Leadership From A Christian Worldview Essay - 6377 Words

Introduction From a personal perspective, leadership from a Christian worldview is about transforming your skills, abilities, and knowledge of the vision of life, beliefs, values, and principles. Due to the differing worldviews as a leader from a secular or biblical perspective, the ways of life as a leader divert the values that guide us, beliefs that direct us, and principles that motivate us to act or behave a certain way. Jesus lives in disciples, and we should all be living as his light and world. In Paul’s plea he stated, â€Å"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ† (1 Corinthians 11:1, New International Version). Not everyone is in the public eye, but everyone is in the eye of someone, and there he or she is a leader. I will discuss my growth and development into the leader from a Christian worldview and from course material as support. Christian Worldview Leadership Core Attributes Atkinson (2014) believes effective leadership displays, â€Å"No person is less divine than another, and therefore no person is less than another† (p. 145). Throughout the bible, there are many people in scripture that God placed in leadership roles. Jesus, David, Moses, Paul, Peter, Abraham and many others are some of those leaders. There are core attributes discussed in the lecture that personally reflect my opinion of what an effective leader of Christ needs such as, a shared vision, model of the way, empowerment of others, challenge of the process, and encouragement of the heart.Show MoreRelatedWhat Is Outstanding Customer Service, Friendly Team Members?1443 Words   |  6 Pagesto mind when you bring up Chick-Fil-A. As we all know from our personal escapades, you can’t bring up those same qualities when talking about many businesses, especially if the discussion is centered around prowess in the fast food industry. When judging off the aforementioned qualities, th ere really is no additional fast-food company that can compete with the Chick-fil-a experience. This is due to the very intentional servant style leadership that is portrayed and enforced by the company s leaderRead MoreGraduate Education And My Worldviews1259 Words   |  6 PagesGraduate Education and My Worldviews Puja Adhikari Belhaven University MSL 601 Dr. Lori Wilson 03/17/2016 The course, â€Å"Introduction to Graduate Education†, is very essential to a graduate student. It helps us to know, learn, and understand about the graduate program in overall. This course will not only help boost other future courses but will be helpful in the workplace too. From this course, I will be able to learn more about fundamental research, critical thinking, and writing skillsRead MoreComplementarian Interpretation. Edward Donnelly Begins953 Words   |  4 Pagesis there so much controversy around this verse if it is so clear?† Donnelly’s answer is simply that many Christians have been brainwashed ‘by the spirit of the age’ and succumb to the pursuit of cultural relevance and pragmatism over biblical faithfulness. For over nineteen hundred years, Donnelly points out that Christians have understood this passage to mean that Paul prohibits women from teaching publicly or holding ruling office. Donnelly recognizes that there are those who have developed biblicalRead MoreThe United States Of The Defense Of Marriage Act ( Doma )834 Words   |  4 Pagesdeclared just prior to the 2008 General Election, â€Å"We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.† Fast forward seven and a half years later and the now President Obama has made good on this threat. In his two terms, President Obama has repealed â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† and ended the legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Both of these policies were placed into law by Democratic leadership after they demanded that we conservatives enact neutral policiesRead MoreCritique on Kingdom Education Essay893 Words   |  4 Pagesbiblical worldview. This worldview is taught through Bible stories, but is also incorporated into every subject and into educational methods that reflect a biblical philosophy. Ultimately, parents are responsible before God for their child; however, it is the role of the church and the school to support the parents in their God given responsibility. In Kingdom education, these three cords must work in harmony to evangelize, discipline and train each child to incorporate a biblical worldview intoRead MoreA Leader Of An Organization988 Words   |  4 PagesA leader of an organization needs to be flexible with ideas and open to a diversity of solutions and viewpoints. Although leadership has abounding definitions and assorted measures for success, it is authentic by the acceptance that it is an access action that in abounding cases is situational. The success of a leader of an organization depends on his/her adeptness to accomplish an ambition through the accomplishments of those involved. It takes the charge of others in the alignment to apparatusRead MoreSocialism : Theory Vs. Praxis From A Christian Worldview1421 Words   |  6 Pagesvs. Praxis from a Ch ristian Worldview In Thinking for the Sake of Global Faithfulness, Thabiti Anyabwile, reminds us that we are called to be thinking people As Christians, he says, â€Å"we are called to love the Lord our God with all our mind, all our intellect, in the cause of being faithful to God and enjoying Him forever† (2011, p. 82). In considering an alternate worldview, such as socialism, careful mindfulness should be applied. It must be done with logic and, as good Christians, with heartRead MoreCase Study : Sears Holding Corporation1571 Words   |  7 Pagesretain quality employees. Human resource department works with all levels of leadership to ensure that the organization is filled with the right employees to keep the company competitive in their fields (Lecture 7, 2011). Sears Holding Corporation has been in the news over the past couple of years because they are slowly closing numerous stores across the United States. This iconic corporation that once had stores from coast to coast is now strugg ling to bring customers to their front door. The SearsRead More Effective Leadership Essay1579 Words   |  7 Pagescompetitive world, leadership skills are crucial for both personal and professional development. Leadership is an important function of management which helps an individual or a business to maximize efficiency and to achieve goals. Leadership has different meanings to various authors.Most commonly, leadership is defined as influence, that is, the art of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals. (Koontz). Leadership is the processRead MoreSimilarities Between Christianity And Buddhism807 Words   |  4 Pageslargely on the teachings of a single man; Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha in the case of Buddhism, and The Lord Jesus Christ in the case of Christianity. On the other hand there are various differences between these two religions. In the Christian worldview, God created all things in six days and on the seventh day he rested because in that moment he witnessed all things were good. Whereas in Buddhism, before Siddhartha Gautama was able to achieve the nirvana state and become â€Å"Buddha.† Neither

