The Da Vinci Code Chapter 98-99

CHAPTER 98 Langdon and Sophie moved slowly down the north aisle, keeping to the shadows behind the ample pillars that separated it from the open nave. Despite having traveled more than halfway down the nave, they still had no clear view of Newton's tomb. The sarcophagus was recessed in a niche, obscured from this oblique angle. â€Å"At least there's nobody over there,† Sophie whispered. Langdon nodded, relieved. The entire section of the nave near Newton's tomb was deserted. â€Å"I'll go over,† he whispered. â€Å"You should stay hidden just in case someone – â€Å" Sophie had already stepped from the shadows and was headed across the open floor. † – is watching,† Langdon sighed, hurrying to join her. Crossing the massive nave on a diagonal, Langdon and Sophie remained silent as the elaborate sepulchre revealed itself in tantalizing increments†¦ a black-marble sarcophagus†¦ a reclining statue of Newton†¦ two winged boys†¦ a huge pyramid†¦ and†¦ an enormous orb. â€Å"Did you know about that?† Sophie said, sounding startled. Langdon shook his head, also surprised.† Those look like constellations carved on it,† Sophie said. As they approached the niche, Langdon felt a slow sinking sensation. Newton's tomb was coveredwith orbs – stars, comets, planets. You seek the orb that ought be on his tomb? It could turn out to be like trying to find a missing blade of grass on a golf course. â€Å"Astronomical bodies,† Sophie said, looking concerned. â€Å"And a lot of them.† Langdon frowned. The only link between the planets and the Grail that Langdon could imagine was the pentacle of Venus, and he had already tried the password† Venus† en route to the Temple Church. Sophie moved directly to the sarcophagus, but Langdon hung back a few feet, keeping an eye on the abbey around them. â€Å"Divinity,†Sophie said, tilting her head and reading the titles of the books on which Newton was leaning. â€Å"Chronology.Opticks.Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica?† She turned tohim. â€Å"Ring any bells?† Langdon stepped closer, considering it. â€Å"Principia Mathematica, as I remember, has something to do with the gravitation pull of planets†¦ which admittedly are orbs, but it seems a little far-fetched.† â€Å"How about the signs of the zodiac?† Sophie asked, pointing to the constellations on the orb. â€Å"You were talking about Pisces and Aquarius earlier, weren't you?† The End of Days, Langdon thought. â€Å"The end of Pisces and the beginning of Aquarius was allegedly the historical marker at which the Priory planned to release the Sangreal documents to the world.† But the millennium came and went without incident, leaving historians uncertain when thetruth was coming. â€Å"It seems possible,† Sophie said,† that the Priory's plans to reveal the truth might be related to the last line of the poem.† It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb.Langdon felt a shiver of potential. He had not considered the line that way before. â€Å"You told me earlier,† she said,† that the timing of the Priory's plans to unveil the truth about ‘the Rose' and her fertile womb was linked directly to the position of planets – orbs.† Langdon nodded, feeling the first faint wisps of possibility materializing. Even so, his intuition told him astronomy was not the key. The Grand Master's previous solutions had all possessed an eloquent, symbolic significance – the Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rocks, SOFIA. This eloquence was definitely lacking in the concept of planetary orbs and the zodiac. Thus far, Jacques Sauniere had proven himself a meticulous code writer, and Langdon had to believe that his final password – those five letters that unlocked the Priory's ultimate secret – would prove to be not only symbolically fitting but also crystal clear. If this solution were anything like the others, it would be painfully obvious once it dawned. â€Å"Look!† Sophie gasped, jarring his thoughts as she grabbed his arm. From the fear in her touch Langdon sensed someone must be approaching, but when he turned to her, she was staring aghast at the top of the black marble sarcophagus. â€Å"Someone was here,† she whispered, pointing to a spot on the sarcophagus near Newton's outstretched right foot. Langdon did not understand her concern. A careless tourist had left a charcoal, grave-rubbing pencil on the sarcophagus lid near Newton's foot. It's nothing.Langdon reached out to pick it up, but as he leaned toward the sarcophagus, the light shifted on the polished black-marble slab, andLangdon froze. Suddenly, he saw why Sophie was afraid. Scrawled on the sarcophagus lid, at Newton's feet, shimmered a barely visible charcoal-pencil message: I have Teabing. Go through Chapter House, out south exit, to public garden. Langdon read the words twice, his heart pounding wildly. Sophie turned and scanned the nave. Despite the pall of trepidation that settled over him upon seeing the words, Langdon told himself this was good news. Leigh is still alive.There was another implication here too. â€Å"They don't know the password either,† he whispered. Sophie nodded. Otherwise why make their presence known?† They may want to trade Leigh for the password.† â€Å"Or it's a trap.† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"I don't think so. The garden is outside the abbey walls. A very public place.† Langdon had once visited the abbey's famous College Garden – a small fruit orchard and herb garden – left over from the days when monks grew natural pharmacological remedies here. Boasting the oldest living fruit trees in Great Britain, College Garden was a popular spot for tourists to visit without having to enter the abbey. â€Å"I think sending us outside is a show of faith. So we feel safe.† Sophie looked dubious. â€Å"You mean outside, where there are no metal detectors?† Langdon scowled. She had a point. Gazing back at the orb-filled tomb, Langdon wished he had some idea about the cryptex password†¦ something with which to negotiate. I got Leigh involved in this, and I'll do whatever it takes if there is a chance to help him. â€Å"The note says to go through the Chapter House to the south exit,† Sophie said. â€Å"Maybe from the exit we would have a view of the garden? That way we could assess the situation before we walked out there and exposed ourselves to any danger?† The idea was a good one. Langdon vaguely recalled the Chapter House as a huge octagonal hall where the original British Parliament convened in the days before the modern Parliament building existed. It had been years since he had been there, but he remembered it being out through the cloister somewhere. Taking several steps back from the tomb, Langdon peered around the choir screen to his right, across the nave to the side opposite that which they had descended. A gaping vaulted passageway stood nearby, with a large sign. THIS WAY TO: CLOISTERS DEANERY COLLEGE HALL MUSEUM PYX CHAMBER ST. FAITH'S CHAPEL CHAPTER HOUSE Langdon and Sophie were jogging as they passed beneath the sign, moving too quickly to notice the small announcement apologizing that certain areas were closed for renovations. They emerged immediately into a high-walled, open-roof courtyard through which morning rain was falling. Above them, the wind howled across the opening with a low drone, like someone blowing over the mouth of a bottle. Entering the narrow, low-hanging walkways that bordered the courtyard perimeter, Langdon felt the familiar uneasiness he always felt in enclosed spaces. These walkways were called cloisters, and Langdon noted with uneasiness that these particular cloisters lived up to their Latin ties to the word claustrophobic. Focusing his mind straight ahead toward the end of the tunnel, Langdon followed the signs for the Chapter House. The rain was spitting now, and the walkway was cold and damp with gusts of rain that blew through the lone pillared wall that was the cloister's only source of light. Another couple scurried past them the other way, hurrying to get out of the worsening weather. The cloisters looked deserted now, admittedly the abbey's least enticing section in the wind and rain. Forty yards down the east cloister, an archway materialized on their left, giving way to another hallway. Although this was the entrance they were looking for, the opening was cordoned off by a swag and an official-looking sign. CLOSED FOR RENOVATION PYX CHAMBER ST. FAITH'S CHAPEL CHAPTER HOUSE The long, deserted corridor beyond the swag was littered with scaffolding and drop cloths. Immediately beyond the swag, Langdon could see the entrances to the Pyx Chamber and St. Faith's Chapel on the right and left. The entrance to the Chapter House, however, was much farther away, at the far end of the long hallway. Even from here, Langdon could see that its heavy wooden door was wide open, and the spacious octagonal interior was bathed in a grayish natural light from the room's enormous windows that looked out on College Garden. Go through Chapter House, outsouth exit, to public garden. â€Å"We just left the east cloister,† Langdon said,† so the south exit to the garden must be through there and to the right.