Renewebal Energy Wind power Essay - 774 Words

Nowday, we use the fossil fuels for many things. Fossil fuels are the fossils of plants and animals that died. We need fossil fuels for electricities, cooking, and even shampoo we use every day. The most common fossil fuels was coal, oil, and gases, but now scientist estimated that after 150 years, we will be running out of fossil fuels. Another fact was that the digging up the fossil fuels create a huge amount of pollution, and it really harms the environment.The best solution was using the wind power as our energy. Wind power is electricity that is powered by the windmill, this power is renewable, and sustainable, which means that it would be always able to get electricity from it unless there aren’t any wind. The wind power worked†¦show more content†¦At last they built many wind farm which has the UK’s strongest wind, and could be able to provide more electricity for UK. In 1991, 70 wind farms already provides 0.2% of the UK’s energy usage, and now,w ind power could provide 10% of UK’s energy. So that the wind power brings a lot of advantages for many places and it could be able to reserve energy from fossil fuels. My chosen renewable energy source, which is wind power, was better than the other renewable sources. It is able to provide huge amount of energies for some place. My chosen renewable energy was better than both hydro electric power and geothermal energy, because that both of them was very expensive, and there are very limited sites, which might not be able to have such as many place for them to be used. For example, the hydro-electric power, it was very expensive to build the dam, and you must chose a certain sites, which means that there are limits for the site. Also that after you built it, there is a big risk that a large area are going to flood, which might create a larger cost to recover it. It most important was that the wild habit will be lost, which means that the tress will be cutter down, and people w on’t be able to live there any more. But the wind power have a low cost and there could still be people living around the wind farm. Another example was that the Geothermal energy, which means â€Å"the heat from earth† It has limited sites, and it costs a

The Shadows Of Objectification Of Women - 1886 Words

In the Shadows of Objectification â€Å"The media has taken many celebrity appearances into their own hands, many times without permission† (â€Å"The Objectification of Women† par.2). Because of the media photoshopping women s beauty on TV, social media, and even advertisements, it began to create a high rate of accusations of teenage girls’ all over the world. â€Å"In a recent study, the University at Buffalo sociologists found that the portrayal of women in the popular media over the last several decades has become increasingly sexualized, even pornified( Donovan par.1). Due to this, women have been treated as sexual objects everywhere. Objectification comes from the lack of confidence and media s portrayal of beauty; Due to this, the portrayal of men is not the same as females objectification is when women are treated like sexual objects. ‘Objectification is often defined by physical appearance, rather than personality† (â€Å"The Objectification of Women† par.2). As a re sult, women should not struggle to keep up with these trends today. â€Å"In order to achieve a ‘perfect’ look, the media manipulates photos using unnecessary editing in Photoshop to completely contort the original, creating an unnatural image† (â€Å"The Objectification of Women† par.2). The media is the dominant cause of these actions of teenage girls insecurities, high rates of surgical treatment, and males creating these fictitious assumptions. Objectification in social media should end because it causes teenage insecurities,Show MoreRelatedThe Shadows Of Objectification Of Women1876 Words   |  8 PagesIn the Shadows of Objectification â€Å"The media have taken many celebrity appearances into their own hands, many times without permission† (â€Å"The Objectification of Women† par.2). Because of the media photoshopping women s beauty on TV, social media, and even advertisements, it began to create a high rate of accusations of teenage girls’ all over the world. â€Å"In a recent study, the University at Buffalo sociologists found that the portrayal of women in the popular media over the last several decadesRead MoreEssay about Media’s Impact on Beauty and Body Image of Young Girls1638 Words   |  7 Pageshave caused normal concerns about how we look to become obsessions. Women are continually bombarded with images of the ideal face and figure. Constant exposure to idealized images of female beauty on TV, magazines and billboards makes exceptional good looks seem normal and anything short of perfection seem abnormal and ugly. (Beauty 2009) â€Å"It has been estimated that young women now see more images of outstandingly beautiful women in one day than our mothers saw throughout their entire adolescenceRead MoreThe topic I have chosen to address as a symbol is makeup. Makeup seems pretty basic to most, but to700 Words   |  3 Pagesmakeup they feel ugly and rejected by men. But that’s the thing; some women aren’t viewed as pretty unless they have makeup on. This objectives women and tells them they don’t look good enough if they aren’t wearing any-and it basically seems as if they are â€Å"painting on their face† like objects. Makeup can come in many different shapes and sizes, liquids and powders, and even colors! From bright red to completely black, every women has a different preference to the type of the makeup they prefer. MakeupRead MoreWomen Objectification Of Women1524 Words   |  7 PagesImages of females are everywhere. The image of females portrayed through advertising for the most part gives off a negative message to girls who struggle with body image and even women who want to look a particular way. The most negative message that advertising portrays is objectification of women and violence towards them. Women and girls need to recognize the true meaning behind the advertisements that we see in all aspects of media. They should not allow themselves to be objectified in any way, norRead MoreCharles Burns Black Holes Essay1908 Words   |  8 Pageseveryday suburban life. However, this is the exact landscape of violence depicted in Charles Burns’ Black Hole. In Black Hole Burns draws at tention to the implicit assumptions about â€Å"normal† and â€Å"other† made in everyday life by exposing the objectification of women and through the male gaze. The male gaze is a phrase used in film and gender studies to describe the lens through which audiences view popular culture from a heterosexual male perspective. According to Laura Mulvey, the film theorist whoRead MoreTheir Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston959 Words   |  4 PagesContemporary novels have imposed upon the love tribulations of women, throughout the exploration of genre and the romantic quest. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their eyes were watching God (1978) and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (2000) interplay on the various tribulations of women, throughout the conventions of the romantic quest and the search for identity. The protagonists of both texts are women and experience tribulations of their own, however, unique from the conventional romantic novels of their predecessor sRead MoreRichard Wright s Native Son1595 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica (Ann Rayson). The book follows Bigger Thomas’s journey through self-realization, while exposing the line of racism and its effects in 1930s Chicago. Yet, for an African-American narrative, the story lacks one key character, a strong woman. The women Wright includes in his story are only there as a tool to better shape Bigger’s, or another man’s, character. While the lack of any strong, female character could be based on Richard Wright’s own life, his presentation of Mrs. Thomas, Vera, Mrs. DaltonRead MoreEssay on Media’s Impact on Beauty and Body Image of Young Girls1917 Words   |  8 Pagesonce a normal concern has escalated into an obsession. Women are continually bombarded with images of the ideal face and figure. Researchers suggest that â€Å"constant exposure to idealized images of female beauty on TV, magazines and billboards makes exceptional good looks seem normal a nd anything short of perfection seem abnormal and ugly.†(Beauty 2009) â€Å"It has been estimated that young women now see more images of outstandingly beautiful women in one day than our mothers saw throughout their entireRead MoreA Short Note On The And The Law2080 Words   |  9 Pagesadvertisement with regards to gender roles in American society. Some of the themes are, but not limited to objectification, ageism, and dismemberment which are the tropes that I have decided to focus on for this research project. The laws surrounding women objectification is slim, and it is necessary to start implementing laws that protect women and how advertisements affect the minds of young women growing up today. Kilbourne states in the film that the majority of advertisement messages are internalizedRead MoreWhy Prostitution Is Wrong?1156 Words   |  5 PagesIn â€Å"Markets in Women s Sexual Labor† Debra Satz lays out an argument for an â€Å"egalitarian approach† to de ciding why prostitution is wrong and whether or not that means it should be illegal (Satz, 1995). Satz accepts that prostitution is wrong from the start but she seeks a good explanation for why. She decides that prostitution is wrong because the practice of women selling their sexual services to men perpetuates gender inequality. If we accept that prostitution is wrong then we should look for

Kinship System in Foraging and Horticultural Free Essays

I have chosen to write about the San Tribe because their ways are very intriguing to me. The San or also known as the â€Å"Bushman†, are located in the Kalahari Desert. These tribes have lived in this area for around four thousand years. We will write a custom essay sample on Kinship System in Foraging and Horticultural or any similar topic only for you Order Now They have a diet of primarily nuts, fruits, melons, and berries. Since their women gather about eighty per-cent of the food for their unit there is more of these fruits and other things than there is meat. Their men gather meat about once or twice a week and accountable for about twenty per-cent of the food which is meat of some kind. San is a group of people who know how to enjoy their lives since only gathering food two or three times a week they spend the rest of their time on leisure activities. These activities could include any of the following, visiting one another or just sleeping. (Lee, 1979) When you do not have to get more and more you can enjoy what you have and not have to over work yourself and it would have to b4e more comfortable for your body with less strain and worry. The San is a Ban society and their livelihood comes from foraging, which is hunting and gathering what they require to survive. These Nomadic tribes of kin people travel over the land year after year to prime locations for known where they gather food and water and not only do they survive they are a thriving community. They travel in small independent communities that break apart and then rejoin other members at different times. They tend to live in the most marginal environment in the world. Their community is a reciprocal unit in the fact that they have an exchange economical system. Among the kinship group, there is a form of giving of services and goods in a mutual agreed upon atmosphere. This is not only among the family unit but also by the completely camp residents and visitors alike share in the quantity of food available equally. The collectors distribute the food in either a raw or a prepared portion and then distributed around to each. You can find a constant flow of nut, berries roots as well as melons around the fireplaces of each resident all given to meet the standard of equality (1969a’p. 58). This foraging system is an immediate return system; they must consume to stop spoilage. Woodburn, 1988) It is also a way to prevent a large amount of produce from remaining in the event of there moving about, as they tend to move constantly. This foraging system works because even as they give without expectation of exchange or immediate return there is an unwritten rules that all has even in the event there is no kill by some of the parties on a certain day. There are some times when hunters can go weeks without a kill and they must rely on the hunters that h ave luck in those times. Even though San men are widely skilled at hunting there can be different level of success but this does not have a status level on it for anyone as far as being accepted. There is a great deal of modesty in the village as the hunters return to camp upon a successful hunt. The hunter coming into camp does not give off an atmosphere of bragging; in fact, it is to the contraire. There are unspoken rules followed by the hunter as well as the others. This keeps one from feeling inferior or superior to another bringing forth feelings of jealousy. This also brings a reinforcement of social ties and helps to be closer knitting together of family units. You could also feel safer in the event a family member is hurt or was to become ill and could not provide their part of the food for a while.. Well I am afraid in comparison to our society there is not a great deal to say is the same as foraging. We here are more likely to let those that will not work go hungry. Of course, we have the welfare system and food pantries that do make it easier for those who do not have to get food. However, we do not work on the general idea of every one being equal those that work harder have more. The more you apply your self the more you have. We also do have leaders that can make us do things whether we want to or not. The seat belt law is an example of this. As far as kinship in our family my children and grandchildren would be considered one that I personally would share anything I have with but not all in our family feels this way. We are in a dog eat dog society and I fear it has rubbed off on most everyone. I believe if you do not work for it, you do not get it and I have tried to teach my family these same rules to live by. However, we do tend to do for our own kin folk first in taking care of them. We look out for our immediate family in providing for them and making sure, they have what they need. I remember as a child we lived in the city and my mothers family (brothers, sisters and some of their children would come and stay with us and we would help them get a job and get started. Dad owned an apartment house so they could stay in one of our apartments and we would feed them until they could do for themselves. Rules followed now are less kinship in our society in this present time. How to cite Kinship System in Foraging and Horticultural, Papers

