5 grammar skills you need to master for career success

5 grammar skills you need to master for career success No matter what field you’re in, it’s likely that any given job description calls for good communication skills. At the top of this list is making sure your writing and speaking skills are top-notch. Let’s look at some of the key grammar tips that make your conversation and resume are polished and professional. 1. Use possessives correctly.This is one of the most frequent grammatical errors. Always take a minute to make sure you’re using the they’re and you’re  contractions for they are and you are. Their and your are possessive pronouns. These mistakes are often some of the easiest to spot for a reader, and they are so common from people of all backgrounds and education levels. If this is an issue that makes you nervous, one way to avoid this is to avoid confusion by not using contractions. It’s totally fine to spell out you are.Rule of thumb: If you’re making a contraction, you should always have an apostrophe. Possessive pro nouns never have an apostrophe.2. Don’t speak in the third person.Sometimes we (royal we) like to be extra formal in resumes or job interviews, because we want to present ourselves as highly dignified professionals. Resist that urge. Don’t go too informal (keep it professional, always), but it is absolutely okay to say â€Å"I† or â€Å"me,† and make it personal.Rule of thumb: You’re presenting yourself. You don’t need to hide behind the third person just to be fancy.3. Don’t use jargon or tons of abbreviations.Jargon is extremely popular on resumes, because you want the reader to know that you understand the ins and outs of an industry. You talk the talk, so that must mean  you’re an insider, right? Not really. Instead, you run the risk of turning off readers if they don’t quite get the same terminology, or if that jargon is hyper-specific to, say, your current job. It’s always better to keep things generic. An d if you do use abbreviations to save space, make sure you spell it out on the first use in your resume, cover letter, email, etc.Rule of thumb: Simpler is better. You never know who’s reading.4. Don’t use unnecessary capitals.Like jargon or being overly formal, extra capitals can be a crutch when we want people to Know What We’re Talking About. You may think you’re providing emphasis that draws the reader’s eye and makes your writing easier to read, but it really just complicates things unnecessarily.Rule of thumb: Only legitimate proper nouns (names) should have capitals.5. Proofread everything three times.I can’t emphasize this enough. All of us are prone to little mistakes when we write. This is especially true when you’ve written, rewritten, and edited a resume or cover letter so many times that you stop seeing what’s in it because you know it so well. That’s inevitably where the little mistakes creep in. If at all possible, get a trusted reader to review something official before you turn it in. Having an extra pair of eyes can help you spot blatant spelling or grammar errors, and can also help ensure that you’re making sense to the reader.Rule of thumb: Do it. Then do it again.

Lo and Behold!

Lo and Behold! Lo and Behold! Lo and Behold! By Maeve Maddox A football fan posted the following: I decided to watch the Duke vs Miami game and low and behold Duke is successful this year Naturally the â€Å"low and behold† caught my eye. Was it just a typo? I hopped on my search engine to see what I could find. Apparently a lot of English speakers write low for the lo of â€Å"Lo and behold!† Some of the misspellings I found were deliberate puns in headlines above stories about something â€Å"low,† like low oil prices, low calorie recipes, and low golf scores. More, however, seemed to be the result of not knowing that the word in the expression is spelled lo and not low. Here are some examples: Low and behold! (a blog title) Low and Behold (a 2007 movie about post-Hurricane Katrina) low and behold I have some pretty awesome DOMS in the mid region (exercise site) But low and behold, some four decades later (printed rap lyrics) Low and behold it worked out great I got a laptop in the mail (testimonial on marketing site) Autumn term will all be about the Old Testament and low and behold, we’ve worked out a complete program (university site in the U.K.) Low and BeholdHow Much Work Are You Willing to do? (headline on an author’s site) If you don’t count the exotic list of words acceptable for Scrabble tournaments, English has very few two-letter words. The fact that only about twenty are in common use may account for attempts to add a little body to lo by adding another letter. Lo may derive from the imperative form of the verb to look. It has been used as an interjection at least since Beowulf was written, but the tautology â€Å"lo and behold† dates only from the 19th century. Long before that, lo–in the sense of Look! See! Behold!– was used to direct attention to something about to happen or about to be said. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; (Song of Solomon, 2:11, KJV.) And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught/The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light. (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Edward Fitzgerald translation.) The earliest OED citation for Lo and behold! is from a letter written in 1808. Bulwer-Lytton– he who gave us the novel opening, â€Å"It was a dark and stormy night,† used it in 1841: The fair bride was skipping down the middle..when, lo and behold! the whiskered gentleman..advanced..and cried- ‘La voil!’ (Night Morning II. iii. v. 144  ) Nowadays the expression is used both humorously and cuttingly. Tennessee Williams has Stanley use it in a tirade against Blanche: You come in here and sprinkle the place with powder and spray perfume and cover the light-bulb with a paper lantern, and lo and behold the place has turned into Egypt and you are the Queen of the Nile! (Streetcar Named Desire, scene 10). Modern novelists probably won’t find much use for the expression butâ€Å"Lo and Behold!† still has plenty of life in it for daily conversational use. People who use the expression in their blogs and online conversations may want to check the spelling. Historical novelists putting exclamations in the mouths of pre-19th century characters may want to stick to plain â€Å"Lo!† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Congratulations on or for?Rules for Capitalization in TitlesHow to Address Your Elders, Your Doctor, Young Children... and Your CEO

Finance Week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance Week 2 - Essay Example I am pleased that we can use a financial calculator to help us, but if I am unsure about the variables then it won’t help me much. For interest rates, I was previously unsure about how they are determined and why they can change so quickly. After going through Chapter 6, however, I now feel like I have a good grasp of it. 2. The financial ratio that I find easiest to understand is the single future cash flow ratio because it is very straightforward and there are no added variables. By that I mean that anyone with only a basic understanding of math would be able to comprehend it because the ratio follows a pattern. The hardest financial ratios to understand are those with multiple future cash flows because the answers can be unpredictable if there is a series of unequal amounts. The cash flow timeline helps me a lot because I can visualize each cash flow in terms of where it comes from and how it influences the overall outcome. The most difficult thing is trying to figure out where the investment problems variables fit into the equation. Once I have the right equation, I can usually solve for the unknown variable because then it just becomes a simple case of math. 3. The financial calculator is both useful and challenging for me at the same time. I like it because it helps me to find the correct answer in a short amount of time. If I have figured out all the variables, then I can simply plug the numbers in and the calculator will spit out the answer. The one problem that I have with it is that I sometimes don’t fully understand why it gave me a certain answer. If I was able to work through the problem step-by-step, then I would have a better understanding of it. 4. I would describe the current level of interest rates as moderately high. Although current inflation is relatively low due to the financial crisis, there is still a lot of risk in the marketplace, and this ensures that

Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Report - Assignment Example Any children’s right forums should relate existing human rights law to the particular circumstances of these children and develop existing laws to meet the specific needs of vulnerable children. It is the responsibility and rights of parents and educators to offer guidance in the implementation of rights of these children. They must develop an approach that, takes into account the child’s evolving capacities, such as age and self-realization. Self-identity can be explained as the descriptive characteristics, abilities, qualities, of a person. (Freeman, 2000) Listening to children talk about their right and rights of other, there is need to put in place more active ways of particularly identifying children’s views, mainly when it comes to conducting a research and educational practices. Children, and in particular young ones, should be allowed to express their views in any way possible even through children’s activities like drawing and orally. The meanings young ones attach to their experiences are rarely the meanings that the adults in charge of them would ascribe. (Bandman, 1999) The session will focus on the importance of understanding how children construct and develop their own sense of what their rights are and in what way they develop a sense of belonging within the community and family they come from. It will scrutinize the importance of early experiences in relation to their self-worth. The connection among the vision, belonging, and the shaping of children’s identity will be discussed, including the areas of attachment, social- cultural heritage, developing experiences and progressive relationship structure will be explored. Johnny is a seven-year-old boy in a kindergarten school, he is from a humble background, as the first-born child of four boys, and one girl he is curious about his surroundings. At this age, he can ask questions and seek answers about

How to be an effective communicator Essay Example for Free

How to be an effective communicator Essay Good communicators are not born they are created, and you cannot create one out of yourself overnight. You have to have constant practice and some rules to follow. Other than learning how to speak clearly and avoiding monotonous voice which will definitely play a big part to becoming the best in your chosen career, avoiding plagiarism is also an important thing to consider. What is plagiarism?   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Is using ideas and/or words from a different person, claiming as ones own without proper credit to the real source (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)†.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The inability to give credit and acknowledge ideas or phrases used in any paper, publication, or project submitted but gained from another person (http://english.la.psu.edu)†. What are the different types of plagiarism? 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Word-for-word Plagiarizing – â€Å"happen when you try to change opening part of the sentence, so that the readers won’t notice that the remaining of the entire paragraph is just a copy from the source (http://academics.hamilton.edu)†. 2. Plagiarizing by paraphrase – â€Å"the same concept from the source are being followed in a close manner simply by just substituting and changing some words with your own words and sentenced for those of the original text (http://academics.hamilton.edu)†. 3. The Source – The writer should have proper citation about the source, it should be clear and exact. 4. Mosaic Plagiarism – â€Å"this is more complicated type of plagiarism, because phrases and words are actually from the source or original text and you just add some of your words (http://academics.hamilton.edu)†. 5. Summary – â€Å"using quotation marks during an oral presentation and while writing a paper can help avoid plagiarism, but when overdone it will look like a patchwork and will resemble the original (Types of Plagiarism, http://la.psu.edu).   If it happened that almost the entire thing that you want to say came from one source, directly quote or paraphrase it so it will look better. But either way, introduce your borrowed words or ideas by pointing out that those ideas are from the author and followed them with citation inside the parenthesis (Types of Plagiarism, http://la.psu.edu)†. How do we avoid them in oral presentation? Consider indicating direct quotation, by saying â€Å"quote† and follow it with â€Å"unquote† or â€Å"close quote†. Another approach is by saying: â€Å"In her 1998 owner’s guide, Airedale Terriers, trainer Dorothy Miner says the following about the origins of the Airedale Terrier†. If you are citing a saying from anonymous sources, you can say â€Å"It is always said that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In oral presentation usually the citation is trimmed down to just the author, Title of the publication date and title. With all these information regarding plagiarism and proper citation I’ am sure it will be a big help for you to start so to speak. But with constant practice and proper usage of voice, using proper intonation, correct stress on words, pronunciation and enunciation you can become one of the most effective communicator.

