Saturday, August 31, 2019

Reflective Statement Essay

For this module, we are required to do an assignment with regards of SME company. The purpose of writing the report is to analyze the key internal issues the management is likely to face when strategizing their marketing formula. Besides, we are also required to provide a practical recommendation for the company. For this project, the class was divided into 3 groups and each group consists of 3 members. My group members are Miss Tai Geok Yeong and Miss Sharanya. Discussions among group members were held 4 times, on the 29th October, 2nd November, 4th November and 6th November, respectively. Besides of our normal eeting in college, the discussions also were held through the MSN chat and email. Each of our group members was allocated with task and although conflicts arise during the discussion, we still managed to solve the problem. In my opinion, conflict in a group is not necessarily bad and we use several of techniques in order to resolve conflicts like compromising and exercises work delegation. Throughout completing the task – CareKoolTint Sdn Bhd, I have gained lots of new information about SME and the company. In order to get more facts about the company, we held an interview with one of their sales representatives on 2nd November 2009. From the 1 hour interview, we managed to gather the information needed for this project, which for example are, their current marketing strategies and the company’s internal issues. One important lesson I learnt from the interview is that, even though small firms is not properly structured, it does not mean that SMEs do not engage in marketing. It is only that, they are doing marketing according to their own terms and not according to a theoretical framework. Other than interviewing the sales representatives, my group and I also did a research based from their websites and also by reading books. It is important so that e will have a broader view on the business environment and help us to write the task more accurately. In order to complete the task, I read Marketing and Entrepreneurship in SMEs, Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler and Fundamentals of Management to have a better understanding about SME and its management as well as several websites related to the topic which for example SME Info Portal. This whole process, I believe has improved both my knowledge and skills. I learnt how to work with others as a team, it taught me how to compromise as I need to be open in accepting other people ideas or opinion and also in handling conflicts. In addition to that, basically, I am more knowledgeable on this topic. From the research, I discovered various type of SME in Malaysia which can classified under 3 category that are Primary Agriculture, Manufacturing (including Agro-Based) ; MRS, Services Sector (including ‘CT) . Furthermore, I am also more aware on characteristics needed to be an entrepreneur, and one essential trait they must have is to be a risk taker. This is important as SME business environment is very uncertain and whenever they make a wrong decision, it may affect their business as a whole.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Management: Setting Goals Essay

1. In your university, professors likely have objectives regarding teaching, research, and service to the university. From your perspective, what are the relative priorities of these three objectives? If you could, how would you change these priorities and why? I think that the top priority of the professors is research. Professors had to do research to generate leading-edge knowledge. Moreover, they can find the right and fun ways of teaching by doing research. For example, my marketing teacher makes learning an extremely fun activity by implementing outside sources such as videos and pictures into classroom lectures. He does not get those ideas straight from the textbooks instead he does researches to find those outside sources. On the other hand, professors that don’t do research will teach straight from the text and makes lectures boring and dull. Therefore, their second top priority would be teaching. Teaching always have to follow immediately after Research. Because they need research in order to provide quality teaching. Then the last priority would be service to universities. I think teaching is already considered as providing service to the university, therefore other extra service to the university by professors would be of choice, such as providing tutoring during office hours. I don’t think it’s a requirement of the professors but it will sure be a plus. 4. Thank about the last goal you set for yourself. How SMART was it? The last goal I set for myself was to lose ten pounds in two months, which I don’t think was a smart goal. Because I wasn’t specific enough in setting the goal, losing 10 pounds is too vague. I should’ve state the goal in specific terms such as eating healthy or exercise more in order to lose that weight. Moreover, the goal itself was too unrealistic. I was too naà ¯ve to think that I could lose 10 pounds in two months without rebounding. I should’ve assumed a more realistic time frame which might be five months instead of two. Also, I did not commit to achieving my goal. Losing weight involves eating right and exercise, but after the second week, I gave up on exercising and started eating junk food. Overall, my goal isn’t quite a smart one. Closing case essay: What adjustments would you make at this point? Would you cancel the program or run it at a loss? I would access another $15,000 from the general contingency budget. Since Pam originally considered that it would take about 18 participants for the program to break even financially, since there’s only 10 now, she needs eight more in order to break even. Since there’s only four weeks left before the start of the program, there will be a very small chance for the number of participants to reach 18. Since most of them had already inquired about the program and showed no interest during the first few weeks. Therefore the only way to keep the program going is to run it at a loss. I would run it at a loss because human capital is a firm’s most important internal resource. A group of senior executives trained by excellent leadership programs would definitely enhance a firm’s success. Therefore I evaluate the gain over the loss. 3. What do you think went wrong? What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of the planning process? LDC did a great job in setting objectives and developing action plans. The companies set the objective that training senior executives would more likely encourage mid-level managers to participate because they would recommend and approve training requests for mid-level managers. Moreover, they measure the objective in three ways. First, the number of participants taking the first program would be monitored, and calculated that it would take 18 participants for the program to break even financially. Second, she would survey all participants regarding their satisfaction with the program. Finally, LDC would track the number of mid-level managers from the companies of those attending the senior executive program to determine if there was an increased participation level overtime. These are great measurements of the objective determined by Pam. However, she did not quite do a great job in analyzing the firm’s external environment. Originally she made the measurement that 18 participant would be needed in order to break even financially, she did not generate actions to be taken if there were only 10 participants, therefore she failed at developing constingency plans.

Philosopher essay

The United States' form of democracy was not assembled all by one man over night. The idea of self government is an idea not widely thought about in a world who ere a king ruled. Classical Republican Philosophers and Natural Rights Philosophers influx encoded many important documents that have controlled our country such as the Declaration n of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a document of the French revolution and history of huh man rights, and the Declaration of Independence.The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was giggly highly influenced by Thomas Jefferson because Jefferson was working with General Lafayette and Lafayette admired Jefferson. The very first article of this Declare Zion, â€Å"Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights† shows that everyone is equal. All of the rights show barely any restriction to people and express how every individual is Nat aurally equal. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson carefully organized the Declaration to control the country, while showing a distinct Seen SE of freedom toward the individual.Thomas Jefferson used the unalienable rights, â€Å"Life, Lib retry, and a pursuit of Happiness† to express the type of life a United States citizen should have. Thomas Jefferson used these three rights from John Locke except Locke used property instead of a pursuit of happiness. By â€Å"property' Locke meant more than belongings, he ref erred to one's well being as a whole as well. Using these three rights, American people can d iced when the government has been too damaging and can change it (if need be). The D acceleration states reasons â€Å"We have warned them from time to time†¦

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Knowledge Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Knowledge Management - Essay Example It is also regarded as the only advantage that a firm can have over the others for it to be able to survive in a business environment that is unpredictable. Through knowledge management, an organization will be able to view all its processes as knowledge processes which include creation of knowledge, dissemination, upgrading of knowledge and all this will ensure the survival of the organization. Knowledge management requires the involvement of people, technology and processes that are in continuous interaction with each other. Knowledge management ensures the survival of organizations in a business world which keeps changing day by day due to the stiff competition. Organization of knowledge requires responsibility of knowledgeable employees and specialists who will be able to manage knowledge as an intangible asset. The process of knowledge management therefore requires the implementation of the following for it to be effective and they are: knowledge creation, knowledge collection, knowledge organization, knowledge refinement and knowledge dissemination. An ideal knowledge organization is one in which employees who are in different fields are able to exchange and produce knowledge by using technology. This way knowledge will be internalized and adopted within the culture of the organization. Knowledge creation and transfer (sharing) are the main basis of the success of a company in this era as they determine the way in which organization leaders will develop intellectual capital. In order for companies to be able to compete successfully, they have to ensure that they create knowledge through hiring, developing and maintaining competent and excellent managers as they will be able to accumulate valuable knowledge assets. Organizations have to keep creating new knowledge continuously as knowledge keeps changing and it can become obsolete in the future (IchijÃ…  & Nonaka, 2007, 4). Tacit and explicit are the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The last financial crisis 2007-2009 Research Paper

The last financial crisis 2007-2009 - Research Paper Example The economic crisis was associated with great losses of financial wealth, economic output, increased government interventions, psychological consequences among other significant costs. This paper will assess the extent to which the Qatar and other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council were affected by the financial crisis. Impact of the Financial Crisis of 2007-2009 on the Gulf Area Introduction This paper aims at studying the impact of the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 on the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), or the Gulf Area. The Gulf Area is an economic and political Union of Arab states around the Persian Gulf including Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, The United Arab emirates and Qatar. The cooperation was established in 1981 to foster unity and trade and cooperation among the member states. The Gulf Area consists of the fastest growing economies mostly due to the revenues gotten from huge deposits of natural resources such as oil and natural gas. T his paper will largely be based on the impact of the global financial crisis on the economy of Qatar with some examples drawn from the other countries in the Gulf area. Petroleum is the backbone of Qatar’s economy and accounts for about 70% of the countries revenues (Read, 2009). The GDP of Qatar ranks among the robust in the world and it has become a major player in the global economy from the region. This essay will try at analyze the impact of the global financial crisis on the economy of Qatar as well as its reaction to the crisis as well as how the other countries in the Gulf were affected. The main objective of this essay will be to answer the question as to how the last financial crisis (2007-2009) affected the economic situation in the Gulf area. The economic crisis of 2007-2009 was associated with great losses of financial wealth, economic output, increased government interventions, psychological consequences among other significant costs (Read, 2009). Although the f inancial crisis began in the Western countries, its impact was felt across the world, with most economies feeling the impact. The crisis is deemed by most economists as the worst financial crisis ever since the Great Depression that befell in the 1930s. The 2007-2009 global financial crisis resulted in downturns in major stock markets across the world, and threatening the collapse of some of the largest financial institutions in major economies around the globe (Read, 2009). This resulted in government interventions to bail out banks and other financial institutions as well as big companies in order to protect the economy from collapsing. Some of the results of the financial crisis across the globe included massive prolonged unemployment, high interest rates, and housing crisis among others. The crisis also led to a reduction in global economic activities between 2007 and 2012 and played a major role in the debt Crisis in the European countries (Fried, 2012). The global financial cr isis has been attributed to various causes, mostly from the West. According to the U.S. Senate’s Levin-Coburn report, the financial crisis occurred as a result of complex, high risk financial products and cases of undisclosed conflicts of interests among different parties, as well as the inadequacy of proper regulators. Most critics have pointed out to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act (1999) of the US as the origin of the financial

