Drama Paper on Trifles †Susan Glaspell Essay

Susan Glaspell’s one act play Trifles is based upon actual events which occurred in Iowa at the turn of the century. Between 1899 and 1901 she worked as a reporter for the Des Moines News, during which time she covered a murder trial of a farmer’s wife, Margaret Hossack. The play was written some years later. (enotes. com, 2005) This essay aims to analyze the themes and ideas presented here by analyzing the central character. The full text of this play can be retrieved from http://www. vcu. edu/engweb/eng384/trifles. htm This paper aims to show, by conducting an analysis of the central character, Mrs. Wright (the accused), and discussing her thoughts, feelings and actions, how she is affected by events, other characters and environmental culture and values. Mrs. Wright is a farmer’s wife at the turn of the century, at a time when feminism was beginning to come to the fore, but many years before the active burning of bras, in the 1960s, without children. Moreover, she is married to a man who is not known in the outside community for his social skills – to quote Mrs. Hale, one of the female characters in the play, to pass the time of day with him would be like a raw wind that gets to the bone. We never actually meet Mrs. Wright in person, but it is from the conversation of the others that we learn about her. For instance, from the women’s observations, and despite the comments of the men, we learn that Mrs. Wright is in fact a good homemaker – she quilts well, is diligent about her preserves, the pans were neatly arranged under the sink, and the roller towel was in fact clean prior to Mrs. Wright’s departure (it was dirtied by the man who came in later). She also had bread set ready to be baked. This attitude displayed by the males in the play is indicative of unfair judgements made by men at the time. Even the title of the play, Trifles, indicates that what women worried about at the time was considered unimportant. Thoughts, feelings and actions Mrs. Wright, prior to her marriage, was a singer. We learn also that later in her marriage, she buys a bird. It becomes apparent that Mr. Wright cannot tolerate the bird’s singing and kills it. The women deduce that Mrs. Wright has begun to equate herself with the bird – initially feeling caged, stifled and killed – prior to her marriage, she went out, sang and had fun, and in the very last act, the cage broken, symbolizing freedom, if not of the bird’s body, at least of its spirit. Unwittingly, in one of the opening sentences, Mr. Hale contributes to this image of Mrs. Wright being oppressed by commenting that he didn’t think that what his wife wanted mattered much to Mr. Wright. Having lost everything prior to this, Mrs. Wright could not tolerate the loss of the one thing that she loved. This death of the bird was the act of anger that the men did not find. Her marriage has been similar to a caging, killing (of herself), and in the final act of killing her husband, she has in fact set herself free – although ironically she is now in jail. Mrs. Hale hits the nail on the head when in hindsight she realizes indirectly that Mrs. Wright was lonely – the unpleasantness and coldness of the place which kept her away kept others away too. With the death of the bird the one thing that was fun had now gone too. Interestingly, the bird died of strangulation – and Mr. Wright also died because of being constricted around his neck. Environmental culture The men have gone there with their minds made up and to them it is just a matter of trying to find the proof. The women have gone there with no such convictions, through going about their business they find the truth and yet are still able to show compassion – they decide to take Mrs. Wright the quilt, so that she can undo the last untidy square and complete a nice piece of work. Doing this, they find the dead body of the bird. Having been constricted and confined in life, the bird has been laid to rest in the most beautiful place Mrs. Wright can think of. They also find good fruit and decide to take this to her to convince her that after all her fruit did not rot. Instinctively, they know that this will make her feel better about herself. It is interesting that although it is the men who are there to investigate the case and get to the bottom of things, it is the women, through their observations and insight, get to the truth of the matter. They are the ones who notice, and understand, the erratic sewing of the last quilted square, for instance. The men believe that everything is clear, except for a reason for doing it – which they have not discovered despite having occupied the same premises as the women for the same amount of time. The women think briefly about disclosing this – their eyes meet – but they say nothing. They do not discuss it with the men – it would not be their place. Women at the time were considered inferior, the men where the authority. Thus, although some do know the truth, in fact, because of environmental cultures and the norm of the time, it is never discovered fully. Over 100 years later, one must believe, and be grateful that this would no longer happen. We have learned through trial and error and instances such as this that there are a variety of viewpoints and insights that can help us get to the truth. Works Cited Enotes. com, 2005, retrieved 10 April 2006 from the website http://www. enotes. com/trifles/ Trifles, Susan Glaspell, 1916, retrieved 10 April 2006 from the website http://www. vcu. edu/engweb/eng384/trifles. htm

Analysis for Proton Essay

Political If we are going to check on the high selling prices of the national cars of Malaysia because of high production costs and lack of vendor efficiency, there is a big possibility that the local market will be ruled by imported cars. As a result, there will be increase in the number of the vehicles on the road and there will be a glut of used cars in the market, because people will tend to trade their cars for cheaper and imported brands (Frost & Sullivan 2002). On the other hand, the issue regarding the environment is vital because it is considered as one of the most talk about topics in the world. The environmental regulation in Malaysia can be traced back during the colonialism of British which introduced the environmental standards about the mineral and agricultural resources to Europe. Economic Primarily the issue of global financial crisis, which affected the local financial status of the country .As a result, the government of the country is expecting a slow economic growth for the country, which can affect the buying behavior of the customers. Furthermore,it had increased the competition, which will impact the performance of Proton. However, the performance of the automobile industry will be maintained and managed due to the huge total labor force. Social The growing population in the country is one of the factors which can affect the automobile industry. This will give a greater number of markets. Furthermore, the ratio of car ownership in the country is somewhat high or total of 1:5, which signifies that people are considering cars as important things in their lives. Furthermore, people will also set on big-ticket items or consumers are expected to put off buying different motor vehicles because of the employment market uncertainty because of the global and local financial crisis.Another factor to consider is the growing knowledge and concern of the people regarding different environmental issues. Furthermore, the impact of the image to the loyalty of the customer is also another factor. Technological Technology is considered as one of the most important factor in the automotive industry. Due to the increasing competition, the development in technology is growing and affecting the performance and position of each and every company in the automobile industry. It is also important to consider the maturity of technology, together with the maturity and capacity of manufacturing, which affect the innovation process of any company. The intellectual property is also important factor, because it is considered as a sign of authenticity and uniqueness. Due to the different technologies, primarily the help of computer and the Internet, the potential for innovation and development is increasing.

Come on work

Literary Analysis and Composition Semester finals Agenda Complete part 1 of the finals in the quiz manager. Review answers for part 1 as a means to review for part 2. Review best practices for answering the part 2. Surprise Semester final, Part 1 There are 15 questions on this part of the test. I will give you 22 minutes to complete the test. Do your best but don't linger on a question long. If you don't know the answer take a guess and move on. Part 2 Question 1: Consider the events of Shakespearean Macbeth and the attest of the title character and his wife.Which character?Macbeth or Lady Macbeth?deserves more blame for their fall? Which character is more influenced by the other? Which character suffers more? Justify your responses with examples from the text. Write at lease five sentences. Step 1: Pick a character, Macbeth or Lady Macbeth. Step 2: Describe why the character you chose deserves more blame for their fall. Step 3: Describe how your character is more influenced by the o ther character. 2 Step 4: Describe why your character suffers more. Make sure to use examples for all of these.Question 2: Consider the conflict faced by the protagonist in one of the novels that you read this semester. In a response of no less than three paragraphs, explain this conflict, its development, and how the protagonist deals with it, as well as how the conflict is ultimately resolved. Include examples from least five sentences. Step 1: Pick a character from the novel you read. The text in your response where appropriate. Write at Step 2: Identify and explain your character's conflict and how that conflict develops.Step 3: Explain how your character deals with that conflict and how it is resolved in the end. Make sure to use examples. Surprise!! If you have a 90% or higher in the course you are exempt from the part 2 (if you are watching this recording you must take the part 1). If you have a 75 – 89% in the course you may choose one of the two part 2 questions and answer only that question. Next Week All finals are due by Thursday, May 22nd at midnight. No C but Ms. Bianca and I will hold one 2 hour tutor stay.

Level of evidence grid assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Level of evidence grid - Assignment Example P., & Kent, D. M. (2010). The Stroke Practice Improvement Network: a quasi experimental trial of a multifaceted intervention to improve quality. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 19(2), 130-137. Power, M. L., Cross, S. P., Roberts, S., & Tyrrell, P. J. (2007). Evaluation of a service development to implement the top three process indicators for quality stroke care. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 13(1), 90-94. Lakshminarayan, K., Tsai, A. W., Tong, X., Vazquez, G., Peacock, J. M., George, M. G., & Anderson, D. C. (2010). Utility of dysphagia screening results in predicting post stroke pneumonia. Stroke, 41(12), 2849-2854. Aboelela, S. W., Stone, P. W., & Larson, E. L. (2007). Effectiveness of bundled behavioural interventions to control healthcare-associated infections: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of Hospital Infection, 66(2), 101-108. Hinchey, J. A., Shepherd, T., Tonn, S. T., Ruthazer, R., Hermann, R. C., Selker, H. P., & Kent, D. M. (2010). The Stroke Practice Improvement Network: a quasi experimental trial of a multifaceted intervention to improve quality. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 19(2), 130-137. Kirsh, S. R., Lawrence, R. H., & Aron, D. C. (2008). Tailoring an intervention to the context and system redesign related to the intervention: A case study of implementing shared medical appointments for diabetes. Implementation Science, 3(1), 34. Lakshminarayan, K., Tsai, A. W., Tong, X., Vazquez, G., Peacock, J. M., George, M. G., & Anderson, D. C. (2010). Utility of dysphagia screening results in predicting post stroke pneumonia. Stroke, 41(12), 2849-2854. Power, M. L., Cross, S. P., Roberts, S., & Tyrrell, P. J. (2007). Evaluation of a service development to implement the top three process indicators for quality stroke care. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 13(1),

The Impacts Of Music In Learning English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Impacts Of Music In Learning English - Essay Example The variety of the forms of music means that not all forms of music can perform a specific function in the lives of human beings. The variety of the forms of music means that each form of music may be suitable for a specific form of task. For instance, there are love songs, blues, reggae as well as raga. Others include the pop, rap as well as gospel music. It is critical to note that different forms of music are always suitable for the work set up. These include such songs as smooth reggae, raga as well as pop songs. This paper is going to discuss some of the reasons to support the fact that using music to teach English is likely to make students learn English faster and show improved performance as well as good scores. In short, the paper is going to explore the impacts of music in learning English. In connection with the above, it is of crucial significance to note that music can also play significant roles in the education sector. The use of music in the education sector to teach students certain subjects may be associated with the increased performance of students (Alipour, 34). However, not all the students taught using music must show positive results. A fraction of the students may get absorbed into the music that they fail to understand the role of music in their lesson. A number of students may fail to understand that the music introduced during some lessons is geared towards ensuring that they understand the concepts of the subject being taught in an in-depth manner. However, on the other hand, the use of music in teaching the students may lead to a greater proportion of such students depicting better results. It is of critical significance to note that the use of music to help in teaching students English as a foreign language may lead to the improved and enhanced performance of those students in English (Alipour, 48).

