Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication skills in nursing Within this assignment I will be looking at the importance of effective communication skills in the nursing profession. I will briefly explore the meaning of communication and then look at different styles of effective communication. I will include a wide range of references to support my findings and then offer a conclusion regarding the importance of communication with the patient and other agencies. There are a large number of communication models and meaning’s, which in itself indicates that communication is a huge subject and difficult to pin to a simple explanation (Webb 2011).Donnelly (2008) agrees with this by writing that a concise definition is difficult to achieve due to the term â€Å"communication† having a long list of meanings. Good communication between patients and nurses is at the core of good nursing care, which will ensure the development of a therapeutic relationship (Stein- Parbury 2009). Donnelly (2008) su pports this by stating that at the very heart of effective nursing, communication is the key to delivering high-quality care. Donnelly (2008) states that effective communication is recognised as a core condition for all people who work in public service. Also read: Communication Cycle ArgyleIn Health and Social care services effective communication promotes the best possible nursing care (Donelly 2008). Donelly (2008) writes that the way we communicate with people who use nursing service’s or facilities has a direct impact on how care is perceived and experienced by the user. Collins (2009) agrees by stating that communication is therapeutic, that building relationships is the foundation of nursing work, and communication is a requirement to that process.If we can recognise how communication takes place and comprehend its process we can develop strategies to ensure that communication is effective and meets the needs of all patients’. Within Nursing there are many ways of communicating with patients. The NMC standards for pre-registration nursing education (NMC, 2010) stipulate that â€Å"Within the domain for communication and interpersonal skills, all nurses must do the following, communicate safely and effectively, u sing a range of communication skills and technologies† (NMC 2010).Hamilton (2007) agrees with this by stating that nurses should try to relate with patients using the full range of communication skills at their disposal, to help patients understand that nurses are there to assist as much as they possibly can. These communication skills range from verbal, non-verbal, and written communication. Burnard (2005) explains that we communicate to some degree with words. But also we communicate to a large degree with our bodies. This can be classed as non-verbal. Some aspects of non-verbal communication we use would be eye contact, facial expressions and hand gestures.Burnard (2005) also writes about the importance of listening. Burnard states that the listening skill is an important form of non-verbal communication and being listened to is vital as everybody needs to be listened to. Stein-Parbury (2009) states that, listening encourages further interaction between patient and nurses; it is a catalyst in promoting a trusting therapeutic relationship. Collin (2009) agrees with this by writing when patients feel listened to it gives a sense of connection enabling the relationship to progress. Wright (2007) writes about another non-verbal behaviour which is described as â€Å"body talk†.This would include hand gestures. Some body talking can suggest a certain state of mind, for example a patient pacing, unable to sit for any time or wringing of the hands may suggest that this patient is in distress. Webb states that folding of the arms can display defensive non-verbal communication; it can show that a patient is feeling anxious or threatened in some way. If this is displayed by the nurse it may suggest to the patient that the nurse is dis-interested which will form a barrier between the patient and nurse. To avoid such barriers Egan (1998) suggests that the use of the SOLER theory.The theory  Soler  was created by Egan (1998) to help the communication bet ween the nurse and the patient. His theory shows that basic non-verbal communication can help make a patient feel involved and cared for when working with the nurse. Soler stands for- S: facing the client or family  squarely, both metaphorically and literally O: adopt an  Open,  non-defensive posture L:  Lean forward toward the family to show interest E: make good  Eye Contact R: stay  Relaxed. But there are other forms of communication that need to be effective when delivering nursing care.The nurse needs to ensure that they are able to communicate well within the organisation and with others. Donnelly (2008) points out that when identifying the needs of those we care for we must also distinguish the role of others in providing for people’s needs. There is a risk within service provision to see only that which we can offer and ignore what others agencies and professionals can provide. Effective care depends on us being able to work in partnership, ensuring those we care for receive the best possible care. There are many others modes of communication; the written word is required when working with people (Donelly 2008).The NMC (2008) states that you must keep clear and accurate records of the discussions you have, the assessments you make, the treatment and medicines you give and how effective these have been. You must complete records as soon as possible after an event has occurred, the nurse must not tamper with original records in any way, the nurse must ensure any entries you make in someone's paper records are clearly and legibly signed, dated and timed, the nurse must ensure any entries you make in someone's electronic records are clearly attributable to you, and also ensure all records are kept securely (NMC 2008).Conclusion Whilst preparing for this essay, I did not fully understand the importance of communication and how we are understood by patients. After researching and evaluating, I now understand the importance of effective ver bal communication with appropriate body language, also the importance of non-verbal communication using good eye contact and hand gestures. I have now learnt that to become a good nurse you need to be able to use a wide range of communication to be able to fully care for the patient. These skills are equally important when dealing with agencies.Burnard, P. (2005) Counselling Skills for Health Professionals. Nelson Thornes: Cheltenham: Collins. S, (2009) Good communication helps to build a therapeutic relationship: http://www. nursingtimes. net (accessed 24 April 2012) Donnelly, E. Neville, L. (2008) Communication and Interpersonal Skills, 1st Ed. Reflect Press Ltd: Devon. Egan, G. (1998). The Skilled Helper. Wiley: Chichester Hamilton. S, J (2007) Clinical Development: A framework for effective communication skills : http://www. nursingtimes. et (accessed 24 April 2012) Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwive s. NMC:  London Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Education: Draft for Consultation. NMC:  London Stein-Parbury, J. (2009) Patient and Person: Interpersonal Skills in nursing, 4th Ed. Elsevier: Australia Webb, L. (2011). Nursing: Communication Skills in Practice. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Wright, B, (2007) Interpersonal Skills: Skills for Caring. M&K Publishing: Cumbria . Effective Communication Skills Effective communication skills in nursing Within this assignment I will be looking at the importance of effective communication skills in the nursing profession. I will briefly explore the meaning of communication and then look at different styles of effective communication. I will include a wide range of references to support my findings and then offer a conclusion regarding the importance of communication with the patient and other agencies. There are a large number of communication models and meaning’s, which in itself indicates that communication is a huge subject and difficult to pin to a simple explanation (Webb 2011).Donnelly (2008) agrees with this by writing that a concise definition is difficult to achieve due to the term â€Å"communication† having a long list of meanings. Good communication between patients and nurses is at the core of good nursing care, which will ensure the development of a therapeutic relationship (Stein- Parbury 2009). Donnelly (2008) su pports this by stating that at the very heart of effective nursing, communication is the key to delivering high-quality care. Donnelly (2008) states that effective communication is recognised as a core condition for all people who work in public service. Also read: Communication Cycle ArgyleIn Health and Social care services effective communication promotes the best possible nursing care (Donelly 2008). Donelly (2008) writes that the way we communicate with people who use nursing service’s or facilities has a direct impact on how care is perceived and experienced by the user. Collins (2009) agrees by stating that communication is therapeutic, that building relationships is the foundation of nursing work, and communication is a requirement to that process.If we can recognise how communication takes place and comprehend its process we can develop strategies to ensure that communication is effective and meets the needs of all patients’. Within Nursing there are many ways of communicating with patients. The NMC standards for pre-registration nursing education (NMC, 2010) stipulate that â€Å"Within the domain for communication and interpersonal skills, all nurses must do the following, communicate safely and effectively, u sing a range of communication skills and technologies† (NMC 2010).Hamilton (2007) agrees with this by stating that nurses should try to relate with patients using the full range of communication skills at their disposal, to help patients understand that nurses are there to assist as much as they possibly can. These communication skills range from verbal, non-verbal, and written communication. Burnard (2005) explains that we communicate to some degree with words. But also we communicate to a large degree with our bodies. This can be classed as non-verbal. Some aspects of non-verbal communication we use would be eye contact, facial expressions and hand gestures.Burnard (2005) also writes about the importance of listening. Burnard states that the listening skill is an important form of non-verbal communication and being listened to is vital as everybody needs to be listened to. Stein-Parbury (2009) states that, listening encourages further interaction between patient and nurses; it is a catalyst in promoting a trusting therapeutic relationship. Collin (2009) agrees with this by writing when patients feel listened to it gives a sense of connection enabling the relationship to progress. Wright (2007) writes about another non-verbal behaviour which is described as â€Å"body talk†.This would include hand gestures. Some body talking can suggest a certain state of mind, for example a patient pacing, unable to sit for any time or wringing of the hands may suggest that this patient is in distress. Webb states that folding of the arms can display defensive non-verbal communication; it can show that a patient is feeling anxious or threatened in some way. If this is displayed by the nurse it may suggest to the patient that the nurse is dis-interested which will form a barrier between the patient and nurse. To avoid such barriers Egan (1998) suggests that the use of the SOLER theory.The theory  Soler  was created by Egan (1998) to help the communication bet ween the nurse and the patient. His theory shows that basic non-verbal communication can help make a patient feel involved and cared for when working with the nurse. Soler stands for- S: facing the client or family  squarely, both metaphorically and literally O: adopt an  Open,  non-defensive posture L:  Lean forward toward the family to show interest E: make good  Eye Contact R: stay  Relaxed. But there are other forms of communication that need to be effective when delivering nursing care.The nurse needs to ensure that they are able to communicate well within the organisation and with others. Donnelly (2008) points out that when identifying the needs of those we care for we must also distinguish the role of others in providing for people’s needs. There is a risk within service provision to see only that which we can offer and ignore what others agencies and professionals can provide. Effective care depends on us being able to work in partnership, ensuring those we care for receive the best possible care. There are many others modes of communication; the written word is required when working with people (Donelly 2008).The NMC (2008) states that you must keep clear and accurate records of the discussions you have, the assessments you make, the treatment and medicines you give and how effective these have been. You must complete records as soon as possible after an event has occurred, the nurse must not tamper with original records in any way, the nurse must ensure any entries you make in someone's paper records are clearly and legibly signed, dated and timed, the nurse must ensure any entries you make in someone's electronic records are clearly attributable to you, and also ensure all records are kept securely (NMC 2008).Conclusion Whilst preparing for this essay, I did not fully understand the importance of communication and how we are understood by patients. After researching and evaluating, I now understand the importance of effective ver bal communication with appropriate body language, also the importance of non-verbal communication using good eye contact and hand gestures. I have now learnt that to become a good nurse you need to be able to use a wide range of communication to be able to fully care for the patient. These skills are equally important when dealing with agencies.Burnard, P. (2005) Counselling Skills for Health Professionals. Nelson Thornes: Cheltenham: Collins. S, (2009) Good communication helps to build a therapeutic relationship: http://www. nursingtimes. net (accessed 24 April 2012) Donnelly, E. Neville, L. (2008) Communication and Interpersonal Skills, 1st Ed. Reflect Press Ltd: Devon. Egan, G. (1998). The Skilled Helper. Wiley: Chichester Hamilton. S, J (2007) Clinical Development: A framework for effective communication skills : http://www. nursingtimes. et (accessed 24 April 2012) Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwive s. NMC:  London Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010) Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Education: Draft for Consultation. NMC:  London Stein-Parbury, J. (2009) Patient and Person: Interpersonal Skills in nursing, 4th Ed. Elsevier: Australia Webb, L. (2011). Nursing: Communication Skills in Practice. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Wright, B, (2007) Interpersonal Skills: Skills for Caring. M&K Publishing: Cumbria .