† Sophie was already stepping over the swag and moving forward. As they hurried down the dark corridor, the sounds of the wind and rain from the open cloister faded behind them. The Chapter House was a kind of satellite structure – a freestanding annex at the end of the long hallway to ensure the privacy of the Parliament proceedings housed there. â€Å"It looks huge,† Sophie whispered as they approached. Langdon had forgotten just how large this room was. Even from outside the entrance, he could gaze across the vast expanse of floor to the breathtaking windows on the far side of the octagon, which rose five stories to a vaulted ceiling. They would certainly have a clear view of the garden from in here. Crossing the threshold, both Langdon and Sophie found themselves having to squint. After the gloomy cloisters, the Chapter House felt like a solarium. They were a good ten feet into the room, searching the south wall, when they realized the door they had been promised was not there. They were standing in an enormous dead end. The creaking of a heavy door behind them made them turn, just as the door closed with a resounding thud and the latch fell into place. The lone man who had been standing behind the door looked calm as he aimed a small revolver at them. He was portly and was propped on a pair of aluminum crutches. For a moment Langdon thought he must be dreaming. It was Leigh Teabing. CHAPTER 99 Sir Leigh Teabing felt rueful as he gazed out over the barrel of his Medusa revolver at Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu. â€Å"My friends,† he said,† since the moment you walked into my home last night, I have done everything in my power to keep you out of harm's way. But your persistence has now put me in a difficult position.† He could see the expressions of shock and betrayal on Sophie's and Langdon's faces, and yet he was confident that soon they would both understand the chain of events that had guided the three of them to this unlikely crossroads. There is so much I have to tell you both†¦ so much you do not yet understand. â€Å"Please believe,† Teabing said, â€Å"I never had any intention of your being involved. You came to my home. You came searching for me.† â€Å"Leigh?† Langdon finally managed. â€Å"What the hell are you doing? We thought you were in trouble. We came here to help you!† â€Å"As I trusted you would,† he said. â€Å"We have much to discuss.† Langdon and Sophie seemed unable to tear their stunned gazes from the revolver aimed at them. â€Å"It is simply to ensure your full attention,† Teabing said. â€Å"If I had wanted to harm you, you would be dead by now. When you walked into my home last night, I risked everything to spare your lives. I am a man of honor, and I vowed in my deepest conscience only to sacrifice those who had betrayed the Sangreal.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† Langdon said. â€Å"Betrayed the Sangreal?† â€Å"I discovered a terrible truth,† Teabing said, sighing. â€Å"I learned why the Sangreal documents were never revealed to the world. I learned that the Priory had decided not to release the truth after all. That's why the millennium passed without any revelation, why nothing happened as we entered the End of Days.† Langdon drew a breath, about to protest. â€Å"The Priory,† Teabing continued, â€Å"was given a sacred charge to share the truth. To release the Sangreal documents when the End of Days arrived. For centuries, men like Da Vinci, Botticelli, and Newton risked everything to protect the documents and carry out that charge. And now, at the ultimate moment of truth, Jacques Sauniere changed his mind. The man honored with the greatest responsibility in Christian history eschewed his duty. He decided the time was not right.† Teabing turned to Sophie. â€Å"He failed the Grail. He failed the Priory. And he failed the memory of all the generations that had worked to make that moment possible.† â€Å"You?† Sophie declared, glancing up now, her green eyes boring into him with rage and realization. â€Å"You are the one responsible for my grandfather's murder?† Teabing scoffed. â€Å"Your grandfather and his senechaux were traitors to the Grail.† Sophie felt a fury rising from deep within. He's lying!Teabing's voice was relentless. â€Å"Your grandfather sold out to the Church. It is obvious they pressured him to keep the truth quiet.† Sophie shook her head. â€Å"The Church had no influence on my grandfather!† Teabing laughed coldly. â€Å"My dear, the Church has two thousand years of experience pressuring those who threaten to unveil its lies. Since the days of Constantine, the Church has successfully hidden the truth about Mary Magdalene and Jesus. We should not be surprised that now, once again, they have found a way to keep the world in the dark. The Church may no longer employ crusaders to slaughter non-believers, but their influence is no less persuasive. No less insidious.† He paused, as if to punctuate his next point. â€Å"Miss Neveu, for some time now your grandfather has wanted to tell you the truth about your family.† Sophie was stunned. â€Å"How could you know that?† â€Å"My methods are immaterial. The important thing for you to grasp right now is this.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"The deaths of your mother, father, grandmother, and brother were not accidental.† The words sent Sophie's emotions reeling. She opened her mouth to speak but was unable. Langdon shook his head. â€Å"What are you saying?† â€Å"Robert, it explains everything. All the pieces fit. History repeats itself. The Church has a precedent of murder when it comes to silencing the Sangreal. With the End of Days imminent, killing the Grand Master's loved ones sent a very clear message. Be quiet, or you and Sophie are next.† â€Å"It was a car accident,† Sophie stammered, feeling the childhood pain welling inside her. â€Å"An accident!† â€Å"Bedtime stories to protect your innocence,† Teabing said. â€Å"Consider that only two family members went untouched – the Priory's Grand Master and his lone granddaughter – the perfect pair to provide the Church with control over the brotherhood. I can only imagine the terror the Church wielded over your grandfather these past years, threatening to kill you if he dared release the Sangreal secret, threatening to finish the job they started unless Sauniere influenced the Priory to reconsider its ancient vow.† â€Å"Leigh,† Langdon argued, now visibly riled, â€Å"certainly you have no proof that the Church had anything to do with those deaths, or that it influenced the Priory's decision to remain silent.† â€Å"Proof?† Teabing fired back. â€Å"You want proof the Priory was influenced? The new millennium has arrived, and yet the world remains ignorant! Is that not proof enough?† In the echoes of Teabing's words, Sophie heard another voice speaking. Sophie, I must tell you the truth about your family.She realized she was trembling. Could this possibly be that truth her grandfather had wanted to tell her? That her family had been murdered? What did she truly know about the crash that took her family? Only sketchy details. Even the stories in the newspaper had been vague. An accident? Bedtime stories? Sophie flashed suddenly on her grandfather's over protectiveness, how he never liked to leave her alone when she was young. Even when Sophie was grown and away at university, she had the sense her grandfather was watching over. She wondered if there had been Priory members in the shadows throughout her entire life, looking after her. â€Å"You suspected he was being manipulated,† Langdon said, glaring with disbelief at Teabing. â€Å"So you murdered him?† â€Å"I did not pull the trigger,† Teabing said. â€Å"Sauniere was dead years ago, when the Church stole his family from him. He was compromised. Now he is free of that pain, released from the shame caused by his inability to carry out his sacred duty. Consider the alternative. Something had to be done. Shall the world be ignorant forever? Shall the Church be allowed to cement its lies into our history books for all eternity? Shall the Church be permitted to influence indefinitely with murder and extortion? No, something needed to be done! And now we are poised to carry out Sauniere's legacy and right a terrible wrong.† He paused. â€Å"The three of us. Together.† Sophie felt only incredulity. â€Å"How could you possibly believe that we would help you?† â€Å"Because, my dear, you are the reason the Priory failed to release the documents. Your grandfather's love for you prevented him from challenging the Church. His fear of reprisal against his only remaining family crippled him. He never had a chance to explain the truth because you rejected him, tying his hands, making him wait. Now you owe the world the truth. You owe it to the memory of your grandfather.