Nursing Leadership College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Leadership College - Essay Example This being a very reasonable business strategy, hospitals have downsized their nursing staff. The registered nurse-patient ratio is definitely decreasing at this time when there are more patients who are sicker. Registered nurses are thus required to delegate nursing tasks as more health care facilities utilize UAPs to attempt to resolve cost-containment issues. Delegation is defined as the process of transferring a specific task to be performed in a situation to another competent individual (Delaune & Ladner, 2006). However, the ultimate responsibility and accountability of the patient's health care still lies on the registered nurse. It is only the task that is delegated, not the responsibility (Delaune and Ladner, 2006). UAPs are allowed to perform nursing procedures provided that it is under the supervision of a registered nurse but the nurse is still accountable for this delegation (Best, Cohen, Dykes, Fredrick, & Heller, 2000). There are only a number of procedures that are allowed to be delegated to UAPs. More invasive procedures and procedures that require the nurse's professional judgement may not be delegated. An argument, however, still remains of whether this strategy is really cost-efficient than having more registered nurses in the staff. Nurses develop judgements using critical thinking to determine what to observe directly or indirectly for patient responses to come up with the proper nursing diagnosis and plan of care. This is one of the many reasons why even the most experienced and most competent UAP cannot measure up to even a new nurse ("Nurisng Legal Issues," 2006). The strategy of replacing registered nurses to UAPs may be cost-effective for the hospital. However, the quality of care that patients receive may be compromised. As there are more patients and lesser nurses, the practicing registered nurses are more tired and stressed. In addition to having more patients, these nurses have the additional responsibility of supervising the UAPs under their wing. If these unlicensed assistants make any mistake and compromise the health of a patient, it is the nurse who is still accountable. The use of unlicensed assistants helps the hospital in their cost-cutting ordeals, but does not help the nurse or the patient. If any, it only gives the nurse more workload and responsibility, and less personalized attention and care for patients. The utilization of UAPs would be more efficient if there are still more nurses. On the other hand, administrators claim that having more UAPs would relieve nurses of menial tasks such as taking temperatures, changing bedpans and feeding patients so that they can concentrate on assessment and devicing the plan of care (Gordon, 1995). This, however, redefines the nursing process to a kind of dettached and impersonal care, and cuts off the importance of the relationship that is built by the nurse with the patient to give utmost personalized care. The American Association of Nurse Attorneys has proposed that only the UAPs who have undergone competent training and evaluation be allowed to practice alongside nurses (The American Assoc

Chinese Indonesian People Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Indonesian People Discrimination - Essay Example As a 6-year-old girl, I remember feeling helpless as I saw my parents shaking when the mob was in the vicinity of our house. They tried to keep a watch on the movements of the mob through the radio and television fearing something would happen to our family if we did not keep a close vigil, while I sat dumbfounded, not knowing what to do and how to react. The most we could do was just sit and wait till the mob calmed down and stopped indulging in the kind of heinous activities that they were. Despite this entire situation, the reason behind the action was unclear because even though some said that it was because of genocide toward Chinese Indonesian who monopolized the economy in Indonesia, but no one knows the actual truth. However, fourteen years have passed since that nightmare, but discrimination is still a big problem in Indonesia. Even though the state is not as anarchist in nature, the hatred between these two ethnicities is still visible. They tend to make misconceptions about each other beforethey really look at each individual. This bad habit can be seen in almost all walks o life including both politics and education; discrimination is very deep rooted in Indonesia. Dealing with this kind of hatred becomes extremely difficult because people are not willing to live with one another and adjust to the other’s needs. Today, people need to understand that whatever war had to take place in the past is over for a reason that the struggle does not take place again in the present. Discrimination on the basis of an ethnic group is a very saddening thing that forces the minority to live in a powerless bubble.

World of coffee Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

World of coffee - Term Paper Example After trying to make the same drink using several leaves unsuccessfully, he travelled to Ethiopia and came back with leaves that he plucked from a coffee plant. He did not produce very good coffee, but he noted a big change. This drink has since gained popularity and is the most popular beverage product in the world, and it will maintain this popularity in the future. As the years passed and coffee became common to people, its description also became clearer. Coffee species fall into two main classes, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica’s scientific name is Coffea Arabica L. while Robusta’s scientific name is Coffea canephora. The coffee trees or shrubs measure between 2 to 7 meters and have leaves that are alternate, oval, pointed, and shiny. Leaves measure between 7 to 20 centimeters long and 3 to 7 centimeters wide. Coffee shrubs produce white flowers that have thick clusters on their axils. The shrubs produce fruits that are yellow, dark red, or pink in color when ripe. When the fruits dry, they turn to brown, fleshy, and ovoid berries that are between 1.2 cm and 1.6 cm in length (Virginia, Smith, Steiman, & Elevitch, 2013). Today, coffee has evolved from an elusively understood shrub to a widely farmed plant in Africa, South America, and other regions. Since the discovery of coffee by Kaldi, farmers in various parts of the world have practiced coffee farming. Most of the coffee emanates from subtropical regions and areas that lie along the equator. Equatorial regions and subtropical countries that fall on either side of the equator are humid and warm, thereby suitable for coffee farming. Arabica coffee, for instance, performs best in these subtropical environments. Coffee farmers exist in more than fifty nations within coffee bands, all over the globe, subsuming myriad developing nations. Coffee plantations exist in areas as far as South America, India, Indonesia, Africa, and

Friar Lawrence's Influence on Romeo & Juliet Through Baz Luhrmann's Essay

Friar Lawrence's Influence on Romeo & Juliet Through Baz Luhrmann's Eyes - Essay Example Generally, Baz Luhrmanns film provides a perfect understanding of the occurrences in the play. In the film, Luhrmann utilizes artificial and natural light to signify Friar Lawrences influence on Romeo and Juliet. Certainly, the influences of Friar Lawrence results to action in the dramatic end of the play. Without the presence of this character in the play, chances of the occurrence of a tragedy are minimal. Friar decides to marry Romeo and Juliet, thereby being the direct cause of the end tragedy. In other words, assuming that Friar did not marry the two, chances of Romeo and Juliet dying would be minimal. Moreover, Friar Lawrence pushes Romeo at an inopportune point where Romeo becomes uncertain about the position he occupies in love, and Friar Lawrence has hopes that the marriage has high possibilities of generating a positive impact on the quarrelling families. This is evident when Friar Comments; The intentions that Friar has for the potion are good, however, the results of using this portion becomes tragic. The main intention that Friar has for this portion is to help bring together the two feuding families, and at the same time keep Romeo and Juliet together, but unfortunately, this plan ends up to be a contribution of a double suicide. Further, in Luhrmann’s film, Friar Lawrence is depicted as having intense influence on the dreadful outcome of the play. In the play, Friar Lawrence is a holy man trusted by everybody, and Romeo and Juliet hold his judgments with highest reverence. In other words, Friar is a representation of wisdom and moderation (Brenner 58). Despite all the respect and trust that Friar receives, he fails to offer a sensible solution to Romeo and Juliet’s dilemma. Romeo and Juliet’s sad end results from Friar Lawrences inclination to hasty action, his fright of being embarrassed, and his irresponsibility. The first shortcoming of Friar that contributes to tragic outcome is the manner in which he