Comparison Essay on “Dead Souls” and “Taras Bulba” Free Essays

string(176) " almost all of Gogol’s work his â€Å"free Cossack soul† trying to break through the wall of gloomy and non-heroic ‘today’ like some ancient demon, essentially Dionysian\." I. The great achievement of prose of the XIX century (from the 1840s to the 1890s) was Russian Realism, which is represented by many great Russian writers and Nikolai Gogol is not the last in this list. It is often mentioned that after 1830 Pushkin turned more and more to prose, although being the greatest poet of the time. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison Essay on â€Å"Dead Souls† and â€Å"Taras Bulba† or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the writer who established really innovating novelistic and narrative tradition in Russian literary culture was Gogol. Gogol’s example, combined with the authoritative literary pronouncements of the greatest literary critic of the period, V. G. Belinsky, proved prose to be the literary medium of the future. Later, the great Russian novelist   (and not the worst philosopher of religious thought) Dostoevsky have said, referring to himself and his fellow Realists, â€Å"We have all come out from under Gogol’s â€Å"Overcoat†Ã¢â‚¬  (meaning the famous story by Gogol, â€Å"Shynel† or Overcoat). Vladimir Nabokov highly esteemed Gogol as a great Russian (in no case Ukrainian, he is sure, in spite of the fact that Nikolaj Gogol-Ianovski originates from Ukraine, Mirgorod, and his world outlook is obviously marked by Ukrainian national tradition) novelist, dramatist, satirist, and founder of the so-called critical realism in Russian literature, best-known for his novel â€Å"Mertvye Dushy† (1842, Dead Souls). Praising the imaginative power and linguistic playfulness of the writer’s latest works (â€Å"Shynel† or Overcoat, â€Å"Mertvye Dushy† etc), Nabokov states that Gogol is everything but the romantic folklore novelist. Actually, there can be defined two main periods in Gogol’s writing: conservative romantic and vernacular idealism of the Ukrainian past (which we find in Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka and Taras Bulba) and the next evolutionary period of modernistic urban life reflection with all its psychological abnormality and deviations. If to believe Nabokov, in the mature age Gogol was ashamed of the playful artificialness of his early works; and as for the famous Russian critic, it is a dreadful nightmare even to imagine Gogol scribbling Ukrainian folkloristic novels volume by volume†¦ Had he chosen this path, the world would have never heard his name. So, let’s compare these two antagonistic periods of Gogol’s writing corresponding to the most vividly representative works of his: â€Å"Taras Bulba† and â€Å"Dead Souls†. II. Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka, the book of Ukrainian folklore stories, which appeared in 1831-32, was Gogol’s breakthrough work (Gogol had greatly admired Pushkin, and he used in this work the same narrative device as Pushkin did in his Tales of Belkin). It showed his skill in mixing fantastic and demonic ideas of his people with macabre, and at the same time he said something crucial about the Russian and Ukrainian (ignoring Nabokov’s imperialistic snobbism, it is important to mark Gogol’s Ukrainian roots) character. After failure as an assistant lecturer of world history at the University of St. Petersburg (1834-35), Gogol became a full-time writer. Under the title Mirgorod (1835) Gogol published a new collection of his stories, also inspired by Ukrainian vernacular culture, beginning with â€Å"Old-World Landowners†, which described the decay of the old way of life. The book also included the famous historical tale (poem in prose) â€Å"Taras Bulba†, which according to many literary critics showed the influence of W.Scott and L.Stern. However, it is rather ignorant not to take into account the original Ukrainian novelistic tradition, which is widely based on folklore (Gulak-Artemovski, Kvitka-Osnovjanenko and many other writers of Ukrainian romanticism are evidently folkloristic). The protagonist of â€Å"Taras Bulba† is a strong, heroic character, absolutely non-typical for Gogol’s later cavalcade of bureaucrats, lunatics, swindlers, and losers, numerously represented on the pages of â€Å"Dead Souls†. In 1569, dominion over the right-coast Ukraine passed to Poland.   The Polish lords (lyahy) promptly tried stamping out Ukrainian culture by savagely exploiting the peasantry, outlawing the Ukrainian language and imposing Catholicism (Unia) and Papal supremacy on the Orthodox population.   In response, Ukrainian male peasants flocked to join the military groups known as the Cossacks. They founded the Zaporizhian Sitch on the Hortycya Island. The Cossacks, essentially a wild cross between mercenary crusaders and highwaymen,  became the focus of resistance to the Poles, the Turks and the Crimean Tatars. Gogol’s novel tells the story of the old and wise warrior Taras Bulba who, with his sons Ostap and Andrij, sallies forth to join the Sitch. Gogol’s incontestably romantic adventure was as much a propaganda piece for his own time as an elegy for a way of life that had passed.   In â€Å"Taras Bulba† we meet conservative Gogol, who has just arrived to Petersburg and is not yet sophisticated in the city life. He is shocked by the corruption and moral decay of the city dwellers. He craves for the Golden Age of his people’s history and this age, he thinks, was the glorious times of the Zaporizhian Sitch. â€Å"Taras Bulba† is a remarkable example of the early romantic Gogol (if to call Gogol the writer’s texts). However, this novel works on both levels (historical and pshycological, more typical for the later Gogol’s works) and is surely one of the most exciting masterpieces in world literature.  Set sometime between the mid-sixteenth and early-seventeenth century, Gogol’s epic tale recounts both a bloody Cossack revolt against the Poles (led by the bold Taras Bulba of Ukrainian folk mythology) and the trials of Taras Bulba’s two sons. As Robert Kaplan (translator) writes, â€Å"[Taras Bulba] has a Kiplingesque gusto . . . that makes it a pleasure to read, but central to its theme is an unredemptive, darkly evil violence that is far beyond anything that Kipling ever touched on. We need more works like Taras Bulba to better understand the emotional wellsprings of the threat we face today in places like the Middle East and Central Asia.† (Jan e Grayson and Faith Wigzell; p.18). And the critic John Cournos has noted, â€Å"A clue to all Russian realism may be found in a Russian critic’s observation about Gogol: ‘Seldom has nature created a man so romantic in bent, yet so masterly in portraying all that is unromantic in life.’(The Rise of Prose: Nikolai Gogol). But this statement does not cover the whole ground, for it is easy to see in almost all of Gogol’s work his â€Å"free Cossack soul† trying to break through the wall of gloomy and non-heroic ‘today’ like some ancient demon, essentially Dionysian. You read "Comparison Essay on â€Å"Dead Souls† and â€Å"Taras Bulba†" in category "Essay examples" So, through the years, this novel sounds at once as a reproach, a protest, and a challenge, ever calling for joy, ancient joy, that is no more with us. This wide interpretation lies far beyond previously often-uttered accusation of vernacular populist romanticism. Nikolai Gogol searched for the joy and sadness in the Ukrainian songs he loved so much. Ukrainian was to Gogol the language of the soul, and it was in Ukrainian songs rather than in old chronicles, of which he was not a little contemptuous, that he read the history of his people. So, here in this novel the writer’s intention is not the historical but rather the psychological picture of his people. Hence no one (even Nabokov) has the right to accuse Gogol of Ukrainian culture profanation as if following the modern literary trend of his time. Indeed, so great was his enthusiasm for his own land that after collecting material for many years, the year 1833 finds him at work on a history of ‘poor Ukraine’, a work planned to take up six volumes; and writing to a friend at this time he promises to say much in it that has not been said before him. However, Gogol never wrote either his history of Little Russia (Malorosiya) or his universal history, he didn’t become Ukrainian Balzac but is often called Ukrainian Goffman or Poe. Apart from several brief studies not always reliable, the result of his many years application to his scholarly projects was this brief epic in prose, Homeric in mood (The Rise of Prose: Nikolai Gogol). The sense of intense living, ‘living dangerously† – to cite Nietzsche – the recognition of courage as the greatest virtue, the God in man, inspired Gogol, living in times which tended toward grey monotony, with admiration for his more fortunate forefathers, who lived in a poetic time, when everything was won with the sword, when every one in his turn strove to be an active being and not a spectator. In â€Å"Taras Bulba† we find the people of action, and â€Å"Dead Souls† gives us the gallery of people of things. Russia! Russia! I see you now, from my wondrous, beautiful past I behold you! How wretched, dispersed and uncomfortable everything is about you†¦ (Nikolai Gogol) III. Gogol began working on â€Å"Dead Souls† in 1835. The plot and the main idea of the story was suggested to Gogol by Pushkin who seemed to have understood Gogol as a writer quite well. Pushkin felt that the idea of a man travelling all over the Russian Impire buying up the ownership rights to serfs who had died (‘mertvye dushy’) would allow Gogol to make at once the literary success. In fact, it was an opportunity to introduce a multitude of characters, varied settings, mountains of detail, and the scope within which to be able to elaborate the anecdotal story of the work to his heart’s content and to reveal all the sins of his contemporary. Gogol had big ideas of becoming a scriptor of his age a sort of Balzac†¦ For the next six years, he devoted almost all of his creative energy to â€Å"Dead Souls†. His compulsive craftsmanship is evident in that the entire work was revised at least five times; the author stated that some passages had been rewritten as many as twenty times. He felt that this novel should be his best one.Unfortunately, only the first part of Dead Souls, twelve chapters in all, was completed by Gogol. The second part, as we know it, (some chapters of which are often published with the first part) is a recreation from various sources of what Gogol might have done with the continuation of his work. Influenced by the fanatical priest Father Konstantinovskii, he burned what he actually had already written for the second part of the novel just nine days before his death. The situation from which the novel develops is based upon a scheme which theoretically was possible in Gogol’s day. The government had a policy of loaning money to landowners, feeling that this class was its strongest support. Lands owned, however, were measured not in acres, but by the number of â€Å"souls† (serfs, or here, mertvye dushy) residing on them. De facto, landowners were serf owners†¦ The government was ready to accept the land (that is, the serfs) of an individual as collateral for a loan. Thus, a method was required by which the holdings of an individual landowner could be established at any given time. This method stated that an individual possessed the number of ‘souls’ recorded as such that belong to him/her in the most recent population census. The census was taken every ten years, which meant that near the end of the ten-year cycle almost every landowner would have some serfs who were not recorded in the preceding census because they had recently been born, and some serfs still recorded even though they had died long ago since the last census. In â€Å"Dead Souls†, the main character, Chichikov, schemes to buy from the serf holders a number of those â€Å"souls† who had died but were still counted as living until the next census. An absurd situation becomes possible: dead souls are sold as being alive people, which ar estil able to work. â€Å"It’s cheap at the price. A rogue would cheat you, sell you some worthless rubbish instead of souls, but mine are as juicy as ripe nuts, all picked – they are all either craftsmen or sturdy peasants†, – Sobakievich boasts to his weird buyer (Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich). Once Chichikov had a number of such souls, he would apply to the government bank for a loan, using the â€Å"souls† as his collateral. With this low-interest loan in hand he would then buy and work an actual country estate, eventually paying back the loan and purchasing living souls to work the land. Well, passing the whole plot, it is imporatnt to state Gogol’s idea of small marginal people actually decaying in their small towns and farms. The Russia of small towns is the country of odd and irreversibly narrow-minded people. What Gogol proves is that these small landowners are actually dead†¦ They have burried themselves alive in their dirty stinking flea-bitten houses. Contrudicting the wide-sprea yet contested idea of Gogol’s evolution as a writer, it is possible to say that either completing histoical heroic plot or conveying contemporary decayed society, Gogol’s intention stays the same – to show the depth of a human soul and how this soul can be filled with live brightness of heroism or by dead wickedness and miserable oddity. Bibliography Gogol, Nikolai Vasilievich. Taras Bulba and Other Tales. Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library// http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/GogTara.html Nikolay Gogol: Text and Context, ed. by Jane Grayson and Faith Wigzell (1989). N. V. Nabokov: Nicolai Gogol, 1944. The Rise of Prose: Nikolai Gogol// http://www1.umn.edu/lol-russ/hpgary/Russ3421/lesson6.htm How to cite Comparison Essay on â€Å"Dead Souls† and â€Å"Taras Bulba†, Essay examples

