Saturday, November 30, 2019

Socrates vs Galilei Essay Example

Socrates vs Galilei Essay Throughout time, history has woven for us two great men whose exemplary achievements helped shaped the foundations of modern science, mathematics and philosophy: Socrates and Galileo Galilei. Although they lived in two different worlds and eras (470-399BC and 1564-1642 AD, respectively), it is nevertheless impossible to note that they are in a way interwoven in both achievements and nature. Perhaps their most common point of intersection is the very fact that they were firstly, philosophers in nature. Although much of our knowledge of Socrates is derived from what his most promising student, Plato, among others have revealed to us in his dialogues. It is, therefore, a sad thing to note that so great a man had not written nor published anything of himself or his philosophies. However, all things have their reasons. According to Hooker (1996) Socrates believed that knowledge was a living, interactive thing and therefore his method of philosophical inquiry was by means of questioning people on the positions they asserted and working them through questions into a contradiction, thus proving to them that their original assertion was wrong. In fact, he himself never takes a position skeptically claiming to know nothing at all except that he knows nothing (According to Plato in The Apology). The Socratic elenchus (self-examination) eventually gave rise to dialectic, the idea t hat truth needs to be pursued by modifying ones position through questioning and conflict with opposing ideas (Hooker, 1996). We will write a custom essay sample on Socrates vs Galilei specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Socrates vs Galilei specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Socrates vs Galilei specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, although Galileo was also a philosopher, the philosophical thread that ran through Galileos intellectual life was a strong and increasing desire to find a new conception of what constitutes natural philosophy and how natural philosophy ought to be pursued (Machamer, 2005). This paved the way for the scientific revolution. He was able to publish various books and materials on different subject matters. He was known as the father of modern observational astronomy(Singer,1941), the father of modern physics(Weidhorn, 2005), the father of science( Weidhorn, 2005) , and â€Å"the Father of Modern Science (Finocchiaro, 2007)†. His famous discoveries included that of the Galilean Moons of Jupiter, the supernova explosion, and the sunspots found on the Sun’s surface. He was also a strong follower of Nicholas Copernicus in his belief that the Sun was the centre of the solar system. At this point, we notice how both philosophers have differed. Socrates was a man of exceptional knowledge and philosophy, however, not one of his philosophies has reached today’s archive first hand. For someone who has changed the world in many ways, he has chosen not to leave us anything we could really call authentic. Galileo, on the other hand, as thus provided us many eye-openers concerning our world and have helped us understand the ways of nature preserved in his writings. His discoveries and studies have contributed much to present-day human knowledge and advancement. Socrates is also commonly pictured as a religious figure as his philosophy tends to drive a way of living. Thus, he has been encumbered with the admiration and emulation normally reserved for founders of religious sects—Jesus or Buddha (Nails, 2005). On the other hand, Galileo is more of a scientific figure as he has fashioned a good deal of scientific and mathematic truths and laws which are currently being used as it is or otherwise as a foundation of much of the laws used in our days. And although he was a devout Roman Catholic, he was charged of heresy for supporting Copernicus’s claims of the sun being the centre of the universe and that the earth moved. Another area of contrast is in the fact that Socrates was deeply involved in politics that according to Platos account, Socrates was in no way subtle about his particular beliefs on government. He openly objected to the democracy that ran Athens during his adult life (Wikipedia, 2006). He himself was put on trial for the reason of being involved in the oligarchy form of government implemented by the Spartans. When Democracy was restored he was placed on trial, which is interpreted by some scholars to be an expression of political infighting (Hooker, 1996), and then executed. Our other philosopher seems to have little or no record at all of political interest, although according to Machamer (2006) he politically named the four moons circling Jupiter (now known as the Galilean Moons) as the Medicean stars (after the ruling family in Florence, his patrons). Beyond this, no record shows any other political patronage on his part. Despite their differences, both these men have excelled in their different areas in life and have helped create who we are now at this present age. This goes to show that we are but standing on the shoulders of giants who have been inquisitive enough to learn more of life and way to live it.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Perspective of housekeeping management

