Theme Of Blindness In King Lear Essays - King Lear, British Films

Theme of Blindness in King Lear In Shakespearean terms, blinds means a whole different thing. Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not a physical quality, but a mental flaw some people possess. Shakespeare's most dominant theme in his play King Lear is that of blindness. King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are three prime examples Shakespeare incorporates this theme into. Each of these character's blindness was the primary cause of the bad decisions they made; decisions which all of them would eventually come to regret. The blindest bat of all was undoubtedly King Lear. Because of Lear's high position in society, he was supposed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; unfortunately, his lack of sight prevented him to do so. Lear's first act of blindness came at the beginning of the play. First, he was easily deceived by his two eldest daughters' lies, then, he was unable to see the reality of Cordelia's true love for him, and as a result, banished her from his kingdom with the following words: ?..................................for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of her again. Therefore be gone Without our grace, our love, our benison.? (Act I, Sc I, Ln 265-267) Lear's blindness also caused him to banish one of his loyal followers, Kent. Kent was able to see Cordelia's true love for her father, and tried to protect her from her blind father's irrationality. After Kent was banished, he created a disguise for himself and was eventually hired by Lear as a servant. Lear's inability to determine his servant's true identity proved once again how blind Lear actually was. As the play progressed, Lear's eyesight reached closer to 20/20 vision. He realized how wicked his two eldest daughters really were after they locked him out of the castle during a tremendous storm. More importantly, Lear saw through Cordelia's lack of flatterings and realized that her love for him was so great that she couldn't express it into words. Unfortunately, Lear's blindness ended up costing Cordelia her life and consequently the life of himself. Gloucester was another example of a character who suffered from an awful case of blindness. Gloucester's blindness denied him of the ability to see the goodness of Edgar and the evil of Edmund. Although Edgar was the good and loving son, Gloucester all but disowned him. He wanted to kill the son that would later save his life. Gloucester's blindness began when Edmund convinced him by the means of a forged letter that Edgar was plotting to kill him. Gloucester's lack of sight caused him to believe Edmund was the good son and prevented him from pondering the idea of Edmund being after his earldom. Near the end of the play, Gloucester finally regained his sight and realized that Edgar saved his life disguised as Poor Tom and loved him all along. He realized that Edmund planned to take over the earldom and that he was the evil son of the two. Gloucester's famous line: ?I stumbled when I saw? (Act IV, Sc I, Ln 20-21) was ironic. His inability to see the realities of his sons occurred when he had his physical sight but was mentally blind; but his ability to see the true nature of his sons occurred after having his eyes plucked out by the Duke of Cornwall. Fortunately, the consequences of Gloucester's blindness throughout the play was minimal, after all, he was the only one to die as a result of his tragic flaw. Albany was another character suffering from the classic case of blindness, but luckily for him, he survived his battle. Albany's case of blindness was purely a result of the love he had for Goneril. Although he disapproved of Goneril's actions, he would only mildly argue his case. When Goneril forced Lear to reduce his army so that he could stay in their castle, Albany protested: ? I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear You -? (Act I, Sc IV, Ln 309-310) Albany's deep devotion to Goneril blinded him from the evil she possessed. His inability to realize how greedy and mean Goneril was after

The Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives

The Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives This exercise will give you practice in effectively using the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. InstructionsComplete each sentence below with the appropriate comparative or superlative form of the adjective in italics. When youre done, compare your answers with those on page two. Her voice, which was always soft and melodious, was even _____ and sweeter than usual.All four boys were uncommonly lazy, but Jimbo was the _____ of them all.Of all the silly things people said toward the end of the twentieth century, perhaps the _____ came from the author who declared the end of history. Bright stars filled the night sky, but there was one star that was larger and _____ than the others.A loud voice is needed to command attention, but the _____ voice in the room seldom belongs to the most effective leader.Working in a library may not seem very interesting to most people, but Maggie believed that she had the _____ job in the world.My grandpa told a good joke, but I told a _____ one.Our final exam was difficult, far _____ than I had expected.Terry went directly to the shelf filled with cheap toys and picked out the _____ one he could find.Andrew didnt think the joke was very funny, but after Karen explained it, he laughed like it was the _____ joke he had ever heard.I made up a story about a beautiful bird that sang the _____ song ever heard. Gandalf says that the ring is dangerous, far _____ than anyone can imagine.You own many ugly sweaters, but this one has to be the _____ sweater in the world. Below (in bold) are the answers to the Exercise in Using the Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives. Her voice, which was always soft and melodious, was even softer and sweeter than usual.All four boys were uncommonly lazy, but Jimbo was the laziest of them all.Of all the silly things people said toward the end of the twentieth century, perhaps the silliest came from the author who declared the end of history.Bright stars filled the night sky, but there was one star that was larger and brighter than the others.A loud voice is needed to command attention, but the loudest voice seldom belongs to the most effective leader.Working in a library may not seem very interesting to most people, but Maggie believed that she had the most interesting job in the world.My grandpa told a good joke, but I told a better one.Our final exam was difficult, far more difficult than I had expected.Terry went directly to the shelf filled with cheap toys and picked out the cheapest one he could find.Andrew didnt think the joke was very funny, but after Karen explained it, he laughed like it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. I made up a story about a beautiful bird that sang the most beautiful song ever heard.Gandalf says that the ring is dangerous, far more dangerous than anyone can imagine.You own many  ugly  sweaters, but this one has to be the ugliest sweater in the world.