Information Technology for Business Banking and Finance Industry

Question: Discuss about the Information Technology for Business. Answer: Introduction: Information technology has completely shifted the paradigm of the banking and finance industry in terms of its performance and service delivery to the customers. The banking and finance industry have heavily invested in information technology in order to maintain balance with the development at global level, improve quality of service delivery for the customers and reduce overall transactional costs. IT has also enabled delivery of various value added services and products at wider level (Bushman, 2014). IT has developed more user friendly and flexible services for banking and finance industry. IT has emerged as heart for banking and finance industry while this industry becomes heart of entire robust economy. This has created new infrastructure for entire global economy and with use of new technology has also given competitive advantage to the industry. IT has revolutionised the financial transactions of this industry and their ease of use has also enhanced its significance in the ba nking and finance industry. Importance of IT for banking and Finance industry survival: The competition in banking and finance industry is rapidly increased in present times. To survive and remain stable in this changing marketing conditions, banking and finance industry are emphasised to use IT and latest technology which can help this industry to have flexible and robust structure that can able to cope with the changing scenario of the markets (Chae et al, 2014). IT is also emerged as the significant tool for reducing cost and enhancing communication with users or customers which are associated with banking and finance industry. Technology has always played vital role in working operations of banking and finance industry and services offered by this industry. IT has enabled development of sophisticated products or services, better infrastructure of market and implements reliable techniques which can control risks associated with the banking and finance industry. IT has also helped this industry to reach to more diversified markets and geographically distant locations. The delivery channels of various products or services for banking and finance industry has also significantly enhanced by IT (Davenport, 2013). IT has also moved this industrys back operations to primary factor and has enhanced importance or value of this industry across the globe. The various measured are adopted by banking and finance industry using IT for their survival and stability like strengthening infrastructure of this industry in terms of security, communication or networking, moving towards environment of RTGS, achieving connectivity on inter branch basis, using MICR technology to clear cheques on quick basis and many more. Requirement of IT applications in banking and Finance industry: IT has played a huge role in enhancing business operations of the banking and finance industry all across the globe. The effective implementation of IT in this industry requires certain factors like cost, designing, planning, equipments, installation, training and many more. IT requires huge investment to implement these systems in the banking and finance industry (Fonchamnyo, 2013). This industry is mainly serves as the service industry and requires large amount of information in order to provide their products or services at wide range. The information systems needs to de designed in such manner so that can store all information of customers and to use that information for administrative purposes as well. There should be proper planning to implement information system in this industry which includes management information system, IVR systems and other customer handling systems as well (Gai et al, 2015). This all systems work on the IT and require appropriate hardware or software packages in order to implement effectively in the industry. There should be effective software packages for installing all the IT systems in the banking and finance industry. Further, proper training to the employees or management in order to handle various IT systems is also required so that effective adoption of IT in this industry can take place. This is generally robust process which requires enough support and maintenance in order to control the entire system in efficient manner (Inukollu et al, 2014). These will also helps to reduce overall operational costs of this industry and also helps to enhance business operations of banking and finance industry. Uses of IT in banking and Finance industry: IT has changed the entire functional structure of the banking and finance industry. It has strengthened the internal as well as external structure of this industry. The use of information system has reduced the burden over the employees to store large amount of database on the manual basis (Joshi et al, 2014). The employees are also using different software packages in order to update the systems on regular basis which also avoids any possibility of the privacy or security concerns of this industry. The use of CRM system has also enabled the industry to enhance their relations with the customers and suppliers. The use of advanced accounting systems has also made all the transactions so quick and real which reduced overall cost structure for this industry (Kaye, 2014). The use of IVR services in order to provide quick services to the customers has also reduced lots of operational and functional stress of the employees that has also helped them to enhance their decision making capabilities and skills. In the same manner, the customers and suppliers are also efficiently using various IT systems in order to get quick and efficient banking and financial services. IT has enabled the customers to use banking or finance services from any part of the world and get their desired products or services (Lau et al, 2013). IT has also enhanced the real time management of funds or money of the customers or suppliers. The availability of ATMs and other financial services has also strengthened the use of IT in this industry. This has also enhanced online purchasing of the products or services using the online payment system which are given by this industry. The quality and quicker customer services have also enhanced the satisfaction and experience level of the customers by enabling IT in the banking and finance industry (Wang et al, 2014). The IT has also strengthened customer relation of this industry by various ways like use is easier, enhanced confidence of customers, providing online resources, various relationship services and many more. Benefits provided by IT in banking and Finance industry: Information technology has helped the banking and finance industry in enhancing business operations and economical feasibility of this industry in a huge manner. IT has helped this industry to enhance their profits level and also helps to increase their overall revenues. The operational costs of this industry has been reduced immensely by adoption of IT in the banking and financial systems (Martins et al, 2014). The transactions can be effectively promoted with the customers within same banking network by using the information technology. This has also provided a flexible and robust structure to the banking and finance industry so that can easily cope with the rapidly changing marketing conditions all across the globe. The excellence in the operational activities has also provided by the information technology systems with fewer errors and least operational time to provide the quality services to users and the customers. This has also helped the banking and finance industry to adopt more business initiatives like customer relationship management (CRM), Enterprise resource planning (ERP), automated sales and many more. The supply chain activities of the banking and finance industry can be easily handled by the information technology systems tracking or controlling inventory or information of the business operations (Murphy et al, 2014). The IT also provides all the relevant information of customers, competitors, suppliers or competitive environment to the banking and finance industry so that can necessary steps in order to cope with all these problems. This has makes the decision making process more flexible and faster which helps this industry to provide effective and quality services to all their users and customers. Potential risks of IT: With emergence of information technology in the banking and finance industry, it has also created some major threats to this industry in terms of privacy, security and confidentiality. The availability of data stored on the computers is now can be displayed on ATMs, internet or mobile banking which has severally raised the issues of confidentiality or privacy of consumer or banking data (Obay, 2014). The processing capabilities of the data for the computers related to integration, retrieval and rapid throughput capabilities has raised the doubts among the users regarding the privacy of personal information of the users or customers. The use of cloud computing technology in the banking and financial industry has also enhanced real time risks to the data of this industry and risks of data theft and hacking is always in there using this systems. The cases of cross referencing of the data for creating detailed dossiers of the individuals have also enhanced the privacy problems in the banking and finance industry. If the individual data remains available to the concerned authority then there will be no problems related to data privacy may be happened in the banking and finance industry (Okiro and Ndungu, 2013). The customers or users also feel threatened regarding the inadequate facilities for the privacy maintained or controlled by the banking and finance industry with respect to their money transactions and links on the computerised systems also dealt with the suspicion. The data provided by the customers or users to the banking and finance industry should only be used for the intended purposes without avoiding concerns related to data privacy or security (Wagner et al, 2014). The banking and finance industry is also affected by the issue of hacking and security theft in recent times which has also affected the business operations of this industry. Maintenance and monitoring IT: The maintenance and monitoring of the information technology systems in the banking and finance industry is really a huge and tedious task. The maintenance of IT requires huge investment and capital in order to control all business operations of banking and finance industry. A system of fraud monitoring needs to be implemented in this industry in order to avoid all the issues related to frauds or unauthorised activities in the IT system of banking and finance industry (Setia et al, 2013). The IT system needs regular update of their software packages in order to avoid any malfunction in business operations of the banking and finance industry. The proper surveillance and firewall system needs to be implemented in the banking and finance industry in order to avoid any security theft or cyber attack. The update of IT system is quite easier as compared to other systems and also not requires more time. The database of users or customers needs to be maintained on continuous basis in order to provide better services or products to the customers according to their financial conditions. IT also provides monitoring on real time basis using the clod computing technology which also enhances satisfaction level of customers for the banking and finance industry (Shaikh and Karjaluoto, 2015). There should be separate team for the maintenance which includes IT resources and managerial aspects. The system administrator will help to monitor and maintain all the database of the banking and financial industry. A troubleshooting applications needs to be built in IT systems so that can provide system alerts, traceable logs, monitoring tools and activity reports in order to control the security of IT systems for the banking and finance industry (Vander et al, 2014). The upgrades of systems needs to be done in such manner that will not impact resource files or data and at the same time, also preserves customer settings and configurations data. Conclusion: Information technology provides various opportunities and enormous potential to the banking and financial industry. This provides rapid, systematic and cost effective services to different users and customers. This has also enhanced transactional volumes and customer base for the banking and finance industry. This has certainly revolutionised the business operations and functions of banking and finance industry all across the globe. The concept of direct banking and virtual banking is gaining more importance all across the globe. IT has helped the banking and financial industry to provide their services or products using the channels of electronic media without need of physical branches. IT has also helped this industry in reducing manpower and maintenance costs which has enabled this industry to provide more competitive prices for products or services. The appropriate cyber or IT laws needs to be used in order to avoid any data privacy, confidentiality or security threats for the us ers of banking and finance industry. Recommendations: From the above discussion, one can recommend a flexible, reliable, and cost effective IT structure for different operations and functions of the banking and finance industry. The strategy adopted for the IT systems needs to be aligned with strategies of banking and finance industry for their business operations. The risks related to technology which includes cyber risks needs to be considered in the same manner by the banking and finance industry like the operational risks, market risks or credit risks in order to enhance business operations of this industry. The implementation of new devices for solving problems of industry needs to be given sufficient attention in order to gain more advantages from the information technology. This vulnerability generally includes hardware, software, applications, operating systems, network devices, and many more. Further, the security systems at the banking and financial industry needs to be improved in order to avoid any issues related to the security, privacy and confidentiality of the data. The use of more efficient CRM and accounting software needs to be enhanced in order to provide more quicker and reliable services to the users and the customers. References: Bushman, R. (2014) Thoughts on financial accounting and the banking industry. Journal of Accounting and Economics, 58(2), pp.384-395. Chae, H., Koh, C. and Prybutok, V. (2014) Information Technology Capability and Firm Performance: Contradictory Findings and Their Possible Causes. Mis Quarterly, 38(1), pp.305-326. Davenport, T. (2013) Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology.UK: Harvard Business Press. Fonchamnyo, D. (2013) Customers perception of E-banking adoption in cameroon: an empirical assessment of an extended TAM. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 5(1), pp.166-176. Gai, K., Qiu, M., Thuraisingham, B. and Tao, L. (2015) Proactive attribute-based secure data schema for mobile cloud in financial industry. In High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC), 2015 IEEE 7th International Symposium on Cyberspace Safety and Security (CSS), 2015 IEEE 12th International Conferen on Embedded Software and Systems (ICESS), 2015 IEEE 17th International Conference on (pp. 1332-1337). IEEE. Inukollu, V., Arsi, S. and Ravuri, S. (2014) Security issues associated with big data in cloud computing. International Journal of Network Security Its Applications, 6(3), p.45. Joshi, M., Cahill, D., Sidhu, J. and Kansal, M. (2013) Intellectual capital and financial performance: an evaluation of the Australian financial sector. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 14(2), pp.264-285. Kaye, D. (2014) Gamechange, A Boardroom Agenda: The Impact of Information Technology on Corporate Strategies and Structures.UK: Butterworth-Heinemann. Lau, M., Cheung, R., Lam, A. and Chu, Y. (2013) Measuring service quality in the banking industry: A Hong Kong based study. Contemporary Management Research, 9(3), p.263. Martins, C., Oliveira, T. and Popovi?, A. (2014) Understanding the Internet banking adoption: A unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and perceived risk application. International Journal of Information Management, 34(1), pp.1-13. Murphy, J., Carmody, P. and Surborg, B. (2014) Industrial transformation or business as usual? Information and communication technologies and Africa's place in the global information economy. Review of African Political Economy, 41(140), pp.264-283. Obay, L. (2014) Financial innovation in the banking industry: the case of asset securitization.UK: Routledge. Okiro, K. and Ndungu, J. (2013) The impact of mobile and internet banking on performance of financial institutions in Kenya. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 9(13). Setia, P., Venkatesh, V. and Joglekar, S. (2013) Leveraging digital technologies: How information quality leads to localized capabilities and customer service performance. Mis Quarterly, 37(2), pp.565-590. Shaikh, A. and Karjaluoto, H. (2015) Making the most of information technology systems usage: A literature review, framework and future research agenda. Computers in Human Behavior, 49, pp.541-566. Vander, P., Oliveira, P. and Veloso, F. (2014) Users as innovators in developing countries: The global sources of innovation and diffusion in mobile banking services. Research Policy, 43(9), pp.1594-1607. Wagner, H., Beimborn, D. and Weitzel, T. (2014) How social capital among information technology and business units drives operational alignment and IT business value. Journal of Management Information Systems, 31(1), pp.241-272. Wang, K., Huang, W., Wu, J. and Liu, Y. (2014) Efficiency measures of the Chinese commercial banking system using an additive two-stage DEA. Omega, 44, pp.5-20.

