Advantages for Having a Dog.

Dogs, simply put, are a man’s best friend. These animals are extremely loving and loyal. Both humans and dogs are happier when they are around each other. A lot of dog owners make their dogs part of their family, treating them as one of their children. Numerous benefits come to owners: responsibility, companionship, mental health benefits. The top reason people adopt or bring a dog into their lives is for companionship. When I had a dog, I came home from school to find him waiting by the front door, wagging his tail in the most happy fashion.I did not know if he was so animated because he had done something in the house or he really needed to go outside to relieve himself, but it made me happy knowing he was there. Being with my dog, I never felt alone; in fact, just walking from room to room in my house, I was always followed. In a funny way, my dog was like my very own stalker or sidekick. The loyalty of dogs is amazing; they always want to be by your side, even when you hav e had a bad day or are just feeling down. When you bring a dog into your life, you also take on commitment and the responsible tasks of chores for your dog.My Dad always told me that in addition to playing with him, I had to learn to take responsibility for walking, feeding, and grooming our dog. Teaching me this early in my childhood showed me the importance of caring for and taking care of my belongings, as well as a living creature. Taking my dog to the park is a great ice breaker with women, since seeing that I take care of my dog shows that I can take care of my own life. When I took that step to own a dog, it affected my mental and emotional well-being.I never had that feeling of being alone, with that I was always grateful for having my companion along with me. I researched the health benefits of having a dog as a pet and being alone all the time can lead to depression by having a dog, can help cure the depressed state that you may experience. Also medically the brain release s serotonin and dopamine hormones which give moments of pleasure and calmness. I felt happier in which gave me a better mental wellness, but who wouldn’t want a lower stress level in their lives.If you are not ready to commit to taking care of an animal like a dog because it is too expensive or it is just too big of a commitment, then perhaps this is not the best plan for you. Making the decision to bring a dog into your home is life-changing, and has to be one you are ready for, like buying a new car or finding a new girlfriend. Dogs are calming, accepting animals that offer unconditional love and kindness, as well as many health benefits. So, if bringing a dog into your life is what you want, you will not regret it at all.

KOT Task #2: Medicare Essay

Though Medicare plans are typically for persons over the age of 65 years old, they do not come without costs to the patient. If the patient has enough work credits, Medicare Part A is automatically available to the patient once he or she reaches age 65. Medicare Parts B and D, however, require the patient to navigate through an application process and the patient may incur penalty fees if he or she does not sign up for the plans during the allotted time frame once they have reached the age of 65. For Medicare parts B and D, the patient is responsible for paying the designated premiums. The Medicare Part B premium ranges from $96.40-110.50 monthly and the Part D plan ranges from $28.60-$38 monthly. There is also additional Medicare plans available for the patient to purchase through insurers such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Etna, however there are additional premiums in varying amounts (Medicare.gov, 2012). In most cases, Medicare Part A will cover inpatient hospital stays, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facility stays. For Mrs. Zwick, Medicare Part A would apply to the rehab and inpatient hospitalizations. Medicare Part A will cover Mrs. Zwick’s five day hospital stay and the first 20 days of her stay at the rehabilitation facility. Each day following the first 20 days of rehab, a fee of $144.50 per day will accumulate at the rehabilitation facility for a total of $2890.00 which the facilities will be responsible for due to the patient acquiring a preventable infection during her stay (Medicare.gov, 2012). Medicare Part B is similar to medical insurance; covering medically necessary services such as MD visits and services, outpatient care, durable medical equipment, home health services, and sometimes preventative care services. In Mrs. Zwick’s case, Medicare Part B would cover the prescribed walker or other assistive devices if needed. However, based on Medicare Part B plan coverage, Mrs. Zwick will be responsible for a deductible of 20% of the cost of the walker (Medicare.gov, 2012). Medicare Part D is an elective prescription drug coverage plan available to Medicare recipients. There are various prescription drug plans offering medication coverage based on the plan’s preferred drug list. Though Mrs. Zwick’s plan coverage was not specified in the case study, she may be responsible for a co-payment for prescription drugs. If Mrs. Zwick does in fact have a co-payment, it would be a set amount; for example $10 per prescription or less if she receives generic drugs. Or, depending on if Mrs. Zwick has entered a coverage gap or â€Å"donut hole†, she will then be responsible for 50% of the costs of her prescription medications (Medicare.gov, 2012). Though Mrs. Zwick does have Medicare coverage, the plan may not pay for Mrs. Zwick’s extended stay or additional care required related to a hospital-acquired condition. In recent years, Medicare began refusing to pay for preventable, hospital acquired infections; making hospitals and other facilities accept responsibility for preventable infections acquired during the patient’s stay. However, in Mrs. Zwick’s instance, there may be some debate as to which facility will be held accountable for the preventable urinary tract infection (UTI). Though the case study reads that Mrs. Zwick was diagnosed with a hospital-acquired UTI, it also states that she was diagnosed 10 days into her stay at the rehabilitation facility and that there were complaints that Mrs. Zwick was not receiving proper catheter care. If the rehab facility was not following the current evidence-based protocol related to the patient’s catheter care, there is a strong possibility Mrs.Zwick did not acquire the urinary tract infection until after she was transferred to the rehab facility. Therefore, the hospital would not be responsible for the costs of care related to the UTI. However, Medicare would still not cover the costs and the nursing facility would then be held accountable for the extra costs incurred during the patient’s extended stay. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, is a plan available to persons who have a loss of employment and health coverage. The COBRA plan will allow Mr. Davis to continue his health coverage beginning the original date his coverage was ceased and is usually available for approximately 18 months. However, the Cobra plan is not free of charge to the unemployed patient. The plan typically offers identical plan coverage to the patient; however the plan is more costly than the original premium the patient was used to paying. The cost of the COBRA plan is usually the amount of the previous premium in addition to the amount the employer contributed plus a 2% administration fee. The premium amount the patient would be responsible for would be quite a bit more costly, yet still less expensive than an individual rate. In order to for the patient to be covered by the COBRA plan, he would have to submit all the proper paperwork within the allotted time frame and pay t he monthly premiums without monthly payment reminders (FAQs for Employees About COBRA Continuation Health Coverage). Though COBRA is a way for Mr. Davis to continue his health insurance coverage once he became unemployed, it is not likely to be affordable. This then becomes a challenge that state or local governments are faced with. Two challenges state or local government may be faced with in providing care for patients like Mr. Davis with pre-existing conditions and lack of insurance coverage are increased costs and decreased health maintenance of the patients. Patients with long-term, chronic illnesses like Mr. Davis’s, care can be very costly, especially when the patient is unable to maintain routine medical care or visits and medications. Without routine medical care and maintenance medications, patients like Mr. Davis tend to have more frequent emergency room visits and hospitalizations; increasing costs for state and local government as well as tax payers. Though Mr. Davis is able to receive care during an emergency room visit, the providers are not fully aware of his health history and are only able to provide a temporary fix of his symptoms and not address his health care needs. One possible solution for the state and/or local government to consider would be to offer state funding for patients with chronic illnesses to be covered by a state funded insurance plan based on the patient’s income. This would allow for Mr. Davis to be seen for routine care, in an attempt to keep him healthy and reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Another possible solution would be for local and state governments to fund healthcare facilities and/or clinics designated to care for patients with chronic health conditions; providing public health nurses who are available to visit the patients in the home in order to educate him or her on disease and disease processes. Though Mr. Davis is frustrated with the healthcare delivery in the United States and may think he would be better served in another country, he may be gravely disappointed by in their healthcare delivery systems even more. Countries such as Great Britain, Japan, Germany, and Switzerland offer public health insurance, however coverage does not come without strain. The universal health care coverage plans not only causes great deficit to the economy, but they also come with premiums, delays in care, and often times no choice of providers. Specialty appointments are nearly impossible to obtain, and in many cases terminally ill patients die prior to receiving the needed care. The plans cover the person and his or her dependents (plans including dependents have higher premiums), but the insured is still responsible for a portion of the services or bill; this applies to the elderly as well. The universal health care plans not only affect the insured, but the healthcare providers as well. In many cases, the healthcare workers are paid lower wages and work less hours in order to help offset some of the costs. The universal health plan in Great Britain offers residents no choices in regards to providers or facilities in which care is received and it is required for the patient to wait 122 days just to receive a routine appointment regardless of their condition (Healthcare Economist, 2008). Japan’s National Health Insurance covers those individuals and their dependents that are not eligible for employer-based insurance. However, the focus of coverage is on the older population; benefiting the retired community. If the insured is not of retirement age, the costs of premiums are higher (Fukawa). In Germany, less than 1% of the population is not covered by the Public Health Insurance. Germany’s healthcare plan offers the insured free choice of outpatient care physicians and hospitals if referred with the focus of care being on chronic care (Busse). Germany offers coverage for the following services: preventative care, inpatient and outpatient care, physician services, mental health care, dental care, prescription drug coverage, medical aids, rehabilitation services, and sick leave compensation (Busse). In Switzerland, there is no choice of providers or facilities in which the patient receives care due to private sector. This means patients like Mr. Davis would incur increased premiums and resulting in limited access to routine care and extended services (Clarke, 2011). Based on the different types of coverage available to patients offered under universal healthcare plans, Mr. Davis would be better served and cared for with the German Healthcare System due to the type of disease he has and his particular health care needs. References Busse, R., MD, MPH. The German Health Care System. Berlin University of Technology & Charite’. Clarke, E. 2011. â€Å"Healthcare Systems: Switzerland†. CIVITAS Institute for the Study of Civil Society. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/switzerland.pdf[->0] FAQs for Employees About COBRA Continuation Health Coverage. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-consumer-cobra.html Fukawa, T. Public Health Insurance in Japan. Healthcare Economist, 2008. Health Care Around the World: Great Britain. Retrieved fromhttp://healthcare-economist.com/2008/04/23/health-care-around-the-world-great-britain/ Medicare.gov, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from http://www.medicare.gov/navigation/medicare-basics/medicare-benefits [->0] – http://www.civitas.org.uk/nhs/switzerland.pdf

Discriminate Against Race

AbstractThe issues of race and gender, and more precisely the issues of equal rights for everyone regardless of race and gender, continue to be controversial and never fully addressed. While programs like Affirmative Action have tried to provide equal opportunity, they have failed because of one main issue- if it is injustice to discriminate against racial minorities and women on the account of their race or sex, then it similarly unjust to give them preference for the same reason.This essay will prove this statement by showing specific examples of how preferential treatment increases rather than decreases the importance of race and gender in American society. Basically, there are three main reasons why preferential treatment makes racial and gender differences important instead of eliminating them. First, preferential treatment gives the appearance that minority genders or races are inferior and need to be given advantage not on their merit or ability, but on their membership in a c ertain group (Cohen & Sterba, 2003), actually putting them at a bigger disadvantage.Second, there is the issue of reverse discrimination, which basically means that by giving advantage to the minority, the majority is discriminated against in the long run. Lastly, the provision of programs like Affirmative Action and others create divisions between minority groups themselves, as each group vies for advantage over the others, which puts the minorities with the smallest numbers at the biggest disadvantage, as their voice cannot be heard clearly enough.Perhaps the bottom line in racial/gender discrimination, ironically enough, is that true equality can probably never be realized, for one group will always come up with less than another if a program exists to provide advantages which are not strictly merit based. In closing, it is fair to say that until a â€Å"magic bullet† is developed for true equality, the scales will always be askew.   References Cohen, C., & Sterba, J. P. (2003). Affirmative Action and Racial Preference: A Debate. New York: Oxford University Press.

Green Washing Labels in Hotels Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Green Washing Labels in Hotels - Research Paper Example With the disguise behind greenwashing on the rise, it remains difficult to tell which hotels are sincerely green. This is why governments have established bodies to play the role of designing certification programs to determine the green-worthiness of companies. Therefore, potential clients should not give in to empty green jargons but seek to see the accreditation offered to the hotel or company concerned. Beyond accreditation, knowledgeable customers can still reach judgments by making personal observations on the general operations of a hotel. Despite the greedy benefits achieved off greenwashing, a few hotels have been exemplary in their commitment to eco-friendliness. Behind it all, such eco-committed hotels are the ones that hold the upper hand in earning customer loyalty. Green Washing or green sheen is a green marketing or green PR strategy used deceptively to promote products, policies, or aims of the organization as environmentally-friendly (Pierre, 2012). Proofs of greenwashing in an organization or a company are in spending. Organizations and companies that use greenwashing use more time and money advertising their concern for the environment than time spent on environmentally sound practices (Tresidder & Hirst, 2012). There are different efforts aimed at greenwashing. A company or an organization can change the label; a name of a product to suggest natural environment on a product that is environmentally harmful (Middleton & Clarke, 2001). A product may have toxic chemical but as a company or an organization use multimillion-dollar advertising to give it an environmentally-friendly image (Mulvaney, 2011). This paper tries to argue that greenwashing is a tool used by hotels to attract more customers. It discusses the history of the green washing concept and gives the origin of the term greenwashing.  Ã‚  

Slave Labor In India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slave Labor In India - Essay Example The political and social systems during the prehistoric times did not see slavery as forced labor, but as beneficial relationships between the nobles and the peasants. In addition, in most of the Indian society, the caste system was practiced and could not be termed as slavery per se as the working class was pooled and specialized without much consideration of the system (Mander, 2012). The caste system is said to be one of the root causes of the modern day slavery, human trafficking and bondage. The system denies equal rights, privileges and dignified treatment to some individuals, with people being differentiated based on their social status and gender. The practice has survived due to feudalism, which is a concept whereby, the nobles held land for the crown in exchange for military services, and the laborers worked to acquire protection and a share of the produce from them. The concept of feudalism has existed in the Indian society even before they were colonized by the British. After the country gained independence, it sought to be a more democratic state, but in the very nature of democracy, the practice still exists. One of the reasons for its existence is that most regions in the country were introduced during the times the country was fully feudalistic and as religion has not evolved much, the people still have the notion and concept integrated in their society (Katju, 2013). In 1975, India introduced a law banning debt bondage including a fine of 37 dollars to those found guilty of the crime. In the years that have followed, very few people have been jailed for the crime with the fine being a laughable amount. People are forced to work in farms to pay debts, with their employers imposing arbitrary interests and fines to make it impossible for them to be able to pay. In addition, girls are being forced to work for people in farms and textile mills as payment for dowry. The influence of

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin - Research Paper Example The most famous inventions of Eli Whitney was the cotton gin which saw forth the revival of slave trade, a practice that was by the time of the invention was on its rapid decline not only in the south but also in the northern parts of the American continent (Alan, 2014)1. The cotton gin bore tremendous benefits to the slave owners and plantation farmers. The invention and production of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin created a very profitable business in the cotton industry. This invention later led to increased slavery in both the south and northern America and consequently seeing through the dawn of civil wars. Eli Whitney was born in Westborough, Massachusetts on December 8, 1765. He graduated from Yale College in 1792 with some hopes of becoming a lawyer (Olmstead, 1832: 207)2. After graduation, he got a job as a tutor in South Carolina. On his way to South Carolina, he met a woman by the name of Catherine Greene, who was a widow of a general. She had invited Eli to stay on her plantation called Muylberry Groove to study law (Mitchell, Simon, & Schuster, 1954: 75)3. After Eli found out that his tutor job was not going to be half of what he was told, he accepted Catherine Greene’s offer. While staying on Catherine Greene’s plantation, Eli learnt about cotton production and the difficulty farmers underwent while eking out a living from cotton production. Cotton was a very important crop, it was easy to grow and its fibers could be stored for a long time. The problem however, was that cotton had seeds that were very hard to separate from the fibers. Another type of cotton called ‘the lone staple’ was very easy to clean but only grew along the coast. Most of the farmers had to grow the ‘short staple cotton’ which required a lot of labor. It had to be cleaned by hand, which was a very difficult and very time consuming4. A cotton picket could pick the seeds from one pound of short staple cotton a day. In this

Article summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Summary - Article Example As an online currency, Bitcoin serves as a mode of currency in a digital format that can be used by anyone online to receive and make payments for goods and services bought online. It works and can be used just like a regular currency. Anyone can start using bitcoin. The process of using bitcoins begins with having an online wallet which can be downloaded online for free. Just like the physical wallet where it can be kept anywhere in the house, the digital wallet can be stored as file in hard drives, USB and even smartphones and users can also have several digital wallets similar to having multiple bank accounts. The transaction involving bitcoin online however is different from the traditional mode of payment. The system have volunteers called miners who checks the transaction using bitcoin and decides whether to approve or decline it. If approved, it is then recorded to a blockchain which is a ledger that contains the history of such wallet. The Vice President and economist with the St. Louis Fed David Andolfatto explained that bitcoin is a good investment by citing its stability compared to traditional currency. As an example, he cited the trend of the purchasing power of purchasing power of each currency to 100: the yen, the euro, the U.S. dollar and the Zimbabwean dollar. The currencies were extremely volatile compared to bitcoin underscoring the stability of the currency. The theory of nominal exchange rate indeterminacy was cited to help explain why bitcoin is a good investment. It was cited that there is no single economic theory that dictates the relative price of two intrinsically two objects such as bitcoin and currency. The value assigned to currencies therefore are relative. Bitcoin in fact is secure compared to regular currencies because the presence of digital wallet in someone else’s computer will allow the transaction history of such digital wallet to be viewed and therefore, could be linked and traced to its users which could help

Nursing Utilization Project-Improving Quality Initiatives & Standard Essay

Nursing Utilization Project-Improving Quality Initiatives & Standard in the Community Services Program - Essay Example naturally be followed by several systemic changes; creating the necessary management structure; developing the strategies for the changes to take place; designing the mechanisms to incorporate the change; and assigning the resources. This proposal has been inspired by various researchers, a study conducted by Rabbani et al. (2007) which assessed the feasibility of using the BSC within a low-income health setting and resulted in improvements in patient, staff, clinical, and financial outcomes alike within their health care settings. Another study by Hashmi (2003) used a QAPI program similar to the one proposed herein. Implementation of the quality improvement initiatives shall be commenced with the staff practicing better customer service complimented by thorough training and monitoring by the QAPI team. A number of surveys and interviews shall be done with the patients, community and staff to evaluate the quality improvement initiatives on a regular basis. Such data will be reported to the Board of Directors to evaluate. The reporting cycle is every 90 days or approximately 6 months. The Board shall have the final decision in approving policy changes within this proposal as necessary, in order for the plan to be effective in the process of improving the quality of services of Walton Community Services to garner at least 90% compliance rating in the improvement of customer services, an achieve CARF certification and increase funding. Walton Community Services, Inc., a reliable community healthcare provider is concerned with the continued provision of a high quality of service to the majority of its clientele. Accreditation not only improves one status within the field of community providers, but also establishes the company as a reputable provider of community services and ensures funding through different sources. Walton Community Services, Inc. must defend the vision of the company by providing the highest quality of customer service it can offer its

Oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oil - Essay Example Oil is the world’s biggest industry. It has often been referred to as the â€Å"black gold† and the devils excrement. Oil is found in the world’s most democratic and well governed countries such as Norway and Canada and also in some of the most autocratic nations such as Saudi Arabia and Nigeria (Roberts, 2004). In countries like Ghana and Nigeria, oil has become a curse. When oil was being mined in Ghana, the local people hoped for a better living standard and an improved sanitation. Everyone in Ghana was very excited and waited anxiously for the mining of oil for the first time in the country. They hoped that Ghana would be able to break the â€Å"curse† that had been associated with the mineral. This event only saw a few getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The same problem faced its neighbor Nigeria which is the largest crude producer in the continent. There was such a big gap between the rich and the poor because of corruption in the oil industry in Nigeria (Roberts, 2004). Oil on the other hand has had a positive influence to all the countries that have mined it. Despite all the negative impacts of oil, countries have been able to develop and upgrade their infrastructure. Third world countries have been able to export their oil to developed countries and have been able to use this to put up infrastructure like roads, schools and even hospitals. Oil has been referred to as ‘power’ in terms of its influence in political dominance and control. Oil is needed in order to grow food, put up infrastructure, manufacture food and transports them to the market and to advance technology. However, it lubricates both national and international politics. The following are some of the reasons that make oil such a powerful political force in the world today. We need oil every day in order to survive. Oil is universal and it is cheaply available, we do have other sources of energy such as electricity but there has not been any other

The Sacred Pipe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Sacred Pipe - Essay Example The sentimental value of some possessions may range from something as simple as a letter, a pen or even jewelry which is a family heirloom. These things may seem ordinary and mundane to others but it is what it represents that makes all the difference. The same consideration, at a different level of intensity, makes for the meaning that the sacred pipe holds. Another aspect of a sacred pipe is how it serves as a communication device that communes man not only to his nature but also to his ancestors. This is not an entirely alien concept as there are other religions that believe in the influence of people who have already passed as guardians present in daily life. The pipe is a means to communicate with ancestors who can be a source of hope for these people. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows how it feels to want to be able to talk to them again and maybe to ask them for guidance during the most trying times. Winter represents a difficult time and it symbolizes hardships and despair. The knowledge that a sacred pipe could connect two worlds is nothing short of faith. The mother should sacrifice everything for her children and must develop in herself and in her children a great love for Wakan-Tanka, for in time these children will become holy people and leaders of the nation and will have the power to make others wakan. At first we keep only the souls of a few of our great leaders, but later we kept the souls of almost all good people (Brown 11) This quote affirms that the Native Americans place the responsibility to mothers to be able to rear her children properly and to sacrifice her own desires and needs for their benefit. Regardless of this passage, I believe that a mother’s love is absolute and that even without any order or reminder remains the same notwithstanding what culture one belongs to. The same mother’s love is seen and manifests in a loving home in a way that a person’s success and virtue is most likely to be attributed to one’s mother and the patience with which he was brought up to. It is by this same n otion that I suppose that my own character was shaped. My mother served as a role model and the primary person who has molded me from birth. Mothers would want nothing more than for their children to grow up to be good people. The respect you show to your parents is a good indication of a person’s upbringing. The same amount of respect is invaluable in the traits that make for a great leader. The concept of wakan provides for the perpetuation of memories of people who have imparted an indelible memory to the community. They are better than historical figures such as presidents for they remain in spirit with the people. They are not the only subject of stories and anecdotes studied for memory but they are infinite beings that transcend time and lifetimes. This commune with a concept as intangible as the soul substantiates why being a holy wakan is something to achieve for. â€Å"The leader of the rite then says: ‘This is the fire that will help the generations to come i f they use it in a sacred manner".

Operation Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Operation Management - Research Paper Example But what is common in all those examples is that they get some input, either in materials, or in services, they process it with the help of manpower and machineries, they provide customers with some tangible benefit. This whole process is operation Management. As seen from the above examples, the roles of operational management can be widely varied. In the smallest example of manpower handling, the operations manager of a mining organization where he handles unskilled workers and the operations manager of software company, where the operations manager handles highly skilled manpower. The strategy of handling manpower in these two cases will be entirely different. The total gamut of operations management includes: During Product Design stage: Matching Product Design with demand, perceptible and implied, production feasibility in terms of cost, competition etc. Product Planning stage: lifecycle, Costs, Revenue and Profit during life cycles, Entry and exit strategies, Produce range, Quality, cost of quality, Total quality management, Forecasting of supply demand availability or input sources Process Planning, Capacity Planning, Short time schedule, long term schedule, Material requirement Planning, Just-in-time operations approach Maintenance and Replacement of Plant and Machinery In the following chapters we will look into all the above aspects of operation Management in detail. Operation Strategy: The first aspect of operation management is operation strategy. The operation strategy of an organization includes its range of products, the processes involved, its employees, its location, its infrastructure facilities, and its relation with customers. The main thrust of operation strategy is its direction by... The first aspect of operation management is operation strategy. The operation strategy of an organization includes its range of products, the processes involved, its employees, its location, its infrastructure facilities, and its relation with customers. The main thrust of operation strategy is its direction by which it is going to meet the customers' demand and satisfaction. The operations strategy is framed in general terms without specifics and describes the features of the products and processes rather than details. The steps to a operations strategy include:1. Analysis of business strategy of the organization,2. Using this analysis goal are set which the operation strategy must meet.3. Analysis of environment like market, customer, competition, location availability of manpower, products, change environment4. Identifying the factors of the process like capacity, quality, technology, which will give distinctive advantages5. Designing of organizational structure, controls, and fun ctions to support the process6. Defining of monitoring systems for measuring performance.7. Continual improvementThe success of a company depends on its well-defined operation strategy and implementation of the strategy. The failure of the strategy generally is attributed toBadly designed, unrealistic, not implemented properly, not related to actual operations, ignores the key factors, lack of support from the people who are supposed to implement them.Once the operation strategy is made then the next important aspect is product design.

Problems of Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Problems of Pakistan Essay PROBLEMS OF PAKISTAN AND THEIR SOLUTIONS OUTLINE: 1.INTRODUCTION 2.PROBLEMS OF PAKISTANS A. INNER PROBLEMS a.TERRORISM b.SECTERIAN VIOLANCE c.ENERGY CRISIS d.POOR RULE OF LAW e.ECONOMIC MELTDOWN f.CORRUPTION g.POLITICAL DESTABILITY h.FLOODS i.INJUSTICE j.LACK OF NATIONAL INTEGRITY k.POVERTY l.UNEMPLOYMENT m.INFLATION B. OUTER PROBLEMS a.DRONE ATTACKS b.FOREIGN DEBTS c.LACK OF FDI d.WEAK FOREIGN POLICY SOLUTIONS a.TO CURB THE TERRORISM BY DIALOGUES AND MILIATRY OPERATIONS b.ENERGY CRISIS SHOULD BE TACKELED IMMIDIATELY c.RULE OF LAW SHOULD BE MIANTAINED AT ANY COST d.LONG AND SHORT TERM ECONOMIC POLICIES SHOULD BE LOUNCHED TO OVERCOME ECONOMIC PROBLEMS e.DAMS SHOULD BE MADE TO CURB WITH FLOODS f.UNEMPLOYMENT,POVERTY AND INJUSTICE SHOULD BE ERADICATED g.FAIR AND TRANSPARENT SYSTEM SHOULD BE LOUNCHED TO COPE WITH CORRUPTION h.ATMOSPHERE OF NATIONAL INTEGRITY SHOULD BE INSTALLED i.EFFECTIVE FOREIGN POLICY SHOULD BE MADE TO COPE WITH DRONE ATTACKS j.FOREIGN DEBTS SHOULD BE MINIMIZED CONCLUSION ESSAY: Today, pakostan is facing various problems. The intesity of these problems is increasing day by day.Infact, there are two types of problems, the inner problems and the outer problems.The inner problems like terrorism, secterian violance,target killing,energy crisis,economic meltdown,destability, poor rule of law,floods ,corruption ,injustice,poverty,unemployment,inflation and social disorder are weakining the country very fastly.On the other hand, the outer problems like drone attacks, weak foreign policy ,foreign debts,lack of foreign direct ivestment and foreign intervention are aloso detriorating the country to high extent.Owing to these problems the progress and development of the country has almost jammed.The economy of the country has shunned,the political destability has emerged,mobs and chaos has become the order of every day,religious intolrence has reached to its peak and the image of country has gone bad to worset.To overcome these problems, the government should take all necessary steps with proper planning.All the strategies should installed with tranparency to curb these problems.All the institutions and concerned authorities should lounche their steps in unity to cope these menaces.Apart from government, the individuals should also cooperate with government in this critical time to save the country.The above mentioned problems and their solutions will be discussed in appropriate manners in next paragraphs.

History of Domestic Violence and Legislation in the UK

History of Domestic Violence and Legislation in the UK Literature Review Definition of domestic violence Domestic Violence is a phenomenon affecting many societies directly and indirectly around the world; and somehow, after many years of research not a single definition describes this phenomenon adequately yet. Defining domestic violence can be very difficult, as it is a broad term used to describe a range of behaviours and has a multiplicity of meanings to different people in different contexts (Burton, 2008). Domestic violence usually begins as an isolated abusive incident, however, when the abuse is repeated and becomes a constantly abuse, it is defined as â€Å"battering† (McCue, 2008). Physical is not the only form of domestic violence. Psychological and emotional violence are common forms of domestic violence as well (Lowenstein, 2005) and therefore the government has widened the definition of domestic violence to cover psychological intimidation and controlling behaviour and at the same time, recognising that domestic violence occurs in younger people’s intimate relationships (Walker and Gavin, 2011), applying to victims under the age of 18 as well: â€Å"any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality†. This includes psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse (Home Office, 2013). The new Home Office definition express controlling behaviour and coercive behaviour. Controlling behaviour is a reach of acts intended to make an individual subordinate or dependent by separating them from any kind of support, not allowing them to obtain personal gain by controlling and regulating their everyday move and behaviour. Coercive behaviour is an act of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim (Home Office, 2013). As an example, The Supreme Court held in Yemshaw v. Hounslow London Borough Council [2011] that domestic violence was not confined to physical violence but extended to threatening or intimidating behaviour and any other form of abuse being applied directly or indirectly (Miles, 2011). Domestic violence and abuse is not regarded of age, class, wealth, education, gender, race or any other determinant. Domestic violence is as likely to be happening to a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, or even a police officer (Gaz, 2012). History of domestic violence Domestic violence has existed for many years and has very long historical roots and it has been establish in the inequality between men and women in society (Hague and Malous, 1998). Historically, abuse to wife has been viewed as normal which was part of marriage, something that women should expect and tolerate when being married (Erez, 2002). In the mid-1800s most legal systems accepted wife beating as a valid exercise of a husbands authority over his wife, using the â€Å"rule of thumb† established by Sir Francis Buller, known as ‘Judge Thumb’ meaning that a husband could beat his wife with a stick not thicker than his thumb (Women’s aid, 2008) and it was allowed by the old British Common Law (Dipty, 2009). Only towards the end of the twentieth century, in the 1970’s, that domestic violence had been defined as a crime, justifying intervention by the criminal justice system (Erez, 2002). Legislations Pre-1970s In the 1500s, â€Å"the Golden Age of the Rod† had been used against women in the United Kingdom who were taught that it was their sacred duty to obey the man of the house and during this time, violence against wives was ample. Mid-1800s, the Code of Hammurabi decreed that a wife was subservient to her husband and that he could inflict punishment on any member of his household for any transgression (WomenSafe, 2002). Around the same time in Britain, a husband had absolute power to chastisement his wife in order to implement domestic discipline (ICADV, 1999). During that time, there was no laws to criminalize violence against wives regardless of such assaults being included within the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, the judges did very little and sometimes did nothing to address chastisement of wives (Summers Hoffman, 2002, p.31). In the late 1800s, having the Queen Elizabeth in the throne, new reforms for women were established, some of which included that wives could no longer be kept locked and beatings that could cause life threatening were treated as a ground for divorce (Cumbee Center). The introduction of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1878 helped victims of violence in marriage to obtain separation orders if their husband was convicted of aggravated assault (Summers Hoffman, 2002) and in 1882, the Woman’s Property Act, allowed wives to obtain full control over their own money and property (Parliament). Second-wave feminism In 1960s and 1970s, there was a massive comeback of feminist activity, in conjunction with the womens liberation movement. This period has been called the Second Wave of feminism, having the first wave from 1848 to 1920, when women won the right to vote (Cree, 2008). The Second Wave of feminism developed in the United States, West Europe, Australasia and Japan. However, it started in small local female groups in the United Kingdom, aiming to campaign similar private problems they all shared ( ) such as equal rights in employment, education, public and private lives and of course campaigning against rape and domestic violence (Cree, 2008) and it was then when domestic violence started to emerge as a significant issue, being recognised as a major social problem needing for political response and remedies (Summers Hoffman, 2002). The great movement established networks for support, analysing and comparing womens roles and relationships in society and defined a set of demands for the social and economic equality for women (Mendes, 2009). The women’s movement campaign was so successful that women were able to gain a stronger voice and become a strong image for the public eye, therefore a series of laws were introduced to aid women equality, such as the Equal Pay Act 1970 granting equal wages for both women and men (Mendes, 2009). Post-1970s The women’s movement was so successful that it helped with several legislations development (Hughes, 2010). There has been considerable changes in the national policy of domestic violence in the United Kingdom in the past 30 years (Matczak et al, 2001) made by the local government authorities which began to undertake and develop actions on domestic violence, and it was all mainly in response to the high demand from groups and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for the housing, social services and court and police protection for domestic violence victims (Ashworth). Some of the legislations development included the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 which was passed outlawing sexual discrimination in the workplace and the Domestic Violence Act was passed in 1976 allowing married women to access court order to prevent further violence and to have the right to stay at home without the abuser (Hughes, 2010). Womens Aid was also developed as a result of the womens liberation movement and as all women gathered together, the big concern of violence at home as well as other types of abuse, including sexual abuse became highlighted. Before Women’s Aid, the organisation was the first Womens Aid federation which was set up in 1974, to provide practical and emotional support as part of the different services available to women and children experiencing violence (Women’s Aid). The 1970s brought three vital items of legislations, the Domestic Violence Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1976, which provide the police with powers of arrest for the breach of injunction in cases of domestic violence and allowed women to obtain the right to stay at the matrimonial home, the Domestic Proceedings Magistrates’ Courts Act 1978, which amend the use of injunctions to prevent further violence in the home and the law relating to matrimonial proceedings in magistrates’ courts and the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977, which refers to persons who are homeless or threatened with homelessness which helped domestic violence victims with re-housing (UK Legislations). The acts were meant to produce legal remedies, however, the ways in which they were enforced meant that battered women continue to be inadequately protected leaving criminal law broadly untouched in terms of the protection of victims and the punishment of perpetrators of domestic violence (Summers Hoffman, 2002). However, in 1993 the Crown Prosecution Service, published a comprehensive guide for all staff to be able to deal with domestic violence cases adequately even is a victim decides to withdraw the request for prosecution which tends to happen occasionally as a result of intimidation or fear by the abuser (Ashworth). Furthermore, legislative reforms took place in the 1990s, Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 being the most significant one which improved the protective orders available to domestic violence victims under the civil law (Burton, 2008). The Family Law Act 1996 Part IV which is now the main piece of legislation providing remedies under the civil law for victims of domestic violence (Burton, 2008) provides the victim with a statutory ‘home right’ meaning the victim cannot be evicted from the home unless there is a court order (Welstead Edwards, 2011). Throughout the period between 1997 and 2010, the principle arrangement of policy and legislation on domestic violence was being enforced based on prevention, protection and justice and allowing support to victims of domestic abuse to be established at local and national level (Matczak et al, 2011). Up to dated In 1986, the Home Office published the first circular regarding domestic violence called â€Å"Violence against women† which made it clear that it was obligatory for the police to ensure the safety of women and children at domestic deputes (Applegate, 2006) but it wasn’t until 1992 that both the Home Office Circular 60/1990 and the Association of Chief Probation Officers declared domestic violence to be a crime, given law enforcement agencies the power to punish the abuser (Kury Smartt, 2006). However, it did not make much of a change to the policy (Applegate, 2006). It was not until 2005 when the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 was introduced, that put some of these issues addressed by the criminal law and when some changes to the policy where actually made. The Act aims to increase the safety of domestic violence victims by providing the police with enormous power to approach and deal with domestic violence in better ways, establishing a new offence called â€Å"familial homicide† which provides the power of arrest for minor offences of common assault and linking some criminal and civil remedies (Women’s aid) and for the criminal justice, there is a statutory code of practice to ensure they provide support and protection to victims of domestic violence (Applegate, 2006). While the law itself does not distinguish between a domestic violence victim and a person who gets attack by a stranger in the streets, in practice the victims of domestic violence rarely obtain the law’s protection (Elliot Quinn, 2012). Unlike in some jurisdictions from other countries such as the United States, there is no specific offence of domestic violence in the United Kingdom, instead, there are a variety of criminal offences including sexual and physical assault, harassment offences and the crimes related to homicide, which can be applied in a case of domestic violence (Paradine Wilkinson, 2004) Today, the government is fully committed to tackle domestic violence in the United Kingdom in every possible way by allowing violence and abuse to be treated seriously by courts and the criminal justice system (Summers Hoffman, 2002). The government’s strategy to tackle domestic violence is based on three elements; prevention, protection and justice, and support (Blunkett, 2003). The government provides some of these elements by implementing local domestic violence conventions where the police, social services, housing services, probation, health services, legal professionals, and many other voluntary agencies gather and work together to tackle domestic violence at local level (Matczak et al, 2011). Although, there have been implementations of local domestic conventions and domestic violence units as well as many multi-agencies that work together to tackle domestic violence and changes in legislation and police policy, there are still some major concerns of how domestic violence is being dealt today. In 2012, around 1.2 million women suffered domestic abuse, over 400,000 women were sexually assaulted, less than 1 in 4 suffered abuse from their partners (Home Office, 2013) and on average, two women are being killed a week by a partner or former partner (CAADA, 2013). Furthermore, the police have been majorly criticised for failing to respond to domestic violence properly by not recording incidents as crimes (Paradine Wilkinson, 2004) with a 30% of domestic violence incidents reported to the police but not taken into actions and only 4% of reported incidents resulting in a conviction (Women’s aid) and they have been also criticised for not making arrests and failing to enforce civil injunctions (Paradine Wilkinson, 2004). For these reasons, in September 2013, the Home Secretary has commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to carry out an inspection into how police forces are responding to domestic violence and the review will be exanimating the performance of all forces around England and Wales and report back to the Home Office in April 2014. In the meantime, chapter 2.4 and 2.5 will be looking at the reporting and non-reporting of incidents and how the police is responding to domestic incidents after the establishment of domestic violence units were introduced across the country, and assess the changes in police policy and practice over the past years including the ‘pro-arrest’ policy which aims to reduce the number of domestic violence cases discontinued by the police or the Crown Prosecution Service (Hoyle Sanders, 2000). References Applegate, R.J., 2006. Changing local policy and practice towards the policing of domestic violence in England and Wales. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies Management. 29 (2): 368 – 383. Blunkett, D., 2003. Safety and Justice: The Government’s Proposals on Domestic Violence. Home Office. Norwich. Burton, M., 2008. Legal responses to Domestic Violence. Oxon: Routledge-Cavendish. CAADA (Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse). Key statistics on the prevalence of domestic abuse [online]. Bristol: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse. Available from: http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/statistics.html. [Accessed 17 January 2014]. Cree, V., 2008. Feminism: Past It, Lost Cause or Unfinished Revolution? [online]. University of Edinburgh Social Work Seminar. Available from: http://www.socialwork.ed.ac.uk/events/lecture_notes/feminism_lecture. [Accessed 6th February 2014]. Cumbee Center. History of Domestic Violence [online]. Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Available from: http://www.cumbeecenter.org/domestic_violence_history.php. [Accessed 6th February 2014]. Dipty, D., 2009. The Three Dimensions of Domestic Violence. Oklahoma: Tate Publishing Enterprises. Elliot, C. and Quinn, F., 2012. Criminal Law. Ninth Edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Erez, E., 2002. Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System: An Overview. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing [online]. 7 (1). Gaz, LS., 2012. Features: How to stop domestic Violence. Law Society Gazette [online]. 41. Home Office., 2013. Domestic violence and abuse [online]. Home Office. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/domestic-violence-and-abuse. [Accessed 4th February 2014]. Home Office, 2013. Ending violence against women and girls in the UK [online]. Home Office. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/ending-violence-against-women-and-girls-in-the-uk [Accessed 4th February 2014]. Hoyle, C. and Sanders, A., 2000. Police Response to Domestic Violence. The British Journal of Criminology [online], 40 (1): 14-36. Hughes, C., 2010. Second Wave Feminism [online]. Available from: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academicstaff/jonesc/jonesc_index/teaching/birth/second_wave_feminism.pdf. [Accessed 11th February 2014]. ICADV, 1999. History of Battered Women’s Movement [online]. SafeNetwork: California’s Domestic Violence Resource. Available from: http://www.icadvinc.org/what-is-domestic-violence/history-of-battered-womens-movement/. [Accessed 6th February 2014]. Kury, H. and Smartt, U., 2006. Domestic Violence: Recent Developments in German and English Legislation and Law Enforcement. European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice. 14 (4): 382-407. Lowenstein, L.F., 2005. Domestic Violence: Recent Research Part 1. Justice of the Peace [online]. 196 (37). Matczak, A., Hatzidimitriadou, E., and Lindsay, J., 2011. Review of Domestic Violence Policies in England and Wales. London: Kingston University and St George‘s, University of London. Mendes, K., 2009. Reporting the womens movement: A cross-national comparison of representations of second wave feminism and equal rights issues in the United Kingdom and United States daily press, 1968-1982. Cardiff University. Paradine, K. and Wilkinson, J., 2004. A Research and Literature Review Protection and Accountability: The Reporting, Investigation and Prosecution of Domestic Violence Cases [online]. National Centre for Policing Excellence, Centrex. Parliament. Key dates [online]. Parliament United Kingdom. Available from: http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/keydates/, [Accessed 6th February 2014]. Summers, R. and Hoffman, A.M., 2002. Domestic Violence: A Global View. Westport: Greenwood Press. United Kingdom Legislations. Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 [online]. United Kingdom. Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/48/introduction/enacted. [Accessed 11th February 2014]. Welstead, M. and Edwards, S., 2011. Family Law. Third Edition. New York: Oxford University Press Inc. Women’s aid, 2008. Domestic Violence a historical perspective [online]. Women’s aid. Available from: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-articles.asp?itemid=1815itemTitle=A+historical+perspectivesection=00010001002200410001sectionTitle=Articles:+domestic+violence. [Accessed 4th February 2014]. Women’s aid. Our history [online]. Women’s aid. Available from: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/page.asp?section=0001000100190004 [Accessed 4th February 2014]. Women Safe, 2002. Overview of Historical Laws that Supported Domestic Violence [online]. Women Safe. Available from: http://www.womensafe.net/dv/dvlaws.html. [Accessed 3rd February 2014].

Are Bureaucratic and Scientific methods of Management out of date?

Are Bureaucratic and Scientific methods of Management out of date? The ideas of the classical theorists, particularly those of bureaucracy and scientific management, are generally considered as rather old fashioned and out of date, and of little relevance to work and organisation today. Is this really the case? Consider the above statement through a critical examination of practices which can be identified in work today. In your analysis, you should draw upon appropriate academic material, and also other sources which can help in identifying current practices. These can include your own experiences from work, those of family relatives and friends, weblogs, working life diaries, newspaper articles and other media reports. Classical Management Theory is a Body of  management  thought based on the belief that  employees  have only  economical  and physical  needs, and that social needs and need for  job-satisfaction  either dont exist or are unimportant. Accordingly, this school  advocates  high  specialization of labor, centralized  decision making, and  profit maximization. (www.businessdictionary.com) To have originated at the end of the nineteenth century and in the beginning of the twentieth century, the Classical Management Theory dominated management thinking in the 1920s and 1930s by emphasising on the efficiency of the work process. Classical Management Theory has three schools of thought, Scientific Management, which identifies the best way to do a line of work; Bureaucratic Management, which focuses on rules and procedure, hierarchy and clear division of labour; and Administrative Management, which emphasises the flow of information within the organisation. (www.le hren.org) The aim of this essay is to discuss the three schools of thought of Classical Management Theory and to find out that whether they have really become outdated and are of little relevance to work and organisation in todays world. Frederick Taylor is known as the begetter of Scientific Management. Taylors approach was to increase organisational productiveness by raising the efficiency level of the production process through emphasising on the empirical research. Especially in the United States where labour was in short supply, especially the skilled labour, at the start of the twentieth century and the only way of increasing productivity was by raising the efficiency of the workers. Scientific Management states that the line of work should be designed in such a way that every worker has a well-controlled and well-stipulated task, and specific methods and procedures are strictly followed for each job. (www.lehren.org; Cole, 2004) Taylors management theory is founded upon a fundamental belief that managers not only are intellectually better than an average employee, but they have a positive duty as well to oversee staff and to organise their work activities. Therefore, his theory was only used on low-level repet itive and routine tasks which could be easily managed at supervisory level. Taylor developed four principles for his theory of Scientific Management. First principle is to scientifically develop best methodology to perform each task. Second principle is that managers should make sure that the best person is picked to perform the task and to make sure that he/she gets the best training. Third principle is that managers are responsible for assuring that the best person selected for the job does it by applying the best methodology. Last principle Taylor developed was that total responsibility for the work method should be removed from the worker and should be passed on to the management, and the employee is only responsible for the actual work performance. (Cole, 2004; Boddy, 2005) On production-line time studies Taylor has based his management system. Taylor contrived the best and quickest methods of performing each component by breaking down each job into its components and applying time study as his base. He also tried to persuade employers to pay a higher rate to more productive workers. In the early parts of twentieth century Scientific Management Theory became very popular as its use was shown to lead to improvements in productivity and efficiency in organisations and businesses. Max Weber is known as the father of Modern Sociology. He had first used the term bureaucracy to describe an organisational form which in his view was superior to others. He viewed an ideal organisation to be bureaucratic whose divisions of labour were clearly expressed and whose objectives and activities were rationally thought. He believed that performance evaluation should entirely be made on the basis of merit and that technical competence should be emphasized on. The key elements of a bureaucracy are defined by Weber as: A clear chain of command within a well-defined hierarchy where the top post holders have the authority and the right to control the lower post holders; Specialisation of skills and clear division of labour, where every employee will have the authority and essential expertise to finish a particular task; In writing, accurate and complete rules and regulations, to control and govern all decisions, activities and situations; Distant relationships between employees a nd managers, with clear duties of personnel and statements of the rights; And all the decisions regarding selection, recruitment and promotion will be made on the basis of technical competence. The framework Weber provided for his theory of Bureaucratic Management advanced the formation of many huge corporations such as Ford. (www.lehren.org; Stoner et al, 1996) Henri Fayol a French industrialist was one of the most influential management thinkers who developed one of the Classical Management Theory known as Administrative Management. Scientific Management theory was concerned with increasing the productiveness of the shop floor while Fayols theory grew out of the need to find guidelines to manage complex organisations like factories. An early effort pioneered by Fayol was to identify the skills and principles that underlie effective management. According to Cole (2004), Fayol believed that sound management falls into certain patterns which once identified can be analysed, so he focused on management of business operations, which he felt had been the most neglected. He developed fourteen general principles of management based on his management experience. It was generally believed that mangers are born not made, before Fayol. He insisted that management was a skill like other skills which could be taught and learned once the principles under lying it were understood. The ideas Classical Theorists have presented still have many applications in the management of todays organisations but with some modifications. Managers of today are facing many internal challenges which are similar to the ones faced by the managers during earlier periods. Like Taylors concern for increase productivity of workers is still shared by managers. The Scientific Management theory is still relevant, even today but it is not as popular as it was in the past. The job design it presented is still widely used in industries today and has made most of the industrial work repetitive, tedious, menial and depressing, and can be noted for example in fast-food restaurants like KFC and McDonald and in assembly lines of automobile manufacturers. McDonalds divides its operation into a number of tasks such as operating a deep fryer or cooking operation, supervising and assign people to perform the tasks. The modern mass automobile assembly lines pour out finished merchandises faster than Taylor could have ever thought off or imagined. In addition to this, the efficiency techniques of Scientific Management are used in the training of Surgeons. Armies in the past employed the Scientific Management theory and armies of today still employ the same theory. Of the main points listed select workers with appropriate or necessary skills for each job, a standard method to perform each task, training for standard task, eliminating interruptions and wage incentive for increasing output and planning work all but wage incentives are used by modern military for increased output. Wage incentives usually appear in the form of skill bonuses in armies. Furthermore, industrial engineers of today are also taught Scientific Management methods which include job-tasks analysis, time and motion studies and detailed production planning regarding the field of operation research and management. In United States Bureaucratic Management is still used by service-based organisations like libraries. Libraries of Wichita State University are one concrete example where Webers Bureaucratic Management ideas are still applied. Postal service in United States is also still using bureaucracy. (www.biz.colostate.edu) Piece rate and mass production line systems are still being used in the manufacturing and garment industries of Mauritius. Sea-food hub is another industry where the Classical Management Theories are also applied. But since the emergence and formulation of the Classical Management Theories in the nineteenth century the economic landscape has rapidly changed. Businesses of today do not exist in a vacuum. They have become open systems with dynamic and constant interaction with the environment. Business environment of today is highly competitive and global, and managers of today are increasingly becoming aware of the business environment and its effects. There are two types of business environment known as the internal and the external environment. Factors that can be relatively controlled by the organisation relates to the internal environment. These factors are the employees, owners, customers, suppliers, pressure groups and authorities. The external environment constitutes of Political, Economical, Social and Technological (PEST) factors that cannot be controlled by the organisation. (Boddy, 2005) Business environment of today is characterised with uncertainty, changes and innovation. At the same time concern about the natural environment has also emerged worldwide. Current natural concerns are climate changes, pollution, ozone depletion and other global issues like population and food security. It is becoming more challenging because of the commotion in the financial sector and global economic slowdown. Businesses must adapt to the environment at all cost or die. As McDonalds have concluded managers of today have to be concerned not only with the scientific facts but with the environment and the public perception. The business environment in todays world is becoming exceedingly competitive and tough for organisations. The level of competition in almost every sector is intensifying. New opportunities and threats are being created constantly due to the changes in technology. Every aspect of the business environment is sweeping with rapid change and prompting the managers to rethink the ways in which they do things. Smart companies are those which are working hard to improve their productivity, efficiency, testing new initiatives and adapting to the changing environment and technology in order to differentiate themselves from the competitors existing in these highly competitive business environments. The command and control style of management which was presented in the Classical Management Theories will work in an environment where there is plenty of room for error and both competition and change is limited, but in todays age of communication and computing it is impossible for such a case to exist. Things are changing very quickly in todays business environment and profit margins for organisations are reducing, and in addition to this more and more things are happening on a continuous basis. So due to the rapid pace at which changes are occurring, it has become important for organisations to push down decision-making to the level in the organisation that has all of the relevant information at the time when a decision has to be made. This calls for quiet different management attitudes, and demands for a flexible and democratic point of view and that accountability must be delegated, but all these things are not present in the Classical Management Theories. So for organisations to compete successfully with other organisations at national and international level, managers must act as entrepreneurs and try to create new business models that is to re-plan, strategize, rethink, learn continuously and innovate. The most important source for businesses to gain competitive advantage and sustainable development is innovation and innovative management. The theories presented by the classical theorists cannot cope with the dramatic and rapid changes of the business environment. Every procedure, standard ratio, process and rule of thumb is being challenged and re-engineered. Classical Management Theories which once were reliable guides for managers now are not enough for mangers to base their decisions and take actions upon them. So to conclude, organisations today are mostly influenced by the external environment (continuous technology change, globalisation, fierce market share competition, hiring and retaining front line workers and executives) that often fluctuate with time. Yet Classical Management Theories only portrays the image of an organisation that is not shaped by the external influences. In todays world of Classical Management Theories are gradually fading and the principal reason behind this is that people and their needs are considered as secondary to the needs of an organisation by Classical theorists. Nowadays, Human Resource Management has also very seriously challenged the scientific approach. Furthermore, in organisations the Bureaucratic Management is rapidly giving way to the Matrix structure. However, Classical Management Theories are still important because they had introduced the concepts of management for intellectual analysis and provided ideas which were further developed by the sub sequent management schools of thought. References Boddy, D. (2005), Management An Introduction. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Classic School Of Management, [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/classical-school-of-management.html [Accessed 8 December 2010]. Cole, G.A. (2004). Management: Theory and Practice. 6th ed. London: Thomson Learning Management Evolution, [online] Available at: http://www.biz.colostate.edu [Accessed 8 December 2010]. Module: Fundamentals of Organisation. [online] Available at: http://lehren.org/foundations/fundamentals.htm [Accessed 8 December 2010]. Stoner, J.A.F., et al (1996). Management. 6th ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Berkeley :: essays research papers

5. Explain and assess Berkeley’s most powerful reasons for thinking that things other than minds have no absolute existence altogether apart from or independent of minds. Metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of reality and deals with what is truly real as oppose to what appears to be real. Berkeley is an idealist who believes that things other than minds have no absolute existence altogether apart from or independent of minds. He has several arguments but only the resemblance argument and the inconceivability argument will be discussed, as they are the most powerful reasons for thinking this. I believe that Berkeley proves his theory of absolute existence must be dependent on the mind through resemblance and inconceivability. Realists believe what is ultimately real is independent from the mind and possess the primary qualities such as extension, shape, solidity and motion regardless of being conceived. This is opposite from Berkeley’s and other idealists views. Berkeley does not believe that these primary qualities are the only things that define existence. Secondary qualities include colours, sounds, odors, and tastes must also be present. Secondary qualities are mind dependent and they are perceptions. These qualities are very important in Berkeley’s discussion on existence with respect to resemblance and inconceivability. One of Berkeley’s most powerful reasons for absolute existence is proved through the resemblance argument. He believes that only something visually experienced can be like a visual experience, so ideas resemble other ideas. He continues to say ideas are mind dependent so no ideas can resemble qualities of a mind independent idea with respect to sense experience. For example, the idea of a unicorn is mind-dependent and resembles unicorns from fairytales as a horse with a horn. If there were never a sense experience with a unicorn, no ideas would resemble the qualities. Berkeley states â€Å"I appeal to any one whether it be sense to assert a colour is like something which is invisible; hard or soft, like something which is intangible; and so of the rest.† We no what is hard because we have experiences with objects that are harder, softer, or the same. Betrand Russell objects to Berkeley’s notion of resemblance with two things, the first being that ideas represent reality by mapping reality not resembling it, and second, experiences only correspond to the idea, they do not resemble it. Take a scenic picture, looking at the picture, one would be able to tell what objects are closer or further away but the picture is flat, not 3d. Berkeley :: essays research papers 5. Explain and assess Berkeley’s most powerful reasons for thinking that things other than minds have no absolute existence altogether apart from or independent of minds. Metaphysics is the study of the ultimate nature of reality and deals with what is truly real as oppose to what appears to be real. Berkeley is an idealist who believes that things other than minds have no absolute existence altogether apart from or independent of minds. He has several arguments but only the resemblance argument and the inconceivability argument will be discussed, as they are the most powerful reasons for thinking this. I believe that Berkeley proves his theory of absolute existence must be dependent on the mind through resemblance and inconceivability. Realists believe what is ultimately real is independent from the mind and possess the primary qualities such as extension, shape, solidity and motion regardless of being conceived. This is opposite from Berkeley’s and other idealists views. Berkeley does not believe that these primary qualities are the only things that define existence. Secondary qualities include colours, sounds, odors, and tastes must also be present. Secondary qualities are mind dependent and they are perceptions. These qualities are very important in Berkeley’s discussion on existence with respect to resemblance and inconceivability. One of Berkeley’s most powerful reasons for absolute existence is proved through the resemblance argument. He believes that only something visually experienced can be like a visual experience, so ideas resemble other ideas. He continues to say ideas are mind dependent so no ideas can resemble qualities of a mind independent idea with respect to sense experience. For example, the idea of a unicorn is mind-dependent and resembles unicorns from fairytales as a horse with a horn. If there were never a sense experience with a unicorn, no ideas would resemble the qualities. Berkeley states â€Å"I appeal to any one whether it be sense to assert a colour is like something which is invisible; hard or soft, like something which is intangible; and so of the rest.† We no what is hard because we have experiences with objects that are harder, softer, or the same. Betrand Russell objects to Berkeley’s notion of resemblance with two things, the first being that ideas represent reality by mapping reality not resembling it, and second, experiences only correspond to the idea, they do not resemble it. Take a scenic picture, looking at the picture, one would be able to tell what objects are closer or further away but the picture is flat, not 3d.

Ethics Of Cheating Essay -- essays research papers

Cheaters Never Win, Oh wait they do†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦they’re Cheaters Cheating is defined in the dictionary as, to deceive by trickery; swindle, however the dictionary fails to tell you if it is right or wrong to cheat. People have many different beliefs when it comes to cheating; some think its fine to do while others completely disapprove. I intend to show the different beliefs, from different perspectives of people, and also intend on proving which beliefs have the strongest and weakest arguments. An ethical egoist could argue that we have an obligation to cheat. Ethical egoists maintain the belief that we should act selfishly. We should do things that we believe in our self-interest, which is our own genuine interest. Egoist would cheat to benefit themselves, they believe that their own interest receives much more weight than everyone else’s interest. Egoist realize that we are solely responsible for their own lives, therefore if cheating would benefit their lives then cheating is acceptable. If we did not cheat it would bring possible misfortune to our lives. However, it could also be argued by ethical egoist that we do not have an obligation to cheat. Egoist would agree that morality is about overcoming our selfishness and living our life with positive concern for the well being of others. Cheating is not looking at the well being of others, but rather doing the complete opposite. Unless everyone in the country had the answers to the test, then it would be considered good to ch...

Era of Globalization

This century is an era of globalization and with the high technology and transformation. As of 2011, one-third of the 2.26 billion of the world's population are having internet access and this will be risen up to 40% by this year 2016 as projected by the Broadband Commission (Dron, J. ; Anderson, T., 2014:3). The development of technology today and the integration of this modern technology into the learning process lead to educational evaluation and enhancement (Ataie F. et.al, 2015:47). The impact of the technology in the education of today is not new in the education process. The internet and other related technologies bring information, research, and literature direct to the classroom (Fewkes A. M. ; McCabe M., 2012:93). Technology gives the students free access to information and resources twenty-four hours in seven days (24/7), that enables them to create multimedia content and share it with the world, and that allows them to participate in online social networks and communities where people from all over the world share ideas, collaborate, and learn new things (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). Most of the students today are defined by their reliance on social media, their technological multitasking capabilities, and their propensity toward all things new (Mills N., 2011:345).The social media has become an integral part of modern society (Web Designer Depot staff, 2009) and also known as Web 2.0 (Dewing M., 2010 ; Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T., 2011).). Social media are computer-mediated technologies that allow individuals, companies, NGOs, government, and other organization to view, create, and share information, ideas, career interests, and other form of expression via virtual communities and network (Wikipedia contributor, 2016). There are many kinds of social media, social networking (Facebook), micro blogging (Twitter), video sharing (YouTube), news aggregation (Google reader), social search (Google), and instant messaging (Yahoo! Messenger, Skype) (Zafarani, R., Abbasi, M. A., ; Liu, H., 2014). These social media tools produce information every day (Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T., 2011; Al-rahmi, W. M., Othman, M. S., Yusof, L. M., ; Musa, M. A., 2015:267) and provides collaboration learning process by looking at the contributions of other students in the collaborative working space and by reflecting on their own contributions as well (Hopkins B., 2016, Balakrishnan, V., 2016:36). Through social media the students are able to interact with one another, build a sense of community, develop content, as well as require students to be active in their own learning through participating, thinking, and contributing (Casey and Evans, 2011; Al-rahmi, W. M., Othman, M. S., Yusof, L. M., ; Musa, M. A., 2015:265). The students are able to upload their ideas in a social media sites and receive feedback from others (Balakrishnan V., 2016:35). Social media become both medium of formal and informal learning process (Balakrishnan V., 2016:35).Collaboration becomes easy because social media makes connection and interaction of one another easily anytime, anywhere and it provides the chance to understand individuals and human behavioral patterns (Zafarani R. et.al, 2014). Learning through social media with others, therefore, is an opportunity, Dron J. ; Anderson T., 2014:9). Facebook specifically can be considered as way of communication for learners to exchange information (Al-rahmi, W. M., Othman, M. S., Yusof, L. M., ; Musa, M. A. 2015:266). Facebook is a social networking service launched on February 4, 2004 and was founded by Mark Zuckerberg. He founded Facebook while studying psychology at Harvard University (Phillips, S., 2005). Facebook has gained extreme popularity among the internet users over the past few years. This social network was intended for personal communication among individuals yet today many other organizations use it for their advantage (Alhomod, S. M., ; Shafi, M. M., 2012:52). In the first quarter of 2015 Facebook revealed that it had more than 1.44 billion monthly active users (up 13 percent year-over-year). Of those, 1.25 billion were mobile users; an increase of 24 percent year over year (Protalinski, E., 2015). Facebook was the first social network to surpass 1 billion registered accounts and currently sits at 1.59 billion monthly active users (Statista site, 2016). As of the fourth quarter of 2015, Facebook had 1.59 billion monthly active users. In the third quarter of 2012, the number of active Facebook users had surpassed 1 billion (Statista site, 2016). Mostly, people use Facebook for chatting, for sharing photos, for posting videos, for staying in touch and sharing personal news, plan meetings and get-together, do homework and business to gethers, find and contact long-lost friends and relatives (Collier, A., ; Magid, L., 2010:2). For the young users, they use Facebook for day-to-day news about their friends, acquaintances, relatives, and peer groups, collaborating on school work, validation or emotional support, self-expression and the identity exploration and formation that occurs in adolescent development (Collier, A., ; Magid, L., 2010:2). There are a lot of studies already conducted to know the connection between Facebook and educational process and these studies have established that Facebook can act as a tool of communication in the modern educational system (Alhomod, S. M., ; Shafi, M. M., 2012:52). Facebook, as social network, provides positive impacts in the educational sector. It creates a group or network, builds educational, integrates into current educational tools, and develops an educational application, shares topic information with other users of the Facebook (Alhomod, S. M., ; Shafi, M. M., 2012:53).A recent study of the attitudes of 107 students toward Facebook provides some insights and this study found out that Facebook was preferred over eLearning Commons as a classroom supplement. Many of the students were already familiar with Facebook, used it frequently and found it easy to navigate (Barczyk, C.C. ; Duncan, D.G., 2013:2). This means that one contribution of Facebook in the educational system is it serves as the source of knowledge and information outside the classroom where formal education process is done. Furthermore, the study provided that if used appropriately, Facebook may help to increase student engagement by cultivating classroom community and stimulating intellectual discourse, (Barczyk, C.C. ; Duncan, D.G., 2013:2). This means that Facebook can be used effectively for academic discussions (Barczyk, C.C. ; Duncan, D.G., 2013:2).Facebook enhances the learning process. This is the reason why most Facebook widely used by college students and colleges. As we mentioned already, the students can upload videos, pictures, post to bulletin boards, and participate in communication via e-mail and instant messaging (Toland, R., 2013:41). Then Facebook is a social network that connects students with other students and creating an indirectly learning community which is vital components of educational process (Toland, R., 2013:41). Finally, Facebook can be used as learning tool to develop cognitive learning skills of the students (Toland, R., 2013:41). How does collaboration happened in social media, in Facebook to be specific? According to Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T. (2011) collaboration in social media involves academic research cycle, namely:Identification of knowledge,Creation of knowledge,Quality assurance of knowledge, and  Dissemination of knowledge.Cann A., Dimitriou K. ; Hooley T. (2011) defined collaboration as the work of all the people who might be involved in research including researchers, librarians, funders and the general public. Identification of information in social media is possible because of the connection with other people. Information also can be obtained through comments coming from the people you are connected through social media. Creation of knowledge is possible in social media through share ideas and/or advices coming from learned individual. Quality assurance of knowledge in social media is possible because of peer scrutiny and/or peer review. Dissemination of knowledge involves communication and/or engaging with the public and discussing related controversial issues.

Internet Gambling Essay

The technoculture related topic that I am going to explore is the phenomenon of Internet gambling. With the emergence and explosion of gambling on television such as the World Series of Poker of ESPN or The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel, online gaming has quickly become a major player in the technoculture of contemporary society. I feel it is important to explore this issue because of American society’s fascination and obsession with gambling. Gambling can and has become a very serious and damaging activity to many people in this country. According to CNN. com, studies have shown that people who gamble on the Internet tend to have more serious addictions than people who wager through more traditional venues. Through my research, I hope to further explore why Internet gambling has the potential to be more dangerous than traditional casinos and how younger generations of Americans and the government are responding to this ever-growing phenomenon. Literature Review The research I discovered on Internet gambling is fairly recent and comprehensive. Since online gaming is a reasonably new trend, the material written on the matter was rather current. Furthermore, there was a substantial amount of information within these three sources. It was evident that the three authors conducted high-quality research, and it showed with the use of graphs, charts, and case studies. Also, the three sources had a very similar outlook on the present and future situation of online gaming. With that being said, given that online gaming is at the peak of its existence, it is imperative that further exploration and examination within the subject be carried out. Because of the instant access one has to a gambling venue and the privacy factor of the Internet, online gaming has become a risky undertaking for many. According to David Schwartz (2003), â€Å"Internet gambling presents new problems for individuals and society† (p. 214). Instead of driving to an actual physical casino, problem gamblers can enjoy betting in the comforts of their own home. At home, they are not monitored by other gamblers and/or casino personnel which results in the ability to set their own limit. The Internet also allows the gambler to maintain a level of privacy not found in real casinos. If there are no friends or family around to supervise, then the gambler can engage in irresponsible betting without any time constraints. Finally, unlike real casinos, Internet casinos are readily available at the click of a button. If an online gaming organization will not accept one’s money, one can bet that there are thousands of others that will be happy to take one’s funds. The demographics of gambling are interesting to investigate within the subject. According to Rachel Volberg (2001), â€Å"adults ages 18 to 29 are substantially more likely than older adults to have gambled privately† (p. 34). Young adults are also more likely to gamble for excitement compared to older adults (Volberg, 2001). This is not a difficult concept to grasp. Normally, young adults have a less appreciative concept of money because they do not have as great of a responsibility as older people in regards to providing for family, paying bills, and spending money on expenses that are traditionally not familiar to a younger person. Furthermore, young people are usually unsupervised, especially in the collegiate demographic. Without the approval from mommy and daddy, young adults all across America are enjoying the financial freedom to do whatever they want with the money they have. In addition, according to Thomas Barker and Marjie Britz (2000), â€Å"many college students have deep pockets ? Mom and Dad’s† (p. 139). With this new found autonomy and fiscal assistance from parents, college kids are engaging in online gaming for fun and excitement. However, if left untreated and unsupervised, the fun and excitement can soon turn into a dangerous addiction with serious consequences and ramifications. With the possibility of Internet gambling becoming a serious problem, the government has been asked to step in and legislate the situation. According to Volberg (2001), â€Å"The fact that Internet gambling is conducted in a networked, data-intensive environment offers opportunities for regulation and oversight in several critical areas, including licensure, testing for game integrity and site security, auditing and oversight, taxation, and consumer protection† (p 97). Basically, Volberg is supporting a regulatory system that will be able to monitor the activities not only of the individual gambler, but of the gambling website as well. If the government actually does get involved, certain problems can be remedied. For example, every transaction made by a player can be closely followed and tracked. If a player indicates behaviors that suggest irresponsible decision-making, the player can be flagged and possibly suspended from a gambling website. However, all in all, Internet gambling will most likely always have its problems. Just like alcohols are with minors, people will get their hands on something they probably should not be touching. Internet gambling is an intensifying activity in American culture. With all the limitless possibility and endless potential of the Internet, online gaming will continue to be a major player in the world of technoculture and the information society. Nevertheless, what is important within this public sphere is to be able to responsibly deal with the world of Internet casinos. We need to come to a positive middle ground between the two sides of the spectrum; the fun and excitement of gambling and the spiraling addiction. Current Trends Like anything in life, when you create stimulus you are going to yield a response. In regards to online gaming, the stimulus that was created was the buzz generated by the constant bombardment of gambling programs on television. ESPN annually televises The World Series of Poker during the summer in which thousands of people descend upon Las Vegas to gamble in all types of events including poker, blackjack, craps, etc†¦ Many times they tell the story of some â€Å"average Joe† who enters a tournament and eventually ends up winning thousands of dollars. This false sense of hope has grabbed millions of Americans into thinking that they too, have the ability to win a substantial amount of money. The response to this stimulus has been the emergence of online casinos. However, instead of people winning money, crime has actually been the fallout of this risky behavior. According to ABCnews. com (2006), a Lehigh University student by the name of Greg Hogan Jr. attempted to rob a local bank in order to pay off his gambling debts. He was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to the offense and now faces up to three years in jail. During his interview with Good Morning America, Mr. Hogan blamed his addiction to online gambling websites for his setback, and cautioned the American public to the dangerous power of Internet gaming. In addition to his story, according to ABCnews. com (2006), â€Å"2. 9 million Americans between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two gamble with cards online at least once a week, and fifty percent of male college students and twenty-six percent of female college students gamble on cards at least once a month. † To combat this growing epidemic, the House of Representatives took a proactive stance on the matter by passing legislation that would make it illegal to use credit cards on gambling websites and make it significantly more difficult to access these sites. Whether it gets passed by the Senate and the Executive Branch is another matter, however, at least the government is recognizing the problem sooner rather than later. In conjunction with this theory of crime, many Internet scammers have found opportunity within this growing trend. An article on ABCnews. com (2006) describes an elaborate scheme where bookies took sports bets through an Internet gambling site. The insecurity of the website allowed these thieves to launder millions of dollars and corrupt the free enterprise system of the Internet gaming business. Fortunately, these criminals were caught. Nevertheless, it makes you wonder how frequent this sort of thing exists in the online world. Some have argued, nonetheless, that Internet gambling has its benefits. According to Tom W. Bell (1998), the inclusion of the Internet has fostered competition to a business that has long enjoyed the sanctuary of restraining licensing practices. Rather than having to fly out to isolated casinos in Vegas or Atlantic City, you can enjoy the experience of gambling in the comforts of your own home. Bell (1998) also supports the belief that gambling in your home allows an individual to escape the traps found in real, physical casinos. A person does not have to be surrounded in a windowless structure while being harassed by cocktail waitresses carrying a tray of free booze. Because of online gaming, the business world has more free enterprise and has given the individual a sense of security not found in traditional locales. In terms of my own personal experience, I actually signed up to one of these gambling websites to investigate how they attract and seize the public. The website was www. gambling. com and in order to register, all I had to give them was a current e-mail address. I found it sort of comforting to know that they pledged that they would not pass any of my information on to any other company and/or website because I did not want my stagweb to become flooded with junkmail from these websites. Immediately after becoming a member, I was granted 400 Ludos. I had no clue as to what Ludos were, but after some probing, I discovered that they were basically a form of Internet currency. For every twenty five Ludos, I received a dollar. That equals sixteen dollars. But, here’s the catch. For me to actually receive the Ludos and use them to gamble, I would have to give them my credit card information and pay a montly fee which was actually just about as expensive as the Ludos themselves. Brilliant. Moreover, the website contained links in which I could learn how to play games by reading tutorials, and then, actually play those games. I conducted a little experiment of my own to see how many times I won during one of the games. Out of twenty-five spins on one of the slot machines, I ended up winning sixteen times. That is a sixty-four percent average of winning. Now, anyone who understands anything about gambling knows that the absolute best percentage of winning is fifty percent. However, most of the games are not even close to that percentage. My suspicion leads me to believe that these websites give a false sense of hope to their members. If they succeed in tempting people to try these games, and these games yield a winning percentage better than fifty percent, more often than not, someone is going to believe that they actually have a great chance of making money. It actually is a genius scheme to lure in the public. Make them believe. Once they have accomplished that, these websites have them right where they want them. Conclusions The effects of online gaming are now becoming more clear and transparent to technoculture and the information society. It is apparent that online gaming has become a microcosm of the digital divide that exists within society. According to one of our readings during the semester written by Oscar H. Gandy, Jr. (2002), the differences that make up the digital divide are more than just social constructions. The actual construction is molded due to the new systems of communication that have surfaced within the last twenty years. In relation to online gaming, Internet gaming websites are now competing to display the flashiest, most hypertextual sites in order to attract customers. Due to this competition, better bandwidth and enhanced software will result, thus highlighting the digital divide. Data mining and this notion of surveillance has also entered the conversation regarding online gaming. Because an individual has to present private information about one’s self on a website to facilitate gambling, the possibility of gambling website selling personal information in return for financial gain is a distinct possibility. As aforementioned, the site I visited before pledged that they did not engage in data mining. Yet, this seems to suggest that other sites do exercise this right which effectively gives companies useful information about yourself. Moreover, whenever someone uses the Internet, especially in a situation where one willingly submits personal information such as credit card and phone numbers, the possibility of third party surveillance is always present. It really conveys the authentic risks one undertakes when participating in the latest innovation. Another theory that online gaming illustrates is the constant tension between structure and agency. The government represents structure. As a stable entity, it looks to control the path of Internet gambling by establishing rules and regulations in hopes of creating some order. Internet gambling, on the other hand, is the perfect example of agency. Gambling, in and of itself, is the exact definition of what agency represents: the ability of uncertainty and chaos to influence the parameters through which we live. However, as much as these two concepts seem unrelated, there is an interdependence that spurs the creation of new technologies, not only in the world of online gaming, but throughout the technological landscape. Annotated List of Relevant URLS 1. http://www. playwinningpoker. com/resources/sites2. html : This website is a resource for gamblers.It allows the user to learn new games, find new games, and contact certain people involved with gambling. 2. http://www. gambling. com/best/online-gambling-sites. htm : This website directs users to the best gambling websites on the Internet. It has a list on the left hand side with about sixty different links to other gambling sites. 3. http://www. out-law. com/page-6655 : This website is about illegal activities on the Internet. It contains a few articles on illegal mishaps that have occurred through Internet gambling websites. 4. http://www. becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2006/08/on_internet_gam. html : Blog that contains articles about Internet gambling. Website constructed by Gary Becker and Richard Posner. 5. http://www. cardplayer. com/blog/entry/179 : Blog that is pro-Internet gambling. Players write their feelings on why they think Internet casinos are fun and exciting. 6. http://www. istoppedgambling. com/ : Website founded to help people with gambling problems. Includes personal stories, how-to instructions, and negative articles about gambling. 7. http://www. nomoregambling. com/ : Website founded to help people with Internet gambling problems. Has a hotline and other medias to help combat irresponsible Internet betting. Works Cited Barker, Thomas & Britz, Marjie (2000). Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-first Century. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Schwartz G. , David (2003). Suburban Xanadu: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis Books, Inc. Volberg A. , Rachel (2001). When the Chips Are Down: Problem Gambling in America. New York, NY: The Century Foundation, Inc. http://www. cato. org/testimony/ct-tb052198. html.