Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Insight into executive and non executive Board Directors

Behind the corporate fundamental law and corporate administration codifications lies one of the primary participants in a corporation, the managers. The board of managers is the top government organic structure, elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company. The board of managers have a legal responsibility to move as the stockholders ‘ agent with fiducial duty. Directors are responsible for guaranting the success of the concern and conformity with corporate administration. Basically the board has to move as the corporate scruples of the company. On an single degree, managers come in two signifiers, executive and non-executive. There is no legal differentiation made between executive and non-executive managers, the difference is that non-executive managers do non acquire involved in the daily running of the concern ( Business Link, 2011 ) . Executive managers are valuable because they possess cognition of the company and its operations and can efficaciously describe information about the house ‘s activity and execute operational and strategic concern maps. Executive managers are besides advantageous because they exercise a grade of accomplishment and attention and act in good religion in the involvements of the company as a whole. However the possibility of bureau theory could go on in which the involvements and ends of executive managers may non be aligned with that of the stockholders, they may change vastly and in bend these managers may non carry through their function and duty of moving in the best involvement of t he stockholders ( Nyberg et al, 2010 ) . From an bureau theory position, non-executive managers help cut down the ill-famed struggles between stockholders and company direction ; they are advantageous because they perform the map of supervising the board and present an independent voice in the council chamber ( Solomon, 2007 ) . They contribute both expertness and objectiveness in measuring direction ‘s determination, aid keep a balance of power and guarantee answerability of companies. Non-executive managers besides conveying consciousness of the external universe and the ever-changing nature of public outlooks to board treatments ( Clarke, 1998 ) . However companies may experience non-executive managers are otiose in a company that runs good without one. Non-executive managers determine wage of executive managers and frailty versa, hence there is the inclination to deter struggle which can impede the ability to lend efficaciously to the monitoring of the company and its ‘ scheme ( Keasey, Thompson & A ; Wright , 1997 ) . On a corporate degree, board of managers operate with sub-committees, typically an Audit Committee, wage commission and a nomination commission. Committees are at that place to set up formality and transparence and guarantee independency. Potentially the function of the board of managers can protect minority stockholders against bulk stockholders but besides have the power to protect non-shareholder stakeholder involvements such as employees. However the board of commissions consists of multiple persons who may differ in sentiment and many bring personal biass, political behavior and power dramas to board personal businesss. The corporate board with all its mix of expertness, independency and legal power is a potentially powerful corporate administration mechanism. In add-on to concern and fiscal issues, boards of managers must cover with challenges and issues associating to bureau theory and struggle of involvements. Corporate administration reforms and best patterns issued by a figure of administrations recommend uninterrupted instruction and rating of the managers but finally the duty of good corporate administration and the success of the company remainder with the board of managers.Question 2In recent old ages the audit commission has become one of the chief pillars of the corporate administration system in public companies. Following the publications of the Higgs and Smith Reports in 2003, there is now a greater apprehension of the demands of the audit commission in add-on to the strengthening of the function of the audit commission. The audit commission is the most of import of all board commissions ( Mallin, 2011 ) ; it is good to the company because it monitors the unity of the company ‘s fiscal coverage procedure, beef uping of internal control systems, reinforces the independency of external hearers and reexamining the direction of fiscal and other hazards ( Clarke, 2006 ) . Audited account commissions have the advantageous function of guaranting external hearers of public limited companies are transporting out their function efficaciously. However harmonizing to proposals from the Financial Reporting Council ( 2010 ) , the UK administration watchdog, audit commissions are non supplying detailed-enough studies about concern hazards to stockholders. The audit commission wage peculiar attending to direction ‘s usage of the traveling concern premise in the fiscal statements with the right to look into suspected jobs with accounting patterns or senior direction ( Lipman & A ; Lipman, 2006 ) , this function enforces internal controls and ensures direction and concerns are following with corporate administration. The Audit commission is of import because it has the function of moving independently from the executives and guaranting the involvements of the stockholders are decently protected. However audit commissions do non ever communicate good, unwrap all their duties and the extent to which the commission has filled its duties to the stockholders ( Keinath & A ; Walo, 2009 ) even though all revelations should be made in the audit commission charter. The function and the demands of the audit commission is one that is of importance in a public limited liability company such as a FTSE100 company every bit good as in corporate administration. The audit commission basically are in topographic point for confirmation intents, it is nevertheless a function that requires clip, experience and accomplishments. Consequently it is imperative that those executives bring with them the necessary adulthood, opinion and procedure direction accomplishments to guarantee that an appropriate grade of pragmatism is shown while go oning to look after stockholder involvements.Question 3Companies have duties to a figure of interested parties ; these parties are known as the stakeholders. Stakeholders range from stockholders and clients to managers and employees to loaners and providers. It is these stakeholders that are active participants in finding the public presentation of the company and play an of import function in act uponing how corporate admini stration systems work. Over clip, markets have become mostly institutionalized and the range of stakeholders has now exceeded the traditional outlooks of stakeholders. Companies have now been introduced to add-ons such as institutional stockholders, external hearers and recognition evaluation bureaus. A greater appraisal of their functions and duties will let companies to measure the functions they play in corporate administration. A stakeholder is defined as persons and groups who are affected by the activities of an administration. Stakeholder theory provinces that the concern owes a duty beyond their stockholders to those who have a ‘stake ‘ in whomever the entity impacts whilst finishing its concern ( Hannagan, 2007 ) . Overall organizational stakeholders are active participants with an involvement in the company and finding the public presentation of the concern. Stakeholders are besides good to the company as they play an of import function in act uponing the hereafter scheme and the corporate administration systems. However the ends and aims of each stakeholder vary vastly and may hold wholly conflicting measurings of success. The most common type of struggle is between stockholders and the company ‘s direction, this struggle is better known as bureau theory ( Nyberg et al, 2010 ) . Institutional stockholders are administrations, such as life insurance companies and common and pension financess, that invest in assorted houses by pooling a big amount of money from single investors. Institutional stockholders offer the advantage of safe investings ; they besides lower hazard than that faced by non-institutional investors owing to a wide and diversified investing portfolio. These houses tend to keep big shareholdings and can therefore wield considerable influence and have an active engagement in the administration of the companies. Institutional stockholders have become more active in supervising companies and besides have the ability to act upon a company ‘s solvency. The growing of institutional stockholders was thought to be the reply to the job of separation of ownership and control ( Goergen et al, 2010 ) . However the involvement and competency of the institutional stockholders to make so is questionable. Majority of the big UK institutional stockholder s groups do non straight pull off their investings and are normally without backgrounds that would assist them take a long term position about the value of the company. An external audit reviews an administration ‘s fiscal statements by an independent organic structure. External hearers are advantageous because they are an extra resource to carry through a full scope of internal auditing duties ; they have entree to expertise such as scrutinizing systems and exchequer accomplishments that may be unavailable to an internal hearer and can besides supply comparative experience ( O'Regan, 2002 ) . Essentially external audits are imperative to give assurance to investors, regulators and the populace that the fiscal informations and representations in the statements are true and non misdirecting. However external hearers can come with disadvantages as an unequal apprehension of the administration may earnestly halter the hearer ‘s effectivity ( O'Regan, 2002 ) . Hearers may be isolated from the informal webs of the administration, seting them at a disadvantage when voyaging the environment. Furthermore confidentiality may be compromised if ext ernal persons have entree to sensitive information. At the corporate degree, it is normally in the best involvement of a company to look for a recognition evaluation bureau to rate their debt. Creditor is a individual or company to whom money is owed, the term derives from the impression of recognition ( Blum, 2006 ) . Credit evaluations are an of import tool for borrowers to derive entree to loans and debt. They have besides been used to find the repute and trustiness of a company. Investors frequently basal portion of their determination to purchase bonds, or even the stock on the recognition evaluation of the company ‘s debt. Credit evaluation bureaus that provide companies with good recognition can merely heighten their ability to borrow from future creditors. However a negative evaluation, perchance as a consequence from experience with a old creditor can frequently minimise or decline a companies ‘ opportunity of obtaining recognition in the hereafter. It can besides be a hard procedure to acquire negative informatio n off of a recognition study. Stakeholders are critical to the public presentation of any company ; nevertheless each has its ain ends and aim for an involvement in the concern. Corporate administration is a system for optimizing the part of a figure of stakeholders to a intent which they are persuaded to portion ( Davies, 2006 ) . Companies have to accomplish a balance to fulfill all stakeholders whilst obtaining the administrations ends. The Administration for Economic Co-operation and Development ( 2011 ) states that the corporate administration model should recognize the rights of stakeholders as established by jurisprudence and promote active co-operation between corporations and stakeholders in making wealth, occupations, and the sustainability of financially sound endeavor.Question 4Regulative organic structures in corporate administration are public governments that are responsible for exerting independent authorization over corporate establishments, taking to keep the unity of the fiscal system. In the U K the chief regulative organic structures associating to corporate administration are the Financial Reporting Council and the Financial Services Authority ( FSA ) . As independent advocators they aim to actively advance assurance in corporate coverage and administration. With strong beliefs of their functions and duties impacting effectivity, the regulative organic structures regulate most fiscal services markets, exchanges and houses ( Financial Services Authority, 2011 ) every bit good as oversee the regulative activities of the professional accounting organic structures. There are other regulative organic structures in the UK for illustration the Office of Fair Trading and the Financial Ombudsman Service that significantly contribute to corporate administration. The functions of the chief regulative organic structures contribute greatly to corporate administration in the UK by increasing market assurance, set uping fiscal stableness and consumer protection and trying to cut down fiscal offense ( Financial Services Authority, 2011 ) . Regulative organic structures besides enforce corporate administration codifications such as the Revised UK Combined Code ( 2008 ) that set out criterions of good pattern in relation to board leading and effectivity, wage, answerability and dealingss with stockholders ( Financial Reporting Council, 2011 ) . In making so the regulative organic structures publishes a series of counsel notes to help companies in using the rules of the UK Corporate Governance Code. Regulative organic structures have frequently been criticised. They have frequently been regarded as reactive instead than proactive, with peculiar focal point on the sensed deficiency of action in many instances in add-on to inquiry being raised about the figure of staff and their competency ( Friedrichs, 2009 ) . The Economist ( 2005 ) stated that FSA ‘s processs are flawed ; regulator can non utilize blemished processs without destructing its effectivity. Similarly, the FSA relies on uninterrupted monitoring of financial-services companies to maintain it informed and let it to publish warnings when necessary. If the monitoring is ill constructed, so the FSA will happen itself fighting. The FSA has besides failed intellectually by concentrating excessively much on procedures and processs instead than looking at the bigger economic image. These regulative organic structures progressively rely on computing machines to uncover illegal activities ( Friedrichs, 2009 ) but the usag e of computing machines rises concerns about inordinate invasion and invasion of privateness. In general regulative organic structures have been criticised for its supposedly weak enforcement plan. The combination of legal model, ordinances and guidelines for companies, provided by the corporate administration codifications and administered through the chief regulative organic structures in the UK are a agencies of breeding public assurance in companies ( Mead, Sagar & A ; Bampton, 2009 ) . Regulative organic structures are necessary in implementing ordinance demands in the corporate universe. By making so, they provide a system that guarantee companies are following with corporate administration.Question 5At the nucleus of good corporate administration are the pillars of transparence and revelation ( Mallin, 2006 ) . Transparency has become a popular term amongst organizational leaders and stakeholders ( Garsten & A ; De Montoya, 2008 ) . The term refers to administrations that are unfastened and blunt with information. An reliable, crystalline administration deliberately discloses information beyond the board room with members and non-members likewise. Despite its desire for stakeholders ‘ trust, every association has information, or history it does n't desire accessed by rivals or possibly publicised to all members. But in this twenty-four hours and age greater organizational transparence and revelation is quickly going a demand for associations and effectual manner of following with corporate administration. Transparency and revelation is good because it encourages, honours and engages with public input by encompassing entree to information, engagement, and determination devising ( Meyer, 2003 ) , which finally creates a higher degree of battle within the company and instils trust among stakeholders. The benefits of transparence can hold a direct impact on top line public presentation and cost nest eggs, and spur competitory advantage which in bend drives the company ‘s public presentation ( Berggren & A ; Bernshteyn, 2007 ) . Increased and improved revelation is likely to cut down bureau costs as better information flows from the company to the stockholder, which in bend reduced dissymmetry ( Solomon, 2007 ) . However, it does non vouch that the right determinations will be made or that information will non be manipulated or misconstrued. Meyer ( 2003 ) states that plentifulness of bad determinations are being made in crystalline administrations, more practically, increased transp arence may necessitate extra clip and resources at all organizational degrees. The demand for organizational transparence have led to more revelation and information, profiting market participants, take downing the cost of capital ( Dallas, 2004 ) , and supplying more accurate information about the public presentation of executives such as the main executive officer and main fiscal officer. However within this lays the challenges of organizational transparence. There may be deformation of information as companies may non be willing to unwrap countries of the concern covering with those most sacred of things such as net income, borders and cash-flow, obviously intending that true transparence is non achieved. Modern companies are taking stairss to drive company public presentation through increased efficiency delivered by increased transparence. The ability to promote a high degree of unquestioning trust and true transparence requires the company mentality to be ready to put to death this end. Despite the challenges associated with transparence and revelation, current conditions and future premises are driving administrations to chew over on how greater organizational transparence can be achieved ( Meyer, 2003 ) . The stairss companies are taking to farther achieve organizational transparence are taking to aline every bit about as possible the involvements of persons, corporations, and society ( Fernando, 2009 ) which is said to be cardinal with effectual corporate administration.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Fast food restaurant Essay

