My Life-Changing Decision

MY LIFE CHANGING DECISION ROSS BROWN ENGL 1301-270 SUSAN ROBBINS 4/2/2013 It was the beginning of spring about two years ago- a wet and gloomy day. I was thirty two years old, strung out on meth and homeless. Headed back to prison for the third time, I was faced with a life changing decision, â€Å"do I turn myself in† or â€Å"do I keep running and take my chances†. It was a decision that would affect the ones I love the most, my children. As I sat in the woods behind a run down, drug infested motel, I closed my eyes and all I could see were the tears in my kids eyes every time they came to see me in prison.The ones that depended on me for love and security, were now sad and scared of me. They were as lost as I was. Thoughts began to run through my head, â€Å"have I failed my children as a father†, â€Å"do I want them to go down the same path I went down† or â€Å"do I want to give them a future and a father to be proud of†. Living the life style I lived for ten years, taught me not to trust people. Especially authority figures. So the thought of turning myself in didn’t sound like a good idea to me at the time. It left me puzzled and scared.I could keep running, but the past ten years had been nothing but a continoues cycle that always landed me back in prison and left my children without a father. I’ve always been known for taking chances. Turning myself in would require taking the biggest chance of my life, trusting an authority figure and the system that I thought had already failed me. My Pastor had always told me â€Å"recovery has to start somewhere son†. At that moment, with my children in mind, I had made my decision. I was going to turn myself in.As I opened my eyes, tears streaming down my face, the day seemed to turn from wet and gloomy, to calm and clear. I picked up my phone and made the call. I was to turn myself in to the authorities within two weeks. On April 20,2011 I walked into the F ederal Halfway House. I was tired, physically and mentally. I did not know what to expect or what was expected of me. They gave me three meals a day and a hard mat to sleep on. They provided transportation and the opportunity to become stable, if you wanted it. I wanted it bad! It would require a lot of effort and determination to make it through the system successfully.Not many ex felons make it. They looked at me as another statistic when I first arrived. You only have a certain amount of time to get a job and start your recovery. I struggled, nobody wanted to hire a recovering ex con. I was starting to think I was not going to make it. I was at the end of the dead line, they were wanting go ahead and send me back to prison. On the very last day the phone rang, it was Bill Orr with Gym Bleacher Boards. He asked me to come in right away for an interview. I had to get permission from the job coordinator in order for that to happen.He was not wanting to give me this last chance at ge tting a job. Then out of nowhere my case worker, Ms. Woodson, showed up and said â€Å" just give him this one last chance before you send him back†. When I arrived at Gym Bleacher Boards, I was nervous and had mixed emotions about everything. As I sat there waiting on my interview with Bill, I said a little prayer to myself, â€Å" Lord, please let me get this job, not for me, but for my children†. Bill came out of his office and called me in and I was up front about everything.By the time the interview was over, we were talking as if we had known each other for years. Then he looked over at me and said, â€Å" Ross, everybody deserves a second chance at life, you are hired†. Within two months I was able to get my own place and out of the Federal Halfway House. Now, two years later I got my family back, a good job, and a set of nine month old twin daughters. As I look back on the day I made my decision, I realize I took a chance that changed my life. Now, I am able to give my children a future and a father to be proud of.

Preschool Graduation Speech Essay

Thank you all for coming on this special day to celebrate the graduation of the Pre-K â€Å"Rockstars† class of 2011. This is a monumental occasion in the lives of our children. It is also a time to recognize the outstanding work and support of all the staff here, the parents, and most of all the students. Just looking around at the smiling faces says so much about the culture here at our school. Each morning, my heart just melts, when I see those smiling faces that are followed by their warm embraces which continually remind me of why I love teaching and how lucky I am to be a part of their lives. I am so impressed with their progress this year and they have grown to see learning as fun, exciting with a passion that will help them as they advance with their education. Looking ahead, our children are very well equipped to take on the next part of their personal and educational lives. They have formed have a strong foundation and I feel especially confident that we have given o ur children a great start in life with the knowledge of many priceless lessons. So, To the Class of 2011, Pre-K Rockstars, â€Å"My Chickadees†: †¢ challenge yourself †¢ have a kind heart †¢ enjoy learning †¢ give back to others †¢ laugh and love †¢ And be all you can be! In closing, I would like to dedicate this poem to my special chickadees†¦This one is for you†¦. â€Å"To My Special Chickadees† I want to let know, How much you mean to me And how fast the year did go! Please come back to visit me All through the years you grow, Try to learn and love all that you can There is so much for you to know I’m glad I am your teacher I’ve come to love you so. I can’t believe the end is here. It is so hard to see you go The one thing I tried to teach you to last your whole life through, Is to know that you always be â€Å"my special chickadees† And there’s is no one else like you! So it’s with all my heart I send you on your way, with great hope and expectations for years of happiness and bliss to stay.