Reflection as a Project Manage for Gibbs Reflective- MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theReflection as a Project Manage for Gibbs Reflective. Answer: Gibbs reflective cycle usually consists of six important steps. The first step is called the description phase. In this phase, the main incident is described. It was seen that although huge number of training programs were conducted, however the nurses were not being able to provide the best care to the patients (Nicoloni et al., 2014). When one individual nurse maintained proper hygiene with the maintenance of skin care of the face, she failed in the task of proper choosing of the masks. The other nurse had an exactly opposite issue. The other issue faced by another nurse is with the proper technique of dressing. It was very difficult to understand that in spite of an arrangement of training issues, the problem could not be solved entirely. The second step is mainly the description of the feeling that the individual developed after the incidence (Boroughs, 2017). In spite of trying very hard to reach the main reason, I completely failed and could not understand where the main issue lay within the nurses. Moreover, I also felt disappointed as such a planned project was not bringing sufficient results. The third step was evaluation phase. After the experience, I understood that the project I had planned was lacking some important aspects which I was not being able to understand. I realized that the practice of the nurses needs to develop in order to attain the best care. I also evaluated that I was missing out on an important aspect which needs to be incorporated to make the project successful. Analysis part is the fourth step. In this step, while analyzing the issue I understood that although I had implemented a training program but I never inquired the individual issues faced by a particular nurse. The training program only provided a lecture for the nurses but failed to conduct practical training sessions under experienced nurses who would guide them in practical in the real situation. Practical sessions have important contributions in the development of the working styles as well as the skills and knowledge about the different procedures that the nurse should follow. Although lecture classes gives an entire detailed idea about how to develop skills in order to mitigate the issues faced during handling of the pressure but it can never ascertain the difficulty level that may be faced by nurses. It is only during the practical sessions, that the nurse can realize their own weak points and try to recover them with development of effective skills. As I had not included the p art, the nurse did not realize their weaknesses. Therefore when they attended the real situation, they started facing issues of various kinds and therefore in spite of so many initiatives the project could not achieve full success. Moreover, I also understood that my project should have included a proper evaluation program for the first there months after implementation in order to understand the main issues faced by nurses. Implementation plan should always be followed by a proper evaluation plan that should have a definite framework. A proper committee should always be established who have the expertise to understand the negative aspects that are resulting from the implementation strategies that have been produced. Each and every member of the evaluation board should be inspecting each of the aims and objectives that have been prepared at the beginning of the project. A consort or a checklist should be maintained for each of the healthcare professionals so that the experts can und erstand that whether each working individual are successful in completing the goals of the project. If the evaluation board would have been established, the different negative effects would have been easily identified by the experts at the implementation level only. Immediately corrections would have been done in the activities of the nurse which would have helped in achieving the result much more quickly than it took place after several issues were identified when nurses hit the work floor after training. The next step is the conclusion part. After analyzing the main issue, I reached a conclusion that I have not properly been able to include all the important aspects that were necessary for the project (Crimi et al., 2016). I should have inquired the nurses about the different issues they face in the respiratory ward and then plan the interventions accordingly. Moreover, the training class that has been conducted was devoid of practical sessions and did not cover the any evaluation of the nurses performance. Therefore all the attributes should be included in order to make the project successful. This showed me that I still lack certain skills in effective planning of a project. While planning a project, I fail to assimilate the correct methods of evaluation that is a must to ensure whether the implementation strategies are successful or not. Hence, it can be concluded, that of proper practical classes were conducted for the nurses and if proper evaluation of the strategies implemented would have considered, the project would have been much more successful without having any negative aspects. The last and final step is the step where the action plan is prepared, so that the issue which was not solved can be handled in a better way. The first plan that should be prepared is to inquire the different nurses with a proper survey in order to recognize the lack of skill and ability of the nurse rather than planning a common training for all. According to that, they should be allocated to specific teams of senior nurses to work under their guidance (Olivieri et al., 2015). Secondly, I should also establish a monitoring body that will evaluate the performance and report accordingly for modification. Proper practical sessions would be conducted in order to make the nurses develop their skill which they lack and make them practice time and gain so that they never become responsible for the death of any patient. The monitoring body will be composed of eminent professionals who are well equipped with the systems and the process and have strict monitoring over every aspects of the pro ject. They will monitor the performances and jot down both the negative as well as the positive aspects of the nurses and other staffs. I will arrange for an open discussion sessions, where both the positive as well as the negative aspects will be discussed for improvement as well as to gain confidence by everyone. I have failed to provide a proper implementation plan by incorporating all the team members. Although I included the nursing leader, project heads and the senior nurses, I failed to incorporate the registered as well as enrolled nurses. I should have included all the team members giving them the scope of providing feedback and also inquiring about their issues. Feedback receiving skills should be incorporated in my team work management attributes which will ultimately make me better as a team leader or the head of a project. Moreover, while developing a plan of the project, I should always follow a proper framework that would constitute research, monitoring, plan development, cross checking of resources, inquiry about the issues, implementation plan and then proper evaluation of the implemented plan. Evaluation part is very important in order to understand whether the plan that has been conducted is successful or not. Therefore, critical analyzing skill to develop an idea about what important factors need to be incorporated and what factors should be neglected is very important in order for correct allocation of resources (Sorenson et al., 2013). Therefore, correct analyzing skill is also important to act as a successful project manager in the healthcare sectors. I realized that I have to develop my communication skills and be a good listener. Cutting them while a colleague or a junior is discussing a point should be stopped by me and I should allow them to completely open up their emotions and feedbacks without judging them beforehand. I should work over my non verbal communication approached like building of proper body language, eye contact, hand gestures and others so that my approach does not seem rude or impolite. Maintaining clarity and concision is very important along with being friendly with my colleagues as well as my juniors. I already empathize with my workers for which they respect me a lot. However, I should try to be more open minded while communicating so that the opposite persons feel relaxed and discuss issues in details. From the unsuccessful results of the project that I conducted, I realized that I have to develop my organizational skills to achieve 100% success. I have to develop my knowledge in general organizing of the projects, proper planning, time management, scheduling, coordinating resources and meeting of different deadlines. I already have gained insights into the mentioned skills; however, I have to develop more knowledge in implementation and evaluation skills in order to assure success of the projects. I noticed that I have a number of flaws in my leadership skills. The fist flaw is that I do not have communication skills required to communicate with juniors and the workers. I also failed to motivate them as I was not able to understand the main issues faced by the nurses. However as a good leader, I tried to maintain positivity and harmony within the groups and a s a result, no internal conflicts arose. I tried to be creative in my approach and tended to incorporate easier training methods. However although I maintained all the fundamental duties with responsibility as a leader, I failed to seek for feedback from my workers which impacted on the result of the project. From the handling of the project, I realized that I practice empathy with my workers and due to my well applied emotional intelligence in my working environment; the workers are happy and contempt and try to work better. However, I lack feedback receiving skill while communicating with the nurses and as a result; they could not discuss the arenas where they were facing issues. Although my planning for the project was detailed with proper resource management, scheduling and others, I failed to incorporate a proper evaluation framework. Therefore form next time; I will develop my listening and feedback receiving skills and be open minded allowing both positivity and criticisms from my fellow workers. This will help me in finding faults in my work and developing the quality of my work. References: Boroughs, D. S. (2017). An Evaluation of a Continuing Education Program for Family Caregivers of Ventilator-Dependent Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).Children,4(5), 33. Crimi, C., Noto, A., Princi, P., Cuvelier, A., Masa, J. F., Simonds, A., ... Nava, S. (2016). Domiciliary Non-invasive Ventilation in COPD: An International Survey of Indications and Practices.COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,13(4), 483-490. Nicolini, A., Ferraioli, G., Ferrari?Bravo, M., Barlascini, C., Santo, M., Ferrera, L. (2014). Early non?invasive ventilation treatment for respiratory failure due to severe community?acquired pneumonia.The clinical respiratory journal. Olivieri, C., Carenzo, L., Vignazia, G. L., Campanini, M., Pirisi, M., Della Corte, F., Navalesi, P. (2015). Does noninvasive ventilation delivery in the ward provide early effective ventilation?.Respiratory care,60(1), 6-11. Srensen, D., Frederiksen, K., Grfte, T., Lomborg, K. (2013). Practical wisdom: A qualitative study of the care and management of non-invasive ventilation patients by experienced intensive care nurses.Intensive and Critical Care Nursing,29(3), 174-181.

Social Games vs. Traditional Games free essay sample

Nowadays many people all over the world make daily use of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. A social networking service  is a World Wide Web platform in which you can meet your real-life friends, share information and news with them and develop social relationships of any kind. These electronic communication devices, along with the opportunity to keep oneself updated with the latest news, opinions, mundane events, etc. usually help individuals to develop and maintain human contacts overcoming the obstacles of real geographical distances. Apparently, though strangely enough, these sites hadn’t developed a series of videogames of their own for quite a long time, until the beginning of the first decade of our century. Until then, traditional videogames, that people use to play individually or, at least, in groups of real people playing together in the same room, detained the monopoly of popularity among electronic ways of entertainment. In an incredibly small amount of time videogames provided by social networking systems attracted interest from every part of the world and they seemed they could easily steal from traditional videogames their monopoly of popularity. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Games vs. Traditional Games or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Up to now, it is very difficult to say if social games are more popular than videogames or vice versa. The point is that, after a vertiginous raise that impressed and sometimes even scared traditional videogames producers, the number of social games players seems to be constantly reducing over time leaving us with the thought that that of the social games could just be a passing fad as many others in the past. In the present work, we will put our attention on the possible real users of both social and traditional videogames and we will try to find out whether they share equal popularity among people or not. Traditional Games Videogames, computer programmes for personal amusement, have a long history that remount to the second half of the 1970’s with the first arcade games for consoles, electronic devices that you could find in public places. Since then, there have been sensible improvements on almost all the aspects of the programmes such as graphics, whose aim is generally that to recreate eality as vividly as possible (although there have also been many videogames designers inventing completely different, fantasy worlds); or playability, that is to say, the opportunity for the videogame player to make a â€Å"real† experience while playing (joysticks, technical devices that are used to make virtual characters and objects move on the screen, represent a good example of it, p assing from being simple levers and knobs to sophisticated radio controlled sensors, real automobile steering wheels and gears, reproductions of airplane cloches). Nowadays, to be realised, traditional videogames may require years of production, with lots of expenditures to pay workers such as producers, designers, graphics and sound engineers, etc. , not to mention the costs deriving from promoting it on a large (usually worldwide) scale. For all these reasons, traditional videogames, with their high costs, are now suffering from smaller competitors like social games, which don’t require that amount of work behind them. Apart from that, it seems that young people, especially boys, in a range that goes from teenagers to men in their thirties, still prefer playing this kind of games rather than spending their time playing on social networks. Social Games Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ usually host social games. Social games include various kinds of games but they present some common features like the need to share the game with other friends in a multiplayer session to be played, the presence of turns by which players don’t have to be simultaneously participating in the same session of the game, the reference to some kind of social activity like meeting friends, dating and so on; the absence of winners and losers as a means to convoy the maximum number of users (usually there are missions that need to be accomplished in order to pass one level after another). Moreover, these games are quite elementary in terms of programming requiring much less effort (and production costs) to be realised. Even for these reasons, social games have encountered the critics of those who denounce its most exploitative aspects. Anyway, the fact is that the number of social games users has progressively increased over the years (almost from 2007) only to know a first stop this year, but experts think this is due to the switch of platform: more and more people are playing social games on their mobile phones instead of playing them at their computers at home. According to the statistics, the number of women (of all age) who have already joined at least one social network it’s much higher than that of the men, so we may be able to derive, as a consequence, that women could possibly be a consistent part of the social games users. Researches seem to highlight the presence of middle aged people among the users of this new kind of game. Conclusions The decline of the traditional videogames appears to be constant and ineluctable due to the differences of costs with respect to those of the social network games. Despite the market seems to be subdivided in two ranges of users (young versus middle-aged people, men versus women) this is not a sufficient reason to think that traditional videogames will successfully overcome the strong competition of social games. Furthermore, the recent evolution of mobile phones can represent a very suitable platform for social games in the immediate future.