Analysis on Fast Food Culture and Its Double-side Effects to the world from the Development of American Fast Food ?. Introduction Fast food is becoming more and more popular around the world these years. It is estimated that there are more than 100 branches of McDonald’s and KFC only in Beijing. The appearances of the fast-food arouse a new thing named â€Å"fast-food culture†, and also the debate about this culture by people. ?. Brief history of American fast food 1. McDonald’s two brothers named Richard and Maurice McDonald left their home in New Hampshire and seeking jobs in southern California. At first they tried opening a theater but it was not a success. Then they caught on to the new craze of eating at drive-in restaurants and they opened one in 1939, in Pasadena, California, calling it â€Å"McDonald’s Famous Hamburgers†. (http://hi. baidu. com/) 2. The Emergences and Expansion of KFC KFC, shorted from Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky. KFC primarily sells chicken in form of pieces, wraps, salads , sandwiches and so on. The popularity and novelty of KFC made it famous and popular throughout the world. The fast food like KFC is also developed in the whole world. (http://www. kfc. com. cn) ?. The Development of Fast Food Industry Most people think that it is the McDonald brothers who start the fast-food craze in America, but in reality, it is the White Castle hamburger chain that actually started fast food history in America. J. Walter Anderson opened the first White Castle in 1916 in Wichita, Kansas, Richard and Maurice McDonald, the two brothers who created the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1948 in San Bernardino, California. By 1953, the brothers had decided to franchise their idea, and two franchisees opened in Downey, California and Phoenix, Arizona. Today, fast food chains have spread all around the world, and have spread American culture right along with them. There are many more popular chains, like Carl’s Jr. , Arby’s, Domino’s and Dairy Queen, indicating that fast food isn’t always about hamburgers. ?. Globalization In 2006, the global fast food market grew by 4. 8% (Linda Stradley, 2008) Globalization is that the world is moving away from self-contained national economies towards an interdependent, integrated global economic system. It refers to the shift toward a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Fast food is becoming more and more popular around the world these years. It is estimated that there are more than 100 branches of McDonald’s and KFC only in Beijing. But the fast food sell in China which crude material is always manufactures in other countries. So if something changed in China, it is sure affects other countries. Fast food is already spread into the world, it is sure increase the knowledge between countries. Conclusion Throughout the world, American fast-food chains have become symbols of Western economic development, opening everywhere from Bulgaria to Western Samoa.and attracted a large number of consumers and the economic benefits. Fast food industry is decided by the development of social progress and economic development, it improves people’s living standards and way of life. The fast food industry is an important industry of living environment and investment environment, and also an important component of the consumer leisure, tourism, consumption, shopping and spending. The competition in the fast food market is very intensely, but should be focused on one aspect: that is, to eat fast food with nutrition, health. High-calorie fast food as a high-fat food is not suitable for eating. Fast food does have double-sided effects on the development of economy and people’s life. Though fast food still have so many shortages of this or that, This kind of food culture is true developed to be part of people’s life, no matter the criticism of fast food is true or not, fast food is still to be a trend in the future. Works Cited Linda Stradley. 2008. What’s Cooking America New York: New York University Press http://hi. baidu. com/ http://www. kfc. com. cn.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Alan Klein Sugarball