Relationship Between Business and IT Strategies at PRASA

Relationship Between Business and IT Strategies at PRASA 1 Introduction 4.1 BACKGROUND TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM For almost three decades practitioners, academics, consultants, and research organizations have identified â€Å"attaining alignment between IT and business† as a pervasive problem, Luftman and Kempaiah (2007). Gutierrez,Nawazish,Orozco,Serrano and Yazdouni (2007) add that despite the wide acceptance of strategic alignment (the strategic use of Information Technology), there is no consensus on how to achieve alignment and with few references that detail the process, there is no common agreement on the term alignment. Terminology such as linkage Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) harmony, integrated, linked, and synchronocity Luftman and Kempaiah (2007) have been suggested and used. Steiner (1979b) points out that there no consensus as to the meaning of strategy in the business world. An example of the definitions which he uses include the following Steiner (1979a): Strategy is that what executives do they that empower the organization. Strategy is the direction the organization takes which is aligned with it’s purposes and missions. Strategy consists of the important activities necessary to realize these directions. Strategy answers the question: What should the organization be doing to achieve success? Strategy answers the question: What are the means to end? Mintzberg (1994), says that people use strategy in several different ways, the most common being: Strategy is a plan, a how, a means of getting from here to there. Strategy is a pattern in actions over time; for example, a company that regularly markets very expensive products is using a high end strategy. Strategy is perspective, that is, vision and direction. Strategy is position; that is, it reflects decisions to offer particular products or services in particular markets. Porter (1998) states that strategy positioning attempts to achieve sustainable competitive advantage by preserving what is distinctive about a company and that strategy, is the creation of a unique and valuable position, involving a different set of activities, requires that trade-offs be made in competing, to chose what not to do and involves creating â€Å"fit† among a company’s activities. Fit has to do with the ways a company’s activities interact and reinforce one another. To improve the strategic management of information technology, Henderson and Venkatraman (1993), developed a framework which they called the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM). This model was defined in terms of four fundamental domains of strategic choice namely business strategy, information technology strategy, organizational infrastructure and processes and information technology infrastructure and processes. The model is defined in terms of two fundamental characteristics of strategic management namely the strategic fit (the interrelationship between external and internal components) and functional integration (integration between business and functional domains). Luftman (2001) improved on the Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) SAM model by developing the Strategic Alignment Maturity Model (SAMM). The model measures IT–business alignment maturity. Six interrelated components for assessing alignment maturity are identified. These are communications, value, governance, partnership, scope and architecture and skills. The scores an organization achieves for these six components of maturity are then compared to a five-level maturity model to denote the organization IT-business alignment maturity Luftman (2001).The levels range from level one to level five where level five is the highest level of maturity. A higher alignment maturity correlates with higher firm performance measures Luftman (2001). Tying performance measures to strategic goals is a critical step Fonvielle and Carr (2001). A tool to measure performance and to align strategic goals within organisations is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC was developed by Kaplan and Norton (1992) to overcome the business’s reliance on financial measures. They contend that reliance on only financial measures does not give a complete overview of the organisations measures. The BSC provided a framework to look at strategy, used for value creation from four different perspectives these being financial, customer, internal business process and innovation and learning Kaplan and Norton (1992).One of the principles recommended by the authors, is that for an organization to be focused on strategy, there needs to be alignment among departments to the strategy of the organisation. The alignment sequence recommended by Kaplan and Norton (2006) starts when the corporate headquarters articulates enterprise value proposition that wil l create synergies among operating units, support units and external partners. This sequence includes aligning IT strategy with the business strategy. 4.1 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM Business and IT strategies at PRASA need to be better aligned. 4.1 What is passenger rail agency of south africa (PRASA)? Appendix A, gives a comprehensive overview of the historical context and the introduction of PRASA taken from the companie’s business plan. Following is a summary of the key issues PRASA was created by Government to advance its agenda for the transformation of the public transport system into a vibrant, efficient one, As part of its strategy, PRASA (2009), to secure the future of its business, PRASA will focus its resources and energies during the current medium term expenditure framework (METF) on the following three Strategic Priorities: Service Excellence within Metrorail, Shosholoza Meyl and Autopax Property and Asset Development, and Technology Upgrade or Modernization of its key transport systems The key objectives identified by Government in addressing the challenges of passenger rail transport moving forward PRASA (2009) are as follows: Sustainable passenger rail service delivery; Improved performance of passenger rail services in terms of the quality and levels of services to passengers; Improved efficiency in the delivery of services; Improved effectiveness of asset management; Effective targeting of subsidies to achieve desired socio-economic transport objectives; Improved oversight by Government; and Improved accountability to the users. 4.1 Why prasa? PASSENGER TRANSPORT CHANGE IMPERATIVES 1..1 The Public Transport Challenge After many years of neglect, the existing commuter transport system, inherited from the apartheid past, has reached saturation levels and is unable to satisfy passenger demands while its infrastructure is not able to meet the requirements of a rapidly changing and modern society. The dysfunctional institutional arrangements have meant poor accountability in the provision of public transport services, which were found to be largely disempowering. Government’s socio-economic and transport policies could not be supported adequately by such institutional arrangements. The country is seeking to move away from the current commuter-based transport provision into a more integrated public transport system that meets growing and changing passenger demands in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner. The twin challenges for public transport is to simultaneously transform through meaningful integration whilst at the same time enhancing capacity through upgrading and modernization to meet long-term need PRASA (2009). 1..2 Inadequate Passenger Service Provision Passenger rail in South Africa faces many challenges as a result of a long history of inadequate investment in rail rolling stock, infrastructure and operations as well as the loss of appropriate managerial and technical (engineering) skills within the industry. The shortage of such critical skills has a direct negative impact on the delivery of services. In the urbanising metropolitan areas the provision of new rail corridors has not kept pace with the rapidly changing urban landscape resulting in limited coverage in key areas of urban expansion with the consequential loss of significant market share. Over time, commuter rail services have continued to fail to respond adequately to changing passenger demands PRASA (2009). 1..3 Customer-Centric Delivery A dynamic and customer-centric public transport system is required where passengers contribute to and shape the service delivery agenda. The need for a Passenger or Quality Charter and the emergence of strong, vibrant structures championing both the interests of passengers and public transport transformation are vital to the development of a public transport system that will effectively respond to the travelling needs of passengers. The past few years has seen the emergence of vibrant, community-based structures championing public transport transformation and demanding quality services from Government and transport service providers. This movement seems to be growing and shows the determination of South Africans to participate in the construction of a transport system that will effectively respond to their demands PRASA (2009). 