Discussion on CPTED

In trying to find the connection between defensible space and CPTED we first need to look at the basic definitions used to describe them. Defensible space is an environment, typically residential, whose physical design allows it occupants to aid in their own security. CPTED, on the other hand, is using environmental design to deter the occurrence of criminal activity. The connection between these two terms is that defensible space is referring to the individual physical â€Å"components† that are used in the process of CPTED.The defensible space is the building blocks by which the resulting design is built. Strategies associated with CPTED are natural surveillance and access control. Natural surveillance is applied by utilizing proper lighting positions, placing windows appropriately to allow occupants to easily view sidewalks and parking areas, and using landscape design to aid in surveillance. Applications used in access control strategies include the placement of low, thorn y shrubs below lower level windows, the use of locking gates for access to yards and limiting access through single points of entry.The future for CPTED is bright as new construction of schools, commercial properties and public buildings incorporate the ideas of defensible space in their early design models. This approach, along with an increase in the creation of campus environments, is moving CPTED to the forefront of environmental design, and with increased education, CPTED is building a strong foundation for continued growth.

Attracting and Retaining the Best Employees

How many of each type of therapist will the company need? Can not estimate the amount of staffing needed to staff the therapist do to patients needs, without number of patients. b. How will it prevent therapists from â€Å"burning out†? Cross training per therapists unlikely to be burnout since they are floating among the five nursing homes. c. How can it retain experienced staff and still limit costs? Job analysis Job description Job specification Recruiting Degree Employee training By offering the employee benefit package will still limit company cost d.Are promotions available for any of the staff? What is the career ladder? Performance appraisal or evaluation is used to provide employee with performance feedback, to serve as a basis for distributing reward. e. How will the company manage therapists at five different locations? How will it keep in touch them (computer, voice mail, monthly meetings)? Would it make more sense to have therapists work permanently at each locati on rather than rotate among them? They will keep it touch by iphone, computer e-mail, text messaging, morning appointments assignments. No, it will be more cost affected for the patients needed. . How will the company justify the travel costs? What other expenses might it expect? By filled out a traveling expense report employee will be reimbursement at the rate of . 27 cent a mile dependant on appointment schedule. It will consist of the following; Date Patient name Arrival time Department time Mileage Using company vehicle has the expense of repair and maintenance. 2. Prepare a plan for the New Therapy Company to present to the nursing homes. Human Resource Planning – Forecasting the human resources that a firm will need and those that it will have available for the action to match supply and demand.Job analysis – determining the exact nature of the positions Recruiting – attracting people the apply for position Selection – Choosing and hiring the most qualified applicants Orientation – acquainting new employees with the firm Compensation – rewarding employee effort through monetary payment Benefits – providing rewards to ensure employee well-being Training Development – teaching employee new skills, new jobs, and more effective ways of doing their present jobs Performance Appraisal – assessing employees’ current and potential performance levels

Review ways in which minimum core elements can be demonstrated in assessing learners Essay

The main points I have learnt from this assessment/task are; We can embed minimum core elements can be embedded in our assessment, through multiple resources. We can get learners to access quiz materials online, which will embed ICT. Learners can read through task sheets, which will embed reading English. We can also have learners complete a number of tasks in a given time frame, which will embed mathematics. When assessing my learners, I embedded predominately English and ICT, Mathematics was embedded in some of the tasks that they had to complete. The learners had to read the task sheet, there was a sheet of paper which listed all the tasks that was corresponding to the lesson. This was embedding English into the assessment. I also had a document saved on Learnzone, which gave the learner the option to view the document online, by accessing the document online, I had embedded ICT skills in the learner’s assessment. Embedding Mathematics into the Learners assessment would prove slightly difficult, with computer programming, when the learner was completing the tasks, some of the tasks, would compile of condition loops, which would set conditions based on numbers. There was numeracy involved in my assessment. The learners would have been assessed at the end of the module, based on a report that they would write. The report was to demonstrate their understanding of the computer programming language and would include screen shots as evidence of their work. The minimum core skills are required as the learner must have good English skills to write a report, and have good ICT skills to use a computer. How could I develop my practical skills as a result of this assessment/task; The learners had to learn a computer programming language, so most of the minimum core is embedded when assessing. I could engage the learners in an online quiz, this could enhance the mathematics skills when including minimum core. I could have also written more complex conditional functions, within the programming language, which would embed more mathematics. How could I develop my knowledge and understanding as a result of this assessment/task; I could research other tutors material and observe how they embed minimum core skills within their teaching, considering other assessment methods like short answer tests, quiz and presentations, to embed more of the minimum core skills.

Chance of Success for E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Chance of Success for E-Commerce - Essay Example Around the world, photography has become a growing interest among individuals. With the addition of phones with cameras in them, the number of pictures that an average person takes per day can be anywhere between 20 to 50 pictures. These amateur photographers also like to share their photos with others but do not have much of a platform for this. The aim of â€Å"eGallery.com† is to give these individuals a chance to show their photographs and get recognized among others for their brilliance. The target audience varies from is upcoming young artists to other keen amateur photographers who just have the desire to show their talent to the world. In short, people all around the world will be able to use this platform with registered usernames. The site will offer three different types of registrations, amateur accounts, basic professional accounts and elite professional accounts. By offering limited access to the amateur accounts, we expect most users to upgrade to one of the pro fessional accounts to gain access to more user upload space and unlimited uploads. The amateur account and basic professional accounts will also have restrictions on the sizes of the photographs uploaded. To counter these restrictions, the elite professional account will be restriction free with unlimited photograph sizes and storage space. Also, an added online photo editor application will be available only to the elite professional users. This will target individuals who are interested in displaying their work or individuals who appreciate professional photography and are interested in buying photographs that appeal to them. Google, Bing and Facebook ads will be used to deliver the website name to the targeted people. The elements that the website will use to have an effective strategy for the website marketing are 4Ps i.e. price, promotion, place, and products. There will be very strong online competition from websites that have already been present in the market for similar pur poses such as â€Å"deviantart.com†. â€Å"deviantart.com† already focuses on providing its art products to the public by purchasing them online. (Wall Art at deviantART.com). To tackle our competition, the website of eGallery.com will provide an easy platform to use and also provide online photo editing applications. The website will also provide its basic professional and elite professional accounts with free of cost advertising of their photographs. A SWOT analysis has been conducted to get a better perspective of the competition and to analyze the website and its competitor strategies. The SWOT analysis has been provided in this report. To operate our core processes, we would have the bank which would be dealing with all the online transactions of users and buyers. On the other hand, we would get a corporate account with â€Å"box.net† to counter the mass online storage of all the photos involved. â€Å"box.net† has been a leader in the field of provi ding professional online solutions to companies which require storage. (Simple Online Collaboration: Online File Storage). These will be our primary two agents in the middle to help us operate our website once it is up and running. An investment of roughly $7000 will also be involved in the set-up of the website. This will also involve a payment of $500 dollars every time the website needs to be updated to meet new requirements.

Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Organizational Change - Essay Example PWRC typically employs 5 case managers and 35 correctional officers. The average age of the members of staff is 40 years. A large number of staff is male however; during the first couple of years of data collection, approximately 70% members of the staff were female. In the third year, this percentage dropped to 60%. Around 70% of the staff has obtained their high school diploma and around 90% of the staff in based on African-American employees. PWRC has implemented a change process that emphasized on modifying the climate and culture of the facility. The goal of PWRC is to create a learning environment that supports the results of offenders. A training model, as part of change process, was implemented to evaluate the organizational change. The change process comprised of 2-day communication process, which focused on building communications skills of staff so that they can communicate with offenders in an effective manner. The purpose of this training was to create a sustainable change (Rogers, 2003; Armenakis, Harris, & Mossholder, 1993). This training system addresses the need to external facilitators and coaches in order to help the staff members for learning material in training session. On-site training is a tool that comprises of intensive coaching as well as coaching after training sessions. The most appropriate method for implementing organizational change in correction agency is ‘Continuous On-Site Training’. This method focuses on implementing change for communication strategies, which are utilized by staff as well as for organizational readiness. It has been observed that the most important factor to address in any organization while implementing change is communication skills. If communication skills are appropriate then any change can be implemented easily. If staff members are taught that change is for their own benefits then they will be eager to adopt the change. Therefore, the most appropriate method is to implement ‘Continuous On-Site

Comparing Policing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Comparing Policing - Research Paper Example That common denominator is the police department. It is the one arm of government that is consistently present across the nations of the world. Though dressed differently and perhaps varying in function, the main objective of the force, that is to protect the people of the community, remains the steadfast goal of the department. This paper is meant to serve as an in introduction and comparison to three of the most notable police department's in the Western and European hemisphere namely the New York Police Department in the United States, the London Police of England,And the An Garda Siochana -- Ireland's National Police Force. To kick off this paper, the spotlight shall be trained upon the heroes of the 9/11 attacks -- the New York Police Department. The New York police department hold's the disntinct mission of enhancing the quality of life of ever New York City resident by working closely with the community. The power of the police department comes from their constitutional right to enforce laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide a safe environment for the citizens of the city. The core objectives of the force are as follows: In partnership with the community we (the New York City Police Department) pledge to: Protect the lives and property of our fellow citizens and impartially enforce the law. Fight crime both by preventing it and by aggressively pursuing violators of the law. Maintain a higher standard of integrity than is generally expected of others because so much is expected of us. Value human life, respect the dignity of each individual and render our services with courtesy and civility. (â€Å"NYPD†) Established in 1845, the New York City Police Department is the largest municpal police force in the United States. Their area of coverage includes the five boroughs of New York known as Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. The police department has a vast array of speclialized teams that patrol the city or respon d to emergencies. These specialized services list the Emergency Service Unit, K-9 unit, harbor patrol, air support, bomb disposal, counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence, anti-gang, anti-organized crime, and narcotics, just to name a few. In order to ensure the safety of every New Yorker, the New York police department is divided into 123 precints, without a precint 12 for some reason. Each precint functions independently of one another and has jurisdiction over specific areas of the city and the boroughs.(â€Å"NYPD†) Due to the vast size of the city, the manpower the New York police department sometimes comes up short in terms of visible security but due to the community partnership that exists between the police department and the community leaders, New York City has become one of the safest cities in the world, more so after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. One of the most important security measures in place within New York City that is enforced by the police department is the controversial stop and frisk operation that allows the police to do random checks of people who seem to be acting suspiciously in public. Of course a comparison study of the police departments will not be complete unless we study the police department of the city capital of the country that gave birth to the United States, the police department of London, England. The police department of London is divided into 2 groups. These groups are known as the Metropolitan Police Force Patrol and the City of London Police. Each group has a specific