How to Combine Arrays in Ruby

How to Combine Arrays in Ruby What is the best way to combine arrays? This question is quite vague and can mean a few different things. Concatenation Concatenation is to append one thing to another. For example, concatenating the arrays [1,2,3] and [4,5,6] will give you [1,2,3,4,5,6]. This can be done in a few ways in Ruby. The first is the plus operator. This will append one array to the end of another, creating a third array with the elements of both. Alternatively, use the concat method (the operator and concat method are functionally equivalent). If youre doing a lot of these operations you may wish to avoid this. Object creation is not free, and every one of these operations creates a third array. If you want to modify an array in place, making it longer with new elements you can use the operator. However, if you try something like this, youll get an unexpected result. Instead of the expected [1,2,3,4,5,6] array we get [1,2,3,[4,5,6]]. This makes sense, the append operator takes the object you give it and appends it to the end of the array. It didnt know or care that you tried to append another array to the array. So we can loop over it ourselves. Set Operations The world combine can also be used to describe the set operations. The basic set operations of intersection, union, and difference are available in Ruby. Remember that sets describe a set of objects (or in mathematics, numbers) that are unique in that set. For example, if you were to do a set operation on the array [1,1,2,3] Ruby will filter out that second 1, even though 1 may be in the resulting set. So be aware that these set operations are different than list operations. Sets and lists are fundamentally different things. You can take the union of two sets using the | operator. This is the or operator, if an element is in one set or the other, its in the resulting set. So the result of [1,2,3] | [3,4,5] is [1,2,3,4,5] (remember that even though there are two threes, this is a set operation, not a list operation). The intersection of two sets is another way to combine two sets. Instead of an or operation, the intersection of two sets is an and operation. The elements of the resultant set are those in both sets. And, being an and operation, we use the operator. So the result of [1,2,3] [3,4,5] is simply [3]. Finally, another way to combine two sets is to take their difference. The difference of two sets is the set of all objects in the first set that is not in the second set. So [1,2,3] - [3,4,5] is [1,2]. Zipping Finally, there is zipping. Two arrays can be zipped together combining them in a rather unique way. Its best to just show it first, and explain after. The result of [1,2,3].zip([3,4,5]) is [ [1,3], [2,4], [3,5] ]. So what happened here? The two arrays were combined, the first element being a list of all elements in the first position of both arrays. Zipping is a bit of a strange operation and you may not find much use for it. Its purpose is to combine two arrays whose elements closely correlate.

Cases for Case Briefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cases for Case Briefs - Essay Example Code Ann. Section 5-6-225 (e)(3) for hearing and writing to the Supreme Court for concrete evidence and conclusions of law. This case was initially tried on November 29, 1999 by the trial court, and the trial court verdict was in favor of employer/defendant (State Industries). This was because of employees failure to use a standard safety process. This is despite safety procedure and the training manual distributed to all employee by the employer (Courts, 2004). On July 15, 2002, the case was brought again before the same judge. On appeal, the Workers Compensation Panel voiced a new four-prong procedure to be applied when employers assert the affirmative defense of failure to use a safety appliance in the case of Wade Nance versus State Industries and ITT Hartford Insurance Company, 33 S.W.3d 222 (Tenn. 2). The four-prong test enumerated were:- The panel ruled that the employer had carried its burden of evidence on elements one, three, and four, and remanded the court case for a new trial on element two. On July 15, 22, the case was tried again before the same judge (Allen W. Wallace, Sr. J.) and the court determined State Industries, employer, had carried out a strict, continuous and bona fide enforcement policy (Courts, 2004). In addition, they further had training classes, and employee had received training on safety procedure. Evidence in this case showed that some employees did not use this safety procedure even though they had a device to initiate the procedure. The Case of Wade Nance v. State Industries originated from safety misconduct, On June 7, 1998. This case was a workers compensation appeal that had been passed on to the Special Workers Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court, as per Tenn. Code Ann. Section 5-6-225 (e)(3) for hearing. According to the events that led to the case, the employer required lock-out/tag out safety procedure and the employee

American Banking Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

American Banking Industry - Research Paper Example As a point of fact, banks are often and highly criticized due to being so driven towards profit maximization. Given this, banks often neglect its responsibility to the people as well as the environment. That is to say, banks may be directly or indirectly participating in harming the human beings and nature.   Review of Related Literatures This section aims at presenting an overview of the kinds of literature related to the topic of American banking industry. ... The expediency of this section is to help grasp an outlook on how to understand the topic under study. In this regard, this review of related kinds of literature is divided and categorized into the following segments which are: a) History of Banking Industry in America, b) The Role of the Banking Industry in the Social, Economic, and Political Setting of America, c) The Domestic and International Ethics, d) Ecological and Natural Resources, e) The Social Issues Faced by American Banking Industry, and f) The Corporate Stakeh olders Response to the Issues Confronting the American Banking Industry. a) History of Banking Industry in America According to Goyal and Joshi (2011), 2000 BC marks the earliest record of banking activity. During this era, the merchants lent money to the traders as well as farmers in Assyria and Babylonia. In this regard, it can be said that in the entire world, the industry of banking is among the oldest (Goyal & Joshi, 2011). In the United States of America, the earliest record of modern commercial banking industry had started in the year 1782 in Philadelphia (Mishkin & Serletis, 2010). According to Mishkin and Serletis (2010), the Bank of North America had been a success which triggered other banks to operate in America. On the one hand, 1791 marked the charter of Bank of the United States. This bank had functioned as a private bank and at the same time, a central bank that had an obligation to the economy of the whole society. However, its charter expired in 1811 which had lead to the establishment of another bank in 1816. Such charter of the Second Bank of the United States came to end in 1836 as Andrew Jackson rejected its rechartering.

Define Literary Realism and apply the definition to Fools by Joan Term Paper

Define Literary Realism and apply the definition to Fools by Joan Silber. Refer to Huck Finn by Mark Twain as comparison - Term Paper Example Realism is applied by literary critics in two diverse ways: (1) to identify a movement in the writing of novels during the nineteenth century that included Honore de Balzac in France, George Eliot in England, and Willian L. Dean in America, and (2) to designate a recurrent mode, in various eras and literary forms, or representing human life and experience in literature† (Abrams 258). Thus it is evident that realism exposes the reality in human life and the words of Abrams confirms it when he says, â€Å"realism is said to represent life as it really is.† Another significant thing regarding realism is its â€Å"artistic or literary portrayal of life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals, literary conventions, or misplaced aesthetic glorification and beautification of the world† (Wheeler). In realism, the writers do not leave space for fantasy or adventure as in the case of romantic fiction, but they depict life in a matter-of-fact or straightforward way, dissuading the wide possibilities of imaginative coloring. While reading through a realistic fiction, it said that the common readers are taken to a realistic social world in which the characters resemble to them and the actions narrated have close association with their life situations. This makes the readers infer the characters as simply existing and there is probability for their actions to take place. When analyzing Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’— collections of short stories, on the grounds of American literary realism, one can see t hat her stories fulfill most of the propositions of realism. The characters in ‘Fools’ are life-like, and therefore the readers do not consider them as separate entities smacked with some supernatural powers. The proposed study aims to establish the fact that Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’ is an example of inherent realism through the depictions of ordinary characters, settings, themes and accents. A comparison of ‘Fools’ with Mark Twain’s,

Moral Decisions In Daily Life

Moral Decisions In Daily Life Moral decision making is something every human does on a daily basis, modifying their behavior to obey standards of society which are based upon a shared system of values. In its most simplistic form, moral decision making is done with ethical motives in mind, concerned with the distinction between right and wrong by each individual. Moral decision making models and theories provide specific guides and rules to help individuals unravel their moral deliberations. Two of the most well-known moral decision making models in philosophy are consequentialism and deontological theory, both of which have strengths and weaknesses. The two models do share some commonality but there are many issues at which they stand at opposition. All of this must be taken into consideration before choosing which moral decision making model best fits an individual. The consequentialist moral decision making theory states that an action is considered morally right provided that the consequences which result are more positive than negative. A good aphorism for describing the backbone of consequentialism is that the ends justify the means. Provided that a good outcome results from an act, that act is considered morally just. Consequentialism can be agent-neutral or agent-focused and the two approaches are worth discussing to better understand the moral decision making model. Agent-Neutral consequentialism ignores the specific affect an action has for any certain individual and instead focuses on the consequences benefitting all. Agent-Focused consequentialism, on the other hand, is when the results of the moral decision are concentrated on the needs of the decision maker. This means that the moral actor makes their decision so that consequences resulting better themselves and the welfare of those they care about and not just the general welfare of society. The deontological moral decision making theory is a different form of moral reasoning than consequentialism for a variety of reasons. As opposed to consequentialism, deontological moral theory states that the rightness of an action or decision is not solely dependent upon maximizing the good of society. Instead, deontological theory defines the morally rightness or wrongness of an action from the behavior of the action itself, not the behavior of the outcome. Deontological moral decision making provides distinct guidelines for morally right and wrong behavior for individuals to use when making day to day choices. This deontological moral guide places a higher value on the individual than on maximizing the good for society. In fact, deontology actually has constraints to stop an individual from maximizing the good if it hinders following the moral standards of the guideline. Deontology is more open to interpretation than consequentialism, however, because it remains flexible for self- interpretation. Consequentialism possesses strengths as a moral model that deontology does not. One of the strongest points in favor of consequentialism is actually another theory which resulted from it known as utilitarianism. Utilitarianism was founded by Jeremy Bentham, an English philosopher, who believed that the best moral action would result in the greatest good for the largest amount of people. Following it allows for relaxed tensions in society ensuring that the most people feel pleasure, rather than a large amount of individuals on edge or in pain. However, consequentialism possesses weaknesses in its moral decision making too. Consequentialism causes irresolvable morality dilemmas as it requires correlating principles which cannot be compared against one another on the same scale. A resulting weakness of utilitarianism is that it is so focused on the interest of all that it overlooks the rights of the individual which can lead to injustice. The most unavoidable weakness of consequentialis m is that is does not provide any direction to its followers for which actions are right or wrong, morally. The wrongness of the action can only be determined by its consequences and by that time its too late to change the decision. Deontological moral theory also possesses its own unique strengths and weaknesses. One of the advantages of deontological morality is that it allows the individual to take into account their families, friends, and personalized plans when making ethical decisions, as opposed to consequentialism which tends to be alienating in its decision making module. By putting more stress on the self-worth and personal capital of the individual deontology results in a less flawed moral theory. Immanuel Kant, a well-known deontological philosopher, and his Kantian ethics are a strength of deontology as well because he stated that its not the consequences of the actions that are right or wrong but rather the motives of the person doing the action. This forces the agent to take responsibility for all parts of their moral decision making, not only the results. However, the biggest weakness of deontology is that it categorizes actions as right or wrong, black or white, leaving no room for any gray area despite the obvious existence of many moral gray areas. Deontology is also hard to follow because its stringency leaves its followers feeling unguided by their morals which lack prioritizing, ultimately causing confusion. These are only two moral decision making models in philosophy and neither are necessarily the ideal. It is my belief that the ideal moral decision making process must combine the strengths of consequentialism and deontology while attempting to compensate for their errors. The best decision making process must involve an individuals own moral beliefs combined with the knowledge that can be gained from studying a large amount of moral theories and opinions. Morals are subjective, meaning that each person or group of people may possess their own set which differs from those of others. This is why the ideal process must be personalized to meet the needs of the individual following it. This compensates for deontologys inadequate claim of unchanging principles known as universal law. However, it should include the aspect of deontology that forces a person to be morally responsible for their own actions as this is its best idea. By forcing an individual to take into account how their decisi on will affect them and their own rather than society, leads, I believe, to better moral decisions being made. This combination decision making theory will also make use of the principle of utility, the best idea of Jeremy Bentham, which teaches individuals to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. This combined with deontologys focus on the individuals rights dissipates the danger of consequentialism justifying genocide, torture or violence as necessary means to a morally right end. The ideal moral decision making process is difficult to pinpoint, as morals vary by individual and are subjective to different opinions from one person to the next. However, there are aspects of modern philosophical theories, consequentialism and deontology, which can be studied and used to help create an ideal guideline. Consequentialism is important because it focuses on the results of an action for the good of humanity, something which cannot be overlooked in an increasingly globalized world. Deontology forces the moral agent to take responsibility for their own actions instead of relying on someone else to care, just as important to maintaining moral societal standards. Together the two create checks and balances, which, when combined with an individuals beliefs, allow for moral decision making to occur with limited room for error.

