Use of Social Media in Promoting Stakeholder

USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN PROMOTING STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR DEFINITION OF SOCIAL MEDIA Social media has rapidly integrated itself into our everyday lives, both personal and professional, and it’s perhaps had no greater impact than on the world of marketing, with consumers and brands seeing enormous benefits and changes. Social media literally means interactive platforms through which individuals and communities create and share user-generated contents. Social media are social software which mediates human communication.When the technologies are in place, social media is ubiquitously accessible and enabled by scalable communication techniques. In the year 2012, social media became one of the most powerful sources for news updates through platforms such as Twitter and Facebook (Kietzmann et al. 2011). Social media technologies take on different forms including magazines, Internet forums, weblogs, social blogs, microblogging, wikis, social networks, podcasts, photographs or pictures, video, rating and social bookmarking.Social media can be classified into six different types: collaborative projects (for example, Wikipedia), blogs and microblogs (for example, Twitter), content communities (for example, YouTube), social networking sites (for example, Facebook), virtual game worlds (e. g. , World of War craft), and virtual social worlds (e. g. Second Life). Technologies include: blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing and voice over IP, to name a few (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). Many of these social media services can be integrated via social network aggregation platforms.Social media network websites include sites like Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bebo and MySpace. Social media applications used on mobile devices are called mobile social media. In comparison to traditional social media running on computers, mobile social media display a higher location- and time -sensitivity. One can differentiate between four types of mobile social media applications (Kaplan, 2012), depending on whether the message takes account of the specific location of the user (location-sensitivity) and whether it is received and processed by the user instantaneously or with a time delay (time-sensitivity). . Space-timers (location and time sensitive): Exchange of messages with relevance for one specific location at one specific point-in time (e. g. , Facebook Places; Foursquare). 2. Space-locators (only location sensitive): Exchange of messages, with relevance for one specific location, which are tagged to a certain place and read later by others (e. g. , Yelp; Qype). 3. Quick-timers (only time sensitive): Transfer of traditional social media applications to mobile devices to increase immediacy (e. g. posting Twitter messages or Facebook status updates). 4. Slow-timers (neither location, nor time sensitive): Transfer of traditional social media applications to mobile devices (for example, watching a YouTube video or reading a Wikipedia entry). Mobile social media can also be used on the go when one is not near a personal computer, lap-top†¦ etc. With all the new devices that are arriving at our finger tips, gadgets such as tablets, ipods, phones, and many other new products, there is no use for sitting at home using ones PC.Mobile social media has made other sources of internet browsing obsolete and allows users to write, respond, and browse in real-time. A new medium of social networking – Instagram allow the world to interconnect and makes space and time much smaller than anyone can imagine. Instagram allows individuals to snap a photo wherever they may be and share it with the rest of the world instantly, delivering a social media site full of foreign accomplishments and strange scenarios.This feature was introduced by facebook and other existing social media sites, but instagram is the latest addition to the social media scene, and has made picture sharing an absolute must. Mobile social media is a relatively new function because it was just recently that mobile devices have access to the internet and the cloud (Kaplan, 2012). PURPOSES OF SOCIAL MEDIA The purpose of Social media can be explained its use in the area of businesses. Here, social media may be referred to as consumer-generated media (CGM).A common thread running through all definitions of social media is a blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value. Generally, people obtain information, education, news and other data from electronic and print media. However, unlike industrial or traditional media, such as newspapers, television and film, social media shows its distinction as they are comparatively inexpensive and accessible to enable anyone, even private individuals to publish or access information. Industrial media on the other hand generally require significant resources o publish information. One characteristi c shared by both social and industrial media is the capability to reach small or large audiences; for example, either a blog post or a television show may reach n people or millions of people. Some of the properties that help describe the differences between social and industrial media are in the aspect of reach, accessibility, usability, immediacy and permanence. (a) Reach: Both industrial and social media technologies provide scale and are capable of reaching a global audience.Industrial media, however, typically use a centralized framework for organization, production, and dissemination, whereas social media are by their very nature more decentralized, less hierarchical, and distinguished by multiple points of production and utility. (b) Accessibility: The means of production for industrial media are typically government and/or corporate (privately-owned). Social media tools are generally available to the public at little or no cost. (c) Usability: Industrial media production typ ically requires specialized skills and training.Conversely, most social media production requires only modest reinterpretation of existing skills; in theory, anyone with access can operate the means of social media production. (d) Immediacy: The time lag between communications produced by industrial media can be long (days, weeks, or even months) compared to social media (which can be capable of virtually instantaneous responses). However, as industrial media begins adopting aspects of production normally associated with social media tools, this feature may not prove distinctive over time. e) Permanence: Industrial media, once created, cannot be altered (once a magazine article is printed and distributed changes cannot be made to that same article) whereas social media can be altered almost instantaneously by comments or editing (Kietzmann et al. , 2011). Community media constitute a hybrid of industrial and social media. Though community-owned, some community radio, TV and newspape rs are run by professionals and some by amateurs. They use both social and industrial media frameworks. Social media has also been recognized for the way in which it has changed how public relations professionals conduct their jobs.It has provided an open arena where people are free to exchange ideas on companies, brands and products. Social media provides an environment where users and PR professionals can converse, where PR professionals can promote their brand and improve their company's image, by listening and responding to what the public is saying about their product. STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR The word- stakeholders simply means a person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization. Stakeholders can affect or be affected by the organization's actions, objectives and policies.Some examples of key stakeholders are creditors, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions, and the commu nity from which the business draws its resources (Clarkson, 1995). In the educational sector, the major stakeholders comprise of the students, the funding (and managerial) bodies, the industry employers, the academics and the general public. Universities and colleges increasingly are using new communication technologies to produce innovative teaching methods, thus improving relationships with staff and students.Much of this innovation is centered on social media spaces and concepts. Many of the most significant social media tools are still very young but the concepts of social networking, online video, and blogging go back to the earliest days of the Internet. Indeed, educators and library professionals were quick to see the value of blogs as they appeared, partly as a mechanism to bypass complex or slow institutional website-updating processes. They are also a way to reach out, to share news and reflections with colleagues and students both within and beyond institutional walls.As the first social networking sites emerged, combining the functionality of bulletin boards with personal profiles and instant messaging tools, students were early adopters using the sites like FriendsReunited to maintain existing friendships and to establish personal support networks. Friendster extended the idea of what these spaces could do, and by the time Facebook launched (for those with university email addresses), students were well prepared to experiment, socialize, and share their networks online.Some librarians and academics followed students into these spaces, sharing practical information and trying these new forms of engagement. Now with the widespread use of tools and technologies like YouTube, Twitter, blogs, wikis and Facebook, social media is used for teaching in higher education (Kent and Taylor, 1998). Students remain ahead of social media users in various higher education groups. While many attribute this to generational factors, it is also true that students are more highly motivated by the need to find and bond with new peers and potential social groups.Many find participating in a new online space a relatively low stakes issue of experimenting and exploring the spaces that work for them, or that their friends use. Academic staff have been slower to find their feet, but the success of pioneering colleagues in communicating and engaging students in their work, or gaining professional advantage through social media spaces, has helped drive change and, in some cases institutional leadership. Rolling out blogging tools and support across the university has led to a creative, thoughtful, and lively culture of blogging within the university including a rapid turnover of very high quality content.A key strength of social media is the distributed model of connection, posting, and activity feeds that enables building an ongoing relationship with stakeholders through low stakes participation (Christ, 2005). Indeed the most common use of social media in higher education is as a means of amplifying existing events, publications and websites. Social media resources are often provided for passive use as information sources or teaching resources—perhaps an alert to