ICT Multimedia Coursework Assignment Essay

Introduction: I am going to set my presentation on Work Experience and this will target students in year 10 which will help them know what would be done before Work experience in order to them to go on it. I will also give the year 10’s a taste of how it will be like when their on work and the skills that they will gain during the weeks on their work. In this assignment I have used Microsoft Word to type up my report because it’s really fast and easy and better than writing it by hand. I also used Microsoft PowerPoint to do my presentation about Work Experience. During my assignment I used Windows Explorer to get images, which will be put on to my presentation and some on my video that I have created on Movie Maker. Techniques used: Custom Animation: – I used this technique because it helps you add affects to your slides. I do this simply by click on slideshow at the top then clicking on custom animations then you have a choice to pick which animation you need. Action Buttons: – I used action buttons in my presentation because when you view on a slideshow it will show a set of buttons and when you click on them they will take you directly to a slideshow, so basically its like a shortcut if you want to go to the previous slide, and to do this you will have to add action buttons to your master slide this will automatically add Action buttons to all of your slideshows. Slide Transition: – I used slide transition because these are affects, which are placed between one slide to another to make your slideshow more Attractive, there are all types of affects with a range to choose from. Master Slide: – I also used master slide in my presentation because I thought it will save me a lot of time for example if I want something to appear on every slide I don’t need to write it out every time I can just use master slide and do everything I want on one of the slide and it will automatically appear on all of them. Slide 1 (Work Experience): – In my first slide I used a theme which was used for all of my slides and as you can see it has a certain colour which appears as a title and for other descriptions. I also got the two pictures from clipart which relates to work experience and gave them custom animation as well. Also I used master slide to put the action buttons on all of my slides. Slide 2 (Why do we do work experience?): – In my second slide I used the same theme but changed the colours slightly just to make it look different. I used custom animation to my title, writing and picture. The picture from clipart shows a clock which relates to what I said about work and punctuality. Slide 3 (What do you achieve from work experience): – My third slide was about the achievements of work experience which will explain to the year 10s of the achievements they will get when they do work experience. I used custom animation to all of writings and pictures, which shows graduated students. I used this picture because it refers back to what I said in this slide about what achievements will work experience give you when you go to university and college. Slide 4 (Where can you get work experience from?): – The fourth slide will tell the year 10s a brief description of what they need to do to apply for a work. The picture from clipart relates to the slide because it shows number of employed people and it will give the people an idea of the sort of jobs that will be available for them when they go to work. I also used custom animation to my slide to make it more entertaining and flexible.lol Slide 5 (Rules of work experience): – This slide is about the rules of work experience that need to be flowed by the year 10s while they are in work. I also added a video of what they need to do in work experience for e.g. keeping their workplace clean and tidy. I also used custom animation to my slide as it will entertain the people looking at the power point. Slide 6 (Selection of jobs): – My last slide was about the type of jobs they can choose whether from the website or manually by going o the place and getting the form by the employer. I added a picture from clipart it shows a man signing paper this refers to what I said in this paragraph about the application form and jobs. I also used custom animation to it to make it entertaining.

