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Saturday, August 31, 2019

Economics School-Based Assessment Essay

Introduction LIME, an acronym for ‘Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment’, is owned by the British based Cable & Wireless Communications. The company formed from the integrated businesses of Cable & Wireless in the Caribbean which adopted the LIME name on 3rd of November 2008. With people spending a lot of time accomplishing tasks and doing researches, the internet has becomevery important to individuals nowadays. Without the internet some individuals think that they cannot survive because of how it is used to provide a variety of information and communication facilities in order to get the work done quickly and/or enjoy one’s self with family and friends. People are becoming very lazy and find it difficult to open a book to find information, so instead they use the internet to gather the information quickly. Businesses also use the internet to do market researches and many other activities. The internet has basically any and every thing. More than 50% of homes in Jamaica has internet and for those that cannot afford the internet, the Government has provided facilities to them. With people wanting to send or receive emails, use search engine to gather information, looking for hobby or interest on the web.I have decided to do an investigationof the Internet Service industry within Jamaica with reference specifically to LIME . Acknowledgement I would like to thank everyone who would have contributed to the completion of this School-Based Assessment. First of all I would like to thank God firstly for the opportunity to do such a project and also for the wisdom, strength and understanding to complete this assignment. Other people who I would like to thank are: My Economics teacher for her constant advices and willingness to help. All those who answered the questionnaires distributed. My family for helping and supporting me during the execution of this project. Objectives of research The aims of this investigation are: 1. To establish the type of relationship there is between price and quantity demanded for internet service at LIME. 2. To examine of the principal factors affecting the demand of LIME and Flow 3. To examine the price elasticity of demand of internet service at LIME and Flow 4. To determine whose internet service can mainly be found in form 5 of the St. Martins secondary school. 5. To briefly examinethe market structure for internet service in Jamaica. 6. To briefly examine the market conditions affecting the supply of internet service at LIME and Flow in Jamaica. Methodology:The SBA was conducted in my community. Primary Sources: 1. Questionnaire: Twenty questionnaires were shared out to students in form 5 of the St. Martin’s secondary school. 2. Interview:The managers of LIME and Karib Cable were interviewed to obtain information such as how they attract customers to their business. Secondary Sources: 1. Textbooks: Economics textbooks were used to have a clear understanding of the Laws of Demand and Supply. 2. Internet: The websites listed in the bibliography were used to further clarify economic concepts to enhance the school-based assessment. 20 questionnaires were given to the students of form 5 in the Community of. Two interviews were conducted with the managers of LIME and Flow outlets inOchi rios. The internet service industry in Jamaica is one of an Oligopoly market structure. Thus, there are only a few large firms, Homogeneous or differentiated products, imperfect knowledge of the market, they are price makers with price rigidity and also have many buyers. As such, there are little competition levels which ideally lead to the producers satisfaction and welfare. After the data were collected from the questionnaire, I discovered that all the participants were between the ages of 16-17. The study as shown that LIME’s internet service was the most  demanded internet service in Guys hill. Question 1 )10 of the students who were given questionnaires had access to the internet at their homes. This may due to the addiction to social networking or the need of having the internet to gather information. Since the internet is the quickest way of gathering information and communicating with others the demand for internet would be high. Question 2: In question (2) 60% of the students said that they have LIME’s internet service while 40% have Flow internet service. The fact that more students preferred LIME’s internet service shows that some method of attracting customers that Flow is lacking. Based on the supply information gained from the interviews, these methods include the sponsoring of events and other methods. Effective use of these methods can increase the demand for internet, lower production cost, will result in a decrease cost price and lead to an extension of demand, all of which increases a firm’s profits. Question 3: The question â€Å"Who pays for the internet you have access to† was asked in question 3. Majority (80%) of the students said that they parents pays for the internet while the other 20% said that their grandparents pays for the internet. This shows that even students may have the desire and the willingness to pay for the internet service; they are not backed by t he ability to pay for it. Question 4: All (20) of the students said that the person who pays for the internet at their home currently has a job. This shows that persons who have jobs are the ones who have ability to pay for internet service at their homes. Question 5: In relation to question 5 responses, 16 of the persons who pay for the internet are full-time employees while the other 4 are part-time. The 16 full-time employees who might be eligible for benefitshave LIME’s internet service and this might be so maybe because of personal preference and wanting top quality service. Question 6: 16 students said that the person who pays for their internet occupational classification is white collar while the other 4 said its blue collar.The 4 blue collar workers internet service provider is Flow, which shows that people who receive less income prefers Karib Cables internet service maybe because of the price of the service. Question 7: In relation to question 8, 18 of the students use the internet mostly for social networking while the other 2 uses it for information. Sites like facebook  and twitter are social networking sites that enable users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, ect and these sites have become the most popular website on the internet. So therefore students may have a deep desire to have internet service to use these sites. Question 8: According to question 7 90% of the students use the internet on a daily basis. Based on the questionnaire this is due to addiction to social networking by these students. The other 10% uses it weekly and this is due to the need of gathering information. Question 9: In question 9 the question was asked â€Å"What is the main factor of choosing your internet service provider?† Many factors affect the demand for a specific internet service such as preference, price of the internet and advertisement. 60% of the students said that it’s because of preference while the other 40% said that it’s because of price of the internet service. This may be so because people may have a greater liking for a certain internet service because of its reliability. No onewants to be experiencing difficulties with the internet while surfing. Question 10: 8 persons said that they pay a price range of $800-$1000 while12 persons said that they pay from $1300-$1500 According to the information on the questionnaires the 12 persons who pays at the price range of $1300-$1500 internet service provider is Lime, which shows that flows rates are a little cheaper than LIME’s rates. Question 11: All of the students internet speed is 1 megabyte per sec. Although LIME and flow provides 4mbps, which is a lot faster than 1mbps shows that people only have the ability to pay for 1mbps a month. Question 12: According to question 12, 60% of these students don’t experience any problems at times, while the other 40% experiences problems. The 60% of students who don’t experience any problems internet service provider is LIME. This means that even though LIME’s rates are a little more expensive, they provide better service than Flow and that is why LIME attracts more customers to their services. The fact that LIME’s internet service is more expensive may due to the cost of production. Question 13: 6 of the students who experience problems said that they experience slow internet at times, while the other 2 students said that at times they don’t have internet at times. Question 14: In relation to question 14 these problems were experienced daily by 25% of these student, 25% weekly and 50% of the students who experience problems experiences monthly. Question 15: The question â€Å"If the price for your internet was $1000 a month for 1MBPS (Mega Bytes per Second), you would purchase â€Å"20% of the students said that they would purchase 2mbps at $1500 per month. This shows that persons have the desire and willingness to purchase 2mbps but they don’t have the ability to do so. Question 16: 50 % of the students showed willingness to purchase 2mbps at $1500 per month. As price increases from $1500 to $2000 for 2mbps, the quantity demanded decreased thus, the law of demand stands (as prices increase, demand decreases). The P.E.D was calculated as -0.15, indicating price inelasticity. As the price increases from $1500to $2000, demand also decreases and the Law of demand is also obeyed. The P.E.D. in this case was -0.3, thus indicating in another price inelasticity. Findings 1. There is a negative relationship between the prices of internet service and the quantity demanded. This simply means as price increases, quantity demanded decreases and as price decreases, the quantity demanded increases. 2. The principal factor affecting for internet service is one’s preference. 3. Internet service is price inelastic, therefore the quantity demanded is unresponsive to changes in price. 4. The existence of foreign firms (LIME) in the local economy can create good competition and result in higher consumer satisfaction. Recommendations Both LIME and Flow can endeavor into improving in the following areas if they haven’t already done so in order to boost sales and have a better competitive stance: Flow should use suggestion boxes to get feedback from customers about problems they face. Increase advertising to make the customers to have a greater liking for their internet service since preference is the factor affecting demand. The government should open up the market for internet service further. This would add to competition. Competition would lower prices and also keep money in the country since LIME is owned by the British base money is most likely exported out of the country. Sponsor more events that are taken place in the country. Sell 2MBPS at cheaper rates since more people are demanding 2MBPS. Conclusion In this investigation between LIME and Flow, I have come to realize the major role that economics plays in the operation of a business. It was deduced that LIME is a better internet service provider than Flow since bigger consumer market and their customers experience no problems. Bibliography Book: Websites: http://www.time4lime.com/vc/internet.jsp http://www.Flow.com

Friday, August 30, 2019

Should a foreign state provide a mortgage

Should a foreign state provide a mortgage for a diplomatic mission of another foreign state? BY FeltxR02 Diplomatic Law Should a foreign state provide a mortgage for a diplomatic mission of another foreign state? Until the beginning of the 20th Century was generally recognized the principle of international law according to which foreign states cannot be sued in courts of a foreign country (the principle of absolute immunity). This has proven to be unsustainable due to increasing economic activities of public authorities. It has been abandoned by most Jurisdictions.In Germany for example the principle of limited immunity is now practiced since the beginning of the 1960s. Therefore foreign States only enjoy immunity when they act in the name of their sovereignty (acta lure imperil). For claims arising from economic activity (acta lure gestionis) the foreign state cannot rely on its freedom of Jurisdiction. This can certainly be seen in a mortgage, because in international law not the purpose of government action, but he nature of the action determines whether it is a actum Jure imperil or lure gestionis.So there is generally a private law relationship between the bank and the ambassador, as a representative of the country. With the threat of payment default, the bank could therefore theoretically initiate enforcement and claim the money in court. Problems arise, however, in the enforcement of the claim, since Article 22 paragraph 3 of the Vienna Convention of 1961 rules that the buildings of an Embassy re excepted from any enforcement.For actions of enforcement or execution against a foreign State it is not allowed to take any measures against the things the diplomatic missions needs for its diplomatic representation and to the performance of their official functions (ne impediatur Legatio). In resume it can be dangerous for the bank to give the mortgage to the countries representatives, though you have the possibility of trying to enforce your claim.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Chain of Stores in Different Demographic Set-ups Case Study

