Case Study: Managing for Organizational Integrity

[pic] [pic] [pic] SUBMITTED BY: PARSHU RAM ACHARYA MOUNT DRUITT TAFE INTRODUCTION The aim/purpose of this report is to discuss how the information systems are managed systematically in an organizational operation. How those frontline managers should be competent in managing the systems, developing business plans and budgets as well as managing the resource proposal are made are researched in sources listed in the Bibliography and the practicable application of it in business as demonstrated by the case study of Blacktown city council which is followed by the theory of manage workplace information systems with the help of class notes and further researched on the Blacktown city council and is presented as two facts information as theory and practical. To manage information systems systematically and scientifically frontline managers must be capable of identifying, acquiring, analyzing, reviewing, and using appropriate information so that the organization would run effectively and efficiently. This report is written in such way that it satisfy all the 9 points needed for frontline managers to make right decisions at the right time for the successful operation of business, considering the proper management of a team to achieve team goals and objectives. This report has been written to satisfy the requirements of course in the ‘Electrical Engineering Unit,’ Ensure Team Effectiveness at WSI TAFE NSW Mount Druitt College. OVERVIEW: Management of information system (MIS) is a planned system of the collecting, processing, storing and disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the functions of management. In a way it is a documented report of the activities those were planned and executed. It can also be defined as the subset of the overall internal control of a business covering the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures by management accountants to solving business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy. Most importantly MIS are those systems that allow managers to make decisions for the successful operation of businesses. MIS is the process of allocating information an organization's inputs, including human and economic resources, by planning, organizing, directing, and controlling for the purpose of producing goods or services desired by customers so that organizational objectives are accomplished. If management has knowledge of the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of the business, its decisions can be made on the basis of facts, and decisions are more accurate and timely. As a result, the manager could easily distinguish the weaknesses and the strength of the company so that they could work them out properly by removing the drawbacks and overcoming the weaknesses and overpowering the strength so that the company could properly achieve the set goals in efficient and effective manner. In addition to this, managers should be considerably aware of the aim/ goal of the company and the overall team participation taking care of the entire team member’s Occupational Health and Safety. In the age of information technology, the need for relevant and timely information to support management in decision making is increasing due to market competition. The quickly changing environment brought about by the rapidly expanding capabilities of computer equipment has substantially shortened system's life cycles. Consequently, management must continuously develop its organization's information system or, soon face the competitive disadvantage resulting from obsolete information systems. 1. Blacktown city council is a governmental organisation which governed and funded by the government of Australia and it is actively participating in the development projects in cooperation with Federal Government of Australia. It is a public sector as well as community sector organisation. Its nature includes developing and initiating plans and projects, developing the strategies for the welfare and facilitating the people of entire Blacktown including the dense multicultural and diverse community. It also includes the facilities like the basics of life including the leisure and lifestyle, arts and entertainment like libraries, parks, reserves, child care centres, clubs etc. The nature of work involves governing all the people living in Blacktown as a local government and providing each and every facilities that a local government should provide and is capable of. It includes the managing waste ,cleaning the public places, constructing the parks, reserves, clubs , child care centres and repairing of all those and lots of other projects. The aim and objectives of Blacktown city council can be briefly explained as below: 1. To serve a whole Blacktown community as a parent organisation. 2. To provide each and every facilities for the diverse and dense multicultural community. 3. Carry out different planned project and implementing it for the development of Blacktown city and its welfare. 4. To workout for the different ways that can satisfies the local people and maintains the social harmony, peace, etc. 5. To provide safe environment for people in working and enjoying freely. . Safeguarding the people needs and necessities and maintain secure place to live in. The project is on the Blacktown City council, Department of planning Engineering Team’s proposal of the ‘promotion of solar city products’ initiatives. 2. Effective use of the information system is the key for the success of the company so that it is extremely necessary to ensure the effective use of organisational information systems. In cas e if the information is not immediately available strategies should be developed and the decision should be made. There are different barriers for the effective information gathering and unavailability of the immediate information. Poor documentation, poorly designed information systems, poor searching skills, inexperienced, untrained, unskilled managers, imperfect computer systems, lack of human resources and the politics are the great hidden costs in organisation which will led us to the information shortage of immediate information. Hence, the strategies involved in sorting those problems out can be described as followed: a. All the information systems should be properly designed with all the new and advance technologies. b. Outdated computer systems should be renewed and supervised with the effective and useful information. c. Information managing staffs should be trained and should be experience with very good skills. d. Human resources should be properly managed and workload to the workers reduced. Also information should be gathered with best methods with raw data continually scanned and selected most useful pieces in timely manner. Examples of some common processes would include: 1. Interviews with focussed questions towards organisational goal. 2. Reports should be with good secondary source of information. 3. Focusing group also including a way of getting brainstorming ideas on a particular topic from people who represent a range of employee, client or supplier positions. 4. Questionnaires wit questions of carefully worded to lead to people to respond in a certain way. 3. To ensure the proper management of information systems it is necessary that collection of information should be timely, adequate and relevant to the needs of various teams. For the information to be on the effective use it should be available on when it is needed so that information should gathered and organised on the time. Adequate data is the complete data which is sufficient information when it is needed to be applied. Relevant information is also called as- to the point, means which is accurate information. Untimely and inadequate data or information could even mislead the information systems from achieving it goals. So it becomes necessary to monitor that information be relevant, sufficient and on at right time. Before the implementation of the strategies it is necessary to review the organisational goal or purpose as well as occupational health and safety as these are the things which matters the most. The range of strategies that ensures the collection of information is timely, relevant and adequate to the needs of the teams can be explained in details as below: a. Transactions processing systems: All the transactions should be constantly monitored by the information system . All the processes of the transactions should be recorded in the database as sale items, amount, time, date, employee etc. o that each and every data goes to the system. b. management information system: Data base plays the most important role in information management system covering in about each and every sections of the organisation. If database is managed timely and properly, it will be relevant, adequate and timely information. c. Decision support system: As decision making is the most important and crucial part of management of any organisation, decision support system plays a vital role in it. So it provides interactive information support to managers during the decision making process. This would help in timely and relevant decision making. . Manual systems: Although electronics and digital systems become the basics of information management, manual systems are equally important yet. Filing cabinets, message books, phone directories and card systems are all legitimate information systems which are still used and plays one of important role in timely and adequate information management. The success of these strategies could be measured by comparing that information with the new information and the weakness and drawbacks can be correctly categorized and figured out so that managers have the right vision of their outcomes and goal. Implementation of all those systems correctly would also ensure the managerial success as well as the strategic success in organisation. 4. Planning is the basics of organisational success, as every outcome depends upon its performance plan and its implementation. The organisational strategic planning processes produce a direct impact on the organisational aim or goal. So it becomes extremely necessary that it should be on the right tract on the organisational benefit. Hence the strategic processes that would identify and report relevant information to support the organisation’s strategic planning processes. At team level, resource planning involves planning for the resources ( staffs, equipment, budget, technology, Company databases, Integrated management software, Client relationship management tool, Supply chain management tool, Application jobs, Network infrastructure, Data servers and storage systems, Security devices) that is needed for next cycle. Not everyone will be involved in the macro- level resource planning that involves the acquisition of capital and other big ticket items. However it is important that everyone in an organization undertakes this at the macro level. Many organizations have specialists or staff whose roles are dedicated to resource planning. Computer plays main role as the prerequisites for all the information systems. While computers cannot create business strategies by themselves they can assist management in understanding the effects of their strategies, and help enable effective decision-making. MIS systems can be used to transform data into information useful for decision making. Computers can provide financial statements and performance reports to assist in the planning, monitoring and implementation of strategy. MIS systems provide a valuable function in that they can collate into coherent reports unmanageable volumes of data that would otherwise be broadly useless to decision makers. By studying these reports decision-makers can identify patterns and trends that would have remained unseen if the raw data were consulted manually. Those principles are relevant for the proposals that manager might take at a macro level. Most importantly the strategic planning processes can be identified and report relevant information can be supported by the following types of Systems: a. Management information systems can be used as a support to managers to provide a competitive advantage. The system must support the goals of the organization. Most organizations are structured along functional lines, and the typical systems are identified as follows: b. Accounting management information systems: All accounting reports are shared by all levels of accounting managers. c. Financial management information systems: The financial management information system provides financial information to all financial managers within an organization including the chief financial officer. The chief financial officer analyses historical and current financial activity, projects future financial needs, and monitors and controls the use of funds over time using the information developed by the MIS department. d. Manufacturing management information systems: More than any functional area, operations have been impacted by great advances in technology. As a result, manufacturing operations have changed. For instance, inventories are provided just in time so that great amounts of money are not spent for warehousing huge inventories. In some instances, raw materials are even processed on railroad cars waiting to be sent directly to the factory. Thus there is no need for warehousing. e. Marketing management information systems: A marketing management information system supports managerial activity in the area of product development, distribution, pricing decisions, promotional effectiveness, and sales forecasting. More than any other functional areas, marketing systems rely on external sources of data. These sources include competition and customers, for example. f. Human resources management information systems: Human resources management information systems are concerned with activities related to workers, managers, and other individuals employed by the organization. Because the personnel function relates to all other areas in business, the human resources management information system plays a valuable role in ensuring organizational success. Activities performed by the human resources management information systems include, work-force analysis and planning, hiring, training, and job assignments. The above are examples of the major management information systems which would support the decision making and the report relevant information at the strategic level. There may be other management information systems if the company is identified by different functional areas. 