Networking and Communications

The concepts of networks and communication have come from computers and Internet and are not really very old. The advantages of these methods of communication are that messages can be sent sitting at the computer in houses or over a laptop, the communication reaches the intended receiver almost immediately and permits the receiver to also start acting on the communication immediately. There are always advantages in having physical value chains and this is what leads shops to develop warehouses and try to be merchandisers though they do not have the capacity to be so. On the other hand, the new methods of information create opportunities to simplify the value chain and thus develop businesses that have better sources of competitive advantage. An example of such stores is Amazon, which offers its potential customers a list of 2. 5 million books and this list is ten times the size of the nearest chain stores. The organization also does not have the books in its store, but have the books delivered to its customers through orders to two wholesalers in the industry after the customers have placed orders. The facility available with Amazon is only to repack the books and mail them. This makes sure that some difficulties come in and Amazon cannot offer books off the shelves, nor can their customers see the books on shelves. At the same time, their methods of selling provide them with lower costs and provide customers with superior information and lower costs. (Tapscott, 30) Some of the advantages are provided by the medium itself. Through the computer it is possible to send a message to a person without meeting him directly, or even knowing whether he is there or not. A shop can collect orders at the time when it is not open and save its employees time as the full list of items required will be sent by the customers themselves. (Lynda, 13) This particular already has a server and that means it already has and Internet connection and the computer is already able to accept messages through the Internet. His may be in the form of Intranets meant for use by the employees of the store, or in the form of a VPN. This is a Virtual Private Network which accommodates the needs of employees not located in the same office and is in the form of a private network using the public network, or Internet to get them together. There is no requirement to use a leased line, but there is usage of virtual connections operating through the Internet. (How Virtual Private Networks Work) The use of the second server is to be a back up for the first server and also to record orders from the customers. This does not involve many risks as the orders can be received on an e-mail connection and they are quite safe for the users. Further safety can be ensured through presently available. The size of e-mail connections are also large now, of the order of 1GB and can be made even larger. At the start of the working day, employees can be asked to unload orders received from the Internet to the computer of the store. The time has already been decided as being 11 am. All the orders can be placed in order and then prepared for execution. If the execution of orders are finished before the end of closing hours, then further orders, if any are available on the e-mail site, can be taken up for execution. This process is generally safe. The only difficulty comes from false orders, but that can be checked through a paying mechanism connected to the delivery part. When the order is delivered, the store will definitely collect payment, and this can be through a bank payment service, credit card or some other mechanism. When the order is sent to the store, an authorization should be sent by the buyer to the paying party also. This can be checked by the store, before delivery. If the material is to be collected from the store, then, the problems are less as the consumer will have to make payments directly. Purchases for a small store are difficult and often require expertise which the individual store may not possess. The solution that is often reached is to become a member of a buying group who will act as the buying organization for all stores, though the stores may be owned by different persons. Buying groups exist in practically all segments of the retail industry and some of the groups provide services in terms of product management and obtaining discounts for the stores through the process of summing up all quantities required and thus obtaining discounts for wholesale purchases. Even in the international scene, there are buying groups. Those organizations often have buying units distributed all over the world. (Varley, 36) In the long run, the exercise of computerization should not disturb this angle and the existing method of purchases can still be retained. The advantages will come from the fact that as soon as sales are made, or orders executed, a record can be updated for the item in question. The importance in this aspect is only for items in â€Å"A† category after an analysis of the items for sales through an ABC analysis. For those items, since they involve an importance in terms of customer satisfaction, or investment, it is essential that a close record be kept. It is also possible, like Amazon to collect some of the expensive items on a day to day basis. These are decisions for executive management to consider. If the access to the store by the purchasers is only through e-mail, then they have no chance of directly collecting the information from the store's computer, except through certain bugs that may be placed in the computer along with orders. This is a problem that comes even when the computer user visits certain sites, and can be wiped out through the use of anti-virus software and proper design of the computer system. The biggest point to remember is that most users now use Internet Explorer as their language for communication with Internet since they have the basic language as Windows. On the other hand, the store may use Mozilla Firefox for communicating with Internet. This will automatically knock out a lot of infections. Apart from this are for the computer to be working on a non-windows system and this can be done through some programming in Java. The details will have to be worked out with a computer expert. If the information of the company is stored on a different disk also, the chances of removal are much lower. This is not so difficult since the question of disks is only of virtual separation through programming. At the same time, it is also important to note that secrets about the organization also should not be available to internal users within the company unless they are permitted access. This can be controlled through requirement of passwords for entering those sections, but at the same time, the users will have to be careful about storage of the passwords. To an extent, the problem of exposure of passwords can be controlled through changes of passwords on a regular basis. The job of a network administrator involves many tasks and to an extent the tasks are also decided by the experience of the administrator in the job. The first step is to create its design, and this job has to be done by a senior network architect. Since this network has been operating for some time, one presumes that it has a network administrator who has been in charge of the system, and this person, if he is conversant enough with computers will be able to decide on its required expansion. The second set of responsibilities of the network administrator begins after the network is designed and this involves setting up and configuring the network. It is important to remember that due to the complications of the network this may take some time, and, in general the old system should be permitted to continue till the new system is tested and ready. Then the switchover can be done within a short period of a weekend or so. This will cause the least amount of disturbances to working. (Responsibilities of the Network Administrator) After all the store has to sell and earn money and computers are only assistance and cannot be permitted to come in the way of operations. The job now includes installing the physical aspects of the changes, configuring the files or databases, hosts, routers and network configuration servers. The third phase of network administration security involves regular tasks that have to be done – adding new host machines, direct administration, administration of network services and trouble shooting problems that are seen to arise. In this case, the problem seems to be one of adding new hosts and increasing services of the network for which more software is expected to be wanted. (Responsibilities of the Network Administrator) This is however and ongoing process and one success will lead to another and this will require changes not planned in the earlier phase. In this case, let us say that the plan of expansion succeeds in satisfying the customers, and adds profits for the organization, and then a second store may be required. For this sort of problems a principle of redundancy should be built into network designing. From the general, let us get into the specific and all organizations involved with computer software have their own recommendations for network service and Microsoft talks about it including Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol or DHCP, Windows Internet Name Service or WINS and Domain Name System or DNS. These are all software and part of these may massage the egos of the owners of the system, but whether they are needed or not will have to be determined by those designing the system. Microsoft has made a system management function which provides guidance for the operation of the above named services and for maintenance of the hardware which will hold these programs. There is also a guide for getting required software for this purpose. (Service Management Functions: Network Administration) Considering the number of updates that come in for Windows, it does not seem to be very reliable software. There are also software designed for many different users and in these many users can work on the system at the same time and maintain files. An example of such a system is IRIX. The only problem is that this system permits the workstation to be connected to networks and permits transfer of files from one to the other. (Overview of System Administration) Does this system require this facility, or will it be a source of trouble? The point is that all systems have to be designed according to the requirements as deemed fit by the management and first the thought of the management have to be clarified. To conclude, computers are the latest tools for the egos of today, but, at the same time, one should not end up with a system having a lot of useless or dangerous facilities.