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Enlightenment or the Great Awakening Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Enlightenment or the Great Awakening - Essay Example In reaction, a new spiritual renewal, â€Å"characterized by great fervor and emotion in prayer,† (Great-Awakening.com) was begun by the Wesley brothers and George Whitefield. This movement of religious revival, which crossed the Atlantic and swept over the American Colonies, particularly New England, between 1730 and 1745, is termed The Great Awakening. George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were the most prominent preachers of this movement. The Great Awakening greatly impacted the ideological development of the Colonies. Unlike the earlier doctrine of the Puritans, the new doctrine promised the grace of God to all who experienced a desire for it. It emphasized greater intimacy with God and encouraged overt emotional expression. More importantly, a personal approach to salvation took precedence over church dogma. This undermined the authority of the church leaders and transferred power to the congregation. A large number of new religious denominations were formed. Ironically, this splintering of the hitherto dominant Puritan and Anglican groups led to a unification of the American Colonies and the birth of a â€Å"national consciousness† and an American identity. The Great Awakening was the ideological root of the American Revolution, as it effectively undermined the belief that the monarchy was sanctioned by God. The movement engendered the notion of a consensual government and the belief that State rule was a c ontract of the government with the people. Individualism in religion formed the basis for the desire for political independence. The Great Awakening united the colonists in anti-Catholic sentiment. This later metamorphosed into a deep anti-British fervor. The colonists realized that just as religious power lay in their own hands, so also could they take on the reins of government. The ideology of self-governance was an off-shoot of the Great

Monday, August 26, 2019

Home Food Deliver Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Home Food Deliver - Essay Example From this essay it is clear that  the main target customers of this business are those who go to work and leave their children who are unable to cook for themselves at home. Such customers will be required to make their orders anywhere they are through phone calls and then provide the address to their homes, and the author will deliver the food to the children. Another group of customers that his business targets are the unmarried or people who are living alone without family and have difficulties in making their meals. These groups of people will be in a position to make their orders, and he will deliver the food to their respective homesteads.  As the paper discusses  the services will also consider people with special eating habits as prescribed by their doctors. For example, the diabetic people will have the freedom to choose the ingredients they require to be used in preparing their food and the ones their food should not contain depending on their doctors advice. There wi ll be free lunch weekends where he will be delivering free food to the loyal and regular customers to enhance customer loyalty and improve customer relation.  The market profile consists of the characteristics of the people the reporter expect would buy his services. These characteristics include age, social group, the location of the business and many other factors that the customers would consider to buy his services

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Professional development & critical reflection Essay

Professional development & critical reflection - Essay Example †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Demonstrate a critically reflective understanding of a range of social and individual factors which can affect children’s and young people’s well-being and development inside and outside of the school/setting; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Show understanding of how to identify these factors in relation to particular children/pupils; 2. Ensure that you demonstrate detailed knowledge & understanding of key concepts and theories, through clarity or writing and that you are aware of and demonstrate the provisional nature of knowledge 3. You need to show evidence of a general critical approach building on your use of appropriate literature, by your individual judgement and reflection. Look at the title and the criteria more carefully Agreed Provisional Mark – may be subject to change until confirmed by the appropriate assessment board First Marker’s Name Second Marker’s/Moderator’s name, where appropriate A copy o f this sheet must be retained with the coursework item. Professional Development & Critical Reflection Introduction This paper, by reference to a case study of Child A and the relevant literature provides a critical reflection of the social and individual factors that can influence a child or a young person’s welfare and development both at school and outside of school. Likewise, this paper will demonstrate an understanding of how these factors are identified by reference to specific child or student. In doing so, this paper will illustrate knowledge and understanding of the primary concepts and theories. Child A Background Information Previous school assessments and my own assessment reveal that Child A is a 7 year old male student who is repeating the first year because of learning difficulties. Two years... This paper, by reference to a case study of Child A and the relevant literature provides a critical reflection of the social and individual factors that can influence a child or a young person’s welfare and development both at school and outside of school. Likewise, this paper will demonstrate an understanding of how these factors are identified by reference to specific child or student. In doing so, this paper will illustrate knowledge and understanding of the primary concepts and theories. Previous school assessments and my own assessment reveal that Child A is a 7 year old male student who is repeating the first year because of learning difficulties. Two years of review reveals that Child A’s primary language is English. He has language-based difficulties, numbers-based difficulties and poor motor skills. Child A’s language-based difficulties are manifested by the fact that he has a tendency to write letters of the alphabet and numbers in reverse. He also freq uently confuses capital letters with lower case letters. Observations/assessments also reveal that Child A is introverted and does not socialize with other children. In fact, Child A has been described as a loner. In addition, Child A has difficulties with cognitive functioning in that his attention span is quite short and he has difficulty going from one task to another. He requires simple and differentiated instruction and adult supervision in order to get him to focus and complete tasks. Visual aids are also required to engage Child A in classroom learning and instruction.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Federalism and Separation of Powers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Federalism and Separation of Powers - Essay Example This structural change in the government is embedded in the articles 1-3 of the US constitution and its main agenda is to reduce the tyranny within the country and to control government powers. This essay seeks to analyze the difference between federalism and separation of powers and hence their influence on the current state of governance. In a federal system, the national government grants power to the states government to apply own strategies in their own state and to induce innovation according to the laws of the state. In other words, each state is a free entity and is free to exercise own policies and to engage in diverse government cultures as they deem fit for the people of the particular state (Gerston, 2007). The advocates of this system support it on the ground that it is the best practice that is only effective in managing a diversified population such as one that exists in the United States, and that it allows the local people to have a better access to their leaders (Topher, 2007). In addition, each state is allowed to be creative and to learn from other states that are successful. In this system, the country government reserves most of the powers and acts by controlling power in the United States. However, the federal government has the disadvantage that it allows a non-unified policy implementation which often brings out confusion among the people, and that power control is minimal. The effect of the separation of powers is that the three branches of the government would act as a check and balance mechanism to protect the people over power abuse. Any policy would have to be analyzed by each branch of the government before its implementation. There is quite a difference in the two systems of power sharing with regard to the current system of power sharing in the US government. For instance, in the federal system, the citizens in overlapping states may be faced with confusion and they may

Friday, August 23, 2019

Doing Business in Russia Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Doing Business in Russia - Research Proposal Example Soviet-era management practices, a decaying infrastructure, and inefficient supply systems hinder efficient utilization of those resources. For nearly sixty years, the Russian economy and that of the rest of the Soviet Union operated on the basis of central planning meaning state control over virtually all means of production and over investment, production, and consumption decisions throughout the economy. Economic policy was made according to directives from the Communist Party, which controlled all aspects of economic activity. The central planning system left a number of legacies with which the Russian economy must deal in its transition to a market economy. The constant changes in the business environment can make business activities hard to plan for managers. Taxes in Russia are high but some reforms are implemented in order to reduce the amount of taxes paid by companies. During recent years, the government has put emphasis on reducing regulation and lowering taxes. Depending on the company’s location, the tax can vary. The thorough tax code has recently been implemented including a new VAT law and a new profits tax law. The VAT is quite similar to the EU model; however, input VAT is only recoverable when paid whereas output VAT can be accrued on a cash or accrual basis. The government actions regarding the VAT are mixed. On one hand, the Russian government decided not to apply VAT on certain actions (i.e. inter-company loans or derivatives transactions), but on the other hand, some other fields that were not concerned by VAT are now subject to it (i.e. transfer of patents, trademarks, copyrights). The new Profits tax law is lowering the tax rate to a maximum of 24 % and reduced the number of non-deductible expenses.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Behavioral risk factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Behavioral risk factors - Essay Example Academy of Sciences cites some specific behaviors that influence health such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical exercise and food intake, sexual practices, and disease diagnosis. Despite the availability of data on the direct effects of these behaviors on a person’s health and his contraction of potentially chronic diseases, they remain at a staggering level. Primary prevention with early screening and detection, together with an overall change in attitude are important to address illnesses prevention and obviate disease transmission (2001). The importance of community engagement in wholesome activities cannot be stressed enough. In this regard, the companies together with local health personnel should work together in implementing activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. Sports activities that initiate larger group participation are ideal and convenient. Information drives through a wider audience employing the mass media will also be vital to update people of the most recent health hazards and various studies. In addition, the different companies should encourage their employees to avail of provided for medical consults at the onset of their health concerns to ensure early