The Black Balloon Essay Essay Example for Free

The Black Balloon Essay Essay INTRODUCTION: The Black Balloon directed by Elissa Down is a film about a family living with an autistic son. Throughout the movie, Thomas feels embarrassed being Charlie’s brother, he feels left out not only at school but at home too. Thomas is the main focus of not fitting in but he is not the only character that feels like he doesn’t belong. Thomas’ brother Charlie may not be able to act or speak like other people do but Charlie still has feelings and does feel out of place by having a disability. The family also as a whole deals with judgemental neighbours and people always staring and judging before they know the full situation. Thomas is not the only one dealing with issues and feeling like the odd one out, other characters have the same feelings too and hopefully they can work them out together along the way. PARAGRAPH 1: Thomas not fitting in Throughout ‘The Black Balloon’, Thomas is the odd one out. Starting off as the new kid at his new school where Thomas is already feeling like a fish out of water. Barely able to swim, hand held camera shots go under and above the water showing that swimming in a struggle for him. A mid shot is also shown of a group of students grouped together and Thomas is separate on the side showing he is isolated from the people at his school. Not only is Thomas left out at lifesaving classes but at home too. In the film camera shots are used to show how Thomas feels when his parents put Charlie, his disabled brother’s needs first. When Thomas asks for the milk we see a mid-shot of the milk bottle with Thomas in the background. The milk bottle does not move because Charlie needs attention and Thomas continues to look at the bottle, looking very upset. Thomas is so ashamed of Charlie having a disability and this was demonstrated when he uses words to describe Charlie like â€Å"He’s a freak†. This also becomes clear when Thomas sees a group of students making fun of the Autistic bus, a far away camera shot is captured, showing that Thomas is feeling embarrassed by his brother because he is  different. By t the help of Jacki, she lets him understand and accept his brother and lets Thomas realise that he is never going to change and should start accepting Charlie for who he really is. PARAGRAPH 2: Charlie not fitting in Charlie has been autistic his whole life and he can’t control his actions and communicate in the same way as others. Even though having someone in your family with a disability would be very hard and stressful, the film tells the audience that it isn’t Charlie’s fault he acts this way. ‘The Black Balloon’ makes the viewer realise that Charlie is still a person and has feelings. Charlie may always be the centre of attention but at times he knows when he doesn’t belong. This was revealed when Charlie visit’s Thomas school and automatically feels out of place. Other students call things like ‘spastic’ straight to Charlie face, making him feel uncomftable and scared. Just because Charlie has a disability, doesn’t mean he’s not human. All people have feelings and emotions and although he may not be able to express himself like others, he can tell when he is different or feeling left out. PARAGRAPH 3: Family not fitting in From the moment the Mollison family move into their new home, they are judged almost instantly due to Charlie being different. Close up shots of the neighbours looking through the windows and through their fences judge the family without knowing the full reason and situation. Neighbours judged the family by asking Thomas questions like â€Å"Why’s your brother a spastic†. Also when Charlie has a tantrum at the supermarket we see long shots of other shopper’s faces as they go in silent and stare on with interest and amusement. These shots were effective in showing society’s attitude towards Autism because they show the looks that families with autistic children have to deal with. There is a lot of judgement from the public which the Mollison’s have to deal with being silently judged by the public nearly every day. CONCLUSION: Thomas is one of the main focus’s of being left out but other characters like Charlie and the Mollison family as whole also may feel out of place at  times. Thomas feels left out by not being able to swim and but by the end of the movie he achieves his bronze medallion. Thomas also feels ashamed having Charlie has a brother but he learns to accept Charlie for the real him. Charlie feels out of place when visiting the school and always being the odd one out, He may not be able to speak but you can tell by his emotions that he still has feelings. The Mollison family gets judged massively and this becomes clear when the general public stops and stares without knowing the full situation. ‘The Black Balloon’ shows that not everyone fits in but by the help of other characters and learning, they can all work together and not end up caring what other people think of them.

Travel Agency Online Expansion Options

Travel Agency Online Expansion Options Slide 1 Introduction The individual giving the presentation is called John. The focus of this presentation is to consider the options for expansion online for a travel agency business that has traditionally operated from a high street shop. During this presentation the aim is to consider the reasons and potential scope for an internet-based travel agency. The presentation will then move on to consider the types of products that would be best suited for the Open Skies Travel Agency given its current strategic position within the market. Once the scope and positioning has been established, the presentation will move on to look at the potential costs and benefits of the possible expansion and change of strategy. This will include consideration of both the financial and practical implications with implementing the new online venture[1]. Slide 2 – Online Trends Despite the current economic trends, the travel industry and more specifically the online purchasing of travel services has boomed, in recent years. The amount of money being spent online in relation to travel services has increased by 12 percent in 2007 and it is anticipated that this trend will continue between 2007 and 2012. This is not surprising when all factors are considered[2]. The travel sector is vast with multiple suppliers offering a range of different products which lend themselves perfectly to online selling. As travel is perishable (i.e. it cannot be stored and used at a later date), companies will be keen to ensure that all seats on flights and all hotel rooms are fully occupied. This leads to incremental and ever changing prices which require immediate update and these are facilities from which online travel agencies benefit. Package holidays sold through the high street travel agency have reduced by approximately 20%. This means that traditional agents such as Open Skies must embrace these new trends in order to maintain their market share. Correspondingly, however, the number of package holidays booked online has increased by 19%, showing that the market is still strong; it is simply the purchasing patterns that have changed[3]. The scope online is much greater and this is widely recognised by many tour operators. In fact, travel services and agencies currently make up around a quarter of all online advertising, showing that there is an increasing recognition of the power and extent of the online travel sector. When considering high internet users, i.e. those who use the internet for at least 16 hours per week, 66% of these people have booked holidays or travel services online[4]. A further 10% of people will look for information about travel on the internet, before then going on to purchase the products in a traditional high street environment[5]. Slide 3 – Product Mix One of the major benefits that internet users cite about using the internet to plan holidays is that it allows for dynamic packages. This means that various flight options can be looked at alongside different accommodation options. By allowing for this degree of flexibility, customers are able to create their own packages that are individual to their own specific needs[6]. Open Skies is a customer-friendly travel agency that has a high reputation for offering excellent personal advice to its local customers. This unique selling point need not be lost by having an online presence. Although there are several large online based companies such as Thomas Cook that have the advantage of a much larger network of offices and suppliers, they do not have the same personal relationships with their clients. Open Skies needs to look at the way in which it can capitalise on its added value customer service, while also allowing customers to investigate their various options for creating their own dynamic packages. Open Skies is a locally based company and will physically remain so. Therefore, the main products being offered online will be no different from those currently offered in the high street. The travel industry is fiercely competitive in terms of pricing, which means that local high street travel agents such as Open Skies have to add value to their product mix by ensuring that they offer additional security and advice to customers. Having a website is an opportunity to capture a wider range of customers who can then contact the agency directly to finalise their booking. For this reason, it would seem prudent that the main focus of the Open Skies website should be to have an informative online presence that encourages customers to believe that Open Skies offers genuine additional value to their travelling experience[7]. This will enable Open Skies to set itself apart from the larger online travel agencies that merely offer cheaper and price competitive travelling options. Slide 4 – Costs and Benefits Setting up the initial infrastructure to manage the website will require a degree of additional expenditure. There will be the need to purchase computing equipment to run the website software as well as the need to design, manage and regularly update the website. A basic website is relatively cheap to establish and can be updated and maintained with relative ease. As Open Skies already has a computer system in place and already makes use of the email system, it is possible that the expertise and infrastructure to manage the website is already in-house. This possibility should not be overlooked before outsourcing the tasks[8]. Additional staffing will be necessary. Firstly, it will be necessary to maintain up to date and accurate information on the website, if customers are going to be able to trust and respect Open Skies Travel Agency. With increased traffic on to the website, it will also be necessary to ensure that there are staff members prepared to respond to booking requests within an acceptable timeframe. Users of the internet are much more instantaneous in their needs and expectations. If Open Skies is to maintain its current position as offering value added products, then it will need to adapt its structure to be able to respond to this faster pace of trading. This will inevitably mean a larger, more flexible workforce[9]. However, this expansion will be funded by the considerable increase in the number of customers and trade that will pass through the website. By establishing a web presence, Open Skies will potentially gain customers from across the country and even internationally. Customers are no longer limited by geography and this will naturally be reflected in the volume of custom that will come to Open Skies. This additional influx of customers will not be reflected with a similar increase in costs of servicing these customers. As bookings will be largely done online and over the phone, there will be no need to have additional office space (except to house the additional staff). Therefore, the returns from these additional customers will be greater and will continue to increase in line with the number of customers that are gained[10]. Slide 5 – Strategy into Action Whilst it is clear that there are benefits to Open Skies from obtaining an online presence, it will require careful planning if the reputation of the company is not to suffer. Firstly, Open Skies will need to ensure that the infrastructure and back-up procedures are in place. Customers will need to trust that the systems are accurate, efficient and secure; any breaches in this respect would lead to a loss of trust which would impact on the value of the company. The current workforce will need to be considered in terms of how the individual members of staff can adapt to this new way of working. It is almost certain that additional staff will be required to manage the increasing number of customers and the immediacy of the demands of online customers. This increase in workforce will need to be managed carefully so as to ensure that the costs of the expansion are evenly matched by the increase in revenue[11]. Continuous monitoring and updating will be necessary to ensure that the information is accurate and that Open Skies is making the most out of its new online arm. Slide 6 – Conclusions Online travel agencies are experiencing a continuing boom, despite the current economic downturn. For a company such as Open Skies, gaining an online presence is vital, if it is to maximise the potential in the market. Depending on the current infrastructure in place, the costs of set up and maintenance could be relatively little. Security and back-up processes will be important, if it is to maintain its current high level of customer service and reputation. New staff will almost certainly be required to deal with the increase in trade and to continue to offer the high level of customer service that it currently offers. The need to go online is clear and Open Skies needs to embrace the changing trends. However, embracing new, online technologies needs to be planned carefully so that the value added services can be maintained and customers will be prepared to pay more for these services, meaning that Open Skies will not have to compete with the low prices offered by the larger organisations. Bibliography Bharadwaj, Prashanth Nagendra, Soni, Ramesh G., E-Commerce Usage and Perception of E-Commerce Issues among Small Firms: Results and Implications from an Empirical Study, Journal of Small Business Management, 45, 2007 Buhalis, Dimitrios, ETourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management, Pearson Education, 2003 Duray, Dave, Vering, Matthias, The E-Business Workplace: Discovering the Power of Enterprise Portals, John Wiley, 2001 Frew, Andrew J., Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2004: Proceedings of the International Conference in Cairo, Egypt, 2004, Springer, 2004 Goeldner, Charles R., Brent Ritchie, J.R., Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies, John Wiley and Sons, 2006 Kozak, Metin, Andreu, Luisa, Progress in Tourism Marketing, Elsevier, 2006 Rayman-Bacchus, L., Molina, A., Internet-Based Tourism Services: Business Issues and Trends, Futures, 33, 2001 Tate, Will, Rosen, Cheryl, Frame a Travel Strategy: Find the Delicate Balance between Avoiding Travel Costs and Keeping Travelers Productive, Journal of Accountancy, 199, 2005 Watkins, William M., Technology and Business Strategy: Getting the Most out of Technological Assets, Quorum Books, 1998 2002 Mori Survey commissioned by Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Footnotes [1] Bharadwaj, Prashanth Nagendra, Soni, Ramesh G., E-Commerce Usage and Perception of E-Commerce Issues among Small Firms: Results and Implications from an Empirical Study, Journal of Small Business Management, 45, 2007 [2] Rayman-Bacchus, L., Molina, A,. Internet-Based Tourism Services: Business Issues and Trends, Futures, 33, 2001 [3] 2002 Mori Survey commissioned by Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) [4] Travelers Use of the Internet, 2004 Edition [5] Frew, Andrew J., Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2004, Proceedings of the International Conference in Cairo, Egypt, 2004, Springer, 2004 [6] Goeldner, Charles R., Brent Ritchie, J.R., Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies, John Wiley and Sons, 2006 [7] Kozak, Metin, Andreu, Luisa, Progress in Tourism Marketing, Elsevier, 2006 [8] Watkins, William M., Technology and Business Strategy: Getting the Most out of Technological Assets, Quorum Books, 1998 [9] Buhalis, Dimitrios, ETourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management, Pearson Education, 2003 [10] Duray, Dave, Vering, Matthias, The E-Business Workplace: Discovering the Power of Enterprise Portals, John Wiley, 2001 [11] Tate, Will, Rosen, Cheryl, Frame a Travel Strategy: Find the Delicate Balance between Avoiding Travel Costs and Keeping Travelers Productive, Journal of Accountancy, 199, 2005