Business Mgt Essay

Part I. Assume you have taken over responsibility to play the lead Information Technology (IT) management role in Magnum Enterprises. Your boss, Rachel Heigl, is Magnum’s CIO. The IT management group is comprised of six people who you will be supervising. Ms. Heigl is an enlightened manager, and she believes that if you are to carry out your responsibilities effectively, you need to work with her in defining your IT management role. As a first step, she invites you to write a short statement where you describe what you see to be your role as head of the IT management effort at Magnum. Proper IT Management requires researching and discerning information technology as a company resource guiding both operational and crucial company capabilities. Using information technology to maximize satisfaction of the customer alongside productivity and profitability will ensure that our competiveness with other business stays at a maximum. In turn IT can make business processes more effective and efficient to provide said resources to customers. The lead IT shall ensure performance of the company through managing technology while encompassing priorities of the business into the role. Striving to be a partner with great initiative this business will discover its leader will have accomplished and achieved what they desired. My first role of business would be to establish the parameters and to understand the IT knowledge areas. These are made up of development processes; management challenges information technologies, business applications and foundation concepts. Concepts of the foundation are making sure the role of information systems paired with business and technical concepts are a familiarity with the end user. Familiarity of concepts in entry level information systems bind with a competitive strategy can lead to an overwhelming strategic advantage. Educating Magnum’s team upon the significance of information technology with the three roles that the business world performs in order to combine business management, software, and hardware capabilities. At the Management level, decision making would lead to significant improvements for IT utilization. Business operations see information systems as a huge support to review and collect data from financial operations, managing manufacturing processes that are very sophisticated, tracking company inventory, and productivity. The use of metrics paired with identifying trends to assist the company in making informed decisions faster to provide information about our competitors. IT  is used quite often to provide a strategic support advantage for the company. Automated inventory and ordering systems an assist with the savings costs. With this information we would need to review our mission statement that identifies the company’s functions, provides oversight on the overall goal, a sense of direction, and guides decision making. Investigating and development towards understanding how we generate money and ensuring a customer base for our company. Envisioning the business plan, mission, with current IT structure and the ability to communicate with senior leadership will guide me with necessary tools to assist the Chief Information Officer (CIO). To ensure a strategic IT plan is created in which will be shared and implemented with my team. Planning to have Magnum’s team familiar with data resource management capabilities, hardware, networks, telecommunications, and software within the company is the second area of information systems known as information technologies. In today’s society PDA’s (personal digital assistants; IE. Blackberry’s ETC.) Personal computers and network servers are integral computer hardware and are crucial in our business environment. Being extremely knowledgeable is vital to our team troubleshooting and resolving hardware issues instead of having to call anot her company for maintenance. We have the ability to break down our company’s software into two categories, application software and system software. Both types normally off the consumer shelf as commercial software instead of having an employee on the team write the software codes for these programs. I plan to ensure my teams are extremely familiar with all software programs and have a firm foundation when troubleshooting and resolving technical issues. Additionally, if not already formed, I will institute a configuration control board and implement test scenarios to ensure future hardware and software being purchased will not have compatibility issues. Also a part of information technologies is data resource management. This is essential in sustaining and maintaining our company. We will require a database management system of good quality that is capable of data consolidating into a database in turn can be accessed my several program applications. Within the past fifteen to twenty years networks and telecommunications software have played a vital role. To ensure the expansion and growth for Magnum Enterprises, we will need out network to be consistent, reliable, monetary sufficient. I would prepare the team to  either install or review and change as needed our network management system that assists with traffic management, capacity planning, network monitoring, and security in essence that our system will grow and change with modern day business culture and practices as the company expands. In order to have the most dependable and proven with the cost of it a ring network should be put into place. The next area, development processes, deals with designing, planning, identifying ideas, and implementing information systems to meet potential business opportunities. It is critical that we ensure our business management capabilities alongside our hardware and software are integrated successfully within our company. Basis within t he development process and depending upon the circumstance, there are a couple of processes we want our team to employ as resolving problems com along with our business systems. Those processes are considered or known as the prototyping approach and he systems development life-cycle. The synopsis of prototyping involves quickly developing or constructing test modules of a desired system in which we will engage when we cannot determine or classify the end user requirements. These systems would be used to assist our personnel with the capabilities to design or create an information system that will be intuitive and easy to navigate for consumers. Prototyping involves four steps with the first being investigation and analysis step. This step, requirements grouped and defined. Second, is the analysis and design step in which a model is developed and constructed to meet consumer business requirements. Next, in the design and implementation, this finalizes the model that was tested and begins the initial installation. The last step to this four step process is implementation and maintenance, which would consist of the business system being accepted, used, and maintained. Prototyping advantages are: decrease in the development time, development costs and requires user i nvolvement. This generates higher satisfaction results. I plan to employ this type of approach to small initiatives. The next area is business application for information systems. This will consist of being familiar with commerce and business applications for our employees and which are used within the company to make strategic leadership and management decisions. A few of the most used business applications within a majority of companies are accounting, human resource management, enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, customer relationship management, financial management,  and supply chain management. An Architectural picture of or IT business applications will ensure that I will have familiarity with all applications that we use. This approach will identify the current interrelationships, interfaces with customer, employees, business applications, and stake holders. We will then need to review the chart and see if there are any potential process improvements that we can make to integrate those systems cross functionally and keep operational costs to a minimum. The systems devel opment lifecycle employs the systems approach to create IT solutions. This lifecycle is often utilized for large applications and it is composed of five processes that I expect my team to know and become familiar when employing the systems development lifecycle: systems investigation, systems analysis, systems design, systems implementation and systems maintenance. The first process, systems investigation, involves project brainstorming, planning and performing a feasibility study. During the brainstorming and planning initiative, a project management implementation plan is created identifying the detailed steps that will be accomplished during the creation and development of the system. The feasibility study is critically important as this outlines all requirements for the system. It also explores four major areas, organizational, economic, technical, and operational feasibility, which determines if it’s worthwhile to invest in potential business ventures. In reviewing the organization’s feasibility, we need to determine if the system is in line with and supports our company’s strategic objectives. The economic feasibility identifies and evaluates the project’s tangible and intangible cost and benefits. Technical feasibility is assessed by confirming if the necessary hardware and software will be available or can be developed and tested before implementation. Operational feasibility is determined by the motivation, desire, willingness, and competence of the stakeholders (management, employees, customers and suppliers) to use and operate the proposed system. Systems Analysis consists of consolidating requirements and includes a detailed breakdown of the business needs and requirements of the organization. This starts with an organizational analysis from one of the business end users. This individual must be keenly aware of the organizational management structure, business requirements, and current IT systems operati ons and its proposed relationship with the newly created system. Some of the outputs generated from the systems analysis  include system flowcharts, data flow diagrams, and connectivity diagrams which aid in the development of the analysis report The next process, systems design, focuses on the design, process diagrams, business rules, and developing specifications for the hardware, software, data resources that will meet the proposed requirements for new business system. The three major outputs produced from the systems design phase are user data, interface, and process design. The fourth process of the systems development lifecycle is system implementation. This encompasses either acquiring the hardware or software or developing it from company resources and then testing the products in a test environment to see how well they operate and integrate with your existing IT architecture. If testing goes well, an implementation plan including training end users and developing system documentation will be accomplished prior to incorporating and execu ting this system within our IT architecture. The final process, systems maintenance consists of consistently monitoring and evaluating the newly implemented system. This also includes correcting errors and discrepancies not identified during the testing phase and continuously making system improvements, advancements and upgrades. The final area of information systems is management challenges. There are numerous challenges that our IT team may be faced with at Magnum Enterprises. One challenge is addressing our security concerns which involve several areas. For instance, our IT team needs be constantly vigilant and on the alert for potential competitors trying to or actually hacking into our systems to steal or damage our data. Additionally, we may also be challenged with setting up restrictions and locking down the network for personnel to only use the network and its software applications for official business. Ensuring that our software is controlled and that employees are not illegally making copies of software for personal use is another area of concern. Preventing virus attacks to our network and installing anti-virus software to diagnose and remove computer viruses is of utmost concern. Failure to maintain a secure network can potentially halt our business from being productive and resulting in thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Additional challenges the IT team may be faced with may involve expanding our infrastructure and network to address our growing business. Ensuring our network provides our employees accessibility to the data they need, wherever they require it, regardless of their location will test our innovativeness.  The company may not have a backup plan to allow it to operate effectively and efficiently in the event of a forced relocation. If that is the case, I will recommend to our management staff that we establish a continuity of operations plan enabling us to relocate with minimum impact to our business operations like a hot site for temporary functionality. In the dynamic world of IT we will always be faced with challenges, however, utilizing IT and being on the leading edge of new IT systems provides our business with many benefits and makes our organization more effective and efficient. For example, IT can be used to improve and promote new business processes such as creating an automated inventory system which will save money in additional labor costs. Another use of IT in making it more efficient and effective is that using certain software programs enables us to identify and target our top customers in terms of profitability to our business. In summary, IT enables our company to successfully plan, integrate, manage, and carry out strategies which lead to profit. Part II. Six months after you take over the lead IT management role at Magnum, the CIO, Ms. Rachel Heigl, is pleased with your work. She has just attended a meeting of Magnum’s executive committee (the committee comprised of the most senior managers of Magnum), where the CEO and Vice President of marketing have indicated that Magnum’s mediocre e-business capabilities must be strengthened. As CIO, Ms. Heigl is given primary responsibility in improving Magnum’s e-business performance. She in turn puts you in charge of a small task force comprised of representatives from the marketing, operations, finance, and legal departments. In order to advance and improve Magnum’s e-business performance operations, it’s vital I establish a cohesive team with representatives from the marketing, operations, finance, and legal departments. Their input and perspective is necessary and essential in developing a way ahead and strategic plan for the future of our e-busin ess department. Developing success with our e-business begins with marketing the company. Marketing is concerned with developing and creating an innovative plan so that the product or service can be promoted and sold. Promoting our products and services are key and critical in attracting new customers as well as maintaining our current customer base. It is important that I develop an understanding of the marketing role and how it can benefit  by using Information Technology systems. Marketing information systems support well established and e-commerce processes that sustain major elements within the marketing function and is described as a continuing and interacting structure of people, equipment and procedures to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and distribute pertinent, timely and accurate information for use by marketing decision makers to improve their marketing planning, implementation, and control. The major components of marketing information systems include interactive marketing, sales force automation, customer relationship management, sales management, product management, targeted marketing, and market research. Two of the seven components I will be discussing are interactive marketing and customer relationship management. In our environment today, marketing information systems aid marketing personnel in a variety of tasks associated with branding products and customer service initiatives. For instance, interactive marketing is largely dependent on utilizing the internet, which permits the business and its customers and potential customers to become partners in developing, socializing, acquiring and advancing products and services. With the IT department enabling this type of communication, the company benefits from generating new ideas for other products and services as well as establishing strong customer loyalty. Another area within the marketing information systems is C ustomer Relationship Management (CRM). This incorporates and automates many customer service processes. It consists of utilizing an IT framework to construct, automate, and integrate marketing processes with the company’s business operations. CRM is usually comprised of a software suite that allows a business to provide efficient, effective and reliable service to its customers. Additionally, CRM permits a company to identify and target their most important customers as well as facilitate real-time customization of products and services based on the customer’s wants and desires. Understanding the marketing department’s views and concerns enables the IT department to implement and install an IT infrastructure that will be capable of supporting various information technologies. Some of the benefits that can be obtained from the marketing department are: an opportunity to increase sales and revenue, a chance to touch new market areas, 24/7 accessibility for the customer, and more flexibility and convenie nce for the customers. The production and operations function is supported by  manufacturing information systems. Manufacturing information systems are designed to be used specifically in an operations and production environment. Different types of manufacturing information systems consist of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM), process control, machine control and robotics. CIM involves using computers to control the total manufacturing process, from design to distribution, to produce produces products of the highest caliber. Process control involves utilizing computers to oversee and control continuing physical processes. Machine control consists of using a computer based system to direct the actions of a machine. Robotics involves designing, constructing, and building machines that have the intelligence of a computer and human like physical capabilities. It’s key I understand how the operations representative depends on these information systems to operate effectively as well as their expec tations for these systems. Working together as a team will enable the IT and operations department to develop better ideas to increase the manufacturing and production process. Developing an understanding of all the accounting and financial based systems within our business and discussing these systems with the finance representative enables our IT and finance departments to plan effectively when troubleshooting and performing upgrades. These systems include but are not limited to order processing, inventory control, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, general ledger, cash management, investment management, capital budgeting and financial planning. The success of these systems is integrally connected with its information technology and services. For example, the order processing system â€Å"captures and processes customer orders and produces data needed for sales analysis and inventory control and the accounts payable system keeps track of data concerning purchases from and payments to suppliers. Communicating with the finance representative is essential in setting up or modifying these systems to meet the needs of our business. Any interrupti on or degradation in service can lead to severe damage to the business and financial services that Magnum Enterprises relies on to function and operate. As with any business, competitors are always looking for an advantage to get them ahead in their particular discipline or industry. Unfortunately, being extremely aggressive and ambitious can sometimes cloud your decision making capabilities to the point that you may  be committing breaking privacy laws and monitoring and copyright violations. As the IT lead manager for Magnum Enterprises, I’m charged with ensuring our network infrastructure and IT systems are operating proficiently. However, when it comes to addressing privacy issues from an IT perspective, opinions and viewpoints from a legal expert are necessary. In regards to privacy, several websites accumulate usernames and passwords and personal information such as home addresses and phone numbers without authorization from users. Applying internet monitoring technology within the workplace raises concerns about where the boundaries lie between personal use and public resource use. Copyright concerns and violations has become an issue with the development of the Internet and upgrades to technology. Discussing these concerns with a legal expert and implementing and adhering to strict guidelines will help prevent our company from committing these violations. In addition to the goals of strengthening the capabilities of the e-business, attention must be paid to some key technical challenges. Overseeing secure information throughout our business is extremely difficult to implement and maintain successfully. Key technical issues that may be encountered when re-engineering our e-business include privacy and confidentiality, authenticity, data integrity, access control, availability and infrastructure. Privacy and confidentiality involves businesses protecting and securing personal information while being stored or t ransmitted through email. This can be accomplished by utilizing encryption devices or firewalls. Authentication is used to confirm an individual’s identity and during e-business transactions, the purchaser and buyer wants assurance that proper identity is established. A secure way to assist with confirming identity to both individuals is to utilize a virtual private network. Data integrity means the data is correct and has not been altered while being stored or transmitted. The use of firewalls assists in preventing unauthorized users and safeguarding data. Another way to ensure data integrity is through the use of antivirus software which also aids in keeping your data free from viruses. Access control exists when you’re authorizing certain individual’s permission to restricted systems or data. Several measures that can help with access control include firewalls, access privileges, passwords, digital certificates and virtual private networks. Availability is an issue when customers and employers need information  without any disruptions. Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems, data backups and the use of anti-virus software assist with ensuring data is always available. Our e-business infrastructure constantly needs to be monitored to ensure its meeting the needs of our business. An infrastructure that is unable to consistently support the network traffic load can potentially cost our company thousands of dollars in lost sales. If the network is continually slow, increasing the speed of the network backbone will assist in providing faster and reliable support for our customers. In addition to increasing the speed of the network backbone, implementing cross-functional enterprise systems will assist in improving critical business processes throughout Magnum enterprises. A final technical challenge is ensuring all of our systems are compatible and can operate on several different hardware platforms. By having this capabi lity, our operating costs from a technical refresh perspective will decrease. While strengthening capabilities and addressing technical issues, there are management challenges within the e-business that must be addressed. As discussed earlier, our team must be vigilant in addressing security challenges such as hacking into our systems, software theft, and protecting our software applications. In addition to security issues, there are ethical concerns that must be addressed. Privacy has always been a serious and contentious issue amongst employers and employees. For instance, computer monitoring is considered by many personnel to be an infringement on the employee’s privacy and shouldn’t be allowed. However, employers argue that since the computer is a company owned resource, they should be allowed to monitor the work of their employer. In reality, many employers are concerned as to whether or not the employee is actually working and producing or just goofing off and surfing the internet. Utilizing IT equipment at work has been mentioned to cause a variety of health issues which management must address. For example, if your job consists of being in front of a computer all day, some of the health problems you may experience damage to the neck and arm muscles, eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, job stress, poor posture and poor circulation. Resolutions to some of these health concerns can be through the science of ergonomics. The objective of ergonomics is to devise and create safe health work conditions with the goal of decreasing health issues and increasing employee morale and work productivity. If  Magnum Enterprises has customers internationally, they also may be faced with political, geo-economic and cultural challenges. From a political concern, there are countries that have restrictions regulating or denying the transfer of data across their borders which can potentially result in customers or businesses from having to pay import or export fees. Geo-economic concerns involve issues such as identifying and locating personnel with IT skills to work at remote sites and communicating with personnel across all 24 time zones. Cultural challenges â€Å"include differences in languages, cultural interests, religions, customs, social attitudes, and political philosophies†. For example, if Magnum Enterprises was conducting a business transaction via a Video Teleconference it would be disrespectful to look them in the eye when introducing yourself. Before meeting an international customer, it would prudent to review their customs and courtesies to ensure a smooth business relationship. Improving Magnum’s e-business performance faces several challenges. Consulting with key department personnel from operations, marketing, finance and legal as well as addressing technical and management obstacles will assist me in charting a plan to put our e-business on the right track towards success.