Perspective of housekeeping management With the growing competition in the sphere of cleaning business, the housekeeping companies need to pay attention to effective human resource management within the organizations for the purpose of creating the comfortable conditions for the workers and providing the customers with the high quality cleaning services.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Perspective of housekeeping management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cleaning materials and equipment Taking advantages of the advances of contemporary cleaning technologies and materials is important for creating better working conditions for the cleaning staff and increasing the customers’ satisfaction with the quality of the provided services. Buying all the necessary and modern equipment is one of the key success factors of a cleaning company. The professional housekeepers usually have the vacuum cleaners and floor polishing machines at their disposal which a llow them to economize the time required for cleaning the apartments and do it more thoroughly. As to the materials used by employees of housekeeping companies, the contemporary market of cleaning chemicals and detergents offers a wide range of materials with various types of packaging, measurement and used for various purposes during the cleaning process. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages and the choice of the type and brand of the materials as well as the control of their appropriate and effective use by the staff becomes a challenge for managers and supervisors. Jones (2008) noted that â€Å"the use of premeasured products provides a high level of cost control, better inventory procedures, and better quality in cleaning† (p. 116). Along with the cost analysis and research of the chemical market options, supervisors should generate the awareness of the staff on the appropriate safety measures for working with cleaning detergents, measurement and dilution p rocedures of the concentrates and the issues of the chemical storage for the purpose of minimizing the risks of cost losses and industrial injuries. Reeves and Reeves (2005) noted that it is important to read and understand the Safety Data Sheets information before utilizing any detergents (p. 82). It is important to control the expiration dates of the materials and meet all the requirements of their safe storage and utilization. The impact of the chosen materials on the environment is one of the important issues which should be taken into consideration by decision makers. The new approach to the housekeeping services is to clean for health rather than clean for the appearance, and this relates to the choice of the housekeeping methods, materials and the control of the storage of chemicals. Cleaning staff duties The human resources are one of the central issues of the effective management of cleaning companies. Training and motivation of the housekeeping staff is important for achie ving better results and improving the company’s chances for success.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main emphasis of orientation programs for the cleaning staff should be put on the safety measures and interpersonal communication with the customers. Andrews (2007) noted that â€Å"Housekeeping staff irrespective of their personal circumstances have to always present a cheerful exterior and emotion† (p. 18). Considering the peculiarities of the field, housekeeping employees have to work closely with clients and the level of their communicative skills has a significant impact on the effectiveness of work and the ability to come up to the customers’ expectations, to follow the instructions and to meet the requirements. Despite the widely spread misconception that cleaning is a type of physical labor and does not require special preparation a nd profound skills, the contemporary housekeeping companies pay attention to the personal traits and learning capability of their potential employees. Morrow (2008) noted that the main requirements for becoming a professional housekeeper are â€Å"to have superior organizational skills, respect for client property, the energy and ability to handle larger projects, and are comfortable working closely with clients over an extended time† (p. 57). Along with taking advantages from the innate qualities of the worker, the employers should create the comfortable working conditions and impose appropriate measures for not only ensuring the safety of the working environment and preventing the risks of their injuries and emotional discomfort, but also motivate them by developing the programs of incentives and rewards. The main issues which need to be taken into consideration for protecting the emotional security of the cleaning employees include the opportunities for self actualization and satisfaction with the working conditions. The main difficulty in developing the rewards programs for the cleaning staff is overcoming the subjectivity while assessing the results of their work. Still, the quality control is a significant component of the human resource management of the cleaning company and it is important to choose the assessment criteria for controlling the quality of the housekeeping services.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Perspective of housekeeping management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At the same time, detecting the deficiencies should not become the precondition for penalties and punishment. It is important to get to the roots of the issues and regard the weak points as the opportunities for training and development. Detecting the gaps, the managers should look for the ways to fill them if it is possible. Besides the problems which can be handled through training and motivation p rograms, there are particular difficulties which are predetermined with the peculiarities of the field itself. The limited opportunities for career promotion of the cleaning employees are one of the main managerial problems. O’Fallen and Rutherford (2007) noted that â€Å"because of the large staffs involved, housekeeping operations provide junior managers outstanding opportunities to develop leadership and supervisory skills, an opportunity not always available in other departments† (p. 186). As opposed to the managers, the career options for the cleaning employees are not numerous. An employee who does his/her work well, knows all the angles of the sphere and aims at further professional growth has minimal chances for becoming a manager. In this case it is advisable to explore the opportunities of transferring to other spheres of business, retraining or receiving an academic degree. Security measures The information on security and risk control measures is one of the key components of the orientation program for the cleaning employees. A number of hazards that are characteristic for the working environment of professional housekeepers include the work with detergents, contact with bodily fluids and security issues. All cleaning workers need to have a profound knowledge of the preventative measures for controlling the risks of getting physical or psychological traumas at work. They should be aware of the risk they undergo while working with the detergents, and especially their concentrates and contacting with bodily fluids in case they work at a hospital setting. They should be informed on their responsibility and possible liability for violating the customers’ security. Campbell (2005) noted that â€Å"the most common ‘breach of security’ in homes with housecleaners is not theft – it’s breakage† (p. 287). Appropriate security measures need to be imposed for preventing the risks of occurrence of the confl ict situations.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion Considering the peculiarities of the working conditions of the cleaning employees, the human resource departments should incorporate the trainings on safety and security measures into the orientation programs for their employees as well as to develop the reward programs with the aim of improving their motivation. Reference List Andrews, S. (2007) Textbook of hotel housekeeping management and operations. New DEhli, Tata McGraw-Hill. Campbell, J. (2005) Speed cleaning: Tips, tricks and strategies to get everything done in half the time. Los Angeles, Rodale Inc. Jones, T. (2008) Professional management of housekeeping operations. New Jersey, John Wiley. Morrow, B. (2008) Cleaning service. Ocala, Atlantic Publishing Group. O’Fallon, M. and Rutherford, D. (2007) Hotel management and operations. New Jersey, John Wiley. Reeves, D. and Reeves. P. (2005) Commercial cleaning: The power of clean. Morrisville, Lulu Press.

Friday, November 22, 2019

What Youll Do and Can Expect From a Teaching Assistantship

What Youll Do and Can Expect From a Teaching Assistantship Graduate school is expensive, and the prospect of incurring more debt is never appealing. Many students instead seek opportunities to work for at least a portion of their tuition. A teaching assistantship, also known as being a TA, offers students opportunities to learn how to teach in exchange for tuition remission and/or a stipend. What Compensation to Expect  From a Teaching Assistantship As a graduate teaching assistant, you can typically expect to receive a stipend and/or tuition remission. The details vary by graduate program and school, but many students earn a stipend between roughly $6,000 and $20,000 annually and/or free tuition. At some larger universities, you may be eligible for additional benefits, such as insurance. In essence, you are paid to pursue your degree as a teaching assistant. Other Benefits The financial rewards of the position are only part of the story. Here are several other benefits: It is only through teaching a subject that you really come to understand it. Youll explain complicated concepts in your field and develop a more sophisticated understanding of them.You also will  gain valuable experience in and out of the classroom and have the opportunity to interact closely with faculty members in your department.The relationships you develop with your professors are crucial to your future success, so youll be able to interact with them closely. Many TAs become more well known by faculty and develop a few close relationships that can lead to important opportunities in the future including helpful recommendation letters. What Youll Do as a Teaching Assistant Teaching assistants duties will vary depending on the school and discipline, but you can expect to be responsible for one or more of the following: Teaching or assisting with one or more sections of a courseRunning laboratory sessionsGrading undergraduate student papers and examsHolding regular office hours and meeting with studentsConducting study and review sessions On average, a teaching assistant is required to work about 20 hours per week; a commitment that is certainly manageable, especially as the work helps to prepare you for your future career. Just remember, its very easy to find yourself working well beyond the planned 20 hours each week. Class prep takes time. Student questions absorb more time. During busy times of the semester, like midterms and finals, you might find yourself putting in many hoursso much so that teaching can threaten to interfere with your own education. Balancing your needs with those of your students is a challenge. If you plan to pursue an academic career, testing the waters as a teaching assistant can prove to be an invaluable learning experience where you can gain some practical on-the-job skills. Even if your career path will take you beyond the ivory tower, the position can still be excellent way to pay your way through grad school, develop leadership skills and get some great experience