The Experiences And Values Of Needy Families Social Work Essay

The Experiences And Values Of Needy Families Social Work Essay When thinking about my own personal values, I think of the customs and beliefs that I have developed through experience and education. Although these values have changed over time, I believe that they are pretty consistent with the NASW code of ethics and values of the social work profession as a whole. The preamble of code of ethics states that The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people (NASW, 2006-2009, p.401), and that is exactly what I strive to do. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) While I consider myself currently in a middle class American family, this has not always been the case. Growing up my family instilled in me the importance of working hard to achieve your goals, but despite their hard work my family too faced difficult financial times. I can remember times when my parents couldnt pay their bills, had to work multiple jobs, and struggled to put food on the table. Having gone through these rough financial times, my family instilled in me the importance of giving to other people in need and to this day I consider my father one of the most generous people I know. He would give everything he had to help someone in need, whether he knew them or not. A common bias is that people in need are lazy or incompetent, but this is far from the truth. I have witnessed several families, including my own work very hard to raise their family, yet still struggle to make it. One childhood experience that stands out in my mind is going into the grocery store with one of my best friends mother who was unemployed after losing her job of 12 years due to the store that she worked for closing. My friends mother had told us that she was going to get groceries and that we needed to distract the grocery stores doorman when we were leaving, because she had no money to pay for the groceries. Although I was aware that what she was doing was wrong, I knew she needed to feed her family. My friends mom did not steal lavish items as one would expect if you were stealing, she only took the items she needed to feed her family. During the car ride home, my friends mother apologized to us and explained that she is just too embarrassed to apply for Welfare or go on unemployment and that all of the savings she had prior to being unemployed is now gone. This has been a memory that I have carried with me since that day. Although I felt that there was little I could do at that t ime, I believe that it is not only my duty to help people in need, but societies as a whole. I believe that government and society have an obligation to intervene and help families that are in need. I do not believe that any mother should have to steal food to feed her family. I consider it my duty to promote national standards and policies for the delivery of benefits and programs that serve as a safety net for all people during times of poverty (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 364). I agree with the NASW Code of Ethics that all people are entitled to the basic needs to survive. As a social work student, I feel responsibility to advocate for families in need and to develop programs that educate people on the need for welfare reform. Schneider (1999) spoke of the need to reform welfare and for a shift in policy to focus on establishing universal benefits. I am in agreement with this as well as the need to reject the perspective that views failure to develop wealth as a personal failure without reference to structural inequalities (NASW, 2006-2009, p.363). I believe that it is important to promote education and fight the stereotypes associated with people in need. As a social worker I will provide services and counseling to families struggling to survive and I anticipate facing many challenges due to the regulations and policies that are currently in place. Rights of Legal and Illegal Immigrants Immigrants in the United States have faced a great deal of discrimination, inequality, and poverty throughout history. It is hard for me to understand how people can be treated so poorly just because they were not born an American. When I consider the United States, I believe it is a melting pot nation and that all people deserve the right to have their basic needs met despite their legal status in this country. I agree with the code of ethics that social workers need to be sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 401). Whether immigrants are legal or illegal, they are people too and should be treated with dignity and respect. Legal immigrants have to go through a difficult and extensive process to become a citizen, which I believe is one reason why there are several illegal immigrants living in the United States. I think that instead of developing harsher immigration laws, this country needs to assist illegal immigrants in the process of gaining citizenship, an education, and work. I agree with Padilla (2008) in that immigrant legislation must treat people equally, promote social justice consistently, and recognize the significance of human relationships. NASW (2006-2009) recognizes that policies should promote social justice and avoid racism and discrimination or profiling on the basis of race, religion, country of origin, gender, etc. (p. 227). My views are consistent with NASW and I believe that the recent push for harsher immigration laws is a terrifying setback for this country. It makes me absolutely horrified that the state of Arizona would even try to instill a law that would call for police officers to check for immigration status and require immigrants to provide proof that they are authorized to be in this country. This law directly conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that recognizes the right to leave ones country as a basic human right (NASW, 2006-2009, p.226). As a social worker I think it is vital to advocate for people who have little or no political voice and who have faced such harsh discrimination throughout history. Being that I am considered a white middle class American, I will need to always be thinking about cultural diversity with my clients. Although I would be obligated to report undocumented citizens, I also feel that it is my ethical responsibility to provide all people with the information and services they need to fulfill their basic survival needs. Emotional Expression of the Client and the Worker I entered this profession because of my compassion to help others. For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to help people in need. During high school, my urge to help grew as I witnessed my fellow students being bullied for how they dressed or what type of house they lived in. Although I was considered a popular girl, I did not like that some people were considered unpopular. I did not think that classifying and judging people to be better then someone else was fair or justified. I was friends with everyone in high school and refused to get involved in the bullying that was happening all around me. It was during my junior year of High School that I took action. I spoke with my high school guidance department and expressed my concern with the targeting of the underprivileged or unpopular students in the school. I told them that I wanted to do something about the problem and begged for their support. I was granted permission to start an Anti-harassment Group, which I successfully did with the assistance of some other recruited students. Together we went out of our way to provide all students with friendships and support. We revised the schools policy on bullying, created anti-bullying contracts, gave presentations to all classes (high school, middle school, and elementary), and spent time with fellow students who were often targeted by others. We as popular students discouraged bullying and worked hard to change the reputation of bullying being cool. I carry this compassion to help others with me in practice and think that it is important for social workers to show emotional expression when working with clients. I feel that it is absolutely appropriate to express ones emotions and show compassion and affection when working in this field. Although I maintain that emotional expression is important, I believe that maintaining therapeutic boundaries with clients is equally important. I also agree with The Code of Ethics that social workers should not engage in any physical contact with clients if there is a possibility that the contact may cause psychological harm (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 407). As the Assistant Program Manager of an Adolescent Community Residence, I ran into issues surrounding therapeutic boundaries and emotional expression of client and workers on multiple occasions. Adolescents remained in the group home for approximately 1 Â ½-2 years. Many of the residents in the group home sought out affection from the staff. When a resident was having a rough time, I felt that it was appropriate to give them a hug and reassure them that staff was there to support them and help them get through their difficult times. I felt that by using the emotional expression of myself helped to develop a trusting and therapeutic relationship. As it is my desire to work with children and adolescents, I imagine that I will have to confront issues of emotional expression of self and therapeutic boundaries in the future. I think that in practice, I will have to be conscious and use my discretion about the amount of emotional support used while working with clients. I also think that it will be important for me to consider a clients race, culture, gender, past experiences, etc. on how comfortable the client may or may not be with emotional expression and physical contact. Religious Beliefs Growing up I had very little exposure to religion; however, I was able to recognize the impact religion and spirituality has on other peoples lives. Religion and spirituality became a reality to me when I studied abroad in Thailand. Religion and spirituality was at the center of their culture, and guided their decisions and attitudes on a daily basis. Although I have limited knowledge in this area, enmeshing myself in Thai culture made me recognize the power spirituality and religion can have on people and society as a whole. I also have witnessed the therapeutic effect religion and spirituality can have people. The NASW Code of Ethics (2006-2009) states that, Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability. Although I do not consider myself a religious person, I think that it is crucial for social workers to understand the religious and spiritual beliefs of their clients. I am in agreement with Dale et al. (2006) that understanding the importance of spirituality, the nature of organized religion, and secular uses of religion is key in understanding the development of human character and social institutions. Without gaining this insight, a social worker may offend or disrespect their client simply because they are not aware of lifestyles and customs based in their spirituality o r religion. As a social worker I will encourage my clients to discuss their spiritual and religious beliefs and how it affects their lives. Based on my limited knowledge about this area, I will have to be extra cautious not to judge or stereotype people because of their religious or spiritual choice. If clients want to discuss religion and spirituality, I will be straight forward with them and let them know that I have limited knowledge in that area but that I am open to listening and learning about their beliefs and experiences with religion and spirituality. Provision and Utilization of Social Services I believe that the concept of social services and providing assistance to people in need is very important to the field of social work. I understand that the goal of social services is to help people financially, provide food assistance, disaster relief, medical services, and employment; however, I believe that the process to obtain these services needs to be streamlined. The lengthy and humiliating process that people/families in need have to endure can cause further emotional distress on the individual and family. Growing up I have witnessed people too embarrassed or humiliated to utilize social services due to the stigma associated with it. I experienced this first hand while helping families at the Community Residence I worked at try to obtain the services they needed. Often times, I would wait in lengthy lines with the families I worked with trying to help them obtain assistance and then be denied do to the paperwork or documentation not being enough for what is needed, or the families to be ineligible for services. I believe that many people/families are being turned down for services based on the many provisions and specific requirements. Although some people/families that are denied services can establish other means to survive, not all can do so. I understand that there needs to be regulations on services; however, I do not believe that anyone should be denied help obtaining the services they need for survival (i.e. food, shelter, medical care, etc.). The NASW Code of Ethics (2006-2009) maintains that Social workers should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice. As social worker, I believe that it is their ethical responsibility to advocate for people in need and promote a persons right to self-determination. I think that given a chance and the tools needed; people can make positive changes in their lives. Belcher et al. (2004) examined faith-based interventions and the liberal social welfare state and came to the conclusion that although faith-based interventions could provide some basic supports, the driving force for social change should remain with the state. Although I agree that the state should be taking responsibility, I do respect faith-based interventions trying to step-up the plate and fill some gaps. As a social worker I believe that I will often find myself advocating for my clients need for social services. I believe that at times this process can become stressful and draining, as the current social service system is not meeting the needs of the people it is designed to serve. For example, if a family is denied for services because they make a couple dollars above the cutoff for services, I think that the system is being too simplistic and not considering the entirety of the situation. It is my belief that the social services system needs to take a more holistic approach instead of having extensive provisions, requirements, and cutoffs for the services. Pro-life Versus Pro-choice Ever since I can remember, my family instilled in me the belief that abortions were wrong and even considered them murder. As I approached the age of sexual activity, my family was very vocal about practicing safe sex and their views against abortion. My mother informed me that I was not a planned pregnancy and that although she was a teen mother and unprepared for the responsibility; she would have never made the choice to have an abortion. Despite my families strict beliefs regarding abortion, my values are different from my families. I believe that there are situations when abortions should occur or at least be the choice of the mother. The NASW Code of Ethics maintains that it is the social workers responsibility to promote the right of the clients to self-determination (p. 404) and defines that as being without government interference, people can make their own decisions about sexuality and reproduction (p. 147). Although I would not consider an abortion as an option for myself, I understand that to others, it might be the best option for them. Abramovitz (1996) pointed out that throughout history there have been policies and conditions that have forced women to make childbearing decisions based on the conditions of aid or public assistance, and I believe that is an infringement on their constitutional right of reproductive choice. As a social worker, I believe that it is my ethical responsibility to support and provide information so clients can make informed decisions when considering an abortion. I would find myself conflicted if working with a patient who has had multiple abortions, because despite considering myself pro-choice, I also have great value for life and giving life. I believe that all people should have reproductive choice, but should not abuse the decision to abort or use abortion as a form of birth control. Rights of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgendered People Growing up, one of my best friends had two mothers, as she would say. Throughout elementary school and middle school, I witnessed how my friend and her family were treated and I quickly understood why she did not want people to know about her mothers sexual orientation. We grew up in a small rural community and were not exposed to people of different sexual orientations or preferences very often. This friend was bullied and ridiculed in school by peers because of her mothers sexual orientation. I myself did not understand why two women would be together or in love; however, after getting to know my friends family, I came to realize that one could not control their feelings or who they fell in love with. Seeing the discrimination and prejudice that my friend and her family went through was very frustrating because after getting to know the family and understanding that it is okay to have different sexual orientations or preferences, I didnt consider them any different from my family or anyone elses. I had a similar experience in high school with one of my friends father being transgender and again witnessed a great deal of discrimination against this family. I dont think a person should be denied the right to love someone else based on sexual identity, preference, or orientation. I do not understand how people can be denied the right of marriage, a union between two people, because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. I agree with the NASW Code of Ethics that same gender and transgender individuals should be afforded the same rights and respect as all people (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 247). I feel that a challenging circumstance that I could face as a social worker will be to address families that have children or other relatives who are LGBT and do not approve of them. As a social worker it would be my ethical responsibility to educate on the right of self-determination and nondiscrimination.