Assessment of the Parenting Problems in Society

Assessment of the Parenting Problems in Society Parents Just Dont Understand Before Will Smith started his big solo career as a rap artist, he and his friend, Jazzy Jeff, had a song called, Parents Just Dont Understand. It was a big hit, particularly for youth. The song was about how parents just didnt understand the trends and the way life was in those days for kids. Smith told about situations he had with his parents and his audience could easily relate to these situations, thus, making the song a hit. Smith was right on track with part of his message. Parents just dont understand. They do not understand that their job as parents is to pay attention to how they raise their children. Though there are parents who do a wonderful job raising their children, many parents neglect their responsibility in child development. In this paper, the following will be discussed: the diversion the government makes in the operation of parental duties when it steps in to discipline a young person, and the parents teaching discipline in values and morals. There are times when government action prevents parents from developing the child themselves. According to Liz Seymour, Los Angeles Times staff writer, one instance involves a high school senior. He was not caught with enough marijuana after being pulled over to receive a citation, but his school decided to transfer him to another school 89 days before graduation (Seymour B2). After his parents took the issue to court and won, the senior stayed and did not transfer. The punishment exceeded the severity of the crime. Why did the school system think that exporting this student would help his life and education? A new school will not solve a drug problem. Another case in St. Petersburg reflects another situation with a school. Greg Hamilton composed an article in the Citrus Times that was about a 13-year-old who refused to attend school. After numerous attempts were taken by the court and his mother to keep the child in school, the problem had not been resolved. The court even went so f ar as to try to reach the child by threatening his mother with jail time if she did not keep him in school. Eventually, the child was placed in juvenile detention for a few days and the mother had a weekend vacation in the pen. Did this action help the childs problem? Though there is no definite answer, the verdict may have been a waste of time. As Hamilton puts it, Where is the line between societys role in the raising of a child and that of the parent? (Hamilton 1). It seems the punishment just covered up the problem instead of correcting it. One question: where is the child now? In response to an editorial in The Columbus Dispatch, Marjorie Renspie voiced her opinion stating that parents should be given the chance to raise their children (12A). The situation involved a teen who had done some things that made him a criminal in societys eyes, and the court sent him to a juvenile detention center in Jamaica. Renspie felt that shipping the delinquent to Jamaica prevented the opportun ity for the parents to work with him. Her main argument was that the key influence a child has is its parents. The parents, in Renspies eyes, were the ones who could help this kid and sending him off would not help at all (12A). The parent should raise the child, not society. Yet, in spite of this great idea, still parents do not do the job. Amongst the obstacles parents encounter while developing their children, they overlook a few things in the process. Parents have neglected teaching their children discipline. In the case of the child who refused to attend school, the mother had neglected to teach her son the importance of school attendance. To fill the gap the parent left, the judges rule was so that they would be accountable for themselves (Hamilton 1). Recall the marijuana senior. His parents had not taught him the dangers of drugs and had not engrained in him the discipline to stay away from drugs. Both instances are examples in which the parents had not done their job and society had to step in. Parents simply need to teach discipline. Along with teaching discipline, parents should attend to teaching values and morals so they are not neglected. Hamilton writes that the people who leave their children to be raised by other adults in such things as Little League, school, and church, expect to have all manner of social graces, work ethic, and values instilled in their kids, and will stand ready to jump on the person if it is not done (Hamilton 1). Hamiltons concept: the parents deliberately neglect their role. Why is it that parents think that they can just get away with doing their job? If they are responsible enough to bring the child into the world, they should be responsible enough to teach it and raise it properly. By teaching values and morals, the child will most likely grow up generally feeling better about who they are. The child values itself, and has a sense of self-worth. No longer will the child feel apt to throw their life around as if it is a joke, rather something of value not to take for granted. In M arjorie Renspies letter to the editor, she claims that using drugs, driving recklessly, taking no responsibility for ones well-being and being a threat to society as well as to ones family are much more serious problems (12A). She was leaning towards the severity of the actions of children in the past. Actions in the past included stealing cars, serious vandalism, and other similar instances. For bad seed youth, the roots to their problems start with the individuals themselves. From there, it branches out to worse things. Both the root and branches can be signs of underdevelopment. Here is where the parent receives a sign telling them their work is not good enough. It is clear that there are times when society gets in the parents way of raising their child, yet in the midst of that, the parent misses the parts of teaching discipline, morals and values. The popular saying goes like this: It takes a village to raise a child. However, the village can get in the parents way and then there are problems. The parent should have the most impact in raising a child. Society can be there for nurturing, but the main job should be done by the parents. And that is what is missing in the world today. Parents are not doing their job.

The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of IT for the Development Literature review

