God, humanity, Jesus and Restoration. According to the Christian Worldview, God is to be feared, known, and loved as the sovereign creator whom all should glory, honor, and praise. God is believed to have many characteristics, included but not limited to being unchanging, all-powerful, all-knowing, good, loving, jealous, faithful, and holy. These characteristics are believed to be true because they are seen through his eternal nature,, his omnipotence and his goodness ( DiVincenzo, 2014). In Romans 1:20, the Holy Bible says, â€Å"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, aver since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.† God is also the first person in the Trinity, the belief that there is one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Kilby, 2011). Another belief of the Christian worldview is that God is the creator of all things; however, distinct from his creation. The firstShow MoreRelatedChristian Worldview Essay Paper1121 Words   |  5 PagesChristian Worldview Paper – Second Draft Christine Reiter CWV 101 – Christian World View 11/25/2012 Dr. Jim Uhley My Worldview My worldview is formed by my relationships, challenges and choices I have made, environmental surroundings and my family influence, all which have impressed on me my views of the world. According to Merriam-Webster’s Learners Dictionary, the definition of â€Å"Worldview† is â€Å"The way someone thinks about the world†. Although this simple phrase seems to the point, itRead MoreWorldview : A Christian Worldview1578 Words   |  7 Pagesdiscussed the different worldviews that an individual may have. This class has taught me that a worldview is how an individual understands the world and their place in it. â€Å"A worldview consist of what a person believes to be real and true, what a person values, how a person makes decisions, and what forms a person’s desires, longings, and goals† (Fuller, Lecture One). An individual’s worldview is the motivating force behind their every emotion, decision, and action. A worldview is what helps an individualRead MoreThe Worldview Of The Christian Worldview955 Words   |  4 Pagesword worldview means how an individual view the world around them. A worldview is a complete system of how we perceive the world and process it. According to Waddell (2014), â€Å"a worldview is a foundational set of assumptions to which one commits that serves as a framework for understanding and interpreting reality and deeply shapes one’s behavior.† The worldview of an individual is usually influenced by the person’s cultural background, life experiences, and upbringing. The Christian worldview is underRead MoreChristian Worldview : A Worldview864 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"What is a worldview? A worldview comprises one s collection of presuppositions, convictions and values from which a person tries to understand and make sense out of the world and life. A worldview is a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe and by which we interpret and judge reality. A worldview is, first of all, an explanation and interpretation of the world and second, an application of this view to life.† (Dr. John MacArthur, May 2006)Read MoreThe Christian Worldview1359 Words   |  6 Pagescomplex and chaotic world, possessing a worldview that is practical can be essential to well-being and satisfaction. Without a cohesive framework with which to process the world around us, life can become discouraging and meaningless. Among a plethora of worldviews, Christianity is distinctive and singularly addresses many questions that come to the forefront concerning our existence and the universe. Unfortunately, many â⠂¬Å"who see themselves to be Christian really don’t understand even the basicsRead MoreNon Profit Analysis Essay7109 Words   |  29 PagesAnalysis Project Liberty University Penny LeBaron Busi 602 Carlson Hurst Part 1: Christian World View According to Del Tackett’s article on the Focus on the Family website, a person with a Biblical world view â€Å"believes his primary reason for existence is to love and serve God† (Tackett, 2012). Barna Research Group asks the following questions to determine if a person has a Biblical worldview: â€Å"Do absolute moral truths exist? Is absolute truth defined by the Bible? Did Jesus Christ liveRead MoreThe Christian Worldview1920 Words   |  8 PagesThere are many components that make up a worldview. 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That is why Paul’s letter to the Roman church is such as significant demonstration of the Gospel and the Christian Worldview andRead MoreChristian Worldview1594 Words   |  7 Pages Let us ponder about how other religions worldviews relate to the Biblical worldview. There are three main areas or types of worldviews, Pantheists (Hinduism, Buddhism), Secularism (naturalism), and Theism (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). I will answer 5 basic questions on just one of the non-Christian worldviews and then compare it to the Biblical worldview. Part one will be about Buddhism and part two will compare Buddhism and the Biblical worldview. The questions to be answered are: 1.Read MoreChristian Worldview : A Christian Perspective1490 Words   |  6 PagesA Christian Worldview A Christian worldview is one that is complicated and composed of themes. These themes, and history of Christianity, can help a person comprehend what living through a Christian worldview is like. Some of these essential themes are: God speaks into the chaos, God is one and incomprehensible, Jesus is the messiah, Jesus is God, and God is not Santa Clause. These are themes that make up Christianity and help set it apart from other religions. â€Å"In the beginning