Innovation of Diffusion on Eco

Introduction The success of an innovation is largely dependant on vital intelligence which when incorporated into the open innovation process, may produce what the innovators call technical thrust1. Reflectively, when properly planned and executed, intelligence is the main force behind successful and accelerated innovation2.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Innovation of Diffusion on ‘Eco-Friendly Bags specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the boundary spanners, innovations should be fairly fast and inclusive of all the stake holders. Innovation decision process is inclusive of knowledge, persuasion, implementation, and confirmation among the innovators, early majority, and late adopters3. Thus, this reflective essay explores on the innovation decision process for the innovator, early majority, and laggards in reference to introduction of eco friendly bags. In the reflection, I have employed scenario as story, history, and recollection. Scenario – Innovator As the need for greener lifestyle emerges following the much hyped need for sustainability and environmental friendliness, using the readily available biodegradable raw materials might be the awaited solution to save planet Earth from the devastating effects of green house and pollution4. To capitalize on the immediate needs of the mass, GreenTech Company releases a biodegradable, affordable, light, and formal bag which can be used in the formal and in informal settings5. As part of their green products, this bag is 98% biodegradable. As the product hits the market, GreenTech offers the most competitive price available, in the market. The management has factored in the need for safety in use and reusability. In the final meeting of the top management, Plum, the marketing manager, decides to approach the local green campaign group for a partnership aiming to capitalize on their influence. The product seem admirable, the market e xtensive, and if it become successful, the demand could be heavy. In the opinion of Erick, the general manager, safety standard has been met following the approval by the local standards department. Graig, the production manager has presented the right formula backed by what he termed as polyetherine component which has never been introduced into the market.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the fact that the creation of this product was as a result of thorough research, every member of this team is anxious on the expected response once the product hits the market. As an introductory approach, the marketing manager approached Mr. Ali, a local grocery owner to stock a quantity for trial of which he immediately agrees. Scenario – Early Majority Ericka, a local ice cream vendor has just gone into the local grocery to purchase extra polythene bags for his business. Often, he wo uld purchase 250 pieces for an entire week. While almost done with the shopping, Ericka notices the unique nicely packed bags with green symbol on their side. He moves closer and consults Mr. Ali, the store keeper. Mr. Ali offers no explanation but hand him a brochure with explanation. Despite the risks involved in trying a new thing, Ericka decides to have the bags. The following day, Ericka show up and purchase even more bags from Mr. Ali who surprisingly enough has not even attempted to use any. Being a lover of new products in the market, Ericka seem convinced that this new model of bags are lighter, more descent, and larger than the usual ones. While at the Ice cream company, he reveals the new finding to the ice scream steward, Mrs. Hannah. Despite getting a sample from Ericka, she would rather give out the sample to a fellow worker first before even trying anything out. Unfortunately, the friend also turns down the gift claiming that a friend had issues with the product. Scen ario – Laggard Back at the store, Mr. Ali, despite selling the new product, has not tried any out and is still waiting for a response from some of his clients. Mr. Ali thinks of the new product as a mere test and experimentation. He is unable to neither decide nor accept the message from his best customer, Mr. Ericka. He is ready to find out more information on this product before event attempting to use one for personal activities. Regardless of the good intention of the innovation, he is unable to recognize any positive benefits but would rather prefer the usual polythene bag. Ericka cannot tell whether Mr. Ali likes the new product or he is just being difficult. The following day, at the Ice factory, Mr. Ericka is surprised at Mrs. Hannah’s positive response even though she rejected the product the previous day. She is too willing to try the new product out after having seen a picture advertisement in the local television station. However, her friend is still uncomf ortable with the new product and would rather wait until it hits the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Innovation of Diffusion on ‘Eco-Friendly Bags specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the above scenarios, the company is the innovators faced with the anxiety on the forecasted response on their product. Despite proper management, thorough research, pre-contemplation, contemplation, and action, none is sure6. Rather, they are risk takers. Mr. Ericka and Mrs. Hannah present themselves as early adopters. They are willing to take the risk of trying out a new product; they are on the look out for new information, and positive on innovations. However, Mr. Ali and Mrs. Hannah’s friend fall in the bracket of laggards. They would rather stay in the comfort zone and awaits the outcome of a new invention before attempting to adopt the same. Bibliography Cascio, Jamais. â€Å"Futures Thinking: Writing Sce narios† Fast Compan. 2010. Web. Dismukes, J., Miller, L. K, and Bers, J. A. â€Å"Technologies of Thinking Seen Key to Accelerating Radical Innovation†, Research Technology Management, Vol. 48, 23-32, New York: Cangage, 2005. Etzkowitz, H. and Leydesdorff, L. The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and â€Å"Mode 2† to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations. Research Policy, 45-47, Alabama: Cangage, 2000. Porter, Alan. â€Å"Tech Mining† to Drive Open Innovation (Georgia Tech: Technology Policy Assessment Center, 2006). Web. Robinson, D. K. R., and Propp, T. â€Å"Multi-path mapping for alignment strategies in emerging science and technologies,† Second International Seville Seminar on  Future-Oriented Technology Analysis .Web.Advertising Looking for essay on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Footnotes 1 Dismukes, J., Miller, L. K., and Bers, J. A. Technologies of Thinking Seen Key to Accelerating Radical Innovation, Research Technology Management, Vol. 48   (July-August), 2-4. 2005. 2 Porter, Alan, â€Å"Tech Mining† to Drive Open Innovation (Georgia Tech: Technology Policy Assessment Center,2006) 3 Porter 4 Etzkowitz, H. and Leydesdorff, L., The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and â€Å"Mode 2† to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government, 2000. 5 Cascio, Jamais. â€Å"Futures Thinking: Writing Scenarios,† Fast Compan.  2010. 6 Robinson, D. K. R., and Propp, T. â€Å"Multi-path mapping for alignment strategies in   emerging science and technologies,† Second International Seville Seminar on  Future-Oriented Technology Analysis. This essay on Innovation of Diffusion on ‘Eco-Friendly Bags was written and submitted by user Hailee Livingston to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Parthenon Pantheon Comparison essays

Parthenon Pantheon Comparison essays The Parthenon is known to all of us as a huge structure that was built many thousands of years ago. But is that all it really is. The Parthenons construction started in 447 B.C. and the whole structure was completed in 438 B.C. (A) First for the Parthenon the emperor wanted to turn the building into a church. So it was but after much disputes over the Emperor Theodosius, the Franks, and the Turks. Finally a conclusion was made and the Parthenon became a Christian Church. (A) The reason for the Parthenon to begin with was a monument for Athena. There were two Temples dedicated to Athena before the construction of the Parthenon, but in 480 B.C. the Persians destroyed those two temples. They insisted to pay respect to the goddess they would build another temple, that is still standing to this day. Built by two architects Ictinus and Callicrates, and people say that the temple is a prime example of Doric one of three Greek architectural styles. (B) Inside the temple there were two roo ms made on was the East room which was designated to the 40 foot high statue of their goddess Athena, and a smaller room housing the Delian League Treasury. (D) Since the Parthenon was made for the Goddess Athena every four years there was a celebration of the people of Greece in honor of goddess Athena. The celebrations would last up to 12 days, and included music, dancing, and sporting events. On the peak of the celebration which was Athenas birthday there would be 100 bulls sacrificed in honor to Athena. (A) In Rome there is another beautiful building that we may not know enough about. It is know as the Pantheon. The Pantheon was built as a monument or temple to all the Gods of Rome. The Pantheon was built in 27 B.C. and is the only building in the Roman Greco world that is still in perfect condition. The Pantheon was built to replace two building that were destroyed. One was For those of you who dont know the ...

Using the French Expression Avoid la Frite

Using the French Expression Avoid la Frite Expression: Avoir la fritePronunciation: [a vwar la freet]Meaning: to feel great, be full of energyLiteral translation: to have the French fryRegister: familiarNotes: The French expressions avoir la frite and avoir la patate mean exactly the same thing: to feel great. Patate is an informal synonym for the head and by extension so is frite, thus saying that you have the potato or the French fry means that you have the (proper) head - in other words, your head is in a good place and you feel great. Examples   Ã‚  Ã‚  Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais depuis mardi, jai la frite  !I dont know why, but Ive felt great since Tuesday!Elle avait la frite jusquau coup de tà ©là ©phone de sa banque.She was feeling great until the bank called.Tu nas pas lair davoir la frite.You dont look well, You dont look like you feel very well.Pauvre Thomas, il na pas la frite aujourdhui.Poor Thomas, hes not feeling too great, hes a bit down today.Avoir indicates a current status; you can substitute other verbs to indicate a change or continuation.Quest-ce quon peut faire pour lui donner la frite  ?What can we do to cheer/perk him up?Jespà ¨re quil va garder la frite quand il entendra les nouvelles.I hope hell still feel good when he hears the news. Synonymous Expressions à ªtre dattaque - literally, to be on attackà ªtre en forme - to be on formà ªtre en pleine forme - to be on full formà ªtre plein dà ©nergie - to be full of energyavoir la pà ªche (informal) - to have the peachavoir la pà ªche denfer (informal) - to have the peach from hellavoir mangà © du cheval (informal) - to have eaten some horseavoir mangà © du lion (informal) - to have eaten some lionà ªtre dans son assiette (informal, usually used in the negative) - to be in ones platepà ©ter le feu (familiar) - to be bursting with firepà ©ter les flammes (familiar) - to be bursting with flames Warning: The Collins-Robert Dictionary gives the alternate British translation to be full of beans for avoir la frite and some of the synonyms. However, in American English, that means to talk nonsense, which in French is dire nimporte quoi or dire des bà ªtises. Related Expressions à ªtre une frite - to be sickly, puny (literally, to be a French fry)faire une frite quelquun (informal) - to slap someone on the bottom (literally, to do a French fry on someone) More Expressions with avoirMost common French phrasesFrench foodFrench-English-French dictionaries