5. Technology plays the role of backbone in the context of information management. All the technology should be used in such a manner that it ensures the complete utilization as well as it ensures that it can satisfy the level of information that an organisation need to fulfil its goal. So this technological information should satisfy the demand of the organisation. It is obvious that any organisation is not same every time and change according to the time. So the information system or technology cannot be able to satisfy the nature of change in the information system in an organisation. So it becomes an essential that technology should be constantly monitored and constantly improved. The manager should be able of getting most out of the available technology to the organisation so that at the minimum cost and expenses company could get the maximum benefits. It is necessary to understand that the amount of information is not the problem but rather the lack of effective tools and skills to manage, use and store the information. The information is in the system or technology is available is not a guarantee you are deriving maximum benefit from it. So the using of technology effectively can be briefly explained in the following ways: a. The resources of the organisation such as intranet and email or the existing developed system are reliable so that it does not affect the availability of information at any point of time. . People have been adequately briefed or trained on the use and features of the technology available so that they can properly handle the information systems and make the maximum use of available resources. c. Policies, training materials, the staff phone directory and other vital information stored on the company intranet. This saves paper and ensures all staff has up to date information. d. A filing system should be organ ised in such a manner that it can be clearly and easily available to the people who are in need of it and it saves the vital time. e. A regular maintenance process to remove documents, customers and other information that is no longer relevant or current. f. People should be trained on the regular manner so that they could properly deal with the demand of the new and developing information systems. 6. The proper management of information also includes the team involvement and it is extremely necessary that whole team is working as a unit so that maximum utilization of resources can be done with minimum input if the team work as one unit. So it becomes necessary to ensure team effectiveness. Ensuring Team Effectiveness in a team plays the most important role in achieving goals and objectives of the overall organization and the team itself. The team’s purpose, roles, responsibilities, goals, plans, and objectives should be identified and these are related to the organizational goals, plans and objectives. Each and every team members should be supported in meeting the expected outcomes. Plans are developed to ensure that work required by the organization to carry out its goals. Opportunities should be created and should be properly managed for the team to provide input into ny of the team’s operations including decision making. To get maximum out of team or utilising the involvement of team in the workplace is the responsibility of manager. So managers should come out with the strategies which would maximise team contribution, involvement and support for the business plan and budgets. The strategies would involve following: 1. Each and ever team membersâ€⠄¢ occupational health and safety should be ensured so that all the staff can concentrate on their work and give maximum of them. 2. eam members should be motivated towards their job and they should be constantly be considering the aim or goal of the organisation is and how they can contribute as an individual and as a team member for the company goal. 3. Team should be involved in business plan so that that the planning and its implement would be better. The common elements of business plan including Executive summary, vision, company description, action plan, market position, product or services, operation, marketing/ sales, financial information. So if all these information are available for entire team for the business plan, team contribution would be increased. . Budgeting process should involve feedback from all key stakeholders. Apart from the intimate knowledge, team members have of operation, involving them will make them know and understand what you are trying to achieve. If they are involved in target setting, they are more likely to accept the targets and be motivated to perform. The budgets including Revenue budget, expense budget, profit budget, cash budget, capital expenditure budget, variable budgets should be properly fixed out and the forecasting and its utilization should be properly managed. 7. Success of organisation depends upon its planning and implementation. Planning plays vital role as what ever is planned the ultimate destination of the company as well as workplace information systems. Planning is directly associated with the organisational aim or goal, it becomes necessary that planning would be effective and its implementation can be carried out efficiently. With only one development phase remaining before the new system is to put into use, managers and information specialists have a good understanding of the work necessary to implementation plan. This planning process should be a function of line management, at least as far as key decisions or alternative plans are concerned. The systems analyst may prepare plans to assist managers, but managers must have the last say. At the same time, managers require the services of the systems analyst to detail plans. The major strategies involved in implementation of plans, tasks, or milestones, can be discussed as following: a. planning implementation activities should be carried out in taking consideration of the aim or purpose of company, information systems and the occupational health and safety; b. nnouncing the implementation is to be done so as to inform the employees of the decision to implement the new system and to ask for the employees’ cooperation ; c. organising for implementation can be described as assigning the project and information managers as well as all the new facilities including offices and information resources and equipments; d. acquiring resources, facil ities and offices including the installation of a new system to replacea currentone and major revision of the facilities; e. btaining the hardware resources; it plays major role in information systems as it would be the equipment for the management of workplace information including computers; f. Obtaining the software resources; Information managers are assign with the responsibility of the management of software required for all the information systems. The software like intranet, company websites, database should be obtained and managed by the managers; g. preparing the database; data base should be designed according to the need of the information system of the organisation; h. ducating and training the participants and users; and i. the cutover to new system. The plans should list all subtasks for each of these major tasks so that individuals in the organisation may be assigned specific responsibilities. Developing good user documentation is an important part of the implementat ion process. Documentation is extremely important in diagnosing errors and marking changes, especially if end users or systems analyst that developed the system are no longer with the organisation. The documentation of manual IS may consist of: . Announce the implementation 3. Organise for implementation 4. Acquire resources, facilities and offices 5. Obtain resources-hardware 6. Obtain resources-softwares 7. Prepare the database 8. Educate and train the participants and users Managing the contingency plans should be prepared to address an unexpected change to the plan of the organisation and information systems. So managers should prepare the plans required in case of change like industrial disputes, supply problems, loss of a key customer, and fire damage to key equipment. The effective management of contingency plans would be : a. to identify the internal and external factor in the organisation that can cause a significant change to happen to the organisation b. ask a series of ‘what if †¦. ’ question around those factors that affect your organisation c. brainstorm some suggestions on how you could best meet those situations with no, or minimum, disruption to your business d. briefly record these plans and file in case of need. It will benefit you update these plans each year as part of your normal planning or budgeting process. 8. Resources plays important role in the organisational information systems as they are the basics of the information. So managing the equipments, like hardware software, databases etc. should be done. To do these resource proposals and estimates of the resources should be developed. For this, consultation should be carried out with the stakeholders and proposals should match the organisational business plans and organisational goal. The installation of a new system too replace a current on may require a major revision of facilities as well as completely new offices, computer rooms, and production layouts. The project manager must prepare rough layouts and estimates and submit a proposal for approval. Facilities and space planning should begin as soon as approval of gross space allocations has been obtained. the urgency for such planning is two-fold. First here may be a long lead-time if new partitions, electrical work, air conditioning and even new building are required. Second, the detailed workflow depends upon the physical arrangements of building. The training personnel will be more successful if their operations are base on exact physical relationships mong the people and the equipment in the work processes. Hardware resources: The system design is made available to the suppliers of the type of computing equipment contained in the approved configuration. Each supplier is provided with the request for proposal. The description of the system design enables the suppliers to select those computing units that will d the best job. The installation schedule tells the suppliers when the equipment must be delivered and made ready for use. When suppliers choose to complete for the order, they each prepare a written proposal. When all the proposal have been received and analysed, the steering committee selects the suppliers. The information specialists provide support for this decision by studying the proposals and making recommendations. With the acquisitions approved, the firm places the order. Software Resources: When a firm decides to create its own application software, the programmer uses the documentqation prepared by the systems analysts as the starting point. The programmer may prepare more detailed documentation, such as structured English or program flowcharts. The coding is performed and the programs are tested. The end products is a software library of the application programs. 