Apply Chain Management vs Traditional Mananagement Systens Essay

A. Approach The use of information technology by firms that want to gain competitive advantage has increased dramatically in the last twenty years. Large and small firms have been utilizing information systems to connect their internal business functions and the company’s activities to stakeholder such as suppliers and customers. (FORMAN WEB 13). Supply chain management and customer relationship management are some of the many systems used by firms to accomplish the aforementioned functions. Before comparing Supply Chain Management and customer relationship management systems to Tradition Systems, a brief description of Supply chain management and the activities it involves is fully warranted. This brief easy attempts to compare and contract SCM and CRM systems to traditional management systems in terms of approaches , efficiency, cost saving, and firm profitability. Jiambalvo (2010) describes supply chain management as,† the organization of activities between a company and its suppliers in an effort to provide for the profitable development, production, and delivery of goods to customers.† (P, 15). Sunil & Peter further describe ( ) supply chain as, â€Å"consisting of all parties involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. The supply chain includes not only the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and even customers themselves. Within each organization, such as a manufacturer, the supply chain includes all functions involved in receiving and filling a customer request. These functions include, but are not limited to new product development, marketing and operations, distribution and finance, and customer service.†(P... ...in saving costs for firms that effectively implement the systems. Alan and et al.(2009) state that, â€Å" full-scale implementations lead to system-wide inventory optimization, which in turn leads to cost improvement associated with inventory balances and turns.†(See Page 21 for note). Mikko & et al (2002) conducted a study of the cost reduction benefits of SCM and found that,† the sharing of demand information in supply chains typically increases the performance of the supply chain by increasing availability and reducing inventory related costs.† That other major distinctions between the two systems and traditional management systems is that the former need a small amount of date input and out put to perform sophisticated and complex functional, while the later takes and produces data in a large amount. A. profitability

The Punic Wars Essay example -- First Punic War, Second Punic War

Romans were a very powerful people, and their influence grew and spread very quickly. Through organized armies and great tactics they pushed themselves up the Italian peninsula, seizing land and territory from the Etruscan League. Rome now owned most of the Italian peninsula except for what was owned by the Gaelic Tribes. (Barker) They grew into quite the power and all of Europe recognized them as a powerful force. Their influence grew and spread across the Mediterranean Sea and it forced the meeting of the two greatest forces of the Mediterranean Sea. It is 264 BC and hostilities between the Carthaginians and the Roman republic are on the rise. The fate of the island of Sicily hangs in balance. The Romans hunger for power and land, while Carthage wants the same. Both are powerful and rich traders and planned to stay that way. They were both the most powerful forces in the Mediterranean. Romans held military glory in the highest regard, and made military service a required part of political advancement. Carthage also held military glory highly but their military mainly consisted of mercenary soldiers rather than citizen soldiers Carthage had one of the greatest militaries of the entire world. Carthage had an extremely powerful naval fleet, and advanced war tactics. Carthage borrows much of its war tactics from the Greeks, such as the phalanx which proved to be extremely effective in warfare. Carthage recruited the majority of its army from mercenaries from Spanish Iberia. The most famous of Carthaginian infantry was the Sacred Band, deadly elite spearmen who fought in a tight phalanx. The Sacred Band were also said to be strong devotes to their goddess known as Tanit (Basar) The wealthier mercenaries fought using Greek wea... ...ols/armor/) Basar, Paul. "The Arms and Armor of The Punic Phoenicians." The Arms and Armor of The Punic Phoenicians. (http://phoenicia.org/carthagearmor.html) Phil Barker "Etruscan League." Etruscan League. ( http://dba.spearhead1944.com/Etruscans/webpage/etruscan.htm) Rickard, J., Battle of Trebia, late December 218 BC, (http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_trebia.html) UNRV "After the Battle of Cannae." After the Battle of Cannae. UNRV, (http://www.unrv.com/empire/after-cannae.php) Sigurdasen. "Battle of Lake Trasimene: Hannibal's Carthaginians Ambush, Defeat Romans."The American Legion's Burn pit†. (http://burnpit.us/2012/06/battle-lake-trasimene-hannibals-carthaginians-ambush-defeat-romans) Hickman, Kenny. "Punic Wars: Battle of Zama." About.com Military History. (http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswarsto1000/p/zama.htm)