† Robert Langdon had given up trying to get his bearings. Despite the torrent of questions running through his mind, he knew only one thing mattered now – getting Sophie out of here alive. All the guilt Langdon had mistakenly felt earlier for involving Teabing had now been transferred to Sophie. I took her to Chateau Villette. I am responsible. Langdon could not fathom that Leigh Teabing would be capable of killing them in cold blood herein the Chapter House, and yet Teabing certainly had been involved in killing others during his misguided quest. Langdon had the uneasy feeling that gunshots in this secluded, thick-walled chamber would go unheard, especially in this rain. And Leigh just admitted his guilt to us. Langdon glanced at Sophie, who looked shaken. The Church murdered Sophie's family to silence the Priory? Langdon felt certain the modern Church did not murder people. There had to be some other explanation.† Let Sophie leave,† Langdon declared, staring at Leigh. â€Å"You and I should discuss this alone.† Teabing gave an unnatural laugh. â€Å"I'm afraid that is one show of faith I cannot afford. I can, however, offer you this.† He propped himself fully on his crutches, gracelessly keeping the gunaimed at Sophie, and removed the keystone from his pocket. He swayed a bit as he held it out for Langdon. â€Å"A token of trust, Robert.† Robert felt wary and didn't move. Leigh is giving the keystone back to us? â€Å"Take it,† Teabing said, thrusting it awkwardly toward Langdon. Langdon could imagine only one reason Teabing would give it back. â€Å"You opened it already. You removed the map.† Teabing was shaking his head. â€Å"Robert, if I had solved the keystone, I would have disappeared to find the Grail myself and kept you uninvolved. No, I do not know the answer. And I can admit that freely. A true knight learns humility in the face of the Grail. He learns to obey the signs placed before him. When I saw you enter the abbey, I understood. You were here for a reason. To help. I am not looking for singular glory here. I serve a far greater master than my own pride. The Truth. Mankind deserves to know that truth. The Grail found us all, and now she is begging to be revealed. We must work together.† Despite Teabing's pleas for cooperation and trust, his gun remained trained on Sophie as Langdon stepped forward and accepted the cold marble cylinder. The vinegar inside gurgled as Langdon grasped it and stepped backward. The dials were still in random order, and the cryptex remained locked. Langdon eyed Teabing. â€Å"How do you know I won't smash it right now?† Teabing's laugh was an eerie chortle. â€Å"I should have realized your threat to break it in the Temple Church was an empty one. Robert Langdon would never break the keystone. You are an historian, Robert. You are holding the key to two thousand years of history – the lost key to the Sangreal. You can feel the souls of all the knights burned at the stake to protect her secret. Would you have them die in vain? No, you will vindicate them. You will join the ranks of the great men you admire – Da Vinci, Botticelli, Newton – each of whom would have been honored to be in your shoes right now. The contents of the keystone are crying out to us. Longing to be set free. The time has come. Destiny has led us to this moment.† â€Å"I cannot help you, Leigh. I have no idea how to open this. I only saw Newton's tomb for a moment. And even if I knew the password†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Langdon paused, realizing he had said too much. â€Å"You would not tell me?† Teabing sighed. â€Å"I am disappointed and surprised, Robert, that you do not appreciate the extent to which you are in my debt. My task would have been far simpler had Remy and I eliminated you both when you walked into Chateau Villette. Instead I risked everything to take the nobler course.† â€Å"This is noble?† Langdon demanded, eyeing the gun. â€Å"Sauniere's fault,† Teabing said. â€Å"He and his senechaux lied to Silas. Otherwise, I would have obtained the keystone without complication. How was I to imagine the Grand Master would go to such ends to deceive me and bequeath the keystone to an estranged granddaughter?† Teabing looked at Sophie with disdain. â€Å"Someone so unqualified to hold this knowledge that she required a symbologist baby-sitter.† Teabing glanced back at Langdon. â€Å"Fortunately, Robert, your involvement turned out to be my saving grace. Rather than the keystone remaining locked in the depository bank forever, you extracted it and walked into my home.† Where else would I run? Langdon thought. The community of Grail historians is small, and Teabing and I have a history together. Teabing now looked smug. â€Å"When I learned Sauniere left you a dying message, I had a pretty good idea you were holding valuable Priory information. Whether it was the keystone itself, or information on where to find it, I was not sure. But with the police on your heels, I had a sneaking suspicion you might arrive on my doorstep.† Langdon glared. â€Å"And if we had not?† â€Å"I was formulating a plan to extend you a helping hand. One way or another, the keystone was coming to Chateau Villette. The fact that you delivered it into my waiting hands only serves as proof that my cause is just.† â€Å"What!† Langdon was appalled. â€Å"Silas was supposed to break in and steal the keystone from you in Chateau Villette – thus removing you from the equation without hurting you, and exonerating me from any suspicion of complicity. However, when I saw the intricacy of Sauniere's codes, I decided to include you both in my quest a bit longer. I could have Silas steal the keystone later, once I knew enough to carry on alone.† â€Å"The Temple Church,† Sophie said, her tone awash with betrayal. Light begins to dawn, Teabing thought. The Temple Church was the perfect location to steal the keystone from Robert and Sophie, and its apparent relevance to the poem made it a plausible decoy. Remy's orders had been clear – stay out of sight while Silas recovers the keystone. Unfortunately, Langdon's threat to smash the keystone on the chapel floor had caused Remy to panic. If only Remy had not revealed himself, Teabing thought ruefully, recalling his own mock kidnapping. Remy was the sole link to me, and he showed his face! Fortunately, Silas remained unaware of Teabing's true identity and was easily fooled into taking him from the church and then watching naively as Remy pretended to tie their hostage in the back of the limousine. With the soundproof divider raised, Teabing was able to phone Silas in the front seat, use the fake French accent of the Teacher, and direct Silas to go straight to Opus Dei. A simple anonymous tip to the police was all it would take to remove Silas from the picture. One loose end tied up. The other loose end was harder. Remy. Teabing struggled deeply with the decision, but in the end Remy had proven himself a liability. Every Grail quest requires sacrifice.The cleanest solution had been staring Teabing in the face from the limousine's wet bar – a flask, some cognac, and a can of peanuts. The powder at the bottom of the can would be more than enough to trigger Remy's deadly allergy. When Remy parked the limo on Horse Guards Parade, Teabing climbed out of the back, walked to the side passenger door, and sat in the front next to Remy. Minutes later, Teabing got out of the car, climbed into the rear again, cleaned up the evidence, and finally emerged to carry out the final phase of his mission. Westminster Abbey had been a short walk, and although Teabing's leg braces, crutches, and gun had set off the metal detector, the rent-a-cops never knew what to do. Do we ask him to remove his braces and crawl through? Do we frisk his deformed body? Teabing presented the flustered guards a far easier solution – an embossed card identifying him as Knight of the Realm. The poor fellows practically tripped over one another ushering him in. Now, eyeing the bewildered Langdon and Neveu, Teabing resisted the urge to reveal how he had brilliantly implicated Opus Dei in the plot that would soon bring about the demise of the entire Church. That would have to wait. Right now there was work to do. â€Å"Mes amis,†Teabing declared in flawless French,† vous ne trouvez pas le Saint-Graal, c'est leSaint-Graal qui vous trouve.† He smiled. â€Å"Our paths together could not be more clear. The Grail has found us.† Silence. He spoke to them in a whisper now. â€Å"Listen. Can you hear it? The Grail is speaking to us across the centuries. She is begging to be saved from the Priory's folly. I implore you both to recognize this opportunity. There could not possibly be three more capable people assembled at this moment to break the final code and open the cryptex.† Teabing paused, his eyes alight. â€Å"We need to swear an oath together. A pledge of faith to one another. A knight's allegiance to uncover the truth and make it known.† Sophie stared deep into Teabing's eyes and spoke in a steely tone. â€Å"I will never swear an oath with my grandfather's murderer. Except an oath that I will see you go to prison.† Teabing's heart turned grave, then resolute. â€Å"I am sorry you feel that way, mademoiselle.† He turned and aimed the gun at Langdon. â€Å"And you, Robert? Are you with me, or against me?†