The Challenges Facing the Deployment and Use of IT for the Development of Public Sector in Saudi Arabia - Literature review Example The rapid economic growth being experienced in the country has largely been as a result of the oil that is exported to other parts of the world. As a growing economy, the country needs to not only develop its infrastructure, but also improve its service delivery to the people (Benington, 2000). Information technology is an aspect of development that is sweeping across many developing countries today, and Saudi Arabia has definitely not been left behind. The implementation of IT plans has greatly helped the country improve the way its citizens get access to public services (Al-zharani, 2009). Using IT Resources The Saudi Communications Commission is the one regulates the deployments and use of IT resources in the country. Among the commission’s responsibilities include: ensuring that the communications services provided are well advanced, regulating the telecommunications sector, creating an environment for fair competition among different players in the telecommunications fiel d and securing the rights of the public to have access to information networks at prices they can afford. In short, this commission is responsible for how the country makes use of its existing structures to deploy and implement IT for the greater good and development of the Saudi public sector (Khan, 2011). Although the country has made some tremendous achievement in creating an information society, there remains a lot to be done so as to ensure that the IT infrastructures are as efficient as possible so as to serve as many people as possible. This means that the government has to consider some of the challenges that hinder the deployment and use of IT for the development of the Saudi public sector including government agencies and come up with ways to ensure that all people enjoy the full benefits of a networked society (Khosrowpour, 2000). Knowledge Workers and the Knowledge Society Knowledge workers include the valued individuals who earn a living by developing and applying knowl edge in specific areas of study. On the other hand, the knowledge society is a society that values knowledge as the primary resource used in production as opposed to labour and capital. Knowledge workers exist in a wide range of fields in Saudi Arabia. With their vast knowledge in their specific areas of interest, the knowledge workers are able to define problems and come up with solutions that affect society, strategies and help in decision making. The making of knowledge workers normally is influenced by the establishment of information technology of the places in which they are based. In Saudi Arabia, the making of more knowledge workers has been influenced by the establishment of e-learning and the availability of ICT resources. The deployment and use of IT for the development of the public sector requires the development of more knowledge workers so as to ensure that they are well equipped to deal with the IT tools at their disposal. Though the government through its e-governme nt efforts is trying to ensure that most areas in the public sector are well equipped with IT technology, there are a number of challenges it experiences (Benington, 2000). One of the challenges that the country faces in terms of knowledge worker development in the area of IT proficiency is the lack of technical skills. Very few of the employees working in the public sector have the proper knowledge to carry out some of the duties that would involve

Improving Organisational Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Improving Organisational Performance - Essay Example Performance management is considered to be one of the most regarded Human Resource (HR) functions in an organisation. In most of the organisations, the performances of the subordinates are measured either formally or informally. Effective communication regarding performance appraisal generally takes place once in a year or once in a quarter. Nevertheless, performance management is a continuous phenomenon (Armstrong, 2006). When the performance management is utilised in a proper way then the management gains numerous benefits. It has been noted that most of the United Kingdom based organisations operate periodic performance appraisal systems. However, it has been noted that most of the employees as well as managers are found to be discontent with the schemes utilised in the organisations (Keshav & Sharma, n.d.). Appraisals are incapable of motivating the employees in an organisation and it has been claimed by the respondents to an Industrial Society Survey that such appraisals do not have any positive impact upon the workforce. Therefore, it becomes significant for the organisations to monitor the way in which performance management is being practiced (Management Today, 1998). The main objective of the paper is to evaluate business cases for the use of performance management at Barclays Bank and Lloyds Bank. ... will also present the practical difficulties, challenges as well as implications identified by the use of the performance management in Barclays Bank and Lloyds Bank. The methods that the two banks can use in order to mitigate the difficulties related to the performance management will also be recognised in a detailed way in this paper. Finally, the study will attempt to find out the potential limitations or shortcomings related to the proposals provided to the banks. Business Case for Performance Management at Barclays Bank People tend to differ in terms of their abilities as well as aptitudes. There will be major disparities between the size and the value of the same work upon the same job done by two distinct people. Therefore, under such note, it can be assumed that the organisations need performance management so that they are capable of comprehending the abilities of the employees, proficiencies as well as their comparative worth for the organisation. Offering rating to the emp loyees in terms of their performance can be done with the assistance of performance appraisal. Barclays Bank tends to extend its assistance in terms of financial services in approximately 50 countries all over the globe (Barclays, 2012). Barclays Bank is considered to be one of the famous companies in the banking sector and thus it states that the way in which the employees tend to perform their operations has a direct influence upon the business performance. The team members working for the bank are well aware of the goals that they are supposed to attain. In order to manage the performance, the bank has designed numerous actions in which the employees participate. Coaching is recognised to be one of the actions where a crucial objective is to make the employees aware of their job