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The project for the Blacktown solar cities is running from 2006 to 2013 and this business plan has been developed in the context of the solar city vision for the promotion of solar cities products. As planning and development section of Blacktown city council are committed to the conservation, restoration and enhancement of an environment which plays an important role in balancing the social, economic and environmental imperatives in Blacktown city. This initiative has the aim to promote solar products that reflect the Council’s positive vision towards environment. The initiative is to train and equip a team of consultants who will promote solar products offered by Blacktown council as a solar city initiative. This team will conduct home interest in the range of solar products and encourage people for using these solar products so that they could get reasonable benefits as well as contribute towards the environment. The members of this team will inform and register the potential consumers of the council’s range of products. The timing period of this initiative is one year after which it will be reviewed for its inclusion onto 2010-2011 Blacktown council’s management budget. The estimated cost of this initiative is $53,705. Details of expenditure are listed as facts in the action plan summary. As the total budget allocation for health and environment services for 2009-2010 is $1,676,128. With its help Blacktown residents, business and community organisations save money by using energy more wisely, contribute towards environment, saving energy and generating their own energy then it should be considered worthwhile. This initiative is taken in response to a lack of formally recruited consultants who will be promoting the Solar City products in the Blacktown area. The types of products being promoted includes different packages that will be provided featuring solar PV, solar hot water, energy efficiency, free energy audits, smart meters, demand management, cost reflective pricing and innovative financing which would be easy, economic, effective and efficient. 2. Vision: The ‘promotion of Solar City Products’ initiative is consistent with the Solar City Vision of the Blacktown Council. This is outlined below: Blacktown Solar City Facts Blacktown City is the first Solar City in New South Wales. With funding under the Australian Government’s $75 million Solar Cities initiative, the Blacktown Solar City consortium is working with industry, businesses and the local community to rethink the way they produce and use energy. PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF SOLAR CITY VISION FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY †¢ Over one megawatt of solar electricity technology will be installed on private and public housing and on commercial and iconic buildings, which saves a lot of electricity which could be sold to the foreign country to have a good national income as well would be supplied to the remote part of the country. †¢ Financial solutions will be available to help consumers finance their solar systems so that there will be no financial problems for it. †¢ About 5000 job vacancy will be created so as to fight with the current job losses and economic downturn in the country. More than 2,100 solar water heaters will be installed in private and public housing, which will help to reduce the bill as well as use right source of energy. †¢ 3,500 energy efficiency consultations for households and businesses which would serve people. †¢ 30,000 energy efficinency packs will be available for households and commercial customers, to support their energy efficient choices. †¢ Offering 1,000 customers the opportunity to adopt pricing structures that allow them to save money by changing the times they use energy. 200 households will receive discounted ceiling insulation packages to participate in a trial to measure energy savings from properly installed insulation. †¢ A trial giving energy providers direct access to air conditioner and pool pump switches will be conducted during periods of peak electricity demand. †¢ 4,000 smart meters will give residential customers timely information on energy use. 3. PROFILE OF BLACKTOWN CITY COUNCIL: Blacktown city council is just 35 km from the Sydney CBD. It is a home to over 295,000 people making it as the largest local government area in New South Wales. Blacktown city population is spread across 46 suburbs. The 12 industrial estates, 2 major retail centres and 30 local retail and commercial centres are providing employment for more than 100,000 multicultural and varied diverse individuals. Five leisure centres, four libraries , over 20 child care facilities, as well as high profile clubs, tourism , sporting, entertainment, accommodation, conference and other recreational facilities and some 850 parks and reserves are fulfilling the demands of leisure and lifestyle, and arts and entertainment of local people. The council has a debt free budget of over $275 million. 15 councillors including Mayer of Blacktown city are running the council. This council is highly efficient in waste management and strongly protective of our environment. This council was awarded the state’s most prestigious local government award for performing to the highest standards of excellence in public services. 4. ACTION PLAN |Long Term Goal |To promote the range of Solar Products provided by Blacktown Council in the city of Blacktown by | | |2010. |Short to Medium Term Objectives |To train and equip 15 consultants to represent the range of Solar Products offered by Blacktown | | |Council. | | |To Support a team of consultants to inform and register potential consumers of the Blacktown | | |council’s range of Solar Products. | Strategies over next 1 |Actions to achieve Key Results |Expenditure |Timing |Responsibility | | |year | | | | | | |Recruit and determine |Planning for all activities: Advertisement , | |June 01-june09 |Human resources, | | |Training needs of |training, managing people, interviewing, | | |15 engineers. | | |Consultants Team. |workshops etc. | | |External | | | |Salary for working 2 days Per week or 15 |$30*15*16 hrs |June09-june10 |organisation for | | | |consultants |$70*6hrs*4days |June*4 days |all those | | | |Training with the operation of solar panels |$35*4hrs*2days |July*2days |activities | | | |and solar technology |$30*15stud |July*6hrs |including, | | | |Training in council code of conduct. $80*15stud |July*6hrs |trainer, | | | |TAFE course: 24962A customer service |$775*15stud |June*16hrs |advertisement | | | |Laptop computer course | | |agents, | | | |Consulting workshop(consultant training | | |interviewer, | | | |Australia) | | |trainer | | |Determine and implement |Council uniforms:$10/shirt*5shirts(each |$50 |July |Team leader, | | |facilities and equipment |working day). 50 /pair of pants *5(each |$250 |July |purchase | | |ofr Consultants Teamà ¢â‚¬â„¢s |working day) | |July |department | | |home visits |Paper copy contract |$15000 |July | | | | |Toshiba laptops at $1000ea*15 |$720 |July | | | | |Sample kits containing pamphlet and DVD |$1500 | | | | | |showcase at $5ea* 10kits *15 consultants. $33750 |July | | | | |Nokia Mobile pone $100 ea |$3750 |july | | | | |Council fleet car/ Petrol card 45*15*50 weeks | | | | | |3. Determine and | |$3582 | | | |implement support systes |Wireless internet for support(unwired | |July09-June10. |Engineers, external | |to enable the consultants|internet)$19. 0/month x15x 12 months | | |sources | |team’s home visit | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5. Key Aims, objectives and benefits to be gained: a. Savings of over 22 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. b. Contribution to the national economic growth and fight against job losses. c. Reduced greenhouse emissions by more than 24000 tonnes each year which would contribute on the environment. d. Annual savings of $3 million in electricity bills for the Blacktown City community. e. Valuable information and lessons learned will inform energy and greenhouse policies. f. Use of perpetual source of energy and contribution towards safe and healthy environment. g. Increasing the economy of Blacktown as well as Australia. 6. Capital and other requirements: The total expenditure for the action plan would be utilised to implement the plan. So the capital amount would be required to be $100,000 as $81,037 would be the total expenditure in performing the above mentioned activities in the case of implementing the action plan. Within the capital amount, the expenditure should be satisfied fulfilling all necessary equipments including laptops, personal office setups, salaries, training etc. 7. TIMELINE: As the whole project of Blacktown solar city has got a big timeline of 7 years from 2006 to 2013. But it is for the completion of the project. This action plan for project of solar city should be completed within 2010. When starting from June 1, the starting or the implementing the action plan would take up to July 30. But this is just the starting of the implementation of the action plan. The entire year left from July till 2010 would include the implementation, which would include the working days for team of 15 members of engineers. 8. RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN AND DATA COLLECTION: A research undertaken includes the survey conducted in the Blacktown city. The survey through telephone, direct conversation, Feedback from the website, consultation with the analysts of the Blacktown city council also with all the staffs, public areas, e-mail, mailbox etc. can be done to collect the data and know the weakness area and the strong ponit. The data collection in the database would also includes the feedbacks with recommendations, which can be reviewed for the change in strategies and plan for the Blacktown solar city. 9. VERIFICATION OF DATA: The forth coming data collected from the overall survey is needed to be verified. All of those data should be checked and confirmed that those data would give the idea that what brings the clear concepts of the public vision and city council can know what they want and how they want. So this data must be review by the approved person in the organisation who can sort out the issues relating the data collection through the researched. This data is send to the team manager or the chief engineer for review. 10. FINANCIAL CALCULATION AND CAPITAL SOURCES: Blacktown City Council is dedicated to providing residents with the best possible living and working environments, as well as making plans for the future that promote the interests of those who live, work and play in the City. The 2009-2012 Management Plan (including 09/10 Budget) was adopted by Council on the 17 of June 2009. It outlines how Council will allocate it's resources to service the City in a financially responsible and equitable manner, to ensure quality services and resources are delivered to our community. Based on the expenditure, the capital amount which is the direct source from the budget is to be outlined. Blacktown city council expanses in the field of solar city project are about $100,000 and which includes $53,705 for the initiatives and remaining of the budget is to be modified or reviewed by the chief engineer or the team leader, So that the proper utilization of budget is carried out. 11. RECOMMENDATIONS: This proposal recommends that the idea behind implementing the project, Blacktown solar city is the best thing to do by a local government like Blacktown city council. The benefits of solar products such as solar water heater, solar PV, etc to the people would certainly encourage the Blacktown city resident for contributing in environment conservation and global warming reduction. This projects should run not only on the Blacktown premises but should be carried out in whole world so that every one in the world would get benefit of it and we could see better future. Conclusion: The above mentioned facts of theoretical way of managing workplace information systems and their practicable application in the Blacktown city councils’ solar city project would satisfies all the basics required for the management of workplace information systems. Bibliography: 1. www. blacktown. nsw. com. au 2. www. integral. com. au 3. Handouts given in the class about the case study of blacktown city council. THE END