Alan Klein’s Sugarball is both a historical overview and cultural study of how citizens of the Dominican Republic not only enjoy baseball but use it as a means of cultural self-expression and, more importantly, resistance to American domination of their small country.   Though not openly hostile to the United States, the Dominican public uses baseball as a means of asserting pride and equality in the face of long, formidable neocolonial domination. Baseball is a specifically American entity only partly because it was created and evolved in the United States, where for decades it remained the dominant spectator sport.   More importantly, Klein asserts, baseball is uniquely American in how it has spread to other nations and dominates the game elsewhere.   It has the largest and strongest organization, the richest teams, largest fan base, most lucrative broadcasting and advertising contracts, and most extensive networks for scouting and player development. Baseball’s presence in the Dominican Republic (among the western hemisphere’s poorest nations) is also uniquely American because, as with other aspects of American culture, it was brought there as American domination spread throughout the Caribbean American interests assumed control of the Dominican economy. However, unlike other American corporations, Major League Baseball did not provoke widespread, unmitigated resentment, but is for the most part supported by the nation’s people.   In addition, the methods long used to scout and sign Dominican ballplayers is similarly dubious and rifer with duplicity; Klein calls their methods â€Å"so reminiscent of those of the West African slave traders of three centuries earlier† (42). In terms of the game itself, the rules and style in each are generally the same, and while Dominicans play the game with an intensity equal with Americans, their approach to other aspects of baseball are more casual, reflecting that society’s leniency and lax approach to time.   While Dominican players play as hard as their American teammates and opponents, they embrace a much more casual attitude toward time, frequently showing up late for meetings or practice unless specifically required to be punctual.   In addition, they tend to be more exuberant and unrestrained; playing the game seriously is not equated with a somber demeanor. Most of the differences lie off the field, particularly in the atmosphere of a stadium on game day.   The fan culture is radically different; where American fans are more restrained, often get to games on time, and can sometimes be confrontational with other fans, Dominican fans are generally louder, more physically and temperamentally relaxed, more effusive (even with strangers), and, despite the demonstrative body language and shouting shown in arguments, there is far less violence than at an American ballgame. Klein attributes this to the fact that â€Å"[Dominican fans] are far more social than North Americans, more in tune with human frailty.   Because they see so much human vulnerability, because they are closer to the margins of life, they are more likely to resist the urge to bully and harm† (148). Economic power essentially defines the relationship between American and Dominican baseball, because Major League Baseball develops and signs much of the local Dominican talent, leaving the Dominican professional league and amateur ranks underdeveloped and subordinate to the North American teams who establish baseball academies and working agreements with Dominican teams. Since 1955, when the major leagues established working agreements with Dominican professional clubs (and, more significantly, eliminated the â€Å"color line† that prevented most Dominicans, who are predominantly mulatto, from playing), American baseball has shown its hegemony over its Dominican counterpart, turning the latter into a virtual colony by taking its raw resources and giving back very little in return.   Klein comments: â€Å"The lure of cheap, abundant talent in the Dominican Republic led American teams to establish a more substantial presence there . . . [and the] bonds between American and Dominican baseball came increasingly to resemble other economic and political relations between the two countries† (36). Klein writes that most Dominicans accept American dominance of their baseball, adding that â€Å"whereas giants such as Falconbridge and GTE are resented, major league teams are largely supported† (2), mainly because Dominican players have such a notable presence and bring positive attention to their impoverished homeland.   This support is by no means unconditional, though; they steadfastly refuse to approach the game with American businesslike gravitas; instead, they treat the game itself somewhat like Carnival, with joy coexisting alongside energetic, intense play. Resistance appears in the way Dominican players relax at home, interacting more freely with fans, who themselves resist American baseball’s decorum by being themselves and creating a festive, effusive, Carnival-like atmosphere.   According to Klein, â€Å"The game remains American in structure, but its setting is Dominican and it has become infused with Dominican values† (149).   Indeed, the park fosters a microcosm of Dominican society, particularly its impoverished economy, and unlike the more slick American baseball business, it does not exclude its marginal activities. In addition to the paid vendors and park employees within the stadium, an illicit economy flourishes both within and on the outside, with self-appointed â€Å"car watchers,† vendors, and ushers (adults and children alike) plying their trade for small fees, and bookmakers work openly, often in the presence of the police, who turn a blind eye to most illegal activity aside from the rare fight. Dominican baseball’s symbolic significance is not a sense of the pastoral heritage, like some in America interpret it; instead, it reflects Dominicans’ sense of themselves being dominated by the United States, and offers a symbolic outlet for striking back. In his preface, Klein writes: â€Å"The tensions between a batter who has two strikes against him and the opposing pitcher are a metaphor for the political and cultural tensions described in this book† (xi).   Indeed, the Dominican republic’s deeply entrenched poverty and long domination by foreign powers give it a feeling of vulnerability and compel its people to seek some means of besting the dominant power – if not politically or economically, then at least athletically. At the start of the book, Klein states that â€Å"every turn at bat is a candle of hope, every swing is the wave of a banner, the sweeping arc of a sword† (1).   Indeed, when a Dominican reaches the major leagues and excels, it is not merely an athletic success story but a symbolic invasion and conquest of the conqueror’s territory.   (The United States twice occupied the Dominican Republic in the twentieth century, an ever-present fact in Dominicans’ minds.) Also, the atmosphere in the crowd of a Dominican professional game serves as the country’s symbolic assertion of its culture in the face of American dominance.   At Santo Domingo’s Quisqueya Stadium, one witnesses â€Å"a mass spectacle that makes simultaneous use of American and Dominican elements. . . . [Baseball] at Quisqueya embodies many of the things that North Americans find blameworthy in Dominican culture – lateness, overly casual behavior, inefficiency.   But the Dominicans see these characteristics as a source of pride, and they take their game seriously† (150). The Dominican baseball press is a source of more open resistance; says Klein, â€Å"the press has inadvertently created a Latino universe of discourse, one in which North Americans are conspicuously absent† (127).   Its journalists display an obvious bias by devoting so much attention to Dominicans in the major leagues that one hardly knows other nationalities even participate. In addition, Dominican baseball writers openly blame Dominican baseball’s problems on American control, protesting a skewed economic relationship that mirrors the larger political and economic imbalance.   They promote much of the public’s pride, says Klein, but that pride is â€Å"tempered by the view that Dominican baseball is still an adjunct to the American game† (121).   Dominican resistance is thus aimed at countering this uncomfortable fact. In baseball terms, American culture interacts with Dominican culture by treating it with some degree of condescension and insensitivity.   Many American baseball professionals are impatient with Dominicans’ loose sense of time, quickly deeming Latino players uncoachable â€Å"head cases,† without looking at the cultural differences. Among Dominicans, says Klein, â€Å"There is none of the regimentation, guardedness, and nervous tension that characterizes players in the United States.   North American managers must take this looseness into account when they go to the Caribbean, for the players’ conception of the game and of time is as elastic as that of other Dominicans† (148). Despite the United States’ long domination of the Dominican Republic, the small nation’s people feel less anger than a mixture of muted resentment and aspiration to attain American material prosperity and stability, which for most are a distant, unreachable ideal.   Thus, when Dominican ballplayers reach the major leagues, their large salaries represent a sort of victory and source of immense pride for the small island nation.   Says Klein, â€Å"Much as archeological treasures attest to a rich Dominican past, salaries attest to the present† (128). Klein’s study pays keen attention not only to Dominican history but also to the ways in which Dominicans embrace this imported sport but also use their prowess to offer their own subtle response to American political and economic dominance.   The dynamic he describes illustrates not only American hegemony, but also how subordinated peoples’ identity and spirit can thrive even in the face of foreign domination. Klein, Alan M.   Sugarball.   New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991.

Summary the video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary the video - Essay Example The disciplines include earth science, the science of environment, physics, the science of animal behavior, biology and the science of weather. Each of the participating teachers in the process is allowed two subject areas of interest. This means that there is capacity building process that ensures the teaching and learning process is fully adhered to. After the teachers are taken through the entire process, the same is expected of them. They therefore convey the skills learnt to a classroom context. This means that each teacher at this moment is well acquitted with the basic principles of the teaching-learning process. The students can be engaged by the use of programmed learning aids that is prepared by the teacher. This makes their learning also to take a structured form. They are engaged .by this method in order to help them achieve better judgment skills, to be able to engage in the data collection methods with appropriate competencies, and even be able to analyze the provided data By the fact that each teacher is only allowed to engage in only two disciplines with the use of a single curriculum, they are able to be bonded by the common factor. The teachers learn in common experiences and acquire similar competencies. This not only governs the uniformity of singularity of the curriculum but also ensures that they understand the context of being a learner, just like their students also are. This method is different from other procedures adopted by other institutions for various learning processes. It’s unique in the sense that it harbors three achievements at the end of the process. These include: practical translation of the courses, upon learning the courses the teachers are able to reflect through the process, and finally, the teachers understand how important the courses can establish communities. The practical applications of the courses enable the teachers understand the various processes that their students also undergo in the

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Is One Responsible for His or Her Emotions Essay

Is One Responsible for His or Her Emotions - Essay Example I agree with the philosophers because when people fail to control their emotions, problems always come up. The individuals who manage to control their emotions always have a reason for doing so. This implies that individuals should be responsible for their emotions.Emotions also play a role of reason. The philosophers argue that reason is very vital in emotions since it plays a superior role.  Ã‚   The philosophers are right when they affirm that passion must be a slave of reason. This is because it will enable the individuals to control their emotions. I agree with Solomon Robert when he asserts that sometimes people are not careful with their emotions and regard them as mere feelings of physiology. Sometimes people refer to emotions as stupidity and being inhuman. When an individual expresses his or her feelings through anger and jealousy, for instance, he or she is regarded as inhuman.   It is right to say that emotional reactions are associated with virtues of true wisdom whe never an individual has a reason for experiencing a particular feeling. When an individual offers a reason for his or her feeling, it proves that he or she is responsible for his or her emotions.It is correct to say that the philosophers who come up with the theories are human beings, who use their personal feelings to justify the theories of emotion.   This is because all individuals have had an inner experience of passion. There has been a dispute between the philosophers and the psychologists in addressing the issue of emotions. According to Solomon Robert, an individual is able to experience inner emotions and passions that are usually revealed through his or her feelings, desires, sentiments, moods, and attitude (Solomon, 1999).   Outward forces can also make an individual express a particular emotional reaction. This aspect is dependent on the social, ethical, cultural, and psychological factors. People display certain emotions based on the prevailing conditions; thus, the y are responsible for their emotions.