Character Analysis of Thomas Gradrind in the Hard Times Essay Example for Free

Character Analysis of Thomas Gradrind in the Hard Times Essay Thomas Gradrind is the first character presented in the book Hard Times by Charles Dickens. He is one of the central figures through whom the author weaves a web of intricately connected characters and plotlines. The main central features of his character are his monotone attitude and appearance that is mechanized. Mr. Gradrind’s opening speech to a group of young students during the opening scene embodies his dryness and the hard fact that he impounds in his student’s heads.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gradrind is best described physically as an obstinate carriage, square coat, square legs, square shoulders by the narrator, which is suggestive of Gradrind’s unrelenting rigidity (Dickens, 2001, p.47). During the first few chapters, Gradrind expounds his philosophy of calculating his rational self interest. He believes that human nature can be governed by complete rational rules. He is also ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human nature and be able to tell what it comes to. He lives by a joyless, pure memorization approach to education and life.   In the novel, his dull approach regarding education is shown: Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the    principle on which I bring up these children.   Stick to Facts, sir! (Dickens, 2001 p.47) By this philosophy, he was able to triumph financially and socially. Even his way of living as a hardware merchant is an implication of his fixation on hard material reality. He also became a member of the Parliament and this position allowed him to indulge his interest tabulating data about people from England. Though he is not a factory owner, he evinces the spirit of Industrial Revolution as he treats people like a machine that can be reduced to a number of principles of science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although it seems that the narrator’s description of Gradrind seems depressing, the latter also undergoes significant change in the novel which later catches the narrator’s sympathy. This is when Louisa confessed to Gadrind that something really important is missing in her life and that she is unhappy about marrying Bounderby. This makes Gradrind realize that the education system that he has is not perfect. This is also proven when he learned that Tom, his son, robbed the bank of Bounderby. After Gradrind realizes his failures, he admits to himself that he is really sorry for relying too much on facts. The dilemmas of his children made him feel and learn love, compassion and sorrow. He later becomes a humble man and making his facts and figures in greater connection with the virtues of faith, hope and charity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the book, Thomas Gradrind was a man who clings to facts and statistical objects as the only truth. He believes that these are the important things that should be dealt with in order to achieve a healthy productive life. This makes him somewhat closed-minded since he solely sticks to his own vision of truth about life. He can be quoted as a perfectionist who strives to make his children perfect and raised them with perfection. Ironically, his children cannot absorb all that he was feeding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Gradrind lives in a reality where he always depends on meanings and calculations. This trait of his was shown in his dialogues such as this: Herein lay the spring of the mechanical art and mystery of educating the reason without stooping to the cultivation of the sentiments and affections. Never wonder.   By means of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, settle everything somehow and never wonder† (Dickens, 2001 p.89) This implies that he has a scientific and mathematical approach to life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After being a prominent citizen of Coketown he later becomes one of the Parliament members. This gives him a chance to implement a one-sided practical philosophy on local schools. He is often viewed as rationalist, self-centered and cold. In raising and teaching children like Louisa, Tom, Jane, Adam, and Malthus, he sees to it that they are equally practical. They are also always forbidden to nurture emotions and fill their minds with imaginations. He also views love and forbearance as a means of regulating facts and figures. Not until Louisa runs to him in full distress of the impending misfortune when she marries Bounderby that he realizes the limitations of his philosophical notions about hard facts. Despite his stubbornness and fixation on logic, Gradrind is a great father to his children. He raised his kids well because he always wanted the best for them. He does things which he thinks will benefit their individuality. Thus, after hearing Louisa’s troubles, he makes it a point to change himself and support her in her agony. For his children, he learned to repent for his wrongdoing and became ready to change his ways that caused his children’s unhappiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The main conviction of Gradrind in the story is his utilitarian point of view regarding facts and figures. Being a man of facts and figures, utilitarianism is manifested in his view of every individual. Rather than see people as a unique person, he develops a general view of people, which focuses on their productivity and usefulness in the society as a whole. He feels that everything in life can be measured through universal calculation and tabulations. Everything can be computed, from interior designing to marriage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Further analysis of Gradrind’s character suggests that he also mirrors the way people think during the era of industrialization. Charles Dickens wanted to explain to his readers the ideals and disadvantages of industrialization. Thomas Gradrind is an embodiment of how an individual embraces the beliefs and practices of industrialization. The way factory owners think during the time of industrialization is shown in the character of Gradrind. They are only after the monetary gain rather than the individual worth of the workers.   Dickens created an enduring tale that reflects the issues of an era filled with historical transformation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The philosophy of utilitarianism and its connection to industrialization is given enough meaning through Thomas Gradrinds character. After practicing the fact philosophy, his daughter Louisa made him realize that something is more important than the lessons of facts and figures. Before the novel ends, she ends up confessing to her father that â€Å"there seems to be nothing here but languid and monotonous smoke† (Dickens, 2001, p.78). She complains how mechanized the way her father raised her that brought her such misery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is in the near end of the novel that Gradrind realizes and sees his errors. He feels sorry for the way his children suffered his ideological principle. For the first time he did not dwell on facts and figures and humbly felt sorry for what he did, Dickens used Gradrind to tell readers how to understand that there is more to life than facts and figures. He wanted to use Gradrinds character to show that everyone can change even the industrialized society during that time. Thomas Gradrind can be viewed by readers as character of change. He changed his philosophical ideals in place of something more important—his family’s happiness. Each individual has his or her own set of principles. Although it is worth sharing with others, it should not be shared to the extent of imposing it to others to follow. It should also not be used to manipulate other people. Gradrind can be an eye opener for many people who live under the influence of abusive power and authority. Louisas case made a turning point on her fathers life and paved the way for a better life for his children. Work Cited Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Norton Critical Edition 3rd Ed. 2001.

Books Of The Canon :: Education Learning Teaching Essays

Books Of The Canon It is my contention that students do not read enough. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on reading at all levels of education, especially at the secondary and college level. Many authors from the text, The Presence of Others, discuss the importance of what has been labeled the canon. In this essay I will discuss some of their thoughts and feelings regarding the subject, and will propose a variation of how to change the curriculum. In addition to that, I will examine how I feel the intellectual level of the United States' populace needs expanding. Allan Bloom, Professor at the University of Chicago, claims in his book, The Student and the University, that what is lacking in education is that there is no vision of what an educated human being is. His solution centers around a college curriculum based on the Great Books. "In which a liberal education means reading certain generally recognized classic texts, . . . not forcing them into categories we make up, . . . but trying to read them as their authors wished them to be read."i He then goes on to state that he is aware of many of the objections to the Great Books cult. Some such stated arguments include, "If one only reads Great Books, one can never know what a great, as opposed to an ordinary, book is; and that there is no way of determining who is to decide what a Great Book or what the canon is."ii Although, he states that he agrees with these arguments, he concludes that the curriculum should be centered on the canon, in order to make the university a place of distinction. A professor of Education at UCLA, Mike Rose, argues against a curriculum based on the canon due to exclusionary tendencies. He states that many of his students, and many of the people described in his book, Lives on the Boundary, would not find their lives represented in such books. He Continues to state that ". . . if we move beyond content to consider basic assumptions about teaching and learning, a further problem arises, one that involves the very nature of the canonical orientation itself. The canonical orientation Encourages a narrowing of focus from learning to that which must be learned."iii If the sole agenda is that of a curriculum centered on the Great Books, Rose's point is well founded.