Review of Accounting Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review of Accounting Ethics - Research Paper Example Current Business and Regulatory Environment-Conducive to Ethical Behavior In light of the continuing and current scandal related business environment people working in the corporate environment tend to indulge into unethical business practices. However, it is to be determined that the ethics whether qualitative or quantitative in nature have undergone a rise or decline in the conduct of the business of the respective organization. In reality the tension between the quantitative and the qualitative ethics are resulting in the increasing tensions and conflicting needs of the company. The company bears the responsibility of providing timely information to the shareholders that is relevant and easily understood by the shareholders of the company whereas the responsibility of the accountant of the company is with meeting assigned ethical duty. But mostly there lies a clash between the ethics and the economical status of the country in which the company is operating and unfortunately econo mies of the country turn the winner, making the regulatory environment conducive to the ethical behavior (Kushniroff, 2011, p.103). The Organization SNC-Lavalin is one of the largest construction and engineering company in Canada at Montreal. The company has come up with new inventions and innovations in the field of core engineering business so as to encourage the new activities and skill to meet the ever changing requirements of the markets and the clients. The company concentrates on reaching the sustainable growth in areas like world class products. The company also places the importance of ethics and quality of the product thus manufactured by the company for the achievement of the ongoing improvement of the company. Thus the company pays great importance to the achievement of the financial objective of the company in accordance with the code of ethics of the company. The Accounting Ethical Breach A complex ethical breach resulted in the accounting failure of the company. This was identified from a certain number of the executives of the company leading to the misallocation of the costs of the company in relation to payments to agents valuing a total sum of $ 56 million. The rationale behind this was irrespective the CFO of the company refusing to sign the transaction it was readily passed by the head of the company. Though the company accepted that weakness persisted in its internal controlling over the financial reporting of the company which occurred due to the management failing to comply with the code of ethics and policies on commercial agents; yet it was too late (Lemer, 2012). The impact on the organization related to ethical breach The breach in the accounting of the company resulted in the chief executive of the company resigning after the internal investigation taking place. The reason behind the resignation of the chief executive of the company was due to false payment to third party agents against the company’s code of ethics. The inte rvention of the media made the matter more gruesome leading to project the actual news being blown out of proportion. Detection of Organizational Ethical Issue As per the report of SNC it was found that Mr. Duhaime the chief executi

The Israeli Wall Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Israeli Wall - Research Paper Example It has also taken a lot of international assistance to bring the situation to an end but this has not been so productive in that all the opportunities to enable the two sides come to a conclusive solution has always been lost because of one way or the other. One of the most spirited international efforts to bring peace in the war torn area was in the 1993 when Oslo accord was signed to pave ways for the two warring sides to strike a deal in ending their differences that has resulted to humanitarian crisis in the area. The Oslo accord was secretly discussed in Norway and the agreements officially signed in the US, Washington DC in the Presence of the then US president Bill Clinton but because of the Intifada war that followed, the intention of the accord hit a dead end and no conclusive resolution was reached. What is the Israeli Wall? Following the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians over Gaza and West Bank, the areas have been demarcated, thought without any consensus from the parties involved, which territory belongs to the Israel and that which belongs to Palestine. The demarcation has always not been taken as a fair consideration by the Palestine and they have developed over time a tendency of advancing terrorism activities in the Israeli infested areas resulting into cycles of casualties year round (Gelvin 62). To avert this notoriety, the Israeli decided to construct a barrier wall that will delimit the Israeli and the Palestine so that they are cushioned form their terrorist activities that have been very devastating. The construction of the will is estimated to be about seven hundred meters long and about eight meters tall consisting of concrete wall, 90% of the constructed wall is an inhibiting fence with a vehicle-barrier trenches that is surrounded by about 60 meter area of wide exclusion area (Gelvin 67). With the reference made by the Israeli human rights organization, they conform that the barrier wall is concentrated in the West Ba nk area and extends along the 1949 armistice line that is between the Israeli and Palestine side of the West Bank. The Israeli wall is not a surprise, they have previously constructed the Gaza strip barrier that delimits Israel and Egypt, and this was constructed in the 1994 and was concluded in 2005 (Kershner 49). The Israeli has developed the tendency of secluding themselves through the barrier wall in cases of foreseeable attack by their enemies. Israeli’s Justification On their side regarding the construction of the wall, the Israeli have insisted that providing protection to their civilian is their responsibility in whatever cost and will do all that is possible to ensure that their civilians are not under coercion, pressure or threats from any quarter and to be specific, the Palestinian terrorism activities. They confirm that since the onset of the second Intifada, the Palestine has attacked the Israeli civilian in several occasions by suicide bombers and that needed to be put under stringent check, otherwise, it was going to be out of control. They say the attacks they have witnessed form the Palestinians since the second Intifada justifies the construction of the wall for the purposes of their civilian protection (Semmerling 104). The Israeli also confirms that since the beginning if the wall’s construction, there has been a significant reduction in the number of the suicide attack from Palestine. With

Criminal Justice Research Methodology Term Paper

Criminal Justice Research Methodology - Term Paper Example It is also practical in the sense that it covers a long process over determining what a research needs in particular as it can be modified and take the form of interviews, questionnaires, or a combination of both. In a survey-interview, for example, it allows a researcher to observe the subject and modify questions if the subject seems confused by them. Survey is a good method to consider specially if there is a long range of respondents involved and the researcher needs to collate more uniformed answers in a given period of time (example, respondent-reactions due to the changes brought about by a recent ordinance created). Unlike plain interview that answers brought about by open-ended or close ended questions may vary and sometimes complex in their meaning, survey-questionnaires can eliminate the possibility that the researcher can influence the subject by is or her facial expressions, e.g., unconsciously frowning at an answer making unnecessary body language. Of course, there is a lways a danger that subjects may give misleading answers in order to make themselves â€Å"look good† but the researcher can always modify the questions in several different ways to detect this as well. Surveys are also ideal to use when concerns for safety is involved. It has been tested and experience through time that when safety is concerned, it is highly difficult to get willing respondents that will be open for research. There are two ways to ham ­per successful data gathering through face-to-face interviews. First, potential re ­spondents may refuse to be interviewed because they fear the stranger-interviewer specially if the subject for the research is a sensitive one. Second, the interviewers themselves may be in danger given that in some studies to be conducted, a need to expose researchers in a dangerous situation is inevitable (Maxfield, and Babbie, 2008). Social desirability is known to be one of the common problems that plague self-report crime questions in

Research proposal (research method) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research proposal (research method) - Essay Example This research would particularly determine the impact on the family after the institutionalization of the patient. Accordingly, the sample would be taken from at least ten different nursing homes. The family members of at least three patients who have been diagnosed with alzheimers from ten nursing homes would be mailed a letter inviting them to participate. There may be reluctance on the part of some of them to participate and comply with the research. Only those that have been institutionalized for over three months would be included in the research process because a minimum time is needed to determine the impact. The hospital authorities would first be approached to collect a list of the Alzheimer patients and then the family members who have been in regular contact with the patient contacted through mail. This would include primarily the children but if grandchldren too have been involved as seconday caregivers, they would be included. The questionnaires would be mailed to the caregivers as they may be reluctant to speak out or fatigue and depression may distort responses. It is assumed that they would be willing to give vent to their feelings in the settings of their own homes which would also help to maintain privacy. Data would be collected through self-completion questionnaires as this method of data collection allows the ability for unambiguous quantitative data to be collected (Redmond & Griffith 2003). This questionnaire wud be developed specifically for this study although guidelines may be adopted from previous studies. Wherever possible, family members that have been secondary caregivers would also be asked to complete the questionnaire in addition to the primary caregivers, which would help to corroborate the results. This would be particularly helpful for this research because it is essential to determine how the caregivers are affected after the

Television Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Television Media - Research Paper Example d technological advances, the gradual expansion of the television networks westward; the drop in set prices caused by mass production; increased leisure time; and additional disposable income. It is said that the golden age of television in USA was from 1953-1960. 2 Around the globe, broadcast television is financed by either: government, or advertising, or licensing (a form of tax), or subscription or any combination of these. To protect revenues, subscription TV channels are usually encrypted to ensure that only subscription payers receive the decryption codes to get the signal. Unencrypted channels are known as  free to air  or  FTA. The information conveyed through television media is controlled to a great extent by the corporate giants, as they have invested billions of Dollars in sponsoring television programs. The corporate sector does not only market its products through television media but its multilayered agendas as well. The way and the objectives of influencing television media by corporate stake holders are really complex. However, it is clear that television media is used as a powerful tool to endorse the ideas and agendas of the corporate investors in the minds of the consumers. As huge investments by the corporate sector in television media is economically beneficial for the television industry, therefore the ethics of television media are easily manipulated by its interests and agendas. A great number of corporate giants own and run television networks and thus propagate their national, political or corporate agendas through this medium. Television media has to abide by corporate social responsibility according to which it must be careful with the information being presented to the world. It also bases its strategy according to the feedback and responses of the consumers. Sustaining consumerism is one of the greatest challenges of television industry on one end; while at the other end, it must establish and provide opportunities for the

Psychological and Biochemical Theories of Violent Behavior Essay

Psychological and Biochemical Theories of Violent Behavior - Essay Example Based upon the information from the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services (2010) the psychological theory of violence in relation to criminal behavior is rooted in the relationship of a person's individual character in relation to his environment. To quote the Ontario Ministry study (2010); â€Å"psychologists focus on how mental processes impact individual propensities for violence. Psychologists are often interested in the association between learning, intelligence, and personality and aggressive behavior. â€Å" The psychological theory is that man was not born a violent creature. Rather, he turns to violence when he does not have any choice due to a lack of certain influences in his life that should have made him or her a peace loving person. Further studies in the area by the Ontario Ministry (2010) show that tests such as ; â€Å"The Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) have frequently been used to assess the personality characteristics of young people. The use of these scales has consistently produced a statistically significant relationship between certain personality characteristics and criminal behavior. ... testing also suggests that crime-prone youth are also impulsive, paranoid, aggressive, hostile, and quick to take action against perceived threats...† However, Masters (n.d.) argues that violence that is triggered in certain individuals is based on his exposure to biochemicals in his daily life. It is Masters belief that brain chemistry, environmental toxins, and violent crimes are all linked in a certain manner.  