an upcoming event, a blog post that directs the reader to formal academic literature, or a video that demonstrates a key technique or concept.A single action, such as sharing a link or viewing a Facebook page or Twitter profile, allows an individual to casually participate in a relationship with a higher education institution. From there individuals can also take active steps of clicking the â€Å"like† or â€Å"follow† or â€Å"subscribe to feed† button to receive regular updates and alerts, showing their interest in further dialog. This simple sharing functionality is very valuable, but the real benefits for higher education often come from more integration of social media with teaching and student support.Social media also provides the oppo rtunity for communication, professional development and collaboration among members of teaching and research staff, information services staff and administrators. This communication can work well in closed institutional spaces (such as an intranet) but collaborating publicly on the web (for example, through blogs or Twitter) enables both local colleagues and broader peers to read and participate in discussions. The most important relationship for most educators and academic organizations is with their students, and social media can be a very active and responsive hannel for supporting and engaging with students. While email remains the key means of communication for most professionals in the education sector, students arrive into higher education with established social media presences and a culture of using Facebook Messages/Chat, text messages, and related tools (for example, InstantMessanger, BlackBerry Messenger, and Skype). These social media and mobile tools may be used by col leges and universities, but it is important to manage expectations: students need to know which channels they are required to use (likely to include email) and which channels are optional (such as a course Facebook group).They must also understand which spaces to use for official correspondence, assignment submission, or urgent queries. Staff cannot monitor all social media channels at all times, but endorsing spaces that enable peer support can help meet student needs outside of working hours. For part time and online courses, scheduling virtual evening tutorials or â€Å"office hours† can also provide a manageable and valued space for student support and participation. Social media can also enhance traditional in-person learning to great effect. For instance, the collaborative nature of wikis offers particular opportunities for innovative teaching practice.This process empowers students to take ownership and responsibility for their own learning and to build a productive pe er community. It also alters the relationship and expectations that exist between staff and students from one-way teaching to an ongoing two-way process in both challenging and highly rewarding ways. For those learning on a part-time, distance, or flexible basis, it can be difficult to feel part of the educational community, to connect with peers whom you may see rarely or not see at all, and to form the types of social groups that enable peer support and friendship.Social media can help create a sense of community, of being among real people and, in some spaces (including virtual worlds), a real sense of embodiment. Some students feel more able to express themselves fully and confidently in online contexts, and for these students, social media provides a way to tie their more confident online selves with their real world identities. For others, social media is simply a route to avoid isolation.The participation of teaching and support staff in these spaces provides the opportunity to build richer relationships with learners, and to notice concerns, issues, or misunderstandings. These issues may not be easily or comfortably articulated in other teaching spaces, such as a more formal classroom or e-learning space. The beneficial possibilities of social media also bring potential risk, partly because any increased visibility brings with it greater exposure to vulnerability and the possibility of embarrassment or failure in a very public space.From an organizational and management perspective, the most significant benefits and the most notable risks arise from the democratizing nature of social media: when anyone can potentially create content there will, of course, be risks associated with loss of control. This can be tricky to negotiate because much of the appeal of social media is its formality, often tied to a sense of fun, transgression, and enjoyable anarchy. Educational organizations have a moral and legal responsibility to look after both staff and studen ts, and to consider their safety and privacy.There are risks associated with encouraging staff and students to register for and share personal information with social media sites, particularly when requiring student participation as a course requirement. You must create a process for dealing with potential bullying or abusive behavior. Because social media necessitates faster, less formalized processes than traditional print or online media, it can be beneficial to create appropriate organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines.These policies must acknowledge both the risks and benefits of social media. It is important that the organization accepts and understands those guidelines. Outright bans on social media usage are rarely desirable or effective, and heavy restriction can push individuals – whether staff or student – to create more controversial or outspoken presences on a pseudonymous on anonymous basis. This reaction can both risk a negative impact on the organization, and mean that the organization misses officially recognized contributions from energized members of the community.The most successful social media guidelines and policies are encouraging and nurturing in tone, highlight good practice and clarify the appropriate use of these tools. They must also specify material that is not appropriate for sharing, and indicate some form of process for dealing with conflicts arising from social media interactions. Every higher education institution is different so it is important to both draw on others experience and tailor your guidelines or policies so that they are a good fit for your own organization's needs and audience.Remember that the speed of social media development is such that no set of guidelines or policies will be definitive: they will need to be iterated over time and updated to reflect the changing social media and legal environment. Embedding social media into normal working practices can take time and effort, so it is important to consider the goals and desired outcome of that activity, whether that is easily measured (such as new admissions, achievement of funding goals) or something more amorphous (improved good will, better morale within an educational institution).It is also useful to consider collecting metrics (counts of tweets, comments received or more complex information) so that activity can be considered, reflected upon, and developed or discontinued as appropriate. Local hosting or restricted/private cloud hosting of social media tools can be an effective way to bring together social media functionality in a protected and trusted institutional space. Tools including IBM Connections, which act as a hosted suite of social media and business software tools, can be useful.Whether using a hosted or web-based social media tool, it is always useful to try any tool for a few weeks with colleagues or peers to identify problems or concerns before committing to a public (whether to your staff and/or students or the open web) social media presence. Planning suitable staff time and processes to create, maintain, monitor, and reflect upon social media presences helps to ensure that the presences are taken seriously and that involved staff feel a sense of ownership and responsibility in these new spaces.Blogs have become a central tool for academic research and for teaching and learning over the last five years. Many programs require students to blog reflectively on their progress throughout a course and submit this as graded work. These blogs provide a great space for reflection, for recording progress with academic readings and developing ideas, and for discussion with peers from the wider world. In schools, there are greater risks to address in terms of privacy and access to resources but there is also huge potential for innovation. The award winning â€Å"I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here! initiative (Pontin, 2010) used a talent show format to connect practici ng scientists with school children. Over the course of two weeks, social media tools such as YouTube and real-time chat tools enabled school children to ask any science question, which was then answered by a research scientist within 24 hours. The students voted for their favorite scientist throughout the show and the winning scientist won a small grant to further their research. It can be inspiring to look at what comparable schools, colleges, universities, or other educational organizations currently do.Increasingly, early adopters engaged teaching staff, and university marketing and communications departments are realizing the huge potential for the use of social media in education. There are substantial risks to consider, ones that require thoughtful management of expectations, the ongoing review of practice, and the surrounding legal and social context. Social media guidelines and policies are useful tools in supporting the use of social media in schools and colleges but these should not stifle creativity.Social media provides real opportunities for innovative and engaging practice with authenticity and informality, both notable features of successful social media in academia. YABA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA Yaba College of Technology, founded in 1947, is Nigeria's first higher educational institution. It is located in Yaba, Lagos state, Nigeria. The college is a center of culture and heritage. Currently it has a student enrollment of over 16,000. Today, Yaba College of Technology is made up of nine (9) academic units called Schools, headed by Deans, and thirty-four Departments headed by Heads of Departments.The main objective of the College, according to the decree that established it, is to provide full time and part-time courses of instruction and training in Technology, Commerce and Management. Also, the College provides training in other fields such as applied learning, relevant to the development of Nigeria especially in areas of Ind ustry, Agricultural production and distribution, Research and adaptation of techniques. In pursuit of these objectives, the College has continued to develop structurally, humanly and materially.One of the ways in which the college has been able to establish this development is in its adoption of technological advancement by the use of the social media. Generally, Schools are on a short list of organizations that have been notoriously slow to adopt emerging