The Impact of Computers on Education :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

The Impact of Computers on Education The introduction of computers in education has positively affected the school in terms of student achievement, administrative and teaching methods. Computers have significantly altered student achievement. The computers in schools today are equipped with educational software that greatly aids learning. From the first grade on, computers are a daily activity in students’ life. In the early grades, computer games are used to interest the young student to learn. In my tutoring experience at St. Mary’s Elementary School this year, I watched students play a variety of games. The games cover a wide range of subjects, and the learning is interpreted by the students as fun and is a great way to start off their schooling. A recent article, Using Computers to Create Constructivist Learning Environments: Impact on Pedagogy and Achievement, conducted a study of twenty-three high school physics classes and thirteen teachers. They were examined to determine the extent to which computers can altar pedagogy and student achievement. Results suggest computers can significantly alter both teaching methods and student achieveme nt. â€Å"Overall this study suggests computers can be used to help teachers create a more constructivist learning environment, albeitalthough challenging. Attempting to alter ones’ pedagogy and integrate technology into the classroom at the same time requires quite an effort on the teachers part, both philosophically and technically.† Computers have significantly impacted students’ capabilities for research. Expanding Access to Computers is an article that describes how local companies refurbish computers that are no longer needed for students who previously had no home computer. This took place in Stamford Connecticut and the program is called TechCycle. Computers provide the Internet, which is a key research tool and one of the best sources for any information imaginable. Before computers were introduced in schools, all or most of the research was done in a library, now even the library is run on the computer, which brings me to the administration benefi ts. If one were to look at Lake Superior State University, they can definitely notice how computers have positively impacted the operation of the school. In past years, if one wanted to find a book, they would have to search through the index catalogue manually. This was time consuming and a challenge to maintain by keeping index cards in their appropriate places.

Keep It in Classrooms Essay

When it comes to the topic of discussing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in schools, most of us will agree that the interactions between whites and blacks in the book cause many controversies. Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether Huckleberry Finn should be completely banned in schools. Whereas some people believe that keeping the book in school systems and developing a new curriculum solve the problem better, other people maintain that all schools must ban the book. The controversy over race, shown in Huckleberry Finn, takes place when Huck uses the â€Å"n-word† casually to talk about all blacks that he knows including Jim. The controversy over racism, also shown when the king, duke, and Huck go into a town and leave Jim and paint him blue so he looks ridiculous, may be argued because the king, duke, and Huck seem not to care about what they put Jim through. Some believe that when Jim stays at the Phelpses’ plantation in a cottage with many live animals, Mark Twain uses prejudices against blacks meaning they do not have many characteristics of humans because Jim live in a cottage and he cannot think for himself because Huck thinks for him. When my class started reading Huckleberry Finn, having an introduction to the book helped while we tried to understand how Twain writes. We discussed racism in our classroom which made me learn more from the class altogether. Although I grant that reading Huckleberry Finn may cause controversy and some discomfort, I still maintain that students should carefully read Huckleberry Finn with extra discussion and introduction about Twain’s background, style of writing, and ideas about racism. I believe that though Twain starts out the novel with some racist comments, by the end of the novel Twain proves to the audience that he is not racist. Franek and NiiLampti disagree with me in their article â€Å"Shoot the Author, Not the Reader† thinking that Twain never stops his racist comments and situations and â€Å"Twain’s other ‘hero’ †¦ acts] so stupid, naive, and subservient† (21). Though this depiction of Jim may be the way that Twain characterizes Jim at the beginning of the novel, by the end of the novel the views of Jim change because he grows during the novel and Huck also grows by accepting Jim into the novel. Franek and NiiLampti believe that by having a black character described stereotypically, black students in the class will feel uncomfortable. But instead teachers should take advantage of the moment to discuss racism in the setting of the book. The turning point for Jim’s rowth occurs when he helps the doctor by watching Tom so that the doctor can fetch more help. The doctor realizes that â€Å"he ain’t a bad nigger† (Twain 214). Jim, a noble friend to Tom, helps Tom and even risks his life in order to help out his friend. Huckleberry Finn studied in classrooms, the classic must be examined carefully and taken within the context before the Civil War although Twain actually wrote the book after the Civil War. The use of the â€Å"n-word† must be discussed before students start to read the novel because of course if the students see the â€Å"n-word’ for the first time, the written word will shock them. Huck uses the â€Å"n-word† on many situations and he does not think twice about saying the â€Å"n-word. † Huck explains how everyone respects Jim by saying, â€Å"Niggers would come miles to hear Jim† but while Huck praises Jim, he still uses the â€Å"n-word† because back when Huckleberry Finn took place, although the â€Å"n-word† derogatorily explained blacks, the negative connotation associated with the â€Å"n-word† today had not surfaced yet, and so people uses the â€Å"n-word† more frequently (5). Teachers and school boards should not ban the book just because the use of the â€Å"n-word,† and Paula Leider agrees with me in her article â€Å"Does Huck Finn Belong in My Classroom? † by saying that â€Å"when Huck Finn is taught in my classroom†¦ it must be explored with sensitivity† (50). If students start to understand the background of the book then the confusion about race will clear up; Leider explains that she likes to talk to her students about why Twain uses prejudices and what the problem is with them. Some of the same prejudices that were in place in the setting of Huckleberry Finn are still depicted today and the reasons for the prejudices stay the same. Twain has a firm attitude that depending on the situation the use of the â€Å"n-word† enhances the context and meaning. To make a more worthwhile class for students, teachers must make the students engage in conversation and provide the students with background information by starting the unit with a history introduction. Along with considering the context of the novel, teachers must note that Twain strengthens the book by adding literary value. A lot of what Twain wrote about had to do with the life that he lived and dealt with; he wants to inform the reader by telling an intriguing story. Katherine Schulten agrees while explaining that Twain uses satire to criticize prejudices from after the Civil War. Twain uses the literary tool of satire to poke fun at certain groups of people by using irony, but his irony must be obvious so that his audience understands that he is not serious. Huck and Jim talk on the raft about French people and Jim says, â€Å"Is a frenchman a man?†¦ Why don’t he talk like a man† (60). Using humor to poke fun at French people, Twain plays with French people because Twain did not like anyone foreign. In Huckleberry Finn the use of satire, a great literary tool that Twain uses, adds light fun and humor to the novel along with provoking thought. Huckleberry Finn has great literary value; the book can not be banned just because of racism. Marge Kraemer agrees in Schulten’s article â€Å" ‘Huck Finn’: Born to Trouble†: â€Å"I’d rather change my approach to a novel than lose the right to teach it† because in her school system the teachers decided to make a curriculum that pleases both sides of the argument (59). I agree with the decision that the Cherry Hill school community made because by keeping the novel the students can still study the literary value of the book. Students should read Huckleberry Finn in schools because the book has a great literary value and teachers can use the time reading to book to discuss racism. Suggestions to teachers may include: discussion of racism in the setting of Huck Finn, racism today, and how we deal with racism. To strengthen race relations, teachers need to convey to their students that they can speak up and disagree at anytime with what is said in the book because that makes the students more active readers. Ernest Hemingway says in his book Green Hills of Africa that â€Å"all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. † I agree with his statement because the book leads all other books and if Huckleberry Finn is ban, future generations will not be able to study one of the greatest pieces of American literature.

Learning English Opinion Essary

———-Task———- The following statement was recently printed in a local newspaper: â€Å"English is the only foreign language worth learning. † Your teacher has now asked you to write a composition giving your opinion on this subject. ———-Compositions———- Nowadays there is an opinion that English is the most popular language and it is the only foreign language worth learning and I want to express the reasons for it.To begin with, English is an international language, which is known almost in every country, consequently it is used in different international negotiations, competitions, events as well as in airports and businesses. Furthermore, if you have a desire to be a successful and educated person it is better to learn English, due to the fact that when you are on a work, there are many international partners with whom you have to communicate and solve different problems. In addition to this, i f you know this language, you obviously have a perfect opportunity to occupy a position in a foreign company.Alternatively, it goes without saying that there are other languages worth learning. I believe that the importance of language depends on the economic development of the country, therefore nowadays the popularity of some other languages has grown, for instance Chinese. However, English continues being the most demanded. All things considered, if you know English you can not only easily cope with any difficulties in getting a job as you have an advantage over your counterparts, but also travel abroad everywhere you like.

