Cross-Cultural Awareness Research Project Diary Method Essay

Cross-Cultural Awareness Research Project Diary Method - Essay Example Thus it is imperative that new skills and strategies are evolved to meet the emerging challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. Interestingly, in the current environment of multicultural societies, reflective practices through diaries have become vital links to understand and improve outcome. One is able to reflect on issues and factors that have impacted the person. I have used the entries and content of my diary in discussing the various perspectives of the changing society, especially vis-a-vis international marketing. Various authors have also claim that diaries provide vital clues and techniques to improve and improvise productivity (Nadin, Sara and Catherine Cassell, 2006; Bolger, Niall, Angelina Davis, and Eshkol Rafaeli, 2003). I feel that cultural competency has emerged as a major issue within and outside the businesses community that impacts relationship building. Various authors Ghauri, Pervez and Cateora (2010) strongly contend that changing cultural dynamics are strong facilitator of change and significantly impact international businesses. Indeed, it can be described as the need to understand cross cultural values and adapt to the changing societal pattern of globalization. ... Communication is one of the most important skills that must be developed for long term sustainable professional and personal relationships. The need to develop a bond that is mutually beneficial as well as fruitful in the long run is inherent part of social contact paradigm. Everyone needs to communicate with one other, in one way or the other but mastering it ensures that one is able to convey his thoughts and ideas to the other with clarity and with ease. Indeed, a person, who makes effort to develop and improve inter-personal communication, is able to strengthen his professional relationship. He also helps facilitate a better understanding that paves way to a success which promises productive outcome. Better communication mode through cross cultural understanding has also the advantage of creating and fostering new associations with people who contribute to the personality development and help widen the area of knowledge and skills. This characteristic is particularly beneficial t o people who need to interact with public and new persons on a daily basis. The leaders and market and sales professionals need to develop this skill. They must be able to effectively communicate with other so as to motivate and inspire others towards their intended issues and goals. A good leader is not only able to inspire but he is able to diffuse a volatile situation and turn it into an advantage for himself and his organization. In the rapidly developing environment of global competitiveness, it is essential that people must make efforts to cultivate this skill. In the age of globalization and multicultural societies, it is important that they develop the right communication skills to interact with people of other race, cultures

Instructional strategies & approaches 2 Essay Example for Free

Instructional strategies approaches 2 Essay According to Barbara Gross Davis, author of Tools for Teaching (1993), students learn best when they participate actively in the process. A lot of research has been made on collaborative learning, or learning in groups, and it has been proven that no matter the subject matter, students learn more this way. Working in groups help students learn and retain more about what is taught to them than when they are taught using other means. Davis enumerates three general types of group work. The first type is informal learning groups. These groups aren’t permanent and may be done in a single session. An example of this is asking the students to turn to their seatmate and discuss a particular question. In any case, this kind of grouping may be done in a class of any size at any time to check the level of understanding of the students, give them a way to apply what they have learned or to have a change in the learning pace. The second type is formal learning groups, which can be organized to do specific tasks like writing a report, doing a lab experiment or making a project. The tasks can be completed in one session or over a few weeks, until the students have finished the activity and are given a grade. The last type of group is a study team. Such groups are usually long-term, like a whole semester or course, and have permament members wherein each member is responsible for helping each other to complete course requirements and assignments and to provide support and encouragement. A student with a study team can ask his teammates to update him on classes or activities he might have missed. Study teams are valuable in courses that have a large class size and a complex topic. With that in mind, it is then appropriate to inquire as to how to group these students so that they would learn the most. Davis cites examples on how one could group the students: the teacher can assign randomly so that a mix of different students are in one group; the teacher can let the students choose their groupmates; the teacher, himself, forms the groups taking into account the students’ differences; or the teacher asks the students first on their preferences and then makes assignments. Whichever the case, Davis argues that these types of grouping have their own advantages and disadvantages and can be used depending on circumstance. After all, the teacher cannot assume that just because the students have been grouped and asked to work cooperatively, that they would actually do so. It should always be remembered that a group is composed of different individuals with different personalities, skills, concerns, temperament, etc. Thus, the teacher should be flexible, yet firm, and always ready to give assistance. In addition to considering the combination of students in a group, its size should also be given equal attention. According to researches done by Cooper (1990), Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1991) and Smith (1986) as cited by Davis, groups with a maximum of five members would work best since a larger number would decrease the opportunity for the group members to actively participate. They also add that the group size should be smaller if the members are less skillful and time available for the group work is shorter. Furthermore, the level of the task should also be considered. Simple tasks like solving a math problem or planting a seedling would be enough for small groups. On the other hand, complex tasks, such as a chemistry experiment that would require students to research and report, are better done by a bigger group (Knowles, 2005). Of course, students are individuals that have different learning abilities. Some teacher group the class according to these abilities. According to the Westchester Institute for Human Services Research (2002), ability grouping is the practice of dividing students according to their perceived learning capacities. The two most common ways of grouping via ability is within-in class grouping and between-class grouping. The former refers to the division of students with the same abilities into small groups. This is usually seen in Math or Reading classes. Between-class grouping refers to division of students into varying courses or classes according to their achievement. In a nutshell, ability grouping caters to the difference between students. Each group formed with this strategy may be using different materials that are unique and will address their needs. In general, research shows that within-class grouping produces better results than mixed ability grouping. Within-class grouping can promote faster learning since the students are learning with people of the same level and pace. Thus, fast learners can cover more topics without being dragged by the slow learners. On the other hand, as learning progresses it is only appropriate that the task difficulty also increase, and in line with that, the group composition and number. A more difficult task would require a larger group to execute successfully. Thus, if a class was previously divided into smaller groups, the teacher can merge these groups to form a larger group. In relation with this, the teacher should again consider the composition of the groups. Ideally, it is better that the group be as heterogenous as possible but should also contain a fair number of the assets, those with previous relevant coursework or language proficient, and liabilities, those with negative attitudes toward the course or language problems, in a class. Whole group instruction is usually used when introducing a new topic, new materials or new strategies to the whole class. In this way, the teacher can build a common experience between the students which can later be an avenue for further exploration of the topic and improvement in their problem solving and other skills (Valentino, 2000). On the other hand, group or collaborative learning cannot always be used despite its good results. Since topics have to be discussed within a certain timeframe, it is very hard to use collaborative learning often since such strategy really takes a lot of time. Thus, for courses that covers a broad, complex topic, like general chemistry or physics, it is advisable to make the students form a study team. For example, in chemistry, experiments may be done by a whole group. They can perform one experiment and help each other analyze their data and understand what they just did. In such a setting, not only will it minimize the concerns of the teacher, it would also help those students who come to class unprepared. At least, with group mates, there would still be an avenue for them to cope with the lesson. Also, Also, collaborative learning would be beneficial if the class size is large. As mentioned earlier, a heterogenous group is ideal. A teacher would want to distribute those who’ve already understood the topic or are fast learners among those that are still coping or having some difficulty. What the teacher can do, then, is determine the students that could be classified among the two groups. Generally, the teacher can determine the ‘assets’ and ‘liabilities’ by observation, diagnostic tests or group dynamics activity or by asking other teachers and his students. Such a technique would ensure that someone in the group knows what’s happening in class and possibly give assistance to his groupmates. In conclusion, group or collaborative learning is very beneficial to students. However, the success of such activities would depend on the composition and size of the group, as well as the level of learning of the students. The teacher should know when to use this strategy and he should be well prepared, organized and flexible when doing so. References Davis, BG. (1993). Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Team. Tools for Teaching.Retrieved August 16, 2007, from http://teaching. berkeley. edu/bgd/collaborative. html Knowles, P. (2005). Thoughts on Student Grouping: Teaching Decisions. Retrieved August 16, 2007, from http://www. netc. org/[emailprotected]/classrooms/peter/working/grouping. html Valentino, C. (2000). Flexible Grouping. Retrieved August 31, 2007, from http://www. eduplace. com/science/profdev/articles/valentino. html Westchester Institute for Human Services Research (2002). Ability Grouping. The Balanced View: Research-based information on timely topics. Vol. 6, No. 2.