4.1 PRASA Vision, Mission Values Vision A provider of integrated public transport solutions for improved mobility Two fundamental principles underpin the vision:- Integration – PRASA should facilitate integrating individuals and communities, enabling a better quality of life through access to socioeconomic opportunities Mobility Solutions – PRASA should connect individuals and communities through the provision of public transport solutions that are founded on an integrated network of mobility routes PRASA (2009) Mission Sustainable Public Transport Solutions through Service Excellence, Innovation and Modal Integration PRASA (n.d.) The mission reflects four key intentions:- Service excellence – superior performance that is safe, reliable and affordable, that makes a lasting impression, and builds brand loyalty – both internally (employees) and externally (customers) – that adds benefit to the passenger. Sustainability a focus on sustainable development in business that considers not just the financial ‘bottom line’ of prosperity and profit, but also the other ‘bottom lines’ of environmental quality and social equity. Mobility solutions – reframing the basis of business delivery, favouring innovation, integration and partnerships Integration – safe, seamless dignified travel experiences across all modes of public transport, PRASA (n.d.) Values The values that will guide PRASA, which will underpin the performance ethos of the organization derived from and are guided by the fundamental and progressive human values of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa:- Service Excellence, Participation, Integrity, Fairness and Innovation, PRASA (2009) 4.1 OPPORTUNITY FOR Passenger Services 1..1 Commuter Rail Services The provision of efficient and affordable public passenger transport services is integral to Government’s drive to create employment opportunities, stimulate economic development and reduce levels of poverty. Enhanced mobility will facilitate greater access to socio-economic opportunities for the urban and rural poor whilst contributing to an efficient transport system to the benefit of all South Africans – highlighting the need for a vibrant public passenger transport network to support sustainable growth and development PRASA (2009). Commuter rail has the potential to be the most efficient, affordable and safe mode of travel. It plays a significant role in key Metropolitan areas such as Cape Town and has the potential to become an important public transport player in all metropolitan areas, significantly contributing to an efficient and reliable public transport system in these areas. Despite the acknowledged increase in the growth of car-ownership and usage, public transport and walking continue to dominate the mobility needs of the majority of South Africans and this is likely to continue for the next decade. Metropolitan areas in South Africa are experiencing rapid urbanization. Rail is in a unique position to facilitate greater integration between land use planning and transport infrastructure provision, and providing security, to private and public sector investment, of stable long-term public transport provision. This is vital to creating sustainable communities where peoples access to economic and social o pportunities is improved. In this context, railway lines need to be positioned, located, aligned with evolving spatial developments and formalised within the statutory planning processes undertaken primarily by local government. The creation of PRASA and the integration of rail and road-based transport services will, over time, provide the user with public transport choices – moving away from a market of captive users to one where dignified travel choice is a real option PRASA (2009). 1..2 Inter-City / Regional Passenger Services Historically, long distance rail and road based services have not received the attention required to make them demand responsive in key market areas including migrant workers, students, tourists and occasional travellers. The Department of Transport’s Public Transport Strategy Action Plan notes that: There is a significant potential for the growth in migrant worker long distance public transport provision. The dominant generators of migrant movement are Gauteng and KZN The increase in tourism provides opportunities for segmenting the market that build upon the strengths of both long distance rail and coach operations. Rural areas in South Africa are undergoing a process of economic and social restructuring with a shift in emphasis towards rural trade and agro-processing. These factors reinforce the need for a public transport service sector that responds to the emerging needs of these rural / regional development nodes since transport links between the rural trade areas and t he rural regions (hinterlands) remains unreliable, rendering access to services and emerging economic opportunities extremely difficult. This lack of access will continue to trap many in the poverty cycle. Government’s decision to consolidate passenger rail entities and road-based long distance bus services into a single entity, PRASA, reporting to the Department of Transport are underpinned by a number of key drivers. The recognition by Government that rail consolidation was required to deal with the under-performance of rail passenger services as well as the historical under-investment in the passenger rail business. Institutional arrangements did not promote efficiency and accountability and significant change was required to overcome the inherent institutional dysfunctions that had been created. Confusion existed between the contractor and regulatory functions implicitly embodied in the SARCC/Transnet relationship PRASA (2009). The critical need for sustainable funding to reverse the decline in commuter rail levels of service being experienced by commuters has been identified. This funding profile was captured in the National Rail Plan, which was accepted by Cabinet in December 2006, where the funding and investment requirements were identified for passenger rail over the following ten years PRASA (2009). 4.1 PRASA Objective PRASA (n.d.) primary objective is: To ensure that at the request of the Department of Transport, rail commuter services are provided within, to and from the Republic in the public interest; and To provide, in consultation with the Department of Transport, for long haul passenger rail and bus services within, to and from the Republic in terms of the principles set out in section 4 of the National Land Transport Transition Act, 2000 (Act No.22 of 2000)†.. 4.1 Strategy of prasa PRASA (2009) objectives are supportive of the Board of Control’s (BOC) key performance areas as seen in figure 2 below Figure 2 Key Performance Area and Strategic Objectives 4.1 CHALLENGES FACING PRASA 1..1 Consolidation / Turnaround / Restructuring The sequential amalgamation, in quick succession, of the SARCC, Metrorail, Shosholoza Meyl and Autopax bring with it the normal challenges that are posed when merging disparate organizations in related but different operational arenas. A key driver in Government’s decision to consolidate these entities into a single delivery arm of the DOT was to effect operational and asset â€Å"turnaround† of what were acknowledged to be declining businesses, albeit, some with the potential for growth. Linked with both these processes is the need to internally restructure the various businesses to align them with the new mandate given to PRASA through the amendment to the Legal Succession Act that was promulgated on 23 December 2008 PRASA (2009). 1..2 Sustainable Funding The ability to provide the requisite level of funding (substantial) to address both the investment capital and rapidly expanding operational requirements to affect the mandate is fundamental to the successful performance of PRASA. The integrated passenger transport plan requirements will need to be developed. Fully motivated funding requirements, covering both operations and investment capital, in line with the 5-year financial plan requirements of the various Integrated Transport Plans (ITPs), will be developed to begin to align the funding requirements with statutory plan requirements. The approved funding base makes no provision for two key activities that need to be accommodated: The incorporation of Autopax, an operating company that is currently materially dependent upon Transnet Limited for funding to re-capitalize and sustain the business going forward. The acquisition of new rolling stock. Analysis has indicated that the rolling stock refurbishment and upgrading programs are not maintaining pace with the requirements to buy time before the inevitable purchasing of new fleet becomes unavoidable. While the profile reflects a rising trend in investment funding support, the allocation of these funds to the different asset classes (Rolling Stock Infrastructure) will need to be reviewed. A careful balance needs to be struck to ensure that the sustainability of the asset base is not compromised PRASA (2009). 