Research Critique

Moses Williams NURS 450 Professor Peggy Melloh Introduction Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a fairly common complication in hospitalized patients. Nosocomial infection prevention and patient safety promotion has been issued and many researches have been conducted to improve patient’s quality of life. In this article, Saint et al. (2005) hypothesize that using a paper-based urinary catheter reminder can reduce the incidence of urinary catheterization, and consequently this will enhance the patients’ safety. Critique Part 1 Research Questions or HypothesesThe background and significance of this study are properly presented in the introduction. The research question is presented at the end of the introduction of this article. Saint et al. (2005) develop the research question based on the scientific backgrounds they selected and reviewed: â€Å"Is a urinary catheter reminder effective in reducing the incidence of indwelling urethral catheterization i n the hospitalized patients? † (p. 456). The Independent variable is â€Å"a urinary catheter reminder† and the dependent variable is â€Å"the incidence of indwelling urethral catheterization. The research question appropriately states the relationship between â€Å"a urinary catheter reminder† and â€Å"the incidence of indwelling urethral catheterization,† thus the research question is specific to one relationship. The research question is generated from PICO information which means population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2010, p. 63). In this study, population is the hospitalized patients in the University of Michigan Medical Center and a total of 5,678 patients participate in the study. Intervention is ‘using’ a catheter reminder and comparison is ‘not using’ a catheter reminder.Outcome is the effectiveness of a use of the reminder. Although hypothesis is not directly written in the article, Saint et al. (2005) imply that a paper-based reminder of indwelling urinary catheter might help reduce improper catheterization. The research question is not placed in a theoretical framework; however, the conceptual framework is enclosed in the literature review of the article. Two conceptual frameworks are applied to develop the research question: one is patient safety promotion and the other one is infection prevention.The rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is relatively high among the nosocomial infections. Although indwelling urinary catheters are common and essential for some hospitalized patients, sometime these are unnecessarily applied. In this paper, a simple written reminder might cut down the use of indwelling urinary catheters and consequently this can reduce the rate of CAUTI and improve patient safety. The purpose of this study is not directly stated, but it can be inferred from the research question.The purpose of this study is to test the e ffectiveness of a indwelling catheter reminder in decreasing the use of indwelling urinary catheter. The level of evidence of the research does not explain the significance of the study completely, but this is one of the skills that can assist the readers to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a research (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2010). This research is Level III because of its quasi-experimental design which tests cause-and-effect relationships. Saint et al. (2005) investigate the relationship between the use of a urinary catheter reminder and the incidence of indwelling urethral catheterization.In order to apply evidence in practice, the nurses should assess the potential for applicability first. Saint et al. (2005) bring up the problem that indwelling urinary catheter-associated infection â€Å"accounts for up to 40% of nosocomial infections. † Another problem they find is that many physicians are often unaware of urinary catheterization in their patients. Unfortunately , these overlooked catheters are unnecessarily applied in some patients, and then the rate of CAUTI can be increased. Based on these findings, Saint et al. 2005) hypothesize that a written reminder can help the physicians remember that their patients have indwelling urinary catheter, so this awareness of urinary catheterization can reduce the incidence of indwelling urinary catheter. Review of the Literature This article does not provide the search strategy including a number of databases and other resources which identify key published and unpublished research. In this article, both the primary sources and the theoretical literatures are collected and appraised in order to generate the research question and to conduct knowledge-based research.In the section of the literature review, nineteen professional articles are appraised in order to provide the significance and background of the study. Saint develops the research question based on these analyses. â€Å"Catheter-associated ur inary tract infections in surgical patients: A controlled study on the excess morbidity and costs† is one of the primary sources written by Givens and Wenzel who conduct and analyze this study. In addition, â€Å"Clinical and economic consequences of nosocomial catheter-related bacteriuria† is a review of a literature article which is the secondary source.Although many studies state that patient safety is a top priority and CAUTI can be controlled by the caution of health care providers, the infection rate is relatively high among other nosocomial infections. One of the reasons Saint and colleagues uncovered is unawareness and negligence by health care providers. In appraising the literatures, Saint finds â€Å"over one-third of attending physicians were unaware that their own hospitalized patients had indwelling urinary catheter† (2005, p. 456). This article was published in 2005.Among thirty two resources, eighteen articles were published before 2000 and twelve articles were published within past five years. In this paper, the oldest article Saint et al. (2005) reviewed is â€Å"Factors predisposing to bacteriuria during indwelling urethral catheterization† which was published in 1974. This implies that indwelling urinary catheter-associated infection has been issued for more than forty years, and many researchers still work on this topic. The literature review is coherently organized so that the readers can understand straightforwardly why this study is planned. Saint et al. 2005) state prevalent and essential use of indwelling urinary catheter in hospitalized patients, and then they question its safety. They point out some problems caused by indwelling urinary catheter, including indwelling urinary catheter-associated infection, the patient discomfort, and increased health care cost.In some patients, the indwelling urinary catheters are not necessarily applied due to a lack of awareness of physicians. Therefore, Saint et al. (200 5) come up with the idea that a simple and written reminder assists physicians to be aware of the indwelling catheterization in their atients, so the chances of catheterization will be reduced and the rate of the indwelling urinary catheter-associated infection will be decreased simultaneously. Saint et al. summarize the literature review by stating, â€Å"an innovative system-wide administrative intervention designed to remind physicians that their patient has an indwelling catheter in place might help reduce inappropriate catheterization† (2005, p. 456). In addition, this logical summary makes them develop the research question appropriately. Internal and External ValidityThis study barely has a potential threat to external validity. On the contrary, the external validity of the findings might be increased because Saint et al. (2005) apply the intervention in a real hospital setting, then the findings can be generalized and applied to other hospital setting. In order to red uce the threats to internal validity, the independent variable is only manipulated in the intervention group. In other words, the intervention group only gets a urinary catheter reminder to test effectiveness of it.The baseline of differences in age, sex, length of hospital stay, and catheterization is adjusted. The intervention fidelity is maintained throughout the study. Everyday, one nurse gathers information on â€Å"catheter status, reason for catheterization, and recatheterization† (Saint et al. , 2005, p. 457). Also, the time and method of collecting data is constantly maintained. The enhancement strategy such as â€Å"email, use of tap flag, and paging† is used in order to minimize physician’s ignorance with a reminder and to increase physician’s response. Research DesignThe study uses a pretest-posttest design with a nonequivalent control group, which is one of the quasi-experimental designs. Four hospital wards are selected and divided in two gr oups. Two wards are assigned to the intervention group to which the reminders are offered, and the other two wards are assigned to the control group. Data is collected for sixteen months, and sixteen months is divided into two eight-month periods which is pre- and post-intervention (Saint et al. 2005, p. 456). A nonequivalent control group design is adequate for this study because the esearcher can observe the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a reminder by comparing the outcomes between intervention group and control group. Also, during pre-intervention periods, baseline data can be collected in both intervention and control group which will decrease bias. However, the researcher can simply assume that the condition of both groups is similar at the beginning of the research (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2010). Therefore, the quasi-experimental design is proper to conduct this study in order to answer the research question.References American Psychological Association. (2002). Publicati on Manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. LoBiondo-Wood, G. , & Haber, J. (2010). Nursing Research: Methods and Critical Appraisal for Evidence-Based Practice (7th ed. ). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Saint, S. , Kaufman, S. , Thompson, M. , Rogers, M. , & Chenoweth, C. (2005). A Reminder Reduces Urinary Catheterization in Hospitalized Patients. Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. 31(8), 455-462.