Case study in franchising store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study in franchising store - Essay Example Franchising is supposed to be the best option for expansion and revenue generation as it offers sustainable growth oriented business models without any cost incurred by the organisation. However, for the franchisee, it is very important to ensure that the brand image of the franchisor is retained and further developed. Such concern often raises conflicts between the two parties. This paper will attempt to analyse issues related to franchising based on the case study of a franchising company. For this purpose, an organisation with franchising business model will be selected and its franchising related issues will be figured out. At first, a brief history of the organisation will be discussed to understand its business franchising model. Next, the issues underlying the franchising operations will be pointed out. For analysis and evaluation purpose, relevant data obtaining method will be discussed. Finally, the paper will conclude with some recommendations based on the analysis of the indentified issues. For this project, the McDonald’s franchising business has been selected for case study. McDonald is a leading fast food retailer in the global fast food retail sector. It is operating in around 117 countries with nearly 32,000 local restaurants (McDonalds-a, 2010). In 1940, Dick and Mac McDonald opened a restaurant called ‘McDonald’s Bar-B-Que’ in California and later in 1948 it was named as McDonald’s. For the last 70 years, the giant food retailer has been operating its fast food business quite successfully (McDonalds-b, 2010). Satisfactory food quality and efficient services of McDonald has made it a brand image in the fast food service sector. For expansion purpose, the company had adapted franchising strategy in 1955 and at present, around 75% of its total restaurants are operated by independent franchisees. Currently,

AT&T Company background Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AT&T Company background - Research Paper Example In 2005, the company was bought by one of its Baby Bells, the former Southern Western Bell, and it was rebranded to AT&T Inc. On December 18 1899, the company bought American Bell assets making it its parent. In 1892, the company achieved its first goal by opening a long distance line from New York to Chicago which at the time could only handle one call at a time. When Theodore Vail started his second term as the company’s president, he generated the viewpoint, approaches and structures that guided it and the Bell system for about seventy years. In 1919, it set up the first dial telephones in the Bell System, in Norfolk VA and in 1922, it opens the first money-making radio station in New York called WEAF. From 1927, it began its first transatlantic telephone services and also showcases the first television demonstration. 1934, it started the transpacific telephone services and by 1946, mobile telephone had been introduced which was capable of carrying out over fifteen simultaneous calls. In 2002, the company introduced a nationwide intelligent optical network which is renowned for its ability to restore services faster if any disastrous event occurred, (Anton,

Critical outcomes of assignments 1 and 2 and profile for assignment 3 Essay

Critical outcomes of assignments 1 and 2 and profile for assignment 3 - Essay Example When we look at the three advertisements in question, namely BMW, Nike and Adidas, there are strengths and weaknesses that are projected, related to how these brands are advertised. For instance, in the BMW adverts, the positive side displays confidence, vitality, style; a product that is coveted by others who don’t have it. While on the downside, it directly attacks a rival brand (Audi) by implying that it is inferior and thus may displease the consumer segment who own or prefer Audis at present. What remains to be seen as the most important point though, is that throughout the advertisement an effort is made to establish an emotional connection between the end consumer or the target market and the brand. This is done by projecting the brand image in such a way that people who own BMWs feel proud of their purchase and people who don’t, but aspire to purchase a BMW covet the brand for the luxury it is posed as and the glamour it will bring to their lives when they do ev entually purchase it. Kotler (2000) says that a brand can be defined as â€Å"the name, associated with one or more items in the product line, that is used to identify the source of character of the item†, elaborating this point, Keller (2003) says that then, essentially, â€Å"whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or she has created a brand†. This holds true when practically examined as well. Every now and then, companies are coming up with new brands, each with its own identity and image, each portraying a different color and image and each creating a separate emotional bond with its target market. Branding thus becomes a critical component of a particular product’s strategy (Kotler, 2000). The importance leant to the brand is due to the fact that this is the part of the product that will be actually communicated to the target market, in essence the marketers will use the brand to create and allure for the customers and pique their interest to reel them in. however, in the highly competitive market that firms operate in, in this day and age, only creating a brand is not sufficient. To be successful, a brand must â€Å"create a strong and distinctive image† (Kohli and Thakor 1997) which means that it is essential for a brand to define its unique selling point or its factor of differentiability. Kapferer (1997), says that a brand has eight functions to complete; identification, that is to be able to be easily identified by its target market, practicality, that is to be economical to guarantee a repurchase, guarantee, that is to be quality consistent, optimization, that is to be the category/market leader, characterization, that is to build a strong brand image and identity, continuity, that is to provide continued satisfaction, be hedonistic, that is create an attraction and allure and be ethical, that is socially responsible in actions and implications. Ghodeswar (2008) says that building a b rand from the ground up takes time, the most important thing to focus on is differentiability of the brand so that the customers can forge a bond