The world is getting flatter, and that is not necessarily a good thing Essay

The world is getting flatter, and that is not necessarily a good thing - Essay Example The world according to Friedman has been flattened due to major political events, innovations, and companies. He also cites ten flatterers that have shrunk the world. Information technology has definitely brought the world closer and made it interdependent and interconnected, it has resulted in both economic and social integration but this is not necessarily a good thing. Companies have to plan their strategies with special focus on talent management, cross-cultural diversity and the supply chain. Outsourcing and offshoring have affected the way business work today. Networking too has had an impact on services and product offerings. Thus the phenomenon of flat world gives rise to an emergent ‘mess’ of change that confronts us each new day (Weeks, 2007). Flatness is not a new phenomenon. Members of the same industry cluster together inefficiently in the centre of a straight line. This limits competition as it creates a long-term relationship between buyer and seller due to cost-advantage which benefit both (Leamer, 2006). Flatness can increase the scope of relationships but such relationships need to be maintained which is not as simple as it is made out to be. Flatness means taking advantage of the sun-dial model and getting the tasks to be done in other countries while Americans are still in bed. Friedman does not consider the amount of job loss it has caused the US. A flat world would imply that all nations can sell the same goods at more or less the same price and people have the same culture which enhances adaptability. McDonalds have faced problems in selling the same menu everywhere and do have to make local adaptation. It is not possible to change the culture and taste of a nation even after years of flatness. Flatness would means that labor costs or more specifically the costs of production should be the same all over but MNCs start production in developing nations to take advantage of cheap labor. This just means that relationships have shifted

Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson Annotated Bibliography - 1

Declaration of Independence- Thomas Jefferson - Annotated Bibliography Example Constitution (preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments), as well an updated introduction and explanatory notes by J.W. Peltason, author of Understanding the Constitution and Government by the People.† Historians debate the similarities and differences between â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† and â€Å"The Constitution of the United States of America† and the role of Jefferson in the composition of both. Therefore it is necessary to consult this document to compare and contrast â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† and â€Å"The Constitution of the United States of America†. The is the official U.S. Government version of â€Å"The Declaration of Independence†. Its provenance, authority and reliability are implicit in the source. It is the legally authoritative version of the ratified document. It is also the core document for this research assignment. Therefore, a reputable copy of it is absolutely essential. To understand Jeffersons role in the composition of the â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† it is essential to begin with an authoritative copy of the document. This document is also easily and widely accessible. Oxford University Press is a very reputable academic publishing house affiliated with the esteemed Oxford University in the United Kingdom. The author, R. B. Berstein is an authority on the American Revolutionary era and has published many academic books and peer reviewed journal articles in the area. This book is particularly useful because it covers the founding fathers. Therefore, it assesses Jeffersons role in the period and in the composition of â€Å"The Declaration of Independence†. It also then compares and contrasts his views and role with those of Washington, Adams, Franklin and others. It provides context for Jeffersons views by placing them in the intellectual milieu of the era. It also provides assistance in determining which phrases and paragraphs of â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† were Jeffersons work and which