Chain of Stores in Different Demographic Set-ups - Case Study Example As the paper highlights the issue on product specialization revolved around the products with high direct production costs (DPC). Fragile goods such as charcoal had high handling costs amounting to a DPC value of $0.37. Disposable diapers also held high DPC values of $0.70. These presented a problem with bulkiness. The varieties of the diapers, For example, kept changing, and that caused inconveniences in constant resetting of the shelf fixtures. This discussion declares that the display of products formed another area of focus. In this element, the study focused on the product and category sales per foot of the shelf space. The approach provided evidence that alcoholic beverages and cosmetics took considerable shelf space but generated considerably low in the returns. Alcoholic beverages performed poorly at $7.45 per feet while cosmetics performed even worse at $0.69 per feet of shelf space. Though they presented low returns, these products occupied considerable shelf space. The alcoholic beverages took a total of 513.3 feet of shelf space with only weekly sales of $3,823.73. Carbonated beverages, on the other hand, recorded almost triple in weekly sales to that of the alcoholic beverages ($10,003.92) but occupied shelf space of 339.7 ft. Cereals and other breakfast foods also occupied considerably little linear space, 166.6ft, regardless of the higher sales compared to the alcoholic beverages. In the non-edible grocery sect ion, soaps and detergents took the largest share in the shelf space allocated. The weekly dollar sales were $9187.17 compared to paper products (shelf space of 338.3ft and weekly dollar sales of $8483), and cigarettes/tobacco products, which had weekly sales of $11024.62, with a linear shelf space of 156.6 ft.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

HRM and Sustainability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HRM and Sustainability - Essay Example The research report explores the main aspects of HRM to drive future sustainability among organizations. The relationship between HRM and sustainability is extremely complex. Traditionally, HR contributes to organizations’ performance, by having HR policies aligned with the strategic goals of the organization, legal compliance, better customer satisfaction, and effective service delivery. Sustainability requires that HRM moves beyond the boundaries of traditional HR policies, toward leadership development, talent management, and knowledge management. The term sustainability is widely used in almost all sciences (Ehnert 2009). The notion of sustainability has already become a synonym of profitability and long-term development in organizations (Ehnert 2009). Apart from the fact that different organizations define the concept of sustainability in entirely different ways, the link between HRM and sustainability remains poorly understood. The body of research on Human Resource Mana gement and its relation to sustainability is very scarce (Wehling et al. 2009). As such it is high time to re-evaluate the topic of the HRM-sustainability relationship in more detail. The purpose of this research report is to explore the links between HRM and sustainability and propose recommendations to let organizations achieve sustainability through HRM. The significance of sustainability initiatives in organizations cannot be overstated. Researchers are becoming more interested in the relationship between sustainability and HRM.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

1. Interest Groups2. Political Party3. Bureaucratic Agency (Gov Essay - 1

1. Interest Groups2. Political Party3. Bureaucratic Agency (Gov. Agency) - Essay Example All the relevant and necessary information concerning this group are available in their main webpage (www.girlsnotbrides.org). As per the detailed website, some of the objectives of this group include mobilizing all the required financial and policy support to fight child marriages, enabling coordination and learning between groups working to halt early child marriages, and, importantly, creating global awareness of the damage that early child marriages portend to the individual, the community and the world at large. The group seeks to amplify the cries of girls often forced with or coerced into early marriage. The administrative and financial management of the group is the function of the Board of Trustees, whose members are equally legally responsible for the decisions and actions of the board. Aside from finance and administration, this board also safeguards the culture of the group and protects its good name. The Advisory Committee advises the Board of Trustees on the policies and strategies of the group. The Executive Director (currently Lakshmi Sundaram0 serves to ensure the group delivers on its stra tegies and draws ever closer to eliminating child marriage. Members of the group are called to exceptional commitment to good governance, accountability and transparency in the group’s goals of eradicating child marriage, work actively with other members, governments and relevant players on all levels towards realizing said goals, and contributing in any way in the group’s activities (Girls Not Brides, 1). The Girls Not Brides group received funding from donors such as the Ford Foundation, IKEA, Nike, Open Society, Skoll, the Dvaid & Lucile Packard Foundation, Kendeda, Sabanci, NoVo, Human Dignity Foundation, amongst other well-wishers (Girls Not Brides, 1). This site can be critical to one interested in politics in order that they may develop better comprehension and enlightened engagement in political processes by enabling one to know how such groups

Monday, August 26, 2019

Racial disparity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Racial disparity - Research Paper Example This paper shall discuss the racial disparities in health in the United States. It shall discuss what researchers have found as causes for such disparities. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehensive discussion of the subject matter and to establish reasons for the existence of the phenomenon. Discussion The racial disparities in the United States in relation to health are considered significant. For one, the current death rate for blacks registers at about 100,000 blacks dying each year (Levine, et.al., 2001). The different diseases or health issues as well as causes for mortality shall be specifically discussed by this paper. Death rates for coronary heart disease have registered at a higher rate for blacks as compared to whites, with about 30% of blacks more likely to die from the disease. Cancers now register at a higher rate for blacks as compared to whites. Cancer death rates have also been higher for blacks as compared to whites with lung a nd ovarian cancer increasing for both blacks and whites, and colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer increasing among blacks and remaining stable for whites (Piffath, et.al., 2001). The various causes for such racial disparity shall be assessed in terms of socioeconomic status, residential conditions, and medical care. Socioeconomic status is a definite predictor of health with those in the lower classes likely to experience more illnesses and higher rates of death. Such health status is also influenced by race with those in the minority races likely to experience lower economic conditions and consequently compromised health status (Williams and Jackson, 2005). Education is also a factor in racial disparities in health. The homicide rates among African-American males not having completed high school registers at a rate five times higher as compared to black males having completed college. Moreover, there is also a â€Å"ninefold difference in homicide rates by education for white m ales, a fourfold difference for black females, and a sixfold difference for white females† (Williams and Jackson, 2005). The rate for homicides among African-American males with higher education is eleven times higher than their white counterparts. Income disparities also impact on racial differences in health, especially in terms of coronary heart disease and cancer mortality (Williams and Jackson, 2005). Studies claim that death rates for these two diseases are higher among low income blacks and whites as compared to those in the middle class (Williams and Jackson, 2005). Moreover, blacks also have higher rates of mortality from heart diseases as compared to whites. In the low and middle income female blacks, they incur higher rates of mortality for heart diseases as compared to the white low and middle income white females (Williams and Jackson, 2005). The above picture portrays a clear racial disparity in the health care system of the United States. This disparity is large ly disadvantageous for African-American men and women who mostly belong to the lower income group who are often uninsured and who do not have as much access to health care as their higher income and their white counterparts. Some analysts claim that the cause of racial discrimination may be credited to residential segregation and neighborhood quality (Williams and Collins, 2001). Segregation has caused the middle-class African-Americans to reside

Sunday, August 25, 2019

THE ROLE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY IN SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE Essay - 2

THE ROLE OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY IN SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE RETENTION WITHIN A COMPLEX INTERNATIONAL LABOUR MARKET - Essay Example This is more perplexing when we consider the generous remuneration packages enjoyed by the expatriates. Similarly some of the vocations are curtailed by employees in spite of the rigorous recruitment procedures undertaken to harness the right candidates. So where are the recruiters going wrong in the hiring process? The effectiveness of the recruitment exercise has also come under intense scrutiny due to the relatively high cost of replacing absconding staff. Workman (2008) cites adapting to the host or foreign culture as the main reason individuals resign from the lucrative international assignments. Many married employees usually desire to educate their children in their home country rather than in the host country. This is evident even when they are in more developed cultures than their own domestic country. In developing countries like the Middle East oil producing nations, expatriates schools are provided for the foreign nationals complete with international curriculum for their children. However most of the families are reluctant to bring up their children in this environment. Other privileges are provided whenever cultural norms clash with those of the host country nevertheless; the turnover is still high despite the efforts of the international companies to retain them. Adaptability to foreign cultures is therefore a major challenge for international assignment. Curry (2004) however decries lack of an intensive recruitment screening exercise as the main reason to having a high employee turnover in both national and international organizations. Just as individuals carefully screen their spouses before marriage, Curry asserts that companies should similarly thoroughly vet their employees prior to hiring them to minimize the losses incurred in recruiting, employing and training fresh employees. McNamara (2008) conversely cites the lack