Conference For Marketing Professionals

Introduction: Every year the University of   Hertfordshire (UoH) hosts a conference for marketing professionals. The event is held at the de Havilliand campus and attracts approximately 100 attendees annually.   This gathering has not traditionally been monitored to determine attendee satisfaction or to determine the rate of return attendance.   To correct this oversight, a program will be developed to determine the rate of satisfaction for forum attendees and for those presenting at the forum. (72 words) Objectives: The primary objective of this study will be to determine the effectiveness of the program as it currently exists. A secondary objective will be to identify areas that require modification and the third objective will be to determine if presenters are satisfied with the quality of attendees and the opportunities to present to them. A further goal of this project will be to evaluate the opportunities for growth of the forum. The study will use quantitative research to gather opinions from attendees. This form of market research is very commonly accepted as a means to determine client satisfaction. (98 words this section/170 total) Research Design This project will be via a questionnaire given to all conference attendees. A separate questionnaire will be developed for the presenters. The primary questionnaire will be comprised of 10 questions to which the respondent will be asked to give a numerical response between one and five. This numerical representation of satisfaction will then be averaged, with extremes taken into consideration, to determine an arithmetic mean. In addition, we will have five questions requesting short answers. These purely subjective answers will be recorded as anecdotal responses and anecdotal evidence regarding satisfaction with the conference. The secondary questionnaire will also consist of fifteen questions divided in the same manner. The subjective questions will be the same for both the questionnaires. The questions for the primary questionnaire will be as follows: Please respond with a number between 1 and 5. 1 is the lowest/worst response and 5 is the highest/best. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Did you enjoy the conference? 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were the seminars useful to you? 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Did this conference assist you in furthering your career? 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was the keynote speaker helpful? 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was the meal served adequate? 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was this seminar worth the cost of attendance? 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was this a useful way to spend your day? 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were the presenters helpful? 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Did you learn anything new at this conference? 10.   Given the chance, would you attend this conference again? The subjective questions for both questionnaires would be: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What improvements would you like to see made to the conference? 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was the best part of the conference? 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was the worst part of the conference? 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were you satisfied with the opportunities provided at the conference? 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What should the conference committee know about your visit? The secondary questionnaires would include the following questions: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Did you enjoy the conference? 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were the conference attendees of the quality you expected? 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were the seminars useful to you? 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Did you enjoy the keynote speaker? 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was the meal served adequate? 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Would you attend the conference again? 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Did the quality of materials provided today meet your expectations? 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Did you learn anything new at this conference? 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was this a useful way to spend your day? 10.   Did you hire staff/find prospects today? (Words 327/ total words 497). Data collection – Methodology This questionnaire will be given to every attendee at the conference prior to the last session of the day. We will offer a door prize to be mailed to the winner at a later date in an effort to encourage more people to respond to the questionnaire. To receive the prize, a respondent would have to list their name and address at the top of the questionnaire. This will also assist us in developing a mailing list for the conference next year. We will have staff move through the crowd as they are leaving, reminding people to turn in their questionnaires via a drop box by the door or by handing them to conference staff. It is anticipated that by offering a random door prize in association with compliance in completing the questionnaire, we should be able to increase the return rate for the questionnaire. (Words 145, total words 642) Sampling plan As previously discussed, the intention will be reach 100 percent penetration with these questionnaires. We will have two different colors for the surveys so that we may quickly differentiate between presenters and attendees responses. We will also consider the possibility of conducting a follow up survey via random sampling based on the attendance list. This survey would be conducted via telephone. The secondary survey would only be conducted if the primary survey has an inadequate response. If the secondary survey is necessary, the sampling member would be random, taking every third name on the attendance roster and rotating through the list until a sample of not less than 10 percent nor more than 20 percent is achieved. (Words 117, total words 759) Data Analysis Once the information is gathered, the first effort will be made to determine if there are consistent groupings of results or an outriders, which are indicative of an extremely dissatisfied (or satisfied) individual.   Once this analysis is complete, each individual question will be evaluated to find the mean and determine where that overall satisfaction levels falls on the continuum scale established in our questions. For our purposes here, we will be looking at each of the questions individually and then will also be taking a combined average using all of the questions to determine the overall satisfaction with the event. In addition, we will be compiling a list of the anecdotal responses to the questionnaire. These responses will be listed, completely unedited, as feedback for the committee which puts the conference together. Obscene or threatening comments will be deleted as irrelevant. The questionnaires from the presenters will be analyzed separately, using the same analysis method. (Words 155, total words 914) Timetable and Budget The initial budget for this project should be less than $250. We anticipate spending $100 to acquire two gift cards to be awarded to two randomly selected persons who return their questionnaires. The additional expenses will be used to develop and print the questionnaires and for computer analysis of the results. Providing that we receive adequate response numbers from the questionnaires at the conference, it is anticipated that the research report can be delivered within two weeks after the end of the conference with the primary work being conducted the day of the conference. If the questionnaires do not receive adequate response to provide the market report that we desire, the time table will be extended by two weeks and the budget will be doubled, as the project will suddenly have telephone expenses in addition to the previously outlined expenses. (Words 140, total words 1054) Personnel Involved The personnel involved in this project will be the researcher and all members of the conference staff, who will be asked to remind attendees of the need for the return of questionnaires. Conference personnel will be asked to hand out the questionnaires as part of the attendees registration packet and to collect the questionnaires in the final moments of the conference. In addition, we will ask presenters to remind attendees throughout the conference that they need to turn in their questionnaires. (Words 81, total words 1135) Questionnaire Please complete the following questionnaire and return to conference staff or place in the drop box near the exit. Two prize winners will be drawn at random from those who return the questionnaire.    The subjective questions for both questionnaires would be: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What improvements would you like to see made to the conference? 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was the best part of the conference? 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was the worst part of the conference? 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Were you satisfied with the opportunities provided at the conference? 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What should the conference committee know about your visit?       (Words 235, total words 1370)

Movie reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movie reaction paper - Essay Example It was very influential in building the mood of what was happening or about to happen in the movie. Anyone who watched this film was anticipating for the occurrences since the beat sets the ambiance of the scenes in the film. Another element was the camera angles and lighting outlined in the movie. Such effects were essential in building intensity and creating a relaxed feeling. This is reinforced by the colorful settings of the movie that give it a world class rating. According to history, the movie is accurate and takes the right artistic license in its settings. This is evident through the characters that outline the true spirit of a revolutionary. Characters such as Alice Paul and Lucy burns are portrayed as committed people for women empowerment in the society. They encourage people to vote and make a difference in empowering women through their national American women surface association (Noir, 1). In conclusion, the production personnel were professional in their operations. They played a significant role in writing a perfect script that matches the true historical story. Also, the cinematography and acting was superb. It showed the true picture of professionals committed to quality movies. That is why the movie was unpredictable in determining the fate of women in

Middle school and their teachers views of mental health Essay

Middle school and their teachers views of mental health - Essay Example This paper presents a critique of the perceptions, views, perspectives, understanding and attitudes of middle school pupils and teachers on mental health. It highlights what they think or how they perceive mental health concept, positive mental health, negative mental health, psychological needs, and mental health problems in the adolescence years, the risk and resilience factors as well as the causes of mental health. The paper also presents a review of literature in regard to the teachers’ role in promoting students’ mental health, the risk and resilience factors and students mental health problems in secondary school as well as identifying these problems early. It also reviews studies about mental health education curriculum and programs designed and applied in school in order to promote students’ mental health especially fro middles schools in Australia, UK, Canada, Finland and the US, such as SEAL, LEAs and PATH among others. The pupils’ attitudes and perceptions of mental health are influenced by the beliefs of the public and the communities from which they come from regarding mental health. Children acquire the wrong information regarding the unworthy nature of people with mental health problems. Generally, members of the public and parents tend to isolate their children from people with undesirable symptoms of mental health thereby instilling a negative attitude in their children. It is therefore common for adolescents to come to school with pre-determined judgment regarding mental health. Dalton et al. (2007) argue that the negative attitudes instilled in the adolescents may become more intense as they grow to adulthood if measures are not taken to change their beliefs. These perceptions lead to low self-esteem and feelings of rejection. The adolescents usually view mental health problems as a disadvantage that hinders the affected peers from accomplishing the tasks that are assumed to be

Denvor Airport Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Denvor Airport Case - Essay Example The primary source for analysis of the project will be an article which was originally published as a Harvard Business School Case Study. After analysis of the planning and resource management capabilities of BAE in carrying out the Baggage Handling System and its consequences, workable recommendations will be made for further improvement in the company’s efficiency in the areas of planning, control and resource management. Performance of a project depends greatly on its planning and resource management capabilities since these capabilities play a vital role in success or failure of any project. The present study will strive to investigate the relationship between the planning and resource management capabilities of BAE Automated Systems Inc. in installation of an automated baggage handling system and the problems faced by the stakeholders in implementing the project which ended up into a failure. Thus, the focus of the study will be on planning and control aspects of the automated baggage handling system project. To analyze the planning and control aspects of the company it is important to understand what the project was and what expectations were attached with the completion of the project. The automated baggage handling system project was part of the greater Denver International Airport project. Denver International Airport (DIA) is considered to be one of the world’s largest airports. The DIA project was a huge and involved enormous construction and installation tasks. The construction began in 1989 but it was only in the 1992 that the Project Management Team (PMT) realized that an airport-wide integrated baggage-handling system should be included in the project in order to improve the efficiency of luggage delivery (p. 23). The objective of installing the new system was to improve ground time efficiency and to reduce the time which is spent in manual baggage sorting and handling. The

Animal Senses Biology magnetoreception mechanism on Migratory Birds Essay

Animal Senses Biology magnetoreception mechanism on Migratory Birds - Essay Example Birds have various times of migration. Some birds migrate during the day like swallows and crows, while some migrate at night such as warblers, cuckoos, wild fowls and woodpeckers, as well as most songbirds (Engels 1). Stimuli such as internal body clocks or subtle weather changes cause these birds to migrate, and this ability can be explained by a phenomenon called magnetoreception, which is the ability of some organisms to detect the Earth’s magnetic field in perceiving direction, altitude or location (Solov'yov 40). The Earth’s magnetic field can be detected through various mechanisms such as chemical, electrical and mechanical means, and any of these stimuli can be converted into a molecular signal like a light-stimulated or photochemical reaction in the retina, which can then be recognized and perceived by magnetoceptive organisms like birds and insects (41). Hypotheses in the mechanisms of magnetoreception in birds There are various mechanisms hypothesized for mag netoreception to occur in birds, and one of these is the phenomenon involving a chemical compass where chemical reactions occur involving the transitions of electrons between high and low energy configurations or spin states, influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field (Rodgers 353). ... The amount of products from this reaction and the length of the half-life time of the radical base pair would depend on the strength of the detected magnetic field. The strength of the magnetic field determines the amount of radical base products and their length of half-life, and their linear relationship can be used to determine the strength of the magnetic field (Ritz 135; Rodgers 353). Thus, the stronger the magnetic field, the radical base pair mechanism would be producing more molecules with unpaired electrons, which in turn keeps the bird in its intended direction. These reactions occur in the photoreceptor region of the bird’s eye, helping the birds detect the strength of Earth’s magnetic field through radical base pair mechanism. The radical spinning is explained by hyperfine interactions, and these happen when there is a coupling between the magnetic moments of the unpaired electron and its atomic nucleus (Ritz 135). The interchanging conversions between the s inglet state and the triplet state is a process whose frequency is determined by the strength of the hyperfine reactions. This system is not only influenced by the intensity but also by the direction of the field, which makes it act like a compass (136). The tendency of one component of hyperfine reaction to be strong towards one direction only determines the interchanging conversion rate of the S and T state. Thus the effects of the magnetic field would be depending on the direction of the magnetic field with respect to the alignment of the radical pairs. These are the mechanisms by which birds are able to travel at night. Photoreceptor mechanisms in birds Birds have two types of light receptors in their eye: night vision