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Business Organisation & Policy Topshop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Organisation & Policy Topshop - Essay Example High street retail business like Topshop has been affected by a number of factors like price and cost pressure, concentration in the industry etc. Topshop specializes in women’s fashion products such as clothing and apparels. This retail sector is expanding both horizontally and vertically with retailers taking broader strategies to adapt to it (Burt and Sparks, 2003, p. 15). Polarisation increases in the sector with the growth of the bigger companies. Hence, innovation is the critical element which the retailers need to do for their development. With economies opening them to outer world, the competition is increasing and the retailers are developing strategy to survive. But while developing strategy they need to take into consideration the external factors which will impact them. Political Structure and Trends Topshop and other high street outlets i.e. its competitors are affected by the political structure in a number of ways. One of the main way that politician in UK can affect the high street retail outlet businesses is through their exercise of power in the land-use planning system. Though land-use planning is the function of local authority, the national government can intervene in for the development and growth of high street retail outlet business like Topshop. Recently there have been restrictions on green field development project and hence it is becoming harder for retailers to open in the new shopping centres (Bluff, 2012, p.15). Therefore, as a high street outlet, Topshop needs to take a close look at current business policies and re-strategise their decisions for future expansion. The environment of shopping has changed over the years, because the shoppers can now choose between the leisure and experience component. They now face a more functional price driven appeal from the shoppers (APCO Worldwide, 2012, p. 4). With technological advancement the price has become a major component as the consumers can easily compare the price. Hence, the company needs to offer products of varied price ranges and develop and implement effective branding and promotional strategies so that they can position themselves differentially in the market. The competition commission in UK has found out that consumer have accepted many of the changes in the high street retail sector like the online shopping. As discussed the land-use planning affects the location of the outlets, there are other instruments which governments can use to affect the operations like retail trading legislations and the public policies which regulate such working conditions of the industry, like employment practices etc. Economic Structures and Trends The UK high street retail sector is affected by the macro-level position of the country. If the general economic condition is good this sector will experien ce a high volume of retails sales. If the economic condition of the country improves then there is a possibility of significant investment by other players. Like in India with the Opening up of FDI in the retail sector, many foreign retailers like Walmart, Ikea is going to open themselves up in the country. Like in UK

Friday, July 26, 2019

Ethnic Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethnic Study - Assignment Example Commonality that can unite women is therefore and focusing on context-specific positioning of women are the only tools that women can use to address the complexity of the multitude of oppressions confronting women. Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy: Rethinking Women of Color Organizing by Andrea Smith is among the articles that are geared towards women of color where she describes three pillars of white supremacy as slavery/capitalism, genocide/colonialism and orientalism/ war. The author highlights common problematic trends in women of color that include the organizing principle of shared oppression against white supremacy faulty and assuming experiences with white supremacy and solutions for social change as universal. Smith seems to incite people in terms of racism and the notion that capitalist system ultimately makes all workers become commodities and racism is the hierarchy of commodification. Blacks are depicted to be at the top of the hierarchy while whites enjoy the top of it believing that they are not as much of a commodity as the blacks. The notion that whites are superior to blacks still hurts the current society amid voices calling for equality measures. This article offers some insight for homophobia and too many writers engaging in celebration of diversity and multiculturalism that he believes as people with good intentions. The truth of the matter is that books written by insiders tend to benefit the natives more than outsiders’ ideas. America, just like any other country are terribly racist full of self-righteous and bitter discourses. Rational use of various kinds of diversity is marred with nasty fights and protective behaviors because bitterness drives all thought out of expression making most people understand that learning institutions do not teach truth. It is worth knowing that ethnic studies is crucial to both abused groups

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Dq3.1-Terence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dq3.1-Terence - Essay Example Developing knowledge workers is a complicated and imperative focus field for any company that desires to perform well and remain knowledge driven. The essay presents a discussion of major milestones for developing successful and knowledgeable workers. A performing organization perceives knowledge leadership training as a crucial aspect of being a competitive knowledge enabled firm not only at the stage of leadership, but throughout the entire company (Yap & Webber, 2015). For instance, in Acquisition Solutions, the most important factor is to provide knowledge management chances. The company should identify and develop mentors, champions, and managers through recognition and creation of an evolving set of characters for identification of knowledge leaders. Another factor is to provide resources and support for knowledge workers. This occurs through a centrally accessible learning center. It is imperative to reward knowledge workers and measure efficiency of the workers. Rewarding knowledge workers function as a form of extrinsic motivation for them to remain productive in their respective sections. Knowledge management refers to the process of taking, dispensing, and efficiently utilizing knowledge (Lindner & Wald, 2011). In a broader sense, the field promotes an inclusive approach to identification, capture, assessment, retrieval, and dissemination of all the company’s information assets (Rasula, Bosilj & Indihar, 2012). Examples of knowledge management may include databases, documents, laws, processes, and initially un-captured skill and experience in particular employees. Knowledge management enhances competencies and innovation among employees (Lopez-Nicolas & Merono-Cerdan, 2011). Knowledge management encompasses lessons learned that tries to capture and unveil information operationally acquired. It also promotes organizational culture (Zheng, Yang & McLean, 2010). When implementing knowledge

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Act According to Your Real Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Act According to Your Real Nature - Essay Example One monkey pretended that it was about to faint, but in reality, its health condition was not that tragic. But another young monkey that began to cry, invited the attention of all. â€Å"I saw some flies land on my banana and I am sure that they are the agents of dengue. I suggest that we lodge the bananas in our mouth, one on each side, for the safety of our health. We are certainly not eating the bananas.† The suggestion was accepted and the monkeys complimented the young one for his foresight and concern. Some time passed by. â€Å"Since the health issue has cropped up, I need to say something,†. I stay on a tree adjacent to the private hospital of a reputed doctor. I have heard doctors often discuss with nurses and patients that the food items need to be chewed properly, to assist the process of digestion. Why not chew the bananas and keep the stuff ready to swallow, the moment the fast is terminated?† They chewed and chewed, and they did not realize when the food reached their stomach through the food pipe. The entire exercise was over in minutes, and all the monkeys, including the senior citizen, had a hearty laugh. â€Å"Never attempt anything that which is not in your real nature,† the senior citizen repeated the advice. I recall what Ronald R. Sims argued, â€Å"Human Resources management is particularly concerned with all the activities that contribute to successfully attracting, motivating, and maintaining a high-performing workforce that results in organizational success.†

Critical Thinking - Inductives & deductive reasoning Essay

Critical Thinking - Inductives & deductive reasoning - Essay Example The argument builds on likelihood of commonness between acquaintances in order to include an additional train that could be common for the two. The premise of this argument is the statement that gives details the close relationship involving the two ladies. The premises try to establish the commonness of the two girls. In this case, the girls are friends and moreover, both of them like fishing and climbing rocks. This argument is inductive because the premises present some evidence to support the truthfulness of the conclusion. Furthermore, nobody can determine its validity or invalidity. Only a comparison can be used to challenge the argument. The conclusion needs not to be certain. According to Teitelbaum & Wilensky (2013), this is a process of reasoning based on one or more statements in order to arrive to a logically certain conclusion. These types of reasoning need to connect premises with conclusion. Deductive reasoning relies on clear and true rules of logic to reach a necessarily true conclusion. In the argument, ‘’ there must be something incorrect with the engine of my truck’’ is the premise that needs to be ratified as true. In deductive logic, this premise will require to be supported with a conclusion that can either be validated or invalidated. In the argument, the conclusion is the fact that the truck’s engine failed to start. In this case, there are two outcomes of the logic: if the car fails to start, it implies that the premise is true, on the other hand, if the engine starts, therefore the premise is untrue. The reasoning illustrated above is a deductive reasoning. This is because the certainty of the conclusion can be established in order to validate or invalidate the premises. In this, someone just requires starting the car’s engine and thus the truth is

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

OUR CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

OUR CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION - Essay Example Moreover I have watched churchgoers closely even from my childhood. â€Å"Division is the process of breaking a whole into parts; classification is the act of sorting individual items into categories† (Kirszner &Mandell) During the course of my school studies I forced to study in different schools which were distant from my home. So I stayed in school hostels and got lot of opportunities to interact with different types of people; Extrovert persons will always talk too much and will comment on any subjects even if they don’t have any idea of what they were talking about or the subject they were talking about. Extroverts always try to prove others that they were exceptionally smarter than others. They will quiet often jump into troubles because of their over smartness. On the other hand the introvert persons always talk little and they will never interfere in other’s personal matters. They will concentrate on what they were doing and will never make unnecessary comments on others. Moreover most of the introvert people I observed were intelligent people. â€Å"We readily accept labels like introvert and extrovert as immutable descriptions of ourselves† (You can change from introvert to extrovert - when you want to) Fat ones always eat too much and sleep too much. Most of them will never participate in physical activities like sports and games which needs physical hard work. They will mostly concentrate on passive games like video games, card games, chess, caroms etc. On the other hand thin ones always exhibit better stamina and enthusiasm in participating in sports activities. They will always go for active games like football, cricket, tennis, badminton etc. â€Å"Simply being thin does not automatically qualify us as fit. As a matter of fact, the world is full of skinny fat people.† (Skinny Fat People) I am a sport loving person and hence a close observer of