technology but within the last few years, as social media becomes more integral to students’ lives, educational institutions are finally catching on, and catching up. On speaking with the Heads and representatives of information (communications) technology unit of he Yaba College of Technology, they all shared their views on the extent to which the Social media has promoted stakeholder relations in the college. Dr. Oyeyinka, Director of Centre for Information and Technology Management (CITM) explained that the Social media is being used and has made a great impact in the institution. For further information, Dr. Oyeyinka directed us to Mr. Popoola Olusegun Lawrence, a representative of the Information Processing Department. This was because Mrs. Koyenikan, the Head of the Information processing Department, was currently on leave. According to Mr.Popoola Olusegun Lawrence, who is in charge of students’ result as well as communication amongst the students and management of the institution, there are three different departments or units under CITM and they are- Information Processing Department (IPD), Hardware Software development & Training (HST) and the Volumetrics unit, a unit in charge of managing the college networks. These three units work together to take care of both the staff and student information. Mr. Popoola further explained that the use of Facebook in the department is more frequent although in some cases, Yahoo Messenger is also made use of.This choice of Social media tool is m ade, depending on the target publics and even in those cases; communication must have reached a certain level before usage of the social media that is, some sort of agreement must have been reached first and you must have established some kind of relationship with the stakeholders. One cannot just wake up one day and start communicating with stakeholders in a project that requires millions of naira. Doing that would place one at a huge risk. Therefore, one’s level of awareness comes to the forefront.For example, when the College through the Information Processing Department (IPD) needed to contact an organization that supply equipments used for the marking of Post UTME results, the decisions made had to change at a particular time and further communication was made through Facebook and Yahoo messenger from time to time. Later, after the equipments had been supplied, the college realized they needed the organization’s support and the organization was contacted again. Th is communication process via the social media was very effective and successful.In communicating with students however, Mr. Popoola continued by saying, mobile phones was made use of because the department has access to the phone lines of all students in the college. Moreover, not all students are computer literates or have access to the internet and in order to make sure all students were brought into the picture when giving out information that pertains to them, mobile phones was used in sending out bulk SMS. Within the staff, official matters are communicated through Facebook and twitter. This started just about a year ago.When communicating with other departments and faculties like the School of management studies for instance, the IPD sends messages through the group on Facebook created by some of these faculties and departments. If the Director of CITM (Centre for Information and Technology Management) – Dr. Oyeyinka wants to pass information to the Deans of various dep artments, he doesn’t need to go through CITM except when every member of staff needed to be communicated with. This is because CITM has the means of communicating with every staff at once. In emergency situations however, the use of mobile phones are used within staff because according to Mr.Popoola, it gets the information across faster. For instance in November, 2011, there was emergency information that needed to be passed to every staff where some details of the staff absent on the department’s database were urgently needed. This information was requested by the Ministry of Education and every staff needed to be aware of the developments within 24 hours. The use of Facebook, yahoo messenger and mobile phones were employed in disseminating this information. At the end of the day, it was realized that mobile phones were more effective. As regards to the use of Social media in times of crisis, Mr.Popoola claimed they had never experienced crisis but if they did, they probably would make use of mobile phones in disseminating the necessary information. Mr. Popoola believes that in years to come, probably in two to three years, the social media would be more effective but presently it was not as Nigeria as a whole is just getting to know the benefits of the social media. He explained that a good number of people are unaware of the importance of social media and some think it’s just used to paste portrait pictures or pictures of fashionable items like shoes, bags, etc.One of the barriers in the effectiveness of social media is in language barrier and the abuse of social networks. If people can get to understand the proper use of the social media, its effectiveness would increase. In the Volumetrics unit, the Head of Department – Mrs. Oyeyinka was said to be unavailable and we were directed to her representatives- the Head of the Networking Unit- Mrs. Christiana Olayinka and a member of the Volumetrics unit- Mr. Tunde Oke. Mrs. Christia na Olayinka, explained that their stakeholders are made up of the management, students and prospective students of the college.Her unit is majorly responsible in ensuring that internet links and facilities are made available to the students of the college. She further stated that social media has been of great benefit to the college and asides having an advantage of saving cost, it also allows you get feedback from the students i. e. allows a two-way communication. In the Networking unit, Twitter and Facebook are frequently used in disseminating information to students. Where management of the college is concerned, LinkedIn is made use of especially during management meetings and conferences.Linked in also allows for teleconferencing where even management abroad can partake in meetings held in Nigeria by Network connection. One can also view participants live as you communicate and exchange information with them. Terms such as audio conferencing, telephone conferencing and phone con ferencing are sometimes used in teleconferencing. According to Mrs. Olayinka, the only crisis they have experienced thus far was some years back when there was a shift in the date of resumption at the college and the news had to be relayed.This information was then passed through Facebook, twitter and bulk SMS. Though twitter was fairly effective, Facebook was found to be more effective because of the larger number of students subscribed to it. Bulk SMS on the other hand, was found to be most effective. Mr. Tunde Oke, a member of the Volumetrics department stated that dissemination of information to stakeholders which comprise majorly of the students and staff of the college is carried out using the social media tools- Facebook, twitter and most recently, YouTube.In mid 2012, a group on Facebook was created by the Volumetrics department called YabaTechng and at the time checked, the group had over 9,052 likes. Through this medium on Facebook, information of interest to the college i s posted. Only a few weeks ago, the Volumetrics department created some sort of mini TV called YabaTechTV via YouTube, a video sharing site and through this medium, documentaries about the college are shared. Within the short space of time since they started, the department has been able to upload their first documentary which aims at showcasing talents and facilities within the EPE Campus of the college.The 12 minutes documentary is tagged- ‘Documentary on Yaba Tech (Epe Campus)’ and has over 50 views already. They are currently working on their second documentary which they also plan uploading via YouTube. In conclusion, it is safe to say that social media has come to stay. In less than five years of its existence, social media has made a great impact in promoting stakeholder relations in the educational sector. It has revolutionized the way people communicate today and has spawned a new generation of communication in higher institutions.Social media presents a huge o pportunity for schools, universities and other educational organizations to reach out and connect with students and prospective students. Now, the internet is no longer a one-way broadcast delivery system where the individual user downloads data, information and other resources produced by a relatively small number of content providers. Instead, the internet is now driven by and to some extent determined through the activities of its ordinary users—what has been described as many-to-many rather than one-to-many connectivity.The social web is therefore seen to be arranged along substantially different lines than the cyberspace-era internet of the 1990s and 2000s. This sense of internet use now being a participatory and collective activity is reflected in the language used to describe social media applications. Therefore, it is clear that social media gives more people a voice and provides a powerful tool for value creation and competitive differentiation. REFERENCES Christ, P. (2005). Internet technologies and trends transforming public relations.Journal of Website Promotion. 1(4): 3–14. Clarkson, M. B. E. 1995. A stakeholder framework for analyzing and evaluating corporate social performance. Academy of Management Review. 20: 65-91. Hill, L. and White, C. (2000). Public relations practitioners’ perception of the World Wide Web as a communications tool. Public Relations Review. 26(1): 31–51. Kaplan, A. (2012) If you love something, let it go mobile: Mobile marketing and mobile social media 4Ãâ€"4, Business Horizons, 55(2): 129-139 Kaplan, A. and Haenlein, M. (2010). â€Å"Users of the world, unite!The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. † Business Horizons 53(1): 59–68. Kent, M. and Taylor, M. (1998). Building dialogic relationships through theWorldWideWeb. Public Relations Review. 24(3): 321–334. Kietzmann, J. , Hermkens, K. , McCarthy, I. , and Silvestre, B. (2011). â€Å"Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media† (PDF). Business Horizons 54 (3): 241–251. doi:10. 1016/j. bushor. 2011. 01. 005. Retrieved September 17, 2012. Pontin, K. (2010).I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here! Evaluation Interim Report. Gallomanor Communications Limited. Available from http://project. imascientist. org. uk/wp–? content/uploads/2010/11/Im–? a–? Scientist–? Interim–? Evaluation–? Report. pdf. YabaTechTV. (2012). Documentary on Yaba Tech (Epe Campus). Available from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=g3keWhvSEIA&feature=youtu. be&a. GROUP 3 MEMBERS- YABA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY (YABATECH) BABALOLA, ADEBUKUNOLA OLUWAYEMISI – 050803014 RAHEEM ADEFOLAYIGA . S. AKINDIPUPO AKINDELE ODUAH BALQIS OKAFOR EMEKA EDEMI JOY SISANMI AGUH OCHEZE