1..3 Ageing Rolling Stock and Infrastructure PRASA (2009) reports that the prolonged under-investment in passenger rail of almost thirty years is manifestly experienced in the deterioration of the general rail asset i.e. Rolling Stock and Infrastructure (Signalling and telecommunications, electrical systems, perway). This has resulted in a situation where services are experiencing continued decline, primarily due to poor availability and reliability of rolling stock and ageing infrastructure. The lack of investment in the asset base has also had a negative impact in the skills base of the passenger rail industry over a period of time. For example, the average age profile of commuter coaches is 40 years and has been left behind by international advancements in rail technology over the past few decades. The life expectancy of railway rolling stock is of the order of 54 years. The railway industry norms are that the coaches will be upgraded at half life (27 years) and overhauled every 9 years, so as to ensure the structural and su b-systems integrity is not compromised by metal fatigue, age, wear and tear or environmental condition. Thirty-three percent (33%) of the commuter rail fleet is already above 36 years and therefore would be uneconomical to upgrade. 1..4 Human Capital Development Human capital development is generally understated and under-rated in supporting the development of an organization. It is a multi-faceted process that requires clear understanding to enable human capabilities to be built that will support the key performance drivers of the business and ultimately the business results that can be expected from that performance. The key challenge for PRASA is to formulate human capital development processes that facilitate and fast-track the appropriate human capital capabilities at all levels within the organization that will enable delivery on the key drivers of which, in the case of PRASA are : increased productivity (operational efficiencies), improved service quality (service excellence), customer focus and innovation in the provision of integrated public transport solutions The nature of the various operational divisions, while related and providing synergistic opportunities for service co-operation and delivery, are by their very nature, different business environments, each requiring a specific set of human capabilities to perform optimally. PRASA needs to provide guidance in the process framework that delivers this requirement PRASA (2009). 1..5 Change Management The finalisation of the PRASA consolidation process, the turnaround and restructuring necessitate that a number of parallel change management processes are undertaken. Numerous change management processes will be identified that are needed to combine the five organizations into a consolidated organization. The very ability of PRASA to ensure effective implementation of such processes becomes critical as is the capacity of the organization (including divisions and subsidiaries) to manage them successfully PRASA (2009). 1..6 Leadership Skills Development There is currently an acknowledged shortage of key skills as well as a lack of depth of skills in critical areas within the organization. For PRASA to meet the expanded mandate of supporting government’s socio-economic and transport objectives in both urban and rural contexts, the organization will need a focused approach to human capital development, on leadership development, talent management and the progressive training of a strong base of key skills that will lay the foundation for sustaining rail passenger transport sector PRASA (2009). 1..7 Rail Technology Development PRASA, of necessity, will need to become a technology based organization that blends best practice policies with intelligent asset management philosophies to leverage organisational productivity and efficiency gains to provide shareholder value. PRASA recognises that technology upgrade is critical to the modernisation of South Africa’s railways and is well aware that the capacity for technology upgrade may not be immediately available in South Africa or the African Continent as a whole. Technological obsolescence is a major factor that will inhibit PRASA from delivering on its mandate. A rail technical strategy that guides technological renewal, upgrading, replacement and development over the next 30 years is a critical requirement. The average age of the metropolitan rail commuter networks/system in South Africa ranges between 60 80 years and still supports 1940/50’s technology. The system in SA is showing serious age related condition decline with increasing systemic risks and technological obsolescence. Railway systems are designed for an extended economic life, but it is acknowledged that the current ad hoc investment flows into the ageing system in South Africa are not productive in terms of future demand, operational performance requirements and escalating maintenance costs. Global technology advancement in rail has moved beyond the limited application of heavy rail, regional and long distance passenger rail. Various new rail based technologies of alternative applications have evolved globally to ensure the competitiveness and attractiveness of rail solutions. If South Africa is serious about ensuring environmentally friendly and energy efficient transportation for its cities to counter growth in private vehicle travel, congestion and spiralling cost of fossil fuels, a selective conversion of appropriate new and improved rail based and mass transit technologies needs to be evaluated, introduced, and established in South Africa ensuring that these take their place in the hierarchy of public transport service provision. The technological needs of PRASA over the next 30 years need to be clearly articulated and incorporated into PRASA’s long-term planning if passenger rail is to be sustained over the longer-term. The development of a rail technology strategy, together with the appropriate migration requirements over this period will assist in guiding decision-making in much critical technology upgrade or replacement areas within the organisation. The phased implementation of the strategy will be captured in each of the Business Plans roll-outs over time PRASA (2009). 4.1 RESEARCH AIM, QUESTION, SUB-QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES Research Aim The aim of this research is to understand to what extent alignment between Business and IT strategies exists, at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Research Questions The research question derived from the problem statement is What can PRASA do to improve business and IT strategies, alignment? The sub questions to answer the main question are: What are business and IT strategies? What is alignment between business and IT strategies? What factors contribute to an alignment gap between business and IT strategies? What factors contributes to an improved alignment between business and IT strategies? Objectives of the research Based on the sub questions the objectives of the research are to 1. Analyse the Business’s and IT strategy 2. Carry out a literature review on the alignment between Business and IT strategies. 3. Analyse the factors that contribute towards Alignment Gap 4. a. Establish strategic alignment best practice. b. Formulate a methodology for aligning Business and IT strategies. c. Propose recommendations to improve PRASA’s Business and IT strategies alignment. 4.1 CURRENT STATUS OF THE RESEARCH AREA The literature review will be based on the research into alignment of business and IT strategies. There is a plethora of research available on the alignment of business and IT strategies. Chan and Reich (2007) have carried out comprehensive research on this topic. 4.1 Business and IT strategies 1..1 Business Strategies Croteau and Bergeron (2001) define business strategy as â€Å"the outcomes of decisions made to guide an organisation with respect to the environment, structure and processes that influence it’s organisational performance†. Hambrick (1980) states that business strategies may be textual, multivariate or typological. Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) architects of the SAM model, view strategy as involving both strategy formulation (decisions pertaining to competitive, product market choices) and strategy implementation (choices that pertain to the structure and capabilities of the firm to execute it’s product market choices).The SAM model presents two business strategy perspectives where business strategy is the driver namely strategic execution, and technology transformation. figure 3 presents the key attributes of these perspectives. Figure 3 Attributes of Business Strategy perspectives (Henderson Venkatraman 1993) One of the six components of the SAMM Luftman and Kempaiah (2007), is partnership which includes IT’s role in defining the business’s strategies. Both of these models (SAM and SAMM) are about aligning business and IT strategies and can be criticised because it does not define what business strategy is. Kay (1996) says that there is much debate on the substance but that