Entrepreneurship the purist most challenging application of the art and science of business. Essay Example for Free

Entrepreneurship the purist most challenging application of the art and science of business. Essay Corporate America repeatedly cites the ‘lack of entrepreneurial skills’ as the single biggest deficiency in MBAs – something that we fix in this course. Entrepreneurial skills and knowledge are mandatory for creating your own venture (for-profit or non-profit) , creating a new business unit within an existing enterprise, creating a new product or service offering and  launching it, or for just being a much more inventive and creative desk jockey in a lumbering, bureaucratic human cesspit of non-productive activity. The conception and start-up stage of a new organization is a critical stage of the company’s life-cycle. It is the time for the venture to pull itself together and get up and running in time for ‘opening day’. It is an extremely busy time in the venture’s life, requiring a thorough understanding, application, and execution of your MBA concepts skills. In this capstone course we examine the idea of entrepreneurship, its symbiotic existence with Corporate America, the origin of new (company) concepts, setting up the new legal entity, raising funding from outside investors or donors, developing and writing a comprehensive business plan, and pitching your concept to a panel of seasoned investors or potential donors. Some key topics include: (1) demographics for small businesses, (2) conceiving and understanding a sound ‘business model’, (3) financial forecasting and modeling for new start-ups, (4) cash flow management in start-ups, (5) term sheets, (6) the venture capital business, (7) multiple funding rounds, (8) start-up company valuations, (9) liquidation preferences, (10) leveraging strategic alliances, (11) the role of the Board of Directors, (12) restricted stock, stock options, and 83(b) elections, and (13) creating and leveragor) presentation that will be delivered to a panel of professional investor/donors at the conclusion of the course. CAP5802 will be delivered as a combination of lecture and discussion. The instructor demands active participation from the class members. COURSE OUTLINE Important note: The detailed descriptions of all assignments along with all exercises are found on the (new) Moodle course site. Session 1: Monday, 26 August 2013 Introduction and Orientation How the course will be conducted Classification of businesses Small business demographics What is entrepreneurship and why should you be highly interested in this subject? Major assignments and due dates †¢ Concept Description Abstract – Due on 23 September 2013 †¢ Business Plan Outline – Due on 7 October 2013 †¢ Interview with Entrepreneur Write-Up – Due on 14 October 2013 †¢ Prospectus – Due on WEDNESDAY by NOON, 4 December 2013 †¢ Final Business Plan – Due on MONDAY, 9 December (in class) 2013 †¢ Live PowerPoint Presentation – 9 December 2013 [No class on Monday, 2 September – Labor Day] Session 2: Monday, 9 September 2013 The Entrepreneurial Mind and Process Entrepreneurial Resilience during Challenging Times How Entrepreneurs Craft Strategies That Work Apple’s Core Case Study Iggy’s Bread of the World Case Study Session 3: Monday, 16 September 2013 Recognizing and Screening the Opportunity Background Note: Note on Business Analysis for the Entrepreneur ZOOTS: The Cleaner Cleaner Case Study Session 4: Monday, 23 September 2013 The Business Plan HBR Article: How to Write a Great Business Plan Business Plan for Room for Dessert Case Study Your Concept Description – Abstract Due Session 5: Monday, 30 September 2013 The Founder and the Team – HR Matters NanoGene Technologies, Inc. Case Study Session 6: Monday, 7 October 2013 Legal Matters the Start-Up Ecosystem Background Note: Legal Matters and Entrepreneurship †¢ Corporate law firms †¢ Intellectual property (IP) law firms The Start-Up Ecosystem †¢ Certified public accountants (CPAs) †¢ The Board of Directors †¢ The Advisory Board †¢ Key business partners Smartix(A): Dancing with Elephants Case Study Smartix(B): The Last Dance Smartix(C): Rethinking the Negotiations Smartix(D): Reflections from the Other Side of the Table Business Plan Outline Due Tonight Session 7: Monday, 14 October 2013 Financing the Venture PunchTab Inc. Case Study Interview with Entrepreneur – Write-Ups Due Fall Break is 15 – 18 October 2013. Session 8: Monday, 21 October 2013 Capitalization of the Start-Up, Part 1 Session 9: Monday, 28 October 2013 Capitalization of the Start-Up, Part 2 Session 10: Monday, 4 November 2013 Capitalization of the Start-Up, Part 3 Session 11: Monday, 11 November 2013 Growing the Business What Entrepreneurs Get Wrong Facebook Case Study Gordon Biersch Case Study Gordon Biersch – New Challenges and Opportunities Case Study Session 12: Monday, 18 November 2013 Investment Decision Making Walnut Venture Associates (A): RBS Group Investment Memorandum Walnut Venture Associates (B): RBS Due Diligence – Customers Walnut Venture Associates (C): RBS Due Diligence – Market Size Walnut Venture Associates (D): RBS Deal Terms Thanksgiving Week break is 25 – 29 November 2013. No class on 25 November. Session 13: Monday, 2 December 2013 Documentary (movie): â€Å"Start-Up.com† Session 14: Monday, 9 December 2013 Final Presentations COMMENTS ON CAP5802 – ENTREPRENEURSHIP IMPORTANT: YOUR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN HARD COPY IN CLASS ON THE SPECIFIED DUE DATE. LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE MARKED DOWN—SEE GRADING POLICY BELOW. Your workload in this course will be ‘above average.’ That we meet only one time per week for three hours implies that you will have a week’s worth of homework to do in between class meetings – unlike the homework load that you would receive in a course that meets multiple times per week. Specifically, †¢ I expect you to attend all of our classes. †¢ I expect you to arrive on time and remain in class until we are finished with the session. †¢ I expect you to arrive with your material fully prepared – this requirement is critical. †¢ I expect you to participate actively and effectively in class. †¢ I expect you to demand of yourself and your fellow class members complete fidelity to high personal ethical standards. †¢ I expect you to keep your cellular telephone out of our classroom – or with you, but powered off. †¢ I do not expect you to ever leave the classroom to accept or return a telephone call. †¢ I expect all team work and responsibilities to be evenly distributed among the team members. †¢ I expect all individual-specified exercises to be completed by you independently with no assistance received from anyone else. CAP5802 GRADES There is no final exam in CAP5802. Instead, we have the final presentations from each start-up concept. Four factors play into your grade computation in CAP5802: (1) your homework scores – watch those tricky computational problems, (2) your write-up of your interview with an entrepreneur, (3) your completed business plan – which should be sufficiently tantalizing to cause the general partners of Kleiner Perkins Caulfield (who successfully funded Genentech, Amazon, and Google, among others) to salivate, and (4) a stunning live presentation during our final class meeting – which should convince even the most risk averse grandmother to allocate a chunk of her retirement stash to fund your promising venture. (1) CLASS PARTICIPATION We have 23 articles/case studies that we use to supply some of the vital content to this course. I expect you to give every one of them a thorough read and analysis. I encourage you to discuss them with your team members. I will call on you in class – whether or not you raise your hand – and ask you to answer questions or to explain concepts/situations in the assigned readings. I will score your response on a three-point scale as follows: 3: brilliant 2: adequate 1: needs improvement (2) HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS Your home work assignments are due in class in hard copy on the specified due date. I will penalize you for late homework assignments. That is how the real business world works. If you are going to be out of town, always complete and turn in your assignment EARLY. When you are LATE with your homework assignments, you lose points in the computation of your final grade. No appeals allowed. The point value for each homework question is noted in (*) next to the question. You will find all of the homework assignments on the course site. (3) INTERVIEW WITH ENTREPRENEUR Each team will find an authentic entrepreneur – someone who has started their own business/organization and currently is running the business or non-profit organization. The business/organization can be anything ranging from an ice cream truck to a non-profit social service organization that provides outplacement services to displaced investment bankers. I will provide you with the list of questions for the interview. You only need to find the willing entrepreneur (they generally love to talk about their businesses) and complete the interview – then write it up. (4) COMPLETED BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOUR VENTURE Each team will compose a comprehensive, professional-quality business plan for their business concept. There are two important milestones/due dates for the business plan assignment: (1) the brief plan outline due date, (2) the completed plan due date – the last class meeting. (5) CORPORATE OVERVIEW PRESENTATION OF YOUR VENTURE Your team will present your ‘corporate overview/launch plan’ during our final class meeting. You will be graded on the originality, content, and delivery of your concept. We expect to have a judging panel present – comprising demanding, unreasonable investor-types – to critique your concepts CAP5802 GRADE COMPUTATION There are five sources of points that are used in your final course grade computation: (1) Class participation points – as noted above. I will tally up your points, and normalize your grand total over 50 possible points. (2) Homework Assignment points – as noted with each HW assignment question. I will add up your total homework points, divide this total by the total possible homework points, and arrive at a final percentage score for your homework. (3) 50 points for your entrepreneur interview write-up (4) 100 possible points for your business plan, distributed as follows: Quality of idea = 10 pts Compelling market opportunity = 10 pts Organization of plan = 10 pts Clarity of plan = 10 pts Financial analysis = 10 pts Marketing plan = 10 pts Sales and distribution plan = 10 pts Competitive analysis = 10 pts Sales/revenue forecast = 10 pts Surviving CAP5802 = 10 pts (5) 100 possible points for you final presentation, distributed as follows: Originality and cleverness of the presentation = 20 pts Running within the allotted time = 20 pts Richness of content = 20 pts Presentation delivery = 40 pts Note that your presentation scores will be a compilation of our guest judges’ scoring. History indicates that the judges are rather severe scorers. I will assign final course grades based on your final total point tally: Total possible participation score (%): 50 points Total possible homework (%): 100 points Total possible interview with entrepreneur: 50 points Total possible written business plan: 100 points Total possible live presentation: 100 points A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Female Empowerment In Kerala