Why might democracies be more peaceful in their relations with each Essay - 1

Why might democracies be more peaceful in their relations with each other than with state that are not democracies - Essay Example A State is formed when a group of people organize themselves and decide to live together peacefully in society on the bases of common goals, identity, ancestry, language, culture, religion, ethnicity, history, customs, and territory. Society may also be defined as a broad grouping of people living in a common area and having common traditions, institutions, activities, and interests (Laswell and Kaplan 1960). The family is the basic unit of society, and a family is formed when two or more human beings decide to live together to pursue common goals. From these commonly accepted definitions can be distinguished one characteristic that defines families, societies, and states: they share common interests. Social scientists have observed that, normally, sharing common interests help people to live together peacefully, because each one is different and unique in terms of capabilities. Through personal experience, people learn that they cannot do everything, so they have to depend on each other. In the process, they realize they cannot have everything, so they surrender some of the things they want to get others they want more or that would help them survive. In society and among States, the balance of power between two or more agents is what ultimately decides their courses of action. The same holds true for nations and States, which is why until now, wars are fought and peace has been elusive. It has been only some sixty years since a bloody world war was fought, and less than two decades since the Cold War ended (Kennedy 1999). These show that more than common interests and balance of power, there is a third factor that governs the relationships among States: ideologies. An ideology is "a set of ideas that are in some logical way related to one another" (Ranney 2001, p. 69-70). Macridis (1992) suggested four criteria to distinguish ideologies from ideas: comprehensiveness, pervasiveness, extensiveness, and intensiveness. Ideologies that are well-developed contain five basic components: values, vision of the ideal polity, conception of human nature, strategy of action, and political tactics. Among the well-known ideologies (Ranney counted at least fifty-five, mostly ending in -ism), this discussion focuses on democracy, one of the most difficult to understand and define because many along the wide spectrum of political ideologies use it to support their aspirations, from left-wing Communists to right-wing Fascists, from liberals to conservatives. What is Democracy Ranney (2001, p. 95) defines democracy as a "form of government organized in accordance with the principles of popular sovereignty, political equality, popular consultation, and majority rule." This definition specifies that there are four principles of democracy (p. 96-98). The principle of popular sovereignty requires that "the ultimate power to make political decisions is vested in all the people rather than in some of them or one of them". The principle of political equality requires that "each adult citizen has the same opportunity as every other adult citizen to participate in the political decision-making process"; this is also known as the "one person, one vote" principle. The popular consultation principle has two requirements: first, there should be an institutional machinery through

Should gays & lesbians be allowed to serve in the U.S. military Research Paper

Should gays & lesbians be allowed to serve in the U.S. military - Research Paper Example Homosexuals need to be allowed the same opportunities as other people. Their sexual orientation does not make them lesser beings, and it should not be used as an excuse to bar them from doing things that they want to do (Carter 233). I support the idea of having gays and lesbians in the US military, regardless of whether they practice homosexuality or not. I do not see how why this group of well-meaning citizens should be judged for their sexual orientation and yet they are willing to risk their lives for the sake of this great country. For someone to sacrifice his life for the sake of his country and country folk, it requires a remarkable sense of bravery (Bourg 429). Instead of being viewed as unwanted people, gay men and lesbians wanting to join the military should be treated like the heroes they are. The introduction of the â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† policy has greatly improved matters for the gay and lesbian community in America (Carter 233). Homosexuals a re no longer required to disclose their sexuality on the enlistment forms. The policy also disallowed any military official investigating the sexual orientation of military officers. This gave homosexuals more freedom and confidence in applying for military positions. No one should be harassed just because they have a different sexual orientation from others. ... If one is to be discriminated against because of something that he or she cannot change, then that is very unfortunate because it would be tantamount to denying them their fundamental rights as citizens of America (Bourg 430). Being different should not be viewed as a weakness or as a moral wrong, rather society should embrace everyone since we all have something positive to share with others. Tolerating and accepting the gay and lesbian community may be a tall order for some people, but this should not be the case. Many gay men and lesbian women have served this country in different aspects with honor (Carter 234). When people say that homosexuals should not serve in the military, what they are portraying is fear about things that might never happen in the first place. This fear is unwarranted because it is obvious that homosexuals live very peacefully with other people, it would not be different in the military. The standard that needs to be upheld in the military is not gender ori entation; rather a lot of emphasis should be on attitude and behavior (Johnson 133). If the gays and lesbians have the right kind of attitude and behavior for military service, then there should be no problem enlisting them. There is no evidence showing that one’s sexuality may determine one’s efficiency at work. The only thing that comes in the way of efficiency is one’s determination or the lack of it. If a homosexual is therefore determined to keep the United States and the citizens safe, I think that he or she should be given the chance. If gays and lesbians are barred from military service, then what is to be said of their fundamental rights and liberties as Americans? The American constitution is categorical in the provision of equality in

Brookes Brother Firm Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brookes Brother Firm - Research Paper Example Brookes Brother already has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, as well as its own Blog. As Ralph Lauren once said â€Å"I don’t design clothes, I design dreams† (Allgreatquotes). The internet has become the dream innovation for the fashion industry. Ecommerce sales are rising in the United States and abroad. It is estimated that global ecommerce sales will reach $963 billion by 2013, while the United States is expected to reach $235 billion in sales within three years (Davis). The apparel industry is growing due to a rise in population and a rise in the income capacity of consumers in emerging economies. In the United States in 2010 the retail sales of clothes and accessories was $218 billion (Plunkett Research). Facebook is the top social media website with over 750 million users. The company must advertise itself using Facebook. Due to the lack of knowledge of the company in social media advertising the firm must hire a professional marketing consulting firm to develop a strategy to maximize the firm’s exposure to its target market of people between the ages of 16 to 30 years of age. The use of a downloadable game sponsored by Bookers Brother is a great way to attract traffic from Facebook users. The company should hire a team of young writers to develop original slogans and conversation topics to discuss on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Foursquare and other social media websites. Foursquare is a radical social media network for cellular devices.

What music means to me. Rock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What music means to me. Rock - Essay Example 27). I believe this is a thoroughly accurate and insightful comment about the role that music plays in the human experience. If we look around to the different periods and different cultures of the world throughout humankind’s history, we see music as one of the few timeless facts of existence. Music is touching, as Mr. Joel says, because it expresses the inexpressible. In other words, it allows us to connect to concepts, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and the knowledge of other people, just by the simple act of listening. Going from the beginning of my life to the present moment, I can think quite clearly of the defining soundtrack to that progression of events. Starting in the mid- to late-1970s, which was during my childhood years, I can recall bits and pieces of my favorite music. I know that classics like â€Å"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer† and other Christmas songs were still very much popular. More generally, however, I remember Schoolhouse Rock! very vividly be ing a big hit at my school and with my parents. Schoolhouse Rock! was a television program that had a number of hit musical recordings for children. I think that the social aspect of Schoolhouse Rock! helps me remember so much about it, partly because it was so incredibly popular with kids my age. I preferred â€Å"Science Rock† the most, probably because it reflected my young interest in the sciences, particularly space and physics. It would make me feel happy about my love of learning as a young kid in physics class. Also from my childhood, I remember loving Mister Rogers Neighborhood and the songs he would sing to his television audience. His voice is iconic of my time as a young child growing up in front of the television. In my adolescence, between 1984 and 1991, my taste in music started to be influenced by my family and friends. In 1984, at 11, Stevie Wonder was my favorite performer. His song â€Å"I Just Called to Say I Love You† struck me for Stevie’s great singing ability and skill as an instrumentalist and lyricist. At about 13, I began to like the music that my friends liked. In 1987, I remember Guns N’ Roses’ â€Å"Welcome to the Jungle† being extremely popular, along with U2’s â€Å"With or Without You†. Listening to this music helped me feel connected with others, just like the children’s music of the 1970s had the decade before. Nevertheless, this new style of rock music that was emerging did give me an element of rebelliousness that pop music from singers like Whitney Houston and Rick Astley lacked. Accordingly, I tended to like the heavier rock more. My taste for heavy rock continued in that direction for much of the remainder of the 1980s. I bought tape cassettes from Quiet Riot, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake, all of whom really represented the youth of that time. In line with Billy Joel’s insight, I think the music I listened to helped give me a point of contact with other young people at that time. Moving away from the 1980s and toward today, I no longer associate hard rock or metal with comfort. Rather, I find comfort in contemporary R&B music. â€Å"R&B† stands for â€Å"rhythm and blues†, and refers to music that combines elements of hip-hop, soul, and funk (George, 2003, p. 23). Contemporary R&B is polished with saxophone sounds, drum machine rhythms, and talented vocalists. In terms of finding comfort in music, I usually turn to voices like Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and Jamie Foxx, who all represent that genre of music. When I am feeling disappointment or stress, this music helps me put my problems into perspective. Because much R&B music deals with grander problems, it helps me realize that some of the challenges I face do not compare in size and scope with those being sung about in R&B music.