The Oil and Gas Industry

The Oil and Gas Industry Background The oil and gas industry is the means for Nigeria’s economy. The upstream oil and gas industry remains the most important sector of the country’s economy.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The Oil and Gas Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Statistical Energy Survey by BP 2012 estimated that â€Å"Nigeria had oil reserves of 37.2 billion barrels at the end of 2011, equivalent to 41.4 years of current production and 2.25 % of the worlds reserves while the country produced an average of 2457.3 thousand barrels of crude oil per day in 2011, which represented 2.93% of the world† (MBendi, 2013). According the BP Statistical Energy Survey 2011, Nigeria had 5.29 trillion cubic metres of gas. However, a poor infrastructure has affected the distribution of the gas. It flares 75 percent and re-injects 12 percent of the gas produced. However, the country wanted a zero percent flare by 2010. The government also intended to increase revenues from export of gas by 50 percent. The country’s downstream oil and gas industry also has important roles in the sector. However, it faces a myriad of challenges, such as fire, poor management, corruption, sabotage, vandalism, and poor maintenance. As a result, such refineries have never â€Å"operated above 40 percent capacity† (MBendi, 2013). Therefore, the country cannot meet the internal demand for oil and gas, and it has turned to imports in order to supplement the shortage. The country has an active petrochemical industry based on its refining abilities and demands. The current situation of Nigeria is risky for production and proper management of the sector. For instance, Nigeria experiences political unrest, border problems, and inadequate funding from the government coupled with corruption. Such problems have affected the promotion of best practices in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria. Information techno logy in the oil and gas industry Technological developments in the oil and gas industry have transformed the sector in advanced areas like the US (NaturalGas.org, 2011). There are innovations that have changed the oil and gas industry in many OPEC member states. Consequently, the roles of technology in oil and gas industry, particularly in explorations and productions have had deep impacts on the potential of the sector.Advertising Looking for dissertation on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The applications of information technology (IT) and other innovations in exploration and production of oil and gas have equipped the sector with the required practices and equipment for continuous efficiency in production of oil and gas to meet the world demands. The aims of the IT and other innovations are to ensure safe exploration and production and environmental friendly practices. Usages of such technol ogies in exploration and production aim to mitigate challenges that arise from ‘unconventional’ sources of natural gas like shale rock. Specifically, agendas of IT in the oil and gas industry have been to provide superior and integrated database with high-end visualisation and communication capabilities for oil and gas information management. Such innovations are also useful in managing petroleum geological information and improving observation of the sector. The overall aim is to improve production through efficient drilling quality that protects the environment, and reduce costs. Some major oil and gas firms like Chevron, Shell, Mobil, and BP also work in Nigeria. They have applied information technology in their practices in the sector. The involvement and activities of these firms remain extensive and critical for the success of the country’s oil and gas industry. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the impact of information technology in the oil and g as industry in Nigeria. Study problems The cost of oil and gas exploration in Nigeria is high due to a myriad of challenges in the sector. For instance, there is a slow rate of gathering data that are fundamental for seismic activities, reservoir characteristics, and monitoring. Moreover, availability and sharing of data are also challenges in the sector. As a result, the cost of drilling has increased. However, IT in the industry should enhance efficiency, protect the environment, eliminate emissions, and improve identification, mapping, and understanding of source rocks.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The Oil and Gas Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Objectives This study aims to indentify impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria. Specifically, the study shall show how adoption of information technology in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria has affected various area s. To investigate the effect of information technology on cost of production To assess the level of efficiency as a result of adopting information technology in the industry To highlight impacts of information technology on risk mitigation and management in the oil and gas industry To investigate effectiveness of information technology in production processes To assess the environmental impacts of adopting information technology the oil and gas industry of Nigeria These are the most critical considerations for the use of information technology in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Relevance of the research Limited data exist on the impact of information technology in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. However, data should be available in the volatile oil and gas industry of Nigeria that faces many challenges. Besides, the increase in demands for oil and gas has created opportunities for advanced practices in the sector. Studies in information technology can help in developing th e oil and gas industry in Nigeria by providing a basis for drafting technology policies and procedures for the industry. Therefore, the research shall provide useful information for oil and gas firms, government agencies, industry stakeholders, and researchers in the oil and gas industry. Review of available literature Studies about the use and impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria are rare. Currently, there has been growing attention for alternative energy that can replace fossil fuels. However, the oil and gas industry has changed its practices in order to meet challenges of providing clean and cost-effective energy. In this regard, the use of information technology has been the most important element in the dynamic oil and gas industry because it has assisted in mitigating the environmental impacts and increasing efficiency in exploration, production, and supply of oil and gas (Edwards, Ishaq and Johnsen, 2010).Advertising Looking for dissertation on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the global level, the oil and gas industry is diverse because of various government policies, uneven distribution, and technological capabilities of workers. Players in the oil and gas industry have expressed their concerns about external risks, which may disrupt the oil and gas industry. For instance, Thales notes that exploration and drilling activities have become dangerous in many oil fields, including Nigeria (Thales, n.d). Therefore, the need for advanced physical and data security is paramount. Moreover, field operations also need risk assessment in order to mitigate risks. The process needs recognition of potential risks, the creation of boundaries, evaluation of security consequences, and developing business recovery plan. The oil and gas industry participants also note that industry characteristics are important for planning. For instance, oil and gas firms require abilities to operate in volatile frontiers, they need new skills and knowledge, understand dynamic governm ent regulations, and the need for hydrocarbon fuels. Moreover, the changes and competitive industry has favoured national oil companies. As a result, multinational firms face challenges of energy source availability as focus shifts to new oil fields and emerging markets. A number of changes that affect the oil and gas industry require firms to act now in order to position themselves for future operations. Solutions to these challenges are in leveraging information technologies in order to enhance development of vibrant oil and gas resources, improve recovery from current fields, eliminate environmental challenges, and find alternative sources of energy. Clear strategies for mitigating such challenges require a focus on information technology. First, develop performance management in the oil and gas business units, costs, assets, and various processes based on best practices within the field. Second, the information technology should address the enterprise-wide risks by developing go vernance systems that can continuously recognise and control various risks in the firm and various locations. Third, information technology should address operational excellence in the industry. This can happen through creating value to the environment, enhancing quality, and enabling cost reduction strategies. Third, the solution should also focus on people management. The aim is to align the right personnel with the right goals, activities, and processes. Information technology has to enhance decision-making in these processes (Roge, Rydl and Simpson, 2004). Finally, the effective use of information technology should assist the industry to create adaptive business model, which can integrate various value chains, operation units, technologies, and partners. Research methodology This section provides the framework of collecting the required data to meet research objectives. Howe and Eisenhardt note that in the final analysis, â€Å"methodology must be judged by how well it informs research purposes, more than how well it matches a set of conventions† (Howe Eisenhardt, 1990). In this regard, these authors argue that the research methodology must provide data that answer the research questions, has coherent background assumptions, and methods applied work well enough to provide credible results. Research method We have various methods of addressing data collection in a study. These methods address both design and measurement challenges in a study. In this research, we shall apply both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather the required data. Qualitative approach shall address non-numerical factors of impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Thus, it shall provide descriptive and interpretative information. On the other hand, quantitative research shall address numerical information from quantitative research variables. It shall permit the researcher to have high-levels of confidence in making normal inferences (Tr ochim, 2006). Target of research This research targets managers in information technology departments in government agencies, private oil and gas firms, and industry stakeholders in Nigeria. This group has valuable information about the application and impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry. Data collection method The study shall utilise a variety of data collection methods. Survey questionnaires shall provide the researcher with the flexibility of using telephone, mail, Internet, or paper to gather information from various respondents. In addition, there shall also be interviews by telephone where appropriate. The aim of the interview is to get information in in-depth about impacts of IT in the industry. The researcher may also use Web survey tools like e-mail or online in order to save costs and time. The researcher shall ensure validity of measurement tools i.e., all research instruments shall measure what they purport to measure. Thus, the study instrument s are specific to the study. The researcher shall use these approaches in order to gather data from sufficient respondents. Sampling This is a mixed research method. However, the method for sampling shall be purposive (non-random) sampling. The sample shall be large enough to allow the researcher to generalise where necessary. The large sample shall provide opportunities for hermeneutic analysis of gathered data (Bazeley, 2002). According to Bazeley, we can perform such analysis because of computer programmes that can perform data analysis from both qualitative and quantitative sources. Purposeful sampling will not attempt to gather data from the representatives of the samples. Instead, the researcher shall focus on respondents who can provide rich information on impacts of information technology on the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Such data are useful for in-depth analysis of the study issue. Thus, the researcher shall purposefully focus on IT managers in oil firms and governme nt oil agencies in order to gather a great deal of data about the study purpose. Sample size The researcher shall rely on samples from ‘information rich’ sources in multinational firms. The sample size shall also include government agencies in charge of the oil and gas in Nigeria. The researcher is yet to identify the total sample size from the total target organisations. Data Analysis The researcher shall clean data after collection. They researcher shall organise the results based on themes of impacts of IT on the oil and gas industry. For qualitative data, the research shall code common themes, whereas quantitative data shall be numerically organised (Miles and Huberman, 1994). The researcher shall use SPSS data analysis software in order to analyse data from mixed sources (Pallant, 2005). This shall provide opportunities for the researcher to analyse qualitative data after coding. The researcher shall also present descriptive statistics for quantitative data and use analytical framework approaches for qualitative data (Wolcott, 1994). The researcher shall also ensure credibility of the data collected for analysis. This process requires the researcher to describe any factor that may the outcome of the study (Patton, 2002). This ensures internal validity in quantitative study. Likewise, the researcher shall ensure external validity of the study by ensuring transferability. The researcher shall describe research contexts and assumptions. The researcher shall then present the study outcome through presentations to the professors, institutions, students, and other related stakeholders. Ethical issues The researcher shall observe all principles of ethics in research as Beauchamp and Childress highlight (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). The researcher shall also present the research to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval before the study. Moreover, the researcher shall gain informed consents of all research participants before the study begins (Pimple, 2006). The research shall not harm any human subject. The researcher shall ensure: Respect for the autonomous choices of persons Confidentiality Protection of all participants Not collection of personal information without the consent of the respondent Opportunity to withdraw Professional code of ethics of the university Research Timetable Time Schedule April April May June July Ethical Form Approval Literature Review Research Design Questionnaire formulation Pretest of research questionnaires Reviewing research questionnaires Data Collection, cleaning, coding and analysis Post-field study Data Analysis and interpretation of findings Presentation of research findings, conclusion and recommendation Reference List Bazeley, P 2002, Computerized data analysis for mixed methods research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Beauchamp, T Childress, F 2001, Principles of biomedical ethics, Oxford University Press, New York, NY. Edwards, S, Ishaq, O and Johnsen, Ø 2010, Oil and Gas 2030: Meeting the growing demands for energy in the coming decades, IBM Global Business Services, Somers, NY. Howe, K Eisenhardt, M 1990, ‘Standards for qualitative (and quantitative) research: A prolegomenon’, Educational Researcher, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 2-9. MBendi 2013, Oil and Gas in Nigeria: An Overview. Web. Miles, M and Huberman, A. 1994, Qualitative Data Analysis – An Expanded Sourcebook, Sage Publication, London. NaturalGas.org 2011, Natural Gas and Technology. Web. Pallant, J 2005, SPSS Survival Manual, Ligare, Sydney. Patton, Q 2002, Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 3rd edn, Sage, Newbury Park, CA. Pimple, K 2006, Protection of human subjects in non-biomedical research: A tutorial. Web. Roge, J, Rydl, L and Simpson, C 2004, ‘Wireless Technology uses in the Oil and Gas Industry’, Issues in Information Systems, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 666-672. Thales. (n.d). Security Solutions for the Oi l Gas Industry. Web. Trochim, W 2006, The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd edn, Atomic Dog Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. Wolcott, H 1994, Transforming qualitative data: Description, analysis, and interpretation, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Palm Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Palm Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model - Essay Example Thus managing large organizations which comprises of thousands of individuals and numerous groups is a mind boggling issue. This project tries to explore the performance and outputs of Palm Inc. and the way it operates to achieve its goals. The performance is measured at three different levels, organizational level, group level and individual level. Finally the project seeks to identify if the interactions of these outputs are congruent and whether the congruency is high, medium or low. Performance Analysis at three levels Organizational Level The major goal of the company is to design and create the latest technology that helps to attain the highest productivity. The company undertakes extensive research on the emergent merging technologies which enabled people to work in a comfortable and portable manner and while on move. The company uses its high end technological research and expertise for designing of the portable electronics, which are compatible, fast and better for offering their clients the convenience, speed and also compatibility. The products include computer like enhanced features which enables clients to use them with their computers or for performing computer-based functions. Such products can be considered to be organizational outputs of Palm. However, it must be noted that the company uses its research groups extensively for production and creation of such technologies. This also involves individual output of efforts of each and every person who are involved within the functional groups charged with design and production. The group design and research of electronics and also the accompanying software is considered to be one of the greatest group outputs from Palm Inc. (Nadler, Tushman & Hatvany, 2007, p.3). Group Level The company’s research groups are worth mentioning in this context. Palm Inc. employs extensive functional groups for attaining its goals and objectives. There are about 65,000 developers who are involved with the company and works on company’s software applications. The research work and development activities which have gone into the functioning of the organization have been effective in increasing its output by about ten times within a span of one year. Palm also intends to increase the number of users of its products by a large extent. In order to achieve this purpose a huge sales force is used for the same. Palm intends to increase its number of users from 6 million by more than 75% of the market. Palm also uses selling mediums like the internet, wireless channels, online stores etc. (Palm-a, 2010).This would amount to more than 60 million numbers of users. In order to make this possible the company has employed a large sales team which is responsible for developing and expanding the present market (Info World, 2000, p.77). The company has also aligned with the leading providers of the mobile field sales solutions (Palm, 2000, p.1). Palm was able to ship a total amount of 823,000 smart p hones units during the first quarter of 2010, which represented a 134% increase from the last quarter of fiscal year of 2009. Individual Level One of the primary requirements of the company would be an experienced research team which would focus on the creation of advanced level technologies and solutions to cater the user’s requirements. Moreover, a sales team would responsible for expanding on the present market of the company. Most importantly the team of software engineers and developers