Organizational Culture in Libraries Essay

Assignment Topic: One of the main ways in which the ‘veil of incorporation’ can be lifted is when directors breach their duties. This essay question is set around the duty to prevent insolvent trading. You will need to have read the chapter in your prescribed text that deals with this duty and have then researched more widely by looking at other textbooks, the relevant CCH online library, articles from the internet and journal articles. You must answer both parts of this topic. Please make sure you have REFERENCED in the body of your work ACCURATELY,. Remember, referencing shows you have researched and thought about what material will be relevant to assist you in answering the questions. Read the following scenario and answer BOTH parts (questions) at the end. OHS Solutions Pty. Ltd. is a company formed by three friends (Des, Satish and Emma) who bring different skills and abilities to the business. Emma is an accounting graduate, Des has expertise in occupational health and safety (OHS) and Satish has an IT degree. They decided to start up a business which would provide a portal through which the public and businesses could access (for free) information on all aspects of OHS. OHS Solutions would finance its business, and make profits, by charging businesses to advertise via their website. The directors of OHS Solutions are: Managing Director – Des Finance Director – Emma (non executive) Director – Satish (executive – employed also to run the technological side of the business) Director – Ying (non executive) – a friend of Des’ and director of Support Pty. Ltd. (Support Pty. Ltd. has gone guarantor for a $50,000 loan from the Business Bank Ltd. to OHS Solutions) The Shareholders of OHS Solutions (holding equal amounts of ordinary shares) are Des, Emma, Satish and Support Pty. Ltd. As at January 2007 OHS Solutions had been operating for six months. It had  some initial IT problems which prevented some of the advertisers’ material from being accessed. In order to try to help overcome these technical problems Satish engaged Trouble Shooters Pty. Ltd. At the February Board meeting, Satish reported that two businesses who had paid to advertise on the website were dissatisfied with what was happening and were threatening to sue for breach of contract. Emma was unable to table any financial information as the employee who had been doing the accounts had been sick and when Emma looked at the records she found that they seemed to be in a bit of a mess. She did find a large account from Trouble Shooters that was over due. Des reported that he was disturbed by this news. He had been told by Satish that the IT problems had been fixed since Trouble Shooters had been engaged, and he had just signed a $10,000 advertising contract with Promotions Plus Pty. Ltd. to advertise the website and signed up to go to a trade show to be held in conjunction with a forthcoming OHS conference. He said this was needed because a number of high profile advertisers were threatening to discontinue their association with OHS Solutions unless the portal became better known. Ying just listens in disbelief at the March Board meeting. It seemed to her that OHS Solutions is being poorly managed and is failing to make the most of a potentially profitable business opportunity. This could present an opportunity for Support Pty. Ltd. to make an offer to buy OHS Solutions at a good price. On the other hand Support Pty. Ltd. is exposed as a guarantor. Assume she consults you, an accountant, for your preliminary view about the predicament of OHS Solutions and what she should do. Assume also that the first thing that comes to your mind is whether Ying herself may be vulnerable as a director of OHS Solutions for failing to prevent OHS Solutions from trading when it is insolvent.

Biochemistry and Technology Essay

What specific topic did you choose to research and evaluate? (2 points) -I chose genetic engineering/recombinant DNA technology/transgenesis of biotechnology to research and evaluate because that interests me the most, personally. List the resources that you used in your research of your topic. (3 points) – I used sites such as, wikipedia.org, and slideshare.net. Describe, in a few paragraphs, the biotechnology that you researched. How is it currently being used and/or what are the hopes for its use in the future? (10 points) -Genetic engineering is an area in biotechnology that induces cell alterations in any kind of organism. It is based on artificial manipulation and transfer of genetic material from one organism to another. Basically the cells coded in with the new genetic information will pass those selected traits on to their offspring. Genetic combinations might be useful but not often found in nature. Genetic engineering now a days, is used in medicine to produce insulin and growth hormones, for those who lack it. The genes in humans are isolated using enzymes produced by bacteria which cleave DNA at specific base pairs, and then inserted into a a virus. The virus then is inserted into the bacteria DNA, ten the bacteria produces the hormones, which are then collected and given to patients who most need them. The hope for genetic engineering is soon a cure can be found for diseases by either inserting a corrected gene or even performing a genetic surgery. Currently many pregnant women like to have the fetuses screened for genetic defects so it can allow them and there physician to prepare for the arrival of the child who may need to have special needs. Describe the positive aspects of this biotechnology, being as specific as possible. (5 points) -One possible benefit for genetic engineering is is that with gene therapy, a fetus a genetic defect could be treated and even cured before it is born. Specific traits or characteristics can be inserted in a species, for example pest resistant genes inserted into crops to enable more crops to be harvested. Artificially produce vital hormones or proteins that are essential by inserting the coding genes into bacteria cells.†¨ Describe the negative aspects of this biotechnology, being as specific as possible. (5 points) -Genetic pollution occurs where the artificially produced species reproduce at a higher rate compared to the wild species present and cause extinction. Species that are produced have side effects such as a short life span, prone to diseases and mutations and physical defects. Expensive and advance technologies need to produce and maintain genetically engineered species. Hybrid species created may harbor new statins of diseases or viruses that is produced from the altered genes. Based on your research, what is your conclusion about whether or not this biotechnology should be used? Be sure to explain your answer. (5 points) In my opinion, I think biotechnology can benefit us all in a lot of different ways, but only if we use it right and only if we are really in need of it. For example, I think genetic engineering could help actually save a lot of lives and troubles that one might have when born. If treated right, a disease or disorder can be cured before one is born.

Conservation of Energy Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conservation of Energy - Lab Report Example From the graph presented; angle versus time, it is evident that when the angle of displacement is increased, the periodic interval is reduced for a constant length if the string. This proportionality is directly varying. In general, the swinging pendulum portrays a consistency in the changes involving kinetic, potential and gravitational potential energies. This can be summed serially as potential energy to kinetic energy then back to kinetic energy. This is when the pendulum is released from a height above the reference point level. At the instance the bob (mass) is released, it has an initial energy potential in nature. This is followed by gradual changes in the kinetic energies when at the minimum of the reference point; a maximum kinetic energy is attained. At this point, the swinging mass has its maximum velocity v, which is the converse for the point of zero (0) potential energy for the system in question. There are two maxima heights in respect of the reference position for the system. At these points, the system depicts its maxima potential energies which can as well be stated as minimum kinetic energy for the system. A graph of kinetic energy versus time is a sinusoidal curve. This is the same for the case of potential energy. However the two curves are completely out of phase. This is due to the corresponding changes between kinetic to potential energy. This is evident in the total energy curve as a function of time; whose curve is straight. This is a true confirmation of the law of conservation of energy which can also be stated as â€Å"energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but rather conserved.† For the pendulum, the reference level point to measure the y-coordinate location is at the mid-point between the two maxima levels of displacement of the pendulum. At equilibrium, the pendulum is at rest when it is at this point. If the reference level is changed to where the rotary motion is, it would mean the length L is

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 38

Ethics - Essay Example If every individual would lie to get a loan, then the process would fall apart lending the maxim impossible. Such acts are perfomative contradiction since they undermine the basis for their existence. The humanitarian principle suggests that pertains to the notion of saving life and alleviating suffering. It is mostly related to an emergency response whether during war, natural or man made disasters. They govern how individuals respond in a humanitarian way. Thus, the principle of humanity is one of the humanitarian principles. It states that individuals should always treat human beings as an end and not as means. Treating individuals as means is treating them to achieve our own goals (Shafer-Landau, The ethical life, 2014). Treating as an end is dealing with individuals with the respect they deserve. The principle, however, fails to give us advice on how to determine what people deserve. According to The Principle of utility, our actions or behaviors are morally right as long as they promote happiness and pleasure. Such actions are wrong if they tend to promote unhappiness and even pain. It is associated with hedonism since a hedonist only believes in the feelings of pleasure and pain. Such feelings are biological experiences involving human’s central nervous system and controlled by the cerebral cortex. Human beings experience pleasure whenever they perform certain acts that fulfill their biological functions including eating or drinking. Pleasure is also experienced in the event of performing various intellectual activities including reading. Sometimes, pleasure is experienced by doing the right thing. Pain on the other hand is experienced when such functions are left unfulfilled. Many utilitarian believe that pleasure and pain can be quantified. Thus, the main interest here is acting in private interest as opposed to public interest as long as individuals are gaining pleasure and pain. An example that can bring about the conflicting sides of all the

Pluralist Model and the Instrumentalist Model Essay

Pluralist Model and the Instrumentalist Model - Essay Example Jerry Kloby in his book Inequality, Power, and Development, he discusses two theories to explain the modern world, the pluralist and the instrumentalist model, the pluralist model indicates that power in the society is not held by a few people while the instrumentalist model indicates that power is held by only a few people and therefore high levels of inequality. This model focuses on the relationships that exist between the state and society, it focuses on the various important ways in which citizens control their leaders and also shape public policies. Citizens therefore are involved in public policy making, to this model power is possessed by the society as a whole, power is considered as a resource in society in attainment of goals. This model argues that bureaucrats, capitalist and political leaders are unified into a single group by their common origin, lifestyles and values, public policies are made through the networks that exist between these groups. According to this model power in the society is only held by a few individuals who use it to further their own interests, therefore public policies are made by the ones who have institutional, political and economic power. In the society we live it is true that power is only held by a few people, they will shape the societies policies for their own interest and not the interest of the people. The instrumental

Co-Evolution of Innovation Policy and Industrial Structure in Sweden Term Paper

Co-Evolution of Innovation Policy and Industrial Structure in Sweden - Term Paper Example   As interaction in the society gives rise to the development of institutions, manifold arbitrary behaviors ushers in those institutions which come in practice and thus become stereotyped norms of those institutions followed through time. So institutions become dire indicators of several outcomes of the many domains of the society. It is a general notion that the key indicators that promote economic development are the levels of investment, education, culture, governmental policies, income etc. But if rather viewing in a more magnified way, the social scientists of the modern world have claimed that it is the primary role of social institutions whereby the lieu of interaction between independent agents play a dominant role in accumulating valuable resources and fetching profits for the society. This notion of the institution acting as the primordial driving force of economic development is resonated in different arrangements of the society like property rights, microfinance, busine ss associations, the advice of developmental agencies in proposing minimal state intervention implying pro market paradigm etc. Institutional variations are a huge domain of study and focus in the modern industrialized world as it has been the real fact that the so-called differences between developed and developing nations have emerged. Many countries have emerged as superpowers and many countries are still stuck in a vicious circle of poverty and the main reason for this can be attributed to the diverse institutional innovation policies adopted and successfully implemented in the former case and lack of implementation of institutional innovation policies in the latter case. However, there are many instances of developing countries coming from the periphery and emerging as a nucleus of growth potential.  