Information technology Essay

The number one benefit of information technology is that empowers people to do whatever they want to do. It lets people to be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn’t think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential. Today Domenic and I are going to talk to you and inform you how information and technology empowers people. There are lots of places where i. t empowerment takes place. There is the workplace, your home, the hospital, and the classroom. Empowering the frontline employees cannot work in vacuum. Empowerment of employees, while very important, requires an important requirements and conditions. Information and information technology are predicted to act as the most important requirements and qualities for empowering 21st century workforce. Advances incommunication and information technology have created new opportunities for organizations to build and manage empowerment process where members collaborate utilizing technology across space and time to accomplish important organizational tasks. One of the ways that Information Technology empowers people in their own home is through communication. Now i. t is empowering people a lot through communication because communication is a big part of our lives. Communication through i. t takes place on many devices such as, mobile phones, computers, iPods, Television and many more devices. Having i. t which enables you to do these amazing things is incredibly empowering towards us. This is because communication is something everybody uses in their everyday lives and without having i. to communicate to others throughout our world; it would make it a lot harder for us to function with everyday life. Information technology has a major impact on online shopping because online shopping takes place upon hundreds of millions in our world and every second of the day items are being purchased and sold through online shopping. This is majorly empowering us to go online shopping because it makes it a lot easier for us because we can purchase our stuff from home which means it takes a lot less time and effort to go online shopping and buy the certain items which you need with just a click of a button. Because online shopping is a positive thing throughout our lives, this shows that information technology is empowering us to go online shopping because of how simple and helpful it is throughout our lives. One of the ways that Information Technology empowers people in their own home is through communication. Now i. t is empowering people a lot through communication because communication is a big part of our lives. Communication through i. t takes place on many devices such as, mobile phones, computers, iPods, Television and many more devices. Having i. t which enables you to do these amazing things is incredibly empowering towards us. This is because communication is something everybody uses in their everyday lives and without having i. t to communicate to others throughout our world; it would make it a lot harder for us to function with everyday life. Information technology has a major impact on online shopping because online shopping takes place upon hundreds of millions in our world and every second of the day items are being purchased and sold through online shopping. This is majorly empowering us to go online shopping because it makes it a lot easier for us because we can purchase our stuff from home which means it takes a lot less time and effort to go online shopping and buy the certain items which you need with just a click of a button. Because online shopping is a positive thing throughout our lives, this shows that information technology is empowering us to go online shopping because of how simple and helpful it is throughout our lives. In the class room i. gives students and also techers the ability to learn many incredible things behind a computer, example us, we learn how to understand and operate computers in this class and to a point that is empowering us. Advances in technology have expanded the classroom walls well beyond school grounds and into the Internet. Allowing students access to more than pen, paper and textbooks empowers different types of learners. Teachers can differentiate between their students, providing resources that m eet their needs. These resources can vary from hardware, like tablet computers, to Internet-based solutions, like teacher websites. Middle school students can engage with content and classmates through technology, giving them more ownership of their learning. Using i. t in a meaningful way is now the golden key to success for youth. The â€Å"e† of â€Å"electronic† that we put in front of so many words today also denotes other vital â€Å"e† words, such as education, employment and entertainment. It is therefore crucial to empower youth through I.  T, especially in the developing world. There are sick and disabled people all over the world and hospitals are the main place where these patients are treated hospitals need advanced information and technology to help cure people and save lives there are numerous machines that lots of people just can’t live without like the the DynaVox EyeMax system which gives individuals with paralysis, cerebral palsy and stroke victims the ability to participate in spoken communication using only their eyes. Using an eye tracking system, users can interact with an on-screen keyboard, allowing them to enter words and phrases, which are then translated into spoken text via the device’s text-to-speech mechanism. That is incredible, it empowers patients to allow them to communicate with just their eyes. Now some of these are people who wouldn’t be able to so much as open their mouths or raise a hand. Empowering the blind; I think this is a very important thing to do. These are people who can’t see, so how do they live ordinary lives? They Don’t. i. t empowers the Blind with new tech that allows them to communicate and interact easier with society. Example; A scientist Dennis Hong is developing a car that can actually be driven by the blind. The aim is to integrate several computer systems, sensors and cameras to observe the environment around the vehicle and provide alternate forms of sensory input, including sound and vibration. This may include seat vibrations of various strengths and locations, pulsing vibration signals in gloves worn by the driver. That right there is very empowering. To conclude this argument I would like to tell you,its just so simple, Information and technology has empower people in ways beyond describing and hopefully ramone and I gaiven you a good understanding on how such different people are empowered through i. t. With our research we have shared with you today we hope you understand and agree with us that information empowers people.