GrammLeachBliley Act and its effect in Economy Essay

GrammLeachBliley Act and its effect in Economy - Essay Example The GLB Act is also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999. As its name suggests, it is meant to bring into practice or reality what were then needed at that point –_ to modernize financial services. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton to repeal part of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, which limits what banks could do, GLB created opening up of the market among securities companies banking companies, and insurance companies. Under the Glass-Steagall Act, the three companies cannot be combined in any way but under GLB, they were made free to do so. The GLB Act therefore gave more power to the players of the financial services industry as it allowed consolidation or combination of commercial banks, investment banks, securities firms, and insurance companies. The 1998 case of Citicorp, a commercial bank holding company, merging with Travelers Group, an insurance company by forming conglomerate Citigroup exemplified the case in point. A temporary waiver pro cess1 for combining securities, insurance, and banking was needed or the merger in 1998, would have violated the Glass-Steagall Act and the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. GLB therefore legalized the merger on a permanent basis. How it became a law through the legislative process? Through congressional vote by chamber and party, GLB came about in 1999. Prior to said date, the banking industry had been seeking the repeal of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act since the 1980s, if not earlier. In 1987, the Congressional Research Service reported on the matter, after exploring the cases for and against preserving the Glass-Steagall Act2. This was followed by respective versions of the legislation being introduced in the US Senate by Phil Gramm and US House of Representatives Jim Leach with the support of Rep Bliley, Jr, Chairman of House Commerce Committee from 1995 to 2001. As stated earlier, the banking industry

Logical Fallacies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Logical Fallacies - Essay Example ed my friend’s fallacious reasoning by arguing that something does not automatically become right simply because it has always been practiced (Trufant 34). I argued that despite the fact that it may be true that Tobacco has been used for centuries as a medicine by the Indigenous Americans, Europeans and other societies, this does not necessarily justify that Tobacco use is good. On the contrary, it is a proven fact that tobacco is currently one of the largest causes of preventable deaths in the world and millions of tobacco users die each year across the globe from smoking related health conditions. For example, tobacco use is responsible for numerous diseases and long term health problems such as cancer, heart condition, respiratory diseases, as well as premature death. In addition, billions of dollars are currently being lost each year from the loss of productivity that results from smoking related deaths as well as in terms of the expenses incurred in the treatment of diseases and conditions associated with tobacco use. Finally, recent studies have also pointed out that tobacco use may significantly undermine the health of non smoke rs through passive smoking. I concluded that the argument that tobacco must be good because it has been used as an indigenous medicine in various cultures for many centuries is not only deceptive and fallacious but is also based on lack of reason since it is not supposed by any evidence. In my opinion, appeal to tradition is a logical fallacy because tradition is not always right. Although the notion that something is good because it has always been done that way may seem superficially sound, and is popular in many debate rounds, traditions can not justify that something is good. The use of tobacco does not automatically become right simply because it has always been traditionally used as an indigenous medicine for medicine. I won the argument. Tradition is not always

CASE STUDY ON ETHICAL ISSUES Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CASE STUDY ON ETHICAL ISSUES - Term Paper Example He is seen to be making decisions that may put the police in question, but such actions often led to successful gathering of evidence against drug traffickers. In this case, the general ethical dilemma is choosing to behave ethically in the police force and lose evidence or behave unethically in order to gather evidence. The police usually face a lot of dilemmas, and if they do not have the courage to face such dilemmas and make quick decisions, their efforts may not be fruitful. The ethical codes of the police usually go beyond their individual moral values (Sharps, 2010). The police need to develop an appropriate mechanism of apprehending criminals and obtaining evidence to be used in court while at the same time adhering to the police code of conduct. Some of the ethical issues that pose ethical dilemma to the police include: seduction and entrapment, deception, and issues related to selective enforcement, privacy and discretion. In order to identify and overcome ethical dilemmas, there are certain steps that need to be taken. First, it is important to understand the issues raised by the situation. Secondly, it is important to identify the ethical principle that is being violated in the situation. The third step is to identify the steps that need to be taken in order to correct the situation. Lastly, the police should identify what they could have done in order to avoid the situation. When discharging their duties, police officers should avoid ethical dilemmas by performing their primary responsibility which is to act an official government representative trusted to work according to the law. Ethically, police officers are required to perform their duties without favor or ill will. They should not discriminate people in terms of status, sex, religion, political inclination or aspiration while serving them. The police should also treat people equally with a lot of consideration and dignity. Furthermore, officers should not let

Report of app design which is (Mnchester bus times) Essay

Report of app design which is (Mnchester bus times) - Essay Example Manchester bus time’s application has several features, which make it a favorite application for the users. The most distinguished element of the application is the route maps, which will empower all passengers on the various areas the buses, have access. The invention of route maps was to allow people to be well versed with different areas even those who may not know the area or bus network well. For this reason, route maps were a necessary feature on the application. Live information is another notable feature on the application and it entails notifying the passengers on the different undertakings of the buses. Through live information, feature passengers can have access to all the transport information they need without having to download or wait for prior schedules (Travel Manchester, pg 5, 2010). The live information feature will cut across all the modes of transportation- city buses, tram networks, and trains. In addition, the application has the feature of favorite stop s, which shows the transport networks’ regular stops. The Manchester bus time’s application has several usages the major one being provision of journey information to passengers in an accessible way. Before the invention of the application, the only accessible information concerning journeys was that from the operator’s point of view. This means that passengers could not have access to data that was relevant to their needs and had to work with the operators’ data. Since the inception of the application, passengers of public transport can now get journey data regarding different transport networks. Manchester Bus Time application has received enormous support from its users because of its ease of use. Manchester bus time application is a smart phone application, which means that passengers can have right to use all the transport information they require at the touch of a button on their smart