Convergence Culture Argumentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Convergence Culture Argumentation - Essay Example is the merging of old business idea such as marketing in business ideas that deal with the new generation goods and services while cultural convergence is when the audience becomes the user. The emergence of the media convergence has given the audience capacity to store, edit, improve and recalculate media content. This is an outcome of the current trends in new generation media which has such features like download, edit play, watch, and upload share among others. This features give the audience unlimited capacity to modify media products and take them back to the same market as if they were originals. Global convergence occurs due to international circulation of media products such as music and film content. This has further been reinforced by the development of social media platforms such as chat, face book, Sykpe, Google+ among other which make the circulation of media products very easy. It has made communication easier by development of new media gadgets that can perform multiple tasks eliminating the need to have several bulky media items. The new models are precise, efficient and portable. This means that there is the flexibility of accessing the media item even on the move, or attending to other tasks. Cultural convergence has made the global market to be more competitive hence initiating creativity and diversity to compete fairly in the market. This culture has brought about new trends in socialization making it dynamic. It has reduced the social barriers and bridged geographical barriers making it possible for people in different regions to access each other just by the click of a button. It has created a platform where media products can be improved and shared with much ease. Accessing media con tent has also been simplified. However some negative effects have come along with cultural convergence. They include: Lowering the worth of ideas in media production. Often the initiator of the original ideas do not reap from their work since other people

Contemporary Developments in Employment Relations Coursework

Contemporary Developments in Employment Relations - Coursework Example Labour demand on the other hand, consists of the employers who have a need for work to be done, and who offer compensation for this work to employees who undertake it (ONS 2014). In normal market operations, the market wage in this case would be determined by the intersection between labour demand and labour supply or the equilibrium. However, the government intervenes to control wages thus setting minimum wages below which they are not legally acceptable. The employed are those who are actively engaged in work and comprised 72.7% of the labour force in March 2014 while the unemployed are those not actively engaged in work but are willing and able to work and are actively engaged in search for a job and are of the required age and the unemployment rate for the same period was 6.8% (ONS, 2014). By December 2013, there were 5.5 million people working in the public sector comprising 18.2% of those in employment representing a fall of 159, 000million workers between September and Decembe r 2013. The top three employers included National Health Services (NHS), education and public administration. In order to function properly, the labour market needs to be regulated and this is done through the employment law. These regulations include: national minimum wage; working time; maternity/paternity leave; health and safety; race and/or sex discrimination; information and consultation but for the sake of this paper we will discuss the national minimum wage and working time. According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) rankings, the UK has the least regulated labour market just next to U.S and Canada. However, the industry is more regulated than in the 1960s when collective employment rights ad use of trade unions in bargaining terms and conditions was the norm. Employment contracts were unheard of, working time was deregulated, minimum wage restricted to a limited number of

Difference of treatment between American Slaves and British Slaves Research Paper

Difference of treatment between American Slaves and British Slaves (British Slaves in the Caribbean) - Research Paper Example Slavery is considered to be illegal in many countries around the globe yet it is functioning with an estimate of 29.8 million slaves. This research is intended to look at the comparison among the slavery of America and British. The trend of slavery can be traced back since the beginning in both the countries, therefore, the trends have been different diverse in both the countries. At some point they have been extremely rigid and at times it have proven to be beneficial in the case of vegetation. The essential thing is that despite all the differences slavery has marked out the impacts in their culture even today. By the 1833 Parliament eventually eliminated slavery in the British Caribbean and the Cape. The slave trade was believed to be ceased in 1807; yet, it took another 26 years to influence the restraint of the imprisoned. Out of 16 million 10 million Africans sustained the journey to the New world, approximately one-third grounded in Brazil and among 60-70 percent ended up eith er in Brazil or the sugar colonies of the Caribbean (Higman 1995, 397)1. Among all of this merely 6 percent landed in United States. However, by 1860, round about two thirds of all New World slaves resided in the American South. Since a very long time it was broadly believed that southern slavery was unsympathetic and unkind as compared to the slavery in Latin America, where the church of Catholic emphasized had the right to get married, to request for leniency from an unsympathetic master and to buy their own sovereignty. Spanish and Portuguese colonists were considered to be comparatively less contaminated by ethnic prejudice than Latin American and North American slavery was considered to be fewer subject to the demands of an aggressive capitalist economy. In reality, nor the Church neither the courts endowed security to Latin American slaves. Right to use to sovereignty was larger in Latin America, however, in most of the cases masters untied, old age, smashed or merely unnecess ary slaves in order to free themselves from the economic burden. Death rates amid slaves in the Caribbean were comparatively higher than that of South, and the trend of suicide were more common. Unusual the slaves in the South, the West Indian slaves were anticipated to make their own food whenever they had spare time and to take care for the elderly and the unwell. The biggest divergence amid slavery within Latin America and the South is based upon demographic. The population trend of slaves in Brazil and the West Indies consisted of fewer proportions of female’s slaves, a comparatively less birth rate and an elevated proportion of the immigrants from Africa. In a prominent distinction, southern slaves comprised of a fair ratio of sex, an increased birth rate and a principally American national populace (Lewis 2003, 299)1. The slave rate in the United States was mostly different in the capability of the population to raise its number by the process of natural reproduction. I n the Brazil, Caribbean and Dutch Guiana, the death rate of the slave was elevated and the rate of birth rate of the slaves was low to such an extent that they themselves could not resist their populace devoid of imports from. The approximate number of children born in the beginning of 19th century of southern slave woman was about 9.2 as compared to others (Hagadorn 1851, 31)2. As in the Caribbean out of

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Research Paper Example The study objectives of this study include the analysis of the status of internet marketing in Hong Kong, to examine the effectiveness of internet marketing at Hong Kong, and to examine the behavior and the viewpoints of consumers, towards internet marketing (Anderson, Claes, & Lehmann 53). Introduction There is no doubt that the internet continues to shape consumer trends not only in Hong Kong, but also in the rest of the world. The internet has grown into a crucial source of information for the entire population. In response to this trend, and the growing influence of the internet, advertisers and marketers found it a useful tool to reach target consumers. Due to the integrated nature of the role of the internet in marketing, the effectiveness of online advertising has remained an issue of debate among consumers, scholars and advertisers (Charlesworth 33-334). This paper will be an analysis of the status of internet marketing in Hong Kong and its effectiveness in shaping purchasing behaviors of Hong Kong consumers. Basically, the paper will analyze the role played by internet advertizing in influencing Hong Kong’s consumer behavior. ... ance publication of 2008 noted that the amounts spent on internet advertising in Hong Kong are in the range of HK$ 172 million, for the opening quarter of 2008. Of the total expenditure, electrical and computer appliances grouping contributed the most, giving a total of HK$ 30 million. During this quarter of 2008, more than 1000 advertisers advertised their wares over the internet: 5.5 billion internet-advertising impressions and 2800 campaigns. Previous studies show that advertising – directly or indirectly influences the purchasing behavior of consumers. According to Charlesworth, customers with a fair outlook towards advertising are more likely to be influenced by advertising – into making purchases (67-69). Undoubtedly, there are many types of advertisements, which people can use to advertise their products and services. Currently, internet advertising has proved to be the most effective method of marketing products. The emergence of the internet as a tool for marke ting has so far proved to be one of the most effective methods of boosting consumer behavior. It is imperative to note that internet use began in 1980s and has since grown tremendously throughout the world. The emergence of new technologies such as fiber optics has even led to the increase of business opportunities, but its use as well. All over the world, over 150 million people use internet for various purposes, and the numbers keep on increasing each day. Today, through internet, the world has become a global village where consumers use the smallest gadgets—mobile phones—to buy products and services (Faber, Lee, and Xiaoli 447). From internet banking to money transfer to online purchasing, the internet has become a powerful device in the consumer industry. Various governments are busy putting