Female Empowerment In Kerala ABSTRACT : There has been a spate of discussions at various levels especially at the the top hierarchy of the successive governments with reference to apprehension of women empowerment in our country India. Besides it has also been a meeting point of contradicting themes that has resulted in a status quo. The women who stand to gain from governmental measures are already empowered and the vast majority of them, who mostly hail out from rural regions , are still regarded inferior to men in most spheres. In view of this the present paper makes an attempt to highlight how it contradicts as in the state of Kerala which has created a congenial atmosphere for the emergence of women empowerment and development of women entrepreneurship through Kudumbashree. ‘Kudumbashree’, which mean prosperity (shree)‘ of the family ( Kudumbam) is the name of the women oriented, community based, State Poverty Eradication Mission of Government of Kerala. Kerala is a tiny state lying in th e south-west part of Indian federation, where many development experiments are being tested, refined and implemented. The mission aims at the empowerment of women, through forming self-help groups and encouraging their entrepreneurial or other wide range of activities. The purpose of the mission is to ensure that the women should no longer remain as passive recipients of public assistance, but active leaders in women involved development initiatives. Keywords : women empowerment, contradicts , active leaders, Kerala OBJECTIVES : The present paper makes an attempt to highlight the success stories associated to women empowerment, initiatives taken, incentives provided by a unit named Kudumbashree operating widely in the state of Kerala. INTRODUCTION: Women in business is a recent phenomenon in India. They have confined themselves to petty business and tiny cottage industries. They are found in vegetable selling, making pickles, papads etc The spread of education and increased awareness are aiding women to spread their wings into the areas which were the monopoly of men. On the whole, proper education of women in Kerala resulted in high motivation among them to enter into business. The financial, marketing and training assistance provided by the State Government also helped motivate women to assume entrepreneurial career. Women’s desire to work at the place of residence, difficulty of getting jobs in the public and private sectors and the desire for social recognition also motivated women in Kerala for self –development. Kudumbashree was launched by the Government of Kerala in 1998 for wiping out absolute poverty from the State through concentrated community action under the leadership of Local Self Gov ernments, Kudumbashree is today one of the largest women-empowering projects in the country. The programme has 37 lakh members and covers more than 50% of the households in Kerala. Built around three critical components, microcredit,entrepreneurship and empowerment, the Kudumbashree initiative has today succeeded in addressing the basic needs of the less privileged women, thus providing them a more dignified life and a better future. Real empowerment occurs only when rights can be legitimately claimed and are universally acknowledged. It is the endeavor of Kudumbashree to bring the discussion on women’s rights and issues into the heart of the development debate. The organisational structure and capacity building programmes of kudumbashree attempt to develop the leadership capabilities and opportunities for intervention in development activities. The Gender Self Learning Programme is a unique experiment to consolidate womens voices and discuss gender disparities. OVERVIEW: The network of Kudumbashree projects across Kerala is beginning to bear fruits not only in the form of fiscal independence for women but also with a new found self confidence. Kerala is witnessing a silent revolution, spawning womanpower, possibly restoring to the State its lost matriarchal legacy, where the women enjoyed pre-eminence, safety, security and respect, including self-respect. This female empowerment is taking place through the Kudumbashree movement, which has engulfed the State. In Ernakulam district alone there are 19,2424 women in rural and urban areas contributing Rs. 22 crores through deposits to the State economy. Each member contributes Rs 10 a week, which is achieved through a phenomenal feat by trusting women, awakening their inherent saving instinct and abilities to achieve. From the thrift amount loans are granted to them which they return in just three weeks. Loans upto Rs. 26 crores are given to them. Earlier, they had no money of their own to spend or invest . Now they have achieved monetary empowerment, self-reliance and freedom, said Kabir B. Haroon, District Mission Co-ordinator of Kudumbashree in Ernakulam. When one re-scripts their earlier life scenario it is easy to recapture the anguish and trauma they would have experienced in situations, as when school opened. They had to buy bags, books, umbrellas etc. for their children and often they never had the money for it and had to borrow from blade companies, paying exorbitant interest. Now they say, quite proudly, that they are borrowing from their own investments. Similarly, they take loans from their own deposits to celebrate Onam, Christmas or Bakri id. Many of them say that they have lost their enslavement because they are not dependent on anyone anymore. Kudumbashree alone has collected Rs.230 crores as deposits and lent Rs 320 crores as loans. Across Kerala, Kudumbashree covers 991 panchayats and 58 municipalities. Through this network women have the freedom to demand, and to receive money without red tape. In fact, banks volunteer to lend money to Ayalkoottams. Like the Dhanalakshmi Bank, which plans to lend Rs.300 crores to Kudumbashree Ayalkoottams alone, testifying the credibility and investor confidence the women have inspired under the Kudumbashree network. Each Community Development Society (CDS) under the Kundumbasree project is an independent entity, registered under the Charitable Society Act, sans governmental interference. Everyone gets to share responsibility as office bearers, but not more than twice. There are health and education volunteers, infrastructure volunteers, income-generation volunteers, a secretary, and a president, who heads but does not rule. Since the role of Mayor or Panchayat president is limited, the women face no interference or influence from men, unlike in the Panchayat where political influences and husbands often rule by proxy. The women are free to present crucial issues like water, power or housing before the Grama Sabha under the Ayalkootam network. The flagship of the Ernakulam Kudumbashree is the Kuttampuzha tribal belt where the women are so empowered that they have been able to control the price line in the Kothamangalam belt and even ban arrack, both its brewing and consumption. The women engage jeeps to buy provisions and vegetables in bulk and sell them to members at the cheapest possible price, thus controlling the prices in the area. This is the impact of women in Kuttampuzha, Earlier, rice had to be distributed to adivasis to prevent starvation deaths. Now it is the Kudumbasree, which ensures that adivasis get their quota of rice. In this adivasi belt the thrift deposit amount is Rs. 44 lakhs and the loans amount to Rs. 80 lakhs. These poor women become conscious not only of fiscal saving but also about saying that they have effectively managed plastic ban by introducing cloth bags and have started using areca-nut frond (Paala) as plates at functions not only to boost plastic ban but also to protect the areca trees. Women have also taken over the sale of tender coconuts and have started manufacturing `Kerashree coconut oil.The snowball ice cream is another new and popular venture of these women. Made out of tender coconut, which is not slit open to extract the tender flesh, but is stirred inside and drunk, using a straw has gained popularity among foreign tourists. This project is under the aegis of Centre for Spices and Research, Government of India. IT SECTOR Women under the Kudumbasree have also entered the IT field through data entry and in assembling units. Kudumbashree computer centre has developed hardware for printing ration card, etc. Kudumbashree units also impart IT education in 158 schools in Kerala, with a Rs.10 crores grant from the Union Govt. Six girls in each unit acquire the skill to teach students of classes eight and nine, under this scheme. Kudumbashree women are acquiring computer literacy and also supply computer hardware to such schools. TOURISIM AND ALLIED SECTORS The Kudumbashree is having an impact across Kerala. In Fort Kochi, the beach is cleaned and maintained by the women, who collect Rs.1200 for it from the Tourism Department.They also maintain the heritage zone . Women have also stepped in to produce ethnic fast food with help from the Syndicate Bank. They manufacture bakery items and reach them directly to houses, as well as provisions, like rice, soaps tea etc; often earning up to Rs.16,000 a month. There are at least 450 women in this field, who have sold around Rs. 18 lakhs worth provisions during the 10 days of Onam collecting Rs.3,000 each in the bargain. DIRECT MARKETING Direct marketing has become the hallmark of Kudumbashree thus eliminating middlemen and ensuring that actual profits reach the producer. There are 45 direct marketing units in Ernakulam District. In all, Kudumbashree has effected a healthy change in the Kerala scenario. The women have become self-confident under it and they have regained their individuality and also gives an avenue to step out, to interact, to expand their horizons which is no more limited to the four walls of our homes. EMPOWERMENT STORIES UNDER THE ROOF OF KUDUMBASHREE NOW WOMEN CAN CLIMB COCONUT TREES (December 15,2009) Climbing coconut trees is considered to be the monopoly of men, and increasingly it is felt that there are fewer people to climb. These views may be a thing of the past as Kudumbashree and Raidco initiated a tree climbing training programme. A package has been developed, where the equipment costing Rs 2350 and which can climb even the most twisted coconut trees, is given together with a Scooty, mobile phone at a total cost of Rs 40000 for which a bank loan can be availed. Kudumbashree provides a subsidy of Rs 7500. The Panchayat also provides support for equipment purchase. Women from 90 Gram Panchayats took part in the training cum demonstration organized at the Mallapuram Municipal Compound. It takes two weeks of training and practice to master climbing trees with these equipment. The equipment is currently in use in Nedirippur- Harijan Colony, Chungattam and Edakari, where each person makes an average income of Rs 650 per day. Traditional climbers also find this equipment useful a nd found out that they don’t suffer from chest pain while using it. The equipment also has a mechanism whereby it can be locked and the top of the tree cleaned effectively. Technically professional climbers can work upto 110 trees in five hours. A WOMEN TURNS INTO A STORY MAKER It’s not often that an inborn talent becomes a business and a way of life. Ordinarily Jesse Thomas’ talent would not have been noticed, but many people know her today because of her unique ‘product’- books, which she writes and publishes. Not only does she write but also publishes, popularizes and builds a reader base for her books. Jesse Thomas is based in Thrissur. Her husband Thomas drives an autorickshaw, and she has two children-Justin and Tesse. Jesse started writing at the age of eleven. Her friends were her first readers and critics. She wrote about everyday life and things that she saw around her. With the encouragement of her teachers, her story was published in a magazine from Enrakulam, Pushparani ; when she was 13 years old. Thereafter six other stories were published, but her first book was published only in December 2008. For Jesse, who had to discontinue educated after the 9th standard to care for her siblings, this is remarkable perseveranc e. The lack of formal education was not detterent to her urge to tell stories, and she kept writing. Her mother supported the family by selling vegetables after father left his wife and five children in a state of penury. Jesse married Thomas when she was twenty yers. Thomas has been a source of strength and encouragement and has supported her efforts to write and publish. Jesse received support from the Thrissur Corporation under SJSRY with a loan of Rs 75000. With this she wrote and published the book â€Å" Jeevanude Vilakku Enniki Kittum† ( I will get the lamp of life ). Though her popularity increased and the sales were reasonable she still has unsold books and a loan to repay. She however did not give up and continues to write and publish. Jesse is the President of the Namma Neighbourhood Group in the 25th ward of Thrissur Corporation. It’s a common sight to see her books being displayed alongside pickles and dried products at the Kudumbashree monthly market. Jes se has learnt the challenges in publicity and sales through experience, but has the self –confidence to move forward. Her activity is unusual and is driven purely by her talent and enthusiasm, but with the right support, she could become a well known writer. . AN OFFERING OF TURMERIC IN HARIPADA Cultivation of turmeric is not widespread in Kerala. Seasonal rainfall and open land without shade is needed for turmeric cultivation. Middlemen take most of the profits and procedures with meager returns. Sixty women from several neighbourhood groups in Haripada Gram Panchayat in Allapuzha district, decided to take up turmeric cultivation. Turmeric is an offering at the Mannarashala temple of serpent gods which has several women devotees. The turmeric production is a joint initiative of Kudumbashree and the Panchayat under the Samagra initiative. Of the 60 women from five Gram Panchayats involved in this activity, 30 are engaged in cultivation and 30 in production of seeds. Each day 50kg of turmeric is harvested and supplied to the temple through an agency. The market is assured and they are not exploited by middlemen. It is hoped that as they gain confidence, the women will directly take up marketing activities as well. NEW WAYS TO ADDRESS MILK SCARCITY Nature Fresh is a new initiative of Kudumbashree for production of marketing of milk. It has been initiated in Edavetti Grama Panchayat in Idukki District and Kannadi Grama Panchayat in Palakkad District. 55 Kudumbashree enterprises across 14 wards of Kannadi village are involved in this enterprise. 50 women with dairy units of two cows each are engaged in milk production and 5 women are involved in sale of milk. These nterprises have been established at a cost of Rs 35.5 lakhs wherein Rs 16 lakhs has been provided by Palakkad Disatrict Panchayat and Rs 19 lakhs as bank loan. The integrated intervention addresses all stages of dairy management. Each dairy unit with two cows and calves has a shed of 430sq.ft. The floor is designed such that no dung or water stagnates, and is drained out effectively. The shed is well ventilated and easy to clean. There is also water storage facility in the shed. Each unit has an equipment box. All families are trained in scientific care of the animals. The milk is tested and must meet basic standards of 3.5% fat and lactometer reading of 28 for the milk to be accepted for marketing. The milk is bottled and sold to houses within an hour of milking. In Kerala which faces a scarcity of milk, the Nature Fresh experiment in Idukki district sets an example. Kudumbashree proposes to initiate the Nature Fresh initiative in two Gram Panchayats in all districts. GENDER SELF LEARNING PROGRAMME Kudumbashree have been working on a programme that aims at getting women to discuss the gender dimension of their issues. For this they had to break the mould of thrift and credit based discussions which alone were taking place, apart from the odd health or other dissemination .Locally contextualised modules on issues such as women and work, women and health, women and mobility, women and entertainment are developed and deliberated in Neighbourhood Group meetings. The different voices of women and their perceptions about the topics of discussion are captured on a web-based portal accessible at the level of the Local Self Government. The portal is being developed with the support of the Minister of Information Technology, Government of India Awareness building programmes seem not to leave any sustained impact. It was felt therefore that a learning process in which the women felt themselves to have a stake, and would be delivered not through trainings, but through discussions focusing on some aspect of their lives and livelihoods they could relate to, either through a story line, or through some other format- press cuttings, poems, skit etc. had to be the mode of delivery. State level consultations help identify the themes of the ‘learning modules’, The content for the learning modules are prepared by local women resource persons, who source the stories out of their own experiences for further contextualisation and development. Once the modules are developed, they are consolidated and disseminated by resource persons in the neighbourhood groups. Women are encouraged to ask questions about themes ranging from work and environment to health, power and power structure. Kudumbashree is actively involved in the myriad aspects of implementation of the programme, from job card registration through labour budgeting and work site facilitation to social audit. Moreover, it is the single rights based programme spearheaded by the state, which recognizes womenâ €™s work participation concerns as a matter of rights and equity. CONCLUSION : Today there is a great awakening among women. Given an opportunity, they will deliever the results. Empowerment of women is absolutely necessary in straightening her personality. The need of an hour is to provide an opportunity in a conducive atmosphere free from gender difference. The need for awareness motivationto be an active member of the society and courage the faults of male counterparts are great challenges today. The above paradigm is about inclusive growth through self-employment opportunities that every strata in our society can access influencing a transformational change in delievering self-sustaining profitability. REFERENCES : 1) Vasant Desai (2011)(Ed) , â€Å"The Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Development and Management†- Planning for Future Sustainable Growth, Himalaya Publishing House 2) S.S Khanka (2001)(Ed), ‘Entrepreneurial Development’- S. Chand Publications 3) The Hindu – Online edition of India National Newspaper http://www.kudumshree.org/ on Monday , Nov 03 ,2003