The Benefits Of Antivirus Protection

The Benefits Of Antivirus Protection This report presents antivirus protection, its definition and different types of. It shows how it is important of this program to protect computer. Because attacker spread viruses around the world, people need strong and effective antivirus program to prevent their computers from these viruses. In this report, will be mentioned the idea of antivirus protection types, how its work and which methods use and benefits of this program. A  computer virus  is a  computer program  that can copy itself and infect a computer. It is also used to refer to other types of  malware, including to  adware  and  spyware  programs that do not have the reproductive ability. In fact, the world has witnessed great development in the computer world and most of businesses have become highly dependent on the computer. Since most computers are now connected to the Internet it is increasing the chance for spreading these viruses which necessitated the presence of powerful software to protect computers from these threats. Antivirus software is a simple tool to use, but it has a large effect. It search on your computer for malicious files, viruses and spyware that are hidden somewhere. The Antivirus (or anti-virus) software is a program that used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Such programs may also prevent and remove adware, spyware, and other forms of malware. These software scan throw the PC of the computer looking for viruses to remove it before the virus start to damage the computer files. There are different types of Antivirus software that have been developed over the years to keep up with the current virus issue such as Conventional Disk Scanner, Memory Resident Scanners, Behavior Based Detection and Start up Scanners. Some of this software can be run upon the users request and others are designed to be run every time the PC id booted up (types of antivirus). 1 of 4 Top Antivirus There is a lot of Antivirus software, but they are not built with the same power. The most powerful Antivirus software is the Shield Deluxe 2011- Antivirus Protection. This antivirus company protects tens of millions of home and business users across the globe. You can set your computer to update viruses weekly and run a complete virus scan. The system can be restored after malicious activity. It controls the status of the system registry and notifies users of any suspicious objects. The second powerful antivirus software is the Trend Micro Titanium Antivirus 2011. It provides complete and easy to use protection from Internet-threats. Then the Norton Antivirus 2011 come after which provide fast, responsive defense against all types of malicious software. The new Norton Protection System employs a multilayered set of security technologies that work to detect, identify, and block attacks. There is also the Panda Antivirus 2011 which is a good choice for windows that keeps the computer protected from any Internet threats. More over there is the Zone Alarm Antivirus software which is the best virus protection with significantly enhanced detection and removal capabilities. There are also the ESET NOD32 Antivirus and mthe Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2011 which are good on protecting (best antivirus software). How antivirus program work 2 of 4 Antivirus programs are designed to protect computer systems from viruses. These programs provide two levels of functionality when protecting against viruses which are real time protection and scanning of files stored on computer drives or disks (Anti-virus). Antivirus programs can detect viruses by two ways. First way is Footprint of virus program and this method is a common method that used to identify viruses. Footprint is the pattern of data that include file. The purpose of this method is comparing the virus footprint with a library of known footprints that match viruses. Also when using this method, viruses must be as viruses and then added to the library of footprints. Footprint of virus program has a one disadvantage. There is a time period when the virus is released to when the library of known footprints is updated.  Virus will not be recognized during this period and it could affect computer. In addition, Characteristics of program is the second way to detect virus es from computer. This method called heuristic scanning and it examines the actions that the program attempts to take or may attempt to take.  It looks at the type of system function calls that included in the executable code. It looks if this calls too suspicious, may flag the program as a possible virus and ask for user intervention. As footprint method, characteristics of program have a disadvantage which is that there is no time period when the computer is not protected after specific viruses are released (Anti-virus, n.d). Benefits of Antivirus Protection Downloading or buying any antivirus software program give chance for people to buy any desktop or laptop. Antivirus program is the best safe measure to stop and minimize risk and any effects. There are various levels of security protection for PCs and they depend on the particular antivirus program offered by trusted vendors. However, there are many benefits that all antivirus programs offer. First of all, it thwarts any virus that related damage. Any antivirus program helps to prevent damaging operating system and other functionalities of the PC from any virus that PC attached. Second, antivirus program maintains PCs security. This happens by updating antivirus package or creating a firewall to improve a PCs overall security. It helps to keep operation system running and internet resource  accessing and browsing experience. Third, all antivirus programs protect data and information. All information, critical data, presentations, files, documents, photos, and other material stored in the computer are secured from virus attacks infections. Finally, antivirus programs protect financial saving. Any unprotected or less protected PC is easy to attack from viruses. With effective antivirus program that protect the PC, you dont need help from technical support and loss a lot of money (Benefits of Antivirus Protection, n.d). Conclusion In sum up, the use of antivirus program is protecting computers from viruses attack. It helps to prevent data and information to be attacked. Antivirus program is software that installing to computer and use to scan PC to search any viruses can damage the computer. There are different types of Antivirus software that developed to use for production. There are many powerful antivirus programs that built with high quality of protection like Norton and MacAfee. Furthermore, this program can detect any virus by two ways which are footprint and characteristics. This kind of program has many benefits of using, it helps to prevent any virus that related damage to computer maintain CPs security and protect data and information. 3 of 4

Why Criticize People For Helping Themselves :: essays research papers

Why Criticize People For Helping Themselves?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many things in this world that seem offensive. Some of what is considered offensive is necessary to how some people make their livings. Court systems, parents, and other groups have come to believe that what is said in music, movies, and video games, contribute to the actions of some individuals as youngsters. To me this is wrong; I have always felt that way. It has actually helped the people saying the stuff, more than it has every hurt anybody, and I am going to explain this in the rest of this writing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now when I talk about the person saying the offenses, I am speaking of the performers. Most of my paper is going to be centered on Interscope Records, and their number one artist, Marshal Mathers III.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marshal Mathers III is also known as Eminem, or Slim Shady. He says these are his alternate personalities, obviously a show for the fans. Marshal Mathers III is named after his grandfather. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and moved around with his mother until the age of 9. He never really had any friends, or family other than his mother until they settled down in Southwest Detroit. There they settled down into an apartment in the ghetto, and lived in poverty for most of his childhood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marshal had no friends because of their constant moving, and being a skinny white kid in the ghetto, he got picked on, and bullied a lot. This caused him to grow more and more angry at the world, and then to finally isolate himself to work on his music.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He got teased a lot for wanting to be a white rapper, and never really got any appreciation until his first freestyle contest. At age 18 he entered his first rap freestyle contest and came in runner-up. This just encouraged him to try harder and entered in the Annual L.A. Rap Olympics one year later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He finally came out triumphant when he took first place. This started his career, because veteran rapper Dr. Dre was attending the Rap Olympics and liked what he heard. Dr. Dre at that time was the C.E.O. of Death Row Records at the time and immediately signed Eminem on for a record deal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marshal’s first professionally recorded cd, Slim Shady L.P., started a nationwide fan club. He used language and lyrics that have never before been used in music, that offended most of the nation’s parents.