Developing an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP)

Developing an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) Free Online Research Papers Resource management The program being developed is a program for the development of an enterprise resource planning system. This is usually referred in short form as ERP system. This is software which is being used by many companies. Its main purpose is the management and coordination of all of the resources, information as well as the functions of a business from the common pool of data called data warehouse. This system possess service oriented architecture whereby the software and hardware units or rather services modular that communicate in LAN (local area network). This modular design makes it possible for the reconfiguration of the modules at the same time making a preserve of data integrity from a data warehouse. Objectives for the night club planning project The project is aimed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness in the day to day Activities of the organization. As this involves a night club, particularly an adult cabaret, it means the following areas should be improved in order to ensure that it fits theit attains the efficiency and effectiveness in area such as: Financials Here the fixed assets, general ledger, account receivable and payable as well as the cash management system will need to be improved. Project management These are the activities which will be improved: activity management, costing, billing, time and expense as well as performance units. Creating a plan that will be socially and economically acceptable in the City of Youngstown. The recent events have given the club a seriously negative reputation. My job will be to obtain respect of the club through the community, and its officials. Attending hearings in the Capitol City Columbus is also mandatory. Venues The venues will be strategically placed to take advantage of the location in order to be able to serve the customers better while increasing the revenues collected from the club hence the profits. Entertainers and guests alike must enjoy the ambiance of the club while abiding by the laws enforced by the liquor control board, the City of Youngstown, The State of Ohio, as well as local ordinances. Staffing Staffing involves interviewing, recruiting and training the human resource. This with proper management they will become more efficient and will avoid man hours wasted and wastage as the right kind of personnel will be hired and the right training will be offered to them. Auditions will be held in order to choose the right entertainers for the vision of the clubs goals. Background checks will and must be implemented so that a future violation could possibly be avoided. Security will have to be doubled in order to not only enforce the laws and rules, but to ensure the community things will be controlled and monitored at all times. Planning i) Being aware of the goals and the implementation of the new system- which in our case is the improvement of efficiency in the effectiveness in all the departments of the organization. ii) Developing a comprehensive plan as the project cuts involves each and every process in the organization. Inventory Control, labor costs, advertising, and maintenance al need to be taken into serious consideration for the new procedures and policies. iii) Involving of the users of the system. If there is experience which is needed then the in-house manager will be given the education required to train other team members. iv) Adapting a realistic approach as concerns the to the cost estimation. Evaluation i) The package chosen should be a standard one for the industry this is aimed to maintain the interactivity with the customers as they are familiar to the positive sides of the industry. Keeping the guests entertained and spending is the main goal here. ii) Maintenance cost estimation. (NET POS) will have to be implemented in a case such as this. The amount of volume that this club produces, along with the need for organization, POS is a perfect solution. iii) Evaluation of the company processes this is in an attempt of making a rational decision as regards to the feasibility to the adoption of the new processes. The recent events have caused the club to be closed, a working knowledge of all the new laws in effect will be required in order to assess the project goals. After implementation i) Attention will be paid to the workflows ii) Starting with the condensing trainings in our site before signing up for long distance sessions, due to the multiple stake holders of this enterprise. Program cost summary Expense for: Cost (US$) Consultation 2,000 Assessment 5,000 Installation and configuration 10,000 User interface development 3,000 Administrative and legal expenses 500 Miscellaneous 1,000 The above table shows the various processes of implementation. The experimental methods will be used to establish the benefits which can be obtained from the implementation of the project. For scheduling purposes the decision making process allows is capable of giving the project manager a chance to anticipate for change in the schedule as well as the change of the amount of resources being used in the project depending on the change of the general trends in the market. Entertainers being the highlight of the venue will need to be scheduled strategically, to the marketing of the clubs nightly venue. In conclusion the implementation of this project will be able to increase efficiency in the operations of the organization, thus leading to the reduction in the cost of production thus increase in sales. This will lead to competitive advantage over the organizations which have not implemented the system. References Brown, C., and I. Vessey, Managing the Next Wave of Enterprise Systems: Leveraging Lessons from ERP, MIS Quarterly Executive, 2(1), 2003 Esteves, J., and Pastor, J., Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Research: An Annotated Bibliography, Communications of AIS, 7(8) pp. 2-54. Waldner, Jean-Baptiste (1992). CIM: Principles of Computer Manufacturing. Chichester: John Wiley Sons Ltd. pp. p47. ISBN 047193450X. 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International Marketing Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Marketing Report - Essay Example Sony is one of the leaders in the entertainment industry as it manufactures entertainment gadgets like video games, televisions, and many more. According to Interbrand top a hundred Global Brands in the year 2011, Sony emerged position thirty-six among other a hundred brands. It is also among the top a hundred effectively managed companies across the business world (Koontz & Weihrich, 2006:104). This was because of its renowned heritage of creativeness and innovativeness. Sony boasts of having products in the electronic, games, entertainment, and in the provision of financial service sectors. In this regard, this essay will delve on a critical analysis of Sony’s marketing mix across the international markets. Further, it will highlight the International Process Theory that correctly describes Sony’s internationalization with supportive evidence. Lastly, it will discuss the extent to which Sony’s company country of origin influences consumers’ perception of Sony’s products by giving proper justification. Sony and the marketing mix Marketing mix is a business-marketing tool, which encompasses the four Ps in the influencing of consumers towards accessing a company’s products and services for the attainment of its goals and objectives (Lamb et al, 2008:148). The four P’s are price, place, promotion, and product that when mixed reflect the nature of different services within a market. Sequentially, Sony Company has managed tot use this marketing tool in the diversification of its products and its price range to favor its consumer base. Additionally, Sony has capitalized on favorable places in which they distribute there products and have implemented various promotion strategies to increase awareness of its products to its target market. Product In essence, a product is anything presented to a market for the market to be aware of its existence, after which they will buy, and then use it to satisfy either a want or a ne ed (Richter, 2012:29). A certain number of factors influence a products uptake within a market that may range from the brand name that a market associates its products to a number of others. In addition, the packing aspects of the products and the safety standards applied within the use of the product also influence the sale of products. Remarkably, the style, packaging, quality, and warranty associated with the product are attributes that also propagate a consumer towards buying of certain products within a market setting. For instance, consumers tend to access products from company’s who offer variety and improvement in the quality of already of already existing goods in a market. In this regard, Sony Company offers a number of products to the electronic, games and entertainment fields. For instance, the company manufactures television screens and projector, cameras, home theatre systems, computer hardware, mobile phones, and car entertainment devices. Additionally, Sony is a manufacturer of home recording devices, storage media, and charging devices. Ideally, Sony has further divided some of its products in to other sub categories especially on the television products. This has made the company able to service its market thorough the innovation of tailor made products that suit their various clients. These customers include households, offices, and public gatherings. Ideally, their products are able to meet the needs of their customers without financial