Project Management Essay

Due to the rapid changes in the working world and the business environment, organizations have been forced to transform as a way of surviving in the ever-changing business environment. According to Gardiner (2005), most organizations Have adopted projects as their means of implementing change within the organization. The adoption of a project oriented a approach, with its associated management framework, is sufficient to ensure greater success in the implementation of change within an organization. While use of best practices in project management may not guarantee success in the change of an organization, the presence of projects increases the opportunity for success. Studies have shown that, where a project manager is well equipped with the skills and knowledge of project management, projects work as the best tools for implementing change within the organization. The Concept on Project Management Project management refers to the discipline managing, planning and organizing resources to achieve successful completion of specific project objectives and goals. A project is in nature a finite endeavor, that specifies the date as to when it should begin, and the time when it should end, this is done in order to create a unique service or product that brings about added value, or beneficial change in a company. The finite character of the project is different from operations or processes of an organization, some of which may be permanent or functional work, that are used to repeated operations, with the aim of producing similar goods or services. Management of the two systems is always complex and difficult. There is therefore need to employ distinct technical skills and adopt separate philosophy of management, that would enable the implementation of the best project that can bring beneficial returns to the company. messages. Application of Project Management in Organizational Change According to Gray & Larson (2006), in the regime where implementation for change is the motto for most organizations, projects are the best vehicles for implementing change. The aspect of project management has in fact become more significant than ever. In any company that needs to change its organizational structure so as to change with the improving technology, or in order to meet the needs and wants of the consumers, projects are used as the vehicles for implementing the required change, and managing the related change. It is however important to possess the ability to sustain and build project management in order to succeed in the implementation of change. The importance of project management has been illustrated by the efforts of Swiss Re organization by using all its business operations to meet the requirements of e-business. Projects were used as the main vehicles for implementing this change. Great concern has however been expressed in the way most projects once began fail to deliver, or get stopped while they are underway. According to a research carried out by Levine (2005), most of the Information technology projects implemented were discouraging with 90% of the projects being late to deliver change in the organizations. It has been shown that, 50% of the projects are never completed at the right time, while 30% of the projects began are stopped while still underway. Project management allows the implementation of change in an organization in a more organized manner likely to realize success. The major challenge of any form of project management is to attain the objectives and goals put in place, while at the same time adhering to project constraints which are usually in the form of time factor, budget and scope. The more ambitious and secondary challenge is the optimization of integration and allocation of inputs that may be necessary to meet the goals and objectives. The success of a project management is associated with the nature the project itself. Projects involve most of the key players in an organization, both the managers and the workers at the lowest level. Projects also involve the entire organizational participation. For instance, it involves people, money, provisions, motivation, communication and space, in order to achieve the project objectives and goals. With the contribution of all these elements, an organization is able to identify and make use of the best resources as a means of attaining the best results. Gray & Larson (2006), have emphasized that the managers can easily identify the talented workers and most potential factors in the organization, and allocate them where they can give a maximum contribution towards the achievement of the company. Management of a project is often the key responsibility and province of a specific individual project manager. The manager however does not participate directly, but instead strives to maintain progress and motivate other factors involved in the process, so as to achieve the objectives. The aim of the project manager also involves striving to achieve productive mutual interaction of the active parties, in a way that the entire risk of failure is reduced. Studies have shown that, where a project manager is well equipped with the skills and knowledge of project management, projects work as the best tool for implementing change within the organization. The project manager should be well equipped with the vision and mission of the organization, so as to direct the process of the project in the right direction, failure to which the project may fail to deliver, be late to achieve its goals, or get stopped while underway due to discouragements. The project manager represents the interests of clients and has to implement, as well as determine the specific needs and requirements of the clients, based on the understanding of the organization they are representing. Gray & Larson (2006), have expressed that the capability to adopt the available internal systems of the contracting organization, and to establish close links among the nominated representatives, is an important step to ensure that the major issues of quality, time, and cost among others are attained with the main aim of client satisfaction. A successful and focused manager should be in a position to envision the whole project from the beginning to the end, and should have the skills and ability to ensure that the vision is realized in order to achieve successful change within an organization. In order to attain successful change by use of a project, there is need for the project manager to consider the three key factors that include human resources, time and finance. If an organization is in need of achieving change in the shortest time possible, there is need to employ more people and resources towards the problem. Though this may increase the cost of the project, it may be the best way of achieving an organizational change in the shortest time possible. Doing the task quicker in fact helps to reduce the cost of the project, the organization may end up spending the same amount it may have spent if it was to carry the same project in a prolonged period. Researchers have established that, there is no single way of implementing a project within an organization due to the fact that each each enterprise is unique, has different characteristics, and different financial capability. It is therefore important for the project managers to consider the features that are appropriate and important within any organization. Consideration of the important factors guide the project managers to come up with appropriate and accurate projects that can easily realize the vision of a specific organization. Cultural Factors Considered in the Implementation of project Management According to Dye & Pennypacker (1999), some of the important cultural organizational factors considered while implementing a project include the history of the previous enterprise implementations, record of failures or success of the company is looked into, as this provides an insight into what should be done to achieve success in the project. A consideration is also done on the types of operational work and projects to be managed, organizations that are able to clearly prioritize and identify their projects end up with rigorous features of a project from the initial stages to the end, unlike organizations that do not identify and prioritize their projects at the first stages of implementation. The number of departments involved within the organization are also considered. This directs the planners to consider if the project is meant to satisfy a small number of users, or whether the project should expand in the process, if other departments will be incorporate as time goes by, or whether all the departments will be involved from the begging, thus requiring the project to satisfy a large number of users from the on-set stage. The expectation and support of the senior leadership is considered as a very important factor, because their involvement drive acceptance, and appropriate expectation. This is important for the success and realization of the changes expected within the organization. The value to the end user and management is absolutely important to ensure that the change implemented through the use of the project satisfy the needs and expectations of all parties involved in the process. According to Levine (2005), organizations also consider the maturity of the desired project management discipline. The 2007 project server is often used as it contains important features for managing projects. Where an organization is considering the application of project management for the first time, it is not easy to incorporate all the capabilities at the first instance. Studies have established that, staging the first features in project management implementation help to establish both the short term and long term changes effected in an organization. Any changes that are likely to take place are considered due to the fact that, if too much changes takes place, the chances of implementation reduce, with most of the people within the organization becoming resistant to the change. Resistant to change is one of the human characteristics. Critique of Project Management Approach Researchers have however established that there still exist discomfort in the use of projects. While project management is preferred as the most efficient way of implementing change within an organization, use of too many projects may fail to deliver the desired results. Researchers have asserted that, most projects in organizations fail to deliver due to the use of poor project management practices, whose importance has been ignored by managers over a long period of time (Balogun, & Hailey, 2004). Grundy, & Brown (2002), have argued that the approach of organizational management is not effective on its own in the field of information technology, because they assume that IT solutions are developed by a technical team. The potential solution for organizations dealing with IT has been stated to be misaligned with the important characteristics of an organization like incentives or culture. Combining the management of projects in IT and organizational change management as it has been argued, cannot produce the desired results for the organizational change. Conclusion From the above analysis, studies have shown that, where a project manager is well equipped with the skills and knowledge of project management, projects work as the best tool for implementing change within the organization. Senior managers spend a lot of efforts and time promoting and formulating their strategy, but most of the time, they realize very little changes within the organization. The strategy may not yield the results expected, somehow the original goals are dissipated in the process of moving the strategy to implement the change, and the initial momentum may be lost before the anticipated benefits are achieved. Failure to implement change occurs as a result of the senior management trying to make use of the the existing structures and systems within the organization, the status quo, to change the same status quo. The adoption of a project oriented a approach with its associated management framework, is sufficient to ensure greater success in the implementation of change within an organization.

Auditory system and optical system Essay Example for Free

Auditory system and optical system Essay Two of the most important sensory systems in human body are optical system and auditory system. Optical system or sometime called visual system involved in the process of taken amount of stimuli and transfer it into some figure that we can perceive as images that make senses. Auditory systems involved in sound wave that transduced by drum ear into some kind of vibration that eventually gets converted back into wave what we perceive as noise. There are a lot of similarities in their mechanisms of how they gather, carry and prepare those informations from sensory neurons. However, there are also a lots of differences on how each system operated and where does it takes information into difference area of the brain. For both systems, optical and auditory, the information comes from our environment in many forms. For example, optical system detected all still images and image in motion as far as human eyes can see. The auditory is ready to absorb any noise or sound for twenty-four hours a day. Their structures and mechanisms are similar in a way they gather information, prepare and perceive those information into something that make sense in our brain. After the sensory neurons carry information into specific system each detect, transduce and coding those information before they being send to central system, the brain. Both systems have similar structure that transmit those information to the final destination, the brain. Even though, both system basic the same. Each system perceive those information that perceive from sensory neuron in totally different way. For instance, optical system receive visible spectrum of wave of electromagnetic radiation. The frequency of wave created color and distinguish brightness by amplitude. In auditory system, the frequency of wave created tone ( pitch) and loudness by amplitude. For the optical system, the cornea gather light rays that pass into inferior of the eyes. The information such as light’s brightness, hue/color or motion are translate into coded neural impulse. The codes then carried by optic nerves to the brain. However, the information from one side are send to the opposite side of hemisphere but stimuli go to the same side hemisphere. The optical information are stored in occipital lobes where it was process and try to make sense of those information base on experience and individual perception. For the auditory system, the sound’s wave goes through the ear canal and hit the ear drum. They activate the the drum and the information being send through the fluid as a result it bents the hair cell in the cochlea and the information then translate into neural impulse. The intensity of sound waves determine by how many hair cell are fire as well as how frequently they fire. The auditory information then carried by auditory nerve from one side of the ear are sent to the opposite hemisphere. The auditory information are stored in temporal lobes where it was process and try to make sense of those information base on past experience and pattern. In conclusion, the optical and auditory systems have basically the same structure and mechanism but they both different in how they gathering, preparing, detecting, and translating those information. Each system are unique and unbelievably complex structure that we need to learn more. Auditory system and optical system. (2016, Jun 17).

Effectiveness of motivational activities at tesco express in part time Essay

Effectiveness of motivational activities at tesco express in part time staff context - Essay Example f the employees, businesses realized that motivated employees were likely to present a higher level of performance and commitment (Bratton & Gold 2007, p. 49). In the recent past, experts in the field of human resource have been developing theories that govern the maximization of using the human resources. Many strategies have been defined that target to optimize the performance levels of the employees. One of these strategies is offering motivational activities to the employees in a bid to maximize their performance. Tesco is one of the outstanding retail businesses in the globe with branches in different countries and regions. For all the Tesco’s stores to run effectively, the company needs a remarkable number of employees to offer their services (Bratton & Gold 2007, p. 60). Tesco has exhibited the interest over the years of ensuring that the use of the human resources is maximized. Therefore, it has defined certain motivational activities with the potential of motivating the employees. It is critical to carry out a survey that seeks to identify the motivational activities used by Tesco and assess their efficiency levels. Notably, Tesco has both permanent and part time staff. Both permanent and part time staff requires the company to develop different motivational strategies for each group. The current study will seek to analyze some of the motivational activities that Tesco provides to its part time staff and their efficiency in increasing employee satisfaction. Both primary and secondary data were used in this research. Questionnaires were administered to the selected number of participants from the Tesco expresses in central London area (Miles, Huberman, & SaldanÃŒÆ'a 2014, p.106). The participants were required to fill in the questionnaires while revealing their views on the efficiency of the available motivational activities. Data analysis would follow relying on both mean and standard deviation. Calculation of the satisfaction levels of the employees

Improvements for Aaron's Situation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Improvements for Aaron's Situation - Case Study Example This ability will allow him to integrate more and more with other children as he progresses. In addition, Aaron has high awareness of his surroundings and is able to adapt quickly and manipulate the environment around him. Finally, Aaron’s IQ level is above average, which shows that his ability to learn and comprehend is strong. Used in conjunction with his communication skills and ability to adapt to the environment around him, Aaron could step to the forefront of his class as a leader both academically and socially if he were able to overcome his personal auctions. Some of the challenging behaviors that present obstacles for Aaron’s progress are the fact that he vandalizes property, runs away from home and school, and exhibits violence at school. Aaron’s tendency to vandalize property may be an attempt to control his surroundings, responding to negativity by breaking something to alleviate rage and make a point. His unannounced attempts to leave home and school show that these places cause stress for him and running away is one of his coping mechanisms. Finally, Aaron’s tendency to demonstrate violence at school shows his lack of respect for personal boundaries and his attempts to defend himself against his insecurities by resorting to violence. All of these behaviors are challenging for authority figures because they present obstacles for Aaron’s education and the education of those around him. These behaviors also compromise the safety of Aaron and those he comes in contact with. Some of the causes that may have contributed to Aaron’s negative behavior is the instability he has experienced at home and school. The imprisonment of his father has left him without a father figure to look up to and provide guidance. This also left a sense of structure and discipline out of Aaron’s life.  