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Smoking in public Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smoking in public - Essay Example Pope Urban vii banned tobacco consumption in porch ways and church, where he did not allow any form of consumption of the said drug. This was through chewing, sniffing, and most importantly smoking, which is the main concern here (Trex). To end public smoking, the penalty was excommunication from the church, and this is the first and earliest documented instance of concern over public smoking. King James, who looked to establish a smoke-free England due to what he labeled as an uncouth practice, raised further concerns in England. King James labeled smoking as a custom of slavish Indians that was loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose and dangerous to the lungs, as well as harmful to the brain (Trex). The king further went on to raise taxes and tariffs on tobacco to achieve his dream of a tobacco-free England. In most recent times, concerns have been raised over smoking in public, which has led to the ban of tobacco use, in public, in many cities across the globe. There are two op posing sides on the ban of smoking in public, where there are those who agree with the ban and those that are against it. Those that do not agree with banning of smoking in public places have a number of beliefs that are backed by solid evidence. To those who are opposed to the ban, denying smokers the right to smoke in public is a form of discrimination against a minority. This is considering that those that smoke are a minority of the global population, whereas non-smokers make the bulk of the population. By not allowing public smoking, smokers are deprived equal rights to engage in their pleasurable activities at will and freely. They also view as a form of discrimination considering that it is a very small number of people that make decisions on the ban on public smoking. In addition, they are of the opinion that there are worse conditions out there in the world than smoking. As a result, they view it as a waste of time banning smoking rather than handling other conditions, that research describes as dangerous and as an epidemic, such as obesity and alcohol abuse. Banning smoking in public is viewed as a decline in democracy and tolerance in the society, where the two are supposed to work hand in hand for the good of the society (Mallon). As such, the rights of the minority smokers are infringed due to propaganda that smoking is bad for one’s health while it is one’s choice to either smoke or not smoke. Those opposed against smoking in public argue that banning smoking in public bears numerous health benefits. Arguments are that it reduces risks of heart attacks in younger individuals and those that do not engage in smoking activities. This is because coming into contact with smoke raises the chances of heart attacks by 26% as researchers say. For non-smokers, banning smoking in public is said to improve their health as exposure to secondary smoke tends to make the blood sticky; thus, increasing the chances of suffering a heart attack ( "Banning Smoking In Public Places†). In addition, for those that would like to quit smoking, the ban is welcome. This is because the ban prevents the temptation to smoke, which results in their ceasing of the smoking habit. The consequences of smoking in public, especially following the ban are high; thus act as a deterrent against smoking, which makes it easy for smokers to

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Portfolio Management (Masraf Al-rayyan) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Portfolio Management (Masraf Al-rayyan) - Essay Example There is another section called wholesale banking still offered by the bank. This section offers advisory services. It also offers financing products. They offer trade finance which is meant to meet the requirements of small enterprises. (Writers 27) This bank was offered a license to carry brokerage services in the year 2011. This license came from the Qatar Financial Markets in Doha. The Qatar Financial Market was founded in 2011 by the Masraf Al Rayan bank. It was pronounced as a fully independent body in the same year. Its paid up capital was 50 million QAR. The Masraf Al Rayan is a fast growing bank. By 2013 it had 11 branches all over Qatar and a total of 52 cash points or Automated Teller Machines. (Writers 29) Masraf Al Rayan has its mission and vision. The vision states, â€Å"It is to be a leading and innovative international Islamic financial institution, specialized in providing Sharia compliant products and services†. The bank is owned mostly by the public as they have more shares holding since they have a 55% subscription in total. The rest of the 45% has been contributed by the founders of the bank (Times 78). The share capital is QAR 7,500,000,000. This amount is divided into shares. The shares are 750,000,000 in cash with a nominal value of QAR10 per share. (Writers 30) There are no big differences in the current ratio and Quick Ratio as seen in the figures. This shows that the accounts are stable. The highest ratio is in 2010 and lowest in 2009 at 0.9% and 0.33% respectively (Writers 27). According to the figures the bank is doing well. When the bank liquidates the assets they use the ratio to calculate amount of money for each stakeholder. It keeps on increasing from 2009 t0 2013 (Times 80). This ratio gives the financial stability of the company by giving the money left after comparing revenues to goods sold. The ratio is highest in 2013 at 15.5% and lowest in 2010 at 12.6% as seen in the table. (Writers 26) Stock

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Star Tv Case Study Essay Example for Free