Australian Trusts and Trustees Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Australian Trusts and Trustees Act - Essay Example The house was transferred to the congregation on a settled trust which terms included; a.) That the congregation would establish and maintain a hospice in perpetuity on the land, for the poor sick and dying in honour of the life and work of Dr Lillian Cooper, and the Hospice was to be known as ‘Olivetti Hospice’. b.) That the land would never be sold, or given out in exchange for anything else by the congregation. No fund was involved the transfer when the trust was settled. The congregation bore the cost of building and operating the hospice built on the donated land. However, the congregation soon encountered some difficulties in both the size of the land and access into it as soon as planning began for the proposed Hospice. Over the years, the difficulties have been resolved, first, by the closure of the adjoining street, and by the acquisition of other land in years subsequent to 1952. The Hospice was opened in 1957, together with a convent and a chapel. Since that t ime, the hospice has been renovated and modernized considerably, more levels and building having been added. This means, therefore, that the original hospice building is located on three different land, comprising the land donated by Miss Bedford, the obtained through the closure of street, and other land which were acquired over the years since 1952. The additional facilities constructed on the land subsequent to 1952 include; the Marycrest Retirement Centre for low care residential aged care, and the Lillian Cooper Nursing Home for high care residential age care, both operated under the name ‘Caritas Care’. In summary, the aims and purpose of the care include to ensure that; a.) A facility designed to meet the physical and emotional need of the aged and terminally sick who are poor was established and maintained in perpetuity b.) Dr Lillian Cooper’s life and work was commemorated by the said facility c.) The facility’s name is ‘Olivetti Hospiceâ₠¬â„¢. d.) The land remained protected from sale or exchange for anything. Was the term of the Trust being kept? First, the congregation had in 1962, agreed to a land swap with the Commonwealth of Australia to swap a part of the original land with a different parcel of land owned by the Commonwealth, but which was adjoining the trust land. This action was in not in conformity with the terms of the trust, to the effect that land would never be sold or be exchanged for anything, therefore, conclusion can be drawn that the term of the trust was not being kept in this regard. The original Bedford trust land has been blended into a larger parcel of land, which was created in 1976, and is used for the mission of the congregation and not for the purpose of the trust, as spelt out in the term of the trust, sees Baker v Archer-Shee (1927) AC 844. This action was also in discord with a term of the trust that demanded that the land be used for a hospice in perpetuity for the sick and dying who were poor. The amalgamation of the original Bedford Trust land into the new land, used for the mission of the congregation meant the term of the Trust in this regard was not being kept. The Mount Olivet Hospital providing other cares other than the care expressed in the term of the Trust means the term of the

Sports Tourism and Thanatourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports Tourism and Thanatourism - Essay Example Those go against the society norms are considered outcasts. The rules laid by the society are most often universally accepted and believed to be correct. People believe that sharing morals and beliefs contribute significantly in making their making the society more stable. The moral guidelines are normally set by the dominant group within the community. Industrialization and emergence of urban centers have posed a great threat in maintenance of the society beliefs and morals. This has been brought about by the emergence of capitalism. The minor groups felt short changed and became a little rebellious. This theory was developed by Karl Marx who stated that the emergence of social classes such the capitalist, the working class and the labourers changed the political and religious structure of the society. The capitalists formed a new form of political structure abandoning the older form lay out during the era communism. Different forms of governance emerged in the third world countries . These forms of governments have turned out be large sources of tourists’ attraction sites in the developing countries. People travel to view the existing evidence of these forms of governance. Some communities in the developing countries still maintain their traditional forms of governance which have attracted masses to these areas who seek to learn more about the people in the areas and their ways of life. People have visited these areas with different motives; some have to gone to do research work while others have gone just for the adventure. Swaziland in the continent of Africa is one such country which still maintains the traditional form government. This country is governed by a king who then appoints the officials of the government who assist with the duties. Swaziland has been a great source of tourist attractions for people from all corners of the world. The country also its culture where the king had the powers to marry he wanted from the community and could marry as many women as he wished. There are also countries from Europe which still retain their traditional systems of governance. This is visible in the cases of Britain and Spain which are still governed by the system of monarchy. This has attracted masses to these countries who seek learn more about these systems. Sport tourism is a form of tourism whereby people visit various parts of the world to study more about the various forms of traditional sports associated with different parts of the world. Every type of sport is generally believed to trace its roots from a particular region of the world. The coastal region of East African countries is known for the sport of donkey and camel riding. This sport was started by the Arabs who lived in those regions during the colonial times. This form of sport has been a great of tourist attraction for these areas especially from Western countries. The governments in these countries have puts in measures to ensure maintenance of these cultural pr actices as they have to be credible sources of revenue. The various parts of the world characterized by mountainous landscape are known for the sport of mountain climbing. The sport also attracts masses to these regions, some for fun other for academic purposes. The traditional Roman empires in Italy are well known for their traditional game of gladiator wars. This was great source of tourist attraction from ancient times. People travelled across the world to witness the fight of the gladiators who were believed to be the strongest men living.

Mobile Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mobile Technology - Essay Example Smart phones such as the iPhone do not support SIM cards that have not been activated for the specific phone as at the time of its acquisition, and this implies that it is often impossible to share the phone with any other person who has not registered the SIM card with the phone. The buyers of this smart phone are also restricted by some limitations slapped on them by the manufacturers, which unnecessarily bind them on how they operate the phones. For example Apple users are required to subscribe to them for two years and. Moreover, the iPhone lacks applications that can be applied by third parties or what is usually known as third-party applications as it only has web-based applications. This makes it difficult for parties to install the applications on their own. The power requirements of smart phones are also higher as compared to other conventional phones in the data market. The extra power requirement translates to large batteries which are bulky for the phones thus shorter per iods of usage and also added expenses on electricity bill.The sustained use of smart phones has been found to be the major cause of eye strain to individuals especially teenagers. The daily use of mobile technology gadgets such as the smart phones and e-readers causes the muscles in the eyes to tighten up and dry. The cause of this is because smart phones have smaller screens as compared to other devices like laptops and thus have smaller sizes of font leading to squinting in order to get the best view of what is written on the screen of the phone. The other cause of eye strains is failure by the users of the mobile technology to adopt the recommended screen distance when using the mobile devices making the eyes to work harder than it should leading to the strain. In addition, as already stated at the introduction, the major challenge on the use of smart phones is the lack of security of data and privacy in their use. This stems from the fact that smart phones can easily be compromised through attacks from the internet that may come in the form of viruses, worms and Trojans (Newman 29). This infection may also come from compromised personal computers at the time of synchronizing data while other forms can infect similar phones through Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN). Smart phones that have been attacked become sources of malicious attacks to the telecommunication sectors, for example, the smart phones can be used to manipulate smart phone zombies to send marketing or junk messages through short messaging as spams. The compromised phone spams free of any costs thus irritating owners who may not desire to receive such messages (Miller 228). Furthermore, mobile phone technology has been used to steal identities or conduct what is usually known as spoofing. Identity theft through smart phones is easy as once a smart phone has been compromised, the attacker uses the owner’s identity to conduct any activity in the stolen name or identity. An attacker who has stolen the identity of a smart phone owner can use Voice-Over-Internet Protocol from the internet and make use of a smart phone zombie to pretend to be the owner of the calls made. Additionally, smart phones have also been used for remote wiretapping where a smart phone zombie records the conversation of the real owner and report to those that are spying on the actual