Performance Management Essay

Activity 1: The business life today becomes more challenging for the companies and employees, where the organizations want to attract employees with high qualifications and professional experience with lower salary. On the other side the employees looking for jobs develop their qualifications with high (or reasonable) salary. And here is the challenge. This challenge could be managed by something called performance management, where it will give the balance to the relationship between the two sides. Performance management is process used to recognize, encourage, determine, evaluate, develop and reward the employee performance. And this will grease the circle and shrink the gap and toward achieving the organization objectives. Any effective performance management system must include these components: 1. Performance Planning: Performance planning is the first crucial component of any performance management process which forms the basis of performance appraisals. Performance planning is jointly done by the appraise and also the reviewer in the beginning of a performance session. During this period, the employees decide upon the targets and the key performance areas which can be performed over a year within the performance budget. This is finalized after a mutual agreement between the reporting officer and the employee. 2. Performance Appraisal and Reviewing: The appraisals are normally performed twice in a year in an organization in the form of mid reviews and annual reviews which is held in the end of the financial year. In this process, the appraisee first offers the self filled up ratings in the self appraisal form and also describes his/her achievements over a period of time in quantifiable terms. After the self appraisal, the final ratings are provided by the appraiser for the quantifiable and measurable achievements of the employee being appraised. The entire process of review seeks an active participation of both the employee and the appraiser for analyzing the causes of loopholes in the performance and how it can be overcome. This has been discussed in the performance feedback section. 3. Feedback on the Performance followed by personal counseling and performance facilitation: Feedback and counseling is given a lot of importance in the performance management process. This is the stage in which the employee acquires awareness from the appraiser about the areas of improvements and also information on whether the employee is contributing the expected levels of performance or not. The employee receives an open and a very transparent feedback and along with this the training and development needs of the employee is also identified. The appraiser adopts all the possible steps to ensure that the employee meets the expected outcomes for an organization through effective personal counseling and guidance, mentoring and representing the employee in training programmes which develop the competencies and improve the overall productivity. 4. Rewarding good performance: This is a very vital component as it will determine the work motivation of an employee. During this stage, an employee is publicly recognized for good performance and is rewarded. This stage is very sensitive for an employee as this may have a direct influence on the self esteem and achievement orientation. Any contributions duly recognized by an organization helps an employee in coping up with the failures successfully and satisfies the need for affection. 5. Performance Improvement Plans: In this stage, fresh set of goals are established for an employee and new deadline is provided for accomplishing those objectives. The employee is clearly communicated about the areas in which the employee is expected to improve and a stipulated deadline is also assigned within which the employee must show this improvement. This plan is jointly developed by the appraisee and the appraiser and is mutually approved. 6. Potential Appraisal: Potential appraisal forms a basis for both lateral and vertical movement of employees. By implementing competency mapping and various assessment techniques, potential appraisal is performed. Potential appraisal provides crucial inputs for succession planning and job rotation. Good performance management will result to good motivation for the employees. Such thing will take us to discusses theory x and theory y. If we assumes the employee is lazy and doesn’t like to work, where he will avoid taking responsibili ties and duties, and he works for getting the salary only. Then the attitude toward the employee will be similar to mind image, So, there is a hidden guidance line will prove that imagination in the real life. And the opposite thing is right. Where if we considered the employee is responsibility seeker and challengeable and like the work. We will consider him as creative, where we will motivate him and develop his career and knowledge to be innovative in the work. In the performance management system the organizations relies on the appraisal system to build the appropriate reward theme for employees who are under evaluation. Where the reward is the result of the employee performance and it will represent the pleasure of that performance by the organization or in other words it is the return on investment of the employee’s skills, time and efforts. The fair and reasonable reward will lead the employee to be in motivation situation, and on top of that it will give the feeling of loyalty in the organization, also the fair reward system w ill increase the satisfaction level and will make innovative culture in the organization. The reward that is given to the employee could be financially and could be non-financially. For example the financial rewards could be cash compensation, commission or bonuses which are considered as direct compensations, on the other hand there are non-financial rewards one example of them is the life insurance for the employee himself only or his family as well. We know that the performance management is a process not an event. Performance management is not another term for personal appraisal. It is a process that brings together and manages all the factors that affect performance, treating the individual as a vital component but not the only component in a multifaceted aspect of management Well, in the performance management, the key elements to be considered while managing the poor or good performance are: * The level of performance to be achieved. * the competences needed to achieve this level of performance * the activities and resources needed to motivate and empower people * the monitoring and review mechanisms that measure performance and compare results with targets * the measures taken to improve performance and attain best practice * the measures taken to ensure the planned targets and competences are the right ones for the organization and its stakeholders Performance Review & Development Plan is an evaluative tool to be used for all administrative staff and managers. It allows on an annual basis for each supervisor and employee to: Clarify and define areas of responsibility; jointly set performance objectives for the next review period; set measurable standards for performance; review objectives and performance; and identify and address developmental needs. In terms of potential outcomes of a performance review, high ratings (significantly exceeds expectations) will result in the recognition of extremely strong performance and lead to the identification of performance objectives or other assignments which may provide additional opportunities to obtain further skills and experience, as well as the establishment of development goals to continue the employee’s professional/personal development and growth. With moderate ratings (fully meets expectations), the supervisor and employee identify upcoming performance objectives and outline the ways in which job expectations and standards could be exceeded in future. Development goals that will support the employee to reach greater achievements should be established. In the event of low ratings (needs improvement), the supervisor and employee should clearly identify areas where performance can be improved, review what support and assistance may be required in order to realize such improvements, and establish development goals stemming from that discussion. During the course of the following review period, particular attention should be placed on areas needing improvement, with ongoing communication between the supervisor and employee regarding progress made. Frequency and Timing Performance reviews are conducted on an annual basis and should be completed by the immediate supervisor and submitted to Human Resources no later than August 1 of each year. All new employees undergo a performance review by the conclusion of their probationary term, and on an annual basis by August 1 thereafter. The supervisor may waive an annual performance review if it falls within three months of the probationary review Process 1. Setting Performance Objectives and Development Goals for the Review Period At the beginning of the cycle, the supervisor and employee meet to review the employee’s position and key responsibilities and establish performance objectives and development goals for the review period. Performance Objectives: * should establish between 3 and 5 objectives for a given year; * should be specific, measurable, and attainable within the time frame identified (multi-year objectives should be broken down into smaller components); * should be reflective of the employee’s role level; * should not be above and beyond the employee’s current duties, but reflective of his/her responsibilities within the context of the department’s goals and priorities for the upcoming year. Development Goals: In establishing new development goals, the supervisor and employee should consider: * areas of performance requiring improvement; particularly those with ratings of needs improvement; * training needs arising from the performance objectives set for the following review period, including situations where there are anticipated changes to responsibilities or technologies and where an employee may be assisted to gain the necessary skills and/or knowledge; and * Areas of personal interest for professional development and growth, as they relate to future potential opportunities at the university. The development plan should identify specific and measurable goals with a recommended course of action. Such goals may include: providing additional or more focused direction and guidance to enhance current performance; providing specific training opportunities related to job responsibilities; supporting enrolment in formal educational programs related to job responsibilities; encouraging the reading of publications related to work performed; supporting participation in professional organizations related to areas of responsibility; and/or delegating assignments to provide opportunities to acquire new skills. Throughout the year, employees should be provided with the necessary supervisory guidance, direction and feedback. Performance objectives should be periodically reviewed to ensure they remain valid and realistic and, if required, modified or removed. 2. Preparing for the Performance Interview: In late May or early June the immediate supervisor should: a. provide a copy of the Performance Review & Development Plan Guide and Form to the employee; b. schedule a review meeting with the employee with a minimum of two weeks’ notice; and c. prepare for the interview. 3. Conducting the Performance Interview The purpose of the interview is to promote increased communication and understanding between immediate supervisors and employees through discussion of the following: the accomplishment of performance objectives identified in the previous review, and any factors affecting their attainment; the degree to which development goals were met; strengths and weaknesses related to the performance factors; the development of performance objectives for the next review period; and the establishment of new development goals for the next review period. 4. Completing and Filing the Documentation – Comments and Signature by Immediate Supervisor and Employee – Approval stage. Activity 2: The discussed issue was the reduction in sales level from the side of excellent employee in the organization, where the employee has some strength such as he is well organized, answering too many queries and continues following up with the customers issues. On the other side he faced a problem where he was alone for last six months in the call center, where his colleague left the job. So, the overload was handled by only one employee, where it was terrible thing. But the weakness in the whole story was the bad communication from the employee to the management, where he kept quiet and didn’t report the problem to the management. After the discussion we agreed to give him promotion because of his great performance regardless the reduction in the sale, and he will follow a development program in communication skills. As well as that, I agreed with the management to hire another two employees with him to hold some duties with him. Here we can say that the problem solved and we guaranteed to do not repeat again, and established a development program to the employee to improve his skills. Reference: 1) C.LEATHERBARROW, J.FLETCHER and D.CURRIE (2010), Introduction to Human Recourse Management, a guide to human recourse practice. Second Edition. London, Chartered Institute of Professional Development.