Monday, August 19, 2019

History and Origins of the Service Learning Practice :: Informative

III. Review of Related Literature History of Service-Learning The history and origins of the service-learning practice in the United States is older than its own name (Clearinghouse, Titlebaum, Daprano, Baer, & Brahler, 2004). However, the phrase service-learning was first used in 1966 to describe a joint project between Tennessee college students and professors working on area developmental organizational projects (p. 4). Subsequently, in 1967 Robert Sigmon and William Ramsey, while working at the Southern Regional Education Board, coined the term for the first time (Giles & Eyler, 1994; Sigmon, 1979; Stanton, Giles, & Cruz, 1999). Later in the 1970s, Sigmon published in the Synergist his manifesto entitled, Service-Learning: Three Principles (1979), in which the author framed the foundations of service-learning as a pedagogical method. According to Sigmon, every service-learning practitioner should adhere to the following three principles: 1) Those being served control the service(s) provided. 2) Those being served become better able to serve and be served by their own actions. 3) Those who serve also are learners and have significant control over what is expected to be learned (p. 10). The point at issue here is the conceptualization of service-learning as a dialectical process in which all participants equally evolve as active learners and agents of change. During past decades, particularly the 1980s, much of the service-learning debate revolved around its definition (Crews, 2002). It seems like previous scholars could not establish a consensual agreement on what to call â€Å"service-learning† and what should be included (Plann, 2002). Even though the broad scope of service-learning allows other programs to exist under the same description (Furco, 1996), sometimes such a rubric also tolerates the emerging of â€Å"moniker† programs (Butin, 2010). Kendall’s (1990) review of the service-learning literature illustrates the aforementioned case. The author provides 147 different definitions depending on whether service-learning is seen as an educational or philosophical method. Although such conceptualizations will change to meet the goals and expectations of civic, social, educational, and governmental institutions (Maurrasse, 2004; Shumer & Shumer, 2005), some of them brought a much-needed conceptual clarity to the fi eld. For instance, the National and Community Service Act of (1990) defined service-learning as: A method (A) under which students or participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that (i) is conducted in and meets the needs of a community; (ii) is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, institution of higher education, or community service program,

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Women in Tibet Essay -- Birth Abortion Rights Inferiority Papers