Star Tv Case Study Essay STAR TV was using asiasat-1 satellite to beam their channel to Asian country. The grand strategy that has been using during this time was growth. The fact is most of the 2. 7 billion people living in the 38 countries extending from Egypt through India to Japan and from the Russian Far east to Indonesia do not have television sets and satellite dishes. Yet STAR TV has debuted 24-hour all sports television program, beaming the U. S Open Tennis tournament via satellite to these potential audiences in Asia. The five channels being offered were Sports, News, Music TV, Entertainment and special channel to learn mandarin. The subcategories of the grand strategy during this time that had been using by STAR TV were intensive/concentration. As we know, the intensive strategy is divided into three things which are Market penetration, Market Development and Product Development. As for market penetration, previously STAR TV was initially targeted to a select 5 percent of the population in major markets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and India. These are the countries that they chose to being penetrated and to increase the market share. This segment of the potential audience is made up of English-speaking, well-educated, well-travelled and wealthy Asian. All channels were in English without subtitle/translation that made most of the targeted countries’ residences were not interested to subscribe it. Plus the Television was very difficult to get due to the price was considered expensive. Japan was not in targeted country due to Japan already had its own well-developed satellite TV network. On the other hand, Japanese were not interested in English because they didn’t speak/understand English at that moment. With the $300 million initial capital, some observers predicted that STAR TV would lose massive amount of money in getting the audiences. As for the market development of the subcategories, STAR TV introduced the satellite dishes which were new to audience. Customers were scared to buy because that was new to them. They didn’t really understand of its functions. STAR TV had come out with many campaigns and advertisements to audiences to make they know the functions well. However, when STAR TV sports channel offered world cup cricket championship in 1992, sales of satellite dishes were skyrocketed, particularly in areas that had once been British colonies. Everybody was interested in watching those channels in Asia. The subscribers were increased from time to time and they enjoyed not only sports but they also were getting music television (MTV), News channel, Entertainment (movies, drama, etc) and Mandarin learning channel. Initially STAR TV was making its money solely from advertising. They found that the profit unable to bear all the cost in order to maintain the good service level and product enhancement. They were start thinking and they found an idea on how to increase the income. They implemented pay channel concept as for the product development. They courageous to implement this concept were because their audiences were reaching a total number of 3. 75 million households in eight countries just after a year it began operating. The porter five forces involved during this previous time were suppliers, customers, and substitute product. The suppliers were not so many which had given less choice to Star TV to choose from. The price fight was almost zero. Most of them were providing the service in equal price quotation. Star TV had to follow whatever price that had been setup by suppliers. The suppliers were including production house, raw material, labor or manpower, components and other supply. Most of the customers were not a native English speaker. As for the target market, no more than educated people subscribed this Star TV at first when it was launched. However, Star TV found that sports can be watched without understand the English when the customers subscribing rating were increasing during world cup Cricket being beamed by Star TV. Star TV provided 24-hour sports channel and it had been a strong point for customer to chose compared to other channels. The threat of substitute product was typically impacting the industry through price competition. The competitors were such as NBC, ABN (Jow Dones), CNN,Nine Network Australia and local station. The local station could provide the live sports game for free while Star TV needs to pay to watch. Definitely customers chose local station because it is free. For a reason, the rating had been decreased due to this threat. Nevertheless, Star TV had it own advantage where the channel is beamed clearly without dotted screen like an aerial TV. Compared to other satellite TV, Star TV needed to lower the price to get more customers. In other words, Star TV could not run from price competition. GENERIC GRAND STRATEGY AND ITS SUBCATEGORIES CURRENTLY PURSUING AND THE PORTER 5 FORCES INVOLVED In 1993, News Corp, headed by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, purchased 64 percent of STAR TV and later bought the remaining shares for total cost of $825 million. The acquisition was undertaken because of supply-side as well as demand side impetus for standardization. The generic grand strategy used once Rupert Murdoch bought START is also growth. Murdoch was looking to have very big shares in the Asian market. He is the owner of News Corp seeing that with the purchase of STAR TV, he can beam his channels all over the Asia with the very efficient cost. For the subcategories we can say that STAR TV was using intensive/concentration as well. It is the same with subcategories earlier but now the method is different. It still involved Market Penetration, Market Development and Product Development. However, other than intensive/concentration, during this time STAR also using integration for its subcategories. STAR was using rearward method. It was considered as rearward because STAR has been in the same company with one of its suppliers which is News Corp once bought by Rupert Murdoch. News Corp hoped to use STAR TV to arbitrage its existing program sources including the 20th century Fox movies and television program library. FOX broadcasting hits were such as â€Å"The Simpsons†, BSkyB sports and news programming in the Asian market and vice versa. If successful, this strategy would cut the cost of programming for STAR TV to bear minimum associated with copying tapes and broadcasting them. As for Market Development and Market penetration, Murdoch reversed the mainly English strategy aimed at a select audience in favor of supplying regionally oriented languages, including Chinese and Hindi in less than a year. Rupert Murdoch came out with good initiative such as English movie with India subtitle for India region. For some movies he did the direct translation which was accepted by most of the customers. This initiative was made the star TV became more popular and the sales was increasingly rapidly. Rupert Murdoch saw that the resistance of English in Asian region as an advantage to created this initiative successfully. Murdoch first began to customize the satellite network’s music programs. The company found that in Taiwan, the audience prefers saccharine, Chinese love ballads, while Indian viewers are more drawn to dynamic music videos. Murdoch did the segmentation and research to get best result before he did any decision making for particular region. Therefore the northern beam of star’s satellite, which broadcast to Taiwan, Hong Kong and an estimated 30 million viewer in mainland China, carries mainly Chinese pop music. The southern beam aimed at India and Southeast Asia, focuses on Hindi and English Music. The customization has carried over to other types of programming as well. For example, Star has split the signal on its sports channel to provide more Crickets to Indians and more soccer, gymnastic and tracks to the Chinese. Movies channel are being geared up to broadcast in seven languages which are Mandarin, Hindi, English, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Cantonese and Japanese. Murdoch says his plan is to dominate four key program categories in sports, music, movie and general entertainment. By mid 1990s Star TV was reaching an estimated 54 million households. Even with this coverage the satellite network was experiencing major losses. Murdoch has determined that Star TV cannot bring sufficient revenues from advertising alone to make a significant profit. Instead it will be necessary to have viewers pay to watch some programs on the network. News Corp is attempting to develop systems that will allow company to collect viewer payments at a reasonable cost. This is what they called pay per view (PPV). This was one of the brilliant idea of Murdoch since it could increase the company profit. Viewers were willing to pay at a reasonable price for their favorite channel. Star TV now has access to the sophisticated AsiaSat-2 satellite as for the product developement, which is positioned to cover two third of the world population. This shows that Star TV has the biggest asset to be a strong pint to penetrate world market. Star TV is considered to be a large organization as it employs approximately 700 workers in Hong Kong Headquarter alone and further 2000 workers in other Asian regions. Size is quite directly related to structure. Robbins (1990) summarizes that complexity and formalization are positively related to size. Even that STAR operates in various locations and as organization, it is expected to grow, both the opportunity and need for work division and coordination (Pugh and Hickson, 1976). STAR is in elaboration-of-structure stage. The organization has reach large size and its two (2) revenue streams of subscriber fees and advertising had to be more balanced in order for STAR’s business to attain maturity. Nearly half of the world’s population resides within STAR’s footprint in Asia. In order to connect with these billions of potential viewers to maintain the momentum of expansion, STAR has made several strategic investments in pay-TV platforms throughout the region. These pay-TV platforms have become invaluable assets to STAR, strengthening our ability to deliver our content to consumers. In addition, organization has established a close working relationship with thousands of other platforms operators in Asia and beyond. STAR has also been expanding its reach beyond television broadcasting, by setting up some departments to offer its content via wireless and online-based services. Whether in front of the TV, surfing the web, or on the go with a mobile phone, viewers connect with STAR. Considering the recent innovations on STAR and its service programming, technology plays a definite role in the whole operations and competitiveness. Since bureaucratic organizations like STAR have strict rules, standards, hierarchy and legitimate authority, where the markets are characterized by prices, competition and exchange relationship, affecting traditions, shared values and beliefs, and trust, technology functions as determinant of pace and timing of tasks, providing information to managers on performance, and dictates standards. Looking on Woodward’s ideas, technology and structure of STAR fall on the Group II, which is the large batch and mass production. Considering the various regions in which they operate, large batch and mass production is the most practical way to manage technology. The structural characteristics of Woodward are the following: number of management levels (4), supervisor span of control (48), direct/indirect labor ration (4:1), manager/total personnel ratio (medium), worker’s skill level (low), formalized procedures (high), centralization (high), amount of verbal communication (low), amount of written communication (high), and overall structure (mechanistic). However, it is also recognized that STAR may invest on the process of maneuvering into Group III or continuous process production due to the emerging trends of service television industry and its clients. In application, the most important thing to think about in production and technology is the basic value of making good TV shows and marketing them to the targeted consumers – viewers across Asia, advertisers, and cable distributors. This is the most important consideration as far as technology and structure is considered. STAR can talk on new kinds of services, new technologies, and cable versus DSL versus satellite, but everything is futile not unless integrated in producing quality programming for viewers and advertisers alike. STAR acknowledges the need to take steps to move the whole industry forward and start shaping it to be the kind of industry where they will continue to be a player if not the leader in the next five or ten years. STAR is a bureaucratic organization involving Weber’s main characteristics of bureaucracy such as Rules and procedures, Specialization and division of labor, Hierarchy of authority, technically qualified personnel, Separate position and incumbent and written communications and records. Rational-legal authority is practiced in STAR where authority legitimated by virtue of supremacy of law and formal rules is used in conducting the organization. Basing on French and Raven power types, STAR uses legitimate power where formal standards, rules and laws are exercised. With the leadership and managerial expertise of Richard Li, the execution of STAR strategies is bounded on formal and legitimate source of power. Li’s power supported by clear corporate governance initiatives possesses outstanding ability to cope with uncertainty, position in information network, and control over physical and financial resources. Furthermore, modern control theories are â€Å"the mechanisms through which an organization can be managed so that it moves toward its objectives† (Ouchi 1979, p. 833). STAR reflected News Corp. s culture of taking risks and swift decision-making with minimal formal structure. It is bureaucratic because it emphasizes on achieving consistency and stability by following procedures and practices, high level of conformity and collaboration among employees, and focused efficiency and consistency are the key objectives. Arguably, this type of control may also affect employee motivation, working relationships with the management and p roductivity as there are other aspects of the organization that are overlooked when a legitimate source of power and control is operating all alone. Consideration of other power and control