Management Information Systems IP One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Information Systems IP One - Essay Example It enhances transparency, reliable and also ensures lower energy consumption. To manage information flow in smart grids, technology is required. There is need to establish network and switches for power management, sensor and monitoring gadgets to follow energy usage and supply trends. The grids should also require systems to supply consumers and suppliers of energy with usage data, communication systems to transmit data along the whole energy supply system as well as systems to run programmable devices when energy is cheaper. The most probable challenge that could hamper the development of smart grids is opposition by consumer advocates. Consumer advocates are out to stop smart grids if it increases energy cost for consumers who are unwilling or unable to pay to use Web portals. Their argument is that smart grids interfere with consumers’ right to use devices without revealing facts about their usage to others. The implementation of smart grids will ensure sustainability of e nergy supply through facilitation of uses of renewable energy sources (Friedrichs, 2011). I would want my house or community to be fitted with smart grids for many reasons. It is believed that smart grids enable smart decision-making on energy consumption. It reduces energy cost and pollution. Smart grids can also detect sources of power outages faster and precisely at individual house level, which will enable utilities to respond swiftly and efficiently to problems. It will allow households to generate their own power. CASE STUDY 2: Collaboration and Innovation at Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble’s business strategy is to develop new brands and maintain brand recognition with distinct business innovation. Collaboration and innovation facilitate development of new ideas, which is crucial for product development and improvement of existing products to meet emerging market needs. Because the company’s business centers on brand creation and administration, it is crucial for the company to establish collaboration between researchers, marketers and administrators. Procter & Gamble focuses on consumer goods, which demand extensive research for better innovative approaches to develop new ideas. For a giant corporation like Procter & Gamble, identifying effective collaboration approaches is often an intimidating task. For this reason, the company has established information systems that promote effective collaboration and innovation to facilitate product development ideas. The collaboration technologies that the company is using include: e-mail: this is a presumable tool for communication that enables the sender to control information flow. Many people are accustomed to e-mails. Blogs: this collaboration method is open and permits any interested party to access its contents. It also enables interested users to comments on the blog contents. SharePoint: it enables to share bookmarks and tag content with descriptive phrases that feature in successive sear ches and enhance social networks of coworkers to enable them locate and share information effectively. InnovationNet: contain numerous search related documents (5 million) in digital format accessible through a browser gateway.

Equality and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Equality and Diversity Essay This essay examines the key factors that influence inclusive learning and teaching in the lifelong learning sector. Teaching methods will vary according to what you want to get out of the session, what the learners are able to achieve within the time frame, what materials and resources are available, what you are teaching, the needs of the learners and your personal style. This could be formal, informal or a mixture of both. Formal teaching methods include lecturers, demonstrations and presentations. Informal teaching includes discussions, group work and practical activities. As I will be teaching within the Beauty Therapy my lessons would be a mixture of both these delivery methods. Each activity within the classroom will consist of teaching and learning activities which are balanced to meet the different needs of my learners. Blended learning incorporates both traditional and computer based methods. This is commonly referred to as Information learning technology (ICT) this use of computer based technology to enhance teaching methods and resources or develop learner autonomy is widely promoted. The other main teaching methods other than ICT I am opting to use are lecturers and demonstrations. These demonstrations are very important as it would show the students the beauty routine that we would expect them to follow within their practical sessions. This ensures that students will be working to the same standard and will also adhere to the requirements of the awarding body. Practical sessions also help to explain difficult parts of the task when verbal exposition in not enough. I would also use group work activities, these particularly suit kinaesthetic learners but also when you have a group consisting of various abilities it allows both weak and strong learners to work collectively. Question and Answer sessions will be most commonly used in my tutorials. If I was teaching for example ‘the bones and muscles of the body) I would ask students to identify where muscles are on the body to help promote learning. At the start of the course the approach I will use to facilitate inclusive learning will be to carry out an initial assessment. This will help me identify what type of learners they are, I would then plan my teaching sessions to meet these individual needs by using a mix of visual, auditory, kinaesthetic teaching and learning strategies. For example I had just completed a practical demonstration to my group on ‘a facial routine’, I wanted to make sure my learners could confidently work in pairs and practice this routine on each other. A task like this would suit the kinaesthetic because he/she is provided with an opportunity to do and learn, and for the visual learner I would produce a step by step illustrated hand-out to support the routine. The Equality Act 2010 outlines protective characteristics which promote equality within schools and colleges and prevent discrimination. This includes sexuality, sex, disability, marital status and religion. In order to promote equality in my classroom I will need to respond positively to the diverse needs of all learners. Effective communication with learners is essential and it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that learners understand appropriate vocabulary and terminology and that comments are not discriminatory or offensive. As a teacher I would keep language simple so that if I have a learner from different backgrounds they may not have the same level of English as British learners. Resources used such as hand-outs, assignments and work sheets will also aim to promote equality and diversity. For example I would produce worksheets in a gender free language and also aim to promote multiculturalism by producing scenario based worksheets that use names from various ethnic backgrounds. I would also pace my sessions so students have plenty of time to take notes and ask any questions. Although inclusion is about supporting learners’ needs. It is not always possible for teachers to do this without support themselves. All teachers should be aware of the limits of their own responsibility and know when and where to access support for learners. you will not be able to get students to solve all their own difficulties. Get to know and use your institutions student services or pastoral support system: it exists to support your students, and you, so do refer where it is appropriate† Petty 2004 There are many places of referral within education; these can be both internal within the education establishment or an external organisation. The internal places of referral may inc lude student support services, learner study support centre, and counselling and careers advice. If I had a student for example who needed help with writing their essay I would arrange for them to go to the learner study support centre who would be able to assist Learners with learning difficulties or disabilities may need additional support and may need a designated support worker to support them within the classroom. A learner with dyslexia may find it hard to read text or numbers or have difficulty with writing and spelling, therefore I would produce written hand-outs and allow learners with dyslexia to present their ideas verbally or tape notes if necessary. Political correctness is a commonly used term at the moment and is used to ensure that expressions do not cause offence to any particular group of people. There are also many external agencies where learners can be referred, and which agency they are referred to would depend on the individual’s needs of the learner. This may include health related issues, family difficulties, poor attendance, or repeated challenging behaviour. The purpose of referring a learner to an external support agency is to support an individual student and to help them overcome their difficulties which are impacting on their education. For example if I had a student who was constantly disruptive in class and had a record of aggressive behaviour I would refer them to the Pupil Referral Unit. They would help and encourage the learner to be involved in the learning process, but in a smaller environment where they be in a much smaller group (3-4 learners) and also receive one-to-one support. Functional skills such as literacy, numeracy and ICT can be easily integrated into my lessons. These activities will meet both literacy and numeracy standards but are more easily understood by the learner. An example of this would be an assignment covering salon duties. I would ask the students to produce a sales ledger for stock to be re-ordered from our supplier. This would include maths as the student would have to calculate the cost of goods and also the total value of the order, it would include English as the student needs to produce the document and ICT as the student would have to present it in a typed format. The best way to establish ground rules with my learners is to negotiate them. The rules should be appropriate and fair and agreed as a whole class. As a teacher, I would establish ground rules during the first session, and plan a short activity around this. The class could discuss what is expected of them and write the rules in small groups. I would also list a few ground rules and then negotiate them as a class. This gives all learners the opportunity to be included and involved and as they have decided on the rules they are also more likely to respect them. When establishing ground rules it is important to ensure they are clear and brief and start positively rather than with ‘do not’. Once the rules have been established I would ask the learners to write them on some flipchart paper and hang them up in the class so that they are visible to all. It is also important to reinforce the rules consistently and to phrase learners when rules have been adhered to. I feel this method would motivate learners and also model good behaviour. Some rules may not be able to be negotiated. For example when the students come into class they must be wearing their salon uniforms and hair must be tied back. As a teacher even though I have designed my lessons to meet everyone’s needs I still need to ensure that my learners are motivated and want to learn. Maslow (1970) argues that basic needs such a food, safety, love and belonging and self-esteem need to be met in order for them to achieve their goals and aspirations. Everyone is motivated through either Intrinsic (because they want to learn) or extrinsic motivators (because they have to i. e. better job prospects). â€Å"A good teacher will play to the strengths of the learner when trying to raise enthusiasm in learning† Wilson 2004 – page 188 Other theories of motivation that can be used to motivate learners include the goal orientated theory, based on desire to be rewarded for achievement. A learner is given a clear direction or task and when it is reached there is a reward. For example I would set a group task for my learners to complete within the lesson. If they finish before the end of the lesson they are allowed an early break. If they don’t complete the task at the by the end of the session they will have to complete as homework. Albert Bandura (1994) suggested that an individual’s belief in themselves and their ability is related to what they can achieve. An example of how this can be applied into the classroom is to encourage my learner to try, and re-explain the topic if they are unsure. Through coaching and reassurance I will enable that learner to achieve. Giving effective feedback will help to improve the confidence of learners and develop their potential. Feedback should be delivered promptly and be a two way process. I would ask the learner how they think they did and get an idea if their understanding of the topic. Even if I had negative feedback to give to my learner I would end with a positive statement to incite the learner to take my comments on board and leave them feeling more positive about their performance. To conclude I suggest that inclusive teaching can only take place if both equality and diversity are positively promoted. Inclusive teaching relies on a range of differentiation strategies which may include adapted resources or additional classroom support. Depending on individual learner needs, learners may need to be referred to internal or external places of referral for extra support. .