Psychosocial Orientation to Sexuality Essay

Environment has always been one of the major factors affecting our decisions and personality. Psychologists say its either â€Å"nurture† or â€Å"nature† which determines our personalities as we grow up. Nevertheless, our sexuality is also part of who we are. How we act or think in regard to sexual issues is also developed as we mature into adolescents. Various social factors affect a person’s sexuality. Primarily, it is the parents’ responsibility to make sure that their children are properly educated about sex. As a kid, I was oriented by my parents and older relatives that sex is a process designed by the heavens to unite married couples so they can procreate. As a young Christian, I have this notion that I was conceived by this process and only couples who were united by marriage have the permission from God to perform them. Talking about sex at home was actually limited if not restricted. There was a certain uneasiness enveloping the ones belonging in a conversation where a I would suddenly bring it up. It was awkward in a way that my parents believed I was not ready yet to comprehend the real nature of sex. However, I guess sexuality is an inescapable issue amongst children who are beginning to notice changes and differences between their private parts and their playmates’. A friend of the opposite sex definitely has dissimilar body parts than me. It has always been fun to explore and observe friends’ parts especially when it is in a group. Of course, not until we reached the 11th year of our age. Suddenly, things were getting too awkward for us. My playmates were starting to get aloof. Others have stopped invitations to look and some just plainly said, â€Å"My mom said they’re private. † How the privacy of such thing has never occurred to me until I was able to see certain pars of my body grow. Most of my physical parts were getting weirder each day and they did not feel comfortable at all. One of the huge factors which influence my sexuality is the depiction of sex in the television. Media have absolutely bombarded me with concepts that are in direct contrast to my early education of sex. Television series, movies, reality shows, magazines and even anime shows are transparent in portraying sexual activities as normal between two people in a relationship. Sometimes even same-sex relationships. Pornography is also widespread in our society today which I believe has a great impact on the fact that teenagers today in America are sexually active. In my case, it is reasonable to admit that I have my shares of hidden fantasies and desires but one good thing that I am proud of is that I am able to control them in a decent way. Religion also plays a major part in expressing one’s sexuality. It is widely know that Christianity does not allow couples outside marriage to have sexual intercourse. Pre-marital sex is a sin and is not tolerated by the Church. Contraceptives are also not encouraged therefore, if I were to ask how I think religion has affected my sexuality; I would claim that it did not lessen or eliminate my sexual desires rather it remained as a mere reason to control it and repress it. The topic of sexuality is widespread among religious, social and political debates. It comprises of a general idea which is too sensitive to be disregarded easily. However, I believe that one has his/her own rights towards his/her sexuality but are limited to what the law constitutes. A person can be gay, lesbian or bisexual but the mere idea that a person’s sexuality is being developed and identified with different names shows that it is a psychological issue that needs to be studied more thoroughly. It is a subject too complex that must also be given enough education and protection from families and authorities.