International Trade Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International Trade - Research Paper Example wing the standards required for being a part of the euro-zone (Maastricht criteria) would indirectly mean not just stability of currency, but also good economic policies and sustained growth for the region Austria or the Republic of Austria is a landlocked country with a population of about 8.5 million. It forms a trade route between eastern and western Europe and as such, its location in central Europe is quite strategic. Austrias terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500  metres (1,600  ft). As such, it is a very beautiful county and a major tourist destination. Austria has a well-developed economy with a high standard of living. Austria has achieved sustained economic growth and belongs to the richest countries in the EU (4th after Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Netherlands). After a period of low growth of only around 1.0% annually during 2001-2003, Austrias economy recovered again in 2004 and 2005 and grew 2.5% and 2.9%, respectively, driven by booming exports in response to strong world economic growth. Primarily due to higher growth in Europe, particularly Central and Eastern Europe, and continued export growth, Austrian real GDP grew 3.3% in 2006 and 3.4% in 2007. (US Dept of State, 2009) Austria, being one of the richest countries in world as well as in the EU, has a very developed banking system. The Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) is the central bank of Austria and, as such, an integral part of both the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and the Eurozone. Though the banking sector of Austria has been going through a period of steady restructuring and consolidation since 1990, this period has also seen the rise of relatively large banking groups (e.g., Erste Bank and Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB)). Also, smaller banks have clustered together and became increasingly tied through cross-guarantee schemes. Nevertheless, with some 900 (although mostly small) banks, â€Å"Austria retains one of

Cell Phone for Marketing Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cell Phone for Marketing Project - Essay Example This person wanted to enjoy those same privileges, and also have a phone and the kind of service that best suits her communication needs. So when AT&T released the I Phone offer earlier this year, she was more than excited to get one. Smartphones are very popular in the US and is also growing in popularity in other parts of the world. It’s no surprise that both the I Phone and Blackberry are competing very closely in terms of market share. My friend’s other option it to get a Blackberry to replace her old I Phone. These two handsets don’t differ much in terms of pricing. AT&T offers both handsets under their postpaid plans within very close price ranges. BlackBerry has also its share of winning reviews and a steady throng of followers. In fact, another friend owns a BlackBerry curve, one of its latest models, and we are all at awe with its user-friendly features. This phone and this brand in general suits people who are more interested in data than media. Even online reviews say this. But since my friend prefers to store music, videos and games, I Phone is the sure choice for her. The I Phone 3rd Generation is an apple phone in its usual form – sleek, trendy and hip. Its amazing touch screen technology that literally lets you glide through applications is one of its best features. No phone comes close to this technology yet. It is a wonder how Apple does it – the I Phone is hands-down, the best choice for the younger generation of phone addicts. Aside from its looks, the I Phone also has the capacity to carry a wide array of application types that makes the already useful handset into a really genius gadget that goes beyond its telecommunication functions. My friend extremely enjoys the applications, and the many things she could do with her new phone. The purchase took place last September at the AT&T Wilshire

The History of Weapons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The History of Weapons - Essay Example History have been developed in to what it is today by these weapon of annihilation. These weapons have eternally changed our world. Technological and scientific development has contributed to the development of all new advanced weapons. In the course of history, weapons have played a crucial role in the transformation and changing of society. Weapons were cause of destruction of civilization and also creation of new ones. The evolution of multifarious weapons describes the development of technology implemented by ancestors over the course of history. The main intension of development of weapons was to make it as powerful as possible to capture lands and enslave other people. This essay will discuss about the history of weapons. During ancient days, Egypt was at its peak but was invaded by the Hyksos by their superior weapons which were made of iron. These innovation and tactical brilliance at that point of time amazed the Egyptians. Earlier days, people used to use weapons to protect themselves and hunt for food. But mostly weapons were used to fight against each other for land, religion and power. Earlier days weapons were simple such as rocks and sharp sticks. Fighting was mainly between the throwing distances of enemy. But gradually weapons were developed in to more destructive and efficient. Guns were used in this century.String of the gun was wet through in saltpeter and then slow match was touched to the gunpowder so that it could ignite. The Wheelock was invented in early 16th century. Gunpowder is ignited by spark which is generated by a metal wheel that spun against an iron pyrites. Because of this most of the cavalry stopped using lances. Instead of lances they used to carry three or four pistol each. But the traditional English weapon used to be a longbow (O’Bryan, 2013). Longbow was around before it was used by the English. But it was never used as efficiently it was used by the English. At that time, most bows

Martin L. King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Martin L. King - Essay Example aged by the successes of the civil rights movement, activists worked to reverse the discriminatory laws restricting the influx of darker-skinned peoples into the western cultures. The movement’s struggle for civil rights and liberties was based on lawful civil rights and had its roots in moral motivations. The righteousness of the cause was personified by King whose character and courage was applauded and supported by an increasing number of American citizens of all colors. In 1955, Rosa Parks a black woman, refused to relinquish her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery Alabama, a violation of existing Jim Crow laws. This act of civil disobedience became the spark that ignited the masses during the 1950’s and 1960’s in protesting the racial inequalities. Segregation, during the Jim Crow era, was not limited to transportation mediums. In Alabama, hospitals, whether public or private, could not require a white nurse to care for blacks. (Sowell, 2005) In Mississippi, a law stifled freedom of the press by stating, â€Å"Any person who shall be guilty of printing, publishing or circulating printed, typewritten or written matter urging or presenting for public acceptance or general information, arguments or suggestions in favor of social equality or of intermarriage between whites and negroes, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding six months or both† (â€Å"Jim Crow L aws†, 1998). When Parks was arrested for refusing the driver’s request to give up her seat to the white man, a group of area ministers formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) which coordinated what would become a 382-day boycott of the bus company by the entire black community. The ministers took this non-violent action to avoid the possible rioting that was widely rumored to soon ensue and to organize their collective congregations into one, larger and stronger common voice. In addition, had they not elected

How do Senor Flores, Senora Flores and Dr. Jean View this Situation Essay

How do Senor Flores, Senora Flores and Dr. Jean View this Situation from Totally Different Perspectives - Essay Example He also does not want to listen to the advice of Dr. Jean. The Latino’s belief in machismo makes Senor Flores feel offended if he listens to Dr. Jean’s advice. He thinks that his male ego is insulted. The perspective of Senora Flores on Alejandro’s situation is very fatalistic, or what the Latino’s term as fatalism. She feels that she is being punished by God that is why Alejandro is sick. She is suffering from inferiority complex and feels that she is being discriminated at the hospital for being a Latino and not speaking much. She is afraid that Alejandro will be discriminated too in school because he is sickly. Senora Flores feels overburdened by the responsibility of taking care of Alejandro. But at the same time, she believes that her mother should help her take care of Alejandro. She respects her mother, so much so that when she suggested that Alejandro is taken to an espiritista, she blindly followed her although she probably disagrees with her. Dr. Jean’s perspective of Alejandro’s situation is exactly the opposite of the views of the Flores family. She does not totally understand the Latino culture and beliefs; thus, resulting in misunderstandings with them. The first conflict is with regards to time. She dislikes the Flores’ disregard of time. She also feels that just because she is a woman, Senor Flores does not like to listen to her advice. She does not understand why the Flores’ had to consult an espiritista instead of just following her medical advice and give him his medicines. Dr. Jean is an example of a doctor who is quite detached to the family of her patient. She does not realize that it is important for a Latino family that they see some simpatia from their medical provider. Senora Flores chose to consult an espiritista when Alejandro was not getting better probably through the prodding of her mother.

Accounting System Paper Essay Example for Free

Accounting System Paper Essay Kudler Fine Foods has done a wonderful job with its current accounting system by manually tracking data and not having a uniform system for providing information about that data. Data is the raw and unorganized version of information while information is categorized and decipherable data that correlates to the business. Kudler Fine Foods is making a transition from the less efficient and more labor intensive accounting methods to a technology based accounting system which saves money being that it is more efficient and more robust. The core features, benefits, and cost will be discussed as you continue to read this paper. As mentioned earlier, Kudler Fine Foods is making a transition to a computerized accounting system which will have the ability to communicate with all branches of the business. Kudler Fine foods will utilize an accounting system which is integral part of the Enterprise resource planning software that is being deployed in the Kudler Fine Foods environment. The ERP software will be able to capture real time data directly from the point of sale (cash registers) and automatically adjust inventory and profit data. See more:Â  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay The accounting software will also use a compliance management feature will provide complete transaction audit trails and rules-based controls and advanced reporting capabilities which are compliant with laws and regulations. More benefits are advanced financial forecasting the can accurately predict and estimate potential profits and pending losses, revenue and cash flow. This gives Kudler Fine Foods the ability to analyze past trends to help make better business decisions in the future. In addition, the accounting software will give Kudler Fine Foods the ability to deep dive into the cash management aspect of their business by more accurately assessing current and future cash needs and track all transactions that directly impact available cash levels. In an ERP environment, Kudler Fine Foods will adopt a client/server system. The Client/Server technology model is the model in which today’s softwares are developed. A Client/Server model is one in which the client computer is identified separately from the server computer. This will require servers with Windows serve 2008 and networking equipment which will allow all workstations to communicate to application servers, shared data drives and communicate with the outside world. With the added benefits of an ERP system in the Kudler Fine Food environment, comes an added expense of support of the system. Currently, Kudler Fine Foods can anticipate an expense of twenty-five thousand dollars with a potential ceiling of two hundred fifty thousand dollars. References Top 10 ERP. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.top10erp.org/sap-erp-software-comparison-technology-140 Technology required for Erp. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.vkinfotek.com/erp/erp-technologies.html

Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Essay Human beings are morally ambiguous people. We are neither purely evil nor purely good, but often a mix. And maybe that’s why many of us are attracted to literature works with morally ambiguous characters such as The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner was set in Kabul, Afghanistan, proceeds to United States during the Soviet Union invasion, and then the setting goes back to Kabul when the Taliban rises in power. In this novel, Amir, to whom the whole story of the book is centered around, is a morally ambiguous character. Amir is a Pashtun boy; he betrays his friendship with Hassan, a Hazara son of Amir’s father’s servant. Guilt haunts Amir for years even after he had left Kabul and moved to United States. Amir is a morally ambiguous character because he’s a coward, he’s selfish, he betrays his friend and lies, but he also finds courage to face what he had done wrong and finds salvation. The first part of the book The Kite Runner proves how Amir is not a purely good character. Amir often hangs out with the Hazara boy, Hassan and would tell Hassan that they are friends, but he still feels he’s above Hassan because Amir is Pashtun and Hazara people are considered below the Pashtun people. Amir wouldn’t hang out with Hassan when other Pashtun boys are with him, he also mocks the fact that Hassan can’t read, not considering the fact that Hassan doesn’t have the opportunity to get an education. Amir couldn’t stand Hassan’s intelligence: Amir had written a story about how a man’s tears turn into pearls when they fall into this magic cup, and the story ended with man’s wife dead in his arms on a mountain pile of pearls. When Hassan heard the story, he had enjoyed it, but he also raised a few questions that angered Amir, â€Å"Why did the man kill his wife? In fact, why did he ever have to be sad to shed tears? Couldn’t he have just smelled an onion? † (p. 34). Amir was angry because a mere Hazara boy who couldn’t read had taught Amir something he, an educated boy, didn’t figure out. These few examples that show how Amir is mean and arrogant are nothing compared to what he does to Hassan later on. Assef is a Pashtun boy that truly hates Hazaras and believes that Hazaras should all disappear. When Amir catches Assef raping Hassan, instead of stepping in, Amir runs away and pretends nothing had happened. When guilt started eating Amir up and he couldn’t stand facing Hassan because Hassan reminds him of his cowardly action, he pinned a crime of thievery on Hassan in order to have Hassan evicted from his house. The second part of the book shows that Amir isn’t purely evil despite what he has done. For a while, Amir’s life is filled with the guilt of not saving Hassan from the rape and it kept Amir from being completely happy, even though he found the love of his life in America and got married. Then one day, Amir’s father’s friend, Rhahim, called him to give him a chance to redeem himself. â€Å"There’s a way to be good again† (p. 226). Amir did find a way to be good again. Amir went back to Afghan to find Hassan’s son, Sohrab, to take him with Amir because Hassan and his wife had been shot to death on the street by the Taliban. Amir finds Sohrab with Assef and ends up getting into a physical fight with Assef. Amir basically lets Assef beat him up and while being beat up, Amir feels relieved. â€Å"My body was broken – just how badly I wouldn’t find out until later – but I felt healed. Healed at last† (p. 289). Amir felt that he was being healed from the guilt that has been crawling beneath his skin every single day. He had betrayed his one and only friend, Hassan, lied, and destroyed a chance where Hassan might have left to United States with him and would still be alive. Amir felt that he finally got what he deserved and he felt much better, he had found salvation. And he had afterwards taken in Sohrab as his own son. Amir had been a coward; he had made selfish decisions and ruined Hassan’s live, but if he had been purely evil then he would not have felt guilt, nor would he have risked his life to bring back a mere Hazara’s son. But he had been filled with guilt and he had gone to find Sohrab and redeemed himself. And thus, Amir is a perfect example of a morally ambiguous character.

Digital Communication in Business

Digital Communication in Business Introduction The aim of this report on â€Å"Digital Communication† is to summarise the broad concepts of a technology that has made rapid strides in all facets of our life. The objective is to understand the concept, analyse its relevance in the field of business and assess the current and future trends. Fundamentals of Digital communication The fundamentals of digital communication is stated as â€Å"in a digital communications system, data is transmitted from one location to another by mapping bit sequences to symbols, and symbols to sample functions of analog waveforms The analog waveform passes through a band limited (possibly time-varying) analog channel, where the signal is distorted and noise is added. In a conventional system the analog sample functions sent through the channel are weighted sums of one or more sinusoids; in a chaotic communications system, the sample functions are segments of chaotic waveforms. At the receiver, the symbol may be recovered by means of coherent detection, where all possible sample functions are known, or by non coherent detection, where one or more characteristics of the sample functions are estimated. (Kolumban, Kennedy Chua (1997).  Digital communication systems, by definition, are communication systems that use such a digital sequence as an interface between the source and t he channel input and similarly between the channel output and final destination The idea of converting an analog source output to a binary sequence was quite revolutionary in 1948, and the notion that this should be done before channel processing was even more revolutionary. By today, with digital cameras, digital video, digital voice, etc., the idea of digitizing any kind of source is commonplace even among the most technophobic. The notion of a binary interface before channel transmission is almost as commonplace. For example, we all refer to the speed of our internet connection in bits per second. (Gallager, 2006). Digital communication tries to convey the information from a source such as a computer to a receiver as effectively as possible. â€Å"Modulation† is a process where the digital information is mapped to a sequence of symbols which has varied properties of an analog electromagnetic wave called the carrier. At the receiver, the signal to be received is selected by a channel filter, demodulated, interpreted, and the information is recovered. Conversion of the digital information stream to an analog signal for transmission may be accompanied by encryption and coding to add end-to-end security, data compression, and error-correction capability. A channel encoder introduces algorithmic redundancy into the transmitted symbol sequence that can be used to reduce the probability of incorrect decisions at the receiver. Modulation is the process by which a symbol is transformed into an analog waveform that is suitable for transmission. Common digital modulation schemes include amplitude s hiftkeying (ASK), phase shift keying (PSK), frequency shift keying (FSK), continuous phase modulation (CPM), and amplitudephase keying (APK), where a one-to-one correspondence established between amplitudes, phases, frequencies, phase and phase transitions, and amplitudes and phases, respectively, of a sinusoidal carrier and the symbols. The channel is the physical medium through which the information-carrying analog waveform passes as it travels between the transmitter and receiver. The transmitted signal is invariably corrupted in the channel. Hence, the receiver never receives exactly what was transmitted. The role of the demodulator in the receiver is to produce from the received corrupted analog signal an estimate of the transmitted symbol sequence. The role of the channel decoder is to reconstruct the original bit stream, i.e., the information, from the estimated symbol sequence. Because of disturbances in real communications channels, error-free transmission is never possible . (Kolumban, Kennedy Chua (1997). Types of Digital communication The different types of digital communication are the internet and email, cell phones, high definition television and other electronic communication (Sarokin. D, 2015). He quotes â€Å"in 1962 the idea of the internet was born†. Relying on packet switching the digital transfer of short bursts of data globally connected computer networks quickly developed into sophisticated digital communication technologies. Email over the network was introduced in the 1970s and has since grown into one of the most widespread forms of digital communication. Agnelli (in Vanderbeeken 2004, p. 2; see also Agnelli et al. 2004) argues that mobile phones have led to the overlapping of digital and physical space, so that physical presence no longer implies attentiveness or availability, and distinctions between public and private space are eroded. Digital communications is mainly associated with telecomunications and electrical engineering. Pedrozo and Wilska (2004, p. 4), the adoption of mobile pho nes has been ‘one of the most conspicuous social changes to happen over the last ten years. HDTV (high definition television) is a television display technology that provides picture quality similar to 35 mm. movies with sound quality similar to that of todays compact disc. Some television stations have begun transmitting HDTV broadcasts to users on a limited number of channels. HDTV generally uses digital rather than analog signal transmission. HDTV and standard definition television (SDTV) are the two categories of display formats for digital television (DTV) transmissions, which are becoming the standard. (Techtarget.com, 2008). Digital communications have become ubiquitous in modern society and encompass a wide variety of technologies. Remote controls, keyless entry devices, walkie-talkies, Bluetooth earpieces, GPS satellites, cash registers and credit cards are among the many technologies that communicate digitally with people and with other devices. Futurists have coined the term The Internet of Things to refer to the trend of enabling thousands of types of devices, from light bulbs to washing machines, with digital communication capabilities. Given the sophistication of the instantaneous transmission of digital data, it can be easy to overlook the more mundane communication activities. We store digital data on many types of physical media, including CDs, DVDs, flash drives, tape and compact memory chips. Every time you hand a friend or colleague a file, whether you transfer it electronically or pass along a DVD, you are engaged in a form of digital communication. (Sarokin. D, 2015) Importance of Digital communications in business Long, Sarah M (2010) states social life in the United States today is changing rapidly with the growing use of Web 2.0 technologies. Many realms of social life are being reorganized in different ways by the spread of computers, the internet, cell and smart phones, Ipods, and similar communications and information technologies. More business is transacted by ecommerce and many jobs are being restructured by the centrality of computers and access to the Web. Many people participate in politics through the internet, clicking to donate to political causes, sending letters to Congress via email, and mobilizing people for protests through list serves. Education ranging from K-12 to college is increasingly reliant on computers and access to information through the Web. Even personal life, ranging from family life to friendship to intimate relationships are being affected by these new technologies as all kinds of social interactions are mediated by technology. In this context, Ernst Young (2 011) states that the real imperative in a world where ‘everything’ is digitised is that businesses need to pursue innovation to disrupt their own business model before the competition does. Without innovation strategies, companies will lose their competitive advantage in an increasingly commoditised world. There is no time to lose, as technology change accelerates and new digital platforms and devices are emerging. Furthermore, the expectations of the new ‘generation Y’ or ‘digital natives’ mean that companies must keep up with the pace of change or lose relevance. It further states that businesses must use digital channels to create seamless and consistent engagement in the view of the pace of technology change that is increasing exponentially. The challenge of most businesses would be to face loss of control over the customer relationship since the proliferation of digital channels and devices gives consumers greater access to information, an d the means for communication and collaboration. The physical world is being replicated in the digital world through digital communities, businesses and assets, fundamentally changing the way consumers engage with businesses and each other. It also states the need to engage digitally with suppliers and employees. Therefore the use of use digital technology to enhance traditional business models, transform existing business models digitally and Invent entirely new business models or different engagement models. There is an increased competition and the risk of commoditization. Digital channels lower barriers to entry and increase globalisation, leading to a spiral of intensifying competition and commoditisation. Innovative organisations are taking the opportunity to diversify, bringing cross-industry convergence and blurring of the boundaries between industries. Previously physically distinct products and sectors now compete with one another, over less clearly defined customer bases. Many companies are already developing responses to the challenge of digital by moving from a transactional to an ‘interactional’ relationship with their customers. They are inviting their customers to become part of the RD process, the design process and the go-to-market. They are also encouraging them to participate in the post-sale support process, and taking advantage of ‘prosumerism’ as a low-cost way to provide service. It is through differentiation and innovation that organisations can create the shift in mindset necessary to win in the digital game. Current future trends It is assumed that the future trends in digital communication will continue to be important and digital literacy will continue to develop distinct registers. Convergence refers to the capacity to integrate technological functions in a single device. Hence, the mobile phone doubles up as camera, MP3 player and so on – or the home media system deals with music, TV, telephonics and e-mail. The general direction of convergence is to allow for access to multiple media from a single source. Convergence pairs up with portability, because as devices become more compact and wireless connection becomes more affordable and more ubiquitous, the possibilities of being able to use all media, more or less at any time or place, increase. Pervasiveness suggests that digital technologies will feature in more and more areas of everyday life, becoming even more closely interwoven with the way we get things done. As this pervasiveness increases, it is also likely that technological innovation will focus on making devices and their interfaces more transparent – in ways that touch screens and desktop icons begin to suggest. (Kaul, 2012). Digital is changing the world, and progress is not linear. In a world where a smartphone is no longer just a smartphone, but a potential revolution. Not every digital initiative will work for every organisation, and it is important to assess capability and capacity for change before deploying a digital strategy. In general, the more holistic the initiative is, the greater the chance of success.  Ernst Young (2011). The next step in digital communication as reported by Reuters (2014) in the Times of India edition is the WebRTC. This free browser-based technology looks set to change the way we communicate and collaborate, up-ending telecoms firms, online chat services like Skype and WhatsApp and remote conferencing on WebEx. Web Real-Time Communication is a proposed internet standard that would make audio and video as seamless as brows ing text and images is now. Installed as part of the browser, video chatting is just a click away with no need to download an app or register for a service. WebRTC allows anyone to embed real-time voice, data and video communications into browsers, programs more or less anything with a chip inside. The use of a WebRTC-compatible browser like Mozillas Firefox can be made to start a video call just by sending someone a link. By the end of the decade, consultants Analysys Mason reckon there will be 7 billion devices supporting WebRTC, nearly 5 billion of them smartphones or tablets. Automatic voice and video encryption means web conversations should be safe from eavesdropping or external recording. Those championing WebRTC say the technology isnt so much about challenging whats available today, but more about creating opportunities for new products and services tomorrow. Conclusion In conclusion, Das (1998) states â€Å"most of the technological developments in digital communication has been very rapid and has taken place in the last two decades. As a result , the senior professionals and academics have not been able to keep pace with these developments and therefore there is an urgent need to update the knowledge in these areas.Moreover,it is very necessary that our electrical engineering students specializing in communications must have a strong base in digital communications systems as well. The reason being the rapidly advancing price/performance capability of computing, storage, and bandwidth is contributing to an adoption rate for the digital infrastructure that is two to five times faster than previous infrastructures, such as electricity and telephone networks. (Core Edges Blog, 2009). REFERENCES Core Edges Blog, (2009) ‘Core Digital Infrastructure Technologies improve exponentially without stabilizing. Das.J (1998): Review Of Digital Communication Ernst Young (2011):  http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/The_digitisation_of_everything_-_How_organisations_must_adapt_to_changing_consumer_behaviour/$FILE/EY_Digitisation_of_everything.pdf [Accessed:11 March 2015] Gallager, Robert (2006) course materials for 6.450 Principles of Digital Communications I, Fall 2006. MIT OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.mit.edu/), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Downloaded on [9/03/2015] Kaul.V( 2012): The Digital Communications Revolution Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies Volume: 2 – Issue: 3 – July – 2012 [Accessed:11 March 2015] Kolumb ´an.G, Kennedy. M.P Chua.Leon.O (1997): The Role of Synchronization in Digital Communications Using Chaos—Part I: Fundamentals of Digital Communications Long, Sarah M., Exploring Web 2.0: The Impact of Digital Communications Technologies on Youth Relationships and Sociability (2010). Sociology Student  Scholarship.http://scholar.oxy.edu/sociology_student/2 [Accessed:10 March 2015] Pedrozo, S. Wilska, T.-A. (2004) Mobile phones and young people’s consumer identities: a comparison study between Finland and Brazil. Proceedings of Digital Generation: Children, Youth and Media. London: Institute of Education, University of London, 26–29 July. Reuters (2014) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/WebRTC-the-next-step-in-digital-communication/articleshow/45493950.cms [Accessed: 9th March 2015] Sarokin. D (2015): Types of Digital communication http://www.ehow.com/info_7999188_types-digital-communication.html [Accessed: 9th March 2015] Techtarget (2015) http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/HDTV-high-definition-television [Accessed: 9th March 2015]