Services marketing and relationship marketing Essay

Services marketing and relationship marketing - Essay Example The process of addressing customer concerns on every call is considered the front-stage activity. Every customer interaction is a â€Å"moment of truth.† (Teboul, 2007, p.19) The back-stage is where the company works on how to provide the services promised on the front-stage interactions. Both the front-stage and back-stage components are essential in providing services to the customers (Blumberg, 2003, p.23). Every successful service provision is composed of interaction and material transformation (Cook, 2011, 34). Both are significant, but very distinct (See Figure 1). Knowledge of the distinction is necessary because overseeing a direct interaction with customer in the front-stage is very different from managing the material transformation in the back-stage. The end result of successful front-stage and back-stage operations is customer satisfaction (Blumberg, 2003, p.27 and Cook, 2011, 35). Figure 1 Front-Stage and Back-Stage Distinction SERVICES AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING 3 It is noticeable that the arrows in the flow chart go both ways. This is because every aspect of service delivery consists both of the front-stage and back-stage processes, and although not interchangeably, very much connected to each other (Glushko & Tabas, 2009, p.407). Gathering of Services Request Information – This involves a direct customer interaction of the company representative, either through phone, mails, or face-to-face communication (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, p.68). A fitting scenario could be, a customer calls in and talks to the service representative. The customer inquires about services provided by the company, and decides whether the services suit his/her needs and budget. The representative provides information that is based on the set procedures by the company. These procedures are also based on the ability of the company to process the promised services. This is the reason why the arrows here go in both directions (Glushko & Tabas, 2009, p.4011). Processing of Promised Services – This is where the processing of requested services takes place. Representatives from the operations department, where the actual customer interaction takes place, pass the requests to a certain department where the planning for material transformation of the promised service occurs. Activities may range from paper works to on-field delivery or services. No services will be processed in the back-stage without requests from the front-stage (Wa?gar, 2007, p.641), which is another reason why the arrows here go in both directions. Information-intensive interaction – This involves the actual interaction again with customers. When a customer calls in and contacts the customer service department (front-stage), they usually ask for information on possible services they could obtain. The representative’s responsibility is to provide adequate information and choices to the customer. They should sound knowledgeable and expert in the service informati on they offer (Glushko & Tabas, 2009, p.416-7). Confidence building in customers usually start at this stage (Vargo & Lusch, 2004, p.68). The decision on whether the customer will acquire the services offered by the company usually depends on how well the interaction took place. It is the duty of these

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Miranda vs. Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Miranda vs. Arizona - Essay Example We know we have the right to remain silent and have a right to an attorney. Yet, the Miranda decision was far more reaching than the few principles that are read from a card. It reaches back into history to establish a precedent and presents ongoing dilemmas as it faces new challenges for the courts and law enforcement.Up until the time of the 1966 Miranda decision, police interrogations varied widely in manner and method. American law, based on English principles, had long accepted that coerced testimony or confessions were unreliable as evidence. This was the premise of the Fifth Amendment that made coerced and manipulated testimony inadmissible as trial evidence on constitutional grounds. Even though law enforcement eliminated the use of torture to elicit confessions, by the middle of the 20th century new questions about the ethics of more modern tactics arose.The court was faced with the problem of enforcing what was known as the 'totality of the circumstances' rule (Lively 293). It stated that the overall environment and climate that the confession was obtained in was what the courts were to consider when evaluating whether it was voluntary or not. Courts around the country had different standards and police had different methods. There was also the problem of the interrogations taking place in private and little was known about the methods being used behind closed doors. In addition, the mandatory informing of the right to an attorney had only recently been established. ... At that point in history, the privilege against self-incrimination did not extend to police interrogations and under existing law his confession probably met the standard of 'totality of circumstance' and was considered voluntary (Hall 553). However, according to Hall, they did not meet the new standards that the court would put forth in this case (553). The court ruled that a person held for questioning has the (1) right to remain silent, (2) anything they say can be held against them, (3) they have the right to have an attorney present, (4) and the right to a public defender if they can not afford an attorney (Hall 554). This is the basis of the Miranda decision. The court also held that police needed to clearly advise the subjects of these rights and they needed to be clearly understood. If the suspect waived these rights, they must do so "voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently" (Lively 294). These rules were established to assure that suspects were afforded their constitutional rights under the 5th and 6th amendments. Supporters of the decision saw this as a move away from the strong arm and intimidating police tactics of the past. They applauded the ruling as a move towards fairness in an accusatorial system, enhancing the presumption of innocence, and preventing the cruel and inhumane treatment of prisoners and suspects (Vile 400). It also set federal standards for the interrogation of suspects. Opponents to the ruling saw it as too limiting for law enforcement. In a harshly worded dissent, Justice John Harlan argued that it would bring about the end of the confession as a useful law enforcement technique. He stated in his opinion that, "The thrust

Friday, August 23, 2019

Midazolam & Seizures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Midazolam & Seizures - Essay Example Midozolam increases the activity of GABA which gives a calming effect to the user. It also relaxes the skeletal muscles and result in sleep. The chemical in the medicine called benzodiazepines bind to the receptors of GABA which enhances the effect of GABA by increasing the frequency of chloride channel opening. According to (Silver,1994,pg 350-60) â€Å"Midazolam is a potent imidazobenzodiazepine used as a premedicant and as an anesthetic induction Agent†.Midazolam is likely an agonist at both BZ1 and BZ2 receptors. Its performance at PBRs is not certain. The quick encephalopathic effects ofmidazolam may be connected to the trizolam like potency and lipophilicity of midazolam. Which are greatest among thebenzodizepines. Midazolam may also exert some anticholinergic activity. Silver, T, 1994. SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE Evaluation of two dosages of oral midazolam as a conscious sedation for physically and neurologically compromised pediatric dental patients. Pediatric Dentistry, 16/5,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Balancing Family & Work Life Essay Example for Free

Balancing Family Work Life Essay I. Introduction A. Thesis Statement Attending school as an adult, and maintaining a source of employment can be a daunting task, as many adults who had to delay their college education must know. One of the most challenging aspects of adult life consists of learning how to adjust accordingly to the rigors of life at home as well as the workplace. Failure to do so can lead to a life of complete disarray, stress, illness and exhaustion. II. Body Paragraph #1 – Topic Sentence #1 Traditionally the typical age group for freshmen in college was between 18 to 19 years of age. That reality has slowly changed as more young adults are finding their way back in the classroom, while holding down a job. The information I found in P.14 of the ebrary book: Families and Work: New Directions in the Twenty-First Century, by Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I. states: â€Å"Of the more than 69 million American parents with children under the age of 18 (Famighetti, 1998), almost 90 percent are employed (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1998).† At the same time, there are working professionals attempting to achieve a college education in order to refine their skills, or to gain new ones. Among those working adults, young couples typically tend to have a harder time with managing the broad aspects of life, especially those who are in the early stages of their relationship, which has the potential to result in a lot of growing pains. A. Supporting evidence The information found in an article from the following website; http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2421/T-2233web.pdf states: â€Å"Family and work settings have a built-in potential for conflict. Adults may get overwhelmed with the excessive demands that are required of them from either end of the spectrum, leaving them with the feeling of having very little time to accomplish those tasks.† Finding a balance between work and home involves finding ways of accomplishing the tasks at home as well as duties at work. Those responsibilities are often shared among couples in a healthy relationship. The equality of the shared house  chores, however, is up or debate. It has long been stated that the task of maintaining the home primarily fell on the woman’s shoulders, while the man focuses mainly on duties in the workplace. For some married couples, trying to get their husband to help with the housework typically led to domestic disputes. In recent years however, men have been getting more involved with parenting than ever before. A passage from (Giraffe 2011) states: â€Å"The recession of 2008 contributed to this arrangement because increased unemployment left more fathers available to care for their children and the reduced family income made outside childcare services unaffordable.† The traditional view of the American household should change because of an increase in the number of two-parent families entering the labor force. One of the primary services built around that change in society is the daycare system. Many of those two-parent families, as well as single parents may not have direct support from their families to take care of the children while they’re away at work. While some of the household work, such as childcare and housekeeping, has transitioned to outside providers, many working mothers cannot afford to employ these services (Giraffe, 2011). Unfortunately a big portion of their income goes to high daycare fees. III. Body Paragraph #2 – Topic Sentence #2 When the constants demands of life are far too much to bear, employees tend to feel the need to escape, and seek an alternate reality. We must look at the adverse effects that those long work hours have on the human body. Overworked individuals can suffer from work related illnesses as a result of excessive stress. Work related stress can result from extended hours due to mandatory overtime in some case. An employer’s rigid work hours which can prevent employees from tending to occasional issues at home can also be blamed for stress on the job. Employees suffering the effects of stress in the workplace tend to have bouts of absenteeism. A. Supporting evidence Absenteeism in the workplace is a major issue, with tangible and intangible costs. Although the absentee loses wages in the process, the major loss is at the expense of the employer. The ebrary book by Lynn  Tylczak, (Attacking absenteeism 1990), describes the intangible costs of absenteeism as follows: â€Å"Absentee costs are difficult to quantify. Experts estimate direct wage loses of more than $30 billion per year, and that’s just the beginning. Employers also need to consider the costs of supplementary or replacement workers. These costs include: Regular wages, overtime wages, and company benefits Supplementary benefits, such as Social Security, worker’s compensation, and unemployment compensation Administration of recruitment, selection orientation, and training Penalty costs resulting from delays.† The author (Lynn T. 1990) also gives the following explanation from the tangible cost of absenteeism: â€Å"It forces managers to deal with problems of morale, discipline, job dissatisfaction, job stress, team spirit, productivity, turnover, production quality, additional administration and overhead.† Many employers have become more cognizant of the disastrous effects of having stressful employees in the workplace. This is not only calculated in monetary losses based on productivity, but also in the valuable asset (the employee) which could potentially offset those losses. IV. Body Paragraph #3 Topic sentence # 3 Those who value their time with their families certainly appreciate the value of being away from work. This is particularly why a lot of us look forward to our vacation time. It us the opportunity to recharge our batteries and gives us the courage to return to our regular lives. Many employers have adapted to the changes in society by implementing new ways for employees to earn vacation time from work. A. Supporting evidence While some of us are comfortable being â€Å"working stiffs†, most people would rather look forward to their time away from work. An ebrary book by ANDERSON, NELS titled Work and Leisure states: â€Å"Although leisure reflects and supplements work, it is also used as a release from work. Some are of the view that unless a man has worked he cannot really enjoy leisure. They hold that while a man is working to earn a wage or salary, he also ‘earns’ leisure.† It is absolutely true that in order to fully enjoy our vacation time, we must work hard for it. That time of leisure can then be considered our reward for achieving the demands required of us in the workplace. Those who properly plan their vacation can benefit from sights  rarely seen in everyday life. Most people find it more beneficial to take their vacation in some exotic location. The topic on how to enjoy a proper vacation will vary from one employee to the next. V. Body Paragraph #4 Topic sentence # 4 Employers have devised lots of ways to keep valuable talent within their workforce, while allowing them time to accomplish their house work. Those arrangements can be profitable to the employer as well as the employee in some cases. Some of the sensible ways employers provide to employees are flextime, teleworking, and employee incentive just to name a few. A. Supporting evidence Flextime is highly valuable to employees because it allows them to have more control over the balancing act of work and home life. It also provides them the option of choosing when to complete their work. Flextime allows employees to handle personal business such as doctor appointments or school functions without having to take sick leave or vacation time. Employers personnel needs are met and they get employees at their best. In highly skilled positions where competition for employees is fierce and employee turnover costly, flexible schedules can also reduce attrition by making employees more content with their jobs (Giraffe, 2011). Teleworking provides some lucky employees the opportunity to work remotely. With this system employees can either work from home or in some shared work spaces. In most cases employees would prefer to work from home because it is the ideal place to work from. This reduces the work commute, and the amount stress to the employee. It takes an especially disciplined employee to work from home, because of the constant distractions from home can cause the employee’s work performance to suffer. Employers must be careful when considering the type of employees they provide that opportunity to. Through teleworking, some employees do get to achieve balance between family and work life.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Counterculture of Gypsies