Monday, July 22, 2019

Control cycles-a general model Essay Example for Free

Control cycles-a general model Essay A general model of organizational control includes four components that can operate in a continuous cycle and can be represented as a wheel. These elements are: 1. Setting a goal. Project goal setting goes beyond overall scope development to include setting the project baseline plan. The project baseline is predicated on an accurate. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) process. Remember that WBS establishes all the deliverables and work packages associated with the project, assigns the personnel responsible for them, and creates a visual chart of the project from highest level down through the basic task and subtask levels. The project baseline is created as each task is laid out on a network diagram and resources and time durations are assigned to it. 2. Measuring progress. Effective control systems require accurate project measurement mechanisms. Project managers must have a system in place that will allow them to measure the ongoing status of various project activities in real time. We need a measurement system that can provide information as quickly as possible. What to measure also needs to be clearly defined. Any number of devices allow us to measure one aspect of the project or another; however, the larger question is whether or not we are getting the type of information we can really use. 3. Comparing actual with planned performance. When we have some sense of the original baseline (plan) and a method for accurately measuring progress, the next step is to compare the two pieces of information. A gap analysis can be used as a basis for testing the project’s status. Gap analysis refers to any measurement process that first determines the goals and then the degree to which the actual performance lives up to those goals. The smaller the gaps between planned and actual performance, the better the outcome. In cases whe re we see obvious differences between what was planned an what was realized, we have a clear-cut warning signal. 4. Taking action. Once we detect significant deviations from the project plan, it becomes necessary to engage in some form of corrective action to minimize or remove the deviation. The process of taking corrective action is generally straightforward. Corrective action can either be relatively minor or may involve significant remedial steps. At its most extreme, corrective action may even involve scuttling a nonperforming project. After corrective action, the monitoring and control cycle begins again. The control cycle is continuous. As we create a plan, we begin measurement efforts to chart progress and compare stages against the baseline plan. Any indications of significant deviations from the plan should immediately trigger an appropriate response, leading to a reconfiguration of the plan, reassessment of progress, and so on. Project monitoring is continuous, full-time cycle of target setting, measuring, correcting, improving, and remeasuring. MONITORING PROJECT PERFORMANCE As we discovered in the chapters on project budgeting and resource management, once we have established a project baseline budget, one of the most important methods for indicating the ongoing status of the project is to evaluate it against the original budget projections. For project monitoring and control, both individual task budgets and the cumulative project budget are relevant. The cumulative budget can be broken down by time over the project’s projected duration. The Project S-Curve: A Basic Tool As a basis for evaluating project control techniques, let us consider a simple example. Assume a project (Project Sierra) with four work packages (Design, Engineering, Installation, and Testing), a budget to complete of $80,000, and an anticipated duration of 45 weeks. To determine project performance and status, a straightforward time/cost analysis is often our first choice. Here the project’s status is evaluated as a function of the accumulated costs and labor hours or quantities plotted against time for both budgeted and actual amounts. We can see that time (shown on the x, or horizontal, axis) is compared with money expended (shown on the y, or vertical, axis). The classic project S-curve represents the typical form of such a relationship. Budget expenditures are initially low and ramp up rapidly during the major project execution stage, before starting to level off again as the project gets nearer to its completion. Cumulative budget projections for Project Sierra have been plotted against the project’s schedule. The S-curve figure represents the project budget baseline against which budget expenditures are evaluated. Monitoring the status of a project using S-curves becomes a simple tracking problem. At the conclusion of each given time period (week, month, or quarter), we simply total the cumulative project budget expenditures to date and compare them with the anticipated spending patterns. Any significant deviations between actual and planned budget spent reveal a potential problem area. Simplicity is the key benefit of S-curve analysis. Because the projected project baseline is established in advance, the only additional data shown are the actual project budget expenditures. The S-curve also provides real-time tracking information in that budget expenditures can be constantly updated and the new values plotted on the graph. Project information can be visualized immediately and updated continuously, so S-curves offer an easy-to-read evaluation of the project’s status in a timely manner. (The information is not necessarily easily interpreted, however, as we shall see later.) Our Project Sierra example can also be used to illustrate how S-curve analysis is employed. Suppose that by week 21 in the project, the original budget projected expenditures of $50,000. However, our actual project expenditures totaled only $40,000. In effect, there is a $10,000 budget shortfall, or negative variance between the cumulative budgeted cost of the project and its cumulative actual cost. In the table it shows the track of budgeted expenditures with actual project costs, including identifying the negative variance shown at week 21. In this illustration, we see the value of S-curve analysis as a good visual method for linking project costs (both budgeted and actual) over the project’s schedule. S-CURVE DRAWBACKS When project teams consider using S-curves, they need to take the curve’s significant drawbacks into consideration as well as their strengths. S-curves can identify positive and negative variance (budget expenditures above or below projections), but they do not allow us to make reasonable interpretations as to the cause of variance. Consider the S-curve shown. The actual budget expenditures have been plotted to suggest that the project team has not spent the total planned budget money to date (there is negative   variance). However, the question is how to interpret this finding. The link between accumulated project costs and time is not always easily resolved. Is the project team behind schedule (given that they have not spent sufficient budget to date) or might there be alternative reasons for the negative variance? Assume that your organization tracks project costs employing an S-curve approach and uses that information to assess the status of an ongoing project. Also assume that the project is to be completed in 12 months and has a budget of $150,000. At the six-month checkup, you discover that the project S-curve shows significant shortfall; you have spent far less on the project to date than was originally budgeted. Is this good or bad news? On the surface, we might suppose that this is a sign of poor performance; we are lagging far behind in bringing the project along and the smaller the amount we have spent to date is evidence that our project is behind schedule. On the other hand, there are any number of reasons why this circumstance actually might be positive. For example, suppose that in running the project, you found a cost-effective method for doing some component of the work or came across a new technology that significantly cut down on expenses. In that case, the time/cost metric may not only be misused, but might lead to dramatically inaccurate conclusions. Likewise, positive variance is not always a sign of project progress. In fact, a team may have a serious problem with overexpenditures that could be interpreted as strong progress on the project when in reality it signals nothing more than their inefficient use of project capital resources. The bottom line is this: Simply evaluating a project’s status according to its performance on time versus budget expenditures may easily lead us into making inaccurate assumptions about project performance. Milestone Analysis Another method for monitoring project progress is milestone analysis. A milestone is an event or stage of the project that represents a significant accomplishment on the road to the project’s completion. Completion of a deliverable (a combination of multiple project tasks), an important activity on the project’s critical path, or even a calendar date can all be milestones. In effect, milestones are road markers that we observe on our travels along the project’s life cycle. There are several benefits to using milestones as a form of project control. 1. Milestones signal the completion of important project steps. A project’s milestones are an important indicator of the current status of the project under development. They give the project team a common language to use in discussing the ongoing status of the project. 2. Milestones can motivate the project team. In large projects lasting several years, motivation can flag as team members begin to have difficul ty seeing how the project is proceeding overall, what their specific contribution has been and continues to be, and how much longer the project is likely to take. Focusing attention on milestones helps team members become more aware of the project’s successes as well as its status, and they can begin to develop greater task identity regarding their work on the project. 3. Milestones offer points at which to reevaluate client needs and any potential change requests. A common problem with many types of projects is the nature of repetitive and constant change requests from clients. Using project review milestones as formal â€Å"stop points,† both the project team and the clients are clear on when they will take midcourse reviews of the project and how change requests will be handled. When clients are aware of these formal project review points, they are better able to present reasonable and well-considered feedback (and specification change requests) to the team. 4. Milestones help coordinate schedules with vendors and suppliers. Creating delivery dates that do not delay project activities is a common challenge in scheduling delivery of key project components. From a resource perspective, the project team needs to receive supplies before they are needed but not so far in advance that space limitations, holding and inventory costs, and in some cases spoilage are problems. Hence, to balance delays of late shipments against the costs associated with holding early deliveries, a well-considered system of milestones creates a scheduling and coordinating mechanism that identifies the key dates when supplies will be needed. 5. Milestones identify key project review gates. For many complex projects, a series of midterm project reviews are mandatory. For example, many proj ects that are developed for the U.S. government require periodic evaluation as a precondition to the project firm receiving some percentage of the contract award. Milestones allow for appropriate points for these review. Sometimes the logic behind when to hold such reviews is based on nothing more than the passage of time (â€Å"It is time for July 1 review†). For other projects, the review gates are determined based on completion of a series of key project steps (such as the evaluation of software results from the beta sites). 6. Milestones signal other team members when their participation is expected to begin. Many times projects require contributions from personnel who are not part of the project team. For example, a quality assurance individual may be needed to conduct systems tests or quality inspection and evaluations of work done to date. The quality supervisor needs to know when to assign a person to our project, or we may find when we reach that milestone that no on e’s available to help us. Because the QA person is not part of the project team, we need to coordinate his or her involvement in order to minimize disruption to the project schedule. 