The Analysis of a Joke Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Analysis of a Joke - Essay Example Although we think of the joke as a cultural constant, it is a form of humor that comes and goes with the rise and fall of civilizations.†1 The joke that was chosen was the following: A doctor walked into a bank. Preparing to endorse a check, he pulled a rectal thermometer out of his shirt pocket and tried to write with it. Realizing his mistake, he looked at the thermometer with annoyance and said, ‘Well thats great, just great... some asshole’s got my pen.’2 The category that this particular joke probably belongs in is the scatological category, because it deals with a reference to the rectum. It’s unsure why, but these types of jokes can be particularly compelling—because excrement seems to be something that humans find very funny. Of course, a simpler way to say that is to just say, â€Å"Poo is funny.† But why? What is so funny about our own feces? Fundamentally, excrement is elemental. If we didn’t have it, there would be no jokes. But why is humor about feces, farts, and, in fact—the entire range of human bodily functions, fodder for jokes? One must wonder. What makes this particular joke funny is that, through a play on words, we imagine the pen being stuck in some patient’s behind. That seems pretty funny that there would be a mix-up like that. Thus, there is a play on words and we find this joke, for the most part, funny—if not at least a bit crude. ... Now, it’s not using very polite language either. This is where the aggressive element demonstrates itself. It’s not a polite joke, and it probably wouldn’t be polite to share in mixed company, unless the mixed company were to be as foul-mouthed as the language used in the joke. Although the joke’s language is not overly offensive, it does say something about the medical profession as well. Doctors are sometimes inept, and it’s easy to make jokes about doctors and lawyers because they both have high-stress professions. Humor can be a wonderful way to deflect problems, as well as provide a platform for expressing one’s personality. This is why comedians like Jerry Seinfeld did especially well with his show Seinfeld, and why, subsequently, comedians like Larry David did so well with his show Curb Your Enthusiasm. Many times, these humorous shows have something in common—they use real-life situations as fodder for something called situatio nal comedy (or a sitcom). Situational comedies bring real-life problems to light. Who could ever forget the following bits: â€Å"Are you sponge-worthy?† â€Å"She’s got man hands!† Pig Man. The Soup Nazi. â€Å"You double-dipped the chip.† â€Å"Serenity now!† â€Å"Give me that, you old bag!† Who will ever forget these classic moments in Seinfeld history? These, and a series of other vignettes in his subsequent spin-off hit HBO comedy series--Curb Your Enthusiasm--were brought to you by none other than comedian, writer, actor, and executive producer Larry David. Larry David was the head writer and executive producer of Seinfeld, winning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Outstanding comedy series in the run of the show’s fourth year. Seinfeld made

Teenage pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teenage pregnancy - Essay Example One the major problems is the guilt and embarrassment faced both by the mother and her family. In the teenage when a girl is not even independent and earning money to support herself, she’s forced to support another life which needs her constant attention and care as well. She’s forced to face the questions arised by the society and is not allowed to live or progress further without having them answered. In these situations, when things are already very much difficult for her, she’s afraid of the fact that her family might also quit her and leave her alone to face the cruel world. In a study conducted by Wilson and Huntington in 2006, the social and the guilt faced by teenagers mother mainly from United States, United Kingdom and Canada were discussed and analyzed. They came with the results that it is the guilt of getting pregnant at such a small age that usually makes them literally unstable and and unable to perform even the daily chores of life thus ruining their whole life. Secondly, psychological problems arose by teenage pregnancies have been supposed to push the teenage mother into many psychological disorders too. Starting from depresison as a result of social rejection to suicide could be caused be teenage pregnancies. Young girls getting affected by teenage pregnancies have been proposed to push theirselves into complete loneliness thus getting detached completely form the society will push a person into depression and makes her dependent on drugs. Thus social rejection, complete detachment from the environment around and complete loneliness push the mother into psychiatric problems and suicide ultimately. Lastly, the baby of a teenage mother is supposed to be affected by this morally and ethically wrong action. Mainly due to lack of experience of the teenage mother as she is not mature enough at such small age to take care of her child, the child is supposed to be affected as a result of this

Winston Churchills Role in World War 2 Essay Example for Free

Winston Churchills Role in World War 2 Essay Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, shortly known as Winston Churchill was born on the 30th of November 1874 to parents Lord and Lady Randolph Churchill. He was born into the aristocratic family of the Duke of Marlborough in a bedroom in Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, two months prematurely. Winston is best known for his leadership during World War 2. He is regarded as one of the best war time leaders in the 20th century and served as Prime Minister to the United Kingdom twice, between 1940-45 and 1951-55. Winston Churchill was well known for being a statesman and orator but was also an officer in the British Army, a historian, a writer and an artist. He is the only British Prime Minister to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature and was the first person to be made an Honorary Citizen of the United States. Churchill gained fame as a war correspondent and wrote books about his campaigns. Churchill was important to Britain in World War 2 for many different reasons, mainly because he was just such a good leader and because of the choices he made whilst in power. One of the main reasons was that he gave the British public belief, belief that they would win the war and by making optimistic speeches he inspired them and told them what they needed to hear. But as well as being this inspirational figure he was also quite harsh. He basically harassed the military commanders in the Middle East and North Africa for action and he gave them hell when they did not achieve the results he wanted. Field Marshall Alan Brooke spent most of the war fighting Churchill, although they actually got on really well! It was his job to ensure that none of Churchill’s ideas ‘saw the light of day’ and he tried to shield the military from him. One of the major things that Churchill did, between 1940-41 was gain the support of the United States. This was vital as Britain were essentially alone at resisting the Germans. It wasn’t until then that he actually formed a war strategy. Churchill adopted two goals: to defeat the Germans, and avoid unnecessary carnage. His grand strategy was to weaken Germany by attacking its more vulnerable borders, opening up new fronts in distant sites. He wanted to make new allies like France and Russia to make the Triple Entente while forcing Germany and other central powers to rearrange their military and economic resources to their western defenses. He thought that an action that brought a new ally to the cause could be as important as an action that won a battle. Churchill believed this would allow a coordinated offensive that would overwhelm German defenses and break the stalemate of trench warfare and ultimately, end the war. Attacking the Germans on multiple fronts would weaken the ir most decisive one. On 15th of January 1965, Churchill suffered a severe stroke that left him gravely ill. He died at his London home nine days later, at the age of 90 on the morning of Sunday 24th of January exactly 70 years after his father’s death. His funeral was the largest state funeral in world history up to that point in time, with representatives from 112 nations. Only Ireland did not broadcast the service live on television in Europe, where 350 million people watching including 25 million in Britain. By the command of Queen Elizabeth II, his body lay in state for three days and a state funeral service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral on the 30th of January, 1965.

Video Game Violence Essay -- Social Issues

It seems like everything coming out about video games is bad. A student tried to kill his fellow classmates, and he was an avid Call of Duty player. A study has been released that proves that playing video games will turn you into a criminal. The many benefits of games and gaming, such as their possible applications to education and their ability to tell more complex stories than other forms of media, are almost universally ignored. I know better, though. Between the lifetime I’ve spent playing and loving video games, and the articles I’ve found, I can tell you that video games do not cause violent behavior or thoughts. First of all, to assess the opposite claim: video games, especially popular ones, tend to be violent, using fighting as a tool to provide a player with challenges. This typically involves shooting opponents to death, though many games set in different times allow the player to use swords, bows, and a variety of different medieval weapons. Such violent games are also often portrayed in the first person, in order to increase the immersion of the game world. With all this in mind, it’s argued, there certainly must be some sort of effect on the people playing these games. Being exposed to violence in such a personal and increasingly realistic manner has to make people more violent and aggressive.(Bickham) The only problem is that’s not the case. Studies have tested this theory extensively, and overall, the verdict is that we’re not sure. Studies have been released that both defended and refuted the â€Å"video games cause violence† argument. However, it’s interesting to note some things regarding the studies. One, the metric used to gauge the aggression of the participants is unreliable at best; a person punching a Boz... ...whole, including engaging and interesting stories and opportunities to better educate students. Works Cited Bickham, David S. "Testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights." (2006). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 7 Mar. 2006. Ferguson, Christopher J. "Video Games: The Latest Scapegoat for Violence." Chronicle of Higher Education 53 (2007). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 7 Mar. 2012. Kushner, David. "Off Target." Electronic Gaming Monthly Aug. 2007: 12-16. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 7 Mar. 2012. Portnow, James, Daniel Floyd, and Allison Theus. "Extra Credits." - PATV. Penny Arcade, Inc. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. Wilson, Lee. "Getting It Wrong: Slaying Myths about Video Games." Technology and Learning 15 Sept. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Web. 7 Mar. 2012.