Pepsi Saudi Arabia

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) was developed by Kaplan and Norton in the 1990's, it is a management system designed to measure the entire performance of a company by measuring all relevant angles of the company’s operations. BSC requires the company to retain its core financial measurement, but it goes further and expands the measurement to other important business areas. The BSC looks at the entire business from four perspectives, the customer perspective, financial perspective, the internal business process and the learning and growth perspective. It collects and analyzes data relevant to the company.And it helps managers to get clearer more meaningful picture of their company, which in turn enables them to plan, improve and execute operational goals. The objective of this paper is to advocate the adaptation of BSC by Pepsi Saudi. The strength and economic advantages of BSC and why it would be beneficial to Pepsi Saudi will be extensively discussed in this presentation. PEPSI SAUDI ARABIA: The Pepsi company of Saudi Arabia is comprised of two key divisions based on the western region of the country, one the Saudi International Project Company (SIPCO) and the other is Saudi Fruit Juice and Beverage Industry (SFJBI).This paper will look at this merger and how it could use the BSC methodology to elevate its entire operation and increase its profit margin. BALANCE SCORECARD (BSC). Developed in the 1990's by Kaplan and Norton, balanced scorecard is a business management system that uses measurement to verify strategic plans. It tries to align business operations to the strategies of the business, by measuring the performance of the business in relations to its goals, usually for a given time period. It relies largely on the premise that a business principle or a business function that could be measured could also be improved upon.â€Å"What gets measured gets done†. If a company can establish a measurement system to analyze its performance, then that c ompany can find a way to improve on its performance based on the result of the measurement. Experts generally agree that the companies that take the time to measure their own performance usually does better than the companies who do no possess the tools of measurement. Based on the outcome of a business measurement BSC encourages managers to prioritize their efforts. The BSC does not focus on financial measurements alone, because financial measurement alone can not reveal all the important data neededfor long term performance. The balanced scorecard incorporates such business elements based on the customers needs, employees, technology, and other critical elements that could help the company emerge stronger in the future. Essentially BSC takes stock of the whole business. It uses the â€Å"feedback loop† to pinpoint all problematic areas and then it develops solutions for them. Managers and employees can then learn from those points that had been identified by the loop. It lo oks at the company’s current position then initiates the necessary strategies for correction. It uses learning, technical innovations and appropriatebehavioral shifts and cultural identities to accommodate essential actions for the benefit of the company. BSC also sets aside time to study the applications that have been implemented, and then analyzes the results for effectiveness of those mechanisms or lack of effectiveness. THE FOUR PERSPECTIVES AT A GLANCE: The BSC uses data to articulate performance management with the primary objective being the implementation of corporate strategy. The BSC methodology primarily employs four perspectives: financial, customer, business process perspectives and learning and growth perspectives.It calculates present performance without ignoring the importance of future performance. (1) FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE: The BSC recognizes the importance of financial data, but it does not want the emphasize on financial data to overshadow the other neces sary perspectives that deserve equal amount of attention. In BSC adequate, timely and accurate funding are seen as key business requirements. But the BSC methodology goes a little further, it emphasizes that financial data be included in the corporate data base and be available by automation. The BSC method also explores financial risk assessments and cost benefit analysis as partof the data collection in the financial perspective. (This will be discussed in detail in the main body of the study) (2)CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE: The BSC methodology advocates customer focus and satisfaction, it insists that the company must not only satisfy its customers but it must do so without losing money in an attempt to provide superior services or products to those customers. According to the BSC, the customer perspective is a key indicator of the functional health of the company. Poor customer performance is usually an indication of corporate performance in the future.If the customers are not satisfie d they will take their businesses somewhere else, and that is an indication of poor business performance in the future. BSC mandates a satisfaction metric to measure the customer satisfaction. The aim is to identify all customer groups, analyze their needs and provide services to them accordingly. But the company cannot afford to lose profitability in an attempt to satisfy its customers. ( This will be discussed in detail in the main body of the study). (3) BUSINESS PROCESS PERSPECTIVE: The BSC defines this as the internal process. It enables the managers to become familiarwith the functions of the company, and it services and operations. It makes sure that the products and services meets the requirement of the customers. This is highly internal, i. e the process is preferably developed and handled by corporate managers and workers as who have intimate knowledge of the company, as opposed to consultants who are essentially corporate outsiders. The mission oriented process refers to the functions of government offices, and they could present some unique problems. On the other hand, the support process is more repetitive and generic and therefore easier to measure. (Thiswill be discussed in detail in the main body of the study). (4) LEARNING AND GROWTH PERSPECTIVE: The BSC describes this perspective as employee training in corporate culture as well as individual training and improvement. It sees employees as the mainstay of the corporation. The training would be regular and continuous. The idea is to avoid â€Å"brain drain† from the company. So employees would be trained in all new and relevant technologies. Kaplan and Norton emphasized that â€Å"learning is more than training†, it includes mentors and tutors in the organization. (Kaplan&Norton 1996). (This will be discussed in detail in the main body of the study).CAN PEPSI SAUDI BENEFIT FROM BSC? To answer that question it is important to know where Pepsi Saudi came from in terms of business it s identity and then analyze the reasons it chose to adopt the BSC management module, and then superimpose the analysis on the reports of other corporations that have adopted the BSC. It is worth noting that Pepsi’s decision to join the ranks of companies that have chosen to implement BSC was not made in a vacuum. The fact is that BSC had become a familiar and efficient working module for many successful companies. Also Pepsi Saudi has had its own incredible business and financial success, and byadopting BSC it chose to follow many world class businesses. With the implementation of the balance scorecard methodology, Pepsi Saudi have joined ranks with such business heavyweights as Exxon mobile, British telecommunications worldwide, Hilton hotels, IBM, UPS, Volvofians of Sweden and much more. These are impressive list of companies, and again the decision for them to adopt the balanced scorecard system was not made in a vacuum, because the stakes are too high. On February 2nd 200 2 the AME-INFO reported the merger of Saudi industrial projects company (SIPCO) and Saudi FruitJuice and Beverage industry (SFJBI) in the western region of Saudi Arabia. The reasons for the merger were many, they wanted to expand their command of the beverage industry, and they wanted to remain the best manufacturing operation in the industry. It is not difficult to imagine that Pepsi Saudi would adopt BSC in order to maintain its dominance of the industry. Before the merger it introduced the Pepsi twist (Pepsi taste laced with a twist of lemon) â€Å"in order to satisfy customers demand for something extra in their soft drink† AMEINFO October 8th 2001. It unfolded many ad campaigns designed to capturenew customers and retain old ones. The ad campaign targeted all major social events of the kingdom, including football games that featured the stars of the popular sport. As this study will show continue the company has continued to grow under BSC. FRAMEWORK: Because of the succ ess of balance scorecard, there are enormous volumes of information on the practice of BSC, but this study will examine the phenomenon of balance scorecard with Saudi Pepsi as the reference agency. The study will review the book (Translating strategy into action) by Kaplan and Norton as well as many relevant literature on the subject.It is the position of this study that BSC is a genuine business elevator, so this project will make the necessary efforts to present authentic evidence in support of that position. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study are to outline and analyze the fundamental principles of the Balanced Scorecard system. The paper will trace the formulation of the system and review some of the available data on its effectiveness. Also the paper will make an objective judgement on the advantages and disadvantages of its application. Since this is designed to ascertain the adaptability of BSC to Pepsi of Saudi Arabia, the paper will concludewith a critical in sight on how Pepsi could benefit from BSC, based largely on data from the performance review of other corporations that have implemented the BSC management system. QUESTIONS EXPECTED TO BE ADDRESSED BY THIS STUDY: Though questions abound on this study, but this discourse will focus greatly on the matters that address the application, and the structure of Balance Scorecard. The major perspectives as advanced by Kaplan and Norton will be presented and analyzed in depth . It must be emphasized that the system is an objective, responsive system. Itcould be followed with appropriate data analysis, and adjustments could be made when desirable. The paper will provide the necessary steps that could be followed in order to attain a desired result. Because this dialogue has taken sides in favor of the BSC, it will clearly present the known benefits of implementing the system. But it must be emphasized that there are some drawbacks in the BSC system. Those drawbacks would equally be outlined. All the important steps in the implementation of the BSC will be discussed, and the different roles that different levels of a corporate entity would need to play will be enumerated as well.All of the team members must not only make a commitment, they must participate in the process. Every department must know its participating role in the implementation of BSC, and this work will detail what those roles ought to be, and how to ensure that they are diligently executed. It should also be recognized that it is not enough to design and construct a BSC, the question is would it be used? No benefits would accrue if the built BSC is not used. Of course the most important question is that of the applicability of the system by Pepsi Saudi, that question will be adequately addressed in this process.CHAPTER TWO: BOOK AND LITERATURE ANALYSIS. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT: Before the advent of BSC, a questionnaire by the national association of accountants indicated that about 60% of accountants wer e â€Å"not satisfied by their performance measurement system†, primarily because of its reliance on purely financial metrics. But since the implementation of BSC that dire view is turning around. (Nevin 2003). Performance measurement technique is used to compile data on many subjects, high school academicians use performance measurement to keep record of behaviors of students whose behaviors required to improvement.The significant point here is that the actual behavior improvement could be measured empirically, scientifically and with discerning accuracy. So it is not surprising that corporations would also adopt performance management system. Corporations use performance measurement to keep record of its effectiveness, and its efficiency. It is used to tabulate quality and productivity. It is also used to keep records of timeliness and safety. (Nevin, Paul 2003). With an effective performance measurement system, companies can a develop a sustainable structure for its strate gic planning, and its goals.It helps companies assemble a clear mission, with appropriate resources, on long term intervals. With it companies can maintain accountability for its performance or lack of performance. By using performance measurement companies are better able to analyze and validate its results. It can also use it to acquire timely feedbacks, which could be used to change the direction of a given project or to move a project forward. So in total, performance measurement could help and organization to make informed decisions, to appraise its performance and to initiate an improvement as needed. (Nevin, Paul 2003). I suppose we can say thatperformance measurement is a close â€Å"cousin† of BSC. However a performance measurement system could limit its benefits if it loses sight of key performance drivers. And it could be quite expensive to set-up a performance measuring unit, but most companies seem to agree that the cost is worth it at the long run. (Kaplan & Nor ton 1996). BALANCED SCORECARD, â€Å"DEFINITION† What is scorecard, how can we define scorecard, is it possible to provide a total comprehensive meaning? Scorecard is not a one word definition system, so in order to do justice to the question, what is scorecard, it is necessary to take a comprehensiveapproach to that question. â€Å"If you can measure it you can manage† that is the guiding concept behind the BSC management philosophy. The balanced scorecard system was designed by Kaplan and Norton in the 1990's with the objective of giving managers the tool to look into the long term prospect of their organizations with some measure of reliability. So the BSC is both a management and a measurement tool that when fully and accurately implemented will enable businesses to develop their own vision, and their own strategy, and then translate those business elements into business actions.It is a system that can give businesses an authentic feedback about their internal and external results. And that in turn would enable them to develop a genuine strategy. Since a company with superior strategy and a way of measuring the results of its performance functions do better than companies that do not posses similar tool. (Kaplan & Norton 1996). With BSC managers are able to a maintain a clear insight into the operations and management of all business units. It gives the manager the picture that he needs to see how the business is performing when it is compared against the plans, and stated objectives of the business.If a discrepancy is observed between the goals and the actual results, BSC enables practitioners to delve in and correct the noticed discrepancy. And when corrections are made effectively, the business would then redirect the necessary efforts and resources back to the expected reports. It has been abundantly documented that companies that use BSC have a highly accurate and generally dependable view of their entire operations and its performance. BSC does not simply employ financial metrics in its measurements, but it uses customer satisfaction, technical and intellectual innovations, market share and market competition to garnerbetter more reflective and more comprehensive results of company operations and performance. And there are very little doubts that this system is effective for those companies that have designed and executed the system. (Nevin 2003). A comprehensive survey/questionnaire conducted by CIO. Com, Balancedscorecard. org, and Microsoft. com revealed that companies that employ BSC â€Å"have improved their financial and future position in the market place†. (Studentweb. tulane. edu). A study by Nevin 2003 indicates that about 50% of fortune 1000 corporations now have employed some form of BSCmanagement performance metrics. (Nevin 2003). That alone means that all of these companies have used the BSC system to position themselves on a better financial and management future. With BSC organizations are a ble to articulate a comprehensive strategy towards desired performance, and implementation success. On the whole the BSC system employs tree main systems in order to accomplish its objectives. It uses the measurement system, the strategic management system, and the communication tool. (Nevin 2003). These three factors present only as translation tool to the entire strategy of the BSC business system.The measurement system of BSC uses the â€Å"lead indicators† to forecast future business environment. It reveals the strategy via long term management that focuses on customer satisfaction, innovation and recognition of potential market competitors. It seeks out innovation for the benefit of superior products. It deploys essential resources in order to capture customers that it would retain for the long run. It looks for realistic ways to retain its customers. And it combines all of those factors for both effectiveness and efficiency. It is the measurement aspect of BSC that full y engages the four perspectives, so theseperspectives will be discussed here in a little more detail. The four perspective as have been mentioned on this discourse include the customer perspective, the internal process perspective, and the learning and growth perspectives. CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVES REVISITED: When a business loses the drive to pursue and retain customers, it loses its soul and therefore the right to exist. No business can function, thrive or prosper without a reliable customer base. In the customer perspective theory BSC makes it clear that it is not only essential to know who the target customers are and how a business can better servethat customer base. The BSC identifies three primary ways of providing services to customers in the Balance scorecard system. Operational excellence emphasizes low prices, and convenience ( Nevin 2003). Product leadership focuses on providing the best product in the market. In customer intimacy the business stresses the development of lon g term relationships with the customer, doing whatever is necessary to know what it is that the customer truly wants. It does so while maintaining as much knowledge as possible of its customers. The reason for these efforts in acquiring superior customerknowledge comes down to the point that the businesses are attempting to provide as much satisfaction to the customers as possible. The other reasons include customer loyalty and the need for more market share. (Balancedscorecard. org. ) INTERNAL PROCESS PERSPECTIVE REVISITED: This area focuses on identification of the things that would need to be done in order to continue to add value to the customers and ultimately to the shareholders (Nevin 2003). The internal process aims to serve the customer and increase the total value of the organization, as well as keep record of the companies progress. The team’s objective isprimarily to develop better products, to find better ways of manufacturing better products. To find better ways of delivering their products, and to find better ways of delivering better services after the products had been delivered. LEARNING AND GROWTH PERSPECTIVE REVISITED: This may actually be the most important aspect of the entire process. Organizations would get as far as their employees could take them. A team that lacks knowledge may not be able to provide the necessary services required by the customers. Therefore genuine effort must be made to keep employees abreast of necessary information. And that is what the learningand growth perspective tries to define. It emphasizes that information be made available to the employees. It requires the employees skills be as sharp as necessary. It does not want employees to be ignored. Again the key here is that any organization would only go as far as the employees could take it. With adequate care and education, employees can only do better for the company. It is important to point out that the BSC system does not ignore the financial persp ective. But the key is that when a company has satisfied the other objectives, that company stand a pretty good chance of doing well financially.BALANCE SCORECARD AS A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Obviously putting a business and management strategy is important, but no strategy will function if it does not actually get implemented. So the first step in resolving the issue of non-implementation, is to identify what the potential problems towards implementation may be, and then address those issues. According to fortune magazine (1999) about 70% of strategies are poorly executed, so how can it be executed better. Both the team and the management must pay attention to the four barriers: the vision barrier, the people barrier, the resource barrier, and the management barrier.(1) VISION BARRIER: To overcome the vision barrier, employees must not be kept in the dark. The BSC wants management to be very clear as to what the vision is. When possible place a figure on the vision . For insta nce if the goal is to manufacture products without defects 90 % of the time, then it may be made clearer by stating exactly that. That figure of 90% translates the vision to a level that could not be misunderstood. Give the employees the appropriate knowledge base and strategic structure, that makes the entire strategic objective easier to follow. Management should facilitate a total understanding of the strategy and the wholestructure in order to enable all the team members to fully understand the strategy and therefore work towards achieving it as a unit. (Kaplan & Norton) (2) PEOPLE BARRIER: In order to overcome the people barrier, BSC outlines a system known as cascading. Essentially it give all of the team members or all of the employees a chance to actually demonstrate exactly how they contribute to their teams objective. The entire system is driven from the top to the bottom. Management would be able to have â€Å"direct line of site† to all levels by implementing the cascade system. the management would need toredesign how it awards incentives. When the focus is on rewarding long term achievement as opposed to short term, employees tend to respond with long term focus, as they work towards achieving the goal. So if long term objectives are created and proper values and incentives placed on them, then the rest of the team would naturally follow. This is an important point because, when employees are rewarded based on short term expectations, then the entire effort would be based on attaining that short term incentive. (3) RESOURCE BARRIER: For the resource barrier, an organization that is genuinely concerned about achievingBSC must allocate adequate budgetary resources to it. To do otherwise would simply be folly. No strategy would get off the ground without real financial commitment. Human and financial resources should be part of the consideration during the planning of the strategy. It just would not make sense not to allocate the necessary re sources. (4) MANAGEMENT BARRIER: The last barrier is the management barrier, there is really no doubt that management participation about the importance of an earnest management participation in order for the strategies to work. If management would not show true commitment, then whywould the rest of the team. If the team leader is absent why would any one else pay attention. (Nevin 2003). When learning is prescribed as part of the strategy and when accurate evaluation are made based on the numbers from the scorecard, then its easier to read the results and compare them to the original hypothesis. If the report does not measure up to the hypothesis, then a different approach would be necessary. The point is that if all of these four strategic elements are implemented, and the required evaluations are made regularly, the company gives itself stands an excellent chance of reversing courseif the numbers indicate so. CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS: It would be unrealistic to think that the entire system would not have some criticisms, and there are some legitimate questions on how effective the system really is. For sure it is an expensive proposal to implement. It requires that management and team leaders must have hands on approach in order to achieve the stated goals. But it is not always easy to have that kind of high level participation. So it could be a problem. (Molleman 2007). Some have argued that it is difficult to relate one measurement to the other.For instance, how could a change in one perspective have a direct correlation to another. It is not quite clear how change in a particular measure would affect another measure. Others have argued that BSC does not address what the appropriate balance ought to be when addressing the stakeholder value. Davidson 2002, reports that the BSC correctly anticipates the value for the shareholders and the customers, but it does not articulate the needs of the employees. It also asserts that the requirement for top management pa rticipation centralizes the methodology on the high level management.In a project that requires a good degree of knowledge, Davidson argues that the top-down approach may not be the best. But on the issue of management participation, if the commitment is high enough, then management ought to be able to find the time to allocate to the idea, because the long term benefits could be enormous ,if the system is followed correctly. The point is that the benefits negates the shortcomings. All indication is that BSC is a business method that is worth pursuing, and there are definite measures that could be taken in order to mitigate some of the shortcomings. If an organizationfollows the directives that were outlined by Kaplan an Norton, then they would have significantly elevated their chances for success in their endeavor. First Kaplan and Norton insists that on the question of wether an organization is applying the right measure of perspectives, they recommend that a stable BSC should hav e a good balance of both lagging and leading indicators. That would enable them to see a clear picture of not only past efforts but also the plans of the future. A company should not implement too many indicators. Organizations should focus on those indicators that clearly addresses their strategy.So with the correct combination of lagging and leading indicators as well as the correct mixture of the most critical indicators, Kaplan and Norton belief that the organization would do just fine. (Kaplan & Norton 1996). They also advised against making a â€Å"quantitative link† between non financial indicators and financial indicators. Since lag time may be influenced by many factors, it is not advisable to link non financial indicators and financial indicators. Also Kaplan and Norton observed that failure would almost be guaranteed if senior management simply dump the system to middle management. Therefore it emphasizes that senior managementmust remain engaged, it must define th e performance measurement, thereby making the objective clear to all levels of the team. It is not enough to have a senior leadership, if the senior leadership is not working with the rest of the team to achieve the objective. All segments of the company or organization would need to be involved in order for the BSC to work as designed. Developing the process does not have to be protracted, because if implementing it becomes too long then strategies may change during this period, and that would not be a good for the process. Therefore they recommend that the development process ought to be short.(Kaplan & Norton). It would be inadvisable to use the BSC just for compensation purposes, therefore it is recommended that compensation be linked only when it is involved in translating strategy. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BALANCED SCORECARD. The two main phases of BSC are the planning phase and the development phase. Because different organizations operate differently, it may not be realistic to expect companies to follow one particular route to the implementation of the system. But Nevin 2003 drew an implementation â€Å"map† that could aid any organization as it plows through the difficulty of planning and implementation.