Source Selection and Ethical standards Applied on the Supply Chain Essay

Source Selection and Ethical standards Applied on the Supply Chain Performance - Essay Example This generally involves having a budget for the items needed, selecting the supplies intended in this bandages, needles, medical equipment etc. This is followed by the bidding process where the bidders are invited to tender for the supplies. The selection of the most viable and convenient supplier is chosen, implementation is done and further follow up is carried out. Triage approach is one the suggested ways that thoroughly looks at a systematic evaluation of individual suppliers then gives them categorical differences (Robert et al, 2008). This process enables you to get the best deal in inventory management process by assessing the suppliers’ dealings. It also customizes the product needs according to specifications let alone the strategic location that is convenient for you. The opportunity presented here is in product specification delivery. There is often a team that is liable to undertake the whole process. The sales lead oversees everything to the customers’ fin al detail. The procurement team and the technological advancement team plus the consultant team work hand in hand to meet the customers’ target. The team will always be ready to make any amendments and give suggestions towards vital changes that would be beneficial to the hospital. The location as well the timing is all put in consideration. The price at which the customer is willing to pay is negotiated and the fairest price reached. This saves on time as well the costs involved in other modes of procurement. This is because a shortage of inventory is not felt as well as the stock levels are maintained at the recommended levels. No one time will you experience out of stock of your supplies since your target is at the core of the supplier chain manager. The whole source selection caters for production, delivery, inventory management, locality aspects, and providing information where need be. The advantages of the source selection are so beneficial to the hospital. Insourcing is recommended than outsourcing. Outsourcing of the source needs would and might incorporate all the clientele needs. The small details that are vital in such a process may be overlooked leading to failure of the whole process. The cost involved in getting a consultant to outsource may also be quite high as the work is tedious. On the contrary the outsourcing of the source needs may be beneficial in that it will not consume time for the management. The whole process is left to the consulting company. The final decision however rests with the management. Insourcing of the source needs is recommended due to the fact that the needs are clarified along the way. Any changes that need to be made are done quickly saving on time. The best opportunity can easily be identified as the direct involvement is between the supplier and the hospital. A thorough analysis can be made before the selection process is reached for clarity and the way forward needed without further consultations. Ethics po licy for the purchasing department: Personal integrity and professionalism – each and every individual who will be involved in the supply chain should be honest, have due diligence and be caring. Respects should be portrayed towards the clientele as well as to their colleagues. The entire group should maintain confidentiality in their work. Information shared to the public should not be outside the context that is allowed by the hospital management. Accountability and transparency –

INternational Corporate Communications in KFC Essay

INternational Corporate Communications in KFC - Essay Example Without effective communication, the business activities will become awkward and organisations will lose concentration on the operational goals. In the international corporate environment, majority of communication is external i.e. between organisation and customers, and without effective communication strategy, organisations will be unable to recognise market demand and ultimately lose effectiveness and market position (Smith & Et. Al., 1999). The paper describes the international communication strategies of KFC, which is a famous chain of fast food restaurants. The main focus of the paper is related to how KFC uses communication models, frameworks and theories in its business as well as how the company maintains its reputation and corporate ethics through proper communication media. The objective of the paper is to understand the importance and the aspects of communication in the international business environment and the way KFC has utilised those aspects in their business. Intern ational Communication Strategy International communication strategy is based on selecting the communication modes in a specific market. It is concerned about deciding communication themes in the international business environment. The choice of communication media can be achieved in terms of uniform method which indicates the application of same tool in every nation or identical selection method for selecting communication tools and media which are active in every market. Usually, an organisation requires differentiated approach as the international culture is different from nation to nation which can impact on the usage of media or availability of media (Morschett & Et. Al., 2010). The international communication strategies of KFC are targeted towards attracting the young customer segments. There are several communication tools available for an organisation in the international market such as advertising, public relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal selling. Adv ertising: Advertising is one of the most vital communication media used by marketers to enter in the international market. KFC has participated in several advertising cooperatives and developed advertisements for appealing customers. KFC had developed several humorous and Claymation advertisements as a means of communication. In advertisement communication, KFC uses differentiated approach by considering the culture of a country. For instance, in China, people prefer to maintain a family tradition such as admiration, care, assistance and friendship among others. Thus, the advertisements of KFC reflect the theme of common Chinese people. KFC applies localisation approach in their advertisement communication by considering the culture, values, and ethics of customers (YUM! Brands, Inc, 2010). Promotion: Promotion is the other communication media used by KFC to communicate about the products to the target customers. Promotion is the other method which can help to entice chicken lovers to the offerings of KFC. In order to attract young customer segments, KFC uses premium strategy i.e. providing gifts such as wristwatches, keychain, coffee beaker, T-Shirt, and toys. In several stores, KFC provides customers with numerous inducements to

Foreign Policy Roles of The President and The Congress Essay Example for Free

Foreign Policy Roles of The President and The Congress Essay According to the United States Constitution, the making of foreign policy is shared by both the President and the Congress. They are said to be working at a cross-purposes in foreign policy. Each plays important roles that are different but often overlap. It is quite inevitable to have disagreements between these executive and legislative branches. But these foreign policy disputes are actually sometimes constructive or not necessarily bad. Every so often, this can contribute to useful improvements to foreign policies. Significantly, the two branches possess ongoing opportunities in making and altering foreign policies, and the interactions between them continue indefinitely throughout the life of a policy. However, when the foreign policy is poorly served, the relationship between the executive and legislative branches becomes hostile and unpleasant. Having the accountability for check and balance between these government branches, the Congress should critic the administration of the President in the light that it is seeking better partnership with the administration in view of better governance of the country and, in this specific case, progress in the formulation of America foreign policy. The President usually responds to current events in foreign countries and thus initiates U. S. policy. Sometimes, the executive branch wants to begin a foreign policy program that requires legislation, and accordingly proposes legislation to Congress, thereby needing approval from the latter in this situation. Also, the power of negotiation gives the executive branch a dominant role in making foreign policy through international agreements, but the President must take into account congressional opinion because these agreements often require the approval of the Senate or the Congress. The latter also influence agreements by placing in legislation instructions and views concerning international agreements, indicating what kind of agreement would be acceptable. The President also establishes US foreign policy through unilateral statements or joint statements with other governments. The executive branch also establishes foreign policy through legislation, continues to shape policy as it interprets and applies the various provisions of law. Occasionally, the President undertakes a sudden foreign policy action before Congress is fully informed about it. The Congress then usually supports the President, but sometimes it tries to halt or reverse the policy or pass legislation to restrain the President from similar actions in the future. The Congress introduces many resolutions stating the sense of the House on foreign policy, and many of these resolutions are adopted. It sometimes initiates a foreign policy by using legislation to establish a new program, set objectives and guidelines, authorize and direct the executive branch to undertake specified activities, and by earmarking appropriations used in a specified way. At times, the Congress pressures the executive branch into a new direction in foreign policy by threatening to pass legislation, even though the legislation is not enacted, or by continuing to exhort a policy through many means. Providing advice to the executive branch in informal contacts is also a means of the Congress to shape foreign policy. Regular oversight of executive branch implementation of foreign policy helps the Congress as well in shaping these policies (Grimmet). The international agreements regardless of their title, designation or form whose entry into force with respect to the United States takes place only after two thirds of the US Senate has given its advice and consent under Article II, section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution, are treaties. On the other hand, international agreements brought into force with respect to the United States on a constitutional basis other than with the advice and consent of the Senate are international agreements other than treaties, and are often referred to as executive agreements. Treaties require the consent of the Senate. The Senate, therefore, may approve, reject or revise a treaty. The Senate approves most of the treaties but some are also rejected. One significant example is the Treaty of Versailles. Executive agreements are far more common than treaties. They do not require the consent of the Senate, though Congress may be notified shortly after an agreement is reached. Unlike treaties, these agreements do not supersede existing statues. Examples are the Yalta and Potsdam agreements and the Vietnam Peace agreement. In summary, the President or the executive branch can make foreign policy through responses to foreign events, proposals for legislation, negotiation of international agreements, policy statements, policy implementation and independent action. Moreover, the Congress can make foreign policy through resolutions and policy statements, legislative directives, legislative pressure, legislative restrictions / funding denials, informal advice, and congressional oversight. The Congress maintains a decisive voice in either supporting the President’s approach or changing it. Changing policies may prove to be quite complex in the short term. In most cases though, Congress agrees with the President, but often makes significant modifications in the process of approving them. It is then important to note that the support or approval of both the legislative and executive branch is required for an effective and well-founded U. S. foreign policy. Works Cited Grimmett, Richard F. Foreign Policy Roles of the President and Congress. Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division. US Department of State. 1999, June 1. http://fpc.state.gov/fpc/6172.htm.