Factory Farming

December 4, 2012 Factory Farming With the rising population growth in the United States, food production has greatly changed. Factory farming was developed in the 1920's; soon after the discovery of vitamins A and D, these vitamins were added to the feed, eliminating the requirement for exercise and sunlight for growth. But what exactly is a factory farm? Factory farming is the dominate source of livestock food for the U. S. Harsh and cruel conditions are inflicted towards the animals which are confined in small cages, the factorys are inhumane and morally wrong.Simply put, it is a farm that runs like a factory. The dangers of this kind of agribusiness inflict not only the animals but the environment, communities and our health. Should factory farming be banned? The government refers factory farming as; concentrated (or confined) animal feeding operations (CAFOs). So what are the conditions of these ‘concentrated animal feeding operations? These facilities house hundreds or tho usands of cows, calves, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and other animals that live in extremely stressful conditions.They are confined in small cages, Jam packed in rooms with little to no room to move around or lay down comfortably. They are fed drugs to fatten them faster and keep them alive in conditions that could otherwise kill them. Genetically modified organisms (GMO's) are used to make the animals grow faster or to produce much more milk or eggs than they naturally would. (Sorensen, 2009) When animals raised for food are large enough for the slaughter houses they are transported in crowded trucks with often no water or food. The animals that survive this grotesque trip are often slaughtered alive.Practices such as altering animals bodies are common in all factory farms, practices such as; debeaking, A process that nvolves cutting through bone, cartilage and soft tissue with a blade to remove the top half and the bottom third of a chicken's, turkeys or ducks beak. Thi s measure is taken to reduce the excessive feather pecking and cannibalism seen among stressed, overcrowded birds in factory farms (ASPCA). So why aren't factory farms banned? There are many reasons as to why these facilities flourish in the United States and other countries. Factory farms are an efficient way to produce food for the large demand of meat, at a low cost.The large amount of Jobs it entails. They also ensure that huge cities will always have food. Factory farming has also promoted the development of vital amenities like good roads and hospitals among others (Harri). Corporations such as McDonalds and others alike are some of the largest consumers of the factory farming business. Without these farms it would be difficult, or impossible to provide chain restaurants with the amount of meat necessary in order to run efficiently. The people, we nourish this business by our desire for low priced food. Are these advantages actually positive or are we overlooking past the down sides?The number of factory farms in the U. S. s undefined, but according to the Factory FarmMap. org; in 2007 there were 571 ,210 livestock units in New Mexico. New Mexico nas extreme levels ot dairy tactory farms. One of them being along interstate 10 southeast of Las Cruces, there are 30, 000 dairy cows on 11 back to back dairy farms. How are factory farms dangerous? Factory farms pollute our land, air, and water by the extreme amount of waste generated by the vast amount of animals being raised in one place. Land and water have been poisoned by decades of use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers for mass production of livestock feed.According to the New Mexico Environment Department (Burnett, 2009); two thirds of the state's dairies are contaminating groundwater with excess nitrogen from manure leaking from lagoons or being over applied to fields. Nitrous oxides are being released from farms in large quantities due to manure application and are among the leading causes of aci d rain (Grace). Can we ban factory farming? It is irrational to think factory farming can be banned, although changes can be made. We can bring awareness to others about factory farming, and by buying local organic food at either farmers markets, or organic produce stores. Factory Farming Oral Presentation Preparation Factory Farming First of all, I am not against meat eating. However, factory farming is an unacceptable practice of meat producing and this unethical action need to be stopped. In order to support my idea, I am going to discuss the facts about factory farming. In order to have a better understanding about factory farming, it is necessary to define what the factory farming is. It is almost where the meat comes from. In 1920s, factory farming began to modify family farming to maximize the profits at great cost to both humans and animals.In fact, two million small farms have disappeared in 1950s. If the rate continues to be the same, there will no real independent farm left. Soon after they discover the vitamin A and D, which are added to feed animals, the animals are no longer required to exercise and sunlight for growth. Therefore, animals in factory farming are raised indoor for their whole lives. In addition, in the food industry, animals are not consid ered animals at all; they are food-producing machines. They are confined to small cages with metal bars. So, why are there too many people against factory farming?The reason is not hard to find – animals are suffered most by factory farming. There are so many animals spend their lives in cages such as chickens, cows, pigs, fox, bears and even tigers. The first to be transformed into mass-produced farming is chicken. Over 600 million chickens live and die in nightmarish conditions to supply Canadians with their meat and eggs. They are kept in small wire cages, called â€Å"battery cages†, with between 7 or 8 chickens. Because of stress and fear, they are peck at each other. In order to prevent the fights, their peaks are cut.It causes lasting pain; effect the ability to eat, drink, or any movement of their peaks. After 18 to 20 weeks, they are considered â€Å"spent hens†, and need to be sent to slaughter. The second major animal in the factory farm is cow. They are milked by machines, which they are not even allowed to sit down. Normally, the dairy cow is forced into a repeated cycle of pregnancy and having her newborns taken away as young as a few hours old so the milk can be used for human consumption. Another factory farm animal, pigs, are kept indoor, unable to turn around, an only stand and lie down with difficulty. There is no respect for mothers: the baby pigs are taken from their mothers in two to four weeks to be fattened up. After 3 to 4 years, mother pigs will be sent to the slaughter. Instead of giving them some more space to live, factory farmer will have pig’s tails docked and teeth clipped to prevent tail biting. Factory farming does not hurt only animals; it also damages human lives by so many dimensions: environment, health and even the economy. As the number of animals in factory farming increases, the amount of animal waste produced increase, too.It damages the air globally. Moreover, it also raises a great concer n about water pollution. For example, if 2 million birds are killed a day, 12 million gallons of water is needed to flush away 3 million pound of guts, chicken heads, feathers, and blood. Public health concern is another issue. In order to promote growth of animals, more than 83% of farm animals are fed with antimicrobial. In 2008, in the U. S. , two million people become infected at hospitals, of those, 90,000 have died because their infections were immune to treatment.Hilariously, the point of developing factory farming is to increase a country economy system; there are some economic arguments against factory farming. Some can believe that factory farming is more efficient method comparing to local farming, it is also considered the best way to produce protein-rich foods as well as affordable. However, economists say no, because the full cost of factory farming will be equal to the total cost of land use, waste disposal expense, cost of air and water pollution, the cost of public health, and finally the cost of community when the value and quality of life decrease.In fact, according to a study, the cost of cleaning up pollution, together with repairing habitats and dealing with sickness caused by factory farming equal to 2. 3 billion pounds which is almost the same amount as a total agriculture industry’s income. By being aware of this facts about factory farming would make a better world for both humans and nonhuman animals. It will soon destroy both humans and nonhuman animals. In addition, the fact is without factory farming, we still can live with an even better life and health, both for humans as well as nonhuman animals.Again, by some perspectives, humans have the right to consume meat, so in the end animals are killed; however, doing what cost least suffer for animals during their lives is a must. Works Cited Michael Bristow. â€Å"China bear bile farms stir anger among campaigners. † BBC News, Beijing. 19 Feb. 2012. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. < http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-asia-china-17188043>. â€Å"Factory Farming in Canada. † Chooseveg. ca Mercy for Animals. N. d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. < http://www. chooseveg. ca/animal-cruelty-canada. asp>. â€Å"The Pork Industry. † People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Peta. N. d.Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. peta. org/issues/animals-used-for-food/pork-industry. aspx>. â€Å"What are the Factory Farms hiding? See for Yourself? † Occupy for Animals. 03 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. occupyforanimals. org/what-are-factory-farms-hiding-see-for-yourself. html>. Danny Penman. â€Å"The factory farm tigers being turned into wine. † Mail Online. 12 Mar. 2007. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-441632/The-factory-farm-tigers-turned-wine. html>. â€Å"Factory Farm: The True Cost. † Human Farming Association. Wildlife Resource and rehabilitation.N. d. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. wildlife-rescue. org /index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=60>. L, Murray. â€Å"Factory Farmed-Chickens: Their difficult lives and deaths. † Britanica Advocacy for Animals. 14 May. 2007. Web. 11 Jul. 2012 < http://advocacy. britannica. com/blog/advocacy/2007/05/the-difficult-lives-and-deaths-of-factory-farmed-chickens/>. â€Å"Factory Farming in Canada. † Be Compassionate Be Veg. N. d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012 < http://www. beveg. ca/factory-farming-in-canada. php>. Willis, Peterson. â€Å"Family Farming in America. Family Farming ahap. N. d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. < http://familyfarmingahap. weebly. com/family-vs-corporate-farming. html>. Phillip Lymberry. â€Å"Why is Factory Farming such a big deal. † Compassion in World Farming. Youtube. 5 Jul. 2011. Video. 11 Jul. 2012. . â€Å"Back to the start. † Chipotle Mexican Grill. Youtube. 25 Aug. 2011. Video. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=aMfSGt6rHos> â€Å"The Meatrix. † Canada. The meatrix . N. d. Video. 11 Jul 2012. < http://www. themeatrix. com/intl/canada> Factory Farming Oral Presentation Preparation Factory Farming First of all, I am not against meat eating. However, factory farming is an unacceptable practice of meat producing and this unethical action need to be stopped. In order to support my idea, I am going to discuss the facts about factory farming. In order to have a better understanding about factory farming, it is necessary to define what the factory farming is. It is almost where the meat comes from. In 1920s, factory farming began to modify family farming to maximize the profits at great cost to both humans and animals.In fact, two million small farms have disappeared in 1950s. If the rate continues to be the same, there will no real independent farm left. Soon after they discover the vitamin A and D, which are added to feed animals, the animals are no longer required to exercise and sunlight for growth. Therefore, animals in factory farming are raised indoor for their whole lives. In addition, in the food industry, animals are not consid ered animals at all; they are food-producing machines. They are confined to small cages with metal bars. So, why are there too many people against factory farming?The reason is not hard to find – animals are suffered most by factory farming. There are so many animals spend their lives in cages such as chickens, cows, pigs, fox, bears and even tigers. The first to be transformed into mass-produced farming is chicken. Over 600 million chickens live and die in nightmarish conditions to supply Canadians with their meat and eggs. They are kept in small wire cages, called â€Å"battery cages†, with between 7 or 8 chickens. Because of stress and fear, they are peck at each other. In order to prevent the fights, their peaks are cut.It causes lasting pain; effect the ability to eat, drink, or any movement of their peaks. After 18 to 20 weeks, they are considered â€Å"spent hens†, and need to be sent to slaughter. The second major animal in the factory farm is cow. They are milked by machines, which they are not even allowed to sit down. Normally, the dairy cow is forced into a repeated cycle of pregnancy and having her newborns taken away as young as a few hours old so the milk can be used for human consumption. Another factory farm animal, pigs, are kept indoor, unable to turn around, an only stand and lie down with difficulty. There is no respect for mothers: the baby pigs are taken from their mothers in two to four weeks to be fattened up. After 3 to 4 years, mother pigs will be sent to the slaughter. Instead of giving them some more space to live, factory farmer will have pig’s tails docked and teeth clipped to prevent tail biting. Factory farming does not hurt only animals; it also damages human lives by so many dimensions: environment, health and even the economy. As the number of animals in factory farming increases, the amount of animal waste produced increase, too.It damages the air globally. Moreover, it also raises a great concer n about water pollution. For example, if 2 million birds are killed a day, 12 million gallons of water is needed to flush away 3 million pound of guts, chicken heads, feathers, and blood. Public health concern is another issue. In order to promote growth of animals, more than 83% of farm animals are fed with antimicrobial. In 2008, in the U. S. , two million people become infected at hospitals, of those, 90,000 have died because their infections were immune to treatment.Hilariously, the point of developing factory farming is to increase a country economy system; there are some economic arguments against factory farming. Some can believe that factory farming is more efficient method comparing to local farming, it is also considered the best way to produce protein-rich foods as well as affordable. However, economists say no, because the full cost of factory farming will be equal to the total cost of land use, waste disposal expense, cost of air and water pollution, the cost of public health, and finally the cost of community when the value and quality of life decrease.In fact, according to a study, the cost of cleaning up pollution, together with repairing habitats and dealing with sickness caused by factory farming equal to 2. 3 billion pounds which is almost the same amount as a total agriculture industry’s income. By being aware of this facts about factory farming would make a better world for both humans and nonhuman animals. It will soon destroy both humans and nonhuman animals. In addition, the fact is without factory farming, we still can live with an even better life and health, both for humans as well as nonhuman animals.Again, by some perspectives, humans have the right to consume meat, so in the end animals are killed; however, doing what cost least suffer for animals during their lives is a must. Works Cited Michael Bristow. â€Å"China bear bile farms stir anger among campaigners. † BBC News, Beijing. 19 Feb. 2012. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. < http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-asia-china-17188043>. â€Å"Factory Farming in Canada. † Chooseveg. ca Mercy for Animals. N. d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. < http://www. chooseveg. ca/animal-cruelty-canada. asp>. â€Å"The Pork Industry. † People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Peta. N. d.Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. peta. org/issues/animals-used-for-food/pork-industry. aspx>. â€Å"What are the Factory Farms hiding? See for Yourself? † Occupy for Animals. 03 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. occupyforanimals. org/what-are-factory-farms-hiding-see-for-yourself. html>. Danny Penman. â€Å"The factory farm tigers being turned into wine. † Mail Online. 12 Mar. 2007. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-441632/The-factory-farm-tigers-turned-wine. html>. â€Å"Factory Farm: The True Cost. † Human Farming Association. Wildlife Resource and rehabilitation.N. d. Web. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. wildlife-rescue. org /index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=60>. L, Murray. â€Å"Factory Farmed-Chickens: Their difficult lives and deaths. † Britanica Advocacy for Animals. 14 May. 2007. Web. 11 Jul. 2012 < http://advocacy. britannica. com/blog/advocacy/2007/05/the-difficult-lives-and-deaths-of-factory-farmed-chickens/>. â€Å"Factory Farming in Canada. † Be Compassionate Be Veg. N. d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012 < http://www. beveg. ca/factory-farming-in-canada. php>. Willis, Peterson. â€Å"Family Farming in America. Family Farming ahap. N. d. Web. 12 Jul. 2012. < http://familyfarmingahap. weebly. com/family-vs-corporate-farming. html>. Phillip Lymberry. â€Å"Why is Factory Farming such a big deal. † Compassion in World Farming. Youtube. 5 Jul. 2011. Video. 11 Jul. 2012. . â€Å"Back to the start. † Chipotle Mexican Grill. Youtube. 25 Aug. 2011. Video. 11 Jul. 2012. < http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=aMfSGt6rHos> â€Å"The Meatrix. † Canada. The meatrix . N. d. Video. 11 Jul 2012. < http://www. themeatrix. com/intl/canada>

Study of the Organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities of Staffordshire County Council The WritePass Journal

Study of the Organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities of Staffordshire County Council Abstract: Study of the Organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities of Staffordshire County Council Abstract:1 Introduction2. Background2.1 Aim2.2 Staffordshire ICT:2.2.1 Organisation Structure of SICT:2.2.3 ICT Delivery Model3 Hardware and Software System3.1 Hardware:3.2 Software System:3.3 Business Environment3.3.1 SAP Services:3.3.2 System Development:4 Work Placement4.1 Job Description:4.2 Daily Basis Tasks:4.3 Responsibilities:5 Project Descriptions:5.1 PISCES Reporting:5.2 ECC6 Upgrade Testing:5.3 In House Applications Development:5.3.1 Time Recording5.3.2 School Crossing Patrol6 Benefits:6.1 Interpersonal Development:6.2 Technical Skills Acquired:7 Conclusions:  References and Bibliography:Related Abstract: This report is delivered in accordance to the experience gained from a year placement at Staffordshire County Council. It includes the organisation structure of SICT, business environment, description of projects and activities involved during the placement period. It also illustrates one’s interpersonal and technical skills acquired from the work experience. The report is produced in conclusion to what was learned and achieved by the end of the placement year. 1 Introduction The role of Industrial Placement programmer was appointed in SCC as a part of sandwich degree for placement year on 21st June 2010. It was a fixed term contract until 21st of June 2011. The unit was ICT under Strategic Core Directorate. The contractual hour of work were 37 hours per week and was under probation period for 6 months. The assigned role was of a student placement Programmer in MIS Team. This offered role provided an opportunity to gain exposure in providing business analysis support, working on technical specification, completing new developments and supporting existing systems within a team environment. A year placement in SCC has turned out to be the first step into a professional world. It was an opportunity to experience a wider variety of work in a diverse working environment and knowledge of an organisation structure. There were opportunities to deal with the business and clients directly and understood the importance of delivering services to them efficiently and within the given timeframe. 2. Background Fig 1: Staffordshire County Council Logo Staffordshire county council first came into existence on 1st April 1974 when the Local Government Act 1972 came into force. During the restructuring of an existing local government structure, entirely new ‘two-tier’ system replaced an administrative counties and county boroughs and created metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Staffordshire county council is situated in Staffordshire, seventh largest shire county in England which is in the West Midlands with a population of over 800,000. It is a big organisation and Staffordshire’s largest employer with 32,279 jobs. Besides serving the large population its responsibility include more than 400 schools, libraries, a wide range of complex social services in very different urban and rural communities, an extensive road system, and some of the countrys most important natural areas. For the better improvement of the prosperity, health, safety and environment of the whole county, it works with other partner organisations such as district and parish councils, police, and fire and health authorities. Some partner Local Authorities in Staffordshire are as follows: Cannock Chase District Council                                                    East Staffordshire Borough Council  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lichfield District council                                                                      Newcastle Borough Council South Staffordshire District Council                                        Stafford Borough Council Staffordshire Moorlands District Council  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Tamworth Borough Council etc. The organisation structure of SCC consists of three directorates which are â€Å"Development Services†, â€Å"Children, Young People and Families† and â€Å"Social Care and Health† along with Strategic Core which is made up of the Chief Executive’s Office, Finance, ICT, Communities and Culture and Law and Governance. More focus has been given to Customer Services and strategy by concentrating on ‘People’ and ‘Place’ rather than in current structure providing the needs of customer better than ever before. 2.1 Aim The aim of Staffordshire County Council is to provide high quality services providing value for money and focused on, and delivering around the needs of our customers and communities. To provide better services to the customers, SCC’s new Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015 called â€Å"Staffordshire Unites† has been set which intends to achieve the vision of SCC i.e. â€Å"Through pride and passion in our county we will maximise opportunities for improved wealth, health and well-being. Staffordshire County Council is here for Staffordshire People. 2.2 Staffordshire ICT: SICT is the central unit of SCC. SICT works in collaboration with other council services and partners to improve the delivery of services through the efficient use of ICT. SICT Service Management, SICT Improvements and Staffordshire Learning Technology (SLT) are the three main functional areas identified by SICT for delivering the requirements of the authority in an efficient way. SICT service management takes responsibility of management of ICT infrastructure and its daily services such as Help Desk function, desktop function, desktop equipment, applications etc for the whole SCC, including schools and council’s partner. SICT Improvements develops ICT services such as project management, tendering services and system development of the ICT systems which add value to the business by helping them to transform their services. ICT services are delivered to all County schools and the other education establishments on a trade basis by Staffordshire Learning technology. 2.2.1 Organisation Structure of SICT: The current organisational structure of SICT is mainly divided into three functional areas in order to enable the transformation of the services throughout the Staffordshire by the efficient use of the ICT. All of these service areas report to the Director of ICT Sander Kristel. Refer to appendix E – pg no. 24 2.2.3 ICT Delivery Model Fig 2: ICT Delivery Model (sourced from intranet) 3 Hardware and Software System 3.1 Hardware: The approved hardware packages used in SICT consist of standard equipments such as thin Client devices, laptops and desktop PCs for design application which include 22† inch TFT, keyboard and mouse. Standard printers in use are HP DeskJet 7000(manual), HP LaserJet 3015dn, and HP LaserJet CP3535dn etc. 3.2 Software System: SCIT provides standard SCC Desktop Software Applications for ICT devices which includes software packages that are approved and available as additional cost options. The standard SCC Desktop Software Applications are listed below: Standard Software Name and version of product    Additional SoftwareName and version of product1) Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows XP Professional1) Project SoftwareMicrosoft Project 20032) Office SuiteMicrosoft Office 2003 Professional2) Design softwareMicrosoft Visio 2003 Professional3) Internet BrowserInternet Explorer 83) IXOSIXOS4) PDF File viewerAdobe Acrobat Reader 8.04) TRIMTRIM 5)Anti-Virus ProtectionMacAfee Virus scan Enterprise 8.05) AutoCADAutoCAD6) Desktop Support Remote Control eLANDesk 8.7 The additional software packages downloaded for work purpose are listed below: Software Name and version of product 1) Netbeans Netbeans 6.0 2) Microsoft Visual Studio 1) Visual studio 2008 2) Visual studio 20103) Microsoft SQL Server  Microsoft SQL Server 20084)SAP1) SAP BW (3 environments : development, QA, Production) 2)SAP NetWeaver Portal 7 3)Reporting Tool : a)   Report Designer, b)   BEx Query Designer c)  Ã‚   BEx Web Application Designer and BEx Analyzer 4) ECC6 5) SAP CRM5) Microsoft Visual SourceSafeMicrosoft VSS 2005 3.3 Business Environment 3.3.1 SAP Services: The SCC runs SAP as its corporate ERP and is implementing a SAP Children’s Social Care Solutions which were first introduced in 2003. The core SAP ERP Services of SCC are HR, Payroll, Finance and Procurement whereas the SAP Social Care Solutions are based on CRM, RM, BI and adobe forms. SCC also uses SAP Security based on Roles and authorisation. The SCC runs the following systems which require SAP interfaces; SAP SCUK, ECC6, TRIM, Respond, LG45/SAP CRM, FACE, Trojan, Contact point, Capita One Range of Service. The main objective of integrating these systems with SAP is to provide ‘single source’ of information more system integration in future improving the performance and productivity level of the services provided the customer. Fig 4: SAP Social Care Technical environment (sourced from intranet) 3.3.2 System Development: There are currently over 200 application range of in house written and purchased system used in SCC to provide different services. Among them several application systems are used corporately, within Directorates or for specific group. These applications are designed and created with the effective use of wide range of technologies such as dot NET, Java, Oracle and SQL database. There are several application systems that are used corporately, within Directorates or for specific group. GIS/ Local view – graphical information systems ONE/SIMS- education management system Web- CMS, collaboration Oracle LG45 CRM – CRM system for Staffordshire connects partnership The major system developments are related to SAP, Customer First, Traffic management, Adult and children case management system 4 Work Placement 4.1 Job Description: The job title was Student placement programmer, involved working with senior developers of MIS team and Solution Design team and reporting to the placement supervisor. 4.2 Daily Basis Tasks: The day to day jobs included updating appointed tasks in SharePoint (a web application to record projects and task done or appointed to an individual), recording the hours of work done in Time Recording system, monitoring scheduled data load in BW and updating it in the web portal, helping customer with their problems through remote connection to their machine and reporting the work to the appointed business client. 4.3 Responsibilities: Scheduling Data Loads and Maintaining Process Chains in BW BW is one of the application systems of SCC that are relevant to â€Å"Information†. Extraction, Transformation and Load (ETL) Layer is responsible for extracting data from a specific source, applying transformation rules and loading it into the Data Warehouse. The master and transactional data from different source systems are loaded into BW InfoObjects such as DSO, Info cube, Multiprovider etc. The InfoObjects are used to extract data out for creating reports. The data load in BW is performed by using process chains which need to be scheduled so, that the data load runs automatically on its scheduled date and time. Data load was scheduled every month for daily, weekly and monthly ones and all the jobs automatically get cancelled on bank holidays. Maintaining Consistency between all environment in BW System The SAP BW Solution operates on three tier system as follows: DEV (Development) QA (Quality Assurance and Test) PRD (Production) All the developments were carried out and tested first in development environment before transporting developed objects across QA for further testing. After successful testing in QA, the objects are transported again from development to production environment for publishing live updated data. For better performance and future reference it was necessary to maintain all three environments inline as automatic updates are only available for production system. Consistency between all environments were maintained regularly by manually carrying out data loads in DEV and QA environments and adding missing objects which already exist in production system. Managing BW transport Normally in SAP BW , the objects that are either installed from Business content or developed in DEV systems can be transported from DEV systems to QA and Production systems.SAP BW allows to transport works like configuration, objects, roles, and business Explorer(BEx) objects. Transports can be internal transport i.e. between different systems of BW or external transport which is between source systems such as ECC6, CRM to SAP BW system and takes place using RFC (Remote Function Call) during uploading. Internal transportations are carried out according to the need of the user at anytime whereas external transportation takes place only in certain days and has to be informed b filling the transport request form. Transport packages created in DEV environment has its own transport ID which is needed to identify one’s transport to avoid conflicts. The results of either successful or failed transports are displayed in BW system that enables to manage transport across different system. Meetings with team members, business client and placement tutor Team meetings in MIS team were held normally twice in a month whereas in solution design team it used to be once in a week where team manager will notify the latest happenings and news of the SCC, any projects that is going to be start, any health and safety matters, feedbacks of the customer on the ongoing or released projects and other work related issues The meetings with business clients were attended to discuss about the specification and requirements of the products they requested and the deadlines when they want it to be delivered and feedback of the finished product. The placement visit from our placement tutor took place in the office twice in a year. The visit was very beneficial as the tutor tracked down the progress of our work by consulting with our supervisor and team member. The assessment and the advice from the tutor were very helpful to find the state of one’s capability to carry out job and encouraging oneself to keeping up the hard work. Attending inductions, trainings and demos SCC organises inductions and trainings for all the internal employees for their benefits and to maintain their standard of working. In the beginning of the placement period, induction had to be attended where briefings were given about the organisation structure, health and safety policies, rules and regulation, equality and diversity, security policy and other work related issues. In accordance to the job role, ICT Training centre of SCC also gave ICT induction to provide the information on standard equipments and software, computer security, electronic filing and corporate software which helped to get on with the job during first stage. Any applications developed or changed had to be presented to the customer for which demos were conducted upon the request of customer. Creating, Maintaining and Deploying BW Reports In accordance to report specifications reports were designed and created using BEx query analyser and BEx web designer. The web templates were later published into SAP web portal. Writing new applications and maintaining existing system As a developer’s main responsibility, new application were designed and written upon the request of business and also maintained the ones which are already in use. The maintenance required addition of new functionality and validation, updating the version of software and implement further testing. Reuse of code, performance issues, functionality and robustness were the major points to be implemented whist developing a new application. Implement Testing Implementations of testing were required to ensure the functionality and robustness of the applications and reports created for business clients. Unit testing were done for the block of codes written in java or visual basic for applications in accordance to the test plan designed by the development team. Helping Customer with their problems and issues: Customers were provided all the information and solutions to their queries and problems. If necessary they were given further help through remote connection to their machine or through individual phone calls. The issues like setting up customer’s account in ECC6 system, installation of software and showing how to use application functionality were dealt whist providing customer the easy and effective way to solve a problem. 5 Project Descriptions: 5.1 PISCES Reporting: PISCES is the new Social Care solution for Children’s system which went live on 25th of April 2011 after the successful migration of business partner cases into the system from CISS database system. Reports for PISCES system are produced using SAP BW suite of reporting tools. The reports are accessed via the SAP Portal, using standard Internet Web Browser. Two of major reports of PISCES namely â€Å"Children Subject to CPP Statutory Visits† and â€Å"Looked after Children Statutory Visits† was created in accordance to the given specification from CYP F directorate. The reports were created using the BEx Query Designer and BEx Web Analyser which were later published into Web portal for user access. Refer to Appendix B- pg no 21 5.2 ECC6 Upgrade Testing: SCC upgraded SAP R/3 source system to SAP ERP central component ECC6 which went live on 25th of October 2010. SCC uses ECC6 as the main enterprise resource planning software for Human Resources, Payroll, Finance and Procurement to collect and combine data from these different modules and provide to the organisation under one instance. The main reason behind this upgrade was to enable products to function upon foundation of central component. SAP BW uses ECC6 as one of its main source system and projects the source system changes. It is necessary to ensure that upgrading the source system on SAP BW environment would not impact the data modelling object built-in SAP BW system. To implement the changes in production system, tests were first required to carry out in development environment followed by QA environment. In this project, the assigned role was of a tester and the responsibility was to implement testing in accordance to a test plan designed by BW analysts. The test involved switching of the source system, data reloading to have the initializations and deltas to come from the new system. During test the old source system (both transactional and master) were deleted in the BW system before reloading data from ECC6 to ensure the consistency in the data from a system. After the successful completion of testing in BW Development and QA environment, the upgrade was finally implemented in production system which was also tested after the go live process. 5.3 In House Applications Development: The system development areas involved adding functionality to the existing applications, rewriting codes for the existing system, analysing business requirements, designing, implementing and testing the new systems, writing user guides and technical manuals. The software development team use Agile Software development to develop their new system and maintain existing system. The advantage of Agile based approach is modification of the requirements which is often applicable in a fast changing environment and deliver functionality rapidly to ensure customer satisfactions. 5.3.1 Time Recording The Time Recording application is an electronic time recording system used by SCC’s staff to record their flexi time. It allows user to know the duration of time they have worked, whether they are up or down on their time. Using this application senior managers calculate the average working pattern and needs of their staff of to see the true cost of projects and resources. It provides a central repository of the time recording information and an easy interface with level of functionality to the user. This application comprises of custom frontend developed by using Java programming language making it user friendly and SAP backend architecture providing the scalable and robust underlying architecture. For this existing application, it was required to add a new functionality to the system which allows user to filter the list of products and its related activities from the frontend and restricts user to input any times following the 30th April for any given financial year. A new custom filtering form was created to implement these functionalities. Refer to Appendix C – pg no. 22 5.3.2 School Crossing Patrol School Crossings is an application designed and developed for Road Safety Office to manage the information about school crossings, patrols that staff a school crossing and the physical location of the actual school crossings. It was required to design the new system to replace the existing Access database which did not meet most of the needs of the School Crossings Patrol service and was not supported by ICT. Thus, this application was rewritten as it is crucial to the running of the service both operationally and from a performance management perspective. The new system consists of a web based frontend written in Visual Studio 2010 IDE using ASP.Net and Visual Basic (VB) and the backend uses a Microsoft SQL Server 2008 database.   There is an integration of SAP into the new system to avoid data duplication. The database for this system was designed and created which was then integrated with the frontend application. Designing of basic framework, applying windows authentication and validations, adding functionality such as establishing hyperlinks, creating menus for web page, data grid views, adding, editing and removing data from the frontend were the tasks involve during implementation of this project. 6 Benefits: The placement was beneficial in regards to development of personal and technical skills. More self-confidence was build to face any real time problems and challenges. 6.1 Interpersonal Development: During the placement period, working with two teams with a wide range of members enabled to successfully initiate, maintain and manage positive social relationships with them in a range of contexts. Providing good customer services in a manner that customer is provided all the required information and quality products in time. Working cooperatively and effectively as a part of a diverse professional team contributing more effort with best conduct. Improvement of communication skills and ability to communicate confidently with the seniors and other colleagues about the work related problems and query. Ability to prioritise time during work to fit around study commitments and social life. Understanding of the establishment and functions of organisation structure. Analysing business requirements and importance of delivering quality services before deadline. 6.2 Technical Skills Acquired: A year experience in SCC has enhanced the technical knowledge and skills in programming and developing systems. Sound knowledge of SAP software, architecture and its modules such as ECC6, CRM, BI and SAP NetWeaver. Better understanding of Business Intelligence, analytical, reporting and Data Warehousing solution provided by SAP BI System. Efficient use of reporting tool â€Å"SAP NetWeaver BI† and a web browser â€Å"SAP NetWeaver Portal†. Introduction to the ABAP programming language specifically used in SAP modules. Practical experience of using object oriented programming language, utilising the concurrency/multithreading concepts and implementation of Hash table in java for better performance and memory management purpose. Integration of SAP ECC6 with java application by the use of Remote Function Calls (RFC) modules from the java platform. Use of ASP.net programming language to create web based GUI application and adding a windows authentication for security. Creation and population data tables, views using SQL statements and design database diagrams in Microsoft SQL server. 7 Conclusions: In conclusion, an experience of a year placement at SCC has been invaluable and memorable moments of the life. It has been very beneficial providing knowledge of organisation structure, working environment and methodologies, customer services and development of both technical and personal skills. There is a strong belief that everything learned during this period will contribute in final year project on analysing requirements, managing time, selecting the suitable programming language and IDE for developing application, utilising new programming and testing methodologies. It will help in the accomplishment of future career goals i.e. to stand out as a successful developer in any competitive business market.   References and Bibliography: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Staffordshire County Council History http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire [accessed 09/04/2011] 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Staffordshire County Council (2011) Organisation Information staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/home.aspx [accessed 10/04/2011] 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence sap.com/services/education/catalog/netweaver/bi.epx [accessed 10/04/2011] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAP_NetWeaver_Business_Intelligence [accessed 10/04/2011]

Subcultural theories Essays

Subcultural theories Essays Subcultural theories Paper Subcultural theories Paper Subcultural theories of youth civilization owe much to the pioneering work of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies ( CCCS ) during the 1970s and early 1980s. The CCCS make usage of the term subculture from US sociologists at Chicago University, and applied it to visually typical post-World War II British working category young person civilizations, such as teddy male childs, mods, and bootboyss. Sociologists today employ three primary theoretical positions: the functionalist position, the Marxist position and the post-modernist position. These positions offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explicating how society influences people, and frailty versa. Each position unambiguously conceptualises society, societal forces, and human behavior. Functionalism Functionalism is the oldest, and still the dominant, theoretical position in sociology and many other societal scientific disciplines. Harmonizing to the functionalist position each facet of society is mutualist and contributes to society s operation as a whole. Functionalists see society as holding a construction, with cardinal establishments executing critical maps, and roles directing people in how to act. They identify the maps of each portion of the construction. For illustration, the province, or the authorities, provides instruction for the kids of the household, which in bend wages revenue enhancements on which the province depends to maintain itself running. This means that the household is dependent upon the school to assist kids turn up to hold good occupations so that they can raise and back up their ain households. In the procedure, the kids become observant, taxpaying citizens, who in bend support the province. If the procedure succeeds the parts of society green goods order, stableness and productiveness. On the other manus, if the procedure does non travel good, the parts of society so must accommodate to recapture a new order, stableness, and productiveness. For illustration, as we are soon sing, during a fiscal recession with its high rates of unemployment and rising prices, net income and salary decrease, societal plans are trimmed or cut. Families tighten their budgets while employers offer fewer concern plans, and a new societal order, stableness and productiveness occur. Functionalists believe that society is held together by societal consensus, or coherence, in which society members agree upon, and work together to accomplish, what is best for society as a whole. Emile Durkheim suggested that societal consensus takes one of two signifiers: Mechanical Solidarity: This is a signifier of societal coherence that arises when people in a society maintain similar values and beliefs and prosecute in similar types of work. Mechanical solidarity most commonly occurs in traditional, simple societies such as those in which everyone herds cowss or farms. Amish society exemplifies mechanical solidarity. Organic Solidarity: This is a signifier of societal coherence that arises when people in a society are mutualist, but hold to changing values and beliefs and engage in changing types of work. Organic solidarity most commonly occurs in industrialized, complex societies such as those in big American metropoliss like New York in the 2000s. He decided that crime and deviance were the proof that the individual did not fit into societys accepted goals and did not agree with the socially approved means of obtaining those goals. He identified this as strain between the individual and society, and discovered that the greater the strain, the greater the chance of the individual being either deviant or criminal in their behaviour. Merton argued that all societies, whether in Britain or in the jungles of Africa, set their members certain goals and provided them with socially approved ways to achieve this goal. Merton considered the fact that not all the individuals in a society share the same goals; he pointed out that in a stratified society the goals were linked to a persons position in the social structure. Therefore, those lower down the social ladder, had restricted goals. He noted that the system worked well as long as the majority of the population had a reasonable chance of achieving their goals. However, if the majority of the population were unable to achieve their goals, they would become disenchanted with society, and sought out alternative, often deviant, ways of behaving. Merton used Durkheims term anomie to describe this situation. One example of Mertons theory in practice in todays society, is the notion of The American Dream. The American Dream, is a notion held by many that through hard work and material prosperity, residents of the United States will be able to achieve their goals in life; for some this is the ability to achieve more material prosperity than would be possible in their country of origin; the chance for their children to get an education; or the freedom of life without class, gender, racial or religious discriminations. However, for many, this dream is just that, an unachievable dream, and when they realise this, many turn to illegitimate means of money making to help them survive in the materialistic society that is America. Merton identified five different forms of behaviour which could be understood as a strain between goals and means. The first is conformity, in which the individual continues to adhere to both the goals and means, despite the limited likelihood of success, such as the many office workers in New York City, who are living on the poverty line. Another form identified by Merton is Innovation, where the individual accepts the goals of society, but uses different ways to achieve these goals, so the outcome may result in the person being involved in deviant activity, such as soft drug dealers, who long for the materialistic possessions, yet instead of working legitimately, they get their money through deviant behaviour. The third form is Ritualism, this is when the means are used by the individual, but sight of the actual goal is lost, for example a traffic warden, who is not bothered about earning lots of money, but blindly enforces the law without looking at the nature of justice. Ritualism, is the fourth form, in which the individual rejects both the goals and means and society, this is most likely to be a person who is dependant upon drugs and alcohol. The final form of strain can be labelled as Rebellion, where both the socially sanctioned goals and means are rejected and different ones substituted; these individuals are often religious extremists, such as Suicide Bombers. Although Mertons idea of strain has concrete examples in society, many sociologists have criticised his approach to subcultural crime and deviance as being too simple. They say that there are some people who border on the lines between categories. Also, some believe it is too ethnocentric. Valier (2001), criticised Merton for his stress on the existence of common goals in society. Valier argues that instead of such great social consensus, there are in fact a variety of goals that people strive to attain at any one time. Having been heavily influenced by Mertons work Cloward and Ohlin (1960) carried out their own research, entitled the Illegitimate Opportunity Structure. They argued that Merton had failed to appreciate that there was a parallel opportunity structure to the legal one; the Illegitimate Opportunity Structure. This, to them, meant that many subcultures prevalent in society, had found that a career was available, in which illegal means were used to obtain societys goals. According to Cloward and Ohlin, the Illegitimate Opportunity Structure had three possible adaptations or subcultures. The first of these was Criminal, which states that if there is a thriving local criminal subculture, there will be successful role models in that area, therefore young offenders can work their way up the ladder in the criminal hierarchy. Conflict was identified as the second subculture, and it was noted that this occurred when there was no local criminal subculture to provide career opportunities. Groups and individuals brought up in this environment often turn to violence, usually against other similar groups, for example gang turf wars, where gangs use violence to determine who owns which patch. The final adaption is known as Retreatist, and this tends to be an individual response which occurs when the individual has no exposure or opportunity to be involved with the other two subcultures of Criminal and Conflict. The result therefore, is a retreat into alcoholism or drug dependency. A good example of Cloward and Ohlins theories into these subcultures is Dick Hobbs book Bad Buisness (1998), in which Hobbs interviewed successful criminals and demonstrated how careers in crime are possible, given the right connection and exposure to this subculture. This explanation of criminal deviance is useful and, alongside Hobbs work, shows that for some people crime can be a career choice. But the approach is not completely correct, it shares similar weaknesses to Mertons Strain Theory. One criticism which is shared with Merton, is the categorisation of individuals; there are many people who may be sat on the border of two categories, and also, it is difficult to except the three categories, as there is no reference to people who break free from this subculture. Furthermore, many argue that both theories fail to recognise female deviance, as this often follows a slightly different pattern and is not as easy to define. Albert Cohen (1955) drew upon both Mertons ideas of strain and also on the ethnographic ideas (form of observational research) of the Chicago School of Sociology. He was particularly interested in why crime was carried out, and he discovered it was more for the thrill of the act, rather than for the money involved. Many modern day sociologists believe this is as true today as it was in the 1950s, for example, joyriding has increased, yet the cars are burnt, not sold on, so there is not an economic reasoning behind the crime, it must just be committed for the thrill. Cohen believed that lower-class boys wanted to excel middle-class values and aspirations, but lacked the means to obtain this success. This lead to a sense of personal failure and inadequacy, which Cohen called status frustration. This resulted in the rejection of the acceptable behaviour in which they could not succeed. He suggests that school therefore, is the key area for the playing out of this drama, as lower-class children are much more likely to fail and feel humiliated in the classroom. To counteract this and gain status, they invert traditional values and behave badly, engaging in a variety of antisocial behaviour. They may often resort to being the class-clown, who fools around and disrupts the lesson, as they feel this is the way to climb up the social ladder. However, many have criticised Cohen, least of all Feminist Sociologists. As with Cloward and Ohlin and Merton, there is no discussion of female deviancy, his study is solely based on males. Also, Cohen failed to prove that school really was the environment in which success and failure are demonstrated mainly. But the major criticism of his work is that he assumes the young delinquents must be brilliant sociologists to work out that they are lower-class, to work out the middle-class values and then invert them to gain status. Many believe Cohen is correct, he has just missed the fundamental point that these individuals are children. Another subcultural sociologist was writing in the 1950s, Walter Miller. He developed an approach to crime, which expanded on Cohens class based theory. Miller suggested the deviancy was linked to the culture of the lower-class males; suggesting that they have six focal concerns which are likely to lead them to delinquency. The first was smartness; that the individual must look good and also be witty with a sharp repartee. Also, the concern of trouble; the culture of I dont go looking for trouble it finds me, its never their fault, they didnt start it. Focal concern number three links to Cohen and his discovery that crime was committed for the thrill, yet Miller says that lower-class males feel it is important to search out these thrills and so calls this concern excitement. Toughness is the fourth concern, the individuals must not only demonstrate this, but they must be physically stronger than the others. The fifth concern is Autonomy, it is important for the individual not to be pushed around by the others in the gang. And the final focal concern outlined by Miller is Fate; individuals have little chance to overcome the fate that awaits them, the fate of a deviant career for example. Therefore, according to Miller, young lower-class males become delinquents due to the implicit values of their subculture. Yet, Miller provides little evidence of these specific middle class values. Box (1981) highlights that the values could equally apply to males right across the class structure. Also, female deviancy is not considered again! One consistent criticism of subcultural theories is that there is little evidence to demonstrate this distinct set of antisocial values. Even if there are subcultures, why would they respond to certain middle or working class values? Matza bonded these criticisms together to attack subcultural theory. He argued that instead of subcultures having different values, we all share a set of subterranean (hidden) values. The key thing is that most people control these deviant desires, they may rarely emerge, say at the office party, yet when they do we use techniques of neutralisation to provide justification for our deviant actions. Some examples include the denial of responsibility- it wasnt me, it was the alcohol; or denial of injury- victim wasnt hurt, often used when justifying stealing from a company rather than individual. Matza is therefore arguing that the difference between a persistent offender and a law-abiding citizen is simply the frequency and environment in which our subterranean values appear to the public. Matzas critique of subculture is deemed by many as devastating. He is saying that all of us share deviant subcultural values and that it is not true that there are distinctive groups with their own values, different from the rest of us. Carl Nightingale took yet another approach towards deviance, and his subcultural theory does not focus on crime, but that black youth are marginalised, often driving them towards deviance; the Paradox of Inclusion. For his book On The Edge(1993), Nightingale studied young Black youth in inner-city Philadelphia. He discovered that subculture derives from the desire to be part of mainstream US culture, that is to say that subcultures occur due to the rejection and marginalising of youth by society. In America, Black children avidly consume US culture by watching television with its emphasis on consumerism and the success of violence, yet at the same time they are excluded economically, racially and politically from participating in the mainstream society they idolise. This is seen in England through the Chav culture. Those individuals dress how they see on television in music videos, so they can fit in, yet by doing so, they ironically become individuals which society fears, and therefore marginalises. These individuals begin to identify themselves through acquiring clothing with high-status labels, such as Nike or Adidas. Once again, drawing upon Mertons ideas, the subculture reflects the belief that it is not so much how these high status goods are obtained rather the fact of possessing them, which is often through crime and violence. This links with Phillip Bourgois study of El Barrio. He looks at the lives of drug dealers and criminals in the deprived areas of New York. He wanted to study the underground econmy, everything ranging from babysitting to hard drug dealing, in this marginalised society. He realised they were marginalised for many reasons, particularly racial and due to their high poverty lifestyles, society excluded them. He discovered that the severe abuse of drugs and alcohol prevalent in El Barrio, was due to the marginalisation and alienation from mainstream American Society, which many residents encountered daily. The change of drugs and scale which Bougois monitored was widespread and dramatic, with everyone in the society involved. However, although they did not share the same means as mainstream America, they shared the same goals, as in to achieve the American Dream. Bourgois noted that the legitimate economy mirrors the illegitimate economy, there is a hierarchal system in place, which all obey, just like legitimately. He decided that the pressure of the American Dream is what caused many to deviate into criminal activity, as this way they could obtain the needed money to pursue their dream. His main finding was that crime makes economic sense, why would these people surviving on the bread line want to work in an office, earning the minimum wage, when they can earn ten times as much on their own doorstep? And this attitude is shared all over the world by many living in poverty. Since 1998, there has been the introduction of ASBOs; Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, but there has been much dispute as to whether these actually prevent deviant behaviour. Many believe that by labelling delinquent youths as Anti-Social, they accept this label and it turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the youngster feels they must live up to this reputation. Others believe that ASBOs are seen as labels to be had and are worthy of respect. Many of the approaches outlined above seek to explain deviant behaviour through rational reasoning as to why subcultures have developed. Some recent postmodern approaches reject this explanation for behaviour. Katz (1988), argues young men get drawn into crime, because it is seductive and thrilling, echoing Cohen. This is not dissimilar to Lyng (1990). He said that young males like taking risks and engaging in what he refers to as edgework; going to the extremities of acceptable behaviour and flirting with danger. Using the example of neo-tribes, Maffesoli (1996) introduced a postmodernist innovation in understanding subculture. He was unhappy with the idea that the idea of subculture had been transformed from a concept based on values, more into a concept of consensus. He believed subcultures should be though of in terms of fluidity, occasional gatherings and dispersal. Neo-tribes then referred to states of mind, that were flexible, open and changing. Deviant values are less important than a stress on consumption, suitably fashionable behaviour and individual identity that can change rapidly. As previously noted, subcultural theories are very masculine orientated. However, as Collison (1996) points out, sociologist may well have missed the significance of studying male behaviour in such detail. He said that in order to explain male offending behaviour, it is important to explain the nature of being male in our society and the links masculinity itself has to crime. Collinsons work on masculinity links closely to that of Connell (1995), who sees the existence of a hegemonic masculinity, in which males both conspire with and aspire to, and believes this drives them to deviance. This emphasis on hegemonic masculinity is very similar to Millers earlier works on lower-class values. However, Winlow argues these values are most obvious when the economic social structure is changing. He suggests that the traditional working class values fitted alongside physical work, which is now in decline, so they are restless and desperate to prove their masculinity. These values have dispersed due to the rise of office work. He further suggests that these problems greatly affect young males who are out of employment. So, to conclude, there are many different approaches to explaining subculture and its place in society, all of which are as valid today as they were when the original research was carried out, from studying the British Street Corner Groups in the early 1900s, to the participant observation of crack dealers in New York City, all of these theories are still relevant to the gang culture of today. However, looking at the theories, the one society can relate to most is Metza and Subterranean Values. This is very obviously prevalent in society today, from photocopying body parts at the office party and blaming it on the alcohol, to the men who get cleared of rape, claiming the victim isnt a victim as she was wearing clothes which led the man on. Whether subcultures do or do not share common social values will be disputed for many years, yet Mazas techniques of neutralization will be evident in society always, therefore, I believe I identify most with this theory, as it seeks to explain natural patterns of behaviour, not seek to infiltrate gang culture and lifestyles. Having said this, I am particularly interested in Bourgoiss El Barrio research as I agree with him and the dealers, crime makes economic sense, why work a nine-to-five for minimum wage, when you can earn enough money on your doorstep? Perhaps, if I had access to a criminal subculture, I would become involved as Cloward and Ohlin said, yet unfortunately my future is even bleaker according to them, a retreatist lifestyle involving drugs or alcohol, good job I believe Merton and feel I am a conformist, adhering to both the socially accepted goals and means.