Quastions ch 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quastions ch 5 - Essay Example It thus allows for removal of tariffs and trade barriers in the bilateral trading platform. Interventionism theory has transformed international trade since its inception. It is a theory that explores the justification of economic or political interference of another partner. Historically, the difference in capital base, technology and labor supply was used as a tool of economic coercion by powerful economies to coerce developing economies into imbalance multilateral trade policies and practice. Today, modern international ethics in business have significantly diminished this form of economic exploitation. The criteria of modern intervention are purely mutually beneficial trade ties that emphasize on mutual respect, ethical business agreements and removal of economic paternalism. The principle of interventionist theory has been significantly eroded in the wake of modern economies and expansion of liberal marketing and free trade (Ruta & Venables 2012). Free trade policy has encouraged global efficiency by allowing every countrys freedom to access international markets at equal level. Unlike in the past where there were bureaucratic bottlenecks, many multilateral trades have successful in creating a platform where a range of products from different countries can interact. In addition, it has created mutual global interest in pursuing economic depressions and crises through stabilization of prices on energy and petroleum products. Besides, through free trade, there has been tariffs reduction, less restriction on goods movements and entrepreneurs have shifted from focusing on local trade to international. In addition, it has expanded export trade leading to lower prices of commodities. Global efficiency of goods movement, bilateral and multilateral trade agreements easily executable are due to removing of international trade

A contemporary artist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A contemporary artist - Research Paper Example The artist (say, Pablo Picasso) was born in the year 1881, in Spain. Victoria Charles states that, â€Å"Malaga must be mentioned, for it was there, on 25 October 1881, that Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born and there that he spent the first ten years of his life† (10). His father was a painter by profession. During his childhood, the artist was deeply interested in art, especially painting. Besides, his father helped him to have basic lessons in painting. Later in 1891 and 1895, the artist’s family was forced to move to A Coruna and Barcelona from Malaga. So, these incidents deeply influenced the artist because he was able to enroll himself as a student at School of Fine Arts and Royal Academy of San Fernando. Besides, his career as an artist is divided as Blue and Rose Periods, and Analytic Cubism. His artistic creativity was not limited to the context of painting, but extends to other fields like printmaking, stage designing, poetry etc. In addition, the artwork (see appen dix-1) named as The Old Guitarist (1903-04) is symbolic of the influence of the unique artistic style named as Expressionism in him. Ashley Bassie opines that, â€Å"A potent aspect of Expressionism was the conviction, held by its creators, that their endeavours were carrying art into a wholly new realm of experience† (51). One can see that this artistic style totally neglects objective reality in art, but is related to certain unique ideas. In addition, the artwork’s subject is the amalgamation of human emotionality with reality.

Planning and management of public relation campaigns Essay - 1

Planning and management of public relation campaigns - Essay Example Third, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) defined â€Å"public relations [as] about reputation† and â€Å"the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between an organization and its publics† (Langley, 2009). The roles of public relations practitioners are diverse, depending on the size, nature, and aims of their organizations. Their roles can include, but not limited to, the following: (1) cause or relationship marketing- creating and preserving relationships to build customer loyalty; (2) communication- sharing ideas, messages, or opinions through verbal/nonverbal/oral expressions; (3) community relations- build relationships between/among organizations that impact one another; (4) crisis management- responding to different kinds of crises and maximizing potentially positive outcomes; (5) integrated marketing communication (IMC)- merging PR, marketing, and advertising to attain a uniform marketing approach; (6) issues management- identifying organizational issues and responding to them; and (7) media relations- creating relationships between media and the organization (Johnston & Zawawi, 2014). The goal of this paper is to describe how a PR campaign is planned and managed in general ac ross different organizations and sectors. The purpose of planning PR campaigns is to attain order and some control and predictability over them (Gregory, 2010). Planning provides a sense of direction, clarification of important aims and goals, and ability to manage objectives, as well as processes and outcomes (Austin & Pinkleton, 2015). In addition, public relations must function to support and align itself with organizational vision, mission, and goals (Gregory, 2010). Strategic planning improves the ability of PR to determine PR’s contribution to the company, the processes and steps involved to attain aims and objectives, and metrics and standards for evaluation (Gregory, 2010). Planning refers to analyzing

Problem Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Problem Identification - Essay Example In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) argued that the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased by the lack of control or detection of hypertension. In that publication, W.H.O claimed that an increase in blood pressure by 20/10 mmHg from such a level as 115/75 mmHg doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease (WHO, 2011). The eighth Joint National Commission panel (JNC 8) developed an evidence-based guideline for managing high blood pressure in adults. The guideline was captured in nine recommendations. Each recommendation shows its target age bracket, strength and the treatment intervention appropriate for the said age bracket or section of the population. The aim of the current paper is to understand whether the JNC guideline can help reduce the future risk of cardiovascular disease. Rosendorff et al (2007) reckon that hypertension is a major independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Based on JNC’s definition of hypertension as having a blood pressure of greater or equal to 140/90 mm Hg, Rosendorff et al (2007) concluded that sixty five million American adults have hypertension. This was equivalent to one fourth of the population of the United States as at 2007. The study also concluded that one fourth of the population of the United States was in prehypertension stage that the JNC stipulated as systolic blood pressure of between 120 and 139 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure ranging between 80 and 89 mm Hg (Rosendorff et. al., 2007). Rosendorff et al (2007) noted that blood pressure is strongly related to age but that the relationship is complicated. As one progresses through life up to age fifty, the systolic blood pressure rises in line with diastolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure continues rising after fifty years of age but diastolic blood pressure starts decelerating. According to their study, more than half of the American population above

Activity-based costing (ABC) in service industry Essay

Activity-based costing (ABC) in service industry - Essay Example However, it has often been argued that implementing such pricing strategies might prove to be quite challenging in case of service oriented companies in comparison to the product rendering companies owing to the greater involvement of intangible assets and liabilities. In this regard, various models have been developed with the intention to assist in determining the accurate costs incurred in following the entire process of delivering services to the ultimate customers. For instance, Activity Based Costing (ABC) can be regarded as an effective cost determination system that involves breaking up of the activities or the processes into individual activities (Shevasuthisilp & Punasathitwong, 2012). With this concern, this essay intends to present a brief overview of the ABC concept with reference to the business process executed by a large-sized service marketing company, Amazon.com. The discussion will thus address the benefits of time-driven ABC system for the selected service company along with the corresponding competitive advantages to be attained by the organization. The potential impact of such costing system will further be evaluated in the context of e-commerce based service company compared with that of the traditional system. Company Overview Amazon.Com, Incorporation was established in Washington, USA in 1994. The company primarily renders its services to its versatile customer range through retail websites. The company is one of the earliest service based organizations involved in e-commerce or the sale of various merchandise through e-commerce. Contextually, the online retail operation of the company is considered to be the core business activity of Amazon.com. The vision of the company depicts that Amazon.com intends to provide high quality services to its customers. The customers’ services operations of the company comprise internally and externally managed contact centers. The company further provides programs that allow sellers from around the world to market their products through Amazon.com offering its customers to access ‘in-the-cloud infrastructure services’. Furthermore, it has been observed that the company generates its revenues from online advertisements and other promotional activities. Notably, the recent activities of the organization reveal that even in the circumstances where its rivals are struggling with their survival in the market place, the company is thriving, boasting increasing revenue (Morningstar, 2009). Implementation of Time Driven ABC Costs System and Related Benefits (Amazon.Com) ABC cost system includes grouping of indirect costs on the basis of processes and certain activities performed within the value chain system of the company. Furthermore, these indirect costs are allocated to services rendered to the customers, proportionately to the volume of activities that gave rise to these indirect costs rather on the entire departments. However, many problems have been found to b e associated with the implementation of ABC model such as complexity issues, time-consuming technique and other problems related with the modification of the model. Contextually, time driven ABC involves time as the primary cost driver. Under this system, costs are directly allocated to costs objectives (Roztocki, 2010). At the initial step of time driven ABC system implementation, Amazon.com should critically determine the major purposes for implementing the procedure. The most common objective for implementing the ABC system is to gain efficiency in controlling the overall costs taking into account the overhead costs in measuring the profitability of the company. Contextually, overhead costs related with Amazon.com include rent, office expenses,