The Impact Of The French Revolution Upon English Poets Essay Example for Free

The Impact Of The French Revolution Upon English Poets Essay The impact of the French Revolution upon English poets, and especially Wordsworth, is well known. Wordsworth’s Prelude , which was begun in 1798 appeared only after Wordsworth’s death, is an account not only of a poet’s coming of age, but also of his disillusionment with the radical political causes that propelled the unexpected violence following from the first revolutionary acts that culminated in the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Writing The Prelude in 1798, Wordsworth expresses the ecstasy he and his contemporaries felt When Reason seemed the most to assert her rights / A prime enchanter to assist the work / Which then was going forward in her name . These hopes were dashed, when, as Wordsworth writes, revolutionaries now, become oppressors in their turn, / Frenchmen had changed a war of self-defense / For one of conquest, losing sight of all / Which they had struggled for. A year after Wordsworth began to write The Prelude, notes Simon Bainbridge: Coleridge [wrote] to his friend and fellow poet Wordsworth identifying the Revolution as the theme for the era’s definitive poem, writing . . . that I wish you would write a poem, in blank verse, addressed to those who, in consequence of the complete failure of the French Revolution, have thrown up all hopes of the amelioration of mankind. . . . It would do great good. It was, Bainbridge further notes, Coleridge’s urgings that informed Wordsworth’s examination of the Revolution’s impact in The Prelude and The Excursion . . . but poems on the events in France had begun to appear very quickly. The early period of the Revolution appeared to the English poets as the realization of a poetic ideal. When reflecting  in The Prelude on his visit to France in 1790, Wordsworth famously writes that the period was a time when Europe was rejoiced, / France standing on top of golden hours, / An d human nature seeming born again. It was in such millennial terms, writes Bainbridge, that many poets responded to events in the early years of the decade, understanding these events through biblical [eyes] . . . as the second coming of Christ, bringing about the end to the old world and the creation of a new one. Referencing M. H. Abrams influential essay, English Romanticism: The Spirit of the Age (1984), Bainbridge acknowledges that the increasingly violent disasters overtaking the revolutionary movement caused poets such as Coleridge, Southey, and Wordsworth to recast the notion of revolution, not as a political project to be enacted in reality, but as a personally transformative endeavor undertaken within the individual imagination . For the English poets writing at the turn of the century, Abrams states, hope is shifted from the history of mankind to the mind of a single individual, from militant external action to an imaginative act. Wordsworth actually lived in France during some of the most stirring scene of the new order .he became a convinced revolutionist and was eager to join the Girondists. (Sampson, 1975, p.476) William Wordsworth’s attitudes to the French Revolution underwent significant changes during his two visits to France. His differing views of the Revolution were motivated by the fact that that he visited revolutionary France in slightly different periods. Wordsworth visited France for the first time in 1790. At that time France celebrated the first anniversary of the fall of Bastille. During his first visit Wordsworth did not experience any significant political event of the period. On the other hand, during his second visit in 1791-92, the situation in France was quite different. Politics in France became quite complicated as several political fractions were fighting for power and influence. Revolutionary France was also in danger of invasion of Austrians and Prussians. Wordsworth was also still present in France during the first revolutionary massacres when the Jacobin Terror began. During the first visit to France in 1790, Wordsworth’s views of the Revolution were m ostly optimistic. Wordsworth’s predominantly  optimistic views of the Revolution were motivated by several factors. The basic motivation for visiting France was not to examine or observe political processes of the period. Wordsworth intended to experience the sublimity of the Alps. Wordsworth was then rather accidental observer of the situation in France and he did not examine political processes of the country very deeply. Wordsworth and his companion Robert Jones visited France in 1790, one year after the beginning of the Revolution, when the prospects for a successful issue of the Revolution were very bright. Wordsworth also visited mostly small towns and rural areas. He was not a witness to turbulent political meetings of the period, he did not experience revolutionary atmosphere in bigger towns. Wordsworth entered France at the first anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution. At that time the whole France celebrated the glorious beginning of the Revolution. Wordsworth was impressed by these festivities and the overall optimistic atmosphere. He praised the brotherly spirit of the French united during these festivities. As the basic motivation for the visit of France was to see the Alps, Wordsworth did not focus on the description of political situation and he mostly describes the scenery. Wordsworth also visited Switzerland, where he praised liberty of the people and the republican regime. During his visit to Switzerland he describes the country as a model to follow. In fact he projects his enthusiastic hopes about the Revolution in France into the Alpine republic. Wordsworth uses the political status of Switzerland to envisage his hopes for rebirth of the human race signaled by the French revolution. In Wordsworth’s description of Switzerland the description of the scenery often mingles with his revolutionary ideals. Wordsworth projects the freshness and purity of the Alpine landscape with freshness of revolutionary ideals. Wordsworth creates with his descriptions in The Prelude almost â€Å"pastoral† impression, when he associates the pure, untamed landscape with pure revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity that cannot be â€Å"tamed† as well. During his first visit, Wordsworth saw France â€Å"standing on the top of golden hours†, as a symbol of a new era for mankind. It cannot be said that Wordsworth examined the situation in France very deeply. In the descriptions in The Prelude Wordsworth focused on the newly achieved liberty and equality of the French. He contrasts the new situation with that of the old regime which he associates with oppression  and inequality. He does not focus very much on contemporary political situation in France. In his descriptions he predominantly focuses on revolutionary festivities and brotherhood of the people. He is charmed by the basis ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. It can be said that Wordsworth does not see the Rev olution as a political phenomenon, or he does not interpret it politically. On the contrary, he interprets it in a more abstract and idealistic way. The Revolution is a phenomenon when human nature, bound by inequality and oppression, is born again. He praises freedom and equality, but he does not speak about their practical use. Unlike during his second visit, he does not mention practical aspects of the Revolution. He does not speak about people’s participation on power ,he does not really have clear political vision of the Revolution. He is optimistic about the future of revolutionary France, on the other hand he speaks about the future on abstract level, his liberty and equality are not really political, but rather idealistic ,abstract concepts. He observes liberty and equality via the lens of revolutionary festivities. He does not speak about liberty in practice, in real life or in politics. Wordsworth in his descriptions focuses on liberty and equality as abstract concepts that unite the whole nation. During the second visit to France in 1791-1792, Wordsworth’s attitudes to the Revolution become more complicat ed, on the other hand it cannot be said that he became really disillusioned with the Revolution. One his motivations for the visit was to become more fluent in French, on the other hand he was also attracted by the spirit of the Revolution which he had experienced during his first visit. During the second visit to France Wordsworth had more opportunities to examine the situation in France more deeply. He observes that his new â€Å"urban† experience is different from the â€Å"rural† one of his first visit. He observes the situation in Paris and he finds out that the political scene in France is fragmented into numerous rival parties. As he experiences every-day life of the French and not revolutionary festivities of his first visit, he reveals that huge numbers of the French are not loyal to the Revolution at all. One can observe certain confusion in his views of the Revolution. On the one hand he remains loyal to the ideals of the Revolution, on the other hand he observes that political situation in France is no longer really optimistic or enthusiastic and the Revolution is not only liberty and  equality as abstract concepts, but it is predominantly real political struggle. During the second visit to France he fell in love with a young French lady A nnette Vallon. She gave birth to their child in 1792. Wordsworth had not chance to see his daughter or Annette since 1792 to 1802 because of the war between Britain and France. Wordsworth visited France briefly in 1802 when the war between the two countries was interrupted. It can be said that Wordsworth’s concern about his daughter in turbulent revolutionary France during the war in many respects affected his views of France and revolution. Wordsworth, being separated from his daughter, was concerned about her fate what made him belief in bright prospects of the Revolution. Wordsworth believed in an optimistic future of France and the Revolution and this belief or hope conditioned his enthusiastic support to the principles of the Revolution. In the years 1791-1792 Wordsworth also experienced his first disillusionment with the Revolution. Wordsworth mentions French soldiers’ unwillingness to fight and their anti-revolutionary, non-patriotic thinking. During the second visit to France Wordsworth also experiences that the situation in France might be even dangerous. Wordsworth fears possible invasion of Austrians to France, he is not sure that p atriots and supporters of the Revolution will be that numerous to oppose the invading forces. He is afraid of the fact that anti-revolutionary powers might join invading armies what would cause a terrible bloodshed. At this moment Wordsworth raises the question whether the revolutionary powers will not be overthrown. Wordsworth’s deep belief in the Revolution receives a serious blows and he observes that support to the Revolution is not as strong as he thought. Another important moment when Wordsworth experiences disillusionment with the Revolution, is the time of so called September Massacres, when furious mob killed numerous people in French towns. Wordsworth is frightened by these occasions and he realizes that Revolution is not only a â€Å"fight† for liberty and equality, but a real life-or-death struggle. It can be postulated that Wordsworth’s complicated attitudes to the Revolution during his second visit were conditioned by growing radicalization and violence in France. On the other hand it cannot be said that these episodes made Wordsworth hesita te about revolutionary ideas. Wordsworth left France in 1792 as an enthusiastic supporter of revolutionary ideas although he knew that the actual political situation in  France was not ideal. He observed that influence and power was being usurped by the radical political groups, such as radical left-wing party Jacobin Party and left-wing politician Maximilien Robespierre. Wordsworth believed that this usurpation of power and influence was in conflict with original revolutionary ideals. It can be said that during the second visit to France Wordsworth’s attitudes to the Revolution become more complex. Wordsworth do not focus on abstract notions of liberty and equality, on the other hand, it can be said that Wordsworth’s revolutionary thinking has now a clearly defined vision. He met a French soldier, Captain Michel Beaupuy who deeply influenced Wordsworth in his thinking. Under Beaupuy’s guidance Wordsworth realized that Revolution was not only a fight for abstract ideals, but also real political and social program. Wordsworth now encounters the idea of peoples’ participation on power, he believes that people should have to right to create their own laws. On the other hand, Wordsworth is not blind to facts, he observes that huge masses of people are blind to the great ideals of the Revolution and he knows that â€Å"some men are set apart for rule and honour by their virtues and knowledge† (Harper 163). In Wordsworth thinking appears a strong aspect of democracy as he stresses the fact that individuals who lead the country should be chosen for their virtues and knowledge and not for their noble origin. In Wordsworth’s thinking also appears a strong social aspect. He finds out that revolutionary ideas can be only empty abstract concepts when majority of people live in starvation and poverty. Revolution and its outcomes have clearly defined shape in Wordsworth’s thinking. In Wordsworth’s view, the Revolution is a great chance to improve peoples’ lives. Sampson, George. The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature,(London:Cambidge University Press, 1975).