Frederick Griffith Essay Example for Free

Frederick Griffith Essay Biography Frederick Griffith (1879-1941), who was born in Hale, Cheshire County, England and who attended the Liverpool University, was a British bacteriologist whose focus was the epidemiology and pathology of bacterial Pneumonia. In January, 1928 he reported what is now known as Griffiths Experiment, the first widely accepted demonstration of bacterial transformation, where a bacterium distinctly changes its form and function. Griffith succumbed to his death around the year 1941 due to the air raid. His Purpose and what he derived? Griffith showed that Streptococcus pneumonia, could transform from one strain into a different strain. The observation was attributed to an unidentified transforming principle of transforming Factor. This was later identified as the stuff of life â€Å"DNA† The Experiment Griffith’s experiment, reported in 1928, was one of the first experiments suggesting that bacteria are capable of transferring genetic information through a process known as transformation. Griffith went about deriving his results by means of using two strains of Pneumoccocus (Streptococcus pneumonia) bacteria which he used to infect several mice. A type smooth strain and a type rough strain. The smooth strain has its components covered by a polysaccharide capsule, which gives it the ability to live in adverse conditions and divide rapidly through a process called Binary fission. Adverse conditions in the context of this experiment would mean â€Å"protection from white blood cells† The third line of defense’s inability to phagocytize the bacteria subsequently results in the death of the mice because the capsule accommodates for the rapid growth of the same cell. Bacterial cells usually have a target organ to which it chooses to disintegrate, and in the case of abundance, the more the number of bacterial cells the more likely the host is going to succumb to it death. How the Experiment was Set up? The experiment was set up by means of inoculating mice with different forms of the same bacteria but with varying strains. The first mouse was inoculated with the rough strain of the streptococcus bacteria and the mice lived. The second mouse was inoculated with the smooth strain (virulent strain) and the end result was the death of the mouse. The third mouse was inoculated with the heat killed smooth strain bacteria and the mouse lived. The emphasis to the transformation principle was given when Griffith infused the rough strain and the heat killed smooth strain and inoculated the mouse which further resulted in the death of the mouse. Griffith was unknown of the reason why the mouse died, but with scientific reasoning, he brought up the idea that the combined Pneumonia bacteria used a transforming principle to activate the virulence, which subsequently then was named the transformation principle. Why did the Heat killed smooth Bacteria show no effect towards the Mice? Just like how we humans function well on optimal temperature, bacteria too have a set temperature to work at its potential. In the context of this experiment the virulent smooth strain pneumonia bacteria was covered by a capsule which consisted of a polysaccharide, a sugar. The introduction of heat disintegrated the capsule, subsequently making it prone to phagocytosis by the white blood cells. The rough strain didn’t comprise of a capsule which explains why it showed no effect towards killing the mouse. The introduction of heat denatured the components of the smooth train which as a result didn’t give the heat killed smooth strain bacteria, not enough potential to kill the mouse. Visual Aid Contribution to our Knowledge Shedding Light to the Transforming Principle Upon research and experimentation on Pneumococcal Streptococcal bacteria-Griffin pointed out that the information in bacterial cells could somehow be transferred between different strains of bacteria. This was long before the discovery of DNA and was an inspired piece used by Avery, Mc Carty and Mc leod to emphasize more on what are primarily the subunits of life. Griffith also wrote a paper in 1928 with regards to his experiment and how he came up with the derivation of the term â€Å"Transforming principle†. Apart from Griffins inspiring research, his findings led to the pivotal beginning of molecular biology. In 1952, other researches with the insight gained from Griffiths experiment, further brought meaning to what is the fundamental and the subunits of life by creating their own sets of experiments all interconnected with this experiment in the process of deriving the form, structure and the function of DNA in one way or another.