Line Managers In Human Resource Management Management Essay

Line Managers In Human Resource Management Management Essay Abstract Restructuring, downsizing, and an increased need to focus on employees for competitive edge are levelled to be among the factors encouraging the devolvement of human resource management to line managers. However, recent research indicates that there is substantial potential for human resource specialists and line managers to share more effectively responsibility for their organisations human resource activities in business partnerships. The foundation for this is arguably commonality in opinions on the principles and practices of human resource activities. However, line managers and human resource specialists often have dissonant opinions on human resource management. This paper explores line manager and human resource specialists perspectives on line manager involvement in human resource management, theoretically and empirically. The primary work comprises a survey of the views of line managers and human resource specialists on devolving a range of human resource activities to line managers in a case organisation, Hilton Internationals UK hotels, which is seeking to achieve a successful human resource business partnership. Differences between line managers and human resource specialists perspectives are found in five aspects: understanding and ownership of the companys service and HR strategy; line manager involvement in and rankings of HR activities; HR specialists support of line managers; barriers to line managers involvement in HR activities; and the competence of line managers in HR activities. In addition, a need for more line manager training in human resource activities, together with addressing line managers heavy workloads and short ter m job pressures emerge as highly defined findings. These findings may have resonance for other organisations in devolving human resource management to the line and developing human resource business partnerships. Key Words: line managers devolving human resource management human resource business partnerships Background: Research Issue Business partnerships whereby human resource (HR) specialists and line managers share an organisations HR responsibility have recently emerged as the dominant model for HR professionals (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 2003). However, it is evident that such partnerships are generally not yet operating as effectively as they could. For the CIPD report on the role of front line managers in people management concludes that delivery of HR practices by the line is seen as an area requiring substantial improvement with HR managers tending to believe that line managers have not fully accepted HR responsibility (CIPD, 2003:2). A fundamental element of HR business partnership development is arguably commonality in line and HR manager perceptions on the HR function in which line managers are elemental (Larson and Brewster, 2003). Evidence that there is such commonality is conspicuous by its absence. Rather, there is evidence that line managers and HR specialists views on HR are generally divergent. The work of Ulrich (1997), Wright et al. (2001), Becker et al. (2001), Harris (2001) and Phelps (2002) on, for example, perceptions of levels of HR service, all point to this perceptual divergence. As McLean (2004) points out in her case study of line and HR manager perceptions of the importance and performance of the HR function, increasingly academic studies of HR are involving examination of different stakeholder perspectives. Because perceptual divergence may negatively impact on line manager and, ultimately, business performance (Gilbert, 2000; Kearns, 2004), understanding it is important. This article addresses, theoretically and empirically, stakeholder perspectives of HR in a dimension not covered thus far in academic studies: the issue of line managers and HR specialists perceptions on line managers involvement in HR. It analyses the inherent challenges from both line manager and HR specialist perspectives on line managers involvement in, and ability to deliver, human resource management (HRM) and human resource development (HRD) activities. First, line manager responsibility for HRM and HRD are discussed from theoretical perspectives. Next, primary work conducted in Hilton Internationals UK hotels on line and HR manager perspectives on line managers in HR is presented. Finally, the key findings and conclusions on the challenges in developing HR business partnerships are offered. Theoretical Perspectives Relationships between line managers, HRM and HRD are arguably changing (Gibb, 2003) and becoming more fused, despite continuing debate about the focus of HRM (Budhwar, 2000) and scope of HRD (Garavan et al., 1999). Indeed it is argued that fusing HRM and HRD is essential to provide the necessary synergy for HR to be a truly valued organisational partner (Ruona and Gibson, 2004: 49). In defining the connections between HRM and HRD, the relationship has been dubbed ambiguous and elusive (Mankin, 2003:2). The literature on these two areas largely treats HRM and HRD separately; therefore the theory underpinning this paper explores the challenges in line manager responsibility for HRM and HRD in turn. Since the advent of human resource management (HRM) in the UK in the 1980s there has been some debate about devolving aspects of HRM to line managers (Gennard and Kelly, 1997; Hall and Torrington, 1998). Indeed, the devolving of human resource activities to line managers has received much attention by both academics and practitioners in the UK and Europe over the last decade (Larsen and Brewster, 2003). Various reasons for this devolution have been cited, including restructuring, downsizing, and an increased need to focus on employees for competitive edge (Cunningham and Hyman, 1999; Renwick, 2000; and Gibb, 2003). Storey (1995), in articulating differences between personnel management and human resource management (HRM), highlights the critical role of line managers in delivering HRM. A recurrent and established feature in discussion on HRM is therefore the centre-stage role for line managers (Renwick, 2003:262). As to the benefits of line manager involvement, several researchers assert that line managers assuming some HRM responsibility can positively influence employee commitment and, ultimately, business performance. For example Cunningham and Hyman (1999:9) highlight the role of line managers in promoting an integrative culture of employee management through line management. Thornhill and Saunders (1998) signal the role of line managers in securing employee commitment to quality, while increased productivity has also been asserted as a basis for devolution of HRM (Industrial Relations Survey Employment Review, 1995). A recent Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report indicates that line managers involvement in coaching and guidance, communication and involvement has a positive influence on overall organisational performance (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003). A key finding from this report is that to gain line managers commitment to people management requires support from strong organisational values that emphasise the fundamentals of people management and leadership (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003). Devolving HRM to line managers has, however, been noted as being problematic (McGovern et al., 1997:12). Renwick (2003) posits that the new millennium marked the onset of keen discussion about the challenges surrounding line manager involvement in HRM. Challenges lie not least in the relationship between line managers and HRM specialists (Cunningham and Hyman, 1997), the ability and willingness of line managers to carry out HR tasks properly (Renwick and MacNeil, 2002:407), and line managers knowledge of company policies (Bond and Wise, 2003). Hall and Torringtons (1998) research on the progress of devolution of operational HRM activities and its consequences points to organisations making sustained and deliberate efforts to vest HRM responsibility with line managers. However, the absence of a designated human resource specialist role (Thornhill and Saunders, 1998:474) may have negative effects on strategic integration and, consequently, organisational commitment, flexibility and qua lity. Renwick (2003), drawing on the work of Ulrich (1998) and Jackson and Schuler (2000), identifies that a partnership approach to HR requires the integration of HR activities into the work of line managers and that a real partnership approach requires a triad approach between HR specialists, line managers and employees. Similarly, the involvement of line managers in HRD has been the subject of academic debate and organisational challenges. In clarifying the role of line managers in HRD, Heraty and Morley (1995) assert that activities surrounding identification of training needs, deciding who should be trained and undertaking direct training either fall within the domain of line managers or in partnership with HR specialists. The aspects of HRD concerned with policy formulation, training plans and advising on strategy are meanwhile more likely to be undertaken by HRD specialists. Gibb (2003) asserts that concerns over increased line manager involvement in HRD are valid in that it may limit the use of specialist resources in HRD. Another issue is that while line managers have been identified as one of the key stakeholders with the HRD process (Heraty and Morley, 1995:31), difficulties in securing line manager acceptance of HRD responsibilities have been evident (Aston, 1984). Research has identified f actors that may enable and inhibit the take-up of line manager responsibility for HRD. Arguably the most significant enabler of line manager responsibility for HRD is the growing body of literature on the emergence and growth of HRD and in particular HRD with a strategic focus (Garavan et al., 1995:4). HRD may be seen as providing the key connection between HRM and business strategy (Garavan et al., 2001). Business-led approaches to HRD can indeed be evidenced (Sparrow and Pettigrew, 1988; Harrison, 1993). For Torraco and Swanson (1995), HRD is not only supportive of, but also central to, business strategy. It is also, as Keep (1989) maintains, central to HRM. Therefore it can be seen that there are important lines to be drawn between HRM, HRD, line managers and business strategy. McCracken and Wallaces (2000) model of the characteristics of strategic HRD indicates that all four of these factors are integral to a strategic human resource development (SHRD) approach being taken. In this model they are expressed as: integration with organisational missions and goals; HRD plans and policies; line manager commitment and involvement; and complementary HRM activities. Within this literature Garavan et al. (1993) and colleagues identify a range of strategic drivers that are moving organisations down the route of integration of HRD activities with strategic goals, including an increased emphasis on quality and change of leadership. In terms of enabling HRD at an operational level, de Jong et al.s (1999:183) research suggests that this is a feasible option providing specific conditions are met in organisations. One significant condition may be the credibility of HRD as an organisational activity in general. For despite the relatively recent interest in, and expansion of, HRD in UK organisations, there seems to be a residual issue of credibility of the training and development function in organisations generally (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 2001). Organisational support for line managers in their HRD responsibility is important too in the facilitation of the devolution of HRD responsibility (Heraty and Morley, 1995), as is senior managers understanding of training and development issues (de Jong et al., 1999). Trust between line managers and HRD specialists is another important enabler (Garavan et al., 1993). Lastly, as emphasised by de Jong et al. (1999), line managers acting as role models in demonstrating commitment to HRD in their operational tasks may be a powerful enabler of HRD. On the other hand, a number of barriers to the effective delegation of HRD have been recognised. One potential issue that is conceivably acute in the hotel sector is the pressure of short-term imperatives (Tsui, 1987) that may squeeze out HRD activities for line managers. This factor, in combination with a lack of training in HRD, may minimise the priority of HRD for line managers (Aston, 1984; Brewster and Soderstrom, 1994; de Jong et al.1999). Untrained line managers may avoid a coaching role due to their discomfort with it (de Jong et al., 1999). Further, where managers do not reflect a belief in HRD in their operational role the impact of HRD is likely to be reduced (de Jong, 1999), the direct converse of reflecting a belief in HRD being an enabler of HRD, as pointed out earlier. Thus it is apparent that a number of challenges present themselves in devolving HR responsibility to the line in order to develop HR business partnerships. Arguably, the organisational context within which these challenges may be surmounted (or not) is a positive organisational culture, transcending formal and functional requirements, that supports change (Higgins and McAllister, 2004). Organisational culture may be conceived as the essential medium between formal organisational policy and implementation in practice (Maxwell, 2004;189). It has both a pervasive nature and behavioural outcomes, as Scholzs (1987;80) description reflects: corporate culture is the implicit, invisible, instrinsic and informal consciousness of the organization which guides the behaviour of the individuals [at work] and which shapes itself out their behaviour. In a sense, as Cunningham and Hyman (op. cit) claim, organisational culture may be an adhesive for HR business partnerships as it may support acceptance of devolved HR responsibility. The case organisation examined in this paper, Hilton International hotels, has sought to generate an organisational culture that links their HR activities to their strategic service quality initiative. This requires line managers and HR specialists in hotel units working in partnership to implement and deliver HR activities to employees. The next section of this article explains the methods used by the authors to investigate the views of both line managers and HR specialists on line manager involvement in HR, a key part of HR business relationships. Research Questions and Design Case Study Background The key strategic driver for devolving HR to line managers in the 76 UK based hotels of Hilton International was the development of a worldwide service quality initiative from a UK launch in 2001, following the integration of Hilton and Stakis hotels. This reflects Garavan et al.s (1993) assertion that increasing emphasis on quality and change of leadership moves organisations to integrate HRD activities with strategic goals. Integral to the new service concept in Hilton was the linking of all HR activities to the service initiative in an HR policy and employment package called Esprit. Within Hilton, Esprit is portrayed as being a concept directing the way employees are managed and work. It is a promise on how our colleagues are treated within the company (UK HR Vice-President), consisting of a range of HR activities. Further, HRHHHilton perceives Esprit as being fundamentally concerned with instilling a service culture throughout the organisation. In the words of the UK HR Vice-President, it is intended that Esprit should live in the hotels and [line] managers should determine recognition rather than it being