types or perhaps the integration of some of their inherent attributes is recommended. Culturally speaking, STAR projects the organizational culture of News Corp. by serving as powerful source of control and achieves Behavioral Consistency through a system of Shared Values and Meaning both in internal and external perspectives including the needs of the environment and strategic focus. A dominant level of culture is exemplified by a significant number of members of the organization. Core values are similarly expressed y the dominant culture, which is providing quality service programming to viewers while maintaining market leadership and organizational productivity. It could also be assumed that subcultures occur in local or regional offices due to national, cultural, and individual diversity. Adaptability culture is seen on STAR. STAR has penetrated deeply into key markets with mass appeal general entertainment channels, produced locally in lo cal languages, by local talent. These channels help organization achieve a genuine resonance with audiences, and uniquely position STAR as the leading media company in Asia. For example, Murdoch could hardly have been happier with the successes of â€Å"Correlate† in India and Xing Kong in China, STAR’s two most important markets. Asian companies that were setting up satellite broadcast channels aroused fewer political and cultural concerns in their target markets and often had closer connections with local governments. Foreign broadcasters valued them as partners for this reason as well as because of the access that they often afforded to local programming. Further, STAR is also uses mission culture type as noted on its organization’s purpose and on the attainment of goals, managers share organization’s goals and future direction, rewards on high performance, and environmental relativity. As Asias largest television network watched by approximately 100 million viewers every day, STARs reach is unmatched. The breadth and scale of operations across Asia position STAR uniquely as a powerful communication vehicle that can be leveraged for the good of the communities it reaches. Inherently bureaucratic, there is a need for STAR’s management to consider creativity and individual initiative as well as behaviorally-based mechanisms in creating standardized corporate laws and policies. The satellite provides STAR TV with 30 or more new channels of digital television. Moreover the digitalization process allows STAR TV to simultaneously offer the same program in several different languages, thus supporting the network’s regional focus. With the increased technology, STAR has successfully entered the Japan Market and offering a 24-hours Japanese language channel. The company plans to offer six more channels in the near future. STAR TV faces growing competition from others attempting to launch various satellite networks in the area such as NBC, ABN (Dow Jones), CNN and Nine Network Australia. As STAR TV attempts to target its program more regionally it will be competing with regional broadcasters. Murdoch views the situations as an investment. So far STAR TV has the highest market penetration of any satellite network. To be successful it will need to gain additional share in various market. These are certain porter 5 forces that involved: Risk of New Competitors One of the primary advantages of the company is their strong relationship with their customers. As of January 1993, the company reached its 4. 5 million people out of 11. 3 million households in Asia (Ghemawat 2005). The company is using the specialized input by using different important and new technologies that will help them to improve their services. In Hong Kong, the government requires any companies that are interested in doing their broadcasting or news program in Asia, must be controlled locally (Ghemawat 2005). This is due to the fact that they are going to handle the different information about the current events of the country (Ghemawat 2005). In terms of the socio-cultural aspect, in China, Chinese people prefer to watch local films and TV programs because they are not that good in understanding as well as speaking English language. Rivalry among Established Firms The company had been able to catch the attention of their customers as well as gain their loyalty by implementing their strategies of thinking local and acting global. It enables the company to create different programs that are suitable for the taste of their local viewers. Bargaining Powers of Suppliers In general, the products of the company have few substitutes. In addition to that, those products are considered as significant to the buyers such as the process of purchasing exclusive TV programs and movies. Above all, the suppliers of the company have the ability to vertically incorporate forward for them to compete with the buyers of the company. On the other hand, the buyers don’t have ability to integrate backward for them to supply their own demand. Bargaining Power of Buyers The buyers, end-users or distributor and the buyers of the company can switch suppliers at low cost. The buyers can easily and vertically integrate for them to compete with the suppliers. Threat of Substitute Products In the industry of entertainment and media, the competitive threat of the substitute product increases as it comes closer to fulfill a similar function or feature towards the original product. The availability of a substitute product can create a price limits on the original product. But it doesn’t directly hit the company due to the fact that it has its own production of their TV programs that help them to control the features and functions of their media products, in order to meet the demands of the customers. FACTORS SHOULD MURDOCH CONSIDER IN MAKING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSEMENT AND TYPES OF STRATEGY FOR USE AT BEGINNING OF TWENTY FIRST CENTURY Identifying the environmental factors inherent to the operations of STAR regardless of geographic locations or specified regions is done through PESTLE analysis: Political Asia was not an easy neighborhood where anyone can do business. On the case of STAR, new government regulations restricting foreign ownership of news channels were passed in India, and more work was needed in order to make STAR’s China venture profitable. In all its markets, STAR maintained close relationships with government officials and understood local operating requirements, both explicit and unwritten. Media, particularly TV broadcasting, were salient politically because of their potential influence on public opinion and their importance to local artists. They therefore remained subject, around the world, to extensive state control – a reality that STAR managed carefully. Economic The risk of the occurrence global economic downturn brought about by dynamic competition among companies that lead to closing down and the loss of jobs may have a direct impact on STAR strategy of dominating the world’s television entertainment market. Also, there are huge differences in terms of the GDP per capita earnings among the countries. This situation should make STAR consider about its positioning strategies in certain countries (Barlett and Ghoshal, 1989). Social The varying demands of audiences in relation to culture is a primary determinant of organizational performance provided that environment is being considered. Not only must the cultural differences be recognized, but there is also skill in knowing how to organize the programming; for example, when to insert the commercial breaks. Television ventures can be killed by managers who do not know programming, especially if they believe ‘good programming’ is what they like personally. As case provided, India, with its British colonial legacy, was somewhat easier in programming perspective in contrast to Taiwan where STAR experienced resistance to English content. As it was still in an embryonic stage, India’s television market was largely unregulated, at least compared with other Asian markets. India had only two television channels in 1991, both operated by government broadcaster Doordashan. STAR later formed a joint venture with native Indian media conglomerate Zee Telefilms. Under the agreement STAR was precluded from developing Hindi programming, and instead was limited to broadcasting exclusively English-language content. For example, a quiz show would be successful because India is a nation of very intelligent quizzers. In general, the rising middle to upper-middle class households in certain countries requires a strategy formulation that will not mismatch to the potential for consumer market. Technological The innovations in terms of STAR’s technology are contributory seeing that technological advancements are among the primary features of competitive advantage of STAR. Investing on new state-of-the-art programming facilities and equipment is essential in the business strategy to be aligned to any revolutionary technological changes affecting the television entertainment industry. Legal STAR’s awareness of any changes in terms of government policies and legislations within the operating countries is vital. Constant large-scale legal evaluation facilitates opportunity for expansion and minimizes legal difficulties. Environmental By Duncan theory, an unstable environment combined with low levels of complexity leads to moderate to high uncertainty. In this environment, there are only few elements, but each element changes in an unpredictable manner. As there is a heightened need to process information and respond to it, management is decentralized. Teamwork is emphasized in order to facilitate communication. There is extensive use of boundary spanners and intensive coordination devices to enable the organization to respond to environment pressures. However, production processes are more stable and tend towards being mechanistic. The PESTLE analysis conducted above identifies the environmental factors affecting STAR’s operations in all the regions in which they do business. The identified factors certainly create influences and at the same time relevant to its functions. STAR’s niche market is technologically motivated, thus, the role of technological factors in the environment (e. g. innovations) is important while considering the varying needs of their diversified clientele. Indeed, not all environments are the same as they vary in various degrees of uncertainty. On the case of STAR, it is a complex one. The following indicates the degree of environmental uncertainty. Decentralized with an emphasis on teamwork Constant environment monitoring by boundary spanners High levels of coordination and integration in order to promote imitation and innovation Production facilities often mechanistic Burns and Stalker (1961) distinguished organic and mechanistic organizations. They believed that the most effective structure is one that adjusts to the requirements of the environment, which means using a mechanistic design in a stable, certain environment and an organic form in a turbulent environment. Large firms may even have some parts which are organic and others which are mechanistic. For instance, Operations Engineering department may apply largely mechanistic practice in terms of job functions. The mechanical system design as evident on the structure of STAR is stable and efficiently performs as seen on its double-digit performance and growth in revenue and operating income for four (4) consecutive years. Furthermore, STAR’s departmental differentiation adopted by regional managers and staff explicitly addresses the needs of the diverse environment. There is a lesser degree of call for change not on its structural level but on the ability of the management to effectively manage and response on the growing needs of clients and international competition in the niche market. To do such, STAR should establish international linkages and control environmental domain as prime strategies for controlling external environments. STAR also needs to consider on SWOT analysis in future planning. The SWOT of STAR TV that can be concluded as per below: Strength Worldwide presence Strong in the prime time slot Association with big names Good contents Effective packaging Weaknesses Not much strong in non prime time slot, need concentrate on this Excessively dependant on K series soaps. This may harm in long term. Opportunities Lack of strong challengers Strong network channels for promotion. Threats Popular series on maturity phase and about to expire New emerging channels like NDTV imagine New technology HDTV, 3D TV The grand strategy that STAR TV needs to use in planning the best for the beginning of the 21st century is growth. STAR must concentrate on R D which is fall under product development (concentration). The offering channels should be updated based on the current technology. STAR should come out with interactive channel in the future. The Interactive Channel delivered shopping and games as well as regularly updated news, weather, and sports. Viewers were able to make airline reservations, sample music CDs, and even hear an update for their favorite soap opera. Through the Interactive Channels Teachers Assistance Program, viewers had access to information such as school lunches, homework assignments, and student projects. This channel has many benefits and makes life easier. As for now, people definitely will choose SPEED product where customer can do things in short period of time. On the other hand, STAR should come out with more channels in non prime time. So the subscribers are stick to the STAR channels without change to another channel which is impacting the rating. Plus, the box office movies should be from worldwide not focuses only from Europe countries. Other than concentration on channel enhancement, Since STAR owned the big satellite; STAR should come out with the great GPS system device like PAPAGO, GARMIN and etc. STAR also needs to come out with application for android and iphone so that people can watch STAR TV anytime and anywhere. People are now having phone with them 24-hour a day with internet. These are my two cents thought that might increase the profitability of the company. The conclusion, STAR and technology must move simultaneously as a strategy to growth. Last but not least, I was thinking recently that life revolves around making plans, whether we are conscious of it or not Good plans shape good decisions. That is why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

America Must Move Forward into the Electronic Age of Voting :: Politics Political Science

America Must Move Forward into the Electronic Age of Voting The levels of excitement grew throughout election night all across the nation. The respective parties gathered in various convention rooms all over the United States. The tension in the air could be felt as one entered the rooms hosted by any candidate’s party. As the evening progressed, one could tell this would be a close election. November 7 is a day many people in America take for granted. I have heard many times people muttering, ‘my vote is not going to even make the difference so why should I vote?’ Many Americans don’t feel their vote is important enough to even get off their butts to go and vote. However, as a political science major it is imperative to me to exercise my right to vote. Not only have people died fighting for rights such as this, but it also gives me the opportunity and the right to voice an opinion after the election. If you don’t vote what gives you the right to complain? Nothing. Since we are a democracy we should not take the right to vote lightly and a great majority of Americans do. For some reason, this election proved to be different. The voting percentages were higher than most election years. According to the www.msnbc.com the majority of votes come from retired people and military voters. College students throughout the past years have decreased percentage-wise in voter turnout. In 1996 the number of college students who cast their ballots had decreased 23% since 1992. Student Advantage Magazine (SAM) lists various issues for the decline in college voter turnout. The top two reasons SAM lists, as reasons for the dwindling numbers are apathy and laziness. However www.msnbc.com has stated with more students becoming politically active, the numbers should increase in future elections. For example, voting numbers increased a small percentage for this election. Why are people voting now? Is it because we have good candidates running? Is it because American’s finally feel the pressure to get off their lazy butts and make it to the polls? Does it have anything to do with absentee ballots being used at the highest rate in our nations history? Americans tend to think in the manner, â€Å"I will vote for this person if he wants what I want.† At least they have substance on their reasons for voting for someone.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Non Biodegradable

Non-biodegradable waste made up roughly one-third of the municipal solid waste produced in the U. S. in 2009 (see References 1, page 6). The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends recycling whenever possible, and disposing of your trash at a combustion facility or in a landfill only when recycling is not possible (see References 1, page 11). Hazardous waste should be handled separately by your local sanitation department or by private companies that specialize in safe disposal of toxins (see References 2).Recycling Separate glass, plastic and metal from other non-biodegradable waste for recycling. Many urban and suburban areas have curbside recycling programs; if such a program is not available, take recyclable materials to the nearest collection facility for processing. Recycling saves space in landfills and reduces the amount of virgin materials that must be mined or manufactured to make new products, saving energy and reducing global climate change in the process. (See R eferences 3) CombustionSome non-biodegradable waste like used rubber tires and plastic can be burned at combustion facilities. Most of these facilities use the heat generated by incineration to make energy in the form of steam or electricity, which reduces their demand for other nonrenewable resources, including coal and petroleum. In 2009, combustion facilities burned 3. 1 million tons of solid waste, mostly used tires. Combustion of municipal waste also reduces the volume of trash that ends up in landfills. (See References 1, page 166) LandfillsLandfills provide long-term storage for non-biodegradable waste. Ideally, landfills are carefully situated to prevent contamination from entering surrounding soil and water, and managed to reduce odor and pests as much as possible. (See References 4) Federal regulations require careful monitoring in and around the site. Hazardous Waste Disposal Some products like motor oil, pesticides, batteries and paint are potentially hazardous to sanita tion workers and the general population as a whole.They are also more dangerous to the environment than inert materials like plastic or rubber. Many communities offer special collection and disposal programs to deal with household hazardous waste as safely as possible. In areas with no such programs, it's legal to dispose of household hazardous waste in the trash. Follow any special disposal instructions listed on the original container. Before doing so, however, contact the manufacturer or retailer of the material you need to dispose of to ask if they accept old materials for reuse or recycling.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Main Theories That Explain the Politic Process of Accounting Standard Setting and Regulatory Process Essay