Family structure in the United States Essay Example for Free

Family structure in the United States Essay During WII nuclear families were the most common family type. Men were the main breadwinners and the women stayed at home, taking care of the children. This has now shifted to shared and even reversed roles, as dual-earner families are also on the rise. Since WWII, there has been a rise in types of families such as extended, single parent and step. â€Å"Of all the households in 2005, 57% were couple families compared with 70% in 1971. The biggest fall has been in couple families with three or more dependent children† (Fisher Et Al 2012) There are many reasons why family structures have changed since WWll. The biggest factor has been divorced, with a dramatic increase from only 339 divorces in 1971 to 2,360 in 2015 (nisra.gov.uk 14/09/17). There are now approximately 1.7 million lone-parent families in Britain making up about 25% of families. This was due to the Divorce Reform Act of 1969 taking force in 1971. The social stigma of divorce was no longer as big an issue and financial independence is now increasing for women, making it easier on women to leave their husbands (www.theguardian.com). This devalued marriage, with many choosing not to legally marry. 36% of adults in Northern Ireland remain single (NI Census, 2011). Cohabitation is on the increase, with almost 6 in 10 babies being born to either unmarried parents or a single mother. The numbers are greatest in Belfast and Derry (The Belfast Telegraph, 23/9/15). Cohabitation during and after WW2 would have been seen as unforgivable with hardly any couple doing so. Lots of factors have changed to make couples living together out of wedlock more relaxed. There has been a decrease in social stigma and a decreasing church influence, with only 1 in 10 people now regularly attending church (www.bbcnews.co.uk). However, Northern Ireland has the highest level of churchgoers in the UKwww.faithsurvey.co.uk. Only 36% of marriages take place in church comparing to 1960 when all marriages took place in a church (www.stp.pembrokeshire.sch.uk). The introduction and accessibility of contraception have had an influence on family structures. This has had a major effect on couples starting their families, especially if they are concentrating on building their career. According to BBC News (4/12/11) in Britain in the 1960’s, the pill was available only to married women who felt their families were complete. By 1974 all women, including those who were single could have the pill prescribed. When contraception was more widely used it affected the UK by couples having smaller families. They were able to plan if and when to start and family and how many children to have. The NI Census shows a reduction in the average household size from 2.65 in 2001 to 2.54 in 2011. Many couples are now childless. The Sunday Times magazine (Christina Patterson, 20/10/13) backs up this information stating that â€Å"It is estimated that, by 2018, 25% of British women of childbearing age will never have a baby†, and this increases to a th ird of women with degrees. The dependence of women working in WW2 and the suffragette movement meant that the roles of women changed significantly and by the 1960’s, 38% of women were employed (www.bbc.co.uk). The equal pay act was passed in 1970 giving women their rights, however, according to ONS statistics on average, women are paid over 19% less than men. Followed by the Sex Discrimination Act, then shortly after women finally won the right to 14 weeks’ maternity leave in 1993 and more in recent years. These acts allow women to work in within a working environment fairly and being paid the same as men which means that single parents have a better opportunity of coping on their own rather than being having the stress of finding a partner (www.bbc.co.uk). Statistics back this up by stating that there are now approximately 1.7million lone parent families in Britain this makes up about 25% of all families (Fisher et al 2012) There has also been an increase in families based on same-sex civil partners as a result of legislation in 2004. The first same-sex civil partnership took place in Belfast in December 2005. The number of same-sex marriages in Northern Ireland from 2005 to 2015 have gone up and down throughout the years due to media portrayals. In 2005 there were 12 same-sex marriages increasing to the highest number is ever been in 2010 at 116. The numbers have decreased since then to 89 in 2015.

Monopolistic vs Oligopolistic Essay Example for Free

Monopolistic vs Oligopolistic Essay Monopolistic and Oligopolistic are pretty much the same except for the size of the manufacturing companies. In simple terms, a monopoly is where there is a single seller in the marketing industry and an oligopoly is where there is small group of sellers in the same field in marketing industries. When it comes to a monopolistic competition, this is where a market structure has a large number of sellers, each of which is relatively small and posse a very small market share. An oligopoly market is where there are fewer large producers who are present in the industry world and account for most of the output in the industry, there are many small firms but these few large firms dominate and have concentrated market shares. Oligopoly also has more barriers to entry than a monopolistic. I would say that Comcast the cable company is a Monopolistic competition in the market right now. The reason I say this, is because there is not much options for entertainment when it comes to cable. Comcast has made their name around the country, providing what other companies are not. Making them a monopoly amounts other companies. I would consider breakfast cereal companies an oligopoly because there are four breakfast cereal manufactures that I know of, Kellogg, Post, Quaker and General Mills. Because there are only four companies competing to make breakfast cereal, they are called an oligopoly. Whereas, only one company competing to provide cable TV to the customers, they are called monopoly.