Origin of Oceania and Tradition Essay Example for Free

Origin of Oceania and Tradition Essay The Origin and the navigational techniques used by islanders to travel over large Open Ocean has given question to academic writers, on how the islanders are able to travel and settle in this remote part of the earth. Pacific Islanders used traditional navigational knowledge to travel against storms and current on Pacific Ocean over past centauries, by using canoes. This essay will discuss the two theory of migration with archaeological evidence of origin, the traditional techniques of navigation shared by Steve, and it will state, why and how the ancient navigation is more favored than modern navigation. There are theories that explain how Pacific islanders had settled over the years by people who came to our region at various times. One classical example of such theory is by Andrew Sharp, who stated through his hypotheses that Hawaiian were settled by voyagers on a drifting canoe blown of its course while sailing between closed spaced islands (unit 2 Arrival). However, some of the debated theories has been disapproved due to archaeological evidence and traditional navigational knowledge. The two wave of migration was later believed to be true into Pacific, when it was proven with evidence by archeologist Roger Green. It was stated that ancient theory of migration was occurred around 40,000 years ago and the second wave of migration in the pacific was occurred around 3000 to 4000 years ago (unit 2 Arrival). The first theory of migration refers to the group that entered the Pacific and settled at Huon Peninsula and the high lands of New Guinea and later migrate to bigger Islands in the Pacific such as the Solomon, the Bismarck and Vanuatu. They were named as â€Å"Near Oceania†. This ancient migration is supported by the slow boat model of migration where Near Oceania mingled, this can be seen through, intermarriage of islanders and they are widely populated. The second wave of migration, was occurred around 3000-4000 years ago which it was believed that they were originated from Southeast Asia. According to Gibbons, Beellwoods argues that archaeological evidence has trace the uniqueness of pottery that are seen in Vanuatu and New Caledonia, and later in Fiji around 300 years ago and they believed that these people then migrate far east with the red -slipped pottery decorated with geometric pattern to Tonga and other Islands (Gibbons, 2001). From these two migration theories, archaeological evidence and the DNA of Y chromosomes of the Pacific islanders, it had proven that the inhabitants of the Pacific, had Originated from south east Asia. Furthermore, Oral knowledge is equally valid as written knowledge, by looking at how early inhabited Islanders had travel the open Ocean, using various navigational techniques. Steve from Ulithi of Federated state of Micronesia has discussed the ideas of traditional navigational skills that are pass down by their ancestors through chants and oral histories. Steve explained navigational techniques, by displaying seven shells on a mat as a teaching venue in which, it represents stars and islands. As Steve had stated, a navigator should know the names, the position of the stars in terms of direction and which star for an islands (unit 2 Arrival). Navigational chants help navigators to memories directions when they are confused or meet storms that move them from their position of the destination. Weather condition and the sky itself also give suitable time to travel as well as when to travel within a year. As a navigator, it is important to know the bearing by using land reference as a guide line to and from where the destination is heading until the island disappears from the horizon. However, when unfavorable weather approaches, sailors have to put down sail, roll it up, adjust mast to be straight, secure up ropes, and balance the canoe to keep it afloat on the water (unit 2 Arrival). Additionally, when a storm approaches a navigator should know where the wind is heading or come from, and observe the current of waves in order to locate the right direction. According to Andrade, a navigator is like an eye of the canoe, by keeping the vessel on the course, using the appearance of the heavenly bodies such as the moon, planet and the sun through oral knowledge. Assessing the two sailing techniques, the modern way and the ancient way of navigation, the ancient navigational technology is more preferred than the modern technology. This is because; ancient way of navigation doesn’t need technical people or qualification to travel the open ocean as compared to modern way. For instance, early islanders equip with chants, oral knowledge and navigational skills to search far distance Islands in the Pacific Ocean with food, water, animal and other important plants. Most importantly, preserving and learning the techniques of ancient navigational techniques is the matter of concern, in order for the Islanders to pass this knowledge from one generation to another. Additionally, ancient navigation helps native Islanders to know natural things around them through observing, the color of sky, the movement of waves and the wind and the position of the stars. To conclude, there are debated theories of how the Islanders had settled in the Pacific over the past years. Through archeological evidence and DNA tests, it has known that the early Pacific islanders had settled in the Pacific through two wave of migration. Steve from Ulithi had shared important techniques of navigation through understanding the nature such as the stars, the sky and the waves in order to navigate the open ocean. Thus, many Pacific Islands relied on oral knowledge and beliefs in terms of chants, history and myths, which are equally valid as written knowledge. As a result, the ancient navigation techniques are more favored than the modern navigation technique.

Nursing Scholarship Essay Essay Example for Free

Nursing Scholarship Essay Essay â€Å"The pursuit of happiness† isn’t that what we all strive for? Some find it in family and friendship; some find it in love and others in money and work. I find happiness in knowing that with much determination and will power I have been able to pursue my lifelong dream of being a nurse. The medical field is an area of constant change and evolution in society on a daily basis thus producing great challenges to those who take healthcare seriously. My goals for pursuing my educational advancement are first and foremost to continue to grow; stay equipped and continue to care for my patients with the utmost quality and knowledge. Being a nurse has been such a privilege to me and an opportunity to share the gift of love through compassionate care to people who are hurting. See more: how to write a scholarship essay for study abroad I originally â€Å"fell in love† with the ministry of nursing as a young girl during my studies about Florence Nightingale and her service to our military men. Not only did she administer first aide to the soldiers on the battlefield she also tended to their souls. I knew that nursing was my calling and that Florence Nightingale would be my mentor. As I grew older and life circumstances led me to being a single mother raising two children, I decided to add another level of fulfillment in my life and pursue a career in nursing. This decision was not easy but motherhood not only gave me a fresh sense of purpose and passion for life it was also the motivating factor to choose nursing as a reliable career. Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. Therefore; pursuing my educational advancement in nursing is my design for today.