Choose one of the 3 main theories that explain the politic process of accounting standard setting and regulatory process in Australia. Explain critically the main elements of this theory and illustrate with examples. How does this theory operates in the real world. Public interest theory holds that regulation is supplied in response to the demand of the public as a result of inefficient or inequitable market practices. Initially it is assumed to benefit society as a whole rather than particular vested interests. The regulatory body is considered to represent the interest of the society in which it operates rather than the private interests of the regulators and that the government is a neutral arbiter. Economic markets are imperfect, this is due to the lack of competition, barriers to entry, information gaps between buyers and sellers, as well as public good. This leads to a need for intervention to protect the general public and consumers. Regulations takes interest of the public through legislative actions; by passing laws and make sure everyone complies. Public interest theories of regulation is aware that its purpose of achieving certain publicly desired results would not be obtained, if left to the market. At the same time, regulation is provided in response to the demand from the public for what is happening in the inefficient and inequitable markets. As a result, regulation is pursued for public, as opposed to private, interest related objectives. This was the dominant view of regulation and still retains many adherents. It is generally felt that determining what is the public interest is a normative question and advocates of positive theorizing. It would, therefore object this approach on the basis that it is not possible to determine objective aims for regulation; there is no basis for objectively identifying the public interest. There are other charges that was issued regarding public interest approach. These include attention being directed to the regulators, questions is raise, such as if the regulators are sufficiently competent and if it is possible for them to continuously act in a disinterested manner? Critics suggest that there may be questions regarding the reward (whether if it is sufficient), career and training structures for these regulators. On top of these, it is often argued that the public interest approach, have not been unaware of the need to view regulation in a broader framework over the years; there is no improvement made relating to the approach. Some, while recognising the  political implications in the process of regulation have argued that political considerations be excluded and that accounting remain only concerned with measuring the â€Å"facts†. In light of the above discussion, if taken at face value, it would seem unduly naive. However, over the years it have been the point of much accounting debate; that is, the false belief that accounting is value neutral and only concerned with reporting the economic facts. For most of the period, the accounting profession sought to maintain a regime of self regulation. The professional bodies have attempted to develop generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and after which, followed by a conceptual framework that would serve as the basis of an accounting theory. The search for GAAP and a theoretical framework have been a struggle due to different viewpoints on the necessity and form of regulation; resulting in considerable tensions. The involvement of accounting and professional accountants in spectacular business collapses and major cases of business fraud has ensured the need for accounting regulation. Thus, there has been a public interest concern that resulted in the need of regulation; pressure from various segments of society has demanded regulation.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Review Example

Review Example Review – Coursework Example 2 May Review A review of information technology evolution identifies developments into convenient knowledge creation. Some of the steps to research are no longer necessary because of such applications as Big Data. Similarly, social media has expanded information source and improved availability of data. However, reliability of data from the sources and results from such data remains questionable. The case of Twiter maps is an example and notes lack of information on some aspects such as geographical areas as well as inaccuracies in available data. CAI system supports this by demonstrating unreliability of data from the contemporary state of technology. Even though the system offers multiple services such as infrastructure mapping, data collection, and data analysis, its unreliability can be costly to professions in which resources are expensive and time is scarce. Such a challenge remains a valid concern because of the dynamic environment while testing reliability of a system may req uire time and the system may have undergone numerous changes before testing is complete. Land (166) shares in the unreliability concern that is significant to the medical sector and the significance can be inferred to other sectors. In addition, growing reliance on data and research for industrial decisions establishes significance of technology in data collection and usage and supports significance of unreliability of systems. In order to use the systems, their reliability must be ascertained or at least be estimated in order to inform corrective measures and ensure confidence in ultimate decisions. Measures for ensuring reliability of technologies, and by extension validity, are therefore necessary and inform the following question.How can reliability and validity of technologies be ascertained and improved? Works citedLand, E. Information technology in health science education. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media, 2013. Print.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Everything You Need to Know About Having a Part-Time Job

Everything You Need to Know About Having a Part-Time Job Don’t want to work full-time but aren’t sure what the alternative is? If you’re not exactly certain what a part-time job entails, hours-wise, here’s a primer to what you might expect. The HoursEssentially, a part-time job is a position that offers you flexibility- of scheduling or decreased hours. The number of hours varies from company to company: anywhere from 5 to 35 per week. The company has the discretion here, as to what they consider part-time. It isn’t regulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act- and the ACA only differentiates full from part-time work (at 30 hours per week) for the purposes of health insurance benefit eligibility.The  OpportunitiesThere is a bit of stigma attached to â€Å"part-time† work, making it seem as though it isn’t real work, but there are many professional gigs that fall under the part-time umbrella. It’s not just retail and hospitality either! It can be particularly useful for stay-at-home par ents, students, retirees, and any other workers who prefer not to have the time commitment of a full-time position.The PerksIt’s even occasionally possible to start with part-time employment and transition into full-time work at that company, if you play your cards right- making part-time work a useful way to get your foot in the door somewhere.It’s also possible to gain access to benefits- though not as extensive as full-time packages, and not universally.If you think part-time work might be an ideal situation for you at this stage in your career, try looking for positions that have flexibility and at least some baseline benefits. And remember, what works for you works for you. Don’t worry about what anybody else thinks.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Community Involvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Community Involvement - Essay Example The villagers lived in one location for mutual protection and the sharing of resources. From these simple beginning we have evolved a very complex structure of governance and social services, and volunteer community action is a primary support of that structure. Basically it begins when somebody notices that something needs to be done or changed, and that person decides to do something about it. It can be as simple as organizing a few people to paint a wall or as complicated as setting up a permanent community service organization. Of course, the more complex the project, the more people will be required and the more difficult it will be to organize. In this paper we will examine the methodology and functioning of community action as it applies to North American culture, specifically the United States. The scope of this paper does not allow space to examine community action in other cultures, though there are most certainly many similarities. Other cultures and government systems also have many differences. What motivates individuals to become volunteers or even to lead community action is different for each person. However, the best motivation is a desire to make their environment a better place to live. What makes any town or city a good place to live? The answer is really simple: healthy happy inhabitants. So we want to eliminate anything which damages health or happiness. This means we want to eliminate crime, health hazards in all their forms, substance abuse, severe poverty, pollution of all sorts and urban blight. Governments try to work on all of these, but local volunteer action is necessary also, because government simply cannot and should not do it all. We must remember that the more we expect government to do, the less freedom we will have. Therefore, we should all support volunteer based community action. Some volunteers will say it is a desire to help others or to give