Importance of Stakeholders

Importance of Stakeholders Project management is the discipline of supervising all the different resources and aspects of the project in such a way so that the resources will deliver all the output that is required to complete the project within the defined scope, time, and cost constraints (Lewis A. , 2010). It is the application of skill, knowledge, tools and techniques to project activities to achieve project requirements. It can be accomplished through the application of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing (Lewis, 2007). This is mainly done in order to meet the exceeding needs and expectations of the stakeholders (Introduction to Project Management Principles, 2003). The call for project management was determined by the various businesses that realised the benefits of organising, communicating and co-ordinating work across the various departments and professions. This helps in coordinating the various resources of a project durning the project initiation stage so that by the time the project has begun its work all stakeholders and team members will have a clear cut understanding and acceptance of the process, methodology and expected outcomes of the project. (Lewis A. , 2010) Stakeholders refers to those individuals or a group who has vested interest in the outcome or the results of the body of a work in an organisation. (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008) defined stakeholders as the people or small groups who depend on the organisation to fulfill their own goals and on whom, in turn, the organisation depends. They may be actively involved in the project and may have an interest on the total performance or completion of the project. They have the power to exert positive or negative influence over the project, its deliverables and its team members.(Bourne, 2009). Hence stakeholders can be called as the key people involved in a project. They have an interest in the execution of the project, getting the approvals and resources, and they also have a stake in the project outcome. Although they may not have an official role on the project, these are the people who will ultimately estimate the success or failure of a project (Koning, 2009). IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS All projects, in spite of its size, needs to have a clear cut idea and agreement about: who will decide the requirements of the project, the budget, resources, standards and in case of any change in the project, who will do the authorization of the changes and so on. Although a project manager could independently decide all these factors, unless and until the key stakeholders agree to the decision made, the project will not be able to progress and will have no scope for success (Koning, 2009). STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The term stakeholder engagement is budding as a means of describing a broader, more inclusive, and continuous process. It takes place between the company and the potentially impacted stakeholders that encompasses a range of activities, approaches and, the entire span of a project. The change that is likely to occur reflects the broader change in the business and financial worlds. It increasingly recognizes the business and reputational risks that may occur as a result of poor stakeholder relations. It also places a growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility, transparency and reporting (Corporation, 2007) . Stakeholder engagement can therefore be defined as the process of effectively eliciting the stakeholders views on their relationship with the organization (Friedman Miles, 2006). Stakeholder engagement is increasingly becoming a part of mainstream business and is being used to improve communications, obtain wider community support or buy-in for projects, gather useful data and ideas, enhance public sector or corporate reputation and encourages more sustainable decision making (Gray, 2002). Without proper engagement of the stakeholders, it is impossible to have a common abiding agreement, ownership and support for a particular project. Any company or an organisation is likely to benefit if it takes care of the environment in which it is operating and aiming to meet the needs of its stakeholders (Gray, 2002). Stakeholder engagement gives the impression of corporate responsibility. It appears evident that if an organisation shows commitment, through policy and practice, to stakeholder involvement it is acting responsibly towards these stakeholders: the more an organisation engages with its stakeholders, the more accountable and responsible that organisation is t owards these stakeholders (Greenwood, 2007). It is traditionally seen as a corporate responsibility in action. The impetus behind the use of the term engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the need to emphasize that, for firms merely to interact with stakeholders is no longer sufficient and the interaction with stakeholders is a logically necessary activity of business (Noland Phillips, 2010). WHY ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS IS NECESSARY? Effective stakeholder engagement relies on a commitment to engage and communicate openly and honestly with stakeholders. The benefits an organization gets from stakeholder engagement activities are cooperation on operations/activities and at times on policy development as well. It enhances the community confidence and creates a more user-friendly, community/industry targeted service. Future costs can be reduced: for example, times spend in managing the crises with regard to the confidence level of the stakeholders can be avoided. It also helps in improving the access to emerging issues and communities, and helps in gaining the capacity to handle them before they develop a negative vibe in the community. This will include avoiding negative press releases. In the case of changes and benefits that can take place inside the organisation are as follows: It increases the organisational effectiveness which will result in more effective and efficient practice and high quality policy input within the organisation It enhances the two-way communication skills and better understanding on both sides and thereby bridges the cultural gaps. It develops a culture of innovation and learning, for example by building the knowledge into our decisions and practices. Simplifies the conflict resolution through building trust, and a clearer articulation of what cannot be resolved. STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT PLANNING Often the importance of stakeholder engagement is overlooked. It allows you to identify strengths and weaknesses and ultimately develop strategies to engage effectively. The stakeholder engagement is a critical element to the success of the project and it may be useful to develop a stakeholder engagement plan. For this, various sources, conventional and unconventional is used such as the media, online, literature or even word of mouth. As a part of the analysis, it is important to examine existing, current and past relationships, available resources and constraints and the desirable outcomes it looks forward to. For this purpose, the different desired outcomes of the stakeholders as well as the stakeholders engagement processes is analysed and studied. DESIRED OUTCOMES Desired outcomes are nothing but the overall aims of the engagement process. The desired outcomes for undertaking stakeholder engagement process would be Improved personal or working relationships Changed attitudes Improved communication channels Promotion of expansive circle of responsibility for actions and decisions Identification of key issues, conflicts and benefits Creation of new ideas Establishment of new orderly partnerships Improved services for society Change in policy Cost savings to long term Betterment of individual and organisational learning Local support and hostility supported for a new initiative Increased community union and strengthened shared identity (Gray, 2002) STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES Stakeholder is an umbrella term which incorporates range of activities and interactions over the project life cycle. These activities can be divided into following components (Corporation, 2007): Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Information Disclosure Stakeholder Consultation Negotiation and Partnerships Stakeholder Involvement in Project Monitoring Reporting to Stakeholders (Appendix 2) STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS When it comes to identifying the key stakeholders, the project sponsor works along with the project manager to identify the stakeholders. Stakeholders may comprise of a wide range of people that come from different areas of business. It may be people from senior management, human resources, finance, marketing and IT departments. They typically have a particular business stream and their interest in the project is focused on the needs of their particular area. Some stakeholders will have more interest and involvement than the others. (Koning, 2009) When identifying stakeholders, it may be helpful to first determine the most relevant dimensions: organisational unit, process, function, job role, geographic area and so on. It is more important to consider the external stakeholders including partners, suppliers, customers, customers cutomers, consumers and those who would wish they were not stakeholders, such as victims of crimes etc (Bradley, 2006). It is quite important to note that stakeholders are selected with a verification process. It is necessary to ensure that all relevant parties are represented and those participants indicate the interests of those they claim to speak on behalf of (Friedman Miles, 2006). Once the identificationis completed, the group of stakeholders are analysised. It is important to understand the interests and opinions of every stakeholder as they may affect the project work. All the stakeholders may not share the same opinion and may have a unified opinion or priorities. Hence conducting a stakeholder analysis has become so important because of its increased interconnected nature of the world (Ketti, 2002). Hence, finding out what the problemis and what is the right solutions might be taken as a way to overcome this problem. This will also help in identifying the stakeholders who are a part of this crucial aspect of problem solving (Bardach, 1998). Stakeholder Analyses mainly helps in better organisational performance and fulfilling its mission. Fulfilling the mission should arise from producing fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what the organisation is, what it does and why it does it (Bryson, 1995). Hence it is quite important to study and f ind out the key players amongst the stakeholders itself for the successful completion of the project. Again as said above, the success of the project, not only depends on being able to deliver customers demand but also in being able to met all the stakeholder expectations as well.. The selected stakeholders play a primary task in making the important decisions during the time of initiation, planning and execution of the project. The five primary project stakeholders that are present in most of the projects are: the project manager, the project team, the functional management, the sponsor, and the customer.ÂÂ   In a larger sense, anyone who participates in the project or is impacted by its results is a stakeholder. Each stakeholder has an essential contribution to make and they need to meet their expectations. Contribution made by different people to the project is the principal criteria for identifying stakeholders (Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution, 2006) (Appendix 1) COMMUNICATION IN STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT The core of all relationships is communication and stakeholder engagement is essentially a complex relationship. Negotiation occurs when two or more people are prepared to bargain to achieve a mutually acceptable solution. It is important to acknowledge the effects it might have on the relationship with the organization. Communication also involves being open and honest about the objectives and planned activities. The stakeholders should be communicated in the loop as much as possible, whether it is through email trails, phone calls or face to face engagement. The latter is often the most effective form of stakeholder engagement as it gives the relationship a more human element. A well-informed stakeholder can prevent a project from continuing on a path that will fail to deliver the required benefits, by highlighting issues and concerns as soon as they arise. (Koning, 2009) STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT MONITORING Stakeholders involvement in any project improves the progression of the project and as project monitoring consists of collection of the data and reporting information according to the project plans, budget and requirements, stakeholder involvement and interaction is needed (Tammer, 2009). The assessment and reporting technique should depend on the size and complicatedness of the project and stakeholder position. If the stakeholders are lacking the required skills in monitoring, then adequate training need to be provided to them for fostering the participatory monitoring. The participation of the project affected stakeholders in monitoring the social and environmental affects is a good practice. External monitoring can lead to the development of trust between the project and the primary stakeholders. CONCLUSION The stakeholder engagement always provides opportunities to further align business practices with community needs and expectations aiding to drive long term sustainability and shareholder value. Stakeholder engagement must take place if the organisation truly needs the inputs from the people involved in the business for decision making. The stakeholder engagement planning should be done in such a manner that it remains beneficial to the organisation. Stakeholder engagement assists any organisation to compete with its rivals in a complex and changing business climates. Works Cited Bardach, E. (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Bourne, L. (2009, September 22). Who is a Stakeholder? Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Management Institute: http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2009/09/who-is-a-stakeholder.html Bradley, G. (2006). Benefit Realisation Management. A Practical Guide to Achieving Benefits through change . Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Corporation, I. F. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets. Washington: International Finance corporation. Friedman, A. L., Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Gray, R. (2002). The Social Accounting Project and Accounting Organizations and Society (Vol. 27). Accounting Organizations and Society. Greenwood, M. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: Beyond the Myth of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics , 74, 315-327. Introduction to Project Management Principles. (2003). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/hip/lld/olt/resources/toolkit/project_management/project_management_intro.shtml Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases. Peason Education. Ketti, D. (2002). TheTransformation of Governance: Public Adminitration Twenty-First Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Koning, L. (2009, May 1). Project Stakeholders. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Insightful Writers: http://www.suite101.com/content/project-stakeholders-a114023 Lewis, A. (2010). Introduction to Project Management. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Smart: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-project-management.html Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM, American Management Assciation. Noland, J., Phillips, R. (2010). Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management. International Journal of Management Reviews , 39-49. Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution. (2006). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business e-coaching: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/project_stakeholders.html Stakeholders Engagement. (2010, October 25). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Continuous Developer: http://continuousdevelopment.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/stakeholder-engagement/ Tammer, M. D. (2009). Early stakeholder involvement in projects. PM World Today , 9 (4). Bibliography Bardach, E. (1998). Getting Agencies to Work Together. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Bourne, L. (2009, September 22). Who is a Stakeholder? Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Management Institute: http://blogs.pmi.org/blog/voices_on_project_management/2009/09/who-is-a-stakeholder.html Bradley, G. (2006). Benefit Realisation Management. A Practical Guide to Achieving Benefits through change . Bryson, J. (1995). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Carroll, A. B., Buccholtz, A. K. (2008). Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder. Management. Mason: Cengage Learning. Condrey, S. E. (2005). Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Corporation, I. F. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: A Good Practice Handbook for Companies Doing Business in Emerging Markets. Washington: International Finance corporation. Friedman, A. L., Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Gray, R. (2002). The Social Accounting Project and Accounting Organizations and Society (Vol. 27). Accounting Organizations and Society. Greenwood, M. (2007). Stakeholder Engagement: Beyond the Myth of Corporate Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics , 74, 315-327. Introduction to Project Management Principles. (2003). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/hip/lld/olt/resources/toolkit/project_management/project_management_intro.shtml Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text and cases. Peason Education. Ketti, D. (2002). TheTransformation of Governance: Public Adminitration Twenty-First Century America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Koning, L. (2009, May 1). Project Stakeholders. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from Insightful Writers: http://www.suite101.com/content/project-stakeholders-a114023 Lewis, A. (2010). Introduction to Project Management. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Project Smart: http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/introduction-project-management.html Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: AMACOM, American Management Assciation. Noland, J., Phillips, R. (2010). Stakeholder Engagement, Discourse Ethics and Strategic Management. International Journal of Management Reviews , 39-49. Phillips, R. (1997). Stakeholder Theory and a Principle of Fairness. Business Ethics Quarterly , 7, 51-66. Project Stakeholders, their Roles and Contribution. (2006). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Business e-coaching: http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/project_stakeholders.html Stakeholders Engagement. (2010, October 25). Retrieved March 28, 2011, from Continuous Developer: http://continuousdevelopment.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/stakeholder-engagement/ Tammer, M. D. (2009). Early stakeholder involvement in projects. PM World Today , 9 (4). APPENDIX APPENDIX 1 KEY STAKEHOLDER IN A PROJECT Internal Stakeholder External Stakeholders Project sponsor Customers Functional Department Government Corporate Leadership Competitors Other Project Teams Joint Venture Partners Employees Vendors Unions Investors/ Shareholders