Counterculture of Gypsies A counterculture is a subculture that rejects the major values of the larger society, and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns (Thomas). The Gypsies are just one example of a counterculture. Gypsies generally rejected the bourgeois values; They rejected private property, materialism, and moral values. Gypsies had no long-lasting residency and survived on little material wealth. The Gypsies pursued detached lives that included use of drugs, alcohol, and they also believed in open sexual freedom. They lived merely for the arts and bliss (Mtholyoke.edu). In the nineteenth century the bohemian gypsies became recognized for representing a counterculture of artists, musicians, poets and writers (Turman). The history of the gypsies persisted to be unknown for years. A huge reason for the uncertainty of this culture was because of their lack of written linguistic, and their lack of understanding of their origin. The name Gypsy was derived from Egypt, which was where they commonl y claimed to originate from. It was finally revealed that the Romani language was closely correlated to dialects of the Indian language (Watkins). The Gypsies, or Romani people originated in Northern India and migrated into the Middle East and eventually spread across Europe (scottishgypsies.co.uk). The sociological perspective is the viewing of a groups behavior in a systemic way, rather than depending on common-sense explanations (Thomas 4). The three main sociological perspectives are the functionalist perspective, the interactionist perspective, and the conflict perspective. The functionalist perspective views society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to produce a stable social system (Thomas 14). Using the functionalist perspective, it can be perceived that the gypsies detached, private lives and rebellion against the bourgeois values identifies the culture as a dysfunction. If the gypsies norms were labeled as dysfunctional, it would mean that they have a negative consequence on the stability of the social system (Thomas 14). The interactionist perspective focuses solely on how individuals interact with one another in society and how individuals attach meanings to their actions (Thomas 17). Using the interactionist perspective, sociologists look at certain aspects such as marriage rituals and child development. The gypsies after marriage are expected to live with the parents of the husband for at least a year and are expected to have three or four children; it is very unusual for a couple to have only two children. Once they move in, the bori or wife, takes on most of the household tasks. Once the children arrive, the women are in charge of child care, but it is not strange for them to turn to relatives for assistance. Men and women are both affectionate towards children and the children are brought up in loving environments. Children begin to help their parents at a young age. They begin to train in whatever the family chooses for their kids to pursue whether it be singing, dancing, or woodwork. Girls learn household tasks and they marry by the time they reach mid-teens (Christobel). The conflict perspective focuses on the forces in society that promote competition and change. Conflict sociologists research includes decision-making i n the family and relationships among racial groups (Thomas 16). Using the conflict perspective, sociologists will see that the Gypsies are observed by outsiders as coming from a low social status and they are categorized as different for their carefree lifestyle. Sociological imagination is the ability to see the connection between the larger world and our personal lives (Thomas 5). Due to the gypsies different lifestyle and their practices not being accepted, they focused a lot of their attention on the arts. The original collection of the theater was moralistic and was created by Gypsies (Christobel). The Gypsies also are well known for their fortune-telling, which was an important part of their belief. Gypsy women sold fortunes by reading palms and tarot cards (Christobel). The Roma gypsies have impacted American culture directly with their mysticism and creative abilities. The Gypsies are also most well-known for their musical contributions. The Gypsies have contributed to curre nt American music, and are also accredited for their creation of the Flamenco, in Spain. Possibly one of the best jazz guitarists, Django Rheinhardt, who is a renowned Gypsy, also contributed to American culture (Heimlich). The gypsies have also influenced fashion in this generation. Today there are bohemian trends or boho, which are rustic and carefree. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to see ones own culture and group as superior (Thomas 35). If you have ever heard the saying when someone is to con another person, they gyp them, this is derived from the stereotype created by non-Gypsies. This saying is not accurate because the Gypsies generally had a lower crime rate than other ethnicities (Heimlich). In 1939 through 1945 there was the genocide of the Roma gypsies, which was when the Nazis decided that the Gypsies were racially inferior. The Nazis were against those who lived the gypsy lifestyle. The Nazis established these people as culturally undesirable and as a result, they mistreated them. The Nazis had no way to categorize and determine gypsies from a desirable individual, so they turned to racial hygiene and began to try and figure who the gypsies were, based on physical appearance. It was estimated that approximately 90 percent of all of the Roma in Germany, had contaminated blood, meaning they were mixed and were carriers of degenerate blood and unlawful characteristics (Ushmm.org). The Germans in this time period believed any other culture or race other than pure Germans could possibly pose as a threat to society. As a result, the Nazi Germans exterminated nearly one million Gypsies. Discrimination is still an issue today for Gypsies, along with marginalization. The European Gypsies today are still without sufficient medical aid and they do not receive the same job opportunities. They are deprived from certain privileges due to their culture and ethnic background (Padden). Cultural Relativism is the belief that cultures should be judged on their own standard rather than applying the standards of another culture (Thomas 36). There are the Romungro, The Boyash, and the Roma Gypsies all of which have different locations in Hungary and their standards vary based on their settlement. The Romungro are Gypsies that have lost their language and associate with middle class in society. These Gypsies have higher education expectations, but are still proud of their gypsy origin. The Boyash Gypsies are despised by the Roma Gypsies, due to their integration. They are nonviolent and hard-working. Music, dancing, and language remain important elements in the Boyash Gypsies culture. The Romas are the real Gypsies. They have continued to save their traditional culture which include their language, clothing, music, and dancing (Katalin, Forray R.;Beck Zoltà ¡n). All of these subcultures of gypsies have continued to keep the certain values of their culture and not comple tely conform to the standards of the of a larger culture. Today you can still find Roma Gypsies who continue to practice their cultural beliefs and standards in a society with different expected norms. I feel as if in todays society, the original Roma Gypsies would still be considered a counterculture. Despite having lost most of their original Romani language, they still preserve cultural identity and selectiveness (Heimlich). Their culture differs too much from todays social norms and would still be considered different or odd. After lots of research, I have discovered that there are many Gypsy subcultures that have adapted to certain norms and that do not follow the Roma Gypsy standards completely. I feel as if some of the Gypsy subcultures would be accepted in todays society. References   Christobel, Maya. The-Gypsy-Life.com. 19 May 2015. Web. 10 March 2017. Heimlich, Evan. Everyculture.com. 26 February 2015. Web. 10 March 2017. Katalin, Forray R.;Beck Zoltà ¡n. Gypsy Studies. University of Pà ©cs, 2008. Book. 10 March 2017. Mtholyoke.edu. n.d. Web. 10 March 2017. Padden, Kathy. Todayifoundout.com. 4 June 2014. Web. 10 March 2017. scottishgypsies.co.uk. 2004. Web. 10 March 2017. Thomas, W. LaVerne. Sociology: The Study of Human Relationships. Austin: Holt, Rinehart Winston, 2003. 39. Textbook. Turman, Karen. BOHEMIAN ARTISTS AND REAL BOHEMIANS. . 2015. infona.pl. Journal. 10 March 2017. Ushmm.org. 2017. Web. 10 March 2017. Watkins, James A. Owlcation.com. 27 December 2016. Web. 10 March 2017.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

MIS implementation at AC Ltd | Analysis

MIS implementation at AC Ltd | Analysis A PROJECT REPORT On Management Information System of AC Ltd. TABLE OF CONTENTS S. NO. PARTICULARS PAGE NO. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 1 INTRODUCTION – DEFINITION OF MIS 5 2 COMPANY PROFILE 6 3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 7 4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 7 5 TYPES OF MIS AND USES 8 7 ROLES OF MIS 8 8 DESCRIPTION NATURE OF INFORMATION SYSTEM 12 9 Description and Analysis use of Information Systems MIS STUDY AT AC LIMITED 9.1 General Information 9.2 Need For Integrated MIS 9.3 MIS Functions Provided by Current MIS 9.4 Architecture of MIS at AC Limited 9.5 Inventory Management Module Of Current MIS 12-24 11 ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, identification of problems 24 12 RECOMMENDATION for future developments in use of IS 25 13 GANTT CHART 28 14 REFERENCES 29 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Making decisions is an integral part in the functioning of any organization. To facilitate Decision making in this ever-competitive world it is imperative that managers have the right information at the right time to bridge the gap between need and expectation. For better flow of information an adequate Management Information Systems (MIS) is the need of this age. Thus it is important to have an understanding of the MIS followed in an organization by all levels of management in order to take effective and appropriate decisions. A management information system collects and processes data (information) and provides it to managers at all levels who use it for decision making, planning, program implementation, and control. The MIS has many roles to perform like the decision support role, the performance monitoring role and the functional support role. To get a realistic view of the MIS, I’ve gone through the MIS of AC Limited. For the purpose of getting in depth understanding of particular functions of the company, I focused the needs, uses and benefits of MIS with respect to the Material Department of the company. For the preparation of this report, Inventory Management has primarily been focused. AC Limited is one of the first Pakistani companies to realize the potential and importance of information technology and to adopt automation and IT infrastructure. The preliminary computerization took place in 1986. The organization has traveled a long way from the days in 1986 when it was using simple keypunching machines. Significant improvements were made in the application systems and infrastructure. From Batch processing to on-line systems, from IBM1401 to the latest UNIX and Windows XP and 2003 based machines organization has made timely transitions determined by the available technologies. Throughout this evolution the MIS remained synchronized to the information flow in the organization and the management felt that it has played a role in the overall growth and increased performance of the organization. INTRODUCTION DEFINITION OF MIS Management Information Systems (MIS) is a system consisting of people, machines, procedures, data bases and data models, as its components. The system gathers data from Internal and External sources of an organization; processes it and supplies Management Information to assist managers in the process in decision making. Thus it is safe to conclude that an information system is a system consisting of the network of all communication channels used within an organization. There are many potential benefits of MIS investments Investing in information systems can pay off for a company in many ways. It can support a core competency. Enhance distribution channel management. Builds brand equity. IT investment can boost production processes Information systems allow company flexibility in its output level. An information system comprises of all the components that collect, manipulate, and deliver data or information. It usually includes hardware, software, people, communications systems such as telephone lines, and the data itself. The activities involved include inputting data, processing of data into information, storage of data and information, and the production of outputs such as management reports. COMPANY PROFILE – THE ACC LIMITED AC (AC Limited) is Pakistans foremost manufacturer of cement and concrete. ACs operations are spread throughout the country with 14 modern cement factories, 13 Ready mix concrete plants, 19 sales offices, and several zonal offices. It has a workforce of about 9000 persons and a countrywide distribution network of over 9,000 dealers. ACs research and development facility has a unique track record of innovative research, product development and specialized consultancy services. Since its inception in 1936, the company has been a trendsetter and important benchmark for the cement industry in respect of its production, marketing and personnel management processes. Its commitment to environment-friendliness, its high ethical standards in business dealings and its on-going efforts in community welfare programs have won it acclaim as a responsible corporate citizen. AC has made significant contributions to the nation building process by way of quality products, services and sharing its expe rtise. In the 70 years of its existence, AC has been a pioneer in the manufacture of cement and concrete and a trendsetter in many areas of cement and concrete technology including improvements in raw material utilization, process improvement, energy conservation and development of high performance concretes. AC’s brand name is synonymous with cement and enjoys a high level of equity in the Indian market. It is the only cement company that figures in the list of Consumer Super Brands of India. The companys various businesses are supported by a powerful, in-house research and technology backup facility the only one of its kind in the Indian cement industry. This ensures not just consistency in product quality but also continuous improvements in products, processes, and application areas. AC has rich experience in mining, being the largest user of limestone, and it is also one of the principal users of coal. As the largest cement producer in India, it is one of the biggest customers of the Indian Railways, and the foremost user of the road transport network services for inward and outward movement of materials and products. ACC has also extended its services overseas to the Middle East, Africa, and South America, where it has provided technical and managerial consultancy to a variety of consumers, and also helps in the operation and maintenance of cement plants abroad. ACC demonstrates the practices of being a good corporate citizen undertaking a wide range of activities to improve the living conditions of the under-privileged classes living near its factories. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The objective of this report is to study the MIS implementation at AC Ltd. and with the help of this domain, to get an insight into the needs of MIS in business setups on a big scale, various functions performed by the MIS, benefits derived out of such a system and the risks involved. I intend to aim my study at analyzing the business needs of the organization, key challenges or desired functional requirements of the MIS, the IT solution that is currently implemented and the outcome of such a system. AC Ltd. requires MIS to map internal processes and interaction with the external environment to the technology and ensure the solution delivers real benefits to the business. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of this study is to understand the reasons behind the need of MIS in AC Ltd. This study leads to the MIS support to the Company as a whole with special emphasis on Inventory Management practiced in the Material Stores Department of the company. Through the interaction with the executives of AC Limited, we get an insight about the effectiveness of the MIS in place at the organization. TYPES OF MIS AND USES MIS CLASSIFICATION MIS is a concept, which is a matter of degree rather than an absolute one. In management there are perhaps few other areas other than MIS which gas created so much controversy. We would make an attempt to try to look into different types of MIS as they have evolved during the course of time. Transaction Processing System Management Information System Decision Support System Executive Support System Office Automation System Business Expert System FUNCTIONAL USES AND ROLES OF MIS THE PERFORMANCE MONITORING ROLE MIS are not just statistics and data analysis. They have to be used as an MBO (Management by Objectives) tool. They help: to establish relevant and measurable objectives to monitor results and performances (reach ratios) to send alerts, in some cases daily, to managers at each level of the organization, on all deviations between results and pre-established objectives and budgets. THE FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT ROLE Business processes and operations support function is the most basic. It involves collecting, recording, storing, and basic processing of data. Information systems support business processes and operations by: recording, storing and processing sales data, purchase data, investment data, payroll data and other accounting records recording, storing and processing inventory data, work in process data, equipment repair and maintenance data, supply chain data, and other production/operations records recording, storing and processing personnel data, salary data, employment histories, and other human resources records recording, storing and processing market data, customer profiles, customer purchase histories, marketing research data, advertising data, and other marketing records recording, storing an processing business intelligence data, competitor analysis data, industry data, corporate objectives, and other strategic management records use of all the above to implement, control, and monitor plans, strategies, tactics, new products, new business models or new business ventures. THE DECISION SUPPORT ROLE The business decision making support function goes one step further. It is an integral part of making decisions. It allows users to ask What if†¦? questions: What if we increase the price by 5%? What if we increase price by 10%? What if we decrease price by 5%? What if we increase price by 10% now, then decrease it by 5% in three months? It also allows users to deal with contingencies: If inflation increases by 5% (instead of 2% as we are assuming), then what do we do? What do we do if we are faced with a strike or a new competitive threat? ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE ACC LTD. Description and Nature of Information System INVENTORY MANAGEMENT A product that is in excessive demand is usually extremely difficult to manage. Supplying the right amount of products implies that an accurate demand forecast is essential. This holds the impact on the entire supply chain to facilitate efficient consumer response based on consumer demands it becomes imperative that such companies consider inventory management seriously. Making accurate demand and supply predictions is an ideal situation that anyone in the supply chain management arena could dream off. By providing timely accurate information pertaining to inventory location, movement and valuation, receipt of goods, sale and return of goods and profits you can make sure that your inventory is visible throughout a network. With inventory management you can set your product catalog to hide products that are not in stock, or change prices based on the amount of products available in the warehouse. The quantity available can be displayed to the shopper and this can prevent unnecessary confusion when the shopper adds items not available to a shopping cart. The store buyer can be automatically notified about low inventory levels. IT (Information Technology) is a key enabler in the transformation of purchasing into a strategic business function. The challenge is to find a way to put these technologies to use and create value and competitive advantage. The Main Objectives in Inventory Management are: Improved customer service Reduced inventory investment Increased productivity Benefits of inventory management applications Complete control of inventory. Complete information about the value of the inventory Complete visibility on Quantities on hand, Quantities committed and Quantities sold Response time to demand changes reduced Increased sales Knowledge of the exact size of merchandizing inventory Taxes and insurance premiums paid on excess merchandize inventory avoided. DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AC is one of the first Indian companies to realize the potential and importance of information technology and adopt automation and IT. The organization started computerizing its systems as early as 1986. The organization has traveled a long way from the days in 1986 when it was using simple keypunching machines. Significant improvements have been made in the application systems and infrastructure. From Batch processing to on-line systems, from IBM1401 to the latest UNIX and Windows 2003 based machines it has made timely transitions determined by available technologies and business requirements. AC has made a quantum jump from in-house developed systems using Oracle 9i and Developer 6i to an ERP based solution. This decision was solely based on its strategic objectives and the business benefits that are expected to follow. With this move people, business processes and technologies across the country are aligned. The implementation of ERP solution for process control is shown in the figure below. Fig.1 The ERP implementation for process control at AC Ltd. IT department is still continuously working on improving the functionality and removing the errors of the system. As a result system is becoming better day-by-day, thus improving the productivity of the company. NEED FOR AN INTEGRATED MIS The benefits associated with an integrated MIS are Better processing of the large volume of data in an organization. Reducing the Redundancy of Data that occurs in case of separate packages. Availability of all the required information about any department through a common system. Making the system capable of supporting the managers in making decisions. Facilitate the communication between the various regional offices of the company and the corporate office along with the main plant. Use of online data to speed up the information flow of the organization and facilitate decision-making FUNCTIONS PROVIDED BY CURRENT MIS Plant (Manufacturing Maintenance) Production Break down and Plant performance Module MIS Reports and stoppage Module, Stock position Raw Materials Management System Integration with Weigh Bridge and Security Gate Daily stock, issue position and bill passing Transport Freight Payment Systems Weigh Bridge Integrated with Security Gate Stopped one mechanical weigh bridge 500 trucks can weigh for gross and tare in single day 5002 = 1000 Time Management Reports, Truck Movement reports Weighment is integrated with invoice cum challan freight Payment Truck position inside and outside the plant. Computerized Preventive Maintenance Software Both plant are using this module Preventive Maintenance and Break down Module Shutdown module and integrated with inventory Forecasting of spares and skills usage module Inward Outward Materials Security Control on returnable goods Work Order and analysis Work Order will be prepared by authorized person Provided to all departments. Integrated with Rate Master And budget. Labour Deployment and accounting System Daily supply of Contractor Labour deployment Against regular, adhoc and shutdown requirements Daily/monthly/yearly analysis reports Contractor labour Bill passing system Commercial Applications Marketing Accounting and analysis System Excise module and Sales Tax Module Transport Bill passing module Order Confirmations and Dispatch Instruction Free Market Requirements, Railway Receipt Commercial Invoice, Debit Note, Credit Notes. Stores Inventory Non Inventory On Line indent, Issue and Receipt Materials Delivery Schedule Controlling the inventory Controlling the increased inventory Stores Ledger, consumption Summary MIS reports, Budget V/s Actual Consumption. Integrated with financial Package Repair maintenance inventory, Department Wise Expenses. Purchase Management System Purchase Order integration with indent On line enquiry, Party wise information Pending list of purchase order MIS reports, Purchase / Indent Register Payment Advice System (Advance, regular) Financial Accounting System All types of voucher feeding Purchase and freight bill passing Other Expenses bill passing and TDS Module General Ledger, Sub Ledger and Trial balance of two Financial years Auto payment advice, Bank forwarding letters, payment System, Overhead Analysis reports. Integrated with inventory and Payroll module MIS Reports Cash Budget, Vehicle Movement Controlling on Taxi, Car etc On line General information System Information provided to Users about On line Leave status I.e. opening, availed and closing status Electricity Deduction Employee wise, Quarter wise Over time Status department wise Welfare rules and Regulations, Telephone list, accidental etc Actual Consumption against budget, Welfare information Human Resource Development Topic Courses, General Awareness Programme, TNA of Workmen, TNA of LCW, Individual record of ext/int Training, Pending Training etc. Payroll PIS Module Payslips of Staff, Worker, School, Badli Casual Worker PF, VPF, Bonus, Gratuity Module LIC, CTD, Thrift Society, Co-operative advances Module. Recovery Deduction, PIS and Income Tax Employee wise Integrated with Financial Package Over Time, C-off Module Payroll of Marketing Department (Transferred from HO) Sales Accounting Systems Sales Accounting Systems, Rent Payment System Data loading, Expenses Payment System, Freight Payment, MIS, Transferring in FAS Gate Pass System (Returnable Non-returnable goods) All goods send through Computerized Gate Pass Integrated with Gate System. Pending repair items information Architecture of MIS at AC Limited Current MIS of the company is basically a In-house developed system, also comprising of few specialized readymade software packages bought from outside developers. It comprises of 11 main modules covering all the main functions of the company. Inventory Management Module is one of the most important parts of the system. It is highly integrated with the other modules and capable of functionalities like Auto Alarming when inventory is low. It is capable of generating more than 200 different types of reports to help managers in different required ways. Its main parts include Inventory issue, purchase, bill passing, other OER passing, freight passing, stock updation etc. DFDs and Data processing diagrams: Inventory Package Context Level Diagram (CFD): Inventory Package Issue DFD: Inventory Purchase DFD: Data Processing (Full Inventory Module) Application used for Work order Preparation at The ACC Ltd. 1. ITEM CODE CREATION There are 9 types of item group in Non Catalogue Item Medicines 806 Stationary 807 Repair Order 808 Transportation Order 809 Raw materials 810 Capital Orders 811 Job Orders 812 Laboratory Items 813 Direct book orders 814 2. Indent Posting 3. Indent Sanctioning 4. Indent Type Updation[image] 5. Order Preparation 6. Order Printing[image] ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS After analyzing the system properly, we came to a basic conclusion that system is working fine at an overall level and consisting of very minimal problems. These problems can’t be stated as such problems and instead can be stated as future path. Still we tried to jot down the few of them, which are as follows: Still lack of system integration after a level. Though inventory management module is integrated well with all the other modules like financial system, thus reducing the redundancy. But still there is need of paper work and manual intervention when reordering is required. System cannot be configured to reorder automatically, even for the fast moving raw material. Lack of Web Integration. AC hasn’t still employed the concept of taking orders or ordering through web and have no integration of its system to its website. Legacy Network Support. Backbone network used by AC is still the same, which they used in 1993. They haven’t upgraded the network support from then, which has started creating problems for them already. As MIS of the company is improving day-by-day including more and more functionalities, the network has already become very slow. Lack of training to managers to effectively use the decision support functionalities of system. This is another problem that we felt at the company. IT department is basically making the improvements in the system continuously with new added functionalities, but there is lack of training to managers to effectively use these functions in way that can support them to make better decisions. For example, on an average, a manager uses only 10-15 types of reports out of more than 200 types of reports available. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT Considering the given problems, their analysis and research on comparative MIS systems used in the similar kind of industries, our group is presenting following recommendations for the company. IT department of the company should now work towards integrating the system on a higher level and making the company Paper-Less Office. This should be done by integrating the system in a way that the manual intervention be minimized in the day-to-day process. The company should also start Web-Based ordering and selling, so that to be able to catch up with the growing industry. As more improvements in MIS would be done, and Web-support to be also incorporated, it is more than sure that current Network available is going to crash. To cop this, company needs to upgrade its network. For this purpose, we suggest the tie-up of company with some outside contractors like IBM or CISCO to continuously upgrade and maintain their network. With each up gradation, we suggest training to the managers of the company about effectively using the added functionalities and use of them in a better way. This can be also done by providing a handbook along with each up gradation. REFERENCES Officials Contacted from: Mr. Sam Joseph (Deputy Manager, IT Department), AC Limited. Secondary Sources Management Information Systems – A Managerial Perspective, D.P. Goyal www.tcs.com www.sap.com

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Crucible - fear and suspicion Essays -- Essay on The Crucible

In the Crucible, Arthur Miller shows us how fear and suspicion can destroy a community. As the play develops, Miller shows us how fear and suspicion increase and destroy the community. Throughout the play it becomes apparent that the community gets more and more divided as time goes on. In the beginning there were arguments about ownership of land between some of the villagers. As the story progresses people fear for their own safety and begin accusing their neighbours of witchcraft in order to escape being hanged. Salem became overrun by the hysteria of witchcraft. Mere suspicion itself was accepted as evidence. As a Satan-fearing community, they could not think of denying the evidence, because to deny the existence of evil was to deny the existence of goodness; which was God. In the 17th century a group of Puritans migrated from England to America - the land of dreams - to escape persecution for their religious beliefs. As Arthur Miller tells us in the introduction to Act 1 'no one can really know what their lives were like.' We would never be able to imagine a life with 'no novelists' and 'their creed forbade anything resembling a theatre or vain entertainment.' 'They didn't celebrate Christmas, and a holiday from work meant only that they must concentrate even more upon prayer.' They led a very austere and bleak life. The people of Salem - from which the audience derive their "good" and "evil" characters - were superstitious and highly religious, and their Theocratic form of government offered them security and unity. However, this strong religious background also offered the option to use it misguidedly to promote the evil of false accusations. The excessive and blind religious fanaticism... ...n 1947 but a year later in 1958 his conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court. The play is relevant to any society destroyed by fear, suspicion, paranoia and accusation - other societies where something similar has happened include East Germany under communism after World War 2, Afghanistan under the Taliban and China under the Cultural Revolution when the Red Guards would decry people for being bourgeois reactionaries. In conclusion I think that the ideas of fear and suspicion appear throughout the play. Initially the suspicion starts on a small scale but gradually develops and destroys the community. The fear of the devil at the beginning extends and includes fear of others and neighbours but when the court comes into action the community are also afraid of the court. All the fears and suspicion mounts up and the community is thrown into turmoil.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Odyssey Hospitality Essay -- Essays Papers

Odyssey Hospitality Hospitality In The Odyssey by Homer, hospitality plays a very important role. There are certain rules of hospitality needed, such as inviting a stranger into your home, not asking them their name before they have dined at your table, and sometimes even gift offerings. If these rules of hospitality are not carried out, the consequences are very severe. Hospitality is to be given to all by all. Being a good host is very important in The Odyssey, even to the gods. It is a sign of respect for all no matter where they are from or how poor they appear to be. This means that as soon as you see a stranger, you invite them into your home to sit at your table just as king Nestor did. "As soon as they saw the strangers, all came crowding down, waving them on in welcome, urging them to sit." (III, 38) After you have invited them into your home, you must invite them to dine at your table. Only after they have dined, you have the permission to ask for their names, like King Menelaus did, "'Help yourselves to food, and welcome! Once you've dined we'll ask you who you are.'" (IV, 68-69) Many times before dining "...women had washed them, rubbed them down with oil and drawn warm fleece and shirts around their shoulders..." (IV, 56-57) If the host enjoyed the company of the guests, many times they will honor them with gifts. The kind of gifts given varied depending on the wealth and generosity of the host. For example, Aeolus, the king of the winds, gave Odysseus a...

COP 3530, Discrete Data Structures and Algorithms, Summer 1999, Homework 4 :: UFL Florida Computer Programming Homework

Class Notes: Data Structures and Algorithms Summer-C Semester 1999 - M WRF 2nd Period CSE/E119, Section 7344 Homework #4 -- Due Wed 16 June 1999 : 09.30am -- Answer Key Answers are in blue typeface. * Question 1. Write pseudocode and a diagram that shows how to implement the merge part of the merge-sort algorithm using two stacks (one for each subsequence), and be sure to use the correct ADT operations for stacks. Do not write Java code, or pseudocode for merge-sort. Answer: 1. Put the two sorted subsequences to be merged, denoted by S1 and S2 on stacks of the same name. Assume that the sorting is in ascending order; hence, each stack has its minimum values at the top of the stack. 2. The merge algorithm proceeds as follows: { repeat until S1 or S2 is empty { v1 = pop(S1) v2 = pop(S2) output(min(v1,v2)) if (max(v1,v2) = v1) then push v1 onto S1 else push v2 onto S2 endif }

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Learning Activaties Essay

When working with children especially children who you support in class you will be given the opportunity to input your own ideas into the teachers planning, as you have your own areas of expertise or if you are a one-to-one you will have your own knowledge of the child you work with. When you work with children with special needs they will need more structure in the activities that they do every day and you will be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. The child that I work with in school has a range of difficulties from social communication difficulties to a speech and language problem. Everyday is different because he is so interchangeable, one day he will sit and work with me and the next he will not want anything to do with me, sometimes this makes it hard as most of the work we do is structured around work given by various professionals who come into school to support him (speech and language, education psychologist, communication and interaction team and learning support). Because I work with him every day I can see what works with him and what doesn’t and just about daily I have to give feedback to her so that we can both plan the lessons for him for the next day. Here are a few examples of when I have offered constructive suggestions in supporting planned learning activities:- I was sat with the teacher one morning before the children came into school because that is when we do our planning for the child I support or we modify anything that he has to be supported with in class. I noticed that the teacher had planned an arts and craft lesson that involved the use of tissue paper, the child that I support does not like the touch or feel of tissue paper (I had done an activity with him the other week which had resulted in him refusing to anything else with the tissue paper has he did not like the feel he got so upset and I had to put the tissue paper away). I mentioned this to the teacher because I wanted my child to be involved with the lesson but I did not what them to disrupt the rest of the class. So we decided that we would alter the materials we were using not just for the child that I support but for the whole class so that he could feel included in the whole lesson. Another example was when I was working with a group of children doing a numeracy lesson. The lesson was about rounding numbers up to the nearest ten, I had a group of six children one of which as special needs first the teacher explained to them in class what they were expected to and told them how to do it, I then took the six children out side of the class and supported them with the lesson. The children found the task very difficult and could not grasp the idea of rounding off numbers to the nearest ten. When I took them back into the class room I talked to the teacher and explained that most of them found the task hard and suggested that we modify the task by letting them use a number line to help then see how to round the numbers off to the nearest ten. She agreed that i was right and said that it was a good idea for tomorrow’s numeracy lesson. By doing this I gave constructive suggestions to the teacher and supported planned learning activities.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Electronic Media Essay

Electronic media are that utilize electronics or electromechanical energy for the end user (audience) to access the content. This is in contrast to static media (mainly print media), which are most often created electronically, but don’t require electronics to be accessed by the end user in the printed form. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public are better known as video recordings, audio recordings, multimedia presentations, slide presentations, CD-ROM and Online Content. Most new media are in the form of digital media. However, electronic media may be in either analog or digital format. Devices such as televisions, computers and cd-roms that make information available to people. Importance In October 2003, the British humanitarian organization Christian Aid released a report that $4 billion in Iraqi funds, which had been earmarked for reconstruction of the country, had disappeared. The Coalition Provision Authority (CPA), the U.S. controlled body that ruled Iraq at the time, was relegated with handling that money. â€Å"An examination of financial records between June 2003 and October 2004 showed poor bookkeeping and investigators â€Å"found indicators of potential fraud,† the report said â€Å"At the time, the CPA vigorously denied the accusations. By June 2004, the amount of money gone missing had more than doubled from four to almost nine billion dollars. This story was reported with minimal coverage when the announcement was first released. As the investigation progressed, the story of the missing billions was reported several times during the summer months of 2004 and again in January 2005. However, it was never given prominence in any news medium. The writers at Faithful Progressive called it the â€Å"biggest and single most under-reported story of the last year†. News Media and Democracy In a democracy an informed public is of critical importance. In matters regarding the self-interests of the citizenry and of the nation as a whole, knowledge is key in making decisions regarding participation in the process of democracy. Indeed, â€Å"failing to report important news, or reporting news shallowly, inaccurately, or unfairly can leave people dangerously  uninformed†. The mass media of today has tremendous power within society. What and how information is distributed can have indelible consequences for individuals and society as a whole. As such, control of media outlets â€Å"is regarded as a valued form of property for those seeking political or economic power†. Among other sources of power, it is important to note that mass media has the ability to: â€Å"attract and directattention to problems, solutions, or people that can favor those with power; it can confer status and confirm legitimacy; it can be a channel for persuasion and mobilization (Graber, 33). This represents an incredible amount of power, and over the past twenty years or so, people have taken control over these outlets for the sole purpose of attaining both political and economic power. International In the United States, there are three twenty-four hour news networks. President Bill Clinton stated it well in a response to the question of the condition of today’s media. He stated, â€Å"The thing I worry about most is that people will have all the information in the world but won’t have any way of evaluating it†¦That’s what I consider to be the most significant challenge presented to all of you by the explosion of media outlets †¦ in the Information Age.† COMPARISON WITH PRINT MEDIA Illiteracy According to United Nations report Pakistan has 55% literacy rate. This makes it 160th country in world. Because of low literacy rate people cannot read the printed news. This gives an edge to electronic media over print media. Media of future Electronic Media has a clear edge over print media even if ‘new media’ (for eg. The Internet) is not included in it. Print media is more of a ‘habit’ with people and still caters to a sizeable population. But electronic media offers a lot of choice to the people, especially to the youth (GEN Y), the largest growing segment of our population and more importantly, has the  ability to maintain the pace at which the preferences and demands of the Gen Y changes. The shrinking readership of the print publications perhaps is testimony to the changing media consumption pattern of the people today. Although we don’t see an immediate threat to the print media, more so because it is a centuries old media, yet we believe it definitely is not the media of the future. Moreover, electronic media is visually more appealing and more effective in not only conveying a message but by virtue of being a frequency medium, is also effective in registering it, thus ensuring high brand recall amongst viewers & potential customers. For the advertisers and advertising agencies, it provides exciting opportunities to experiment with new and innovative ideas which reduces the media’s dependence on traditional source Which is best? It depends on which area you are in. In rural areas, where there is no technology, print is better, but for the urban areas, electronic media are the best. Print media was supposed to have died 10 years ago, but that has not happened. In terms of mobility and cost print media is better than electronic media. But in terms of speed, coverage and reliability, electronic media are the best. Newspaper is no longer essential, while attending the usual morning business, in the toilet. Laptop is the in thing; one can browse as many e-papers as desired. IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM New technology has many social and educational benefits but caregivers and educators have expressed concern about the dangers young people can be exposed to through these technologies. To respond to this concern, some states and school districts have, for example, established policies about the use of cell phones on school grounds and developed policies to block access to certain websites on school computers. Many teachers and caregivers have taken action individually by spot-checking websites used by young people, such as FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE. This brief focuses on the phenomena of electronic aggression: any kind of aggression perpetrated through technology—any type of harassment or bullying (teasing,telling lies, making fun of someone, making rude or mean comments, spreading rumors, or making threatening or aggressive comments) that occurs through email, a chat room,  instant messaging, a website (including blogs), or text messaging. â€Å"Youth is easily deceived, because it is quick to hope.† Aristotle The youth is getting the wrong path by the use of this E-Media. Our main aim is to protect our youth from the dangerous effects of E-Media. In E-media we will target specifically the TV media which is accessible by the whole family especially the youth. Further in youth TV is mostly watched by the women of the family. These effects are either caused intentionally or by the negligence of E-media personals. Intentional effects are either for the promotion of their channels. The E-Media personals are displaying the unethical dramas, either the stories are distracting the youth or the scenes of the drama are disturbing and unethical. They provoke the female and male relationships which are considered unethical in our society. Most of the dramas and soaps are based on love stories and relations of married women with young guys. Some TV shows are provoking aggressiveness in our youth. We will mention a program of ARY MUSIK named LIVING ON THE EDGE. This program consists of unethical, immoral and non islamic dares given to the youth of Pakistan. That is done to provoke aggressiveness and to bring our youth to the level of the unethical youths of western countries. He is trying to copy the programs like FEAR FACTOR, RHOADIES etc. Similarly the E-Media personals are provoking nudity. Either that nudity is in full form or half nudity. We use the term half nudity for the scenes in which women or men are wearing inislamic clothes. Wearing sleeveless, wearing Capri, uncovered hair, uncovered belly etc is completely inislamic. Hereby we will mention some channels that have bought the licenses of western movie channels and are showing scenes containing kisses and some other unethical scenes. Channels are ARY DIGITAL who has recently bought license of HBO. Plus there are our cable operators who are showing unethical channels at midnight and at day time. Smoking scenes also provoke the drug addiction in youth. Previously the ads of cigarettes were banned in order to decrease the percentage of people converting to addiction. But now these smoking scenes are consistently being shown in many dramas and shows. When a youngster watches  his favorite actor smoking in a TV drama and performing stunts or having lots of girlfriends because of that cigarette then that youngster follows him. Same is the case with scenes containing alcohol and beer. Violent footages are also disturbing for the youth. We see many Indian movies which are showing scenes of fights which are followed by the youngsters. Same is happening here these days all the boys are found to be fighting with each other. They think they are living in their ideal movie and they are the heroes. Wrestling and cartoons are watched by the children and they try to implement that in their real life often damaging either themselves or some other member of family. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM Before examining the state of the news media in today’s society, it is important to define what good reporting of news should be. Doris A. Graber, in her book Media Power in Politics, thinks it important to distinguish between news and truth. â€Å"The function of news is to signalize an event. The function of truth is to bring to light the hidden facts, to set them into relation with each other, and make a picture of reality upon which men can act† (Graber, 41). News dissemination, whether through radio broadcast, newspaper articles, or a web site posting, should perform both functions in order to truly inform. Good news can affect society in positive ways. Determined, sweepingcoverage of important topics can improve local communities, rid government of improper public officials, save lives, and so many other things. Reporting events and uncovering truths is critical for the news media to perform its function. Media is the pillar of a society. Television is a vital source from which most people receive information. News and media delegates on television have abused their powers over society through the airing of appealing news shows that misinform the public. Through literary research and experimentation, it has been proven that people’s perception of reality has been altered by the information they receive from such programs. Manipulation, misinterpretation, word arrangement, picture placement and timing are all  factors and tricks that play a major role in the case. Research, experimentation, and actual media coverage has pinpointed actual methods used for deceptive advertising. Television influences society in many ways. People are easily swayed to accept a belief that they may not normally have unless expressed on television, since many people think that everything they hear on television is true. This, however, is not always the case. It has been observed that over the past twenty to thirty years, normal social behavior, even actual life roles of men and women and media, regulatory policies have all been altered. Media has changed with time, along with quality and respectability. Many people receive and accept false information that is merely used as an attention grabber that better the show’s ratings and popularity. This involves sensationalizing a story to make it more interesting, therefore increasing the interest of the audience. People often know that these shows aim to deceive them, but still accept the information as truth. The E-media has severely damaged our youth and provided them with altered and incorrect information. Thus one whole youth of Pakistan is having incorrect information and has inaccurate knowledge which not only is damage for them but for the whole generations which are to come. Following quotes represent the significance of youth; â€Å"Youth is the trustee of prosperity.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Collaborative Fund-Raising Activit Essay