Selection Process for Expatriates

Selection Process for Expatriates Chapter 2 Literature Review: In this chapter researcher tried to discuss all the related studies which are done in past and are available in literature. A lot of work has been done in the literature on the topic of selection. Before proceeding to the actual topic it is necessary to look at the different methods of selection which an organization uses and see that what are the different techniques and criteria which are used for the selection of staff. 2.1 Selection: Moore (2006) discussed this as the selection is the whole process which includes choosing the right candidate for the position from those persons who have been recruited. This involves testing and evaluating the skills of an individual is required for the particular job. According to Dessler (2000) the selection is the process in which the recruited individual is whittled down by using screening tools like assessment centers, interviews, and different tests. 2.2 Expatriate selection: According to (Dowling, Welch, Schuler, 1999, pg: 154) Multinationals take great care in their selection process, however predicting future performance potential of the concerned staff is challenging at the best of times especially operating in foreign environments adds another level of uncertainty. The expatriate selection process results in higher cost to the multinationals including relocation process, allowance and accommodation apart from the training costs. (Hailey 2000, pg; 90) During the expatriate selection process, 02 conflicting forces operate within the expatriates mind. One that pulls the employee into moving to the new place, the other tends to stop him from going (Baruch 2005, pg 129). 2.3 Importance of an Expatriates and International Assignments: The world is globalizing very rapidly and change has become necessary for the organization to survive and to gain competitive advantage internationally. According to Harris and Brewster, (1999) the rapidly globalizing world has increased the need for the international assignments and many of the organizations started considering international management experience for the top management. So the international assignments are becoming an important part for the success of an organization to gain competitive advantage. As discussed by Chen, Tzeng Tang, 2005 that organizations internationalize their operation to gain success and to increase its market value internationally and for this purpose an organization needs effective expatriate who can perform its task properly. In this new era the importance of expatriate has increased because expatriates are the ones who can give an organization proper international exposure and make the organization successful. 2.4 Selection Process: One of the most studied areas for the expatriate selection is the selection process of the expatriate. The selection of expatriate has always been difficult procedure for the multinational organizations. Swaak quotes one HR executive who said. â€Å"My job is to find people in a hurry.† So this system is highly crisis-oriented and unsophisticated. Swaak, (1995) further confirms the problems for the nature of the selection process. Still and Smith (1997) report the results of Australian research, which shows that there were a number of different ways through which expatriates were selected. They studied that the most impressive and important form of selection or evaluation of the expatriate was recommendation of the person by the line manager including chief executive officer or specialist persons. Mostly expatriates in the multinational organizations in a knee-jerk reaction to the need to fill a new or unexpected vacancies overseas. Actually there are well informed intercultural trainers or a good HR professional who selects the expatriates but basically it is HR department within multinational organization who selects the expatriate finally. Managements choose the most technical and competent candidates which makes the expatriates successful internationally. Shilling, (1993 pg 58) 2.5 Types of selection Process: * Psychometric Tests * Assessment Centers * Coffee machine system 2.5.1 Psychometric Tests: According to Passmore, 2008 Psychometrics are the widely used testing method for the selection of the employee and personal development. The psychological test is always important for the selection of the employee especially for the selection of an international manager. According to the validity of psychological tests is disputed. According to Sparow and Brewster (2007) the psychologists the variation between the different natured job test is very small (Schmidt and Hunter, 1998). According to a survey done by The Graduate Recruitment in 2007 two third or about 67 percent of 219 respondents surveyed said that the results of psychometric test had some influence on recruiting and selection decisions, and 24 percent said that it has strong influence, and only 2 percent said that these test does not have any influence. So the above shows the importance of psychometric tests. According to Sparow and Brewster (2007) psychological assessment increasingly involves the application of tests i n different cultural contexts, either in a single country or different countries. Now a day the demand of cross cultural assessment test is increasing due to the increasing factor of globalization to gain competitive advantage in international market. According to Mendenhall and Oddou, 1985 one of the important option for evaluating the selection process is the use of psychological tests and evaluation devices. There are number of instruments available to measure the stress level of an individual. In 2.1 the real importance of psychometric test is shown. Psychometric tests are reliable that the selected person will be the one on whom one can rely. And obviously these kinds of tests are valid for any kind of job. The most important point in this test is that it does not include any biasness and the selectors cannot show the biasness while selecting on the basis of psychometric tests. These tests are also standard for different jobs. All the above mentioned qualities and factors involve in the psychometric tests. In other words one can say that almost all the abilities present in an individuals mind can be noticed, and the end result will always ends up in the right selection of expatriate. 2.5.2 Assessment Centre: As the assessment centers are considered to be one of the best selection techniques so according to Sparow and Brewster assessment centers will be the best idea as a selection technique to assess the competency of international managers. This is rarely the case, however. According to sparrow (1999) Even where assessment centers are used to select the managers in international settings, the key cross cultural assessment centers seems to be to design the assessment process so that it is very adaptable to local environment in which it will be operated. So there is need of cross culture assessment centers in which international managers can be assessed accordingly with the changing environment. Krause and Gebert (2003) have done study on international literature on the conception, operation and evaluation of assessment centers. He examined 281 German firms whose language was German and he compares them with the previously studied firms of United States of America. Study showed that both the American and German firms use the assessment centers but the purpose of some of them was different from the basics. For example the competencies assessed for job analysis might be identified through the use of interviews with job incumbents in 79% of US firms and only 39% of German firms. Most of the German firms rely on interviews for the selection of international managers or expatriates. So the assessment centers are considered to be an important process for expatriate selection. 2.5.3 Coffee Machine System This system was the idea of Harris and Brewster (1999) the key findings of the study show the reality of the selection process for expatriate selection in the organizations. In many organizations the selection process falls under what we call ‘coffee machine system and this system is the most common form of expatriate selection. What happens is that the senior line manager is standing by the coffee machine when he/she is joined by the colleague: ‘Hows it going? ‘Oh, you know, overworked and underpaid. Actually Jimmy in Mumbai has just fallen ill and is being flown home. I dont know who I can choose to work over there at very short notice of time. It is driving me crazy. ‘Have you met Simon on the fifth floor? he is working in the same line of work. He is very good and bright and looks like going a long way. He was telling me that he and his wife had great holiday in Goa a couple of years ago. He seems to like India. Could be worthy to speak to him. Hey, thanks I will check and speak to him. ‘No problem. They dont seem to be able to improve this coffee though, do they? What happen in the organization next is that the manger will take some decision and will have informal discussion with his seniors about Simon and then that man will be called and interviewed and selected for the required position. Accordingly HR department and financial department will be involved in the process and the formal and systematic process will be started. This method is rarely used in the organizations in particular cases when there is an urgent need to fill the position of expatriate. 2.6 Niche Assessments According to Bolt (2008) many assessment venders specialize in certain niches and offer off-the-shelf products to meet clients testing needs. However, vendors can find such persons or individuals for the company who can fit in the organizations new environment and can coop with the new organizations culture. Testing is the most important part of the application process of the candidate because testing gives the good idea of the individuals abilities and competencies. 2.7 Factors involved in selection Process: There are number of factors which affect the performance of expatriate. Dowling, Welch, Schuler, (1999) recognised some of the important and most affective factors and these are the factors which involved to determine an appropriate expatriate selection process. All the factors are shown in a model below. 2.7.1 Technical Ability: According to Hays, 1971 All expatriates are assigned abroad to complete some task weather its building a dam, running some business, or teaching it all depends on the personal technical ability to perform that task. Obviously it is important to consider the individuals personal ability to perform the required task assigned to the expatriate. So in selection it is another important area which needs to look at. Different research findings show that the multinational organization give a lot of importance to the technical abilities of the individuals going abroad for international assignments at the time of their selection. According to Harvey and Novicevic, (2001) technical and functional expertise has been the primary criterion for selecting expatriate managers for assignments. Hixon found that the selection was based on technical ability and willingness to reside abroad. If the individual is selected without keeping in view its technical ability. It can create the big problems for the multinational organizations to complete its related task or assignment. Reinforcing the emphasis on technical skills is the relative ease with which the multinational may assess the potential candidates potential, since technical and managerial competence can be determined on the basis of past performance of the individual who is going to be selected as expatriate. In fact domestic selection cannot be equal to the international selection but person can be selected on the basis of past domestic records which he has performed domestically as the basic criteria is always the same in all the multinational organizations so on the basis of past abilities there should not be any problem for the organizations to select the expatriates. This approach is also found by Foster and Johnsen, (1996) who report the results of the research into the expatriate selection practices for the newly internationalized UK organizations which shows that organizations keep in view the technical skills, and pr evious domestic records while selecting expatriate for international assignments. 2.7.2Cross Cultural Suitability: The environment and the culture where an expatriate is going is an important factor for an expatriate. So the selectors of the expatriates should always consider the factor of culture for the expatriate. Although these factors does not guarantee for an expatriate for his successes but if these factors are not considered it can lead it towards the failure of expatriate. If the culture is considered then it is always important to study the Hofsteds dimensions for cross culture and Trompenaars dimensions so these researches are explained in detail as follows. 2.7.3 Culture: Culture is always important for any expatriate selection, so it is very necessary for HR managers and selectors to keep the factor of culture in view while selecting expatriate for international assignments. There have been a lot of studies on culture and there are a lot of different definitions of culture some of them are given below. (Kluckholn Strodtbeck 1952) define culture as, â€Å"a set of basic assumptions-shared solutions to universal problems of external adaptation (and internal integration- which have evolved over time and are handed down from one generation to the next. The life style of people living in the society is called culture it includes the social, economical, political, religious, life style of the individuals in the country. According to Drennan, 1992 â€Å"whatever is going around is called culture.† Culture is the way of life of a group of people. There are obvious differences between the different cultures such as language, dress, religion, beliefs, and behaviours of the people, and there are also implicit differences between the two cultures such as in values, assumptions about how things should be. So these different degrees of explicitness are often called the culture. ScullionLinehan, (2005) So the culture is very important factor for the selection of expatriate because the individuals move from one culture to another culture for the completion of their assignment. 