Aleatoric Music Of The 20th Century Music Essay

Aleatoric Music Of The 20th Century Music Essay compositional and instrumental methods utilized by John Cage. The biographical background, educational influences and examples of the musical compositions of Cage will also be illustrated. This paper continues by describing the various methods and processes employed by John Cage in the formation of music written during the minimalist movement. Contrived instruments, ambient audience noise, non-traditional tone structures and electronic music will be identified and defined. Furthermore, this paper will explore the debate over aleatoric music as art form versus noise. Traditionally, Western music is highly structured and organized- however, music written in aleatory form generally lacks traditional instrumentation, time, and other methods present in Western forms. According to whom one would ask, aleatoric music can be extremely complex, emotional and intellectual. On the other hand, there are those who believe aleatoric music is nothing more than random noise with no structure, rhyme or reason. Over the course of this paper, the reader will be able to discern that aleatoric music is a definitive musical genre. ii Aleatoric Music of the 20th Century: Compositions of John Cage An Art Form, Not Noise Introduction Aleatoric music refers to musical compositions where some aspect of the music is left to chance. The tempo, instrumentation, dynamics, order of the written music, or various other devices can be manipulated. Simply put, aleatoric music is left up to some amount of chance. However, the amount of chance is not immeasurable. In many cases, the composer only allows a portion of the entire composition to chance while the rest conforms to standard Western-influenced counterpoint. The American composer John Cage was one of the foremost composers who utilized aleatory in musical works. He was also the father of the avant-garde in music during the minimalist movement. THESIS: By studying the devices used in Cages compositions, the argument will be clearly made that aleatoric music, while sometimes free in form and function, is clearly a structured art form and not random noise. ii Aleatoric Music of the 20th Century: Compositions of John Cage An Art Form, Not Noise Outline: Aleatoric Music Explicative definition of aleatoric music Overview of aleatoric devices John Cage Early life and education B. Utilization of aleatoric devices in compositions Thesis support Compare and contrast with opposing viewpoint Acknowledge and dismiss opposing view utilizing evidenciary support Conclusion Summarize main points Reinforce the argument that aleatoric music is not random Markham 1 Selena Markham MUS 2930 Dr. Valerie Austin November 22, 2010 Aleatoric Music of the 20th Century: Compositions of John Cage An Art Form, Not Noise Aleatoric music refers to musical compositions where some aspect of the music is left to chance. The tempo, instrumentation, dynamics, order of the written music, or various other devices can be manipulated. Simply put, aleatoric music is left up to some amount of chance. However, the amount of chance is not immeasurable. In many cases, the composer only allows a portion of the entire composition to chance while the rest conforms to standard Western-influenced counterpoint. The American composer John Cage was one of the foremost composers who utilized aleatory in musical works. He was also the father of the avant-garde in music during the minimalist movement. By studying the devices used in Cages compositions, the argument will be clearly made that aleatoric music, while sometimes free in form and function, is clearly a structured art form and not random noise. One of the most prolific composers of music in aleatory, John Cage, was born September 5, 1912 in Los Angeles, California. He was the only child of Markham 2 parents Lucretia and John Cage, Sr. (two other sons passed away as infants). His father was an inventor and his mother worked on and off as a writer for the Los Angeles Times. The couple met in Greeley, Colorado. John Cage, Sr.s father was a Baptist minister who felt music was of the Devil. His mother, Lucretia (her maiden name was Harvey) was considered rebellious because she read books (a practice her family forbade). The young couple fled the restrictive atmosphere of Colorado for the more welcoming state of California. John Cage, Sr. had an avid interest in undersea vessels and, in fact, invented a device that was used in the English Channel to successfully detect German submarines during World War I. The intellect and innovative spirit of his mother and father would serve young Cage well throughout his lifetime. (Rich 142). As early as age eight, the young Cage began to express an interest for music that was slightly outside of the norm. While taking piano lessons with his aunt, the young boy confessed he enjoyed the music of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (Rich 145). When Cage graduated in 1928, his grades earned him the record of having the best academics in Los Angeles High Schools history. From high school, Cage spent two years at Pomona College (Struble 287). While at Pomona College, he studied ministry and writing. (Rich 145). Cage then went on hiatus to Europe for two years. While there, he composed many short works, some using mathematical formulas. Unfortunately, Cage did Markham 3 not save these early works- as he traveled, he would go through his belongings and discard any non-essential items in order to lighten his load (Nicholls 175). He returned to the United States in 1931 and in 1933, John Cage began to study piano under Richard Buhlig, who introduced the composer to serialism, an aleatoric musical device. Serialism is music which has been written with a high degree of organization (Brindle 17). Since Buhlig had premiered serialist composer Arnold Schoenbergs composition Three Piano Pieces, Cage hoped Buhlig would introduce him to Schoenberg. Instead, Cages first published piece, Sonata for Clarinet (1933), brought him to the attention of Henry Cowell, a professor teaching the new music at the New Music Society of California in San Francisco. Though Cage was able to informally study with Schoenberg, Cowell was his primary influence (Lipman 22). The Sonata for Clarinet also shows how Cage used serialism to reproduce the same pitches in retrograde in the last movement from the first movement of the same composition in a highly organized fashion. Ironically, when the Sonata for Clarinet premiered, Cage found himself performing it on piano because the clarinetist was unable to do so (Nicholls 176). Over the course of the next two years (1933-34), John Cage invented a new technique called 25-pitch non-repetitive serialism. In this technique, each voice is limited to a twenty-five note pitch area and no pitch can be repeated Markham 4 until all twenty-five have been played. He also used this technique in three additional pieces he wrote during this period: the Sonata for Two Voices (Nov. 1933), Composition for Three Voices (1934) and Soloà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and Six Short Inventions (1933-34). The use of this technique was generally not harmonically sound with the exception of a few phrases (Nicholls 177). John Cage composed two pieces in 1935 (Three Pieces for Flute Duet and Two Pieces for Piano) that also used the serialism technique. The harmony was paired with a highly chromatic melodic line that made the pieces overwhelmingly contrapuntal. However, these pieces tended to possess a higher percentage of harmonically pleasing subject matter (Nicholls 184). These works also coincided with his introduction to Merce Cunningham, an author, choreographer and Cages lifelong love interest. As a result, Cage began to be interested in how music correlated with dance. John Cage and Merce Cunningham collaborated to organize performances using Cages music and Cunninghams choreography over the course of their lifetimes (Thomson 77). Another interesting device John Cage used in his composition was ambient noise. In his piece 4 33 (1952), a piano or any ensemble is to conduct themselves as if they were preparing to play. However, the instrument(s) or performer(s) never utter a singular sound- for the entire four minutes and Markham 5 thirty-three seconds. The idea is to attune ones self with the ambient noise of the room, the noise entering the room from outside and the natural noises of the people within (Lipman 30). The piece has also been said to be an example of freedom in general (Brindle 122). This work had its premiere by pianist David Tudor in Woodstock, New York, on August 29, 1952, in the Maverick Concert Hall (located near where the 1969 Woodstock Festival was held). Cage (interviewed in the late 1980s by William Duckworth) stated that he listened to the piece every day and that in Indian culture, it is we that turn away from the music. However, the music is always there (Bonds 588-589). An original device employed by John Cage was an invention all his own- the prepared piano. A prepared piano is a grand piano where the inside strings are manipulated by foreign objects to produce a twelve-tone scale. Such was the case with Cages composition Bacchanale (1940)- a percussive piece he was commissioned to write to be performed with a dance group. The work was originally intended for percussion instruments, but was relegated to the prepared piano when it was deemed the concert hall was too small for all of the required instrumentation. Cage required that bolts and weatherstripping be attached to the strings connected to the 12 different notes (Bonds 590). John Cages influence in the realm of electronic music began as early as 1937. His composition Imaginary Landscape No. 1 (1939) was one of the first Markham 6 written in the electronic genre. It consisted of recording oscillatory frequencies on two 78rpm gramophone records (Brindle 99). He also wrote a piece comprised of fifty-one tapes (each twenty minutes long) produced on the computer system of Illinois University (Illiac) that could be played in any order along with seven live harpsichords and a light show of sorts. This piece was written in 1967 and titled HPSCHD (Brindle 125). John Cage began to write pieces titled by the number of performers later in his life. For example, the work titled One (1987) was for one pianist. Another work, titled Five (1988) was for string quintet. These pieces are dubbed number pieces (Moser 31). Even these odd little pieces have a structure- the structure being the amount of time the performer has to perform each measure and the number of musicians required for performance. As illustrated with the devices John Cage used in his compositions, his works are very structured and organized. Cage was one of the total serialists, who felt that music composition could be planned and analyzed with the precision of scientific experiments (Lipman 56). In his own words during a lecture in Darmstadt in 1958: The function of the performerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is comparable to that of someone filling in color where outlines are given; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is that of giving form, providing, that is to say, the morphology of the continuity, the Markham 7 expressive content; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is that of a photographer who on obtaining a camera uses it to take a picture; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is comparable to that of a traveler who must constantly be catching trains the departures of which have not been announced but which are in the process of being announced (Moser 8). It is clear by reading these words that Cage finds his music to have form, which is a staple of Western music. In addition, his music is generally left up to the interpretation of the performer- definitively not an aspect of Western music. Even still, form is readily detectable within his works regardless of how the stated form is interpreted by the performers. Another argument concerning music in aleatory is that there are no determinate ways to discern the number of possible arrangements. This simply is not true: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the exact number of realizations of an indeterminate score can often be determinedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Moser 11). In conclusion, John Cage lived during an exciting time in American history. Just after his birth in 1912, the United States found itself fully engaged in World War I. The United States truly became a world power during this time. The enlightenment through his well-rounded and educated parents as well as the Markham 8 excitement and innovations of the new century served John Cage well, as he was able to thrive and grow as an intellectual and musician in this environment. Although his music is sounds extremely dissonant and non-harmonic, it exhibits a high amount of structure. Cages earlier works illustrate a mathematical approach to the music- meaning that the music makes sense based on mathematical principles, but not necessarily traditional ideals surrounding musical composition. The influence of John Cages music can certainly be felt today in late 20th century jazz and numerous other works that allow the performers greater freedoms. Take, for instance, the piece recently performed on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Dr. Joanna Hersey premiered a work for her Low Brass Ensemble at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke titled Sails, Whales and Whalers (2008) by Gary Buttery. This work included recorded whale song interspersed with the live music produced by the L ow Brass Ensemble (Hersey Krosschell). Perhaps Gary Butterys composition was influenced in some way by the works of John Cage. There is no doubt that many musicians past, present, and future have been and will continue to be influenced by Cages maverick attitude toward music. Markham 9

The Korean War Essay -- essays research papers

The Korean War For hundreds of years Korea was dominated by the Chinese empire. After Japan was defeated by the allies in WW II., Korea became occupied by the Russians in the North and the Americans in the South. Both the U.S. and the Soviets realized that Korea was a strategic country. It was important to occupy because it lay between China, Japan, and the Soviet Union. North and South Korea were divided by the 38th parallel, it split the country into two regions. Russia and America became politically involved in Korea, each set up strong governments. The United States wanted Korea to be held under democratic rule, while the Soviets wanted communist rule. They took these conflicting views to the United Nations (UN), which had just been set up to prevent another world war and help with international elections. The UN decided that both sides of Korea should have their own elections. The elections were held on January 12, 1948. North Korea favoured communism, the people elected the Russians and Kim I l Sung, a former guerrilla leader. South Korea favoured democracy and formed the Republic of Korea under U.S. educated, Dr. Sygman Rhee. The Soviets left a communist dictatorship with a well-trained, well armed, North Korean-Soviet army. In fear of the North Koreans newly developed strength, the U.S. left South Korea with some small arms and military advisors. The Korean War dates from June 1950 to July 1953. The war started on June 25 1950, when a Northern Korean(-Soviet) arm...