7. Milestones can delineate the various deliverables developed in the work breakdown structure and therefore enable the project team to develop a better overall view of the project. You then are able to refocus efforts and function-specific resources toward the deliverables that show signs of trouble, rather than simply allocating resources in a general manner. For example, indications that the initial project software programming milestone has been missed allows the project manager to specifically request additional programmers downstream, in order to make up time later in the project’s development. Problems with Milestones Milestones, in one form or another, are probably the simplest and most widely used of all project control devices. Their benefits lie in their clarity; it is usually easy for all project team members to relate to the idea of milestones as a project performance metric. The problem with them is that they are a reactive control system. You must first engage in project activities and then evaluate them relative to your goal. If you significantly underperform your work to that point, you are faced with having to correct what has already transpired. Imagine, for example, that a project team misses a milestone by a large margin. Not having received any progress reports up until the point that the bad news becomes public, the project manager is probably not in a position to craft an immediate remedy for the shortfall. Now, the problems compound. Due to delays in receiving the bad news, remedial steps are themselves delayed, pushing the project farther behind. EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT An increasingly popular method used in project monitoring and control consists of a mechanism that has become known as Earned Value Management (EVM). The origins of EVM date to the late 1960s when U.S. government contracting agencies began to question the ability of contractors to accurately track their costs across the like of various projects. As a result, after 1967, the Department of Defense imposed 35 Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria that suggested, in effect, that any future projects procured by the U.S. government in which the risk of cost growth was to be retained by the government must satisfy these 35 criteria. In the more than 30 years since its origin, EVM has been practiced in multiple settings, by agencies from governments as diverse as Australia, Canada, and Sweden, as well as a host of project-based firms in numerous industries. Unlike previous project tracking approaches, EVM recognize that it is necessary to jointly consider the impact of time, cost, and project performance on any analysis of current project status. Put another way: Any monitoring system that only compares actual against budgeted cost numbers ignores the fact that the client is spending that money to accomplish something-create a project. Therefore, EVM reintroduces and stresses the importance of analyzing the time element in project status updates. Time is important because it becomes the basis for determining how much work should be accomplished at certain milestone points. EVM also allows the project team to make future projections of project status based on its current state. At any point in the project’s development we are able to calculate both schedule and budget efficiency factors (the efficiency with which budget is being used relative to the value that is being created) and use those values to make future projections about the estimated cost and schedule to project completion. We can illustrate the advance in the project control process that Earned Value represents by comparing it to the other project tracking mechanisms. If we consider the key metrics of project performance as those success criteria discussed in Chapter 1 (scheduling, budget, and performance), most project evaluation approaches tend to isolate some subset of the overall success measure. For example, project S-curve analysis directly links budget expenditures with the project schedule. Again, the obvious disadvantage to this approach is that it ignores the project performance linkage. Project control charts such as tracking Gantt charts link project performance with schedule but may give budget expenditures short shrift. The essence of a tracking approach to project status us to emphasize project performance over time. While the argument could be made that budget is implicitly assumed to be spent in some preconceived fashion, this metric does not directly apply a link between the use of time and performance factors with project cost. Earned value, on the other hand, directly links all three primary project success metrics (cost, schedule, and performance). This methodology is extremely valuable because it allows for regular updating of a time-phased budget to determine schedule and cost variances, as identified by the regular measurement of project performance. Terminology for Earned Value Following are some key concepts that allow us to calculate Earned Value and use its figures to make future project performance projections. PVPlanned value. A cost estimate of the budgeted resources scheduled across the project’s life cycle (cumulative baseline). EVEarned value. This is the real budgeted cost, or â€Å"value,† of the work that has actually been performed to date. ACActual cost of work performed. The cumulative total costs incurred in accomplishing the various project work packages. SPISchedule Performance Index. The earned value to date divided by the planned value of work scheduled to be performed (EV/PV). This value allows us to calculate the projected schedule of the project to completion. CPICost Performance Index. The earned value divided by the actual, cumulative cost of the work performed to date (EV/AC). This value allows us to calculate the projected budget to completion. BACBudgeted cost at completion. This represents the total budget for a project. Creating Project Baselines The first step in developing an accurate control process is to create the project baselines against which progress can be measured. Baseline information is critical regardless of the control process we employ, but baselines are elemental when performing EVM. The first piece of information necessary for performing earned value is the planned value; that is, the project baseline. The PV should comprise all relevant project costs, the most important of which are personnel costs, equipment and materials, and project overhead, sometimes referred to as level of effort. Overhead costs (level of effort) can include a variety of fixed costs that must be included in the project budget, including administrative or technical support, computer work, and other staff expertise use (such as legal advice or marketing). The actual steps in establishing the project baseline are fairly straightforward and require two pieces of data: the Work Breakdown Structure and a time-phased project budget. 1. The W ork Breakdown Structure identified the individual work packages and tasks necessary to accomplish the project. As such, the WBS allowed us to first identify the individual tasks that would need to be performed. It also gave us some understanding of the hierarchy of tasks needed to set up work packages and identify personnel needs (human resources) in order to match the task requirements to the correct individuals capable of performing them. 2. The time-phased budget takes the WBS one step further: It allows us to identify the correct sequencing of tasks, but more importantly, it enables the project team to determine the points in the project when budget money is likely to be spent in pursuit of those tasks. Say, for example, that our project team determines that one project activity, Data Entry, will require a budget of $20,000 to be completed, and further, that the task is estimated to require 2 months to completion, with the majority of the work being done in the first month. A ti me-phased budget for this activity might resemble the following: Activity| Jan| Feb| †¦| Dec| Total| Data Entry| $14,000| $6,000| | -0-| $20,000| Once we have collected the WBS and applied a time-phased budget breakdown, we can create the project baseline. The result is an important component of earned value because it represents the standard against which we are going to compare all project performance, cost, and schedule data as we attempt to assess the viability of an ongoing project. This baseline, then, represents our best understanding of how the project should progress. How the project is actually doing, however, is, of course, another matter. Why Use Earned Value? Assume that it is now week 30 of the project and we are attempting to assess the project’s status. Also assume that there is no difference between the projected project costs and actual expenditures; that is, the project budget is being spent within the correct time frame. However, upon examination, suppose we were to discover that Installation was only half-completed and Project Testing had not yet begun. This example illustrates both a problem with S-curve analysis and the strength of EVM. Project status assessment is only relevant when some measure of performance is considered in addition to budget and elapsed schedule. Consider the revised data for Project Sierra. Note that as of week 30, work packages related to Design and Engineering have been totally completed, whereas the Installation is only 50% done, and Testing has not yet begun. These percentage values are given based on the project team or key individual’s assessment of the current status of work package completion. The question now is: What is the earned value of the project work done to date? As of week 30, what is the status of this project in terms of budget, schedule, and performance? Calculating the earned value for these work packages is a relatively straightforward process. We can modify the previous table to focus exclusively on the relevant information for determining earned value. The planned budget for each work package is multiplied by the percentage completed in order to determine the earned value to date for the work packages, as well as for the overall project. In this case, the earned value at the 30-week point is $51,000. We can compare the planned budget against the actual earned value using the original project budget baseline. This process allows us to assess a more realistic determination of the status of the project when the earned value is plotted against the budget baseline. Compare this figure with the alternative method, in which negative variance is calculated, with no supporting explanation as to the cause or any indication about whether this figure is meaningful or not. Recall that by the end of week 30, our original budget projections suggested that $68,000 should have been spent. Instead, we are projecting a shortfall of $17,000. In other words, we are not only showing a negative variance in terms of money spent on the project, but also in terms of value created (performance) of the project to date. Unlike the standard S-curve evaluation, EVM variance is meaningful because it is based not simply on budget spent, but value earned. A negative variance of $10,000 in budget expenditures may or may not signal cause for concern; however, a $17,000 shortfall in value earned on the project to date represents a variance of serious consequences. Steps in Earned Value Management There are five steps in Earned Value Management (EVM): 1. Clearly define each activity or task that will be performed on the project, including its resource needs as well as a detailed budget.As we demonstrated earlier, the Work Breakdown Structure allows project teams to identify all necessary project tasks. It further allows for each task to be assigned its own project resources, including equipment and materials costs, as well as personnel assignments. Finally, coupled with the task breakdown and resource assignments, it is possible to create the budget figure or cost estimate for each project task. 2. Create the activity and resource usage schedules. These will identify the proportion of the total budget allocated to each task across a project calendar. Determine how much of an activity’s budget is to be spent each month (or other appropriate time period) across the project’s projected development cycle. Coupled with the development of a project budget should be its direct linkage to the project schedule. The determination of how much budget money is to be allocated to project tasks is important. Equally important is the understanding of when the resources are to be employed across the project’s development cycle. 3. Develop a â€Å"time-phased† budget that shows expenditures across the projects life.The total (cumulative) amount of the budget becomes the project baseline and is referred to as the planned value (PV). In real terms, PV just means that we can identify the cumulative budget expenditures planned at any stage in the project’s life. The PV, as a cumulative value, is derived from addin g the planned budget expenditures for each preceding time period. 4. Total the actual costs of doing each task to arrive at the actual cost of work performed (AC).We can also compute the budgeted values for the tasks on which work is being performed. This is referred to as the earned value (EV) and is the origin of the term for this control process. 5. Calculate both a project’s budget variance and schedule variance while it is still in process.Once we have collected the three key pieces of data (PV, EV, and AC), it is possible to make these calculations. The schedule variance is calculated by the simple equation: SV = EV – PV, or the difference between the earned value to date minus the planned value of the work scheduled to be performed to date. The budget, or cost, variance is calculated as: CV = EV – AC, or the earned value minus the actual cost of work performed. USING EARNED VALUE TO MANAGE A PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS Earned Value Management can work at the portfolio level as well as with individual projects. The process simply involves the aggregation of all earned value measures across the firm’s entire project portfolio in order to give an indication as to the efficiency with which a company is managing its projects. Other useful information contained in the Portfolio Earned Value Management table includes the total positive variances for both budget and schedule, as well as determination of the relative schedule and cost variances as a percentage of the total project portfolio. The use of Earned Value Management for portfolio tracking and control offers top management an excellent window into the firm’s ability to efficiently run projects, allows for comparisons across all projects currently in development, and isolates both the positive and negative variances as they occur. All of this is useful information for top-level management of multiple projects.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Assessment Process Of Patients In Intensive Care