Approaches to Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Approaches to Decision Making Essay There are two common ways to make decisions regarding changes in an organization, especially when others are involved in the end result. The two ways would be to make decisions individually, making the decision by yourself or by creating a committee, getting others involved in the process. Knowing that something needs to change, means that there has been a problem identified, evaluating alternatives and then selecting the solution. Depending on the problem and the criteria that will be evaluated in making the final decision, this will play an important factor on whether individually making the decision is better than a group decision. When making decisions and changes that are going to effect many, it typically is better to make group decisions. For larger companies, it is typical that a committee or a team would be created. Bringing together individuals of the organization that would be effected by these changes. Having a committee involved in the decision brings more views, thoughts, past experiences and suggestions to the table to be evaluated for optimal solutions. Advantages of a group decision is there are more options contributed, the better chances that decisions made would be accepted by those involved in the decision as well. â€Å"Quantities and diversity of information are greatest when group members represent different specialities†. (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter, 2011, p. 71). Finding a suitable solution is half of the battle, the next half would be implementation. By having a group decision enforced, will increase the success of changes since they were a part of it and will encourage change. In the example provided about budgetary concerns, it would be suggested that a committee be created with upper management from finance, human resources, and department managers to discuss how overhead such as employees, supplies and other capital costs are effecting our business. Before having the initial meeting it would be suggested for each manager to evaluate their department and be ready to give suggestion of where they would be able to make individual changes without sacrificing the well being of the patients care. Once all contributions are made from each department, hearing the options of solutions would allow the committee members to discuss the  changes and place value on which options could be most beneficial. Options like reducing employee head count or hours, re-evaluating vendors where supplies are purchased from, eliminating overtime costs by having back up staff available or changing processes by reducing paper trails and going electronic. Each of these will need to be analyzed on immediate consequences or benefits and what the longer term effects will be. The disadvantage of working with a committee is that there will prolong the process of making a decision, more meetings, more time and there could be more resistant from individuals that will need to be â€Å"talked into† this decision. In the example about making budget cuts, one could make the decision alone and not consult with any other departments. The individual making decisions to cut staff, supplies or capital costs would need to have a comprehensive understanding of all costs associated with the organization and what implications could be by reducing budgets. Even though it is just one person making the decision, it is very important to still do a thorough evaluation of what the problems are, evaluate multiple solutions and weigh the benefits or consequences of these changes. It would be very important to obtaining financial monthly statements/costs that are associated with each department. The benefit of making decisions solely is that multiple meetings would be eliminated, do not need to â€Å"sell† your idea or solution to others, and a decision could be made quicker which will save time and money for the organization. The disadvantages of making a decision like this where it effects a group, out weigh the benefits. You do not have access to others input and past experiences who have dealt with similar situations or hearing what concerns your management will have. By not including others, you have a higher chance of the decision not being welcomed by all and having resistant to the change and implementation. References: Robbins, S., DeCenzo, D., Coulter, M. (2011). Fundamentals of Management: Essential Concepts and Applications (7th ed.).