Types and Stages of Observational Learning and Memory

Types and Stages of Observational Learning and Memory Jurgita Kairiukstiene This  essay will address aspects of psychology by exploring different types and stages of Observational learning and Memory. A Observational Learning Learning is define as the process of acquiring knowledge through experience which leads to a lasting change in behaviour (Huczynski Buchanan (2013), p.154) There are two different types of learning Observational and Associative learning. The concept of observational learning was developed by Albert Bandura (1977, 1986 2000) to exclude trial-and-error method in learning. To compere both learnings, Associative learning is more tedious and more hazardous than Observational learning. Observes by observing may develop new behaviour and may have impact to previously learned behaviour. Learning by Observation contains four stages and processes: Attention. Observers can only learn if they pay attention to a mentor or teacher. For example dancing classes. Attendants must observe and pay attention to teacher to learn how to dance. Retention. Observers must memorise information and store in to memory. In order to take next step must recall what was memorised before. For example learn how to use computer programs. Reproduction. Observes must replicate another behaviour. But there is a limitation factor of physical abilities. Example may be that humans cant fly. Reinforcement. Observers will go through different stages and will be motivated to learn. According to Banduras (e.g. 1977) Social learning theory, experiment on children by letting them watch television and later motivate aggressive behaviour. This study has important implications for the effects of media violence on children. (http://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html 24/02/2017, 15:31) Memory is the faculty of the mind by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved (Atkinson Shiffrin, 1968). Memory is the process of maintaining information over time. (Matlin, 2005) There is three Memory stages: Encode: Visual (picture), Acoustic (sound), Semantic (meaning) Store: Short-term memory or Long -term memory Retrieve: context-dependent (similar situation) or state-dependent (similar emotional state) (Diagram 1 source: https://www.psychestudy.com/cognitive/memory/stages 24/02/2017 22:44) Different Memory types: (Diagram 2 source: http://www.human-memory.net/types.html 24/02/2017, 17:30) Sensory memory. Very short, if its not passed to Short-term memory its lost. For example the memory of sound/picture/word is held for a second only. Interference may prevent of memory recall. Sensory memory can be Iconic or Echoic. Short-term/working memory is a step to a Long -term memory. It holds small amount of information up to seven (+-2) units at once by a limited time, encodes information. By repeating an information we can hold it in the working memory. For example to memorise phone number we repeat it several times. But also it can be easily forgotten. People surroundings and environment have an influence on working memory. Long-term memory is more complicated. It holds information for a long time or for life-span and have unlimited capacity. There is three long-term memory systems: Episodic (e.g. experience, specific events like 5th birthday party), Semantic (facts, concepts, e.g. knowing that birds can fly) Procedural (e.g. skills, how to walk). Procedural is subcategory of Implicit memory (unconscious) and it uses past experience (e.g. musicians, in language development). Episodic and Semantic are subset of Declarative memory, which is a subset of Explicit memory (conscious) and it holds facts and events that can be stored and consciously recalled(e.g. Learning to swim) In conclusion, Learning without Memory does not exist.      Ã‚   References Atkinson, R. C., Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In The psychology of learning and motivation: II Oxford, England: Academic Press. doi:10.1016/S0079-7421(08)60422-3 David A. Buchanan, Andrzej A. Huczynski. Organizational behaviour. 8th edition. Harlow, England Pearson (2013) p.154. Matlin, M. W. (2005). Cognition. Crawfordsville: John Wiley Sons, Inc. http://www.simplypsychology.org/bobo-doll.html 24/02/2017, 15:31 Diagram 1 source: https://www.psychestudy.com/cognitive/memory/stages 24/02/2017 22:44 Diagram 2 source: http://www.human-memory.net/types.html 24/02/2017 17:30

The Black Death Essay -- History European Plague Plagues Essays

The Black Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is impossible to discuss Europe’s history without mentioning the Plague of 1348, also known as the Black Death. The Black Death reached Italian shores in the spring of 1348. The presence of such a plague was enormously devastating making its mark in unprecedented numbers in recorded history. According to records, it is estimated to have killed a third of Europe’s population. The Black Death was caused by bacteria named Yersinia Pestis. This germ was transferred from rats to fleas and then to humans. This disease spread quickly due to the infestation of rats. Also, sanitary conditions were very poor which did not help the problem at all. When a human was infected, the bacteria moved from the bloodstream traveling to the lymph nodes. The plague occurred in three forms, however, the most commonly seen form was the bubonic plague. The bubonic plague refers to the painful swelling of the lymph nodes also known as buboes. Victims were subject to bodily aches, headaches, vo miting, and nausea. Plague victims underwent severe damage to skin leading to bleeding under the skin which transformed to dark blotches, hence the term â€Å"black† death. The forming of these dark blotches was a sign of sure death within four to seven days. The consequences of this plague were tragic. The consequences included depopulation, economics and religious effects, and social change. The great population loss only served to worsen the economy. This massive plague also caused many people to lose faith in their religion, weakening the power of the church. After 1350, European culture in general turned extremely melancholic. The general mood was a depressing one. Once vivacious art was now dark with representation of death. It is easy to see how overcoming this era could force man to believe he is Great, maybe even invincible. It could also force humans to believe they have a lot to be grateful for and this quality of mind allowed them to take advantage of everything that is useful. Man is now at the center of the Universe and all men should seek for an ideal life. We call this rebirth era the Renaissance. Could something so morbid give way to something as beautiful as the Renaissance? Perhaps we owe a substantial portion of the Re naissance to the Black Death. The Renaissance is everything the Black Death wasn’t, as its survivors felt compelled to thrive in... ...Black Death passed, new advancements in architecture also became present. Small towns grew to prospering cities. This is clear evidence of Renaissance culture. Many Renaissance scholars perfected the art of educating. Many factors that emerged from the plague, consequently, paved the way for the Renaissance to emerge. The constant reforms in religion, art, medicine and science provided the basis for the Renaissance. Major Renaissance figures such as Boccaccio devoted many of their writings to the Black Death. The Renaissance was given its sense of renewal and rebirth after experiencing something as horrid as the Black Death. The Black Death allowed people of the Renaissance to realize all they were grateful for. The Black Death was the inspiration for the newly educated people to prosper in arts and new ideas about their world. Bibliography : Books and Journal Articles M.W. Dols, The Black Death in the Middle East (Princeton, 1970); American Historical Review, June 2002 v107 i3 p703(36) Bondanella . Musa, The Italian Renaissance Reader,First Printing,1987 U.S. News & World Report, April 29, 2002 p63 Monkeyshines on Health and Science: Biology, Jan 2002 p8(1)