Women in Tibet Although Buddhism embraces compassion as the means to end suffering, the Chinese occupation of 1949 used force and torture to manipulate the Tibetan people, despite the country’s strong pacifist beliefs. Chinese troops aimed to imprison anyone who demonstrates support for the Dalai Lama and often looked for excuses to make public mockeries of these people. In order to implement this idea of genocide in Tibetan culture, China used the practice of ethnic cleansing, or eliminating the Tibetan race; therefore, women were highly stigmatized because of their role in bearing children. Treating the victims as insects, the Chinese forced sterilizations and abortions upon the Tibetan women to ensure their extermination. Continuing to ignore all regulations to treat women as equal to men and to practice safe methods of birth control, China still sterilizes Tibetan women today, leaving them not only with the scar of their surgery, but also a lifetime imprint of the pain and suffering that the Tibetan people have endured for over fifty years. Although so much time has passed since Chinese troops first occupied Tibet, people around the world are starting to realize the horror of this situation as organizations have begun to take action against this dehumanization of Tibetans so that the suffering of these people can finally be eased. Throughout history, women have been viewed as inferior to their male counterparts; however, although Tibet claims to issue women equal rights, the gender gap vastly surpasses the differences seen in America. Even today, Western and Tibetan women are not officially recognized by the Tibetan government in exile, even though the Dalai Lama recently advocated the full ordination of women (Young, ... ...omen of the Himalayas: a journey of the heart, mind and spirit. Colorado Woman News, 13(5), 28. Ma, N. (1999). Tibetan women endangered. America, 180(1), 8-10. Nelson, S. (1999). Buddhist nuns delight crowd. Women’s View from Ethnic and Minority Press, 12(3), 12. Pinto, S. (1999). Pregnancy and childbirth in Tibetan culture. In K.L. Tsomo (Ed.), Buddhist Women Across Cultures: Realizations (pp. 159-168). New York: State University of New York Press. (1994). Tibetan women denied their reproductive rights. Women Envision, 9, 12. (1995). We are using the Beijing process†¦to make our voices heard. The Tribune, 53, 8. (1996). The world is still watching. Herizons, 10(3), 13. Young, S. (2000). Women changing Tibet, activism changing women. In E.B. Findly (Ed.), Women’s Buddhism, Buddhism’s women (pp. 229-242). Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publication.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Contention about gay marriage Essay

Everyone has the right to get married, right, they should not be judged on who they are and what they believe. Everyone is equal and has equal rights I doesn’t matter what type of sex they are. Same-sex couples want to marry for all the same reasons as their opposite-sex counterparts. These reasons include: for legal security, to publicly celebrate their commitment, to provide greater legal protection for their children, or simply because they are in love. According to a national study by researchers at the University of Queensland, 54% of Australian same-sex partners would marry if they had the choice. 80% of Australians in same-sex relationships support marriage equality even if they do not wish to marry. First, we will look at the benefits that flow to same-sex couples who marry. This is followed by the wider social benefits that come from removing discrimination from the Marriage Act and ensuring equality for same-sex couples. Marriage has evolved throughout history, so it can change again. Different cultures have treated marriage differently. Some promoted arranged marriages. Others tied marriage to dowries. Still others saw marriage as a political relationship through which they could forge family alliances. But all these variations still embraced the fundamental, unchanging essence of marriage. They still saw it, in general, as a public, lifelong partnership between one man and one woman for the sake of generating and raising children. This understanding predates any government or religion. It’s a pre-political, pre-religious institution evident even in cultures that had no law or faith to promote it. Yet, even supposing the essence of marriage could change, would that mean it should? We know from other areas of life such as medical research and nuclear physics that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you ought. After all, such action may not be ethical or serve the common good. Even if this argument had historical basis, it would not necessarily be a good reason to change the meaning of  marriage.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Critical Response to Martin and Milway’s Editorial Essay

In â€Å"A Productive Labour: The Only Limit to Productivity Growth is Human Ingenuity,† authors Martin and Milway present an argument for increasing productivity as a means of raising Canada’s economic health and living standards. Although Martin and Milway’s editorial on productivity present a piece that is rational and easily understood, its effort to convince that readers of its main argument is encumbered by weaknesses in the authors’ approach and reasoning that lead to more questions being raised than answered in the course of one’s reading. The editorial underlines the importance of improving Canada’s productivity in light of rising prices of manufactured goods and services that accompanied the strengthening of the Canadian dollar in 2001. The main argument put forth is that enhancing productivity is critical in ensuring improvements on the country’s living standards. The authors proceed to support their arguments by presenting two ways by which living standards can be raised, the first by increasing the number of working hours or using up more natural and physical resources for sustained wealth creation, and the second by improving productivity or raising the value created per working hour. After illustrating that the first way is not a viable alternative, the authors then concentrate on convincing the reader why the second way is better by defining the concept of productivity based on efficiency and innovation. The strength of Martin and Milway’s editorial lies in its ability to appeal to the rational side of its readers and their ability to tackle an otherwise complicated subject in simple terms. The authors attempt to defend their arguments by stating facts and carefully defining their subject, that is, productivity. As a result, the readers are compelled to view their argument in consideration of the definition that they present. Unfortunately, several weaknesses in Martin and Milway’s editorial in terms of their approach and in their reasoning reduce the effectivity of their argument. The biggest errors that exist in the editorial are faulty reasoning and the inability of the authors to substantiate their claim. As a consequence, the authors fail to persuade readers that â€Å"productivity is the surest way to raise our living standards. † (par. 4) The editorial was clearly written to convince readers that Canada needs to raise its productivity if it is to continue its economic growth and if it is to raise living standards. On the other hand, the authors fail to present evidence to substantiate this claim aside from the argument that it is the most cost-effective alternative in terms of labour, time, and natural resources. The authors automatically assumed that the readers of the editorial would readily accept that an increase in economic growth follows from an increase in productivity. Likewise, this argument raises several implications: first, that economic growth is not possible without an increased productivity; second, that productivity growth always leads to a raise in the living standards. It is here that the informed audience becomes wary as the authors’ bias shows through in their failure to consider countries with high productivity growth but low living standards. This shows a lack of forethought of the authors in answering the questions that would be inevitably raised by their argument. The main weakness of the editorial is that the authors commit fallacies in reasoning. For one, they are â€Å"begging the question† wherein the reader must already accept the conclusion in order to accept the evidence forwarded (Boyne, et. al. , 69). For instance, the authors enumerate the ways by which productivity can be improved to support their main contention. They state that â€Å"productivity increases in one of two ways: greater efficiency in how we employ labour and capital, or greater value creation per unit of these inputs. †(par. 8) This flow of the discussion reflects an assumption on the part of the authors that their main argument has already been accepted by the readers since discussing the ways by which productivity can be improved does not necessarily support the argument that productivity will improve the country’s economy. This circular reasoning makes the reader feel like the authors are trying to sound logical but cannot support their argument beyond the definition of the subject. Another obvious error in reasoning in the Martin and Milway’s editorial is superstition (Boyne, et. al. , 70) or hasty generalization. The authors attempt to prove the argument that â€Å"Productivity growth also benefits workers and consumers† (par. 14) by stating that â€Å"countries and regions with higher productivity pay higher wages† (par. 14) which assumes that higher wages automatically result from higher productivity. If one is to follow this argument, then it would imply that countries and regions that pay lower wages are not productive or low in productivity. In sum, a critical analysis of the piece reveals that the weaknesses outweigh the positive aspects in Martin and Milway’s editorial. Shortcomings in substantiating the editorial’s central argument with credible evidence as well as the inability to defend their argument in a logical manner renders the entire editorial ineffective in convincing the reader of the importance of improving productivity to improve their lives.

Best Practices in Managing the Human Factors of HR Management Literature Review Essay