Fast Food and Childhood Obesity Essay Example for Free

Fast Food and Childhood Obesity Essay In the past decade there has been a rise of obesity in children. I believe along with many credible sources that a lot of the reoccurring obesity problems we face with children have to do with fast food. You could almost say that fast food is kind of like a drug for kids. It is always fun to go out to eat as well as take in food that is high in calories and saturated fat. Although fast food may be a large factor in childhood obesity, it is also safe to say that it’s not the only factor. Are we placing too much blame on the fast food industry for making our kids obese, or is it our fault as parents and caregivers? Fast Food Then and Now Compared to how fast food chains functioned when they first opened and how they operate now you will see a huge difference; not only in their food selection but also in the portion sizes. For example, when McDonald’s first opened in 1955 their cheeseburger was only 1. 6 ounces and now you can get a cheeseburger for almost 8 ounces (Monte, 2008). The sizes are almost a 400 calorie increase—400 calories could be more than one whole meal for a child. Every year portion sizes are essentially getting larger and larger. A small now would have been a medium just five years ago (White, n. d. ). Not only have the portion sizes gotten larger but so has the menu. Fast food chains now have been offering smoothies, sundaes, pie slices, and even cinnamon rolls. They offer more menu options that offer more calories and saturated fats. Along with these they have also gotten better with offering some healthy options too like apples and low fat milk, but who goes to a fast food restaurant to get apples and milk? There are 3,039 possible kids’ meal combinations and out of that only 12 combinations meet the nutrition criteria for preschooler’s and 15 for all other children (Oren Dodson, 2010). The only kind of company who would essentially poison children like that is ones who are trying to make a fast buck and that is the goal for all of these fast food companies. They don’t realize or they do and just don’t care that they are poisoning our youth and even adults. Advertisements For the past ten years or so fast food chains have been advertising to children. Kids spend more time watching TV than any other activity they do besides sleeping (Nestle, 2006). Fast food chains have taken advantage of this by placing most of their ads on programs like Nickelodeon, Disney, and even PBS. They know that if they spend millions on advertising on children networks that they will get their return on investing in them. Children see more than 32% more fast food ads on TV now than in 2003 (Oren Dodson, 2010). In 2009, McDonald’s spent the most out of all the fast food companies on advertising to children. They spent almost 900 million dollars targeting ages 6-11. Subways was in a very far out second spending a little over 400 million dollars targeting 12-17 year olds (Harris, Schwartz Brownell, 2010). Studies have also shown that Hispanics and African American children see more than 50% more fast food ads than white children (Oren Dodson, 2010). With this there are more fast food chains in African American and Hispanic dominated neighborhoods. Family Statistics You can probably assume that every family in the U. S. goes to fast food restaurants on occasion but some go more than others. Studies have shown that families with lesser income are more exposed to fast food than other families who have a higher income (Block Scribner, 2004). With the economy the way it is, much more people are making much less and this is causing more and more families to visit fast food places rather than eating at home. You can go to a fast food joint and spend ten dollars for the whole family to eat rather than spending hundreds of dollars at a grocery store. In an article I just read, less than one third of Americans are eating their meals from scratch; meaning actually cooking and serving them to their families (Voigts, 2005). This was published seven years ago—just think of where we are now! I conducted an interview with my sister, Morgan Dutton, who is an extreme fitness guru, health nut, and she also has children. I asked her what she thought about this obesity epidemic in our youth and she said, â€Å"I cannot believe all of the staggering statistics regarding kids and fast food. I am not sure why parents wouldn’t want their kids eating the healthiest food option rather than the fastest. Kids are starting to get diabetes earlier and it reduces their life span by years. Fast food is essentially killing our kids, it may be slowly but it is happening (personal communication, October 15th, 2012). † Drawing the Line So whose fault is it that our children’s generation is getting more and more obese? Should we blame it on fast food—when can we blame ourselves? As a parent I want my child to live the longest healthiest life they can live and when I take them to places like McDonald’s and Burger King I am basically poisoning their body. It may be fast food that is making them obese but isn’t it our fault for taking them there in the first place? Exposing them to that kind of food especially early on in their life is only going to make it harder for them when they get older and can make their own decisions. Conclusion Rather than placing blame for the obesity problem with our children maybe we should be taking action. You could blame fast food chains for making your kid obese or you could even blame yourself because you took them there. Parent’s need to start making better decisions on what they are putting in their kids bodies because they may outlive their own child. There are so many chemicals and toxins in fast food that people are not aware of. Fast food may be cheap and it may be fast but in the long scheme of things, it is killing our kids.