Essay --

SET EDITION: U.S. INTERNATIONAL MÉXICO ARABIC TV: CNN CNNi CNN en Espaà ±ol HLN Sign up Log in Home TV & Video CNN Trends U.S. World Politics Justice Entertainment Tech Health Living Travel Opinion iReport Money Sports SHARE THIS Print Email More sharing Colin Powell Fast Facts By CNN Library updated 3:35 PM EDT, Tue August 20, 2013 (CNN) -- Here's a look at the life of Colin Powell, former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Personal: Birth date: April 5, 1937 Birthplace: Harlem, New York Birth name: Colin Luther Powell Parents: Luther Powell, a shipping clerk Mother: Maud Ariel (McKoy) Powell, a seamstress Marriage: Alma Vivian (Johnson) Powell (August 25, 1962-present) Children: Annemarie Powell (May 1970); Linda Powell (April 1965); Michael Powell (March 1963) Education: City College of New York, B.S. in geology,1958; George Washington University, M.B.A.,1971; National War College, 1976 Military service: U.S. Army, 1958-1993, General Other Facts: Powell grew up in the South Bronx, the son of Jamaican immigrants. Powell participated in ROTC in college, leading the precision drill team and attaining the top rank offered by the corps, cadet colonel. Military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Soldier's Medal and two Purple Hearts. Civilian awards include the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal as well as receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice. Powell was the youngest man and first African-American to be Chairman of t... ...ital firm of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers as a "strategic limited partner." March 2006 - The National War College Foundation establishes the Colin Powell Chair for National Security, Leadership, Character and Ethics. Summer 2007 - Begins to speak out against the Bush administration's decision to go war against Iraq, the increase in troop strength in Iraq and the treatment of prisons at Guantanamo Bay. January 20, 2009 - Is one of the honorary co-chairs of President Barack Obama's inauguration. Powell had endorsed Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. February 3, 2010 - Powell reverses his stance on gays and lesbians in the military; his opposition to homosexuals in the military helped lead to the original "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the 1990s. 2012 - Publishes a second memoir, "It Worked For Me: In Life and Leadership," with Tony Koltz.

Korn :: essays research papers

In the early '90s, heavy music looked to be going the way of the dinosaurs: Well-heeled Brit-pop and well-scrubbed pop-punk were thoroughly dominating the guitar-rock landscape, and the few surviving old-school metal acts seemed hopelessly unable to adapt. But somewhere within the vast, murky Southern California wasteland, a dynamic new species was being born, a forward-thinking beast that disregarded the mistakes of heavy bands past while meshing dark, urban rhythms and low-tuned guitar sludge with violent, expressionist blasts of hip-core noise. That and the wildly emotional vocals of JONATHAN, which alternated between a bourbon-smooth croon and a viscerally sharp howl, made for a revolutionary mix that redefined heavy rock better than anyone had in a decade. The result was a monster 1994 self-titled debut album that went solid platinum, and by the time 1996's Life Is Peachy was released, this beast had a fanbase over two million strong--and a legion of musical imitators so large it threatened to saturate the planet. It was time for a change of rules. Hence KORN's latest, greatest slab, aptly titled FOLLOW THE LEADER. From the broadened musical and emotional scope to the much beefier production values to the stunning cover art courtesy of Spawn-creator Todd McFarlane, FOLLOW THE LEADER is indeed an ambitious and deeply satisfying outing for the band. And while there is considerably more hype surrounding this rightly anticipated disc, JONATHAN is quick to put things in perspective. "Our only goal was to take our time on this album," he says. "Because I knew we had it in us to do something great. To full integrate both (previous) albums and put out a record we could be proud of...we wanted to do some phat shit." "I think working with a new producer and going into a new studio helped us grow musically as a band," adds guitarist MUNKY. "All of us really have that fire again about being excited about a record...We all feel like we grew, like when you grow out of some old shoes; your feet are all crammed in forever and you know you need to buy a new pair, but you need to save up the money to do it. We kind of saved up our confidence and made that leap into our new shoes." Fans of old-school KORN needn't despair--the new shoes kick just as much ass as the old pair. "Freak On A Leash" is a molotov cocktail of scathing, psychedelic guitar runs, hypno-groove bass grind, hip-hop jungle drumming, all sliced in two with an ingeniously placed scat line reminiscent of PEACHY opener "Twist." Then there's "Children Of The

Parental Involvement in Education and its Effects on Student Academic P

Parental Involvement in Education and its Effects on Student Academic Performance Educational standards have recently become a controversial issue especially in secondary schools. One of the controversial issues surrounding educational standards is the lack of parental involvement. Various forms of parental involvement range from parental encouragement to parental partnership with the school. By examining parental involvement in secondary education, one can determine that positive parental involvement will have a profound effect on the students' academic performance. Defining parental involvement, family relationships and self-esteem, and relationships between parents and teachers can improve parental involvement. Defining Parental Involvement When dealing with the educational system and findings way to improve it, one cannot neglect that parental involvement is necessary. The question that arises from this is, what exactly is parental involvement? According to Catherine Hickmann, in "Future of High School Success: Importance of Parental Involvement," the various forms of parental involvement in secondary schools are parent as a communicator, parent as supporter of activities, parent as learner, parent as advocate, parent as decision maker, parent as volunteer/professional, and parent as home activities teacher. In the article, "Relationships between Parent Involvement and Student Achievement," Joyce Flood uses researchers to break down parental involvement into three categories; parent-child relationships at home, parent training or involvement in performance contracts, and parent-school- community partnerships. These categories can be further defined. Parent-child relationships at home allow... ...ties for students and parents to learn together, and offer community education classes to get parents to come to the school. In the article, "Promoting Parental Involvement," there are more ideas to advance the involvement of parents in education which lead children to excel academically. Conclusion This field of research covered parental involvement and its effects on student academic performance. The focus was on family relations at home and parental involvement at school. When researching this topic, a definition for parental involvement had to be established. The research was not time restricted, since the concern was the general effects of parental involvement in student academics. The research consists of several suggestions on parental involvement, rather than focusing on a specific method in which to involve parents in student education.

Dignity is Common Knowledge :: essays research papers

Dignity Dignity is not something that you find within everyone, it is a question of philosophy. Some say it is human nature to be undignified and it must be taught by parents or teachers. Others think that we are all born with the knowledge of proper behavior, and it is the law which makes some people act undignified. I myself believe that we are all born with a common knowledge about how to act around others, and we choose whether or not to abide by that sense. There are benefits of learning to behave tastefully within the public?s eye and disadvantages if we choose to not behave respectfully. We are all born with a sense of dignity, and as we grow older our action bring us gain or lose to that dignity and what others see within us. Human dignity is a sense of how we respect others and how respect ourselves. If you mistreat people and show no respect towards them, they will see you as a person with a low sense of dignity. If you treat people with the respect they deserve and act with a tasteful manner towards them, they will see you as a person with a high sense of dignity. When others see you as someone with low dignity, you are out casted. It is easy to dislike someone who is disrespectful, and who reacts without thinking. Not learning to act properly at a young age affects you as you get older. At a younger age it can be passed up as acting up and not knowing what you are doing. But with age, a more tasteful behavior will be needed. Without such behavior, it would be hard to keep a job which interacts with others, and it would be hard to find lifelong friends that would respect you as you are. When others see you as someone with high dignity, you are more likely to be accepted by others. Just like the old saying ?Treat others, like you wish to be treated?. If you act respectful towards others, they should treat the same. You must treat people as more then just objects, if you are respectful you would look them and the eye and see them as your equal. Learning to act respectfully is easy, simply think before you react. Think, would you say that to yourself, or would you do the following act to yourself.

Self-Made Misery in Blake’s London Essay -- Blakes London Essays

Self-Made Misery in Blake’s London  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poet William Blake paints a picture of the dirty, miserable streets of London in his poem, "London". He describes the wretched people at the bottom of the society, the chimney-sweeps, soldiers, and harlots. These people cry out from their pain and the injustices done to them. The entire poem centers around the wails of these people and what they have become due to wrongs done to them by the rest of society, primarily institutions such as the church and government. Are these people really wronged, however? The poem seems to suggest that the injustices they have been subjected to are of their own making. In Blake's poem he says that as he passes through London he sees a "mark in every face [he] meet[s]/ Marks of weakness, marks of woe." (3-4) He talks about how everywhere he hears cries of fear and suppression. The church seems to be ignoring the cry of the poor chimney-sweep in lines nine and ten. The soldier dies on the palace walls with a sigh. These are examples of the wretchedness of the lives that people lead. The central ide...