Character Analysis of Macbeth

In the play we can easily see that Macbeth is driven by ambition and later on in the play tortured by his regrets which manifest a great deal of inner conflicts seen in his soliloquies. Macbeth is a man dominated by a strong moral sense, a man who has a profoundly sensitive conscience and who knows at each stage the moral consequences of committing murder Macbeth at the beginning of the play is mentally stable and a good man but due to certain influences (supernatural and normal) and his own flaw being his †vaulting ambition†. His values and his better aspects begin to dwindle under his growing desire for power. Macbeth is an example of a normal man that has done a monstrous deed and from this deed giving rise to regret and paranoia, signalling his decline which eventually led to his tragic downfall. There are many redeeming qualities of his character and Macbeth is essentially a good man but ultimately is the architect of his undoing. At the beginning of the play he is first qualities are introduce to us by the bleeding captain explaining his heroic performance and valour shown on the battle. He is described as †great† and †valour's minion† which shows that he is very willing to serve his king and country and strives to help Scotland to the best of his abilities and all these merits gained during his battles help his ambition to grow. ‘I have no spur' he states, ‘to prick the sides of my intention, but only vaulting ambition' this clarifies that he is very ambitious almost to the point that it might harm his own interests in the future which inevitably happens leading to his downfall. Another good example of his unstable ambition is when the three weird sisters begin to address him with title such as †Thane of Cawdor† and tell him that he †shall be King hereafter† following this we very quickly see his interest in these equivocal prophecies †stay you imperfect speakers† , this conveys that maybe he thinks he could attain these titles and from this it is evident his ambition will try to do everything in its ability to strive for this greatness and promised glory even though the witches had explained nothing else making it clear that his ambition is also blind. His ambition is so great he acts on the words of strangers that he has never met before and becomes ‘rapt' in a world cut off from others which is evident in his soliloquies where in each he equivocates within himself about what is good and evil which both fight for mastery over him and this ‘evil' and his ambition seem to go hand in hand throughout the play and causes him to do things he regrets which build up and becomes ‘a dagger of the mind' and we see throughout the play the damage being dealt to his moral being. Another example of his blind ambition would be witnessed in Act 1 scene 7 when Lady Macbeth questions his bravery and insinuates that he is a †coward† but Macbeth is adamant that he should prove himself a man regardless of what he is actually about to do which shows he is ambitious to impress others. Another last example of his ambition his with his goal to see the whole situation through and says †I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more† and that †returning were as tedious as go'er . † This shows he is eager to see through what he had started till the end. Macbeth's ambition has become dehumanised and will also end himself. Aside from Macbeth's ambition we also witness in times of his self doubt when his rational mind and conscience starts to extinguish his ambition, the bad influences from many different sources seem to slowly dissolve his better qualities and set him back on the road to moral decline and his doom. Initially the witches are the first to influence him, telling him he will be promised power and glory but never say he should act on or actually do anything at all but non-the-less kick start his decline. Later on in the play when he reencounters the witches again they show him three apparitions one of which explain that he should †Beware Macduff† which influence him to order the killing of Macduff and his family which clearly shows how heavily influential these weird sisters are with regards to Macbeth acting on the prophecies with such unfaltering hastiness. The next influence and I think is one of the more dominant influences in the play his Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth gave herself the responsibility to influence Macbeth and act when he wouldn't (which she never appears to do), calls upon the darkness and †spirits that tend on mortal thoughts† to instil her with masculine features as to aid Macbeth in is goal for power. The first example of her influencing Macbeth is in Act 1 Scene 5 she explains how he should †Look like the time† and †bear welcome† in his eyes during the banquet that the King Duncan is to at their home and to †look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under't† as in an effort to deceive The king to knowing where their true intention lie. This example of her influence is much softer in contrast to Act 1 Scene 7 which is a much harsher brand of influence. During the scene Macbeth states he †will proceed no further† in their plans and the King †hath honoured him of late† to which Lady Macbeth snaps at him saying †was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself† implying he was only brave whilst inebriated and also asks him if he would rather live like †a coward† then to carry on with the plans he first begun. This is a blow to Macbeth's manhood with regards to him being a coward and says he would do anything that will prove his masculinity. These attacks on her husband manhood is the device she uses to influence him because she knows that Macbeth and most warriors of his time put most of their effort into being the greater man and such insults drive Macbeth to act without question especially when he feels his manhood is in question. Another factor in the play that influences Macbeths which manifested from his monstrous deed is his paranoia. The first signs of this paranoia is evident in act when he states †to be thus is nothing but to be safely thus†. This shows that he feels unsafe and that unless you are safe you are nothing and now he is influenced to destroy anything which might jeopardize his safety and the first obstacle being Banquo. Reasons such as †his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared† and Macbeth states his mind is full of scorpions and his life is filled with ‘terrible dreams/That shake us nightly', following these thoughts he quickly and subtly organises the killing of Banquo by means of hiring assassins. This action is a major step in Macbeth's moral fibre due to the reason that Banquo was originally his most trusted friend and ally and the evidence he is beginning to use murder as a tool to solve most of his issues and concludes with himself that it is the only solution to his problems. There are also signs of the influence of jealousy with regards to when Banquo was told during the first encounter with the witches that he would †have kings but be none† and Macbeth realises that upon his head he now has †a fruitless crown† and †a barren sceptre† in his grip which angers him by the knowledge that his sons (if he ever has any) will never be air to the throne, this being another reason to murder Banquo. With regards to the influencing factors we see that at the beginning of the play Macbeth is mainly intervened by external forces influence but as the play proceeds slowly he withdraws from his wife and friends due to again his paranoia and becomes more fuelled by his emotions, the predominant emotions being fear and jealousy. Macbeths regret in the play with regards to the murder and following murders is one of the more important issues to mention, regret being the catalyst in which his characters morality and mental stability are remoulded by traumatic experience and long term symptoms of his guilt. The first obvious example of his regret is scene when he attempts to opt out of the plans of murder and conveys that he feels guilty for any of these nefarious plans even crossing his mind but at this moment in the play he is not tortured by his guilt or regret obviously until he actually commits the crime but until then and right up until he is about to murder the king he is more greatly affected by anxiousness to the extent that he hallucinates. After the murder has been committed he is very obviously traumatised and is paralyzed, unable to move due to his mind being completely occupied with what has happened. The damage dealt is clear when he says that he heard a voice cry †Macbeth hath murdered the innocent sleep† which shows the beginning of his restless nights which is the first harsh blow to his mental health. Also in this scene Macbeth talks about the blood on his hands as if it is a metaphor for the guilt and in contrast to Lady Macbeth saying †a little water clears us of this deed† make replies that not even all the waters of †Neptune's oceans† could not wash away this blood or guilt from his hands. We can see his guilt and regret build up and burst out as witnessed in the banquet scene where Banquo's ghost appears only to him and a mental breakdown takes place with moments of Macbeth almost unconsciously confesses the details of his to murders in the presence of lords to which the pressurised Lady Macbeth desperately tries to disguise. This ghost Macbeth is seeing in my opinion is not real but a complete manifestation of his guilt and regret and his better side subconsciously is trying to give himself up an attempt to save his ‘damned' soul, with regards to the quote where he states he would †jump the life to come † meaning he is aware he will be punished in the afterlife. In Act 5 scene 3 we see that regret and guilt has affected to the extent that he nearly loses the will to live and feels that live is void of meaning †I have lived long enough: my way of life is fall'n into the sere, the yellow leaf† he also realises that his poor decisions have bereaved him of things that would have originally accompanied his old age such as †honour, love, obedience† and †troops of friends† none of which he shall have to look forward to in his future. This indicates he is very regretful of almost everything he has done right back to the killing of Duncan. Throughout the course of the play Shakespeare weaves into the storyline small respites in which Macbeth's slowly declining character shows moments that magnifies what is left of the qualities that redeem slightly in the audiences perspective and shows them he has not completely transformed in this remorseless †tyrant† but is still just a man that has performed a monstrous act. The first example of these redeeming qualities is in Act 1 scene 7 where he says he †will proceed no further in this business† and acknowledges that king Duncan †hath honoured† him recently for his bravery in almost single-handedly ending the battle in the opening scenes of the play. At this point we see he has a good moral sense and instilled with the highly valued qualities such as respect and honour but Lady Macbeth succeeds in convincing him otherwise diminishing and muting these values in him. Throughout the play, we constantly see that Macbeth has a conscience towards his actions and does always have a general sense of right and wrong. . Conscience is exhibited after he kills Duncan but can't stand to look at the body. †I am afraid to think what I have done; look on't again I dare not†. This lets us see that after Macbeth killed Duncan his conscience will not let him look at what he has done. He also realized what he had done could not be changed and it will affect him for the rest of his natural life. Macbeth understands that he is marked for life and this realization in itself one of his redeeming qualities. Another minor example of a redeeming quality is that Macbeth †is too full o'th'milk of human kindness† and that he is†art not without ambition† but has the absence of †the illness† being ruthlessness. Back to the issue addressing his conscience with regards to it being a redeeming quality that is fighting a losing battle against the rest of the conflict within him. We witness many times his conscience trying to override his normal behaviour. Macbeth's conscience creates the ghost of Banquo in an attempt to make him subconsciously confess to the murders which make us realise he is very sorry for what he has done which redeems him slightly through sympathy. One last sign of redeeming qualities is neat the end of the play where he stares in the face of death. He contemplates suicide by falling on his own sword as †Romans† used to do but even though he knows he has no one on his side he will fight to the end and die an honourable death showing his original bravery which he once used to fight for his country which reminds us that he was once a great hero. To conclude Macbeth is a tragic hero. A man with an ambitious but a victim of temptation and the pseudo prophecies of his rise to power which seemed so close at the time was actual the beginning of Macbeth's change from hero to tyrant. He was used as a vessel for chaos by the witches to plant their ideas of power into a fertile mind which was nurtured by his blind ambition which grew into an unstable mind tormented by regret and guilt.