Communication †sending and receiving verbal information

Communication – sending and receiving verbal information Communication is the complex process of sending and receiving verbal information. The communication process plays a very important role in the profession of nursing. Daily the nurses have to deal with a huge number of patients of diverse background. Some belong to educated background and understands thing very well but some are not educated, and for them understanding and communicating with the medical staff is very difficult so it is the responsibility of the nurses to improve their skills to such an extent that communicating with people of all sorts become possible for them. The communication could be verbal or nonverbal like by the use of expressions or jesters etc. The discussion among the nurses and the patients is conducted usually in a very hectic atmosphere; both the patients and nurses are in an urgency as a result of which unwanted issues may arise. The directions are often delivered to the patients on the phones rather than face to face. In the cases of emergency the commu nication skills gain very high importance as the decision about the procedure has to be made immediately but sometimes the patient nurse interaction is delayed too much as a result of which serious consequences could be faced. In order to avoid the problems in communication some strategies have been discussed in this paper. One technique to attain this objective is by the use of strategies which are being used by other industries and have been very effective like team resource management. It is a training course which has been designed by the aviation business. It emphasizes on combined decision making and team oriented approaches. The most excellent patient care can be provided when the nurses are accessible at all times. By the use of equipments like background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR), it is guaranteed that the delivered messages are very clear and not ambiguous in any kind of stressful situation (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2004).  U-nursing is also very effective in imp roving the patient nurse communication. The SWOT analysis is also given in the proposal. The above mentioned plans could be implemented easily. Some are not time consuming like changing the behavior and attitude of the nurses however some of them needs time like installation of wireless equipments. If the nurses lack the skills for good communication the above mentioned tasks becomes really difficult to handle. In order to deal with patients who have diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds and having different levels of knowledge, communication becomes a big challenge to the health care providers. Health care providers especially the nurses have always been very keen to advance the communication skills so that they can progress to better patients care services. In nursing, a heavy amount of information has to be provided and received in a narrow time period. In order to do this perfectly and smoothly the communication settings, history experiences and individual opinion of the people must be considered very deeply. So the communication enhancements mentioned above will prove to be very successful. From this study we have come to know that when you move toward alteration with a patient-centered attitude, the finest decisions are obvious. Table of Contents Introduction Communication means relocation of the information amongst the people. The nursing job involves continuous communication between the patients, their relatives and the nurses. The chances of miscommunication in this profession are very high which can lead to serious consequences.  For nurses it is really important that they should be aware of key communicating process and the height to risks and problems that they can come across as a result of miss-communication. It is important to have clear communication with patients especially for those nurses who are involved in collection of patient history. They should be aware of the art of educating the patients giving them the needed emotional help (Munhill, 2007, p.452). According to a report at Institute of Medicine, it has now been an established fact that secure and trustworthy relationship between a patient and the health care provider (especially nurse) depends upon healthy and good communication (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2004; Viney et al., 2006). Usually the goal of the health care providers is to achieve more in a smaller amount time as a result of which their relations with patients suffer. In this proposal we are going to discuss about how communications between the patients and the nurses can be improved in order to have a healthy and fruitful relationship. Analysis of change needed Efficient communication between the patients and health care providers especially nurses is a very important area in the hospital management but it is hampered by different problems. The discussion with the patients is conducted usually in a very busy environment; both the patients and nurses are in a hurry as a result of which undesirable issues are raised. Communication with the patients is mostly carried out through answering machines instead of having a direct interaction. According to the leadership theory as presented by Fred Fiedler suggests that effective group performance depended upon the proper match between a leaders style of interacting with his or her followers and the degree to which situation allowed the leader to control and influence (Robbins Coulter, 2008, p. 493). It is often argued that in a hospital setting, in-charge nurse is often lacking required competencies in relation to communicating with patients that represent a barrier in efficient leadership. One of the prime reasons being their promotion from the clinical nurse thus they are apt at dealing with medical issues but ill equipped to be regarded as a good communicator with patients (Connelly et al., 2003, p.298). Their relationship should be relationship oriented instead of focusing solely on routine tasks. Similarly path-goal theory as devised by Robert House also favours leader role to be more supportive, providing direction to relevant others (Robbins Coulter, 2008, p.498). A study conducted in United States of America concluded that 90% of the faults in patient analysis result from poor communication between the patients and the health care providers. Different sort of parameters like lack of sleep or proper rest, long duty hours, other part time jobs, personal issues or family concerns may have serious effects on the ability of nurses to interact with the patients. Therefore the present challenge is to develop an environment which is comfortable for nurses so that they can easily perform their job. One method to achieve this goal is by applying the strategies which have been adapted by industries working beyond provision of medical aid. Team resource management as constructed by aviation department could also bring desired outcomes. The strategy helps to direct all efforts towards equal participation in decision making, leading a team focused behavioral approach. The best patient care can be provided when the nurses are can be easily contacted in case of any issue during patients stay at the hospital. By using different electronic gadgets like situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR), such methods help to convey lucid messages between both nurses and patients to overcome the challenging situation (Leonard, Graham Bonacum, 2004).  It is stated that many nurses save around 20 to 40 minutes every day if they have immediate contact with the specialists. Most of the hospitals of the Unites States still use the old weird telephone systems which not only waste time but also may lead to miscommunication. A new communication technology like that of Dalcon Alertcan provide a solution to this problem. It is a wireless technology and by the use of it the patients, nurses, staff and the physicians can stay in contact with each other all the time, while even on move. A study showed that 70 to 80 percent of time could be saved each day by th e use of this technology. The technology also provides direct alerts to the nurses on their devices (Kohn, Corrigan Donaldson, 2000). Another method is to employ the U-Nursing technique. By U Nursing we mean that the nurses are available to all the organizations and institutes at all the time by using the facilities from information technology. The SWOT analysis about this nursing technique is given below (Murray, 2007, p.32). SWOT Analysis: Strengths: User friendly and Less time consuming Expert advice avail all the time Infrastructure is very safe and secure International quality standards maintained Enhance the communication between the patients and the nurses Weaknesses: The setup costs are very high Nurses are not yet very much trained to use this system Lack of support and backup infrastructure Opportunities: Research studies will be facilitated Technology development in nursing profession If goes successful , could be applied to all the hospitals and has just one time setup costs Holistic and Humanized Threats: System breakdowns by attack of viruses leading to data loss High dependency on the information technology Intellectual proprietary issues Be short of leadership in nursing Misuse of personal information of patients and loss of privacy Ignorant patients may be misguided Plan of Action The plan of action for the above mentioned analysis is as follows: First the working hours of the nurses would be discussed and adjusted accordingly so that they can work attentively and efficiently and this will be done immediately. The salary structure would be revised so that there would be no need for part time jobs. Recognize any hindrances which may hamper the communication like can the patient converse in English easily or not? If not the nurse should arrange for an interpreter. If the hearing ability of the patient is not well, hearing aid should be provided. Training courses for the nurses would be arranged regarding communication skills so that they can improve their communication with the patients and the physicians. Infrastructure for the U-Nursing plan would be arranged. For this purpose letters would be written to higher authorities at the hospital or even the government level if required so that the funds could be provided. Once the approval is received for such plan then nurses would be trained for the use of such facilities. In hospital equipment would be updated like the use of wireless technologies to be implemented so that the wastage of time could be prevented. The patients would be able to communicate with the nurses through wireless gadgets at all the times so that emergency situations can be dealt with ease and efficiency. Evaluation strategy The real time monitoring strategies about these new things will be applied. The amendment trials are fruitful when they are structured keeping in view the present situation and are visible with healthy results. They are made on the existing method of doing things,  are visible and have positive outcomes (Greenhalgh et al., 2004; Rye Kimberly, 2007). The study would be evaluated by noticing the change in the general attitude of nurses, their change in appearance and social dealings. The qualitative and quantitative data will be used. For the qualitative data general observations will be done on the communication changes between nurses and the patients and for the qualitative data questionnaires will be given to the patients and they will be asked about the improvement in the communication skills of the nurses. They will be asked about the benefits or demerits of the use of wireless technology implemented in the hospital. If the patients provide us with the positive feedback this wi ll mean the change is a success. Conclusion The immediate problem and challenge in the health care industry is to manage and develop an environment which provides effective and transparent communication system between the patients and the health care workers especially nurses as they are the most frequent ones to come across with the patients. It is anticipated that the above mentioned changes will bring a positive and healthy change in the hospital environment and the communication skills of the nurses will be improved. Especially when the nurses will be trained accordingly the patients would definitely feel a positive change in the hospitals. It is wisely said that half of the illness of the patient is cleared out immediately when he is treated nicely by the health care provider.