Human Resource Management is one of the most significant functions in an enterprise. However, there are different factors that are impacting on HRM. Human Factors has its origins in the Industrial Revolution and emerged as a full-fledged discipline during World War II. It was recognized that aircraft cockpit design needed to consider the human interface for controls and displays. Design Engineers were focused on the technology while Industrial Psychologists worked to optimize the interface. In some cases, Human Factors design can affect bottom-line profitability or can be a life and death matter, e. g. , you don’t want to push the wrong button or mistake meters for kilometers in a spacecraft. Companies came to realize that a products success is dependent upon good Human Factors design. Human Factors are very important for the successful operation of the company. The term â€Å"human factors† is to a large extent synonymous with the term â€Å"ergonomics† Human Factors Integration Research with Defense Technology Center is Human Factors Integration is the process adopted by a number of key industries (notably defense like United Defense and hazardous industries like oil & gas like Shell) in Europe to integrate human factors elements into the systems engineering process. Although each industry has a slightly different domain the underlying approach is the same. HFI undertakes this by conducting a formal process that identifies and reconciles human related issues. These issues are split for convenience into domains. Manpower – The number of military and civilian personnel required and potentially available to operate, maintain, sustain and provide training for systems Page 2 Personnel – The cognitive and physical capabilities required to be able to train for, operate, maintain and sustain systems. Training – The instruction or education, and on-the-job or unit training required to provide personnel their essential job skills, knowledge, values and attributes. Human Factors Engineering – The integration of human characteristics into system definition, design, development, and evaluation to optimize human-machine performance under operational conditions. Health Hazard Assessment – Short or long term hazards to health occurring as a result of normal operation of the system. System Safety – Safety risks occurring when the system is functioning in an abnormal manner. Strengths: Indentifying the Problem, Evaluation and solving issues Weakness: Psychological Human Factors are not treated. Motorola’s Human Factors Engineering One of the best Practice in Managing Human Resource is HFE, Firstly implemented by Motorola, USA in 1984 is considered as the best for employees. In Research with HFE, Motorola is commonly thought of as how companies design tasks and work areas to maximize the efficiency and quality of their employees work. However, Motorola HFE comes into everything which involves people. Work systems, sports and leisure, health and safety should all embody Human Factors principles if well designed. Strengths: Employee Determination at work, Safety & Health and Low Stress methods. Weakness: More importance to Leisure time and found some Low Production. Page 3 Encourage Employee Development Growth of a company is closely linked to employee development within the organization where each employee plays a vital role in the success of the company. Employee growth has direct and indirect benefits. More knowledgeable, skilled and capable employees directly impact your company’s ability to satisfy customers, resolve problems and crises, and adapt to changing market conditions. Paying for an employee’s continuing professional education, for example, can help your company gain expertise in new technologies and markets, which can save you money in the long run. This type of practice is found in Coco Cola, where are often send to Trainings on different process. Strengths: Motivational to Employee and Long Retention periods. Weakness: Cost effective and Time Taking Process. Work Life Balance The term â€Å"work life balance† was coined in 1986 in response to the rising trend Human Factors in Development of the Company. The employee Psychological benefits are taken into consideration with many instructions like Stay positive, stay in control, Stay healthy, Divide and de-clutter, Keep stress under control and other safety measures. This helps the companies to maintain good relations with the employees and make them as the best factor of production. In Research with General Electric which follows Work Life Balance as a practice to develop Human Factors. Strengths: High Production Facility, Long Retention and Safe Employee and Company Relations. Weakness: Only limited to Companies with Large Scale of Production Facilities. Page 4 Corporate Mentoring Programs Corporate Mentoring Programs are like teaching classes where employees are motivated to the work and work environment, making employee coordinated towards work. Therefore, companies have started to place greater emphasis on personal attributes while selecting and developing staff. This brings a number of benefits to the business, not the least of which is a cohesive team. On going development of employee potential is critical for business success. Corporate mentoring programs are effective in quickly ramping up employee performance because they facilitate the transfer of business knowledge in a way that is not quite possible in regular training. Strengths: Every Effective Approach in Developing Human Factors, Human Psychological Advantage and Growth Oriented. Weakness: Very Systematic Approach. Metrics to Evaluate the Practices Human Factors Integration (HFI) implemented by Defense sectors is only related to Large Scale industries although it has all the factors of Human Factors. Key Performance Indicator of Human Factor Integration(HFI) is the Objective oriented and Specific Tasking. Motorola’s Human Factors Engineering is also related to tasking and other relations, not dealing with the Psychological factors of the Employees. Encourage Employee Development is training method to make them work in stress and problems, No personal and physical importance is not given to the employees. During this Research we found that the best Practice that develops the Human Factors in the company is Corporate Mentoring Programs, where the employees are motivated on the work and provide various benefits including safety and stress free work Page 5 environment. Research with Minnesota University, I found that more than 80% of the companies in United States uses this Corporate Mentoring Programs. References †¢ Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization’s Guide, 2007 †¢ A Strategic Approach To Corporate Mentoring Programs, CEO World Magazine, 2006 †¢ Human Factors & Methods – Robert Stanley – Edition 2, 2006 †¢ Ergonomics Society, UK †¢ Human Resource Management Programs at Human Factors and Ergonomics Society †¢ Research Center for Work Safety and Human Engineering, Technion, Israel. †¢ Motorola HR Practices, www. motorola. com

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Consider the presentation of the two main characters Essay

Consider the presentation of the two main characters. What are Austin and Trevor telling us about the pressure on women in the past and present? Jane Austin wrote ‘The Three Sisters’ in the 19th century. Jane Austin lived in a mercenary world, and she reflects this in her novels. No secret is made of the need to marry for money. Jane Austin believed that for marriage to work, people must have the same interests. The Three Sisters is about a woman called Mary. She has been proposed to by Mr Watts. He is older than her but she decides to marry him for his wealth and money. She also wants to get married before any of her sisters and the Duttons. However she fears her life will be miserable if she chooses to accept Mr Watts’ proposal. William Trevor wrote ‘Teresa’s Wedding’ around the 1970’s. William Trevor was born into a protestant family and brought up in a Catholic society. When troubles started to break out in Northern Ireland, William Trevor moved to England but he frequently visited Ireland. Teresa’s Wedding is also about marriage. The story starts off at the party after the wedding. Teresa has also married for convenience because she is pregnant. Both stories deal with loveless marriages and in both stories the women have little control over their lives. They are both under pressure to marry men they do not love. In Teresa’s Wedding marriage is seen as a means of escape from a grim community, a place of loneliness and frustration. In The Three Sisters marriage is seen as the only possible fulfilment for a woman. Mary is the eldest of the sisters. She has had her first offer of marriage, but she doesn’t know how to value it. She wants to be the first to be married, she does not want to marry Mr Watts but she wants to get married before Georgiana and Sophy. She knows that if she turns down the offer, Mr Watts shall ask either one of the sisters, and following the traditional conventions of the time she is expected to marry before her younger sisters. Mary appears to be very confused one moment she says â€Å"I shall have him† and the next â€Å"I hate him more than anything else in the world† Austin writes about her own class, the upper middle class, and is very critical about their lifestyles and social behaviour, creating very amusing characters and describing them with crony. She makes a mockery of their snobbish behaviour. She describes Mary as a childish and self-centred girl, who likes to boast and often makes herself look ridiculous in front of others. Teresa is a woman who has just married to a man called Artie Cornish. Teresa had a round, pretty face and black, pretty hair, and was a month and a half pregnant. Teresa is a kind and friendly girl. She is calm, even though she is faced with the situation of admitting to Artie, her husband, on her wedding day that she had â€Å"been in the field† with his friend Screw Doyle. She shows maturity in her optimism about her future, believing that she and Artie â€Å"might make some kind of marriage together† Trevor uses third person narrative in his story, everything is described in detail, we almost feel part of the festivities. However, he does not write about the characters thoughts and feelings. Austin’s story is written in first person narrative, in letter form. This helps us to understand the characters fully. In the two stories the women receive pressure from the society they live in. Teresa also receives pressure from the local priest Father Hogan, who shows very little feelings for her when she confesses that she does not love Artie † under the circumstances that line of talk is irrelevant† Mary receives pressure also from her mother who is â€Å"determined not to let this opportunity escape of settling one my daughters so advantageously† I think it is a lot easier to get married in modern society because we have no restrictions in who we choose to marry. We also do not have our parents choose who we marry, so there is no excuse for marrying some one who you do not love.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Life In The U.S

It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary Influence both of my parents are to my life. As well as me, they were both born in Mexico. I come from a family that takes risks in order to achieve something in life. ThatS exactly what they did once my mother Maria gave birth tome in Mexico. It only took a short amount of time to realize they didn't want me or my sibling to go through everything they went through when they were younger. They changed their whole lives around just for their family. Knowing they had to go through a lot to get where they are right now.I admire the person they have become and they influence me because I want to be able to achieve my goals and become someone in life Just for them. My name is Deyanira Cerriteno. I was born in September 13, 1995. This is my last year attending at Benson Polytechnic High School. At the age of 4 months until four years old I lived with my Grandparents ; my Aunts and uncles when my mom came here to the united States. Let me tell you a little something about my mother Maria. She was born in Michoac?n, Mexico. She was a mommy's girl and not so much of a daddy's girl.She had eight brothers and sisters. She Is the 4th oldest out of all and she was one of the most caring ones. She would always take care of her younger siblings. She would talk about boys Just like any other teenager in the world. But just like any other family, her family had struggles. They had financial struggles. At one point they were a moderate family but everything went down the hill. They couldn't keep up with all of their children's school pays, house rent, water payment, food to feed the whole family, and money for necessary things like clothes, etc†¦ en she knew she was pregnant of me that's when she realized she didn't want me to go through the struggles that they were going through. They wanted me to have a good life and actually be someone in life so that their grandsons/daughters would not go through the struggles a s well. Her and my father were closer than they were before and they both took the decision to immigrate here to the Unites States. Unlike my father, my mother was scared to get caught by immigration and get sent back to Mexico. They had to go through the dessert where they found scorpions, and cactus.Not the safest environment. It's awesome to know they did it for me. My father Enrique on the other hand was born in M ©xico as well. My father had 5 brothers and sisters. Both of his parents got separated and went their own way. But his father was an alcoholic and only decided to take both of the oldest kids that were working at the time. After his father left his mother with the other 4 kids, everything got worse. My dad felt useless and felt Ilke his dad never felt love for him. Not long after my grandfather left, my grandmother got sick and that's when she as diagnosed with cancer.My dad didn't know what to do. They were all alone. No one had a Job. My grandmother wasn't able to take care of her kids because she was weak most of the time. My father being the oldest that was left was going out in the streets and begging for money, looking out for any jobs that were available. He was only 8 years old. He left school and supported his mother because she couldnt do 1 OF2 tne same tnlngs sne usea to. He naa turned Into tne Tatner Tlgure Tor nls Drotners and sisters. He found a Job and was able to feed 5 mouths and his own.People round didn't like my grandmother because they thought she was the reason why her husband left but in reality, it was all of my grandfather's fault. he was the one that was never there to help my grandfather with all I've the kids, he wasn't being responsible . I know I don't have the right to Judge anyone. My parents taught me better. Behind everything there is always a reason. My parents did something illegal. But they took the risk to cross the border and also risks their lives Just so that me and my future siblings could have a better life then they did.I understand what they went hrough. I honestly appreciate their hard work. That's why, in my future as a nurse I am going to help out the ill and also make my parents proud of me because that's why they came here in the first place. I am not ashamed to tell people I once came from a place where we had no house or were poor and hardly had money to feed ourselves. That's where everyone begin. They begin from the bottom and take their selves up high. Both of my my parents were the strong ones and came from a family were they take risks and l, once again , am the person I am. Thanks to them.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Journal 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Journal 6 - Essay Example Furthermore, speaking with their native accent would depict that they are not yet integrated within the American society. It would therefore be difficult for them to make new friends because of negative stereotyping. Based on this fact, young people normally try not to speak with their native accents, when speaking a foreign language, or when they are in a foreign country. Furthermore, it is impossible to lack an accent. This is because as a human being, I have to interact with my peers. This interaction normally influences my language, and the accent which emanates from my speech. I tend to pick the accents of my friends when speaking to them. This is for purposes of identifying with them. On this basis, an individual would always speak with an accent. People would tend to pick the most dominant accent within the society. For example, when in America, an individual would pick the American accent. If the same person is in Britain, with time, the person would pick the British accent. This situation happens to me. While speaking, I am heavily influenced by my environment. My accent always tends to change, based on the person I am speaking to. If speaking to my peers, I would change my language and accent, and speak in a manner that is acceptable to them. On the other hand, if it is an elderly person, or my parents, I would change my language and accent. I would have to speak with them in a more respectable manner. On this basis, my accent and language would always change, based on the relationship that I have with the person I am speaking