Project Planning, Execution, and Closure Essay

Premise As the project manager in charge of IRTC’s new endeavor of upgrading their legacy billing system one of the most crucial tasks in which I have to accomplish in this function is to build a team of worthy professionals. As we know the people we work with can either be a value to a program or at time a detriment; therefore as a project manager, it is extremely important to hire the right talent at the right price. We have to keep in mind while talent is important, it’s even more important to hire personnel that will coalesce effectively in all manners pertaining to the crucial work. Without synergy from the team, the project manager is taking unnecessary risk that may impede reaching benchmarks thus ultimately risking the ability to meet requirements. Along with many other tasks, the project manager has to hire competent individuals and align these individuals to roles that are best suited for the project. The IRTC billing system project has budgetary limitations, the budget for the project must be managed so that the best value is created for the lowest cost. The contract allows 2.5 full time employees but requires three positions to be filled for the role as the end user, business analyst and team leader, thus the common sense approach would be to create two dual hated positions that can perform at least two or more roles. I recognizing that the IRTC billing system project will be best suited for two multi-talented FTEs, therefore, I am strongly considering Chris and Terry for the End used, business analyst and team leader positions. Terry would be a great fit for the team leader and business analyst position, while Chris would be a perfect fit for the software tester and end user position. What does a business analyst do? The roles of the business analyst will vary from company to company. In theory the ideal Business analyst should be versatile in numerous functions related to business; the business analyst does not have to be a master in these functions, a general knowledge will suffice, enough knowledge to see trends and recognize superfluous factors that may have adverse effects on those function. A business analyst should have knowledge in finance, engineering, computer hardware architecture, operations, finance, engineering and technology. Business analysts typically serve as the liaisons which will bridge the individual departments within an organization together throughout the various phases within the developmental process. The following are core skills and functions of business analyst, as dictated by an article from Villanova University: Business analyst will works all the departments within a business to isolate prospects for enhancements in business operations and processes. Business anal ysts are usually included in the modification and strategy/design of IT systems or business systems. The analyst interacts with the business stakeholders and subject matter experts in order to understand their problems and needs. The business analyst and the project manager are usually close based on the fact that the business analyst will have to familiar with documents pertaining to the project and usually analyzes business needs and requirements being created by the project manager. Business analyst are usually involved in all aspect of the new project, a big part of their role is to solve business problems, come with business solutions technical issues that warrant such measures. A big part of a business analyst role is to documents technical design and functionality of the new system. Business analyst seldom works together with developers and system architects to ensure that proper integration of the system being worked on. A business analyst might aid in tests for the system being developed and part of his tasks in this function may be to produce user manuals and documentation for the system. In retrospect to the various tasks of the business analyst Terry would fit perfect within that roles. Terry has business analyst experience already and Terry attitude toward the work is positive. What does a team leader do? The team leader’s role and functions are directly related to the team members; hence various employees are hired by the project manager because of their knowledge and expertise. The team leader’s is hired to effectively coordinate those team mates. Nonetheless, the team leader should be familiar with organization processes and have a good report with various stakeholders. The team leader should be the liaison between the team and act as a moderator between the individual team members and the project manager. He or she should have constant interaction with the team as to gather pertinent information so as to improve processes. The team leader is usually in charge or may act as the schedule keeper and record keeper during the various stages development. The team leader must build and maintain a good relationship with the sponsor, as he or she will have constant interaction the both the sponsor and stakeholders. Lastly, the team leader may play a part in the selection of n ew team members. The team leader is a role for a project, the person in that role may have other functions within the organization, and therefore that person must learn to manage his various roles accordingly to be effective. Cron.com states that part of the role the team leader is to develop strategy, communicate the vision, serve the team, remain calm, and make decisions. Terry would be exemplary in the team lead position. I have worked in program where the business analyst and team position are one of the same, being fulfilled by one person. What is an end user? The best way to describe an end user is to think of that type of person which will ultimately be using the system or software being developed. In the realm of information technology, the concept of the end user is somewhat different; the usage for the term may be nominal to any industry but have a totally different function in IT. In information technology or the production of information technology systems, end users are hired for the sake of testing the system as a measure to provide feedback in various areas. People who do not have a good working knowledge of the software are used for the purpose of human factoring, functionality, feasibility, ease and purpose. Developers will use information from the end used in the various phases of the system being develop to improve in areas where end users functionality and ease of operation is warranted. Chris would be the  perfect person to act in the role as the end user. Chris would be a valued member to the project not only does he fit perfect for the end user role but he has programming talents as well as good useful knowledge in software testing. Why I choose Terry and Chris Upon reading the background of the five candidates, it became clear which candidate would fit within my ideal team. First off, I disqualified Pat as candidate, although his well-qualified and would have made a great team lead/business analyst, Pat’s attitude toward the project makes me full uneasy and question is diligences to fulfilling his task based on that he does not see the benefit of moving to the Web-based version. I disqualified Jan for team lead position and business analyst position just because Terry is just a better and I could not hire her any other position because her salary requirements is higher than Terry’s. Also, Pat is overly qualified for the end user position. I did not consider Robin for either position albeit she may be a value in another needed role, possibly as a programmer. Terry and Chris will only take 48 hours from the 100 hours allowed for full time employees. Jan might be a good candidate to hire as trainer considering I we purchase the training package from the vendor. Jan’s background with vendor’s competitor will make her an avid trainer; also it would be good to have her counsel. She may be the key person to helping IRTC create a product that has advantages over current software available. References: Project Management Institute. (2013). Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) 5th Edition. Newton Square: Project Management Institute. Kerzner, H. (2013). Mistakes Made by Inexperienced Project Managers. In H. Kerzner, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling, 11th Edition (p. 213). John Wiley & Sons. Travis, E. (n.d.). Roles of a team leader in a business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/roles-team-leader-business-22734.html What does a business analyst do?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.villanovau.com/business-analyst-career/