Effect of Technology Development on Management Consulting Profession Essay

Effect of Technology Development on Management Consulting Profession - Essay Example In addition, as technological innovations become available, possibilities increase and so does the cost but what technological advancements has given to management analysts, that not only has helped them in boosting their managerial skills by analysing and proposing alternatives to improve an organisation's structure but has also enabled management consultancy to acquire a division that would help reorganize the structure of the firm and eliminate technological complexities. Information technology cannot by itself change the inherent inflexible nature of its tools but any profession particularly on the management side whether it be financial management, strategic management or consultant management by using the developing trend of information technology can change its effect with respect to any organization infrastructure in such a way that they use these tools in two ways. "First, by reengineering the way that existing tasks are carried out. Second, by creating new tasks and opening up consultancy opportunities that were not previously possible. Changes in various management use of computer technology have enabled technological developments to be implemented in general". (Margetts, 1999, p. 17) If we consider the development of technology from management point of view, it is obvious that today organisations of all kinds have taken on new functions and new techniques that would otherwise have not been possible without merging and cooperation of information technology. Information technology in private sector companies is now widely recognised as a crucial element in a company's business strategy and the reason is transparent for the way technology has boosted the growth of consultant management, is incredible. "It is now a truism that information technology has transcended its established administrative support functions and has moved towards playing a more central role in business operations' that has not only modified its organisational structure but has also taken part in increasing the ratio of contended customers". (Margetts, 1999, p. 23) Let us take an example of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): "EDI has made it possible for two trading partners to exchange their information of trade or business transactions such as orders and invoices which otherwise would have taken umpteen effort and time. Today EDI has been widely accepted as an essential business tool used to facilitate inter-organisational transactions and sometimes to enhance internal operations by integrating internal and external systems". (Chen, 1998, p. 68) It has potentially reduced the transaction costs by eliminating duplication of effort involved in re-keying documents generated by computer in the first place. In this aspect, the development in technology started in 1980s, which first brought a dramatic increase in the use of the Internet, a global research network, consisting of a loose confederation of inter-connected networks providing services such as file transfer and electronic mail. After Internet the vast technological change was felt and re alised by the then consultant management when the use of databases, online and offline processors for report writing and interactive communication was introduced. "Prior to this, it was the consultancies who set the