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea :: essays research papers

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne was born in France in 1828 and always had a love for the sea. He once tried to be a sea captain on a boat but things did not work out. Jules Verne has written many very famous books such as Journey To the Center of the Earth, Five Weeks in a balloon and Around the World in Eighty Days. I have written a review on one of his most famous books 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This book combines adventure, suspense and mystery throwing in a few pieces of information about life under the sea. The book begins with some great suspense, it begins with a boat chasing a giant monster that has destroyed some huge unsinkable ships. Every time they get close to this monster a giant stream of water shoots hundreds of feet into the air, causing the boat to back off. Once in a while the monster will disappear from sight for hours. While reading this part of the book the reader feels like he is on the boat chasing the monster also. A lot of times the boat gets close enough to the monster to catch it and thoughts of what you think the monster could be run through your head like crazy. When they finally make an attempt to capture it, it disappears beneath the depths of the ocean. One of the most suspenseful and mysterious parts of the book was when the characters were thrown into a big room inside the submarine that seemed to have no doors. At this point in the book the characters have no idea what was going on, neither does the reader. The only thing that happens during the time in this room is a man comes in and gives them some food, minutes later they all fell asleep. Why where they put to sleep, where is this room that seems to have no doors? This is just one of the hundreds of questions going through your head during these couple chapters of the book. When they wake up all the lights in the room are off and the submarine is shaking.

Job-Sharing Essay -- Employment Work Essays

Job Sharing One may puzzle when asked, what is job sharing? Although the question may sound strange, it is because we are more familiar with the phrase flexible work. Nevertheless, job-sharing is part of flexible work. Job-sharing is a system of work where two people take the responsibility for one full-time position, dividing work, pay, holidays and other benefits between them according to the time they work.1 It is a viable option when ordinary part-time work is not, that is, when organizational needs require the job to be filled on a full-time basis, but not necessarily by only one person. The job is split to meet the needs of the sharers and of the job itself. Moreover, Job-sharing is a staffing arrangement that is flexible to staff members’ work schedules. Typically two incumbents, each working on staff-appointed part-time basis, share a full time position. While the idea has been around for a while, organizations throughout the country are been more reception to it more than ever be fore. Job-sharing first became an issue when workers in dual-income households found conflicts with family obligations. Job-sharing options were a means of keeping valued employees on board and avoiding unnecessary recruitment and training costs. Today, organizations are finding out that job-sharing carries its own rewards.2 BODY: Whether you are in a public, non-profit, or private sector, your organization may be effected by job-sharing. According to a job-sharing study conducted in April 1994 by Conference Board, a business research organization based in New York City, 74 percent of 131 companies surveyed, offered job-sharing options. The survey found that compatibility of job-sharers, strong communication skills, trust ... ...retrain them. OPINION: In my opinion, job-sharing is something every business should participate in because it saves jobs; it saves companies money on overtime pays; it is more profitable than layoffs and; companies can keep trained employees. It may be important to believe that in the future, employers will be more receptive to job sharing professionals. BIBLIOGRAGPY 1 â€Å"Work and Family Responsibility: Adjusting the Balance.† CCH 1994. 2 â€Å"Job Sharing Offers Unique Challenges.† HR Magazine. Elizabeth Shelly. 1996. 3 â€Å"Job Sharing in Education.† Clearing House 52 January 1993: 223-225. 4 â€Å"The Way The (Part-Time) World Works in Workplace.† ACTU Magazine, Winter 1993. 5 â€Å"Job Sharing for Teachers.† Working Women 2 (July 1994): 65. 6 â€Å"Flexible Working Time and Family Life: A Review of Changes:, McRae, Susan. 1989, Oxford.

Theories of Criminal Behavior

When evaluating the dynamics of both the strain and control theories one must factor into their analysis the sub-categories of each theory and how they contribute to the overall spectrum of crime, punishment, and social control. The following evaluation consists of those evaluations that consist of the varying forms of both the strain and control theories of crime; including the strengths and weaknesses of each standpoint, the empirical validity of each, and the overall ramifications for crime prevention. Strain Theories Frustration.This is the foundation for the plethora of strain theories that encompass the criminological and theoretical world (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 110). The basic premise of the theory traces its roots back to Robert K. Merton. Frustration to meet societies expectations in terms of success, (Specifically, monetary wealth), is a primary contributor to criminal behavior. Furthermore, the unequal balance between the goals of acquiring this â€Å"wealth,† and the means by which one seeks to achieve this end is described by Merton as an â€Å"anomie. Simply put, it is not so much how one gain’s wealth; it is merely of primary importance that one does in fact achieve it, by whatever means possible (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 112). Merton believed that America’s fascination with acquiring wealth at any cost is a direct link to the strain theory. However, Merton also believed that each individual experienced strain differently. He reasoned that each person experiencing the strain, dealt with it within the concept of five variations.The five variations or adaptions to strain consist of conformity, ritualism, innovators, retreatism, and rebellion (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 112-113). Adaptations to strain- Five variations Conformity, in relation to the strain theory, refers to people who utilize traditional means by which to accomplish their goals of material acquisition (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 112). Ritualists, the second adaption to the strain theory , refers to those do not wish to gain monetary abundance or riches. However, like conformists, they do structure their lives in a manner that is conventional.They enjoy their occupations, and their normal everyday lives, but they do not aggressively seek to enter into a higher echelon of economic status (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 113). Innovators are thought to be the most likely to seek out and live a life of crime (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 113). Innovators wish to achieve money and riches, but want no part of the conventional or traditional methods of achieving this end. They do not desire to work hard to achieve their goals. Instead, they look for ways to circumvent the normal or traditional processes of education and hard work.This does not always include crime, as one might initially think. Many inventors and entrepreneurs fit the category of â€Å"innovator. † For example, the founders of Google, Yahoo, and other internet search engine web sites are innovators. Athletes who sign luc rative contracts are also considered innovators. These individuals are not part of the criminal population- they simply seek to find different ways to achieve the same goals of the traditional groups. Alternatively, there are innovators who engage in activities such as dealing drugs, robbing banks, stealing cars, etc. Tibbetts, 2012, p. 112). These individuals represent the other end of the innovator equation. Finally, retreatism and rebellion round out the final two classifications of the adaptations to the strain theory. Retreatists, like innovators, do not adopt the â€Å"normal† concepts of hard work and education; neither do they wish to achieve the end of monetary wealth. All forms of reteatists seek to disappear from society completely- not buying into its goals or methods (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 113). Lastly, rebellion is usually thought of as the most intriguing of the five adaptations to strain.The difference that pertains to this category of individuals is how they vie w society’s goals and the means by which one accomplishes them. While they buy into the concept of goals and methods of society, they do not buy into the CURRENT social structure and its associative ideas of goals and means. Instead, they seek to create their own social structure by overthrowing the current structure and replacing it with one in that adapts to their ideas and values (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 113). Evidence and Criticisms of the Strain TheorySince the foundation of the strain theory was laid by Merton, many criticisms have surfaced, as well as supporting evidence. The strength of the theory lies primarily within the fact that the Merton’s work provided a structure whereby societal groups in general are evaluated-not individual groups (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 114). There is also the existence of scattered amounts of evidence based support that poverty links directly to crime (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 114). Support for the theory appears to derive from macrolevel rates (G roup rates) of the relation between crime and poverty (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 12). Critics of the strain theory cite various reasons why the theory of strain is not valid, or at the very least, flawed. One such reason is the variation of occupations in which people engage, as well as the wide variety of expectations these people possess in terms of what a certain life course might take. While there are many theories, both for and against and everywhere in between Merton’s strain theory, one cannot argue against the strength of its basic premise of expectations vs. the means to achieve those expectations, and the varying degrees of pressure this places upon individuals.Social Control Theory Control theories operate under the premise that all individuals would subscribe to anti-social behavior save for restrictions that are put in place to guard against their own deviant tendencies (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 152). Basically, control theories stem from the idea that all mankind is evil in terms of base character- man must be contained via laws, guidelines, and restraints. Although not easily tested, the idea of natural criminal inclinations receives a strong supporting cast via recent empirical evidence.Research has found that most people are ‘bent’ towards criminal actions at an early age. An example of the natural tendency towards criminal behavior is indicated by a reported study by Tremblay and LeMarquand (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 153). This study found that most children’s antisocial behavior peaked at the age of 27 months-particularly boy’s behavior (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 153). Other likeminded studies have surfaced that also give rise to this evidence pertaining to antisocial tendencies Tibbetts, 2012, p. 153). Several other control theories present themselves within the realm of criminal behavior.For example, Reiss’s control theory states that criminal tendencies were a byproduct of a weak ego or superego controls among incarcerated y outh (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 157). However, Reiss believed that strong family bonds served to act as a counterbalance to these weak ego and super ego controls (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 112). Additionally, traits that a person either possessed or did not possess weighed heavily within the framework of Reiss’s control theory. Examples of personal traits include, but are not limited to, impulse restraint, and the ability to delay gratification (Tibbetts, 2012, p. 12). Control perspectives are the most archaic, yet most respected indications and reasons for criminal actions by individuals. The basic position is that mankind is selfish and seeks its own gratification at any cost. The counteracting barriers to this behavior is put into place by social policies and controls that combat and react to criminal activity and the theory that mankind is evil and selfish. References Tibbetts, S. G. (2012) Criminological theory: The essentials. SAGE publications, Inc.