Free College Admissions Essays: I Look Great in Ivy! :: College Admissions Essays

I Look Great in Ivy! Â   Discovering and choosing a university that fulfills all of my needs was a rigorous yet exciting task. The Ivy U clearly emerged as the best choice for me and I, as a great match for the university. After visiting the campus, reading the information pamphlet, and researching the university Web site, I realize that Ivy offers what I hope to gain from my college experience. In return, I will contribute to the university as a person with leadership qualities who takes initiative and enjoys participating in school events. Â   For many years, I have wanted to become a midwife, and the Ivy School of Nursing stands out as the premium institution for such training. The university's close proximity to many hospitals will familiarize me with patients and hospital life, allowing me the best training possible. Â   As an individual, I will thrive in the intimate and familiar environment of the nursing school, one of Ivy's smallest schools. Coming from a small high school, I was greatly impressed by my visit to the campus, where I noticed the close relationships between the professors and students, and the strong family feeling within the nursing school. Â   The location of Ivy's nursing school within the large campus of Ivy's other schools offers myriad benefits. Firstly, I will have the opportunity to take classes in any of the other schools at Ivy, and this seamless academic integration will allow me to pursue my interests outside of nursing. Â   In addition to academic breadth, there are a greater variety of extra-curricular activities available on the larger campus. I am excited about continuing my interests in sports and theater. I have played on my high school's varsity volleyball team for two years and I plan to play volleyball throughout college in Ivy's women's club volleyball. I also performed in The Sound of Music in high school and the Teatron will allow me to actively participate in theater. Â   As president of the student council, I have always promoted school spirit, and I intend to continue my enthusiastic involvement throughout my college career. My school places a large emphasis on test grades and homework, creating a serious mood throughout the school. As president, I have tried to enrich the school experience by planning events such as school lunches and interesting field trips.

Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

Revolution Exam 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the years 1763-1775, Britain and the American Colonies had different views and interpretations for various events and documents. The Stamp Act:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Stamp Act was created by George Grenville, the Prime Minister from 1764-1766. Britain’s national debt had soared to 133 million pounds due to the war. Grenville decided to propose several taxes on the American colonists, including the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act required embossed markings on court documents, land titles, contracts, playing cards, newspapers, and basically anything printed. Grenville figured that the tax would cover part of the national debt and the cost for keeping ten thousand soldiers in America—roughly 200,000 pounds per year. The Colonists were not viewed as equal citizens of Britain, so it would not be difficult for Parliament to pass the Act. Benjamin Franklin represented Pennsylvania and suggested that if Britain was going to tax the American colonies, there should be Americans in Parliament. Franklin wanted the Americans and British to be as one. British politicians denied Franklin’s request because they claimed that the American colonists were already â€Å"virtually† represented by merchants in Parliament who had interests in America. Some other differences in opinions from American colonists were those of their rights. The colonists believed that taxation without representation took away their essential rights as Englishmen. There was confusion of what the rights of free subjects of were. They also believed that just because Britain had such a huge debt, that shouldn’t mean that the colonies have to take part in it. The taxation led to mobs such as the Sons of Liberty. There would be rebellions and violence to come. The Quartering Act:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the request of General Thomas Gage, Parliament passed the Quartering Act, which required the American colonists to house and feed British troops. In January 1766, members of the New York Assembly said that because the British commander had his headquarters in New York, there was an unequal burden under the Quartering Act; in turn, they decided to follow some of the specifications in the Quartering Act, but not all of them. The Assembly also feared that the troops would cause an unlimited drain on their treasury by the cost of living and eati... ...h’s theory in the Wealth of Nations was the economic model that the American colonists thought was accurate. Work Cited Armando. â€Å"Judicial Review: The Cornerstone of the Founders’ Plan.† 5-03-05   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (http://balletshooz.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/17/141336/824). Ash, Thomas. â€Å"Why did the American Colonists Revolt?† 5-03-05   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (http://www.bigissueground.com/history/ash-uscolonists.shtml). Houghton; Mifflin. â€Å"Quartering Acts.† 5-03-05 (http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/rcah/html/ah_072900_quarteringac.htm). Indiana University School of Law. â€Å"The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies.† 5-03-05 (http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html). McClymer. â€Å"How Did the King's Colonies Become Little Republics?† 5-03-05   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (http://www.assumption.edu/dept/history/Hi118net/Hi%2013%20Essay%202%20 97%20John). Online Highways. â€Å"Proclamation of 1763.† 5-03-05   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1209.html). Wikipedia. â€Å"Mercantilism.† 5-03-05   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercantilism).