Protecting Yourself Against the Treats of Cyberspace

Cyber Security It seems like everyone in today’s society has access to a computer, a cell phone, or some other type of technology that allows information to be passed from one person to another through space. With your private information out there in cyberspace, clever thieves are finding ways to access your personal informational and to steal from you without you even knowing about it until it is too late. The thieves are taking your personal data and using it to gain access to your accounts. In fact, there are many different ways thieves are threatening your safety in cyberspace. Each of these threats is serious in nature and one should act upon it immediately before more damage is done. One type of threat people have to deal with†¦show more content†¦Why? Because hackers have the temptation to brag and to share information they learn with other hackers, so the trainee will become one of them. Once the trainee understands the hacker’s ways of infiltrating computers, the trainee will find a way to prevent it or at least slow it down. How will this be done? Research is hoping to use the latest data-mining techniques to look through online conversations to find the hackers that possess the most potential harm to the computers and figure out the strategies they use so they can block it. With regards to the nation’s security when it comes to cyber attacks, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency uses a system that monitors all activities in the federal agency network system so they can seek out possible threats to their system’s safety and privacy. This system is known as EINSTEIN. There are three phases of EINSTEIN. EINSTEIN 1 is a program that can detect intrusions on one’s computer and then reports. EINSTEIN 2 is a program that can detect intrusions on ones’ computer in almost real time. Sensors are built in that will alert the government of all activity going in and out of the network. The information collected will be able to tell if a threat such as malware, worms, network backdoors, and Trojan horses are detected. EINSTEIN 3 is the newest security system and cannot only detect cyber threats but has theShow MoreRelatedEasay7165 Words   |  29 Pagesyears old, our society is just beginning to addr ess the ethical issues and dilemmas raised by these technological advances. It s difficult to measure one person s ethics against another person s desire to make money or cause chaos that s made much easier by the Internet. The U.S. government is just beginning to pass laws against cybercrimes but it s difficult to stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals. A Model for Thinking about Ethical, Social, and Political Issues Many of these issuesRead MoreBrand Building Blocks96400 Words   |  386 Pagesreasons reflect internal pressures that inhibit brand building. The fifth reason, the temptation to change a sound brand strategy, is particularly insidious because it is the management equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot. The sixth and seventh reasons, the organizational bias against innovation and the pressure to invest elsewhere, are special problems facing strong brands. They can be caused by arrogance but are more often caused by complacency coupled with pride and/or greed. The finalRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesEmployer Organization (PEO) 47 Shared Services 47 HRM in an Entrepreneurial Enterprise 48 HRM in a Global Environment 48 HR and Corporate Ethics Summary 50 Demonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 51 Key Terms 51 52 HRM Workshop 49 Guarding Against Discrimination Practices 65 DID YOU KNOW?: Is a Problem Brewing? 66 Determining Potential Discriminatory Practices 66 The 4/5ths Rule 66 Restricted Policy 66 Geographical Comparisons 67 McDonnell-Douglas Test 67 Responding to an EEO Charge 67 Read MoreMonsanto: Better Living Through Genetic Engineering96204 Words   |  385 Pagesanalyses and the development of alternative solutions to case problems, are essential. Recommended alternatives should ï ¬â€šow logically from core problems identiï ¬ ed through study of the case. Exhibit 2 shows a set of steps that can help you to familiarise yourself with a case, identify problems and propose strategic actions that increase the probability that a ï ¬ rm will achieve strategic competitiveness and earn above-average returns. EXHIBIT 2 Step 1: Gaining familiarity a In general – determine whoRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pagesmanagerial activities. Try This! Think about the managers who work in any organization with which you are familiar. Have you seen them playing the roles that Mintzberg describes? How did they play them? Have you ever played any of these roles yourself? WhaT resources Do managers use? One definition of a manager is someone who holds the authority to commit organizational resources, and managers do, in fact, spend a large amount of time managing a number of diverse resources. As was discussed

Baroque Notes Free Essays

Oldest of the three people known as the Carried * Cousin of Agitations and Enable * Studied painting in Florence * Taught his cousins Agitations (1557- 1602) * Known better as a printmaker rather than a painter * Did a lot of reproduced engravings; gave way to show famous pieces in print format without having to travel to the actual place * Reproduced engravings- reproduction of pieces in print form Enable (156(:)-1609) * Most well-known Carried The Carried Academy, Bologna (Academia dogleg Incriminate) Name meaner â€Å"those who have set forth† * They were setting out to create a new form of art * Served more as an informal meeting place where artist could come to work * Wasn’t really a teaching academy most people who were members were already masters at their craft * Acted more as a studio than school * Went out to the streets and drew from life (I. E. Man with Monkey) * Genre paintings- scenes from everyday life Nibble Carried Study of Reclining Boy, 1580 **The Butcher’s Shop, 1580 * Monumental scene of a butcher shop * Large genre painting (there is also a smaller version) Depicts a man weighing meat, man behind a counter, man hoisting Caracas * Could possibly be a religious painting * May have been a commissioned piece for a butchers’ guild * Reaction against mannerism towards a lot more naturalism in art The Baptism of Christ, 1 585 * More mannerist style * Figures are exaggerated * Figures are looking out the frame The Virgin and Child with SST. We will write a custom essay sample on Baroque Notes or any similar topic only for you Order Now John and SST. Catherine, 1593 * A high renaissance style * Stable composition * Toned down colors * Slight distortion in figures but mostly balanced Resurrection of Christ, 1593 * Christ has risen from his tomb Large altar piece * Dramatic * Christ is floating up to heaven Agitations Carried Everyone * Doesn’t give a sense of color SST. Jerome, engraving, 1602 The Last Communion of SST. Jerome, 1590 * SST Jerome on his death bead was going to take communion for the final time he made himself get up and do it * his humility is a wonderful example for the catholic followers * was dubbed the most praised painting for the entire century Ladylove Carried Madonna Delhi Scalia, 1590 * traditional subjects * SST. Jerome recognized by his lion (spent a lot of time in the Jungle once got a thorn out off lion) * SST. Jerome was one of the early church followers and translates the bible into Latin; very important to the counter reformation church * Scalia was the name of the church conversion of SST. Paul, 1587-1589 * Showing the conversion of the roman Sal, well known for being a persecutor of Christians * He was traveling and sees a vision of God and he says â€Å"Oh why do you persecute me? And is immediately converted * Paul is thrown from his horse in response to the bright shining light from God * Gets across the idea off person being shocked * Diagonal composition * In 1595 Carried splits up and Agitations and Enable go to Rome he Fairness Palace working for Fairness, a cardinal Thursday, August 30th Enable Carried in Rome Fairness Palace * Renaissance building * Was partially designed by Michelangelo * They live in * Had a large collection of Greek and roman art; one of which is the Fairness Hercules Fairness Hercules * Reconstruction of an earlier statue * Inspired one of enabler’s first pieces in Rome **The Choice of Hercules 1597 * Central piece of art that was made for the Fairness Cameron (his study) first of the rooms he decorated for the fairness palace * Oil on canvas * Central canvas * The Large painting * Presents an allegory; Hercules is being asked to choose between virtue (right) and vice (left) * Vice personified as a woman of temptation; not virtuous behavior (theater, music, etc. ) * Common idea was thinking of vice as getting lost in woods and finding your way back. Portrayed here * Virtue is pointing too winged Pegasus **The Fairness ceiling frescoes, 1595-1600 * 60 by 20 Ft room * Barrel vault room * Subject matter is from classical mythology * Scenes from Ovid, The Metamorphoses; the loves of the gods portrayed through the work of Ovid * Made up into framed panels Each at the same theme with a different story in each frame * Uses paint to give a different lighting scene with each panel * Figures outside panel scenes look to be illuminated from below * Engages the viewer you have to move around the space to look at it from different angles * The central scene depicting the triumph of Bacchus (wine god) and his lover ordained processing in triumph through the center of the ceiling * Above and below are paintings by agitations his brother * Baroque classicism style How to cite Baroque Notes, Papers

Conference Diplomacy Introductory Analysis

Question: Discuss about the Conference Diplomacy for Introductory Analysis. Answer: To manage a conference successfully it is important to organize everything properly, starting from the vision to the thank you notes (Kaufmann 2016). Some of the most important procedures included in managing a successful conference are: Building up a vision for the conference that incorporates quantifiable objectives and goals, by asking attendees with the help of polls or surveys Forming up of a committee and delegating tasks by assigning responsibilities to panel members Creating a budget for the conference by calculating the expected amount of income from all the sources set up against the anticipated expenses Building up a course of events or a time line to keep track of the activities Building up the conference program by booking a venue first, then managing abstracts, keep track of registrations, arrange for speakers and their compensations Get in touch with sponsors and exhibitors, take care of marketing and public relations Follow up with audio-visual requirements, accommodation, transportation, refreshments Get help from social events operators and implement all the necessary procedures Hold frequent committee meetings to check that committee group members have the backing required to finish their undertakings Holding a session after the conference and assemble inputs on the conference procedure Convey note cards to say thanks Administration procedures Administrative support in conferences are important, as they provide the necessary backing in ensuring the smooth flow of the conferences (Kadushin and Harkness 2014). Some instructions or procedures to be followed to ensure the same are: Preparing a checklist for the conference and make sure they are met Planning for the conference with chairperson and the attendees for setting of budget, purpose and other basic details Listing distinctly the attendees for the conference and sending conference invites Describing the forms of resources required for the conference Outlining the key arguments that ought to be included in an agenda and conference papers Explaining the objective of sustaining attendees wants and distinct necessities, and presenting them with data necessary for the conference Describing the health, security and welfare necessities that must to be deliberated when arranging conferences Describing the forms of data, guidance and maintenance that might be needed to be delivered in the course of a conference Conference evaluation report The Curriculum Change Conference 2017-2018 was held at Spring Lakes Conference Centre to discuss the proposed curriculum changes for the year 2018. A total of 300 people attended the event. The conference included presentations that covered a broad variety of topics related to the curriculum changes. Collectively there were 5 presentations, 20 scheduled papers, 15 posters and workshop on the use of communication analysis and exhibition. Beyond academic discussions, a free reception was presented, along with a banquet. Around 140 people attended these events. For the purpose of evaluating perceptions about the conference, questionnaires for the attendees were provided with an objective of eliciting reflections and opinions regarding the conference. Of the 400 attendees, a response rate of 30.2% was collected. Ratings and comments of the feedback suggested most of the respondents were satisfied with the preparation and content of the conference. Areas of improvement were indicated, but could not outweigh the positives. References Kadushin, A. and Harkness, D., 2014.Supervision in social work. Columbia University Press. Kaufmann, J., 2016.Conference diplomacy: an introductory analysis. Springer.

Is Communication Doomed Essays - Education Reform,

Is Communication Doomed? Matchmaker.com: Sign up now for a free trial. Date Smarter! Is Communication Doomed? It is essential that everyone is capable of reading, writing, and communicating in an articulate and organized manner. Unfortunately, many American students lack the necessary skills needed for effective communication. It is contradictory that there are so many illiterate students in this current age that many define as 'the age of the information superhighway.' It seems as though many of America's students are unaware of the importance of communication and literacy. Clear and effective language use is a most important and practical utility; it is the vehicle we use to convey information. An 'information superhighway' without vehicles is futile. Without effective language utilization, it is impossible to convey thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Students must have the capacity to absorb and convey information to, at least a minimal level. The meters of literacy magnitude are standardized tests Diane Ravitch writes of "poor verbal scores" and "de-emphasis on careful reading and writing" in Forbes magazine. Standardized test scores are not showing strong enough verbal skills. The latter is an indicator that more emphasis should be placed on language skill development at an earlier period in the education process. Language is the basis of any education. Whether one wishes to pursue a study in literature or science, language arts are indispensable. It is impossible for one to present a lab report or to comprehend a calculus text if he/she is unable to achieve literary discipline. Those who are able to dynamically utilize their literary skills have a plethora of information available to them. They can employ such resources as libraries and the Internet. Therefore, it is essential that, to take advantage of all available resources, one must have a solid foundation consisting of literary knowledge. The most fundamental form of communication is speech. After one's methods of speech are developed, it is then possible to migrate to more sophisticated areas of communication. It is relatively easy to communicate in America. Many people live in countries where there are dozens of dialects. Communication can be chaotic in countries such as China. Americans who are My communication skills are articulate. In my essays, I practice careful grammar and syntax. To achieve dynamic communication skills, I devote much time and patience to reading as much as I possibly can. Exposure to as much literature as possible can only amplify ones literary skills. Many students consider reading a novel or analyzing a literary work as a tedious and monotonous task. Many students regard the assignment of a novel a task imposed on them by instructors who wish to complicate their lives. The latter attitude is a significant element in our declining verbal standardized test scores. Low standardized test scores are inevitable when a lack of enthusiasm for the educational progression exists. It is therefore, the responsibilities of the instructor and parent(s) to help stimulate learning motivation. A display of enthusiasm on the instructor's part will induce a similar display from his/her students. Language is a universal bonding agent, therefore, it must be understood in order to achieve any goal in today's competitive world. In order for today's students to be prepared for the future, it is important that literary development is accentuated throughout the educational process. Once the seeds of motivation sprout in the minds of students', the students will flourish academically.

How Latin America Gained Independence from Spain

How Latin America Gained Independence from Spain Independence from Spain came suddenly for most of Latin America. Between 1810 and 1825, most of Spains former colonies had declared and won independence and had divided up into republics. Sentiment had been growing in the colonies for some time, dating back to the American Revolution. Although Spanish forces efficiently quashed most early rebellions, the idea of independence had taken root in the minds of the people of Latin America and continued to grow. Napoleons invasion of Spain (1807-1808) provided the spark the rebels needed. Napoleon, seeking to expand his empire, attacked and defeated Spain, and he put his elder brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. This act made for a perfect excuse for secession, and by the time Spain had gotten rid of Joseph in 1813 most of their former colonies had declared themselves independent. Spain fought valiantly to hold on to its rich colonies. Although the independence movements took place at about the same time, the regions were not united, and each area had its own leaders and history. Independence in Mexico Independence in Mexico was sparked by Father Miguel Hidalgo, a priest living and working in the small town of Dolores. He and a small group of conspirators started the rebellion by ringing the church bells on the morning of September 16, 1810. This act became known as the Cry of Dolores. His ragtag army made it partway to the capital before being driven back, and Hidalgo himself was captured and executed in July of 1811. Its leader gone, the Mexican Independence movement almost failed, but the command was assumed by Josà © Marà ­a Morelos, another priest, and a talented field marshal. Morelos won a series of impressive victories against Spanish forces before being captured and executed in December 1815. The rebellion continued, and two new leaders came to prominence: Vicente Guerrero and Guadalupe Victoria, both of whom commanded large armies in the south and south-central parts of Mexico. The Spanish sent out a young officer, Agustà ­n de Iturbide, at the head of a large army to quash the rebellion once and for all in 1820. Iturbide, however, was distressed over political developments in Spain and switched sides. With the defection of its largest army, Spanish rule in Mexico was essentially over, and Spain formally recognized Mexicos independence on August 24, 1821. Independence in Northern South America The independence struggle in northern Latin America began in 1806 when Venezuelan Francisco de Miranda first attempted to liberate his homeland with British help. This attempt failed, but Miranda returned in 1810 to head up the First Venezuelan Republic with Simà ³n Bolà ­var and others. Bolà ­var fought the Spanish in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia for several years, decisively beating them several times. By 1822, those countries were free, and Bolà ­var set his sights on Peru, the last and mightiest Spanish holdout on the continent. Along with his close friend and subordinate Antonio Josà © de Sucre, Bolà ­var won two important victories in 1824: at Junà ­n, on August 6, and at Ayacucho on December 9. Their forces routed, the Spanish signed a peace agreement shortly after the battle of Ayacucho. Independence in Southern South America Argentina drew up its own government on May 25, 1810, in response to Napoleons capture of Spain, although it would not formally declare independence until 1816. Although Argentine rebel forces fought several small battles with Spanish forces, most of their efforts went towards fighting larger Spanish garrisons in Peru and Bolivia. The fight for Argentine Independence was led by Josà © de San Martà ­n, an Argentine native who had been trained as a military officer in Spain. In 1817, he crossed the Andes into Chile, where Bernardo OHiggins and his rebel army had been fighting the Spanish to a draw since 1810. Joining forces, the Chileans and Argentines soundly defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Maipà º (near Santiago, Chile) on April 5, 1818, effectively ending Spanish control over the southern part of South America. Independence in the Caribbean Although Spain lost all of their colonies on the mainland by 1825, it retained control over Cuba and Puerto Rico. It had already lost control of Hispaniola due to slave uprisings in Haiti. In Cuba, Spanish forces put down several major rebellions, including one which lasted from 1868 to 1878. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes led it. Another major attempt at independence took place in 1895 when ragtag forces including Cuban poet and patriot Josà © Martà ­ were defeated at the Battle of Dos Rà ­os. The revolution was still simmering in 1898 when the United States and Spain fought the Spanish-American War. After the war, Cuba became a US protectorate and was granted independence in 1902. In Puerto Rico, nationalist forces staged occasional uprisings, including a notable one in 1868. None were successful, however, and Puerto Rico did not become independent from Spain until 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War. The island became a protectorate of the United States, and it has been so ever since. Sources Harvey, Robert. Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence. 1st edition, Harry N. Abrams, September 1, 2000. Lynch, John. The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826 New York: W. W. Norton Company, 1986. Lynch, John. Simon Bolivar: A Life. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006. Scheina, Robert L. Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899 Washington, D.C.: Brasseys Inc., 2003. Shumway, Nicolas. The Invention of Argentina. University of California Press, March 18, 1993. Villalpando, Josà © Manuel. .Miguel Hidalgo Mexico City: Editorial Planeta, 2002.

Miscibility of Fluids in Chemistry

Miscibility of Fluids in Chemistry If you add 50 mL of water to 50 mL of water you get 100 mL of water. Similarly, if you add 50 mL of ethanol (alcohol) to 50 mL of ethanol you get 100 mL of ethanol. But, if you mix 50 mL of water and 50 mL of ethanol you get approximately 96 mL of liquid, not 100 mL. Why? The answer has to do with the different sizes of the water and ethanol molecules. Ethanol molecules are smaller than water molecules, so when the two liquids are mixed together the ethanol falls between the spaces left by the water. Its similar to what happens when you mix a liter of sand and a liter of rocks. You get less than two liters total volume because the sand fell between the rocks, right? Think of miscibility as mixability and its easy to remember. Fluid volumes (liquids and gasses) arent necessarily additive. Intermolecular forces (hydrogen bonding, London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole forces) also play their part in miscibility, but thats another story.

D2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

D2 - Assignment Example During his voyage he and his three ships stopped at a place called Ballast Point. Although the Spanish ships would frequently sail down the coast of California as they came from Philippines with treasure, it took them a period of approximately 200 years before they settled there. The reason why Spain decided to settle in California was that they saw Russia as a potential threat to them. This is because the Russian traders were moving down the coast from Bering Sea and had reached Farallon Islands by 1765 which were off of San Francisco. Spain planned on colonizing Alta California as a means of keeping the Russians away from it. The plan was drawn up by Inspector-General Josà © de Gà ¡lvez, the project was led by Don Gaspà ¡r de Portolà ¡ whereas Blessed Junipero Serra was the one in charge of the missionaries. In the year 1769 many expeditions were set out where 219 people made it. Junipero Serra also on that year raised the first cross on a mission site (Starr 49). Junipero Serra was a man who made a lot of significance in the California history. He was born in the year 1713 and grew up as an educated person. At 36 years old, he joined a group of missionaries who were going out to Mexico and in December 1745 he arrived there with his companions. He volunteered for 8 years to go to the mission field in northeastern Mexico where he established a successful mission system. From the year 1758 to 1767 he preached all over Mexico, served as a home missionary and was the commissioner of the Holy Office. In the year 1767 he became the leader of the Jesuit missions in California Baja. This was after he arrived in Loreto in the year 1968 and set out to improve and expand his mission establishment. After arriving in San Diego he built the first mission plant and from there on dedicated his time and energy in his mission. By the year 1782, nine missions were founded by him. He achieved the goal of converting the Native

James Madison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

James Madison - Essay Example It is hoped that this will bring to light the relevance of Madison's politics to an understanding of America today. James Madison (1751-1836) served as the 4th President of America and is considered as the "Father of the American Constitution." Like his close friend Thomas Jefferson, James Madison came from a prosperous family of Virginia planters, received an excellent education, and quickly found himself drawn into the debates over independence. Madison emerged as a respected leader of the congress, known for his hard work and careful preparation.2 Dahl's analysis of Madison's political views centered on the latter's propositions relative to the Democrat-Republic that he and his colleagues (Alexander Hamilton and other supporters of the Constitution) advocate. These propositions are as follows: (1) the greatest threat in the American republic comes from a minority, not the majority; (2) to protect their rights from minority factions, members of the majority faction must organize their own political party; (3) the danger that majorities might threaten property rights could be overcome by enabling a majority of citizens to own property, a feasible solution in America; and (4) in a republic, majorities must be allowed to prevail. Dahl asserts that Madison's political views have somewhat developed from a non-democratic view to a more democratic one as his experience in politics broaden as demonstrated in his instigation of the Bill of Rights (10 amendments to the Constitution) in 1814. Nonetheless, Dahl contends that these proposi tions are still inconsistent with the political system that he upholds. He mentioned three inconsistencies, namely: (1) as an empirical proposition, his conjecture that increased size reduces the danger of factionalism is contradicted by subsequent experience; (2) in his conception of basic rights, Madison excluded more than half the adult population: women, African Americans, and American Indians; and (3) he actively supported the provision in the Constitution that gave to slave states an increase in representatives amounting to three-fifths of the slave population.3 According to Dahl, four questions served as Madison's guide in establishing his ideas: 1) What is the new system of government to be called 2) Does a common good exist and, if so, can we know what it is 3) What are the major threats to achieving the common good 4) Can these threats be overcome and, if so, how4 Constitutions or political regimes then were classified based on the number of person/s to whom authority is given. It could be any of these: the rule of [the] one, of the few, or of the many. Each may be considered either 'good or bad' form, depending on whether the rulers sought to achieve the common good or merely their own interests. Political regimes ruled by one are considered a monarchy and its undesirable form, despotism. Rule by the few would be aristocracy or oligarchy. How should one call the rule by the many Should the good form be called a democracy or a republic What about the bad form Dahl points out that these two terms were not yet clearly defined then and claims that "Madison's famous distinction between the terms 'democracy' and 'republic' was somewhat arbitrary and ahistorical" quoting Madison's

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Essay Example for Free

Mustafa Kemal Atatà ¼rk Essay The movie Midnight Express written by William Hayes, is somehow accusatory that has shown a picture of ruthless Turkish politics at an extreme. The movie has depicted the Turkish jailors and officials as inhumane and bizarre. Hayes seems to have a dynamic personality that could be seen in the climax; where his behavior changed from a calm person to a dreadful being. Although the movie justifies the brutality of the Turkish government, yet Hayes does not sound to have guilt of the crime he has made. Smuggling is a serious crime that was not supposed to be committed, and Hayes was aware of it. The tone in the movie is constantly dark and dreadful, which indicates terror and enrage. The prisoners are beaten brutally if caught escaping from the jail such as Jimmy, who loses his testicles in the end. Max is also beaten by the in charge Lutheran, due to Rifkey who blames him for bringing in drugs. There is also a sense of homosexuality in the movie, which is shown between Eric and Hayes. The point where Hayes loses his conscious and kills Rifkey has a bit of shallowness in it. Moreover, the movie describes more of a stereotypical belief about the Turkish rather than persuading the message to either discourage the legal system or abide by it. A.Flavio being a young child is very responsible and selfless regardless of being unfit. He was responsible for cooking, cleaning, and caring of his parents and siblings. Q2. Where is Parks staying in Rio de Janerio and why does he include a description of his accommodations? A.Parks has grudges for poverty and he included a description of his accommodations to compare what circumstances one has to go through in order to survive in poverty. He compared the life he was living where everything is accessible with that of Flavio who is striving hard to live another day. Q3. According to Parks, what sort of future awaits Flavio?

Death of a Salesman and All My Sons as Optimistic Tragedies Essay examp

Death of a Salesman and All My Sons as Optimistic Tragedies   Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay deals with Arthur Miller, and his uniqueness as a tragic playwright. The research question that this paper attempted to answer was, why were Miller's plays different from many other tragedies. Two of Arthur Miller's tragedies were used in this essay, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons. The thesis of this essay is, Arthur Miller deviates from the standard perception of tragedy in his plays, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons because unlike other tragedies, they are optimistic in that the main character causes the tragedy for what they perceive to be the greater good. The body of this essay starts out with a discussion of tragedy, and the commonly viewed perception of it, one of pessimism. It goes into detail of several different definitions of tragedy, made by literary critics. The "tragic flaw" is discussed and proven to be a major part of a tragedy, especially Miller's. Death of a Salesman is used to prove this statement. The idea that Miller's plays are optimistic is discussed in great detail. Both plays are used to prove this concept, as well as essays written by literary critics with opinions on this topic. One of the major points in this essay is Miller's use of love. Love is a dominant emotion throughout the tragedies. The important thing about the love is that it is one of the main reasons that the characters do what they do to cause the tragedy. The conclusion of this essay enforces the idea that Arthur Miller's plays are unique from other tragedies. It reinstates the thesis and the reason that it is true. The conclusion also summarizes the most important points of the essay and ends the paper tying everything together. Introd... ... 7. Carson, Neil. "A View from the Bridge and the Expansion of Vision." Bloom, Harold, ed. Arthur Miller: Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. (1987) p 94. 8. Hayman, Ronald. Arthur Miller. New York: Frederick Ungar Publiching Co. (1956); p 43. 9. Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. New York: The Viking Press (1958); p 133. 10. Hayman, Ronald. Arthur Miller. New York: Frederick Ungar Publiching Co. (1956); p 55. 11. Miller, Arthur. "Introduction to Collected Plays." Weales, Gerald, ed. Death of a Salesman: Text and Criticism. New York: Penguin Books (1996); p163. 12. Miller, Arthur. Six Great Modern Plays: All My Sons. New York: Dell Publishing Co. (1956); p 420. 13. Gross, Barry. "All My Sons and the Larger Context." Martine, James J., ed. Critical Essays on Arthur Miller. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co. (1979); p 12.

Meaning of Life and Thanksgiving Essay

As the first pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock and had a feast with the Indians, they shared a moment of thanks together. They gave thanks for all their blessings, thus, creating our lovely day of Thanksgiving. When Thanksgiving is thought of, the first thing that comes to mind is turkey and a plentiful amount of food. Thanksgiving to me, is the time to be together with the ones you care about. Coming together for a day to just be with each other and to catch up is what Thanksgiving means to me. Family should be with each other to share memories and to realize the plentiful amount of blessings they have been given. Thanksgiving is not only a day for gorging on food or falling into a food coma, but talking with each other and just being glad to be with one another. Having family during Thanksgiving is a crucial part in my life. Having all of my relatives in one place for one day to talk and have fun with them makes Thanksgiving extra special for me. It is one of the few days of the year that I get to see everybody. The turkey, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes is just the icing on the cake. Everybody in my family loves the food. We eat and eat until we can’t eat anymore. My family has a tradition of playing soccer afterwards but that goes only so far due to our full stomachs. My cousins and I play a friendly game of poker, afterwards our failed attempts for soccer, for first dibs on dessert. After a good game of poker, my cousins and I look for ways to entertain ourselves meanwhile the adults talk about their lives and brag about their kids. Society today makes Thanksgiving look like a day just to eat. As society advances the meaning of Thanksgiving deteriorates into a secular holiday. The meaning of Thanksgiving seems obsolete. I truly believe that Thanksgiving should be refreshed in its meaning and should be celebrated with family and love. As people come together to share a special day in our history, this should be a day which people will not take for granted.

Media and Body Image †Essay Essay

How does the media influence our body image? In what forms, does the media influence our perceptions about our body? These were the two questions that I asked myself in order to do the research paper and the panel discussion. In my opinion, I would agree that the media does influence and promote women and men to believe that the culture’s standards for body image are ideal. Hence, the phrases, â€Å"thin is in† and â€Å"the perfect body† are two examples of â€Å"eye-catching† headlines that I observed in many women magazines. I learned that the media influences us through television, fashion and health magazines, music videos, film, commercials, and various other advertisements. Sadly, as a result, this repeated exposure, the â€Å"thin† ideal, can lead many young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem, stress, and suicide. After acquiring this relevant information, I decided to focus my research on what type of media in fluences elementary school children and the adolescent teenager. The three central types of media that I found that did indeed influence body image are: Fashion magazines, famous top-models and actresses, and teenage or young adult women in the music industry. According to the Seretean Center for Health Promotion, † the term, â€Å"body image† has been coined to describe a person’s inner sense of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the physical appearance of her/his body.† (From The Wellness Column, April 1, 1996.) In my research, I found that many young girls are dissatisfied with their bodies and many â€Å"strive† to look like the â€Å"waif-thin† models or actresses one sees on television or in fashion magazines. There was a lot of information and facts on body and image that I found on the Internet. However, one website, Just Think Foundation, supported my belief that the media, magazines in particular, do indeed influence young girls to be â€Å"thin† in order to be popular and beautiful in our society. For example, I was in alarmed to learn that â€Å"eighty percent of 10-year-old American girls diet; more than five million Americans suffer from eating disorders and ninety percent of those are adolescent and young adult women; the number one magic wish for young girls age 11-17 is to be thinner; and between elementary and high school, the percentage of girls in the U.S. who are â€Å"happy with the way I am† drops from 60% to 29%.† (from Just Think Foundation) These facts were  from the JTF’s Body Image Project compiled by Jean Holzgang that is an awareness campaign on body image. In fashion magazines, many young girls see â€Å"waif-thin† models like Kate Moss who is one of many top models that sadly represents the â€Å"perfect† body image that young girls are striving towards. Unfortunately, many teen girls do not understand that looking exactly like their favorite supermodel is unrealistic. In fact, as for the supermodel photos, many are retouched before they are printed out, the â€Å"fashion clothes† are often duct-taped to enhance fit, many blemishes are covered or altered, there is at least two inches removed from the thighs, and the average fashion model weighs 23-25% less than the average woman. All this in order to create that â€Å"ideal† or â€Å"perfect† body image everyone is striving for and sadly dying for. This compulsion to be â€Å"thin† has led many young girls to have a negative body image that dangerously paves the way to eating disorders, such as Anorexia and Bulimia, in order for them to achieve their desire for thinness. In television and movies, many teen girls watch and observe these actresses, such as Calista Flockhart, Courtney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Gweneth Paltrow, Lara Flynn Boyle, and many others who have seemed to have went from an â€Å"average† weight to a â€Å"sickly, death look†. This seems to be setting a dangerous trend for the American culture, particularly women and young girls. In fact, there are endless images of thin women on television, in movies, in women and men’s magazines and in commercials. For instance, these â€Å"Hollywood role models† do have a great impact on young viewers and many parents are very worried that their daughters are trying to imitate their favorite stars. According to Adrienne Ressler, body-image specialist at the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Fla., â€Å"For adolescents, the ideal for the person they want to be when they grow up is either a movie star, TV actress or supermodel, and the emphasis is very much on external appearance. Our patients would die-and practically do-to look like Calista Flockhart.† ( People, 10-18-99) In the music industry, the most popular media influence is the music video and the types of fashion trends the performer displays onstage. The most popular young adult performer is teen sensation Britney Spears. This pretty, young lady is only 17 years old and already has had a huge impact on the teen girls. For example, recently, Miss Spears was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and she stirred up controversy when it appeared to look like the singer had  breast enhancements or simply, breast implants. (In all fairness, I did not have a chance to view that cover of Rolling Stone.) Miss Spears has denied the breast implant allegation and is quoted as saying; â€Å"her mother would kill her if she had such a operation.† However, I read that many fans believe that she does look different from her first video, Baby One More Time, with her latest, Sometimes, in that her breasts do look like they were surgically enhanced. This rumor has a great deal of parents worried that their own daughters might want to emulate the teen pop idol because she is promoting the â€Å"ideal image† of a young girls body. Another example of a â€Å"music video† image is Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) of the well-known Spice Girls. She was considered a â€Å"head-turner† because of her curvaceous good looks and designer clothes. So, know one would have thought of her as over-weight or too curvy, but at a recent Fashion party, many onlookers were stunned to see â€Å"Beckham’s jutting ribs and collarbones† that fellow guests replied, â€Å"She definitely looks like she’s had a dramatic weight loss.† (People, 10-18-99) These two examples plus the dozens of others I have read thro ugh my research, have allowed me to come to the conclusion that, many of Hollywood’s most notable actresses and performers have become partners in the â€Å"thin is in† look in this industry. In my opinion, this is very disturbing and very dangerous for many young girls who look up to these women as â€Å"Role models.† In conclusion, I hope that T.V., magazines, music videos, commercials, retail stores and other mediums realize that there are women of all different shapes and sizes, there is a higher percentage of women that are usually an average size of 12 and there is evidence that a lesser percentage of women who are a size 2 to 4. Unfortunately, it is the size 2 to 4 women who are being recognized as the â€Å"ideal† body image in our society. Furthermore, I would rather have more women like Kate Winslet, Rosie O’Donnell, Emme, and many other â€Å"average† women on the covers of popular magazines and in television. These are the â€Å"true role models† for me, the ones who promote healthy ways to lose weight, promote healthy ways to like yourself for who you are, and not promote the unhealthy â€Å"body image† that engrosses our mind

Nypros Innovation Strategy

Nypros Innovation Strategy Executive Summary The success of Nypro can be attributed to its innovativeness, internal competition between teams, and customer focus. Its production strategy is built on strong customer alliances. Gordon Lankton’s internal market approach contributed greatly to Nypro’s earlier success and innovativeness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nypro’s Innovation Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Novaplast technology presents the firm with an opportunity to grow its market share and remain competitive. However, the implementation of this technology in Nypro’s plants requires a careful assessment. This paper analyzes Nypro’s innovation model and evaluates the factors behind its success. Introduction Modern technology has transformed the business landscape by providing solutions to production and managerial challenges. For a multinational firm, improving productivity and human re source practices through technology requires huge financial investments and changes in the management structure. In this regard, the way a firm reacts to technology depends on the impact of the innovation on its management structure and organizational culture. Nypro’s case underscores the role innovation plays in business growth. Its business strategy enabled team leaders to identify and implement innovations that improved the firm’s performance. Innovative Critical Thinking Innovation management helps guide an organization’s utilization of technology in a way that translates to good outcomes. It requires a careful analysis of the business environment in order to identify a business model for commercializing the innovation (Chesbrough, 2005). Due to rapid technological developments, firms often embrace continuous innovation to keep abreast with advances in the industry. The open innovation model, as opposed to the traditional approach, allows companies to adapt new technologies developed by others. Under this model, a firm can license its technology to others, but retain the intellectual property rights. A firm can benefit from RD by adopting the technology or licensing it to players in different markets (Glor, 2001). Nypro’s innovation model involves two strategies. First, decisions made by senior managers are communicated to others (teams) who implement them. Second, innovators within the firm develop technologies independently and inform the managers. These internal venture groups identify new opportunities in the firm’s innovation process.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides the people within a firm, the adoption of technology by a firm depends on its target customers. Consumers adopt new products at different rates and thus, can influence the success of an innovation. For instance, innovators and ea rly adopters purchase new products at the first instance and even participate in product development, while the laggards first exhaust traditional alternatives before purchasing innovative products (Gorchels, 2011). In Nypro’s case, Lankton believed that the â€Å"low-volume, high mix market† would adopt Nypro’s technology at a high rate, but the high-volume (battery liners) firms turned out to be its prime market (Christensen Voorheis, 1998, p. 6). Nypro’s Innovation Alliances and Changes SWOT Analysis Strengths ‘Free market’ model that inspires innovations leading to improved performance. This model coupled with Nypro’s strategy of recognizing and rewarding innovators fosters initiative and creativity within the firm Customer-focused design – Nypro involves customers in product development. This ensures that products meet customer needs and preferences Better plant coordination – Lankton coordinates all the activities in the firm, including information exchanges and technology absorption. This ensures that operations are integrated and harmonious Global focus – Nypro has several manufacturing plants spread in different countries. This strategy allows the firm to produce products suited for various markets Weaknesses Slower technology adoption – Under the free market model, each plant adopts a new technology when it finds it convenient to do so. Thus, innovations cannot be adopted in a top-down fashion across all plants Limited flexibility – Nypro’s current equipment is less flexible, i.e., changes requested by a customer cannot be made after production has started Slower turnaround time – The current technologies at Nypro have a slower turnaround time leading to delays. However, the Novaplast technology will increase the rate of production Limited ability to prototype particular molds – Complex prototypes requested by customers take time to model Oppo rtunities Global markets – Nypro’s decentralized production gives it access to various markets globally A broad clientele – Nypro can expand its client base in the healthcare, automotive, telecommunications, and electronic industries. Currently, the firm serves over fifty corporations specializing in various industries (Christensen Voorheis, 1998) Technology development – Nypro’s internal market model spurs innovation within the firm. Technologies such as Novaplast promise to improve product quality and reduce the cost of production leading to improved performance Threats External competition – Competition in the molding industry is intense. Other industry players, such as Hoffer Plastics and Deswell, invest heavily in technology in a bid to topple Nypro from the market leadership position High customer demand – Nypro’s slower turnaround time means that products may not be made on time for the high volume market. Nypro risk s losing its clients to rivals with better technology Loss of prototypes – Rival firms can copy and produce Nypro’s products in case of loss of patents Internal rivalry – The internal market model may stifle innovation if information sharing is not encouraged PERT Analysis Program The internal market model at Nypro facilitates information exchange between departments It involves regular information dissemination and continuous product improvement Evaluation New technologies are evaluated by Lankton and the plant managers before adoption Review Project teams and customers participate in product review Technique Standardized practices, technology, and customer-involvement Case Analysis Questions Nypro’s success is largely attributable to its internal market model of innovation. The firm saw internal competition as a source of innovation and performance improvement. Nypro used a set of standardized questions to rank teams based on their performance statistics over time. Based on demand trends, the firm shifted to the high-volume market to supply plastic parts to large corporations in need of molding services. Nypro employed the internal market model to revolutionize its production processes, differentiate its products, and ensure quality for its customers. Under this model, the plants competed against one another in terms of reduced production costs and improved product quality. Because of the internal market model, new technologies were adopted in molding (production), visual factory design, MRP2 systems, and product quality (Christensen Voorheis, 1998). 2. Lankton allowed plant managers to nurture competitive innovations in the firm. The managers and the project leaders had a role of generating and implementing innovations that are cost-effective and profitable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Nypro’s Innovation Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lankton ensured that the internal market remains competitive and robust through an interlinked management structure involving board directors. He also organized regular forums where the management met and disseminated information regarding new technologies. This facilitated the diffusion of new technologies within the company. 3. In the writer’s view, the Novaplast technology should be implemented in one plant, as a pilot project. The decision is based on the rationale that Nypro’s current customers may need products that need this machine. Thus, customer orders can be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of this innovation over the other technologies. Alternatively, the machine can be used to make products that are currently on the order list. Costs related to shipment and logistics can then be evaluated to determine whether deploying the machines to other plants is cost-effective. Conclusion Nypro’s case shows how effective managerial strategies nurture i nnovation and business performance. In particular, the internal free market nurtured a thriving innovation process within the firm. Under this model, Nypro has been able to generate technologies that have enabled the firm to compete effectively in the industry. Appendix SWOT Analysis Strengths Biggest non-automotive plastic molder Global presence; present in eight countries with 21 plants strategic alliances with clients world-class technology strong decentralization strategy Weaknesses its equipment have limited flexibility to meet customer needs slower turnaround of molds Limited ability to prototype particular molds Opportunities Global markets and industries Internal competition will promote technology development Threats Rival companies High customer demand loss of prototypes References Chesbrough, H. (2005). Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting  from Technology. Watertown, Massachusetts. Harvard Business Review Press.Advertisin g Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Christensen, C. Voorheis, R. (1998). Managing Innovation at Nypro, Inc. Harvard  Business School, 9(67), 1-14. Glor, E. (2001). Key Factors influencing Innovation in Government. The Innovation  Journal, 6(2), 74-82. Gorchels, L. (2011). The Product Managers Handbook: The Complete Product  Management Resource. New York: McGraw-Hill.

1984 Essays (1274 words) - Nineteen Eighty-Four, Julia, Telescreen

1984 It has always been man?s dream to see and understand the future in an attempt to prepare himself for events which will eventually unfold. This hope is the premise for futuristic novels like George Orwell?s 1984, which, step by step, moves through the life of a rebellious citizen trapped in a world of deceit and propaganda. Very few people have been exposed to such a treacherous environment as Oceania, where Winston, the main character, resides. Therefore, it was necessary for the author to interject certain literary devices to allow for the ability to better relate to a character in Winston?s situation. To accomplish this, Orwell utilizes the theme of individuality versus tyranny, foreshadowing, and irony, in order to fully extract all possible motives behind Winston?s actions. Many countries, such as the United States, are founded on principles of individuality reigning over tyranny, more specifically, the freedom of choice. However, in the futuristic Oceania, run by ?Big Brother?, such freedom and individuality is, for the most part, completely suspended. To act impulsively, or choose to oppose Big Brother, is a ?thoughtcrime? of dire consequence. This is the basis behind the Inner Party?s control of Oceania. Winston however, from the commencement of the novel, showed that he was not willing to conform to such a tyrannical society. From his writing ?DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER? in his diary as the novel opened, to his relationship with Julia, which was considered sexcrime in Oceania, Winston proved his thoughts were antiparallel to those of the Inner Party. The fact that Winston was so ready to rebel was quite courageous in that he knew people who opposed The Party, or were to educated, like Syme, were vaporized. The members of the Inner Party recognized the ab ilities of an educated man to see through the propaganda of Oceania, and would therefore tolerate nothing but ignorance. Winston, however, continued to oppose the state, and commited, in many ways, both thoughtcrime and sexcrime. He joined the Brotherhood, run by Oceania?s first public enemy, Goldstein, and even reads a book published by the man. This action follows Winston?s open attempt to befriend O?Brien in a society which would not condone such outward behavior. The reasoning behind the condemnation of friendship was that it was believed that friendship could lead to alliances that would threaten the reign of the Inner Party. Winston?s barrage of individualistic actions lead The Party to arrest him, as they witnessed his actions from a hidden telescreen behind a picture. Mr. Charrington, the local store manager, who appeared rather genuine, led the arrest, for he was a member of the unknown thoughtpolice. Julia is killed, and Winston is taken by the thoughtpolice to the ministr y of love, where he is to be held for his crimes. As is the basis for futuristic novels such as 1984, Orwell foreshadows much of the events that occur, through vague or inanimate objects. The most noticeable device for foreshadowing was Winston?s dream of the Golden place with fields and rays of light, a basic human paradise. Such a place foreshadows Winston?s capture and incarceration in the Ministry of Love which is a large white building with strong lights continuously beating down upon its inmates. One of the largest symbols in the novel was the breaking of the globe, which can be interpreted in many fashions. One of which is the foreshadowing of the destruction of Winston?s world, as portrayed through the murder of Julia and his capture by the thoughtpolice. Goldstein?s book also is a mechanism by which Orwell foreshadows eventual occurrences in the novel. Such an object, absolutely illegal in Oceania, foreshadows the Winston?s final steps before his capture, authorized by the Inner Party. Other instances, separate from the sec ond book, are also applied for foreshadowing. Winston?s relationship with the prostitute, portraying his search for human companionship, form a preconceived notion of his relationship with Julia and his befriending of O?Brien. These two actions are perhaps, Winston?s two greatest violations against the laws set forth by the Inner Party. Though the theme of individuality versus tyranny and the use of foreshadowing are essential literary devices, it is the application of irony that truly makes the novel a masterpiece. Many ironic events occur during the

Applying Research assessment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Applying Research assessment 2 - Essay Example This report deals with the research methodology of an article named â€Å"Blowing The Whistle on Police Violence† written by Louise Westmarland which was published in British Journal on Criminology in 2001. â€Å"This article highlights a number of issues related to the witnessing of ‘illegal’ police violence by researchers† (Westmarland, 2001). The researcher focuses on a very sensitive issue i.e. the violence committed by police. The main purpose behind this research was to make the general population including the higher authority aware of the violence propagated by police so that a mass awareness can be developed against it. This article uses the ethnology study to reason out the factors for these types of violence. It unfolds many facts regarding the various degree of violence. This report will discuss the research methodology applied by the researcher and the extent to which this methodology is feasible for this subject. The validity of the outcome of this research will undergo various critical studies and suitable recommendation will be discussed and analysed. Westmarland in his article has identified the specific behaviour of police that lead to violence in society. This research can be termed as the outcome of the ethnographic research. The researcher has devoted a considerable amount of time to study the police violence through the ethnological study. Westmarland has himself been a first hand witness to various situations as a fieldworker and therefore have seen the situation more clearly. The fieldworkers are appointed to observe the real life violence committed by police. To analyse the qualitative aspects like human behaviours the ethnographic research plays a very significant role. â€Å"One primary difference between ethnography as science and other social and behaviour science methods of investigating is that ethnography assumes that we must first discover what people actually do and the reasons they give for doing it before

Ghetto cityscap by Camilo Jose Vergara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ghetto cityscap by Camilo Jose Vergara - Essay Example As such, the dilemma on this situation has not been resolved. â€Å"Dismissing the value of information received through sight, taste, and smell, or through the emotional overtones in an informant’s voice, or from the sensation of moving through the spaces studied, has led to the creation of constructs without character, individuality, or a sense of place (Vergara 715).† Together with the transformation of the society, ghettos have also gone through changes in order to cope with the environment. Their adaptation and change come in diverse characteristics for which are significant in understanding their need in order to solve this social problem. â€Å"Yet today’s ghettos are diverse, rich in public and private responses to the environment, in expressions of cultural identity, and in reminders of history. These communities are uncharted territory; to be understood, their forms need to be identified, described, inventoried, and mapped (Vergara 715).† With this, Vergara identified three types of ghettos of the American cities – the green ghettos, institutional ghettos and the new immigrant ghettos. Green ghettos are those who live at the ‘leftovers’ part of the society. They live in the suburbs where there are only abandoned establishments for which wild animals and humans have learned to co-exist. What is left in thes e suburbs are non-valuable land filled no other than grasses and ruined and abandoned buildings, ignored by the government. On the other hand, the large and expensive regions of the city are also occupied by ghettos. They who live in this side of the city are identified by Vergara as the institutional ghettos. Financed by the government, they are but the weakest and the most vulnerable members of the society. Identified through their lack of money and home, this group in the society is at the same time those who are being treated for addiction, diseases and

Smoking in ads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Smoking in ads - Essay Example THESIS STATEMENT The thesis intends to argue on the fact that most advertising is made towards raising the usage of various products and on the same time, warning the viewers regarding the destructive behavior of smoking that can have unfavorable impacts upon the societal well-being at large. DISADVANTAGES OF SMOKING One of the common themes that many anti-smoking advertisements are based on intends to showcase the disadvantages of smoking on the health of the consumer. As depicted in these advertisements, the possibility of the smokers to suffer from several diseases, which can even cause significant threat to their lives. It is quite obvious that smoking affects both the physical along with the mental state of the regular consumers causing threat to various diseases. Theoretically, smoking is regarded as the habit or the action of inhaling the smoke of a tobacco or a particular drug. It is worth mentioning that smoking affects the physical state of an individual through the formati on of numerous diseases like emphysema, lung cancer and respiratory or heart diseases. At certain times, most of these diseases result in causing death of the individuals due to excessive smoking. Based on the above discussion, it can be affirmed from a broader understanding that negative consequences are observed from excessive smoking. Apart from affecting the physical state of an individual, smoking also affects the mental state of the regular abusers as well. This can be justified with reference to the fact that the biological factors engaged in smoking eventually affect an individual’s mental state by a considerable extent. It can be affirmed in this regard that the regular doses of a substance i.e. nicotine present in cigarettes eventually leads toward extensive changes in the individual’ brain, resulting in affecting their mental state at large (Mental Health Foundation, â€Å"Smoking and Mental Health†). Thus, showcasing these disadvantages of smoking, a ffecting the physical along with the mental state of regular abusers, anti-smoking advertisements tend to generate significant impacts on societal awareness against such destructive behaviors. SECOND HAND SMOKERS Another theme addressed in anti-smoking advertisements emphasizes the negative consequences faced by second hand smokers. In general, it can be affirmed that unavoidable smoking effects pertain not only on the abusers but also upon the second hand smokers breathing in the same air and therefore, reside within the periphery to be directing affected by the tobacco smoke. With this similar concern, secondhand smoking affects the lives of the individuals in the form of deteriorating their mental along with physical health. Conceptually, the notion of secondhand smoke is typically observed as the mixture of smoke that results from the burning end of a particular cigarette and also the smoke, which is exhaled by the smokers. It is quite evident that secondhand smoking distresses the people around the abusers in the form of causing several health related problems, even lung cancer. These problems may be related to respiratory along with ear infections, severe attacks of asthma and lung cancer among others. It can be apparently observed in this similar concern that the inhalation of secondhand

A Case Analysis On Arik Air Nigeria Commerce Essay

A Case Analysis On Arik Air Nigeria Commerce Essay This essay is a case analysis on Arik air Nigeria and will therefore seek to identify the major threats and opportunity in the environment, analyse the strength and weakness of the company, identify the strategic position of Arik air, and suggest a strategy to be adopted by the airline in an effort to sustain its competitive advantage. BACKGROUND Arik Air is Nigerias biggest indigenous commercial airline offering domestic flights to major cities in Nigeria and with an expanding network of regional and international flight operations to major cities in the world (Eze, 2010). Presently, Arik Air flies to 17 Domestic destinations in Nigeria and 8 International destinations (Arik air, 2010: Online). Arik Air Nigeria The companys corporate mission is: To be a safe and reliable airline by selecting and operating new, modern aircraft and by employing the most experienced and efficient staff. (Airkair, 2010: Online) Vision: To make Nigeria proud of its aviation industry (Arikair, 2010: Online) Strategic Intent: Ariks strategic intent is to be the preferred airline carrier of choice in West Africa. (Airk Air, 2010: Online) EXTERNAL ANALYSIS: The external analysis was conducted using PESTEL Framework and Porters five forces as the basic tools (Thompson, 1997; Luffman et al, 1996; Welsh, 2005; Johnson et al, 2009) in an effort to understand the effect of changing environment on Arik Airs operation. The findings based on pestel framework (See Appendix 1) and Posters five forces (See Appendix 2) are as follows: An analysis of the political environment revealed that governments around the world are tightening immigration regulations due to the surge in terrorism the implication of which is a reduction in the number of global traveller thus posing a threat to airline including Arik Air. (Stevermen, 2009; Cartar, 2010). However liberalization and Deregulation efforts are being made in several regions of the world with Asia setting a target for the full liberalization of its skies by the year 2015. This is projected to boost aviation industry performance by creating avenue for fair competition platform between more established airlines and the growing competitors like Arik Air(Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007; Ting, 2008). The rising fuel price is a matter of economic concern in the world, with Aviation fuel price estimated at $85 per barrel (IATA, 2010: online) the implication of which is an increase in running cost for airlines and this poses a high threat to Airlines. However, there is optimism that a global economic recovery is on the way with the world economy expected to grow 2.7% in 2010 (World Bank, 2010: Online) and the aviation industry is forecasted to reduce its loss from $5.8 Billion in 2009 to $2.8 Billion in 2010. (Financial Times, 2010). The World travel tourism council (2010) projects an increase in the number of holiday travellers in 2010 with further growth expected in 2011. The 2010 world cup is expected to boost travel to Africa in 2010 (Eberl, 2010). Percentage change vs. 05-Mar-10 Index* $/b cts/gal $/mt 1 week ago 1 month ago 1 year ago Jet Fuel Price 243.3 89.0 211.9 701.4 3.4% 4.1% 80.3% Source: IATA (2010: Online) source from Platts * 100 in 2000 (87 cts/gal) Impact on this years fuel bill of the global airline industry: New fuel price average for 2010 Impact on 2010 fuel bill $85.5/b +$13 billion Estimated by IATA Source: IATA (2010: Online) With heightened security checks and the introduction of the full body scan at airport, there are concerns over the privacy infringement due to the utilisation of the full body scan. (McDonough, 2010). Arik air is in the traditional full service airline industry offering pre-flight, in-flight, and post flight services to customers and its competitors in the industry include Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirate, Qatar Airline and South African Airways all of which are established airlines with good brand image. An industry analysis revealed as follows (See Appendix 2): there is high competitive rivalry within the industry; barrier to new entrant is high due to the enormous capital required to start an airline; buyers have a high bargaining power due to the various options of airlines available to them and suppliers have a medium bargaining power. INTERNAL ANALYSIS: The internal analysis was conducted through an evaluation of the resource based view of strategy (resources and competencies) (Mahoney Pandian, 1992; Johnson et al, 2009); as well as competitive advantage; value chain and VRIO (Johnson et al, 2009; Thompson, 1997; Luffman et al, 1996) to identify the strengths and weakness of the company. (See Appendix) UNIQUE RESOURCE(S) AND CORE COMPETENCIES (See appendix 3 for the list of tangible and intangible resources of the company) Arik Airs unique resource is its chairman who is an elder statesman in Nigeria with an easy access to finance while its core competencies are its excellent customer relations skill and reliability COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Arik air derives its competitive advantage from a unique merge of low price and quality service. This is based on its vast research and unique understanding of the West African market need for quality service at affordable prices and the support it receives from the Nigerian government and some other West African countries through concession and subsidies which thus reduces its operational cost and affords it a lower price than competitors (William, 2010; Russell, 2008; Abioye Ezeobi, 2008). THE VALUE CHAIN (See appendix 4) An evaluation of Arik Airs value chain activity revels as follows: The Inbound logistics which involve the delivery of fuel for the aircraft, in-flight meals, cleaning of the aircraft in preparation for a flight is outsourced (procurement) through an effective human resource management practice in an effort to reduce amount of people employed by the airline and reduce fixed operational costs. Arik with its strong finance base utilises an integrated ICT technology (Infrastructure/technology) to manage and support its operation by enabling online bookings, ticket purchase and flight check-in in an effort to reduce operational cost of employment. To ensure safety/reliability, a strict maintenance of its fleets is outsourced and an effective human resource management policy is put in place (training and reward) to promote employee commitment and performance (Arik, 2010: Online; Banfield Kay, 2008). Outbound logistics with regard to customers luggage is coordinated and monitored with a technological coding and is outsourced to Sachol to ensure the safety of customers property and to sustain Arik Airs reliability (Airkair, 2010: Online, Sachol, 2010: Online) while an extensive marketing is implemented through the media to promote sales. This enables Arik air to achieve its competitive advantage through a systemic integration of technology (speedy services and reduced operational cost), human resource management (ensures quality delivery of services by employees) and a firm infrastructure to support its primary activities thus enabling the airline to deliver quality services at reduced prices in comparison to competitors. VRIO: The VRIO examines the sustainability of a firms competitive advantage (Johnson et al, 2008); Arik Air offers its low priced fares with excellent in-flight services unparallel to none offered by any Nigerian airline (Eze, 2010) which implies that its services are valuable and rear. However this can be imitated by other airline thus Arik air enjoys a Temporary competitive advantage (Khanna, 2010) In the airline industry the critical success factors are: a good brand image; good quality service; good customer relations; cost effectiveness; Reliability; safety. (Svein Vidar, 2004; Bijan Kenneth, 2005). Judging by the critical success factors in the airline industry, Arik Airs performance is standard in the industry since the airlines services are affordable, safety is given high priority, it offers good customer service, and is reliable. However, theres need to develop the Arik brand beyond West Africa. SWOT ANALYSIS (Kotler et al, 2009) See Appendix 4 Arik airs strengths are its highly skilled workforce with excellent ethical conduct and customer relations (Some of the Best in the industry), the easy access to finance or funding, the airlines fleets of aircraft (mostly new), speed in service delivery and low operational cost while the weaknesses are the brand image (still unrecognised outside west Africa), flights offering to only 8 international destination (Williams, 2010). In consideration of Ariks strengths and weaknesses, the external environment provides opportunities as well as threats for Arik air. The identified opportunities are an increase in earnings due to a projected increase in the numbers of global travellers (World travel tourism council, 2010); expanding the network of flight destination due to the expected liberalisation of skies in Asia and the African continent (Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007; Ting, 2008) However, the threats in the environment include the unstable global fuel price, increased terrorism scare s, continued government subsidy for competitors airlines which reduces the open market competition and the expected mergers in the airline industry which might result in the dominance of a few big airline. Arik Airs plans to increase its market share in Nigeria and West Africa and equally targets an expansion its operation across Europe, North America and Asia but Arik Air is faced with immense industry competition on international destinations from the established airline (Virgin, Bristish Airways, Emirate) and The threats global economic recession which has slowed the expected growth of the airline. The competitive strategy adopted by Arik is the Hybrid strategy (see appendix 4). This strategy allows the airline to maintain its low cost base thus enabling it to compete on low price relative to competitors with sustainable differentiation. However, the low price might impede the airline ability to obtain the maximum returns possible. (Johnson et al, 2009) STRATEGIC OPTIONS: Arik air is experiencing a decline in its projected market growth caused by the increase competition in airline industries; the various strategic options available to Arik Air are evaluated simultaneously below with the aid of TOWS and Ansoff Matrix (Khanna, 2010; Johnson et al, 2009). (See Appendix 5: Tables 3 4): Strategy 1 Strength-Opportunity/Market Development Arik Airs key strengths of easy access to finance and excellent customer service practices can be explored based on the identified opportunity in the macro environment (politics) stemming from the planned liberalisation of skies in Asia and Africa (Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007; Ting, 2008). The strategy option this provides Arik Air is Market Development. The Airline can increase its fleets of aircraft by purchasing additional aircrafts, employing and training additional workforce, and increasing the route options of the airlines to more destinations in Asia and Africa Strategy 2 Strength-Weakness/ Market Penetration Market penetration is another strategic option available to Arik air. By utilising this strategy, Arik air can utilise its strong financial capability to bankroll an extensive marketing exploit to improve the brand image of the airline. This will create awareness for the Arik brand thus, enabling the airline to gain a greater market share in its present markets. However, the heightened competition in the industry poses a genuine threat to this strategy. Strategy 3 Strength-Threat/Diversification The on-going merger in the industry which may result in a few dominant airlines is a threat to Arik air. Arik with its easy access to finance can adopt a related diversification into the budget airline industry (horizontal integration) with the option of acquiring Virgin Nigeria (low cost low frills airline) (Attitude travel, 2010: Online) This will enable Arik air to optimally minimize the threat posed by merger of the more established operators by spreading its risk and making it a formidable competitor. Strategy 4 Weakness -Opportunity/Product Development The weak brand identity of Arik Air outside West Africa is one of the airlines weaknesses. Arik can overcome this weakness by ensuring that the flight experience of its customers remains memorable with an excellence in customer service at all time. The company can equally offer new products such as travel miles accumulation/flyers club membership for its customers as a Product Development Strategy. Strategy 5 Weakness -threat/Consolidation The proposed merger in the airline industry which might result in a few dominant airlines is a major threat to a growing airline like Arik airs weak brand identity; Arik can adopt any option of consolidation (Johnson et a, 2009) to defend its market share by merging with some established airline like Qatar Air or Emirate in order to ensure the sustainability of the business. The problem however is the possible loss of Ariks brand identity sue to such consolidation (Johnson et al, 2009) SELECTED STRATEGY After a thorough evaluation of the strategic options available to Arik air, the most viable option for the airline to adopt is a related diversification of the companys operations into the no-frills airline industry (a form of concentric diversification) (Mintzberg et al, 2003; Johnson et al, 2009). As suggested by Johnson et al (2009), related diversification allows a company to expand by utilising its existing infrastructure, resources, competencies and strengths in a new trade of similar capacity or intricacies. Therefore by this strategy, Arik air can capitalise on its strong financial strength in acquiring Virgin Nigeria (a no frill airline in Nigeria) (Attitude travel, 2010) or may purchase additional aircrafts to its fleets to cater exclusively for the no frills service operations while still utilising some of the companys existing technological infrastructure to cater for online bookings and check-ins (without incurring additional cost of employment). This is because there is evident potential synergy between the new business (a no-frills flight operation) and the core one, based on a common facility, asset, channel, skill, even opportunity. (Mintzberg et al, 2003:124) CONCLUSION To conclude, the introduction/inclusion of the no-frills airline options will afford Arik air no increased workforce requirement (due to the low service requirement of no-frill operations thus resulting in reduced operational cost); spread its market risk; enable greater efficiency, and will give commuters a greater variety to choose from among the Arik brand thus increasing the potential customer base of the airline. The adoption of diversification strategy by Arik air is a sustainable option for the airline due to the fact that there is presently only one no-frills airline in West Africa (Virgin Nigeria) (Attitude travel, 2010) which Arik air has the option of acquiring in order to build its business and booster its market share. However should the option of acquiring Virgin Nigeria not be chosen, Ariks reliability and brand identity in West Africa is sufficient to sustain the success of the diversification exercise thus ensuring Arik airs market growth. APPENDIXES (Appendix 1) PESTEL Analysis Political: Government subsidies for flag carriers: Flag carriers benefit from subsidies and cash injection from the government, relaxed accessed to loans, reduction in airport service and landing fees, subsidies on fuel and fiscal privileges. (The international chambers of commerce, 1995) Employment regulations: Countries differing employment regulations and trade union laws which Scholars have identified to a considerable affect the operational activities of organisations. (Harris et al, 2003; Deirdre, 2005) Immigration: The increasing global terrorism threats is resulting in governments around the world tightening immigration regulations which in turn might result in a reduction in the number of traveller around the world (Stevermen, 2009; Cartar, 2010) Deregulation: The deregulation of the aviation industry will provide an avenue for improved market conditions that will promote growth in the industry and remove the barriers to entry for new airlines thus allowing for effective market competition. (Bailey, 1986; Smith Cox, 2007) Liberalization of skies: Asia hopes to achieve a full liberalization of its airspace by 2015 and has put up a round map to achieve that. (Ting, 2008) Economic: Unstable Fuel price: The rising fuel price is estimated to result in a $13billion increase in 2010 oil bill with fuel prices put at $85/barrel. See appendix 1 (IATA, 2010: Online) Global economy recovery: The World Bank projects that a global economy recovery is on the way with a 2.7% growth expected in 2010 (World Bank, 2010: online) the aviation industry is projected to make a loss of $2.8billion in 2010 down from $5.8 billion made in 2009 (Financial Times, 2010) Mergers in the industry: The airline industry is undergoing transformation as airlines are announcing merger plans (Leung, 2010; Clark, 2010) Social: The World travel tourism council (2010) projects an increase in the number of holiday travellers in 2010 with further growth expected in 2011. Furthermore the 2010 world cup is expected to boost travel to Africa in 2010 (Eberl, 2010). There are concerns over the introduction of the full body scan at airport over the privacy infringement (McDonough, 2010). Technology: Terrorism threats, has prompted an increase in security screening in many airports with the introduction of the Full body scan (McDonough, 2010). New Air Traffic Control (ATC) technologies have been developed for commercial airlines one of which is ADS-B. (Karp, 2010) Environmental: In an effort for airlines to go green the International Air Transport Association (IATA) plans to cut CO2 emission by 1.5Million tonnes in 2010. (IATA, 2010: Online) Legal: The international air transport association (IATA) is to sign a data sharing agreement with the EU, US and ICAO (IATA, 2010: online). Furthermore, there are restrictions on mergers and acquisitions in the airline industry. (Appendix 2) Porters 5 Forces Threat of Entry: There is relatively low threat of entry to the industry based on the high capital requirement of starting an airline. Furthermore the airline industry is presently making a loss (IATA, 2010) which makes it unattractive to many investors thus reducing the numbers of possible entrant. Threat of substitute: Substitutes to airline are Trains, Automobiles and Ship. The threat posed by these is relative to the intended destination, time and cost analysis by the customers (Givoni, 2009). For National and Regional travels, these substitutes pose an increased threat to the airline industry due to the cheaper prices they offer with particular reference to travel by automobiles and/or trains. However, this threat is low on transatlantic travels. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Scholars have argued that the present global market condition is tending towards buyers market (Kotler et al, 2009). This is also made evident by aircraft manufacturers seeking the greater participation of airlines in the design of their aircrafts customising. However due to high switching cost in the airline industry, the bargaining power of the supplier is medium. (Kotler et al, 2009) Bargaining Power of Buyer: Consumers have a high degree of options to choose from and this allows them a great bargaining power. (Kotler et al, 2010) Competitive Rivalry: The airline industry is highly competitive and there is prevalent merger going on in the industry in an effort to cut cost and improve efficiency. (Leung, 2010; Clark, 2010) and there is a high exist barrier Fig 3 Porters five forces: Source: Johnson et al (2009: 31) adapted from Porter (1984) (Appendix 3) Table 1 Arik Airs Resources Tangible Resources Intangible Resources Fleets of Aircraft (Physical resources) Buildings (Physical resources) Capital, Shareholders, Bankers (Financial resources) Highly skilled Employees (Human resource) Brand Customer database Business system Source: adapted from Slack et al, 2009 The aircraft fleets are as follows (Arik Air, 2010: Online) Two (2) Airbus A340-542, manufacture date: 2008-2009 with a Seat capacity of 237; Three (3) Boeing 737-800NG, Manufacture date: 2009 has a seat capacity of 148; Six (6) Boeing 737-700NG, Manufacture date: 2007-2008, has a seat capacity of 131-149; Three (3) Boeing 737-700, Manufacture date: 2001, has seat capacity of 124; Two (2) Boeing 737-300, Manufacture date: 1989, has seat capacity of 126; Four (4) Bombardier CRJ-900, Manufacture date: 2005-2007, seat capacity of 74; Two (2) Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, Manufacture date: 2009, has seat capacity of 72; Three (3) Bombardier Dash 8 Q300, Manufacture: 2001-2002, with seat capacity of 50; Four (4) Fokker 50, Manufacture date: 1990, seat capacity of 51; Two (2) Hawker HS 125-800XP, Manufacture date: 2004, seat capacity of 8. (Appendix 4) Table 2 SWOT Internal Origin Strengths highly skilled workforce with excellent ethical conduct and customer relations the easy access to finance or funding, the airlines fleets of aircraft (mostly new), -speed in service delivery and -low operational cost Weakness the brand image (still widely unrecognised outside west Africa) -Limited flight offering to 17 local and only 8 international destination External Origin Opportunities -increase in the numbers of global travellers expanding the network of flight destination due to the expected liberalisation of skies in Asia and the African continent Threats -unstable global fuel price, -increased terrorism scares, government subsidy for competitors -dominance of a few big players due to merger. Source: Adapted from Kotler et al (2009:101) Fig 4 Source: Marketing teacher (2010: Online) adapted from Bowman (1995) (Appendix 5) Table 3 TOWS analysis of Arik Air Nigeria. SW Strategy that use strength to overcome weakness Strategy 2- Market Penetration Opportunity -Increase in the numbers of global travellers expanding the network of flight destination due to the expected liberalisation of skies in Asia and the African continent Threats unstable global fuel price, -increased terrorism scares, government subsidy for competitors -dominance of a few big players due to merger. Strengths -Easy access to finance -excellent customer services -low operational cost Highly skilled workforce SO Strategy that use strength to maximize opportunity: Strategy 1 Market Development ST Strategy that use strength to minimize threats. Strategy 3- Related Diversification (Horizontal Integration) Weakness -weak brand identity -Few flight destination offering WO Strategy that minimize weakness by taking advantage of opportunity Strategy 4- Product Development WT Strategy that minimize and avoid threat Strategy 5 Consolidation Table 4 Ansoff Matrix Existing Product New Product Existing Market -Market Penetration -Consolidation -Product Development New Market -Market Development -Diversification Source: Johnson et al (2009:174) REFERENCES Abioye, O. Ezeobi, O (2008) YarAdua, governors pledge support for Arik [Online] Available from: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2008120422503246 [Accessed; 2nd April, 2010] Attitude travel (2010) African low cost no frills airlines [Online] Available from: http://www.attitudetravel.com/lowcostairlines/africa/ [Accessed: 23rd March, 2010] Bailey, E. (1986) Price and Productivity Change following Deregulation: the US experience. The Economic Journal 96(381),1-17 Banfield, P; Kay, R. (2008) Introduction to human resource management. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Bijan, V; Kenneth, F (2005) A total factor productivity based structure for tactical cluster assessment: Empirical Investigation in the airline industry. Journal of Air Transportation. 10(1), 3-19 Carter, N (2010) United Kingdom: Immigration Law Update [Online] Available from: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=92474 [Accessed: 12th March, 2010] Clark, P (2010) Investors in BA focus on open skies talks [Online] Available from: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/883d3e28-19ac-11df-af3e-00144feab49a,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F883d3e28-19ac-11df-af3e-00144feab49a.html_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ft.com%2Fsearch%3FqueryText%3Dlibralisation%2Bof%2Bskies%26ftsearchType%3Dtype_news [Accessed: 13th March 2010] Deirdre, M (2005) Working Time Laws : a Global Perspective : Findings from the ILOs Conditions of Work and Employment Database. Geneva, International Labour Office Bureau International du Travail. Eberl , N. (2010) world travel trends spell opportunity for 2010. [Online] Available from: http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/147/42144.html [Accessed: 14th March, 2010] Eze, C (2010) Arik air announces management team restructuring [online] Available from: http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=168400 [Accessed: 12th March, 2010] Financial times (2010) Global airline losses [online] Available from: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/118a1a5e-2d1f-11df-8025-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F3%2F118a1a5e-2d1f-11df-8025-00144feabdc0.html_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ft.com%2Fsearch%3FqueryText%3Dlibralisation%2Bof%2Bskies%26ftsearchType%3Dtype_news [Accessed: 13th March, 2010] Givoni, M. (2009) Book review: Mobility by John Urry. Transport Reviews, 29(1), 143-144 Harris, H.; Brewster, C.; Sparrow, P. (2003) International Human Resource Management, London, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. IATA (2010) Jet price Monitor [Online] Available from: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/economics/fuel_monitor/index.htm [Accessed: 13th March 2010] Johnson, G; Scholes, K; Whittington, R (2009) Fundamentals of Strategy. Essex, Pearson Education Limited. Karp, A (2010) LaHood: White House has an interest in funding NextGen aircraft equipment, [Online] Available from: http://atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=19647 [Accessed 14th March 2010] Khanna, T (2010a) Internal Analysis: the VRIO framework. [Lecture] University of Greenwich, 15th February. Khanna, T (2010b) Managing Strategy. [lecture] University of Greenwich, 8th March. Khanna, T (2010c) Corporate level stra

Surviving Technology Essay -- Technological Internet Computers Essays

Surviving Technology Computers, Internet, electronics are all apart of technology. Businesses are being buffeted by an increasingly rapid rate of change. There are new products, new regulations new customers and new technology in almost every industry. Part of that new technology is distance learning. More and more of adults are taken advantage of it. It is very convient for that working adult with spouse and kids or the adult going back to school. However some adults are not as savvy with the Internet or computer. Both items are essential in order to become a distance-learning student. Therefore I have created a student survival guide that would be useful for a new online student. Conducting Successful Library and Internet Searches The Internet provides access to a wealth of information on countless topics contributed by people throughout the world. A user has access to a wide variety of services and access protocols. These protocols such as http and e-mail allow users to search and retrieve material. The Internet is not a library in which items can be retrieved by a single catalog. No one knows how many files reside on the internet. The number runs into a few billion and is growing at a rapid pace. When As if you were traveling from place to place in the real world; you have to in a virtual environment. Look for every entrance to a topic and every potential door that may lay hidden behind that room with no apparent end. Therefore, it may seem daunting, but it is nothing more than changing the way you view your particular topic from a different perspective, or angle. It may be as simple as looking for the opposite or slightly off the topic in order to find the major you are looking for. Another good reference for researching the Internet is http://www.aresearchguide.com/ or A Research Guide for Students by I. Lee, he gives a lot of good information and places to start. There are many different ways to search for information on the internet. Ultimately looking at a topic from many different points of view, can help you find the information you are looking for. The Internet is a very large set of computers. In a matter of moments, you can gather information that is been posted from around the world. As you view this information, everything you see becomes obsolete because the Internet is growing as fast as our humanity can create new ways to... ... be. I am determined to obtain my degree so that I will not have to be on my feet for my entire shift. I want more, for me and for my family. The only way to accomplish these goals is to do the best I can and complete school. Works Cited: Ackermann, E. (2005). Directories and virtual libraries. Retrieved May. 24, 2005, from Webliminal Web site: http://www.webliminal.com/search/search-web04.html. Ackermann, E. (2005). Evaluating information found on the world wide web. Retrieved May. 24, 2005, from Webliminal Web site: http://www.webliminal.com/search/search-web12.html. Ackermann, E. (2005). Search strategies for search engines. Retrieved May. 24, 2005, from Webliminal Web site: http://www.webliminal.com/search/search-web05.html. Getting started with research in the university library. (2005). Retrieved May. 24, 2005, from Western International University Library Web site: http://www.apollolibrary.com/Library/library.aspx?bc=1. Kennedy, X., Kennedy, D., Muth, M., & Holladay, S. (2005). The bedford guide for college writers. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's. Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits, S. (2002). Keys to college studying. Columbus, OH: Prentice Hall.

The Place of Mental Preparation of Athletes

The sports community now recognizes that mental factors such as confidence, composure, focus, and motivation are highly significant to athletic performance. As a result, over the year’s performance enhancement has become an emerging career track within the field sport psychology. Sport psychology (or sports psychology) is the study of the psychological factors that affect participation and performance in sports.Sport psychology professionals who focus on performance enhancement aim to increase athletic performance by minimizing the psychological effects of poor performance and instilling the mental skill needed to attain peak performance. In order for the field of sport psychology to advance professionals must educate the sports community on the value and benefits of mental training. Psychology principles such as positive thinking, imagery, and goal setting can be applied in sports to help athletes perform and prepare for competition.At the elite levels all athletes have the t alent and the physical tools to compete. In an interview hall of quarterback and sports analysis, Troy Aikman stated, â€Å"When you get to the elite level in sports, athletically, what separates the really great performers are the ones who are mentally tough and see things a little bit quicker than their competitors. † These athletes have the ability to move on after mistakes, maintain confidence and composure in the face of adversity, and focus on what is need to execute each task successfully.The best practice to enhance athletic performance in the field sport psychology is through mental training. Mental training is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. Many athletes and coaches resist mental training because they do not understand how it can help them. In order for athletes to get the most out of their sport, it is critical for them to understand the value of improving their mental game.Athletes are more likely to embrace mental training when they understand it and its benefits. However, the best way for athletes to embrace into mental training is when they actually experience its power firsthand. Mental training is about improving one’s attitude and mental skills to help them perform their best by identifying limiting beliefs and embracing a healthier philosophy about their sport. Mental skills, just like physical skills, take repetition, practice, and game-time application to develop.Helping athletes and coaches understanding the mental barriers that limit performance and the benefits of sports psychology intervention is a critical step in the mental training process. Mental barriers include high expectations, perfectionism, fear of failure, lack of emotional control and attentional focus. Athletes can overcome these barriers through sport psychology intervention that aim to enhance confidence, f ocus, composure, trust and mental preparation. Most athletes are highly committed to excellence and seeing how far they can go in sports.They love competition and testing themselves against the best in their sport. They understand the importance of a positive attitude and mental toughness. These athletes want every possible advantage they can get including the mental edge over the competition. Sports Psychology is about improving your attitude and mental toughness to help you perform your best by identifying limiting beliefs and embracing a healthier philosophy about your sport. Mental training is used by elite athletes to help improve focus, confidence and deal with distractions.Many athletes have the ability to concentrate, but often their focus is displaced on the wrong areas such as when a batter thinks â€Å"I need to get a hit† while in the batter’s box, which is a result-oriented focus. Sport Psychology Today is a sports mental training resource for athletes, sp orts parents, coaches, sport psychology scholars, and professionals provided by Mental Edge Athletics. Please sign up for our Discussion Forum   to share your experiences, ask questions, and gain access to advice from our readers and team of experts around the world.Topic and information requests can be sent by using our Contact Page. Sport Psychology and Mental Training Products are Coming Soon, so   stay tuned to Sports Psychology Today for more information. In the meantime, please search for your topics of interest on Sports Psychology Today and continue to improve your sports performance, mental toughness, and mental game. Also please share our website with your friends and family and   â€Å"Like† us on facebook   (facebook. com/mentaledgeathletics or search Sport Psychology Today) to gain access to discounts and special offers.Mental training is important for athletes, whether striving to do their personal best or competing against others. Mental imagery, what B ruce D. Hale of Penn State calls   â€Å"No Sweat Practice,† is very effective. The mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Practice is practice, regardless of whether it is mental or physical. Ask the athlete to sit in a relaxed position in a quiet place with few distractions. Tell the athlete to close their eyes and picture performing a particular skill. Each is seeing him/herself on a large movie screen on a football pitch.Walk them through the skill step by step. Use as much detail as possible, using words to elicit all the senses  Ã¢â‚¬â€ sight, hearing, touch and smell-soft foot, cushion, deep it close, toe down, light touches. Ask the athlete to repeat the image. Picture rehearsing the skill successfully, even to the point of seeing the ball going in the goal. Some athletes need help to start the process. Others will learn to practice this way on their own. The link between performing the skills in the mind and performing the ski lls on the football pitch may be hard to explain.However, the athletes who repeatedly imagine themselves correctly completing a skill and believing it to be true are more likely to make it happen. Whatever goes into one's mind and one's heart comes out in their actions. â€Å"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll find an excuse. † –Author Unknown â€Å"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. † –Colin Powell Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Winners are those people who make a habit of doing the things losers are uncomfortable doing. † –Ed Foreman â€Å"Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willi ng to cut all sources of retreat. Only by doing so can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a burning desire to win–essential to success. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. † –Albert Einstein â€Å"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Only a strong tree can stand alone. † –Arnold Glasow â€Å"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. † –Dr. Wayne W. Dyer â€Å"It's a sure thing that you'll not finish if you don't start. † –Napoleon Hill â€Å"The individual with a negative mental at titude attracts troubles as a magnet attracts steel fittings. –Napoleon Hill â€Å"Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail. † –Dr. John C. Maxwell â€Å"The key to having a good attitude is the willingness to change. We are either the masters or the victims of our attitudes. It is a matter of personal choice. Who we are today is the result of choices we made yesterday. Tomorrow we will become what we choose today. To change means to choose to change. † –Dr. John C. Maxwell â€Å"The ladder of success is never crowded at the top. † –Napoleon Hill Photo Credit the athlete image by csaba fikker from Fotolia. om Physical training is only one facet of the training that successful athletes undergo. While the body is pushed to its limits and trained to perform under pressure for as long as necessary, the mind also must be prepared for competition. The world's best athletes all have techniques they use to win and achieve their goals. Function Sound mental training prepares athletes for competition by eliminating the anxiety that often surrounds performance. One of the main functions of mental athletic training is to help athletes concentrate on the moment.Trainers at Mental Goaltending report that athletes must learn to concentrate on the positive and refuse to entertain negative thoughts. Types One type of mental training that many athletes use is called visualization. Athletes are urged to see themselves performing at their peak and crossing the finish line or making a goal or basket. Visualization is designed to infuse the subconscious mind with a reality developed by the athlete so that the conscious mind follows through and makes it happen. Benefits In addition to providing competitive athletes with an edge, mental training can help relieve some of the stress involved in competition.Sports psychologists at Protex Sports report that in addition to the pressure of the competit ion, athletes face stress and pressure from managers, coaches, teammates and fans. They often face rigorous schedules and family demands that create additional stress that could affect their performance. Mental training is meant to alleviate some of the stress. Features A thorough mental training program features work in a range of areas that affect performance. Athletes look to psychological trainers to help them improve their mental toughness to withstand the demands of the competition as well as help them focus on their priorities.They work to uncover any fears that might be standing in the way of success and find ways to address those fears. Through mental training, athletes can gain confidence and composure. Considerations After an injury, many athletes have a difficult time adjusting to not playing their sport and facing a possible end to their athletic careers. Mental training for athletic success includes considerations for those times. During rehabilitation or preparing to retire, athletes have special needs that can be addressed through specially trained therapists.