Vietnam Population Change Over Last 100 Years Cultural Studies Essay

Vietnam Population Change Over Last 100 Years Cultural Studies Essay Everybody knows Vietnam as a war country, truly, how long my historic country was, and it is how long wars were also. Those wars had affected a lot of my country including history, culture, environment, economy, policy, technologyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ However, have you ever thought population which can be changed because of war? Actually, each war can decrease or increase population, but, how can this rate population relate with changing culture? Lets find the answer in the history of my home country in last 100 years. One-hundred years ago (19th century), it is the period when Vietnam was French colonization. Furthermore, this time could mark a new step forward of the changing population, especially culture. After possessing Vietnam, French had identified Vietnam by allowing the French who could immigrate in Vietnam, gathering military force into Vietnam to control. In this period of time, Vietnam population had regained balance, although almost Vietnamese didnt respond it so much. However, this time marked as beginning of innovated Vietnamese culture. When the French immigrated in Vietnam, they had their culture sharing with us including French was official language in almost school, French music, French art dance, French fashion French life style and modernization. For high society, this identification seemed to make them at the same level with French people, for other social classes, adapting French culture was enhancing knowledge and their business, for a few, this was by force. In general, du e to French colonization, Vietnamese culture has become diversity, especially borrowed language. Furthermore, at this time, the Vietnamese culture was distinguished North culture, Middle culture and South culture by some different policies, treatments and educations of French administration for each part in Vietnam. In one side, this made Vietnamese culture to become more multiform, and rich, but, otherwise, it made a barrier in Vietnamese relation between each part. About 1927- 1945, this was troublous time in Vietnam because of League for the Independence of Vietnam, and involvement between French administration, Japanese and United State. Furthermore, especially, in 1944-1945, due to the Japanese occupation of Vietnam, about two millions of Vietnamese people had died because of no food, natural disasters, grow just instead of rice, war by Japan and United State. This crisis seemed bringing to Vietnamese some phobias, at this time, only thing they could think that how to have food to survive. They werent interesting of showing off, festival, gastronomiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ however, at this period, the neighborly relation was more important than ever, all population in the South in one mind had supported the North overcoming this crisis. In fact, Vietnamese physical culture was farther and lost seriously, but, Vietnamese spirit culture was stronger. Fighting situation was constant until 1976, Vietnam was officially unified and renamed Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with Ha Noi which is its capital. From this period until now, Vietnamese population has grown regularly. Everybody started to recognize that they need to find lost cultures including traditional music, ancient architecture, royal dress and rural clothes,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and complete other culture left to create Vietnamese own culture such as language, long-dress, art dance,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in this period, life has been more stable and safe, economy has been developing, technology has grew, financial has improved, demand of life has increased, people has knew of taking care themselves and require more and more. Vietnamese culture had been perfect in short time, but, nowadays, with trend of globalization, culture is dissolve. When population increase a lots, it affects living space, education, employment, social benefit,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ almost people in countryside emigrate to city to find a job, population density in city is higher than countryside, administration city lost control, education cant ensure its quality because of too students,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in consequences, people has trend to live abroad, study a abroad, like to integrate outside culture. Beside, tourism is one of important business in Vietnam, it affects Vietnamese culture also. Actually, when population density is higher, everything is more difficult, serious and acute. In this environment, people take care themselves more than show excessive interest in other people. Therefore, Vietnamese spirit culture is weaker, and physical culture is just enjoyed as trendy entertainment for high social class such as some villas which has ancient royal architecture, royal gastronomies,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ even though culture can have the right to refuse or agree integrating, but, in general, its result is also the same. Nowadays, Vietnamese government had some policies to solve these problems as the policy: each family should have two children, skyscrapers to improve living space, stimulating live in countryside, increasing amount of school, and manufactory to create job, building culture in educationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ these policies has been useful, in consequences, in 2009, Vietnamese population has totally 85.5 million peoples, population growth is slowing down, economy is more stable with population structure of gold, social order is controlled, social benefit is improved and finally, Vietnamese culture was respected more for younger generation. Conclusion: Through this project, the population growth affects truly to change of the culture of my home country. Over the last 100 years in Vietnam, with population growth decreased and increased irregularly, it made Vietnamese culture own which is one of important factor to attack curiousness of tourist from whole the world. The culture is more strong or weak, more multiform or poorer, population growth is also one of important factor which affects it. As I mentioned before, culture has a strong relation with human, so, any change in human can also affect the change in culture. Have you ever thought when you change your life, when you have family and when you have children, everything you are doing now, it can impact your culture or the country when you live?