Emi Group Plc In The Music Publishing And Recording Industry Essay

Music and recording industry present interesting development due to the introduction of new artists and the development of new music genre, to name a few. In addition, the industry also experiences significant challenge due to the advancement in digital technology that drives the industry to find appropriate ways in winning the competition. The challenge occurs since there is a difference circumstances in the competition of media industry where previously the existence of new media does not eliminate the old media. The existence of commercial radio, for example, does not kill the print media like magazines and newspaper. Similarly, the existence of television broadcasting also does not eliminate the existence of radio and newspaper. In many cases, the television broadcaster also owns radio and newspapers companies to complement their media business. However, the situation may be completely different in the digital age where the existence of internet and the development of digital technology like file compression (MP3, mpeg, and file-sharing technologies etc) could completely kill the old model of music distribution such as compact disc. The so-called MP3, often refers to MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is an audio encoding format that reduce the file size from tens of megabyte (when using WAV or compact disc format) into less than 5 Megabyte (MB) in MP3 format for one same song. Audio Galaxy and Napster are two companies that employ file-sharing technology that enables their members/customers to exchange their music or video with others members/customers (Karp, 2007). Immediately, the invention of new audio encoding format increases the sales of portable digital music players like iPod. Coupled with the increased international internet bandwidth, the exchange of MP3 files rises significantly. A number of websites that enable users or music lovers to download the desired songs in MP3 format also rises. Despite the attractiveness of MP3 technology for audio, MP4, and MPEG for video, the technologies causes severe violation of copyright as downloading music and video without paying royalties to the owners/singers of the music is considered as piracy in digital world/domains. Concerning the challenges in the music and recording industry, this paper will discuss about Emi Group plc, a giant in music and recording industry. In particular, there are several issues including the identification of strategic choices that EMI performs, EMI and its critical success factors in competing in the industry within the last five years, and the use of appropriate management concepts in evaluating the suitability of EMI’s current strategies to deal with future competition. 2. Aim and Objectives The objectives of this paper are to analyze current and future positions of EMI Group plc in the music publishing and recording industry. Systematically, we can derive the objectives into four points. First is to analyze the strategy of EMI Groups plc that positions the company in the music and recording industry. Second is to use the appropriate research methodology, this paper is to assess EMI Group plc and its critical success factor in the last five years. Third is to use the relationship of research approach, deductive, quantitative to explore key resources and capabilities of EMI in the next five years and assess whether they can create sustainable competitive advantage. And fourth is to use the non-participant observation method, collecting data and analyzing qualitative information from journal, books, magazine and online materials, this paper is to adopt the management concepts to evaluate the appropriateness of EMI’s current strategies for the future. 3. Porter’s Five Forces This section will discuss Porter’s five forces on EMI Group the recording industry which details the threat of new entrants, power of buyers, power of suppliers, rivalry among existing competitors, and the threat of substitute products for market place organizer or transaction service provider industry satisfy following diagram: Figure 1 Diagram of Porter’s Five Forces Source: Porter, 1998 3. 1 Rivalry In music publishing and recording industry, competitive advantage plays a significant role in winning a competition. This is because it represents not only the greater benefits in terms of products but also in other Ps of marketing mix (place, promotion, and price). The possession of specific competitive advantages increasingly important since nowadays, customers use emotional side than rational side when decide which products or services they want to use (Manjoo, 2003). The rivalry in recording industry is quite intense since EMI Group does not only compete with similar company like Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and Warner Music Group but also illegal distribution both in traditional and web-based distributors through several kinds of file-sharing program like Napster. Napster becomes the catalysts of online music service (Rupley, 2003). In order to prevent the distribution of illegal copy of music, Hodges Shaw and Brian B Shaw (2003) says that government has persuaded users regarding importance of not using file sharing for copyrighted materials over the Internet by considering it as illegal actions. 3. 2 Barriers to Entry One of common barriers to enter a new market is brand loyalty or in terms of multinational business, the main barrier could be the nationalism. In music industry, one significant challenge that continues gains popularity is iTunes, a legal web-based music distribution from Apple Company. In music industry, especially regarding the competition between EMI Music and p2p companies and iTunes, the brand loyalty is obvious since the fever for iPod products has driven the use of iTunes to download legal music (Manjoo, 2003). The entry to some markets like educations gets fiercer as Jason E. Lane and Margaret A Healy (2005) revealed in their article File Sharing, Napster, and Institutional Responses: Educative, Developmental, or Responsive Policy that file sharing (including music, video, and file sharing) has been parts of students activities. They usually use the internet to share their favorite music and movies illegally. In addition, Scott (2001) and Dong et. al (2002) reveals that file sharing remains a popular services due to their offering free downloading music and video. 3. 3 Products Substitution Impact of product substitution is possibly the most overlooked factor although its impact is damaging. Therefore, it is imperative that business must not only look at what the company’s direct competitors are doing, but what other types of products people could buy instead. The products substitution for EMI Group is the introduction of various digital formats like MP3 and MP4 that easily downloadable that enables customers to convert the CD format to MP3 and distribute it by e-mail. This is because EMI Group mostly still relies on the distribution of music in CD format that they believe is still better than others do. Figure 2 Music Format Source: RIAA, 2006 3. 4 Buyer Power In music distribution and recording industry, there are some factors that influence buyer power including size of buyer (larger buyers will have more power over suppliers), number of buyers (when there are a small number of buyers, they will tend to have more power over suppliers), and purchase quantity. 3. 5 Supplier Power Concerning the supplier power in recording industry, we find that digital format developer that invent MP3 and p2p technology continue gain popularity that further drive the customers to increasingly avoid the use of products distributed by recording companies (Manjoo, 2003). 4. EMI Groups plc Strategic Position in Music Publishing and Recording Industry Realizing the fierce competition that occurs in the music and recording industry, EMI Group develops several strategies such as the selection of new talents that will hit the market and develop sustainable distribution strategy to speed up the existence in new market. Among the distributions system, EMI Group appropriately conduct joint venture with foreign companies in order to smooth their distribution. One of them is with EMI Televisa joint venture that helps EMI Group to distribute Celestial and other English language album (EMI Group, 2006). The decision to conduct joint venture is a good strategy to be implemented for EMI Group since it is a model in business that composes of two or more enterprises that join hand-in-hand to increase their competitive advantages. In this scheme, joint venture is somewhat similar to partnership but joint venture is derived from one business transaction. Joint venture is preferred because it can help companies to divide potencies, reduce threats, and raise competitive advantages in the market. Joint ventures can be formed as separate business units or cooperation between businesses (â€Å"Corporate Venture Strategies†, 2001). Developing a joint venture properly can obtain many benefits and advantages, such as dividing expenses and risks, enhancing right of entry to monetary resources, admission to innovative knowledge and consumers, and admission to new decision-making performs. Moreover, companies are able to have some bearing on structural development of the business. Conduction of knowledge and skills are also accomplished easily (â€Å"Corporate Venture Strategies†, 2001). 5. EMI Strategic Choice EMI Group plc is a well-known company in music and recording industry. The company is currently perceived as the fourth largest recording company in the world behind Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, and Warner Music Group. The company main business is the distribution of compact discs, videos, and other formats under the auspices of their subsidiaries and partners including EMI Records, Capitol, and Virgin (Yahoo Inc, 2008). The label company is behind the success of many famous artists such as Norah Jones, Lenny Kravitz, and The Beastie Boys. Currently, the company also handles more than one million songs. The strategic position of the company has attracted many larger companies such as Warner Music Group (WMG) to takeover EMI Group plc. Although many acquisition attempts, the company finally bought by Terra Firma, a private equity firm, for $4. 9 billion in 2007 (Yahoo Inc, 2008). 6. EMI and Its Critical Success Factor The winning strategy of EMI Group exists since the company is suitably conducting several strategies that benefit the company in the long term. One of popular strategy is the decision to outsource their CD manufacturing in Australia. This decision occurred in 2004 where EMI Music and Warner Music conduct agreement with Summit Technology Australia Pty Ltd to own CD Manufacturing business together (EMI Group, 2006). This strategy provides great benefits for EMI Group since the company significantly obtains costs reduction and helps the company to insulate the business from the effects of changing volumes. Figure 3 Reasons of Outsourcing Source: Outsourcing World Summit This is in line with the general benefits of outsourcing where costs reduction becomes the main issues that companies perceive. When discussing the outsourcing business model, the images refer to advantages that organizations obtain, especially refers to costs reduction. However, the benefits of outsourcing do not merely the cost reduction. Figure 3 shows six main reasons of carrying out outsourcing in an organization like EMI Group according to Outsourcing World Summit. Similarly, to costs reduction, outsourcing also provides benefits of helping the company to focus on core competencies. In theory, outsourcing is only used for delegation of non-core activities concerning the mission statement of the company. Nevertheless, many corporations outsource some of their core functions to gain more value in competitive advantage. Furthermore, many if an organization is able to develop a good relationship with its outsourcing partner, the long-term effect would be a sustainable competitive advantage. Another critical success factor is the decision of EMI Group to take benefits of digital technology. Previously, the company relies on tradition supply chain as shown in the Figure 4 below. In traditional supply chain (figure 4), we witness that recording companies make huge revenue and thus the profits from the two elements (in blue boxes). However, this model soon changes considering technology advancement in music like MP3 that immediately spawned illegal peer-to-peer music download over the Internet. Concerning the issue, coupled with wide coverage of high-speed Internet access, recording labels realize that they should change their supply chain to adopt the advancement in information technology as described in the following section. However due to the benefit that digital distribution provides, the company also offers the digital option for the supply chain (Figure 5). By developing the digital distribution, the company starts receiving significant growth on digital revenues. In 2006, digital revenue contributed about 8. 5% of total Group revenues. In addition, digital revenues also experienced significant growth by 78. 2% in 2006, providing more opportunity to receive more revenue from this technology (EMI Group, 2006). In this web-based supply chain model, we witness that recording labels are massively legalize licensing strategy that significantly fire up a legal digital music subscription (in contrast to Napster that was illegal). 7. Key resources and capabilities of EMI in the last Five Years and Suitability, Feasibility, and Acceptability Concepts There are several key advantages and resources the company possessed within the past five years. First is EMI Music keep finding new talents that bear success in UK and North America, in particular, and in the world, in general including Letoya, 30 Seconds to Mars. This strategy represents the feasibility of strategy taken by EMI Group since competitions between recording industries is mainly regarding the artists that the company manages their music creation. Second is the success of current managed artists including popular artist such as All Saints, Keith Urban, Norah Jones, Robbie Williams, and Depeche Mode. This artist management represents the suitability to manage the popular artists and release the unpopular one. Meanwhile, EMI Music Publishing successfully finds songwriting talent that result in the attractive performance revenues that represents the acceptability (EMI Group, 2006) 8. Conclusion In the basic marketing management study, four factors characterize the successful marketing; they are product, place, promotion, and price. In the recording industry while product represented by the artists, distribution or place factor also provides significant contribution to the company. This is in line with O’Brien and Springman (2004) suggestion that say companies should balance supply and demand since focusing entirely on the supply side may result in unnecessary capital expenditures, inventory investments or suboptimal solutions. Concerning the challenges in the music and recording industry, this paper has discussed about Emi Group plc, a giant in music and recording industry. 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