seen as a Head Office initiative. Respect, recognition and reward are the key principles of Esprit. They are supported in practical terms by a comprehensive training and reward system which is packaged as a club employees join through achieving levels of training. Another central tenet of Esprit is that line managers in hotels are expected to assume much of the responsibility HRM and HRD activities together known as HR in Hilton that support the strategic quality service driver. These activities include selection, training and development, employee motivation and recognition, and performance management. Line managers are provided with support from specialist HR staff at unit and Head Offic e level. The strategic banner of Esprit is leading the organisation down the route of HR specialist and line managers having to work in partnership to deliver HR activities (Maxwell and Quail, 2002; Maxwell and Watson, 2004). In order to explore perspectives of the challenges in this partnership, views from both line managers and HR specialists were surveyed by the authors. The research questions that underpin this article are, from line manager and HR specialist perspectives: Is there a shared understanding of line manager HR roles and responsibilities? What are the key mechanisms that support line managers with their HR responsibilities? What are the barriers that hinder line managers involvement in HR activities? In order to explore the research questions, a deductive approach has been taken in developing the questionnaires, with the content being informed by the literature review, a series of semi-structured interviews with the UK HR vice-president of the case organisation, and semi-structured interviews with three hotel HR managers. Both questionnaire formats encompassed nominal, ordinal, ranking and Likert rating scales, and several open-ended questions. Both questionnaires were piloted, on consultation with a regional HR director, a hotel HR manager and an external survey organisation. The key themes in the line managers questionnaire were understanding and acceptance of Esprit, then exploration of HR activities in relation to involvement in and importance of HR including support mechanisms; barriers; training; level of confidence; and further support. The closing section of the questionnaire addressed biographical data of respondents. The questionnaire for a census of the HR specialists in Hilton Internationals UK hotels was developed to parallel the line managers survey. The survey population comprises 760 line managers, and 76 HR specialists in Hilton hotels throughout the UK. Following piloting for face validity (Veal, 1997), 10 questionnaires were distributed to each hotel for completion by line managers and one for the HR specialist in each hotel, for completion on a self-selected, self-administered, anonymous basis to address response bias (Mitchell, 1996). The response rate was 43% (328) for line managers and 60% (46) for the HR specialists. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative results. Open-ended question responses were coded into themes to enable these to be presented using percentage response rates. Quantitative responses are supplemented with qualitative statements where appropriate. Some 775 comments were included in the returns on the 11 questions inviting additional comments from line managers and some 258 comments from HR specialists on the ten questions inviting additional comments from them. A combination of qu antitative and qualitative data reduction techniques were used. Descriptive statistics, including the non-parametric Mann-Witney test to measure the significance of differences between the opinions of the two constituent groups (p The credible volume of primary data generated arguably affords a close analysis of the HR business partnership in Hilton Internationals UK hotels. Nonetheless, a few potential limitations should be raised. Firstly, the non-random self-selection of the line managers may have led to some response bias, though none has been identified. Secondly, the relative lack of anonymity for the HR specialists may have led to reservations in expression of their opinions. However, the nature of the results suggests otherwise. Possibly the inherent limitation of unique case studies, like Hilton International, in the wholesale transferability of findings is the most significant research limitation. With the importance of commonality in line manager and HR specialists on the involvement of line managers in HR, in conjunction with a lack of empirical work addressing the devolvement of HR to line managers in the tourism sector, the primary work is relevant. It may expose some key points in building an effective partnership between line managers and HR specialists that are not only valuable to Hilton but similarly market-orientated organisations. The findings reported next compare line managers and HR specialists perspectives on line managers in HR in relation to: the concept and ownership of Esprit; involvement in activities and ranking of the importance of activities; and supports of, and barriers, to HR activity. Empirical Findings Line manager profiles All 76 hotels in the UK are represented in the sample, with 34% of respondents located in Central and North England, 22% from Scotland and Ireland, 29% South of England and 16% in London. Thirty percent of the sample comprises senior managers, consisting of general managers and deputy managers, 53% are departmental managers, 9% supervisors and 7% (assistant and deputy departmental managers). Two percent of the respondents did not indicate their position in the organisation. Fifty six percent of the respondents have been in their current position for 1-5years, 15% over 5 years and 27 % less than one year. Of those who have been in their current position for less than one year, 39% have been with the organisation for less than one year, representing 10% of the total returns. Forty eight percent of the respondents indicated that they had been with Hilton hotels for 1-5years and a further 38% over 5 years. HR manager profiles All HR managers in Hiltons hotels have the same status and title. There was an even spread of HR manager respondents across the four regions with 26% located in Central North England, 24% from Scotland and Ireland, 26% South of England and 24% in London. In relation to length of service, 41% of the respondents have been in their current position for 1-5years, 50% over 5 years and 9% less than one year. Of those who have been in their current position for less than one year, 57% have been with the organisation for less than one year. Understanding of the Esprit HR Strategy Before examining views on human resource activities, it is important to ascertain whether there is a shared understanding of the philosophy of the strategic driver of Esprit as it is the foundation of HR activities (Heraty and Morley, 1995; Bond and Wise, 2003). Respondents were able to give multiple responses to the question on their understanding of Esprit within Hilton. From their majority responses (see Table 1), it is evident that the respondents do not have an understanding of Esprit that is commensurate with the Hilton conception. For the majority of line managers (87%) and HR specialists (72%) perceive Esprit as a club for employees. This majority view is represented across all levels of management, and is not dependent on length of service, age or gender. Only 26% of the line managers indicate that Esprit is a concept directing the way employees work, with a further 14% indicating that it is a way of working practices. In contrast, 57% of the HR specialists view Esprit as a concept directing the way employees work, with a further 43% indicating that it is a way of working practices. The differences across the line managers and HR specialists here are highly significant (p=.000). Further, only four line managers and four HR specialists indicated understanding of the concept and values underpinning Esprit in positing additional comments: [Esprit is] a belief/ culture system (HR manager, Scotland) and positive enforcement of Hilton as a group in the minds of our employees (line manager, Scotland). Table 1 here Ownership of the Esprit HR Strategy In a similar vein to the findings on understanding the Esprit strategy, there also appears to be discrepancies regarding ownership of Esprit that may be resonant of line manger willingness to carry out HR activities (Aston, 1984; de Jong et al., 1993; Garavan et al., 1995 and 2001; Renwick and MacNeil, 2002).The general view expressed is that there is multiple-ownership. Nearly all respondents provided three responses each to the question on this subject, generating a total of 865 responses. However in analysing these based on number of respondents it can be seen that 69% of line-managers and 59% HR specialists consider Esprit to be owned by Hilton, whilst 54% of line managers and 65% of HR specialists indicated that employees own it. Almost two thirds of the line managers consider it to be owned by human resource specialists (30% head office HR and 31% hotel based human resource specialists). Twenty three percent of line managers perceive it to be owned by senior management, compare d with 39% of HR specialists. Thirty percent of line managers expressed the view that departmental managers own it and 22% considered Esprit to be owned by the individual hotels. This contrasts with the views of the 61% of HR specialists who perceive that departmental managers own Esprit and 50% who indicated that the individual hotels own it. In the other response allowed for the question on ownership of Esprit, all respondents expressed the view that everyone in the organisation owns Esprit, reflecting the corporate view of ownership. What is starkly evident from this comparison is that HR specialists perceive that the Esprit strategic driver has multi-ownership more than the line managers. A significance value of 0.15 in the opinions of the HR and line managers on senior manager ownership of Esprit is a significant aspect of perceptual divergence, while divergence on perceptions of individual hotels, hotel HR and departmental managers ownership of Esprit is highly significant p= 0.000 (see Table 2). Moreover, it is again apparent that the general understanding of the HR managers on Esprit ownership is closer than that of the line managers to the formal Hilton position. Table 2 here Line managers in HR: understanding of roles and responsibilities Renwick (2003), drawing on the work of Ulrich (1998) and Jackson and Schuler (2000), identifies that a partnership approach to HR requires the integration of HR activities into the work of line managers. In order to obtain an overview of the range of HR activities undertaken by line managers, both line managers and HR specialists were asked to indicate their views on: the human resource activities in which line managers are actively involved; the level of importance of HR activities in relation to importance to business effectiveness; and ranking of the most important HR activities. Table 3 provides a breakdown of the results. Table 3 here The first notable point about the findings tabled above is that while all of the HR respondents opine that line managers are involved in four HR activities employee selection, motivation and morale of employees; performance appraisal; disciplinary and grievance procedures there are no activities that all the respondent line managers opine they are involved in. The second notable point is that in every activity the HR managers perceptions of line manager involvement is greater than the level of involvement as perceived by the line managers. The third conspicuous finding is that there are marked differences in perceptions in the relative value of employee budgeting and forecasting; ensuring HR processes are maintained; rewards and benefits; and performance appraisals. These findings strongly suggest that HR managers believe there is greater line manager involvement in HR activities than the line manager do and, further, some difference in HR priorities exists across the line manager and HR manager groups. In employee selection; motivation and morale of employees; and team briefings and communications, there are broadly similar findings in terms of prioritisation. Comments made in relation to line managers involvement in HR activities deepen insight into the respondents views. Twenty one percent of the line managers took the opportunity to provide additional comments on their role in relation to HR activities. Thirty eight percent of the comments relate to training, encompassing analysing training needs, encouraging employees to participate in training, delivery and evaluation. Communications was mentioned by 14% of the respondents predominantly with HR specialists, communicating HR issues to staff and attending HR meetings. Other activities mentioned by respondents include: coaching; sickness interviews, teambuilding and payroll management. Complaints regarding workloads and staffing levels were voiced in comments by 10% of the respondents, with 5% complaining about HR support within their hotel and head office. At the same time 9% of the managers were extremely positive about their role in HR activities, as illustrated by the following quote s from two of the managers: I feel I have a better/greater opportunity to be more involved within HR because of the hotels and staff itself. It is fantastic not only to be supported by our own team, but the whole hotel team as well; and I get support and encouragement continuously. I run my department as if I was HR but with the bonus of all the help I need being available works fantastic sic. Additional comments on line managers HR role were made by HR specialists and relate to ownership of Esprit, with echoes of findings noted earlier. For example, it was recorded that managers should have a role in all of the above in reality however many areas are not currently perceived as their responsibility (HR manager Central England). Another London based HR specialist indicated that managers also had responsibility for their own development, coaching and absence. Support of line managers in HR responsibility Opinions on a number of features of line manager support in HR were canvassed in the questionnaires. In order to gain an understanding of managers views on the value of HR, they were asked to rate certain HR performance aspects, with 5 being excellent and 1 being poor. The highest mean score was found in relation to line managers opinions on the working relationship with their hotel HR manager (M=3.91), indicated as an important factor by Garavan et al. (1999). In contrast, only nine percent of the HR specialists rated the working relationship with managers as excellent, with a further 59% rating it as very good and 26% as good. Overall, the mean score for HR specialists rating of their working relationship with the line managers was very good (M = 3.69), but slightly less good than the converse view of the relationship. In relation to specific support given by HR specialist to line managers, all HR managers indicated that they advised on training, with 96% indicating that they also provided support in tracking Esprit membership numbers, administrative support and evaluation of training. In addition, other support activities include coaching and mentoring of managers to help them achieve targets, specifically to ensure that they are up to date and that user-friendly policies are in place. Time management reminders; providing disciplinary advice; recruitment and retention; staff budgeting; conducting appraisals; and measure and recognise results through internal HR audits were also articulated by the HR respondents as support