2.7.4 Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Greet Hofstedes cultures consequences (1980, 2001) explores the differences in thinking and social action at the country level between members of 50 nations and three regions. Hofstede originally used IBM employees answers to company attitude survey conducted twice, around 1968 and 1972. The survey generated more than 116,000 questionnaires with the number of respondents used in the analysis being approximately 30,000 in 1969 and 41000 in 1973. Hofstede identified and validated four cultural dimensions from respondents patterned answers. For each dimension, he presented possible origins as well as predictors and consequences for management behavior. Hofsteds four dimensions are as follows 1. Power Distance 2. Uncertainty Avoidance 3. Individualism versus Collectivism 4. Masculinity versus Femininity Another dimension which is fifth dimension presented by Michael Bond is Long term versus Short term Orientation was subsequently developed from a research to accommodate non-western orientations and has been adopted from the Chinese Culture Connection study. Power distance: The dimension indicates the extent up to which extend a society expects and a high degree of inequality in institutions and organizations. It refers to the relationship between supervisors and subordinates. It reflects the extent to which the less powerful members of organisations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. In organisations illustration of a high power distance score is generally represented as a highly vertical hierarchical pyramid. Subordinates are often told or ordered about a particular task but they are not normally entitled to discuss the decision made by the top management so basically the meaning of power distance is that higher the person in hierarchy the more difficult will be this person to approach. So there are some barriers for that person to see their top management. The barriers can be of different ways like the person barriers or the employee is not allowed to see the top manager or they are not allowed to attend the high m anagerial level meetings in which decisions are made. So basically power distance shows the distance between a supervisor and his employee. Uncertainty avoidance: This refers to the degree to which a society prefers predictability, security and stability. According to Hofsted the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations. He argued that high uncertainty avoidance is expressed for example by a companys need for regulations which tends to minimize in the behaviour of its employees. Company rules are such thing which cannot be broken by the employees even if he think that breaking the rule is in companys best interest in such sort of environment the work stress is more and uncertainty avoidance is high. On the other hands if the employees are less affected by uncertainty is called low uncertainty avoidance. Individualism-Collectivism: this dimension relates to the extent to which people prefer to take care of themselves and their immediate families rather than being bound to some wider collectively such as extended family. Hofsted ask the IBM individuals that how important is to keep in view his work goals rather than the organisation. If there is preferred work goals stress dependence on organisation. For example good physical working condition, good ventilation enough space individualism in the work place can be seen. Collectivism can be seen in preference of collective organisation. Masculinity-Femininity: Masculine societies value assertiveness, competitiveness and materialism as opposed to the feminine values of relationships and the quality of life. Males tend to express preferences for assertiveness recognition when doing good job. On the other hand females prefer the aspect of interpersonal work. Michele Bonds Research about cultural dimensions: Another dimension which is mentioned above is Long-term versus Short -term Orientation. In 1987 a questionnaire was developed by Michele bond with the project Chinese Culture Connection (CCC). He developed a questionnaire representing fundamental and basic values of Chinese people. This questionnaire was then given to the students of 23 Asian and non Asian countries. The statistical analysis developed four different dimensions. Three out of four were same as it was of Hofsteds the fifth was different from Hofsted. 2.7.5 Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner Like Hofsted Trompenaar also studied different dimensions of cultures. According to him different culture deals with different universal problems. He proposed three problems which are as follows 1. Social Interaction 2. Passage of time 3. Relationship to the Environment These cultural dimensions describe the characteristics that each culture provides an answer to three fundamental problems. In multinational and international organizations cultural dimensions will be based on the the responses of the managers. The dimensions found by the Tropenaar and Hampden is discussed in detail as below. 2.7.6 Trompennars Cultural Dimensions The Trompenaars cultural dimensions are discussed as follows. Neutral versus Affective: This dimension is particularly based on the certain situation. Trompenaar measured this dimension with the particular question which was how would you behave if you face any problem at work and you feel upset about it? Would you express your feelings openly before other peoples? The answers and responses were different from different countries. The resulting cultural dimension tells us that in particular countries emotion is being displayed together with rationale arguments. This may be confusing for the people coming from the culture where rational argument is provided instead of emotions so that dimension was recognized by Tropmpanaar Individualism versus Communitarianism: this dimension of trompanaar resembles to the dimension of Hofsted which is on employees. This dimension mainly focuses on employees goals within an organization the way they work within an organization and their responsibilities. Universalism versus Practiclarism: This dimension is about the personal behavior and its implement on universal rules for example not telling lie and following the rules and regulations. People can either consider that principles apply whatever the situation, or specificity of each situation determines whether one should apply them or not. Achievement versus Ascription: This dimension is tells us about the personal achievement of the employees within an organization. In the work environment which is achievement versus ascription the employees judge themselves at their own and make decisions. They are also motivated to work more good and to work more hard within the organization. Specify versus Diffuseness: this type of dimension tells us that in most of the cultures the people compartmentalize themselves and divide their work in different phases. Being good friend at work does never means that they should know each other family and of course for good relatives its not necessary to know their work environment. For example a manager will never meet its subordinate while playing golf, he will instead meet some golf coach or golf specialist to improve his game. So that is kind of culture which describe such kind of dimension. Sequential versus Synchronic the time is divided in to two main themes to perform in certain time frame and orientation. Hall, 1959 introduced monochromic and polychromic. Monochrony is a perception that time is linear sequential and definite whereas Polychrony is a perception that time is multilinear. So these two types of times differ for two different cultures. Trompenaars, 1993 develops these themes regarding their implication for action made sequentially or synchronically in an organization. Inner versus Outer Directedness: This dimension reflects the belief either that individuals can control and influence their environment or that they limited ability to do so. Consequences for management are reflected for example in strategic plan either they will tend to plan and provoke changes or try to take best advantage of the available situation. 2.7.7 Family Requirements: Family factors composed of five criteria: marital status, children, spouses attitude, spouses employment and spouse adjustment (Chen, TzengTang, 2005). It is always important for the HR department of MNE to consider the personal life of an expatriate. So the contribution of the family particularly spouse plays an important role for the success of an expatriate for the completion of international assignment. Black and Stephens examined the influence of the spouse on American expatriate adjustment. They surveyed 220 U.S expatriates and their spouses working in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, they found that the adjustment of the expatriate working abroad for international assignment is positively related to the spouses adjustment. The adjustment of the spouse is highly correlated with the adjustment of the expatriate. Likewise there was an Australian research into the psychological impact of relocation on the partners of 58 expatriate managers. They found that the decisions which were ma de by most of the expatriates to relocate highly depend on the decision of his partner. The above two mentioned researches show that the family of the expatriate highly depends upon the settlement of expatriate abroad. 2.7.8 Country/Cultural Requirements: The host country may be an important determinant. Some regions and countries are hard to adjust like the remote areas away from the cities, or the war zone countries and now days there are some countries which are not safe as far as terrorism is concerned. Accompanying the family members will again be a big responsibility for the multinational organizations. In most of the countries where it is very hard for the Europeans to go for example the country like Saudi Arabia has got the culture according to which women have to cover their heads and cover them properly so it will be a bit hard for the family of western expatriate to adjust in that culture. Or this can be vice versa as well. Weather is another important factor for the countries and it is a bit hard for the expatriates to adjust themselves in the different weather from their host country. Black and Mandenhall (1990) argued about the cross cultural adjustment cross cultural adjustment that it can be facilitated if the expatria tes have awareness of the norms and behaviors of the host country. 2.7.9 MNE Requirements: Multinational may consider the proportion of expatriates to local staff when making selection decisions mainly as an outcome of its staffing philosophy. However the requirements of the different MNEs is different or they may be require to use PCNs and TCNs, obviously this will react to the selection decision for the multinational organisations. Other situational factors are as follows The mode of operation involved: Selecting staff to work in an international joint venture may involve major input from the local partner, and be constrained by the negotiated agreement on selection processes. Duration of assignment: Family members tend to accompany an expatriate when the assignment is only for three to six months duration, so family requirements may not be a strong factor in the selection decision. International training development In above 2.3 the whole process of expatriation is shown it starts from the recruitment and selection, once the right person is chosen for the right job then the most important step of training starts which is directly related to the pre departure step for expatriation then the process of development of the process starts which ends up in making of an international team when an expatriate is fully trained then they are told about the nature of assignment. 2.7.10 Language: Language is another important aspect when adjusting away from home country. This ability is often linked with the cross cultural ability. For an expatriate it is necessary to learn a bit of language of the country where he is going to accomplish its assignment. According to Tung knowledge of host countrys language is important for functional head and operative jobs. According to victor (1992) difference in languages is the major barrier for the international assignments. But according o some studies and researches in the past the language sometimes is not very much important for expatriates completing their international assignments. In terms of other selection criteria the factor of language is placed lower down when looking into the factors for the expatriate selection process. As done by the price water house research 1998 they placed language at third place while determining the factors for the expatriate selection. Basically language is not any problem for the selection of expat riate where the host country speaks the same language so the problem occurs when the expatriate has to be select for the non English speaking language. But now a day the English has now become an international language and it is necessary for an international manger to learn the English language to communicate even in the non English speaking countries. 2.8 Strategic choices in expatriate selection: As we have seen above the factors which need to be kept under consideration while selecting expatriates for international assignment. The process of selection is basically used to fill the international positions of the organisation. The organisation faces several strategic choices during selection process. The strategic choices are mentioned as follows. * Internal recruitment versus external recruitment. * Individuals versus teams. * Technical qualifications versus other selection criteria. * Extrinsic rewards versus intrinsic rewards. The above mentioned strategic represent two opposite extremes on a continuum. The majority of the decisions fall in between the two extreme strategies. 2.8.1 Internal versus external recruitment Interesting findings by the recent study on expatriate selection is that there is shortage of international managers, due to growing concern of international mobility (Scullion, 1994). The shortage of international managers creates problems in expatriate selection. From an organisations point of view the selection decision is made under circumstances where the organisation has a lot of applications looking for the job of international managers. Brewster and Scullion 1997 suggested that availability of the international managers seems to be the critical variable in acceptance of international assignment The above discussion tells us that it is not always necessary that the required managers or expatriates are always available within the organisation to overcome this shortage of the managers the organisation then find some external sources to fill up the position. According to the study by Torbion 1982 and Scullion 1994 most of the organisations mostly rely on the internal sources of the organisation to fill up this position. On the other hand Boyacigiller 1990 suggested that the external market is always full of required talented managers who can work as an international manager. Here comes a very interesting question that why the most of the researcher emphasis mostly on internal selection of the international managers? The answer which click in mind is that internal selection makes the task easy for the selectors and HR managers while selecting the expatriates because as a member of organisation most of the selectors know their performance and abilities of the individuals working within an organisation. So this can give them benefit to select the expatriate with the required abilities. The internal selection of international managers becomes reliable when strategic purpose of the assignment is co-ordination and control of operations. This point was discussed by Black, et al 1992 by saying that for the good co-ordination for an expatriate in global market requires assignments of the people with broad experience in the firm including a lot of contacts within the firm. 2.8.2 Case study Barclaycard International (centralized control and recruitment primarily for overseas labour markets.) â€Å"Barclays introduced its first credit card in the United Kingdom named as Barclaycard and now Barclays has one of the major global credit card businesses which have speedy growth approach. Outside the UK, it operates in the United States, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Norway Portugal, Ireland, France, Asia Pacific, and across Africa. Barclays is currently looking to have alliances with Standard Bank of South Africa, acquisition of Juniper Financial Corporation and a series of in-country launches. Barclays employed 3000 staff, and it had 15 per cent based in the UK. To enable development, Barclaycard International recruited a group of people management process to bring firmness, management and good organization of people. Challenges were different in the different cultures depending upon the country, culture and business market of the country. The basic and first age