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation, which was established in 1983 as a single store in Seattle, became the biggest membership warehouse club chain the world, employing the so-called â€Å"less-is-more† concept. With such concept, Costco Wholesale Corporation also looks upon themselves as the membership warehouse club that has the capability to sell top-quality food, hardlines, softlines, and other goods usually in a large number or bulk quantity at the lowest possible price. Costco now has over 457 stores which are situated in most parts of the United States and is still growing.Their success was mainly attributed to their sales volume, good consumer acceptance, generally good services and customer care, and the lowest possible price offered. Furthermore, Costco sells, provides or displays items or products from limited suppliers or from a small number of suppliers. Variety of items is also reduced and this is done to reduce the risk of purchase decision and encourages a consumer to buy such product or service. Another benefit of this is that loyalty on a certain product or service is created or improved.The corporation’s goal is to provide more discounts and cheaper prices to the customers, focusing more on the customers, rather than to the competition. It is able to provide lower cost and greater discounts because the corporation’s marketing style is to reduce overhead cost by reducing fancy outlet designs, taking almost everything to simplicity. Costco also pays to its workers and employees, giving them good salaries and benefits, resulting to the tremendous low rates of theft and turnovers by its employees.Since Costco is known for its cheap prices and sales in large or bulk quantities, it had created policies, just like other competing membership warehouse clubs, regarding merchandise returns and exchanges. Costco had been formulating and had been modifying its product guarantees in order for their goal and or concept to be followed. These g uarantees, in order to improve a business’ quality or to be used as stepping stones for a corporation’s growth, such as the Costco, must be effective.Costco Wholesale Corporation provides information regarding the guarantees that they offer on products and memberships, but it seems that their guarantees vary from one Costco branch to the other. In Costco found or established Japan, â€Å"What is Costco? † their guarantee states that: â€Å"COSTCO'S UNCONDITIONAL DOUBLE GUARANTEE on merchandise: We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell with a full refund. On membership: We will refund your membership fee in full at any time if you are dissatisfied. † With regards to the corporation’s guarantee, a policy regarding computer returns was created.This is in relation to Costco (Japan) unconditional double guarantee. Costco’s return policy, â€Å"What is Costco? †, states: â€Å"COSTCO'S COMPUTER RETURN POLICY Costco Wholesale 's return policy for all desktop and notebook computers is six months from the date of purchase. After six-months from the date of purchase, all services and technical support will be subject to the applicable remaining manufacturer's warranty. While on the other hand, the guarantee of Costco Wholesale Corporation in their online store, â€Å"Costco Returns†, states that: â€Å"Costco.com Costco guarantees your satisfaction with the merchandise you purchase from us. Costco. com products may be returned to any of our hundreds of Costco warehouses worldwide. Or, if you wish to return or exchange merchandise directly to costco. com, contact us at customer service. Effective November 4th, 2002, Costco Wholesale’s desktop and notebook computer return policy is six-months from the date of purchase. After six-months from the date of purchase, all service and technical support will be subject to the applicable remaining manufacturers' warranty. † According to Christophe r W. L.Hart, â€Å"effective guarantees must be unconditional, meaningful, easy to understand, easy to invoke, and easy to collect† (72). A guarantee is said to be easy to understand and communicate if the guarantee that is created is written in a simple manner, using concise language and directly state what the guarantee is about or what it offers. This is done in order for customers and employees to know or learn what to expect and what is expected of them, respectively. Evaluating the guarantee stated by Costco in Japan, it can be observed that it is indeed easy to understand, and is easily communicated.It clearly states in its guarantee on the merchandise, that they can provide satisfaction to the customers for every product that they sell and directly states a promise to give a full refund, in cases that the former statement is not fulfilled. Also, with regards to their membership, it was also directly stated that if a customer was disappointed or frustrated, they (Costc o), would give a full refund. Furthermore, with regards to some items or products they sell under the exemption of a full refund, the policy regarding these products is also clearly stated.Evaluating the guarantee given by Costco in their online store, though understandable, it is not easily understood as compared to the previous guarantee. It does not state the company’s promise, or what the company would do or give in return if a customer becomes dissatisfied with their goods and services. â€Å"Subject to the applicable remaining manufacturers’ warranty† seems vague and that customer’s would already think twice when it comes to invoking refunds. The guarantee stated at Costco’s online store (costco.com) should be stated in fewer words, pinpointing more on the necessary information, terms, and policies. With regards to a meaningful guarantee, two considerations or concerns are raised by Hart. A guarantee is said to be meaningful, first, if the gu arantee provided by the company or corporation addresses the service that is of most importance to the customers. Second, a guarantee is said to be meaningful or of good quality, if it is meaningful financially or that a guarantee should focus on what a customer would enjoy more.The guarantee stated by Costco in Japan, is indeed meaningful, as it noticeably indicates that it would provide full refund for both products and membership fees. In this guarantee, price, which is considered by Hart as the most important element for a meaningful guarantee, is evident. Costco’s guarantee is meaningful relative to the price of the product or service. Costco would return the price which the customer paid, in full, if the customers are not satisfied with their products or services.On the other hand, the online store of Costco only states or offers a return or exchange of a product bought by an unsatisfied consumer. One meaningful thing is that in the statement of their guarantee, the cus tomers are informed that they have several outlets or that stores where the customer could return or exchange the merchandise. This helps the customers by immediately identifying where customers could go or convey their problems. Again, better promise or customer return should be created, or if such promise or payback exists, it should be clearly declared in their guarantee or policy.In the further evaluation of a good guarantee, a guarantee is said to be easily invoked by customers if the process that a customer has to take is simple, trouble-free and undemanding. The process of invoking a full return of a good or service should be straightforward and uncomplicated or understandable. This will help customers who are already displeased, to favor or buy again such goods or services by the business establishment. In addition to an easily-invoked guarantee, Hart states that â€Å"customers should not be made to feel guilty about invoking the guarantee — no questioning, no raise d eyebrows, or â€Å"Why me.Lord? † looks. A company should encourage unhappy customers to invoke its guarantee, not put up roadblocks to keep them from speaking up† (5). Looking on Costco’s guarantee on this aspect, complains, letters and calls conveyed to the customer service of Costco can be used. How Costco responds to these complaints and the measures they take to help the customers and the process of invoking a refund can also looked into. The process of invoking a refund is easy. There are no forms to be filled or series of questions to be answered.A customer just needs to bring the product to the Costco warehouse. From the statement of the guarantee in Costco’s online store, it was stated that there are a lot of Costco warehouses where the customer can return or exchange the product, though a list of these warehouses were not given. Some reported complaints were about growing membership bills even if a customer had already left the list of Costcoâ €™s members. Also, there were some complains regarding Costco’s customer service or how Costco deals with complains or requests from customers.With regards to these complaints, Costco creates ways of helping these customers in other ways or that, in most cases, the managers send letters of apologies to unsatisfied customers. There was an incident that a customer was asking for the tires he bought to be installed in the front of his minivan (â€Å"Consumer complaints about Costco – tires†). Costco did not respond to this request and kept a firm stand that these new set of tires should be installed in the rears. Costco states that it is best for the tires to be installed in the rears, even if the vehicle was a front wheel drive.They offered a video and articles stating or defending their claim regarding the installation of tires on the rears. Major sales representative Chris Biggers, sent a letter in response to the complaint regarding the installation of tire s on the rears and stated that Costco aims or looks on the safety of both its employees and members (the consumers). With regards to the treatment of Costco employees and managers to the discontented customers, I think that Costco tries their best in addressing the complaints and that they still maintain a good relationship with the consumers.Other wholesale corporations such as the Wal-Mart experience the same complaints, worst, they have more. Wal-Mart had been continuously complained because of their â€Å"unfriendly† treatment with customers. Their customer service and care was insufficient and sometimes, there are incidents of discrimination. Costco on the other hand have strong principles that they apply for the benefit of consumers and that they humble themselves to maintain the good relationship that they have with the customers.It is just that customer’s are already irritated that they fail to see the efforts of Costco in helping them. Further personnel traini ng and teambuilding should also be exercised by the company in order to nicely and properly address disgruntled customers, most especially those with tempers. There were complains filed against Costco, stating that their refunds or certain products were not being received by the customers or that Costco is unable to give the necessary benefit or compensation for a poor service or low-quality product.If a refund was promised, the problem was that no certain dates of such reimbursement were given by the customer service, oftentimes resulting to unclaimed refunds. In terms of the refunds, Costco is at the losing end. Costco provides the cheapest price as much as possible, by keeping a mark up that is not higher than 14 percent for unbranded products or items and mark up not higher than 15 percent for non-private-labeled items, unlike its competitors who has mark ups up to 25 percent, or even 50 percent.Suppliers also exert pressure on Costco regarding product returns. I recommend impro ved customer service hotlines or more customer service centers that are accessible to the consumers for easier management of complaints and quick response to customer needs. Also, the policy regarding the guarantee they provide should be further developed, but taking importance not to render the guarantee impractical for both the company and its consumers. Works Citedâ€Å"Consumer Complaints About Costco – Tires†. 2004. ConsumerAffairs. Com Inc. August 31, 2007. . â€Å"What Is Costco? † Japan, 2005. Costco Wholesale Japan, Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corporation. August 31, 2007. . Greenhouse, Steven. â€Å"How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart. † The New York Times, 2005. Hart, Christopher W. L. â€Å"The Power of Unconditional Service Guarantees. † The McKinsey Quarterly, 1989.

Expectation About the Internet Technology and Web Design

My Expectation about The Internet Technology and Web Designing Nowadays, Internet technology and web designing spread so fast. Most people today use the internet in order to acces any information they needed. computers are the most influential tools in our lives, they are our present and futureSo do I. I am very interested in this matter. From an early age I’ve always been deeply interested in computing. It was my dad, introducing me to the computer systems at his work place that first sparked this interest. I can always remember the feeling of wanting to know just how computers worked, why they worked and what else they could do.This interest never left me, only growing more profound and passionate with every new discovery I made. From communicating with an artificial intelligence to seeing the wonders of the Internet for the first time, computers have left me fascinated with just how much power yet mystery they hold. I took this course because I really want to learn more abo ut the internet technologies and web designing. I want to have my own website. I think that this subject is going to be hard because we have to know the coding to create a certain web page.I think the coding is like (HTML) Hypertext Markup Language  used to tell a browser how to present information or C++. But I am not worry much about this, because my lecturer will be teaching me and of course she will make me understand about this subject. She’s an expert in internet and web designing I will learn and focus on this subject so that it can help me to developed more on this subject in the future. I hope after I learning this subject, I could make and have my own web site. I will try my best to score an ‘A’ in this subject. InsyaAllah.

Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Essays

Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Essays Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Paper Marx Communist Manifesto Summary Essay Paper Essay Topic: Communist Manifesto All throughout history. there has ever been a sense of hierarchy in society such as the elites over the provincials. blue bloods over plebeians. etc. Although there was much social alteration in the clip of revolution. this subordination of categories did non. Sprouted from feudal society. businessperson continues the division of social categories: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. The work of the Proletariats was to merely happen occupations and work. They’d continue working so long as it increased the capital. However. Proletariats did non necessitate any â€Å"individual character† to be working. They were merely an â€Å"appendage† to the machines in the mills. Not much accomplishment or instruction was needed to work these machines. hence. the cost of bring forthing the stuffs was really limited. As work increased. their rewards would diminish. As industry increased. so did the Proletariat. Factories were rapidly going packed with more labourers. Conditionss of life for them began to equalise. nevertheless their rewards seemed to fluctuate in response to the competition between other mills. Technologically. the machines weren’t progressing due to their trust on the workers to hasten production anyhow. This began to rupture down the Proletariats vibrant support. so they began to make groups against the Bourgeoisie. Their stria to gether helped them maintain better path on the stableness of the rewards and were more powerful in their occasional rebellions. At times. they would be successful in these rebellions. However. their existent success stemmed from their prevarications. The continual laden behaviour of the Proletariat was no longer compatible with society.

Justification For The 9/11 Attacks Essay Example for Free (#911)

Justification For The 9/11 Attacks Essay ? The United States of America is a country, which has a free-market economy, freedom of expression for its citizens and the most influential power structure in the world. According to the CIA Fact Book (2009), â€Å"It is a country that has an average per capita GDP of $48,000 and population of around 307,212,123. America is a country, which is home to Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and atheists a like†. All of the above are the reasons for the attack on United States of America on September 11th 2001. According to Crenshaw (2003), â€Å"When the new kid in class wants to become popular, he can either be friends with the already popular guy who is strong, smart and captain of the football team, or he can pick on him and try to replace him† (P. 20). That is the psyche of the terrorists who attacked America. From the point of Al-Qaeda, it makes perfect sense to attack America because Saudi Arabia, Egypt and any other region they wanted to operate in became an ally of America. The terrorists could not operate in a state which was sharing intelligence with America, or who could foil their plans. After running from one country to another, Osama Bin Laden finds refuge in Afghanistan and uses one of America’s strengths against itself. The strength known as the free media is used to declare an open war against United States of America, and then America’s freedom is used for their own heinous agenda to carry out the attacks. In the path of world domination, the terrorists chose to attack the most leading state and come under the limelight. According to Abdullah (2003), â€Å"Their attack did not end on 9/11, but their implantation of fear in the hearts of people across the world began as a consequence of the attacks aftermath†. If you choose to believe that America could have prevented these attacks by choosing not to form allies with the chosen Middle Eastern countries, then you must also realize that could have served a major blow to America’s economy and foreign affairs. Even if America has allies in the Muslim world for global interests, it does not mean that America should become a target of terrorism. Organizations like Al-Qaeda have the ability to convert an average citizen into a extremist through their brainwashing techniques, creating hatred and blame for the Americans. This war cannot be won through infantry and missiles; this war can be won through diplomacy and open talks about foreign policy. Even if the prior bombing attacks were prevented, another set of attacks would have taken place. Suicide bombers are not apparent, these are men and women who are out to kill as much and give their life while doing it. These are people with a fatal death wish that can take hundreds of lives with them. We need to understand the reason behind this behavior; these people are coming from countries like Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon and countries, which are underdeveloped. Their governments cannot even provide the citizens with basic health insurance, education, clean water and even electricity at times. With conditions such as these, people are easier to make to believe in a purpose, which may be as irrational as suicide bombing, to attain the fruits of afterlife. Even if that is the case, that the American government could not prevent this attack because the enemy was so committed to make a statement by recruiting attackers through brainwashing people who at times were citizens of America. Even if this war is not biological, nuclear or any of such kind, yet its psychological. Still, the doubt remains that American government could still detect the sense of anti-American propaganda spreading in the world and if it did detect it, why did it not take measures to control or counter it? The American government could have carried out a campaign to insure that it would not seem unreasonable or offensive to the Muslim world. According to Adherents (2009), The Muslim community consists of over 1. 5 billion, which is over 21% of the population of the world. Thus, it is imperative that they should have been taken into consideration before making decisions such as the openly denying of the Palestine peace treaty and forming allies with Saudi Arab even though majority of the terrorists attackers in the past and of even 9/11 were Saudis. United Sates of America must realize that it couldn’t have prevented the 9/11 attacks, but it can try to take a different approach with its foreign and national policies because the present track has not proven to be affective. Therefore, America has to realize that it is in a position of power as the world leader and with that power has received some unwanted enemies who wish to take that power from the country. In order to win this war and not let this power go into the wrong hands, America must fight along side the rest of the world. Crenshaw, M. (2003). Why America is the Primary Target? Terrorism As A Globalized Civil War. New york: Longman. Middle East Review of International Affairs. (MERIA). (December 04 2003). Causes of anti-Americanism in the Arab world: a socio-political perspective by Abdel Mahdi Abdullah. Retrieved 05th June 2009. From http://meria. idc. ac. il/journal/2003/issue4/jv7n4a6. html Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 06th June 2009. Fact Book. Retrieved June 06th 2009. from Justification For The 9/11 Attacks. (2017, Feb 23).

Managerial Economics - Production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Managerial Economics - Production - Essay Example Inputs are the resources used in the production of goods and services. Inputs are classified into labour, capital and land or natural resources. Inputs are also classified as fixed or variable. Fixed inputs are those that cannot be readily changed during the time period under consideration, except perhaps at very great expense. Variable inputs are those that can be varied easily and on very short notice. The time period through which at least one input is set is called the short run, while the time period when all inputs are variable is called the long run. The length of the long run depends on the industry. In the short run, a firm can increase output only by using more of the variable inputs together with the fixed inputs. In the long run, the same increase in output could likely be obtained more efficiently by also expanding the firm's production facilities. In the long run, technology usually improves. A production function is an equation, table, or graph showing the maximum output of a commodity that a firm can produce per period of time with each set of inputs. Both inputs and outputs are measured in physical rather than in monetary units. For simplicity we assume hear that a firm produces only one type of output (commodity or service) with two inputs, labour (L) and capital (K). Thus the general equation of this simple production function is Q = f (L, K). The quantity of output is a function of, or depends on, the quantity of labour and capital used in production. "Output" refers to the number of units of the commodity produced, "labour" refers to the number of workers employed, and "capital" refers to the amount of the equipment used in production. An explicit production function would indicate precisely the quantity of output that the firm would produce with each particular set of inputs of labour and capital. Optimal Use of Variable Input The firm should employ an additional unit of labour as long as the extra revenue generated from the sale of the output produced exceeds the extra cost of hiring the unit of labour (i.e., until the extra revenue equals the extra cost). The extra revenue generated by the use of an additional unit of labour is called the marginal revenue product of labour (MRPL). This equals the marginal product of labour (MPL) times the marginal revenue (MR) from the sale of the extra output produced. This is MRPL = (MPL) (MR). The extra cost of hiring an additional unit of labour or marginal resource cost of labour (MRCL) is equal to the increase in the total cost to the firm resulting from hiring the additional unit of labour. That is, MRCL = TC/L A firm should continue to hire labour as long as MRPL > MRCL and until MRPL = MRCL. Optimization Analysis Optimization analysis can best be explained by examining the process by which a firm determines the output level at which it maximizes total profits. While the process the firm maximized total profit was determined above by looking at the total-revenue and total-cost, it is more useful to use marginal analysis. Indeed, marginal analysis is one of the most important concepts in managerial economics in general and in optimization analys

The Deep Context of Melancholy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Deep Context of Melancholy - Essay Example Melancholia is differentiated with other feelings that somehow relates to its state and divulged with its causations and effects. Three remarkable works that relates the state of melancholia, sharing similar frameworks are Sigmund Freud’s â€Å"Mourning and Melancholia†, Julia Kristeva’s â€Å"On the Melancholic Imaginary† and Dorothea Lansky’s â€Å"When it is a Black life†. Sigmund Freud, in his article â€Å"Mourning and Melancholia†, throws some light on the nature of melancholia by comparing it with mourning. His work is a psychological approach into apprehending the deeper context of the two interrelated human phenomenon. Mourning and melancholia are both human emotions that exhibit similar outward symptoms. However, the causation and the long term effects of these human tendencies differ in the deeper level. While the human experience of mourning and melancholia portrays similar outward symptoms, they are different with diverse directions of consequences. He points out that the fruits, features and the underlying causes of the two conditions are more or less the same. Some common features include painful dejection, cessation of interest in the outside world, loss of the ability to love, and inability to perform activities. However, while the lowering of the self-regarding feelings is a feature of melancholia, it is not present in mourning (F reud 243). Furthermore, while the condition of mourning includes the patient’s consciousness of losing someone, the state of melancholia is withdrawn from the object-loss concept (Freud 244). Therefore, in melancholia, it is difficult to understand what is absorbing the patient while the reason is apparent in mourning.

Respirstion Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Respirstion - Lab Report Example The hypothesis for the experiment is that if the substrate concentration of Succinate increases, then the rate of aerobic respiration increases was not confirmed. The conclusion of the experiment was discovered that succinate concentration and enzyme concentration does affect the rate of aerobic respiration. Introduction Aerobic respiration occurs in living things and is a process through which food substances are broken down to release energy in form of ATP. This process takes place in the mitochondria and requires energy. Unlike the process of fermentation where food substrate is broken down in absence of oxygen where only a lesser number of ATP are produced, aerobic respiration results in production more energy in form of ATP. The first part of aerobic respiration (glycolysis) is similar to that of fermentation and takes place in the cytoplasm. Pyruvic acid, a three carbon molecule is formed through a series of reactions on glucose molecules. Two molecules of ATP are released abse nce of oxygen as anaerobic respiration takes place (Apte et al 37). The pyruvic acid then proceeds to the next stage. C6H12O6 CH3COCOOH (Pyruvic acid) The second phase of aerobic reaction takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria. ... Objectives To investigate the factors affecting the rate of aerobic respiration Hypothesis If the substrate concentration of Succinate increases, then the rate of aerobic respiration increases. Procedure The materials needed for this experiment includes test tubes, lima beans mitochondrial suspension, succinate, DCPIP, buffer and paraffin, In this experiment, four small test-tubes were obtained and labeled B, 1, 2, 3, 4 test tubes B was blank. In the blank test tube, 4.6 ml of the buffer, 0.1ml of succinate acid and 0.3ml of mitochondria suspension was placed. The tube was then covered with a film of paraffin and inverted to ensure that the contents mixed completely. A micropipette was then used to transfer 1ml of the mixture to a square corvette. The machine was then set to read transmittance. The wavelength of the machine was set at 600nm. The corvette was placed in an open spectrophotometer. The transmitter was set to 100 where the blank was used as the baseline. In tube 1, 2 and 3, DCPIP, mitochondria suspension and the buffer were placed in measurements indicated in the table below. Succinate was not added at first Reagents Tube 1 Tube 2 Tube 3 Buffer 4.4ml 4.3ml 4.2ml DCPIP 0.3ml 0.3ml 0.3ml Mitochondrial suspension 0.3ml 0.3ml 0.3ml Succinate 0ml 0.1ml 0.2ml Succinate was then quickly added to the test tubes which were then covered with paraffin and placed in the corvette. The corvette was wiped on the outside and then placed in the samples holder ensuring that the arrow pointed downwards. The lid of the machine was closed and the readings for each sample recorded at different times. The spectrometer was reset after every five minutes using the blank as the baseline. The content of the

Development of Water Treatment Plant

Development of Water Treatment Plant ASSIGNMENT Access to safe drinking-water is essential to health, a basic human right and a component of effective policy for health protection. The nature and form of drinking-water standards may vary among countries and regions. There is no single approach that is universally applicable. A number of governmental and non-governmental agencies provide guidance on safeguarding the quality of public water supplies. The documents according to which the treatment plant for disaster struck region is established are:- GUIDELINES FOR DRINKING WATER QUALITY by WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION in GENEVA08 GUIDANCE FOR SAFEGUARDING THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES by DRINKING WATER INSPECTORATE, U.K. SPHERE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR HUMANITARIAN RELIEF Here we present a brief description of what role these have in providing safe water to the public. WHO Guidelines for drinking water: Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality explains requirements to ensure drinking-water safety, including minimum procedures and specific guideline values, and how those requirements are intended to be used. The Guidelines describe reasonable minimum requirements of safe practice to protect the health of consumers and/or derive numerical guideline values for constituents of water or indicators of water quality. WHO analyzes the water quality on the following aspects:- 1. Microbial aspect: Securing the microbial safety of drinking-water supplies is based on the use of multiple barriers, from catchment to consumer, to prevent the contamination of drinking-water or to reduce contamination to levels not injurious to health. Faecally derived pathogens are the principal concerns in setting health-based targets for microbial safety. In addition to faecally borne pathogens, other microbial hazards (e.g., guinea worm [Dracunculus medinensis], toxic cyanobacteria and Legionella) may be of public health importance under specific circumstances. The parameters most commonly measured to assess microbial safety are as follows: E. coli: zero E. coli per 100 ml of water Residual chlorine: in the range of 0.2-1 mg/litre. 2. Chemical aspect: A number of chemical contaminants have been shown to cause adverse health effects in humans as a consequence of prolonged exposure through drinking-water. The prescribed concentration of certain chemicals in purified water is as under: 3. Radiological aspects :-The health risk associated with the presence of naturally occurring radionuclides in drinking-water should also be taken into consideration, although the contribution of drinking-water to total exposure to radionuclides is very small under normal circumstances. Formal guideline values are not set for individual radionuclides in drinking-water. 4. Acceptability aspects :- Water should be free of tastes and odours that would be objectionable to the majority of consumers. Changes in the normal appearance, odour or taste of a drinking-water supply may signal changes in the quality of the raw water source or deficiencies in the treatment process and should be investigated. Regulations according to Drinking Water Inspectorate, UK: The water quality regulations set legal standards for water, which must be met by water companies in England and . Many of the standards are based on World Health Organization guidelines and include very wide safety margins. The regulations and standards are on the DWI web site at www.dwi.gov.uk. As the guardians of drinking water quality, the main role of the Drinking Water Inspectorate is to enforce the regulations and check that water companies in England supply water that is safe to drink and meets the standards set in the regulations. Sphere Minimum Standards For: The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. The main objective of water supply and sanitation programmes in disasters is to reduce the transmission of faeco-oral diseases and exposure to disease-bearing vectors through the promotion of good hygiene practices, the provision of safe drinking water and the reduction of environmental health risks and by establishing the conditions that allow people to live with good health, dignity, comfort and security. Key indicators:- There are no faecal coliforms per 100ml at the point of delivery. Water is treated with a disinfectant so that there is a free chlorine residual at the tap of 0.5mg per litre and turbidity is below 5 NTU Average water use for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene in any household is at least 15 litres per person per day The maximum distance from any household to the nearest water point is 500 metres Till now we have discussed the parameters and respective standards prescribed by various organizations for drinking water quality. We now turn to our problem OBJECTIVE: To construct a water treatment plant for a disaster struck area in the Far east for a population of about 1500 internally displaced people that agrees with the provisions of WHO guidelines, U.K. Regulations and Sphere minimum standards and to discuss the likely microbial challenges that the plant might face and their potential impact on water quality. Details of the water source: The only available water source is a limestone spring fed pond whose chemical analysis report is as under:- All the other parameters are believed to be in accordance with the U.K. regulations The desired plant supplies water to 1500 people and according to the Sphere Minimum Standards, an individuals daily need of water is approximately 15 litres. This means that the capacity of the plant must be about 22500 litres per day (22.5 kilolitres/day) Our prime objective in designing the treatment plant is to: Level the pH to about 6.5-7.5 Bring the concentration of aluminium to below 0.2mg/l Benzene level below 0.01 mg/l Faecal coliform count to about zero per 100ml All the above parameters are as per the WHO norms, UK regulations and Sphere standards. The rest of the parameters are in accordance with the UK Regulations and hence need not be treated. Next we design a Water Treatment plant as per the prescribed guidelines with a capacity of 25 kilolitres per day. LAYOUT OF THE TREATMENT PLANT We now present an elaborate overview of the plant and the methods incorporated in it Stage 1 Water leaves the limestone spring fed pond and is pumped into the two raw water reservoirs each of capacity 25kilolitres. The purpose of having two reservoirs is that when one needs to be cleaned the plant can still operate continuously. Stage 2 Pre-chlorination is done at this stage in the two raw water reservoirs. It is done by using a dosing pump that supplies sodium hypochlorite. As a result disinfection begins. Stage 3 Water from the raw water reservoir enters the Flash Mixer where a coagulant Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) is added to bind any small particles. Sodium carbonate is also added to control the pH and also to remove the hardness caused by limestone. The dosed water is now retained for a short period to enable the binding process to start before the water passes to the Clarification Stage. Stage 4 The water dosed with coagulant is discharged into the bottom of the clarifier and as the water flows upwards so the particles bound together by the PAC form a sludge blanket just below the surface of the water. The sludge blanket traps more particles as the water flows through it to the outlet channels which span the clarifier at the water surface. From time to time some of the sludge blanket is drawn off and discharged to the sludge processing plant. Stage 5 The clarified supernatant water is then sent to therapid gravity filters, containing a gravel base and a bed of granular activated carbon which removes any remaining fine particles. The granular activated carbon is also extremely useful in removing organic compounds such as benzene which can cause taste problems in the supply. Stage 6 To provide an effective barrier againstfaecal coliforms, the filtered water is then passed through amembrane filtration system. It also retains the flocculants of aluminium hydroxide that are formed due to excess concentration (concentration greater than 2mg/litre) of aluminium in water. In this microfiltration plant the water is allowed to pass through six different compartments each containing a mesh (or screen) of pore size 0.2 microns (1 micron = one thousandth of a millimeter), readily available in the market. Feed water passes through the walls of this membrane producing a filtrate free of faecal coliform and other suspended solids. Stage 7 Following filtration the filtered water is further dosed with chlorine to ensure adequate disinfection. It remains in contact with a high dose of chlorine for a minimum of six hours in a covered contact tank. Chlorine disinfects the water by killing bacteria and viruses. Stage 8 After leaving the contact tank, the final water is dosed with Sulphur Dioxide to reduce the chlorine residual to its set point before being sent for distribution. This way we obtain clean and safe water for supply to the customers. A major problem we encountered in the limestone spring fed pond was the grazing of farm animals particularly goats that led to microbial contamination of the pond. Grazing animals can negatively affect water quality through erosion and sediment transport into surface waters, through nutrients from urine and feces dropped by the animals. The two nutrients of primary concern relating to animal production are N and P. Nitrogen is of concern because high concentrations in drinking water in the NO3 form cause methemoglobinemia (blue baby disease), whereas other forms of N (primarily nitrite, NO2) are considered to be potentially carcinogenic. Phosphorus in the PO4 form is of concern because it causes eutrophication of surface water bodies. The next major problem is of the migratory aquatic birds that arrive during a three week period in November. During migratory movements, birds carry pathogens that can be transmitted between species at breeding, wintering, and stopover places where numerous birds of various species are concentrated. During these yearly migrations, birds have the potential of dispersing microorganisms that can be dangerous for public as well as animal health. Birds are believed to be responsible for the wide geographic distribution of various pathogens, including viruses (e.g., West Nile, Sindbis, influenza A, Newcastle), bacteria (e.g., borrelia, mycobacteria, salmonellae), and protozoa (e.g., cryptosporidia). Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa when ingested in drinking water can cause a number of infectious waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and infectious gastrointestinal diseases like cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis. Treatment Some microbial contaminants can be removed by water treatment coagulation and filtration processes. Disinfection has been proven effective against bacteria and viruses, and the method of Membrane Filtration is sufficient to remove the Cryptosporidium. A very essential condition of an effective treatment plant is to establish a well developed watershed or a wellhead protection program. Controlling or eliminating microbial sources before they contaminate a water supply will go a long way toward simplifying treatment and reducing costs associated with a contaminated supply. This is the proposed plant for the treatment of water which the community can operate and which provides a healthy and safe drinking water. Apart from this the people should be aware enough to utilize optimum amount of water and the people should consider it as their moral responsibility to prevent contamination of water by their activities.