King Kong: Doomed Love between Beauty and the Beast

In 1933, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack gave birth to one of the world’s most famous movie icons, King Kong. All across the globe, this story is known as the beast that falls in love with beauty, and ultimately meets his fate at the foundation of the empire state building. Adrift in the depression era Ann Darrow, an actress, finds her calling with a film crew leaving to discover the mysterious uncharted Skull Island. Not knowing what they will encounter, they set forth in their expeditions; the crew discovers a land of creatures only heard of in fairy tales, while Ann discovers her affections for the beast that captured her and her heart. King Kong’s been rewritten numerous times over the decades, and none has been comparable until the 2005 universal picture production of the film, directed by Peter Jackson. There has been some controversy surrounding the new version of this American timepiece. Some say it is better than the classic, while others will not stray from the original. Peter Jackson tried to stay as close to the traditional theme as possible, but we cannot fight the fact that our culture has changed drastically in the last seventy-eight years. Therefore asking the question, â€Å"What side are you on, classic or modern? † First, we cannot tell the classic tale of forbidden love without our heroine. In both films, Ann Darrow is played by a charming actress whose alluring beauty bewitches the beast into docility. However, in the original King Kong our heroine (Fay Wray) plays the prototypical role of the damsel in distress, which in the early 1930’s was a common part for the female protagonist. The main objective for women were to play the subservient role, making the male seem superior, until the rise of the feminist movement women seldom played the lead role in films. The feminist movement and empirical science arose together in 1848, and upon their awakening there came a curious notion, are women essentially that different from men? As neutrality was beginning to surface, the feminist movement began to center their attentions on capsizing legal equality, this being the first wave of the feminist movement. The second wave hit in the 1960’s, promoting equal rights and abolishing gender favoritism in economic, political, legal, and social structures. With all this said, women began to take initiative, no longer needing to be rescued, similar to Watts’s rendition of Ann Darrow in the 2005 edition. Ann (Naomi Watts) is compassionate and impertinent; even though she is terrified of Kong, she stays collect, assessing the situation she takes matters into her own hands, instead of waiting to be liberated. Films and media are an extremely strong force in our society, and now that women are given the opportunity to play dominant roles in movies, these selected ladies might start to revolutionize people's ideas about women in films. Even though it may take more then just women being lead characters, it is a big jump from them being portrayed as the characters they were just years ago The pretrial of our beautiful young actress is not the only significant difference in contrast to the films, also the relationship between beauty and the beast has changed. In the vein of the most commanding tropical cyclone, Kong comes ripping through the forest obliterating all obstacles in his path, assaulting his way to the sacrificial alter where his offering awaits him. When Kong reaches his benevolence, he is immediately taken back. Mystified, by this strange creature with blonde hair and pale completion, completely different from the indigenous dark skin girls he is use too. Through the eager beat of the 1933 production, the spirited actress (Fey Wray) spends most of her time screaming her guts out while in the company of her savage companion never becoming at ease with him, she makes no attempt at emotional interaction. Kong is portrayed as an unintelligent beast, protecting Darrow like a dog would his bone, unlike the 2005 Kong. This version of the oversize anthropoid has more of a connection with Ann. She senses his intelligence, reaching out to him, and risking his rebuttal, she shows Kong she is unafraid. Ann’s compassion towards Kong tied their bond so tight that Kong will stop at nothing to keep her in his grasp. Even down to his last moments on top of the Empire State building, they are so connected that Ann trusts him full heartedly. Sitting in the tranquility of her protector’s clutch, her eyes reflecting the tenderness she feels for him; Kong seems to know his era of dynasty is ending. He wants to have these last minutes to breathe in the only source of pleasure he has known in a lifetime of loneliness, for this brief moment, he is at peace. Peter Jackson’s rendition of the relationship between Ann and Kong signifies the one human being who set aside the outer shell of this ample creature and looked inside his soul finding a friend that would freely give his life to keep her safe. This is a lesson we as a nation could take into practice when dealing with others in our current state of destitution. The 1930’s was a unique period, with our country in the state of The Great Depression, Cooper and Schoedsack had their hands full. They had to create something compelling enough that people would spend their needed money on a movie ticket. Cooper and Schoedsack did just that, they fashioned Kong precisely for the 1930’s audience giving them their sense of wonder back. Bring their story to life they constructed various scenes never captured on film before, when the dinosaur’s head breaks through the lake and starts to devour the crew, the audience was blow away. The technology was extraordinary, the claymation creatures were shockingly realistic, and the dinosaurs’ wobbly movement, posture, and behavior exemplified the scientific inquiry of the time. Through the creativity of stop motion photography and various filming advancements, the monsters animator was able to take an 18-inch puppet and transform it into Kong, the eighth wonder of the world. Jackson recreates King Kong using the advancements of today’s technology; utilizing his skill with CGI graphics, he is able to bring Kong to life. The complexity of the effects is spectacular; from the dinosaur stampede to Kong’s battle with the T-Rex, the digital artwork is breathtaking. There is no doubt Jackson did his homework in recreating the tragic tale of Kong and with the use of modern technical innovations he won the hearts of many Kong fans. Jackson’s obvious love for the original King Kong is apparent in his remake of the film; he did a magnificent job in the retelling of the story and appealing to today’s audience. The debate between the superior version of King Kong will forever continue, but we also need to take into consideration the era in which both films were created. The original was timeless, culturally set for its 1933 audience, when American culture was at its turning point. The era of silent movies were ending, at the same time The Great Depression was starting, bringing change in the production of films. Films began to reach out to the audience sending the message that everything will be all right. While the modern version changes to appeal to today’s audience, with all the progression in technology it is getting harder and harder to get the wow feeling needed to accomplish the same affect the 1933 Kong inspired. Even with all of today's glorious special effects, it remains inculcate to the story of Darrow and Kong. However, the special effects are essential in the painting of the story, showing the magnitude of the doomed love between beauty and beast. There are many beautiful qualities about each film, and instead of choosing a side, take pleasure in what both have to offer to our culture.

Baloney Detector Essay

Baloney Detector Essay Baloney Detector Essay Monroe, SamanthaÍ ¾ Teufel, MatthewÍ ¾ Wang, BillÍ ¾ Yeam, AlbertÍ ¾ Yeo, Stephanie Period 6 Baloney Detector 11 September 2014 Baloney Detector History has been filled with many incorrect and correct ideas, and some people make a commitment to figure out if an idea is true or false. Increasingly, however, many articles are written regarding false information, and the people who read these articles believe the given information and spread rumors instantly. In the article, â€Å" Toxic, cancer ­causing arsenic found in rice products  ­Ã‚ ­ even organic rice milk†, rice products on the market contain levels of toxic arsenic in many "all ­natural" and organic rice products. We believe that this article is false because it is not written by an expert, the measurements are not clear, and the article has to be all true and not mostly true. An article could be either biased or trueÍ ¾ it sometimes depends on the person who writes about the current topic. In the article, â€Å" Toxic, cancer ­causing arsenic found in rice products  ­Ã‚ ­ even organic rice milk† the writer used three other sources to state the facts. The article, â€Å"FDA test find arsenic in rice†, written by Monica Eng, is one out of the three sources that is used in the article, â€Å" Toxic, cancer ­causing arsenic found in rice products  ­Ã‚ ­ even organic rice milk†. We can prove that this article is not all true because it is written by a woman named Monica Eng. Eng is a columnist for a newspaper called Chicago Tribune. Eng does not write about random topics, but she talks about food and health. Monica Eng is only an authority who barely knows what she is talking about other than an expert who knows his facts well enough to write a whole book full of details. She just makes claims about the topic regarding arsenic rice. Along with proving the article false by the different perspectives between an expert and an authority, we can prove that the article is false because the measurements are not clear. The article, â€Å" Toxic, cancer ­causing arsenic found in rice products  ­Ã‚ ­ even organic rice milk† states different measurements from its source. â€Å" Toxic, cancer ­causing arsenic found in rice products  ­Ã‚ ­ even organic rice milk† states, â€Å"More than 200 samples of dry rice, infant cereals, hot cereals, instant cereals, rice cakes and crackers, rice flour, rice drinks, rice syrup, and rice vinegar† which is not a clear measurement because it does not give the reader an exact number of samples. There could be 201 samples or 212 samplesÍ ¾ the evidence from the text is very unclear. Measurable things can usually be a fact and can be a reason on why an article may be true. In this article, the measurements were not clear, so it resulted in evidence that may be hard to prove. Lastly, this article may be proved false because an article has to be ALL true not mostly true. An argument of a claim have to all be true or none of it can be true. â€Å"Toxic, cancer ­causing arsenic found in rice products  ­Ã‚ ­ even organic rice milk† states,†The group is