Monday, August 12, 2019

Most important materials science in a Power Plant Research Paper

Most important materials science in a Power Plant - Research Paper Example The conclusion looks at the overall outlook of a hydroelectric power plant touching on its main aspects. Hydroelectric power involves extraction of energy from water that is utilized to turn turbines. These turbines run generators that then produce the electricity in question here. The fact behind this is that rain or water falling on the surface of the earth contains potential energy, which is relative to the direction where its drainage is; it can be a lake, sea, or ocean (Krishnaswamy and Bala 107). The water has to fall against a certain vertical distance to gain maximum amount of energy that will turn the turbines to enhance efficient production of electricity. The amount of power produced in hydroelectric power plants is a little less than that produced in nuclear and thermal power plants. During peak hours, the power produced in the hydroelectric power plants is used by the other power plants, thermal and nuclear, to deliver power to the required sites efficiently. The paper describes materials used in hydroelectric power plants. A hydroelectric power station has to consist of a dam that collects water to a certain height for it to attain the maximum required energy to run turbines. The dam is constructed by incorporating a thick wall across the pathway of a river; all season river. The wall varies in thickness; whereby the base is thicker than the top. The reason as to this is to contain the water since pressure at the bottom is greatest risking breakage of the wall if it is not strong enough. A dam straddles a river, hence blocking the water flow. It collects in the upper part of the dam to form an artificial lake or dam; known as a reservoir (Ahmed, Petersen, and Arvanitides 76). Damming a river changes the kinetic energy in water to potential energy: This could be explained well by using an example of a battery. A battery has stored energy that is not in

Sunday, August 11, 2019

The Concept of Knowledge Management Research Paper

The Concept of Knowledge Management - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that knowledge management refers to the process that organizations often use to capture, develop, share, and utilize the employees’ knowledge capital at all levels of the organization effectively. Organizational learning through knowledge management is a significant source of an organizational competitive advantage since multinational corporates must compete within complex and constantly shift business environments. Organizations can leverage knowledge management in their strategic operations, to make more informed decisions concerning how to organize their value chain operations to maximize customer satisfaction. Knowledge management enables organizations to improve their processes in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, as well as innovativeness, in the creation of value in form of quality products and services for customers. Avoiding wastage, sharing relevant best practices, and conducting corporate learning programs are ways throu gh which the firm can apply knowledge management systems in the sales, marketing, manufacturing, and production processes. Key challenges in the establishment of knowledge management systems within the organizations’ operational structure include the problem of acquiring, modeling, and retrieving, reusing, and publishing, as well as maintaining knowledge. Organizations today are continuously faced with a rapidly shifting global business environment, partly due to globalization and the fast-changing technological advancements, which prompts the need for leadership to respond fast to the increasing complexity and uncertainty. Enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of organizational operations is positively correlated to the overall performance of the firm, and ultimately to the establishment of sustainable profitability and sustainability in the end. Organizations are increasingly adopting a knowledge-learning stance as their strategic approach to alleviating the numerous c hallenges in their operation chains, to achieve their objectives effectively and efficiently.

Business plan to develop a small business - Engineering or Dissertation

Business plan to develop a small business - Engineering or Manufacturing Based - Dissertation Example Alroy has established a revenue increase expectation of 30 percent by 2015, along with test market entry into a single foreign market. This will test Alroy’s capacity and know-how for foreign market expansion through which the company will learn more effective B2B relationship development, how to structure and control costs of distribution, and also develop alliance strategies in foreign markets with disparate and unique customer profiles and needs. This business plan highlights all of the strategic steps in areas of marketing, market analyses, financial analyses, managerial philosophy, and operations that will be critical to establishing a positive competitive position domestically and internationally. Based on forecasted revenue streams and market availability, it is estimated that the company will achieve a positive cash flow of over ?300,000 on the heels of 2014 revenues of ?1.5 million. By 2017, it is estimated that Alroy will achieve revenues of ?2.25 million and net ear nings of ?1.8 million as a result of improved cost controls and overhead cost reductions over a 4 year operating period, hence making this a new model with significant return on investment. Interim Report One 1.0 Introduction Alroy Sheet Metals Ltd was established in 1956 and the company is one of the longest standing sheet metal organisations in the United Kingdom. Currently, the business performs metal fabrication services for the aerospace, medical and MOD industries. Whether the project requires aluminium or steel fabrication, Alroy Sheet Metals provides high quality products that are manufactured using modern 3D CAD Modeling software. The company performs punching, bending and forming utilising a wide variety of equipment and technologies. The company is focused on quality and precision within a total quality management system to ensure customers receive superior products that will fulfil the needs of diverse consumers in disparate markets. The company adheres to ISO 9001 quali ty standards with internal rigorous inspection processes to ensure top quality output (Kable Intelligence 2013). What makes Alroy so unique is that the company has a flexible production system that allows the business to create products of any size and dimension. This represents an operational model that can be adjusted to accommodate any variety of commercial or retail orders in any industry. The business is able to control costs with the implementation of an ERP system which supports lean manufacturing (Alroy 2011), thus saving costs along the supply chain and in operations. Additional modern technologies, such as individual raw material product bar coding, makes the production system efficient and able to meet customer deadlines effectively. Alroy currently sustains very close business relationships with such buyers as Johnson Controls, Allied Bakeries and SDC, providing such services as CNC punching, welding, Waterjet cutting and CNC laser profiling (Alroy 2011). Painting, plati ng and silkscreening also represent the variety of services offered by the organisation, illustrating a very diversified business model supported by modern technologies, two CNC machining centres and CNC lathe, providing the business with

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Network Protocol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Network Protocol - Essay Example It is an admitted fact that computer technology has affected many parts of our life by playing a vital role. In addition, business organizations are adopting modern and innovative tools and technologies in order to survive in this ever-increasing competitive world. In fact, with the developments in information technologies, organizations are adopting the trend of building their IT infrastructure using already developed services rather than re-inventing the wheel. In view of the fact that it helps organizations reduce development costs and provide the system with greater adaptability as new services can be composed and existing services can be discarded in case of any change in business requirements or market conditions. In this regard, organizations are increasingly adopting Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to build their IT infrastructure by dynamically composing loosely coupled services to perform their business operations. This research is aimed at exploring SOA and web service technology, focusing on its significance as compared to traditional distributed computing paradigms. In this paper, the significance of different protocols that form the basis of SOA and web services is also revealed and different frameworks and tools are discussed that provide the capabilities of development and integration. Keywords: Service-Oriented Architecture, XML, Web Service Description Language, Web services Introduction Service-oriented architectures (SOA) is a rising approach, promising, efficient and effective system that is loosely coupled, based on open standards, and is not bound to a special type of protocols. In this scenario, the operation of the organization, adopting SOA is run by invoking loosely coupled services often in an asynchronous or event driven style according to the requirements of the underlying business process (Papazoglou & Heuvel, 2007). Basically, the Web services have been very popular since 1999 and the most significant factor that forms the basis of success and popularity of web services is the truth that its backbone is XML (Suda, 2003). In addition, the Web Services work by defining web interfaces all the way through the usage of XML schema and a machine-readable specification called Web Services Description Language (WSDL) to describe the configuration of the input and output messages that are exchanged to invoke and consume the service (Wilkinson et al. , 2009). This paper will provide a brief description of SOA, web services and the advantages of web service technology over other traditional technologies. Basically, this research is aimed at exploring SOA and web service technology, focusing on its significance as compared to traditional distributed computing paradigms. In this paper, the importance of a wide variety of protocols that form the basis of SOA and web services is also revealed and different frameworks and tools are discussed that provide the capabilities of development and integration. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is an influential distributed computing architecture that facilitates a higher degree of abstraction in the development, deployment and operation of platform independent IT infrastructure. Additionally, the SOA involves the communication between service providers and service consumers for the consumption of hosted services. SOA provides with a scheme of architecting , implementing, installing, and administering the IT infrastructures, in which, business functionality is provided by reusable services with the help of interfaces which are defined separately from the service