The Phoenix Homeless Agency (PHA) needs to increase funding to continue funding job counseling to qualifying recipients. While they regularly access traditional contracts and grants, the economy has increased the need for services immensely and required them to look for other sources. The Executive Director and Board of Directors have begun their search by using the internet, other agencies, and community networking. They have decided that there are three options that would yield revenue while also keeping costs under control so that they have money left over for their program; appealing to local government officials, contacting local businesses for donations, and holding a strong public donation campaign. First, by contacting local government officials the agency may access information about funding that is available to community agencies that are not related to federal or state traditional grants and contracts. These may include United Way, connections to people who may wish to donate, grants from large out-of the area businesses and foundations, or city donations to help people find work. They may also employ grant writers who may be able to help organization understand the locating and writing process to achieve better results. Second, local businesses are often feeling the pinch of the economy as hard as individuals. They understand that people need help and will donate products to be sold in exchange for tax donation credit. These donations could either be sold or used within the program; either raising money by their sale or saving the program money, respectively. Ultimately, the people they help may become their future employees and/or consumers; people remember who helped them when they were in dire straights. Auctions, in-kind trade of services, and door-to-door product sales may raise money which can be helpful in the continuation of the program with very little if any cost. Lastly, the option to run a strong donation drive within the community may be quite successful. This agency has been helping the local people for many years and many will wish to see it continue its work. At a time when support may be needed the most, communities tend to rally behind local agencies rather than donate to larger, more nationally-based organizations because they can see the way their money is being spent. Asking people for money is never a pleasant or easy task, but when the option is ceasing to exist, it must be done. Appealing to individuals helps pull the community together and provides much needed assistance to agencies.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Decision Making Process Paper Week One

Decision Making Process Paper Week One MGT 230 Decision making is part of a person’s every day daily routine. We all wake up and have to decide what we are going to wear for the day. Some of us may even decide not to get ready at all. The magnitude of peoples’ decisions is dependent on many factors. It is important to thoroughly analyze a situation before making decisions. My family and I had lived in Newport News, Virginia for about three years. My wife and I had rented our homes ever since we got married.In 2009, I finally received military orders to be stationed back home in beautiful Coronado, California in San Diego County. We had a common obstacle, where in San Diego did we want to live and did we really want to rent? â€Å"There’s no question that buying a house makes sense for some folks, but mainly for non-financial reasons. Owning a home gives you stability (you’re not at the mercy of a landlord) and freedom (you can do what you want with the pl ace). But financially, it’s not always the best bet. † (Roth [insert & â€Å"comma† and â€Å"Snell†] 2012) We had to figure out if owning was for us.First we went through all of our finances and determined how much dispensable income we had. Fortunately, we didn’t have much debt which gave us a pretty large positive margin between our income and our debts. We then determined how much we would likely spend on variable expenses such as gasoline, entertainment, utilities, etc. Once we determined how much we could afford to pay for rent or a mortgage, we immediately wrote a list of all the cities we wanted to live in San Diego according to school districts and safety for our children.Next we did rental searches and price searches for home in the cities we wanted to live in to get an idea of how much we would be paying for rent or a mortgage and if it was within our allowable spending limit. â€Å"The third stage of decision making involves determining the value or adequacy of the alternatives that were generated. In other words, which solution will be the best? † (Bateman, [insert â€Å"&† before comma†] Snell 2011) From this point, we had to determine which solution would work best for us.This narrowed down our search to two cities, and we realized that renting a home would cost just as much as owning a house that we would be happy with. We contacted a realtor that was recommended by my parents and began our search for a new house. During the time of our house search, there was a tax stimulus that we wanted to take advantage of for first time home buyers, but there was only a couple of months left in the program and I only had two weeks to look at houses and have an accepted offer.Also, if we didn’t choose a house before I left, we would have lost our opportunity to take advantage of the tax credit that was available to first time home buyers. We felt very rushed, looked at a handful of houses and quic kly put an offer in for the best one we saw due to time restraints. I flew back to Virginia from leave and found out our offer was accepted. We closed escrow in a month and my family moved into our new house. It was an exciting time in our lives. Chapter three’s Managerial Decision Making similarly resembles our decision making process when we decided to buy our first home with the exception of a couple steps.We didn’t quite discover a problem as stated for a first step in the decision making process, but we did determine that buying a home would be a better overall decision for us. The book’s second and third steps were similar to ours because we did generate another solution which was to rent, and we did evaluate each solution carefully by considering our finances and our desired living locations. In correlation to the books fourth step, we mistakenly ended up satisficing [insert â€Å"&† before comma†] and chose the first house that met our needs and achieved our goal.We implemented our decision by putting an offer in and buying the house. After the entire process, we have many regrets and have determined what we will do next time we purchase a house. The next time around, I would want to implement the step of â€Å"making a choice† a lot better. Instead of satisficing [check spelling] I would want to maximize our choice by taking our time and finding a handful of houses that suit our needs before deciding on purchasing again. Especially in this time where foreclosures and short sales are a dime a dozen, there are many properties to take advantage from.Decision making is very important in our daily lives and even minute decisions can change our future drastically. It is very important to carefully assess and make decisions. References Bateman, T. , Snell, S. (2011). Management: Leading & Collaborating in a Competitive World (9th Ed. ). (pp. 91-92). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Roth, J. (2012, December 03). Is it better to rent or to buy? Time Business & Money. Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://business. time. com/2012/12/03/is-it-better-to-rent-or-to-buy/