The Assessment Process Of Patients In Intensive Care This essay will present a reflective account of communication skills in practice whist undertaking assessment and history taking of two Intensive Care patients with a similar condition. It will endeavour to explore all aspects of non verbal and verbal communication styles and reflect upon these areas using Gibbs reflective cycle (1988). Scenario A Mrs James, 34, a passenger in a road traffic collision who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown through the windscreen resulting in multiple facial wounds with extensive facial swelling which required her to be intubated and sedated. She currently has cervical spine immobilisation and is awaiting a secondary trauma CT. Mr James was also involved in the accident. Scenario B Mr James, 37, husband of Mrs James, the driver of the car, was wearing his seat belt. He had minor superficial facial wounds, fractured ribs and a fractured right arm. He is alert and orientated but currently breathless and requiring high oxygen concentrations. Patients who are admitted to Intensive Care are typically admitted due to serious ill health or trauma that may also have a potential to develop life threatening complications (Udwadia, 2005). These patients are usually unconscious, have limited movement and have sensation deprivation due to sedation and/or disease processes. These critical conditions rely upon modern technical support and invasive procedures for the purpose of monitoring and regulation of physiological functions. Having the ability to effectively communicate with patients, colleagues and their close relatives is a fundamental clinical skill in Intensive Care and central to a skilful nursing practice. Communication in Intensive Care is therefore of high importance to provide information and support to the critically ill patient in order to reduce their anxieties and stresses. Effective communication is the key to the collection of patient information, delivering quality of care and ensuring patient safety. Gaining a patients history is one of the most important skills in medicine and is a foundation for both the diagnosis and patient clinician relationship, and is increasingly being undertaken by nurses (Crumbie, 2006). Commonly a patient may be critically ill and therefore the ability to perform a timely assessment whilst being prepared to administer life saving treatment is crucial. Often the patient is transferred from a ward or department within the hospital where a comprehensive history has been taken with documentation of a full examination; investigations, working diagnosis and the appropriate treatment taken. However, the patients history may not have been collected on this admission if it was not appropriate to do so. Where available patients medical notes can provide essential information. In relation to the scenarios where the patient is breathless or the patient had a reduced conscious level and requires sedation and intubation, effective communication is restricted and obtaining a comprehensive history would be inappropriate and almost certainly unsafe. The Nursing Midwifery Council promotes the importance of keeping clear and accurate records within the Code: Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2008). Therefore if taking a patients history is unsafe to do so, this required to be documented. Breathing is a fundamental life process that usually occurs without conscious thought and, for the healthy person is taken for granted (Booker, 2004). In Scenario A, Mrs Jamess arrived on Intensive care and was intubated following her facial wounds and localised swelling. Facial trauma by its self is not a life threatening injury, although it has often been accompanied with other injuries such as traumatic brain injury and complications such as airway obstruction. This may have been caused by further swelling, bleeding or bone structure damage (Parks, 2003). Without an artificial airway and ventilatory support Mrs James would have struggled to breathe adequately and the potential to become in respiratory arrest. Within scenario B, Mr James had suffered multiple rib fractures causing difficulty in expansion of his lungs. Fractured ribs are amongst the most frequent of injuries sustained to the chest, accounting for over half of the thoracic injuries from non-penetrating trauma (Middle ton, 2003). When ribs are fractured due to the nature and site of the injury there is potential for underlying organ contusions and damage. The consequence of having a flail chest is pain. Painful expansion of the chest would result in inadequate ventilation of the lungs resulting in hypoxia and retention of secretions and the inability to communicate effectively. These combined increase the risk of the patient developing a chest infection and possible respiratory failure and potential to require intubation (Middleton, 2003). The key issue of Intensive Care is to provide patients and relatives with effective communication at all times to ensure that a holistic nursing approach is achieved. Intensive care nurses care for patients predominantly with respiratory failure and over the years have taken on an extended role. They are expected to examine a patient and interpret their findings and results (Booker, 2004). In these situations patient requires supportive treatments as soon as possible. Intensive Care nurse should have the ability and competence to carry out a physical assessment and collect the patients history in a systemic, professional and sensitive approach. Effective communication skills are one of the many essential skills involved in this role. As an Intensive Care nurse, introducing yourself to the patient as soon as possible would be the first step in the history and assessment taking process (Outlined in Appendix A). Whilst introducing yourself there is also the aim to gaining consent for the assessment where possible, in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008). Conducting a comprehensive clinical history is usually more helpful in making a provisional diagnosis than the physical examination (Ford, 2005). Within Intensive Care the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure/Examination (ABCDE) assessment process is widely used. It is essential for survival that the oxygen is delivered to blood cells and the oxygen cannot reach the lungs without a patent airway. With poor circulation, oxygen does not get transported away from the lungs to the cells (Carr, 2005). The ABCDE approach is a simple approach that all team members use and allows for rapid assessment, co ntinuity of care and the reduction of errors. Communication reflects our social world and helps us to construct it (Weinmann Giles et al 1988). Communication of information, messages, opinions, speech and thoughts are transferred by different forms. Basic communication is achieved by speaking, sign language, body language touch and eye contact, as technology has developed communication has been achieved by media, such as emails, telephone and mobile technology (Aarti, 2010). There are two main ways of communication: Verbal and non verbal. Verbal communication is the simplest and quickest way of transferring information and interacting when face to face. It is usually a two way process where a message is sent, understood and feedback is given (Leigh, 2001). When effective communication is given, what the sender encodes is what the receiver decodes (Zastrow, 2001). Key verbal features of communication are made up of sounds, words, and language. Mr James was alert and orientated and had some ability to communicate; he was breathless due to painful fractured ribs which hindered his verbal communication. In order to help him to breath and communicate effectively, his pain must be controlled. Breathless patients may be only able to speak two or more words at a time, inhibiting conversation. The use of closed questions can allow breathless patients to communicate without exerting themselves. Closed questions such as is it painful when you breathe in? or is your breathing feeling worse? can be answered with non verbal communi cation such as a shake or nod of the head. Taking a patients history in this way can be time consuming and it is essential that the clinician do not make assumptions on behalf of the patient. Alternatively, encouraging patients to use other forms of communication can aid the process. Non verbal communication involves physical aspects such as written or visual of communication. Sign language and symbols are also included in non-verbal communication. Non verbal communication can be considered as gestures, body language, writing, drawing, physiological cues, using communication devices, mouthing words, head nods, and touch (Happ et al, 2000). Body language, posture and physical contact is a form of non verbal communication. Body language can convey vast amounts of information. Slouched posture, or folded arms and crossed legs can portray negative signals. Facial gestures and expressions and eye contact are all different cues of communication. Although Mr. James could verbally communica te, being short of breath and in pain meant that he also needed to use both verbal and non verbal communication styles. A patients stay in Intensive Care can vary from days to months. Although this is a temporary situation and many patients will make a good recovery, the psychological impact may be longer lasting (MacAuley, 2010). When caring for the patient who may be unconscious or sedated and does not appear to be awake, according to Sisson (1990) hearing may be one of the last senses to fade when they become unconscious. Sedation is used in Intensive Care Units to enable patients to be tolerable of ventilation. It aims to allow comfort and synchrony between the patient and ventilator. Poor sedation can lead to ventilator asynchrony, patient stress and anxiety, and an increased risk of self extubation and hypoxia. (Ramsey et all, 2000). Over sedation can lead to ventilator associated pneumonias, cardiac instability and prolonged ventilation and Intensive Care delirium. Delirium is found to be a predictor of death in Intensive Care patients (Page, 2008). Every day a patient spends in delirium has be en associated with a 20% increase risk of intensive care bed days and a 10% increased risk of morbidity. The single most profound risk factor for delirium in Intensive Care is sedation. Within this stage of sedation or delirium it is impossible to know what the patients have heard, understood or precessed. Ashworth (1980) recognised that nurses often failed to communicate with unconscious patients on the basis that they were unable to respond. Although, research (Lawrence, 1995) indicates that patients who are unconscious could hear and understand conversations around them and respond emotionally to verbal communication however could not respond physically. This emphasises the importance and the need for communication remains (Leigh, 2001). Neurological status would unavoidably have an effect on Mrs Jamess capacity to communicate in a usual way. It is therefore important to provide Mrs James with all information necessary to reduce her stress and anxieties via the different forms of communication. For the unconscious patient, both verbal communication and non verbal communication are of importance, verbal communication and touch being the most appropriate. There are two forms of touch (Aarti, 2010), firstly a task orientated touch when a patient is being moved, washed or having a dressing changed and secondly a caring touch holding Mrs James hand to explain where she was and why she was there is an example of this. This would enhance communication when informing and reassuring Mrs James that her husband was alive and doing well. Nurses may initially find the process of talking to an unconscious patient embarrassing, pointless or of low importance as it is a one way conversation (Ashworth, 1980) however as previously mentioned researched shows patients have the ability to hear. Barriers to communication may be caused by physical inabilities from the patients however there are many types of other communication barriers. A barrier of communication is where ther e is a breakdown in the communication process. This could happen if the message was not encoded or decoded as it should have been. If a patient is under sedation, delirious or hard of hearing verbal communication could be misinterpreted. However there could also be barriers in the transfer of communication process (Kirby, 1997). The Intensive Care environment in itself can cause communication barriers. Intensive Care can be noisy environment with monitor and ventilator alarms and general movement of patients and staff, ensuring effective communication with explanations of the alarms at all times can alleviate any anxieties the patient and relatives may have. Other barriers can simply include language barriers, fatigue, stress, distractions and jargon. Communication aids can promote effective communication between patient and clinician. Pen and paper is the simplest form of non verbal communication for those with adequate strength. Weakness of patients can affect the movement of hand s and arms making gestures and handwriting frustration and difficult. Patients may also be attached to monitors and infusions resulting in restricted movements which can lead to patients feeling trapped and disturbed (Ashworth, 1980). MacAulay (2010) mentions that Intensive Care nurses are highly skilled at anticipating the communication needs of patients who are trying to communicate but find the interpretation of their communication time consuming and difficult. The University of Dundee (ICU-Talk, 2010) conducted a three year multi disciplinary study research project to develop and evaluate a computer based communication aid specifically designed for Intensive Care patients. The trial is currently ongoing, however this may become a breakthrough in quick and effective patient clinical and patient relative communication in future care. This assignment has explored communication within Intensive Care and reflected upon previous experiences. Communication involves both verbal and non verbal communication in order to communicate effectively in all situations. Researching this topic has highlighted areas in Intensive Care nursing which may be overlooked, for example ventilator alarms and general noise within a unit may feel like a normal environment for the clinians however for patients and relatives this may cause considerable amounts of concern. Simply giving explanations for such alarms will easily alleviate concerns and provide reassurance. From overall research (Alasad: 2005, Leigh: 2001, MacAuley, 2010: Craig, 2007) Intensive Care nurses believed communication with critically ill patients was an important part of their role however disappointedly some nurses perceived this as time consuming or of low importance when the conversation was one way (Ashworth, 1980). Further education within Intensive Care may be requ ired to improve communication and highlight the importance of communication at all times. Communication is key to ensuring patients receive quality high standard care from a multidisciplinary team, where all members appreciate the skills and contribution that others offer to improve patients care.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Suicide Or Ambicide Of Nella Laurens Passing English Literature Essay