Taxonomy essays

Taxonomy essays Taxonomy is a branch of biology that pertains to the classification of organisms and their natural relationship to one another. There are seven categories: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Genus, and Species. Carlos Linnaeus designed this system. In this paper, I will describe the five different kingdoms. The first Kingdom is Eubacteria. This Kingdom was changed form Monera to Eubacteris just a few years ago. Eubacteria organisms are mainly bacteria and cyan bacteria. Bacteria are the most primitive form of life. Eubacteria have no nuclei and the D.N.A. consists only of a double helix. They do not reproduce by the process of meiosis or mitosis. The second Kingdom is Protista. Protista are more advanced than bacteria. Protists are microscopic organisms found almost anywhere that is moist. They are unicellular or simple multicellular organisms. Protists do have a nuclear membrane and reproduce by way of meiosis and mitosis. A few protests are responsible for disease such as malaria. Fungi is the third Kingdom. Fungi mainly consist of molds, yeasts, mildew, and mushrooms. Fungi cannot produce their own food. They must absorb their nutrition from other living or non-living species. They are composed of filaments called hyphae. These organisms reproduce by spores, which can be either sexually or asexually produced. The fourth Kingdom is Plantae. Plants are multicellular organisms such as regular land plants, trees, and shrubs. Plants contain celluose in their cell walls, which is what gives the plant strength. Most plants contain chlorophyll in their chloroplasts, which aids in the process of photosynthesis. Most plants are immobile. Plants are autotrophic which means they are able make their own food. The last Kingdom is Animalia. Animals include organisms such as humans, cats, dogs, and beetles. Animals are multicellular and most are able to move. All anim ...

Applied Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Applied Business Ethics - Essay Example In marketing, ethics are extremely vital as they affect the performance of an organization (Cohen, 2007). Ethics is the principles one uses to make an outright decision. Marketing sections face their own set of ethical dilemma-related problems concerning pricing, product development, distribution and advertisements. Many organizations may be faced by a dilemma in choosing the advertisement approach to take (Harding, 2010). This is evident on whether to adopt sexual and emotional appeal advertisements as part of the marketing strategy. Justification The use of sexually appealing advertisements has been on the rise in the recent past years. It is becoming more blatant as marketers are trying to find ways to overcome the media clutters. These adverts are integrated with persuasive sexual information (Liu, Li & Cheng, 2006). Such techniques are intentionally controversial in order to grab the attention of an individual, thus, creating the product awareness. Although this approach of adve rtising is popular, it faces criticism due to the ethical dilemmas surrounding it. Emotional appeal, on the other hand, is based on three ideas. The consumer does not pay much attention to the advertisement. Secondly, consumers do not notice rational appeals unless they are looking for the product being advertised. Last and most prominent, use of emotional adverts, attempts to capture the attention of the viewer and link the consumer to the product being advertised. The use of sex and emotional appealing adverts have led to the growth of many businesses because of the homogenous belief that consumer needs, and interest are alike (Chan et al., 2007). However, organizations are faced by ethical challenges when adopting them. Therefore, an organization should critically decide the marketing approach to adopt. The cultural image of the organization is mainly founded by products and services they offer. Adverts integrated with sex appealing images are at times seen to be pornographic. Th is often leads to the notion that the organization promotes it, which adversely affects the image of the organization. The use of the female sexual icons in the adverts may also lead to distortion of many norms and beliefs, especially the young and innocent people who cannot distinguish the appropriate content of the advert (Foley, 1999). This often derails the values of the community at large. The use of emotional appeal contexts has been criticised ethically. It has been argued that businesses utilizing emotional appeal tend to exploit the viewers’ emotions. Businesses may be marketing a flawed product or a product which can bring harm to the society, but due to the emotional attachments the viewer has developed, one may end up buying it. It may also persuade one to buy what might not be needed. Ethical decisions making The ethical decision making process of solving this dilemma should be based on the two approaches; teleology and deontology. The deontological methodology i s concerned with the notions of universal truths, values and principles, to be followed irrespective of the situation. The categorical imperative stated by Kant, dictates that faced by a situation, one should respond in a way which is consistent and conforms to the ethical principles. He should also be content and comfortable with the decision made with full consideration of others. Therefore, in deciding on the effective marketing

Management portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Management portfolio - Essay Example Project size can range from small to medium and the type could be large scale creation and type of built environment for example regeneration. Some of the critical determinants essential for full-fledged functionality of Civil Engineering the cross-functional processes adding value to the civil engineering system through effective concept and value designs. Some of the important areas of focus to enumerate the aspects of civil engineering are Each of the categories plays a pivotal role to understand the aspects of civil engineering and relationship between civil engineering and the respective categories and functions. Finally, there is a need to devise a document control process to ensure the accuracy of the information and also research on the relevance of the same in various aspects. The entire portfolio is supported with effective case studies, schematic diagrams and data tables for better understanding and application. It is important to understand the regulatory requirements in civil engineering for better functionality of the stream. These regulatory requirements are Health and Safety, Environmental and other specific regulatory like Buildings, Railways and Highways. In order to correlate the Health, Safety and Environmental aspect of management with the civil engineering management, there are many postulated theories explaining the need for the same.Risk involved in any health and safety is the accidents. An accident is an unplanned, uncontrolled event that resulted in personal injury, property damage and/or some other loss, or could have resulted in personal injury, property damage and/or some other loss in slightly different circumstances Case study example CLIENT COMMITMENT AND ATTITUDE TO CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY IN BOTSWANA Objective To identify present findings of a preliminary survey on the extent to which clients are involved in construction health and safety (H&S) implementation in Botswana. Methodology - A questionnaire survey was conduct ed on construction projects to establish the extent to which clients are involved in construction H&S. Physical observations were also conducted on construction sites in order to relate questionnaire responses to what was actually obtained on sites.