The Church And Apartheid In South Africa Religion Essay

The Church And Apartheid In South Africa Religion Essay What started as an antecedent social forms grounded in colonial history resulted with the outcome of Apartheid which in turn affected the South African Church and its history. Apartheid is the state which jeopardize the social edifice of the Church as it brought much segregation, which led to many critics of apartheid blaming the Church for its existence, they have claimed that racial oppression in South Africa is the fruit of Christianity according to Hexham in his work journal: The Journal of Theology for Southern Africa This subject although has for a very long time been seen as ethical challenge to Christian theology, one cannot ignore it but can be used a case study which will ventures us to reflect what it mean to be one in Jesus Christ within our South African Christian Theology context. It is for this reason that in this assignment I endeavour to highlight some of the s Beginning of National Party Acceding to power in 1948, the National Party has kept a tight grip on the reins of government ever since till the reign was taken by ANC in 1994. According to Dr Verkuyl, the National Party had desired to develop a racial caste system in which each non-white is granted limited freedom of movement but only on the basis of a white monopoly of power and subordinated to the interests of the whites. It was in this period that race relations remained the key issue, there was increase in various measure of racial segregation and it was in this time that black consciousness and active protest became a starker reality. Therefore it was through this Party that the ideology of apartheid became the blueprint for South African society. World Council of Churches It was an amazement that the creation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1948 at Amsterdam led to new phase in the ecumenical relations not only in South Africa but also globally. This raised high hope that any divisions in the Church of Christ would be healed and there would be restoration in relations of the church. South African churches welcome this phase and most of churches in South Africa joined WCC and were spontaneous and cordial in their participation. These churches included the Anglicans; Presbyterians; Methodists; the NG Churches of Cape Town and the Transvaal, and the Nederduits Hervomde Kerk in Afrika. South African delegates were sent to WCC Amsterdam in 1948 and again in 1954 to Evanston. Alan Paton of Anglican Church and Ben Marais of NG Church served in the fourteen-man commission on Church and race. These men had to conduct a study and submit a report at Evanston Conference. Marais, being one of the selected speakers in the session to represent the submission of this major report at the conference. Several South African church leaders like CB Brink, Bishop Ambrose Reeves and WA Landman play crucial roles and were actively involved in the activities of WCC. CB Brink also served in the Central committee of WCC along with other South African church leaders. The ecumenical contact built on these years had a great effects in South African and various conferences and talks between local church leaders were arranged to discuss matters of mutual concern. Many South African students received bursaries from WCC to study in America and Europe. However, it was after the discussion of race relations and decision taken at the Evanston that uncertainties grew especially from the Afrikaans member churches. Cottesloe Consultation In 1960 the Church engaged itself in Cottesloe talks. It was through Cottesloe consultation that delegates were brought together from the World Council of Churches member churches in South Africa and outside the country and ecumenical institution as start of start of the partners fighting the church struggle in South Africa. In these talks, the race issue and Churchs role were put under the spotlight. After many days of these talks, decisions were taken which all member churches agreed to, except the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika which stood in disagreement with these decisions. The Cottesloe findings brought so much tension and emotions since the churches were now thrust into the midst of political stresses of the country and media had these talks as their headlines zooming more on the churches reactions. This led in some churches resigning from WCC, especially the Afrikaans Reformed churches, while the English speaking churches retained the membership in support of freedom fighters. Churches which resigned from the WCC opened Christian Institute in August 1963 in order to continue their dialogue with churches oversees. This institute provided a useful channel for communication involving people from different race and denominations. However this institute became a victim of political target and thereby lost most of its supporters. Publication: Message to the people of South Africa This publication was formulated in 1968. It focused on South African Council of Churches as spotlight and was the result of significant conference of the WCC held in Geneva in 1966 on the subject: Church and Society. Theological committee was appointed so they can consider what obedience to God requires of the Church in her witness to her unity in Christ in South Africa. This committee had to issue the message to the Country. The purpose of the document was to demonstrate the basic incompatibility of apartheid with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This document also appealed to Christians in South Africa to give their obedience and their loyalty to Jesus Christ. The document was sent to every minister in the country of which 600 showed the positive response and support and all the member churches of SACC subscribed to it. This led SACC being a target for attacks from different sides. SPROCAS The Study Project on Christianity in Apartheid Society (SPRO-CAS) was established in mid-1969 by the South African Council of Churches and the Christian Institute of Southern Africa. This document was founded after the chasm between the South African Council of Churches and Afrikaans-speaking churches grew wider, the South African Council of churches being attacked on every side. Included in this document were the six commissions and a diverse set of over 140 commissioners and consultants, which had its focused on the need for change in South Africa, examining economics, education, law, politics, sociology and the Church. The project not only played a critical role in thinking within the South African churches about how to overcome apartheid but also marks a critical stage in the birth of the Black Consciousness Movement. The projects publications had to be submitted to South Africas Publication Control Board for censorship. Plans had to be adjusted when several of the writers, including Biko, Desmond, and Turner, were issued with banning orders prohibiting them from being quoted in any publication. Despite such difficulties the project had significant impact on political developments leading up to the Soweto student uprising in 1976. Soweto Uprising The stained situation acquire a fresh dimension with Soweto riots in 1976, when the black youth stood their ground against states educational policy and the existence of certain laws which had broken up homes, families and the ordinary life. The youth were dissatisfied, and they were no willing to accept these situations which they found themselves in. It was through this stand that Soweto gradually became the national symbol of a new generation of nationally and politically black people awareness in our country. Black Churches Each of these departures from Christianity, the Ethiopian and the Zionist, dates from the beginning of previous century. The foundation of Ethiopian churches was the less drastic, as they content to break the shackles of white dominance while retaining the form of organization, mode of worship and denominational identity of the parent body, for example African Methodist and African Congregational. Nonetheless, it stemmed directly from the practice of an undeclared apartheid where it was least expected, from an insistence on segregation and white superiority on the part of missionaries. These churches were African replicas of Christian denominations and were an explicit response to racial inequality. Reformation Day Witness In 1980 October 31, the Reformation Day Witness was published. It consisted eight eminent NG theologians. This publication dealt with , according to Pillay Hoymeyer(1994:296) the Churchs inabilities to fulfil the mission of reconciliation and to prevent polarisation and to provide the authorities with an unambiguous witness. The witness was publish during the period of rapid changes in South Africa where transition led to new social and political dispensation. The witness contributed in bringing the greater willingness and openness towards the continuing dialogue and it rose the prophetic voice of NG Church so loud and clear. In the same year in November, the appeared collections of essays entitled Stomkompas, which was composed by NG theologians which had their views. This Stomkompas had dominating the widely accepted traditional Afrikaner view on relations between people, which was biblically justified since the forties. Broederiking was also another group emerged from NG church. It was a group of young NG churches. They aimed at working towards greater unity among the NG churches at a local level, to render younger churches less financial dependency on the mother church and to give moral support to these churches. In 1982, Belhar announced a status of confessions on apartheid condemning it as a heresy.This was regarded as a protest by the church against a political dispensation as it proclaimed the threat brought by apartheid to the churchs creed. It during this time that the Churh in SA were arranged by committe of every theological society in SA. Tension rose between the government and certain churches in the 80s Kairos Document The Kairos Document (KD) is a statement within the background of theology issued in 1985 by a group of black South African theologians based predominantly in the black community of Soweto. The statement challenged the churches response to what the authors saw as the vicious policies of the Apartheid state under the state of emergency declared on 21 July 1985. In July 1985 the iron fist of the first state of emergency came down hard upon the people of South Africas townships. Many were killed, injured, maimed for life or locked up in detention. The KD evoked strong reactions and furious debates not only in South Africa, but world-wide. The KD was compiled in five chapters: The Moment of Truth; Critique of State Theology; Critique of Church Theology Towards a Prophetic Theology; Challenge to Action; and a short conclusion. The document was addressed to the divided churches; divided, that is, due to the roles that Christians within the churches play in the conflict between the racist minority government and the black majority population. The KD document contended against apartheid system using the comparison from the book of Romans, Revelation and even Acts; it presented this system as unjustly ad not lawful. In time where discord was in place, this document really served as a challenge to many ministers and church members of different churches to reflect once again where they stand. The period of 1990 onwards Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has been in prison for over a quarter of a century since August 5, 1962 for leadership of his people in the struggle against racist oppression and for a non-racial democratic society. Prison bars could not prevent him from continuing to inspire his people to struggle and sacrifice for their liberation. Public opinion polls have again and again shown that he is the most popular leader in the country. He has, indeed, grown in stature. As the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group observed in 1986, he has become a living legend, galvanising the resistance in the country. The London Times described him as the colossus of African nationalism in South Africa. It was in after the 1990 that there seem to be a break of segregation, and thank to all the church who participated in the struggle of this liberation. In 1994 was the beginning of new things for the nation of South Africa. Conclusion The story of the Christian Churches in South Africa, like the story of South African society in general is the story of many tribes, whose histories are on the one hand interwoven and interconnected and helps us not make the same mistake as the church of segregation, it help us to strive to a bridge gap to any discord, instead of being a wall standing in the gap for God to move in our country. With such richful history, we are collaped to higher height, even teaching the future theologian of way forward because eventually we had conquered APARTHED.

The Power of Working Out Essay -- Exercise Self Image Papers

The Power of Working Out Wherever I go, whenever I go, whoever I see, I am always astonished by the way that people want to present themselves. The principle of working out reminds me of nothing else but a song titled â€Å" wherever, whenever, whoever â€Å" by Shakira. It is for the pure sense that everyone wants to look good and become popular by looking good. The media brings about popularity just by looking this so called â€Å" good. â€Å" Take for example Britney Spears, Christina Aguilara, Shakira, and other teen pop sensations. Many of these pop stars are not even old enough to drink, however they are making millions of dollars from their performances and cd’s that have sold. But it is not just the music that has created such popularity for them. It is without any doubt their appearance just as well. This ethnography will produce the answers to the many asked questions to reasons people even start working out, the multi effects of working out, and to produce the different outlooks of working out by different people. It is the purpose to produce a culture of working out from a masculine and feminine perspective. My research is based on where I work in the weight room located in the building of the JCC located in West Bloomfield, Michigan. It is a very big building perhaps the size of a large high school which is surrounded by a great amount of parking spaces. Inside the JCC there are different facilities. It has a Basketball court, a hall for doing big parties, a rink for roller hockey and the weight room that I am doing. People that are members of this JCC are able to use the weight room anytime they want as well as use the sauna, steam room, they have the luxury of having towels be provided for them a... ... I don’t try to impress the opposite sex as much as I used to. Although it is still nice to have people look at you while your working out I feel that staying fit and healthy is just as important as looking good. â€Å" With the help of my field notes, Keneth Pike’s explanations within etic and emic perspectives, and the interviews I did within these perspectives I was able to realize the true power of working out. The true reasoning that all people are different. Whether some are doing it to stay in shape or to look better, all are doing it for some soul purpose. America is all about working hard and striving to achieve. It is a place of freedom and opportunity. The weight room is an opportunity for people to look better, feel better, as well as socialize with other people. Works Cited: Pike Kenneth. â€Å" A Stereoscopic Window on The World, â€Å"

TV or No TV :: essays papers

TV or No TV This is a question millions of parents are pondering across America. Violence, along with sexual content, on television is at an all time high. So are the ratings, however. Sex and violence seems to draw a larger audience. A larger audience brings networks more money. This all looks simple enough except for the fact that all of the viewers aren’t old enough determine fact from fiction or right from wrong. With violence in schools on the rise, the question arises: Does violent television programming influence our children and their actions? According to some psychological research, violence on television affects children negatively. The three major effects of seeing violence on television are: ï‚ · Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. ï‚ · Children may be more fearful of the world around them. ï‚ · Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive ways toward others. Sometimes kids act differently after they've been watching violent programs on television.In one study done at Pennsylvania State University, about 100 preschool children were observed both before and after watching television. Some kids watched cartoons that had many aggressive and violent acts while the others watched shows that didn't have any sort of violence at all. The researchers picked up on a lot of real differences in behavior between the kids who watched the violent shows and those who watched nonviolent ones. The kids who watched the violent shows were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and were less willing to wait for things than those children who watched nonviolent programs. Some studies found that kids who watched many hours of television violence when they were in elementary school had a greater tendency to show a higher level of aggressive behavior as they grew older. One of these studies observed these same youngsters until they were 30 years old. The results show that the ones who had watched a lot of television when they were eight years old had significantly greater chances to be arrested and prosecuted for criminal acts as adults. Some steps have been taken in the right direction, however. The television industry took steps toward implementing a rating system for its programming at a meeting with President Clinton in late February.