Suicide Or Ambicide Of Nella Laurens Passing English Literature Essay The ending of Nella Larens Passing is famous for its ambiguity and obscurity; the death of Clare Kendry is never clear defined and vaguely stated. Despite this deliberate equivocation on the authors part, there is definitive evidence hidden within the text that Clares death is in fact a homicide. Clare Kendrys death was not a suicide; the one person who had constant and progressive reason for the murder Clare was her supposed friend, Irene Redfield. One of the main suspects in the death of Clare Kendry is her longtime childhood friend, Irene Redfield. Although they have known each other since they young, they drifted apart as they aged; it had been twelve years since she à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ had laid eyes on Clare Kendry (18). It is only through chance that these two were reunited, something that Irene would have rather left unchanged; Irene has repeatedly displayed a increasing desire to break ties with Clare, making many attempts à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to tell Clare Kendry at once, and definitely, that it was of no use, her coming, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (64). These tactics ranged from not replying to Clares mail or phone calls, though it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ rung like something possessed (32) to lying about her schedule and how she is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ filled upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ so sorry (23) that her could not be with Clare. Irene could have been avoiding Clare because she is envious of her looks and of how Clare is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ exquisite, golden, fragrant, [and] flauntingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [how]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦her glistening hairà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ eyes sparking like dark jewels (74). Irene often à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ felt dowdy and commonplace (74) when compared to Clare. Another reason Irene wanted Clare to leave her controlled life was that she suspected Clare to be pursuing and infatuating with Brian, Irenes husband. As time passed, Brian à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ looked on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with the same tolerant amusement that marked his entire attitude toward Clare (79). Because of this, Irene often wondered what did it mean? [and] how it would affect her and the boys? (93) and often feared that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ she didnt count, she was, to him, only the mother of his sons à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and that] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ she was nothing. Worse. An obstacle (93). Regardless of Irenes reasons, her thoughts were steady turning darker, frequently questioning if Clare should die! Then Oh, it was vile! To think, yes, to wish that! (101). During the confrontation at the end of the novel, Clare Smiled a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ smile that maddened Irene. She ran across the room, her terror fringed with ferocity, and laid a hand on hand on her Clares bare arm. [and that] She couldnt have her free (111). This quote showed Irenes determination and desperation for Clares disappearance, yet even though she acted in this murder, she stated that it was an accident, a terrible accident à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [that] it was. This phrase confirms Irenes guilt in this homicide, by the act of denying any fault, solidifies her as the prime suspect in Clares murder. Even though there is substantial evidence the other character had a hand in Clares death, she has shown a rather unpredictable and melancholy state of mind; such a state of mind could lead to irrational thoughts such as suicide. She passed for white and abandoned her black heritage for monetary value; she believes that in fact, all things considered, I think Rene, that its even worth the price (28). Yet Clare feels trapped by her husband, John Bellows, racist views; even though she is black herself, John believes Clare to be white. He has made it clear that he à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [drew] the line at that. No niggers in my family. Never have been and never will be (40). Despite the fact that she is in such a precarious position, she sought to be with Irene with reckless abandonment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to get the things I want badly enough, Id do anything, hurt anybody, throw anything away (81). Clare continues to visit Irene, requesting to accompany Irene to her various social parties and thro ugh her, to the black part of society that Clare abandoned long ago. Yet she à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ would if I could, but I cant à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ you cant realize how I want to see Negros, to be with them again, to talk with them, to hear them laugh (71). All of these lead to a volatile mixture of recklessness, desperation, loss of identity, and a sense of being trapped. These could have lead to her eventual suicide, when John Bellow discovered and confronted her about her race: Clare stood at the window, as composed as if everyone were not staring at her in curiosity and wonder, as if the whole structure of her life were not lying in fragments before her. She seemed unaware of any danger or uncaring. There was even a faint smile on her full, red lips, and in her shining eyes. (111) This quote exemplifies Clares increasing sense of detachment from the world around her; when she was confronted by her husband at the end of the novel, she felt trapped and chose to escape rather the face the reality of her situation. Yet all of this is merely speculation. The motives and thoughts of Clare Kendry are unknown and can only be interpreted through Irenes perception of Clares actions. On the other hand, Irenes mental process it often displayed through her own narrations and has show on numerous occasions to have entertained the idea of ridding herself of Clare.

Political Cartoons and Republicans :: essays research papers fc

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Republican Party was founded by a coalition in 1854 and was comprised of former members of the Whig, Free-Soil, and Know-Nothing parties. The slavery issue shattered America’s established political landscape and catapulted the Republicans from what seemed like nowhere straight into the White House in 1860. After Fremont’s attempt at winning the presidency in 1856, Lincoln won the election four years later, cementing the Republican Party’s desire for executive power. In the aftermath of the Civil War, the United States found itself politically gridlocked. Neither the newly formed Republicans nor the Democrats were able to gain much traction. The decades after the Civil War saw some of the closest and most controversial races in American history. The Rutherford B. Hayes commissioned election victory is a great example as he had fewer popular votes than Sam Tilden, but won the election under the guise of the Electoral College. The 1888 electi on was also very close, as less than 100,000 votes separated the leading candidates; Benjamin Harrison again won by the rules of the electoral process but lost the popular vote. During the Gilded Age of American history, the mainstream political scene was superficial and intensely partisan, but the regular Joe loved it. â€Å"Despite the lack of issues,† writes Morton Keller, â€Å"balloting – and straight ticket voting – in the 1870’s and 1880’s was at or near the highest level in American history.† He also contends that policy had become subordinate to â€Å"the sumptuous display† of parades, bonfires, and pep rallies. Accompanying this era of political advertisement and propaganda, the political system itself depended upon a spoils and patronage allowance, which gave rise to political corruption.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political cartoons and mass media grew up with the end of the Civil War as well. As Harper’s weekly, Judge, Puck, and the New York World all competed for popular acceptance, they helped reform the political corruption of the time. After the critical election of 1896, the nature of party conflict changed. The close competition between the parties in the post Civil War period was replaced by Republican dominance. Mckinley’s defeat of William Jennings Bryan in 1896 and 1900 was followed by Republican victories in every presidential election until 1932, except for Woodrow Wilson’s victories in 1912 and 1916. This will be explored later. As the Republicans also controlled Congress from 1896 to 1930, except for during Wilson’s tenure, they were dominant everywhere but the South.