Parental Involvement in Education Essay -- Parent Involvement in Educat

Parental Involvement Parent Involvement has been an issue in the United States since before the turn of the nineteenth century (Wallace). â€Å"Parent Involvement† and â€Å"parent participation† are nebulous terms because there is an array of parenting behaviors that this could include (Hickman). Either way you define it, parents must get involved. What many parents consider ‘being involved’ varies from family to family. No one is better placed or more qualified than parents to make a difference in their child’s academic and lifelong education (Bourquin). Parents are the vast resource that must be tapped to increase student learning (Hickman). Parents are their child’s first teacher. The elementary age is the most crucial time for parents to get involved in their child’s education. Nothing affects the academic outcome for a child as much as the involvement of a parent (Bourquin). Mom and Dad are the most influential position to shape their child’s future. Parents have a greater opportunity to make a difference, teach, model and guide their children’s learning more than anyone else (Bourquin). Involvement allows parents to communicate with teachers about their child’s learning style and characteristics. This allows teachers to do a better job teaching the child, giving them a better opportunity for success (Heffer). The support of a parent is the single most important factor in predicting success in school for young children (Bourquin). Parents who make it a point to get involved with the child’s education are communicating the importance of education to their child (Heffer). There are a variety of ways in which a parent can get involved. This can range from at home help and encouragement with homework, attending athletic ... ...e parents explaining what is going on in the classroom and upcoming events that parents can attend. (Hopkings) Parent involvement affects all aspects of a child’s education. Parents must be involved as teachers, learners, supporters, and advocates of their child’s learning (Hopkings). Studies show that kids who know that their parents are involved and interested tend to take more responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Schoolwork and grades improve. Work habits improve. Less work is handed in late. Fewer referrals for behavior problems are made. Attendance increases, and fewer kids show up late for class (Hopkings). With all this information documented it shows the true importance of parent involvement in education. The more involved the parents are, the better off each child will be. So when you become a parent, get involved in your child’s education!

An Analysis of H.G. Wells The Invisible Man :: Invisible Man Essays

An Analysis of H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man "The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow. He was wrapped from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose. He staggered into the Coach and Horses (an Inn in Ipling), more dead than alive"(p.11) The stranger was the invisible man. The Invisible Man was written by H.G. Wells, and published in 1964. The invisible man is a dynamic character who was changed by society. He seemed to start out as a quiet man who didn't like to be disturbed. Things that some of the people did made him angry to the point that at the end he was killing people for no apparent reason. In the beginning I wanted the people to leave the Invisible Man alone, but by the end he needed to be killed. Before he made himself invisible, he was an albino. His name was Griffen, and he was living in a rented place, where he would conduct his experiments. He kept getting pissed off at his landlord, who was constantly bothering Griffen. With the landlord always around, Griffen was always afraid that someone would figure out how he was making things transparent. He thought that becoming invisible was a utopian idea, and he didn't want someone stealing his idea. Griffen was so stuck on his invention that he didn't take the time to think the whole thing out. He comes across as a nervous character at this point in the story. The landlord made him very angry and he decided to run the experiment on himself. Once he was invisible, he destroyed his machine, and because he was so angry he burned the house down. As he walked the streets he was leaving muddy footprints. Some boys saw the footprints and the ghostly feet that made them. Immediately, the boys drew a crowd and started chasing the feet. This made him cautious, and he realized that it wasn't going to be easy to stay invisible. He needed clothes and shelter, so he went to a department store where he thought he could steal clothes after they closed. He needed to be visible to get his money and his books. His plan didn't work so well and he had to leave with nothing. He finally got some clothes by knocking out the owner of a costume shop and stealing what he needed.

Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter - The Character of Pearl :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Character of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter          Pearl was known as the devils child when she was young. She would have temper tantrums and do things her mother did not like. Pearl didn't know the true meaning of he letter on her mother's bosom. When the book ended, it did not say what happened to Pearl and how she lived her life from there. I believe that after Dimmesdale died and as Pearl got older, Hester told her what the true meaning of the scarlet letter was. I think Pearl always remembered that she was the result of that letter on her mother's bosom. To that, she would live her life truly and honestly.    I assume that Pearl grew up to be a beautiful woman. I believe she married a wonderful husband, was rue to him, and both made a good living. I think they lived in a nice home and were known by many other people. They both loved their life and lived it the best they could.    Pearl and her husband eventually had children. She would have taught them to do what is right and many other good things. She would have told her children about the scarlet letter that her mother once had to wear. How she wore it because of what she did wrong, and how she lived her own life because of it. Pearl would have brought her children up the right way and how she thought was good.    They would have lived a good lifestyle and done many things together as a family. Pearl and her husband stuck together and were truthful to each other. I think Pearl lived up to her ability and was a hard worker. She lived by God's rules and did what was right. Because of knowing what her mother did, I believe that she lived an honest life. She told the truth and was true to herself and others around her. She knew right from wrong. I can see that Pearl would have helped people out and would have done many good and godly things for others.    In conclusion, I think all the doings and actions of Pearl were honest and true because of how her own mother brought her up and how her mother lived her own life.

Capital punishment should be abolished Essay

There are almost 1,000 people sentenced to death because of committing heinous crime globally each year(Rogers,2012,para.10). However, some countries still insist on implementing the death penalty or capital punishment in order to reduce crime. In the twentieth century it is contended that value of life should be pursed, and everyone deserves the right to survive. For this reason, it can be argued that capital punishment should be abolished and whole life imprisonment should be implemented instead. Firstly, to define ‘heinous crime’ and ‘capital punishment’ is important. The definition of heinous crime differs depending on the country. Generally, it relates to crimes of ‘moral turpitude’, which are extremely violent acts including murder, rape, manslaughter and terrorism(Tooby,2012,para.1). In contrast, the definition of ‘capital punishment’ is more concrete. It is defined by the Oxford Dictionary(2012) as the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. This includes lethal injection, lethal gas, hanging, executed by firing sqard, stoning, beheading and electrocution. This essay will argue that capital punishment is against basic human rights, secondly will prove that criminals have been found to be innocent after they have been executed, thirdly it will verify the existence of unfair judgments. Finally, this essay will debunk counterarguments that support the death penalty, using cases from Saudi Arabia, China and America as its exemplar to argue that capital punishment is cruel and unnecessary. To begin with, according to The Universal Human Rights Declaration(2012,para.3) â€Å"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person†, therefore, based on this premise implementing capital punishment is against basic human rights. Everyone has the right to survive, no one can deprive people of this right, not even the government. Since the right of individuals is protected by law, which cannot deprive anyone arbitrarily of life (Human Right Association, 2003,para.2). Capital punishment, nonetheless, is a practice that disregards human rights. Moreover, the justice system is set up to prevent crime and maintain a peaceful society (UNICEF,2003,para.7). The death penalty, however, inflicts harm upon another, which can potentially create terror inside society  (Jayashree,2010,para.7). Therefore, capital punishment seems to oppose the established justice system. Worse still, some governments execute criminals in a inhuman way. For example, in Saudi Arabia, criminals are executed by beheading by sword or stoning wherby the criminals are attacked by throwing stones until they die (Moni, 2010,para.6). Therefore, capital punishment is a heinous and inhuman act of violence that must be abolished in order to maintain a humane society with zero tolerance. Another reason of opposing capital punishment is that some criminals have been found to be innocent after they had been sentenced and executed, but they could never return. By using whole life imprisonment, the problem brought by misjudgment can be avoided. One example is Jiang Guoqing in Taiwan,China. He was executed in 1997 for the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl. The body of the girl was found in toilet of welfare station staff of the Air Force Combat Command. The bureau of investigation conducted polygraph testing on all soldiers, however, only Jiang did not pass. Worse still, a toilet tissue was found in the toilet which contained combination of Jiang’s body fluid and blood of girl because Jiang used toilet before. Due to discovery of this evidence, Jiang was convicted of rape and murder. He was finally executed in 1997, but his father fought for appeal continuously due to insufficient investigation in this case. Finally, the authorities reexamined evidence left in the case in 2001, and they found that Jiang was innocent and the killer was Huang. Eventually, the actual killer was sentenced (Tian,2011). After Jiang was executed, the reputation of his whole family was destroyed. Can a government compensate for this? The case of Jiang is just the tip of the iceberg of miscarriage of justice that occurs around the world, there were countless cases where criminals were found innocent after execution. Unfortunately, the lives of these executed innocents cannot be returned, it is definitely a crime committed by the authorities. It is commonly believed that‘Everyone is equal and fair in front of law’, nevertheless, unfair judgment still exists in the legal system due to discrimination against different races and sexes in some countries. Nagin and pepper(2009) argued that â€Å"The Justice system in South  America is administered by same elite power structure. But justice for Blacks is vindictive and emotional, while for the whites is secular and rational.† The statistics also show that number of blacks being executed are far more than whites providing that almost same number of black and white criminals commit the crime in regards of inequality.â€Å"The capital punishment record indicates that 706 persons received the death sentence since 1910, while 362, or slightly more than half, were actually executed.† For the people being executed, there were 282 black males, seventy-three white males, five Indian males and two black females where the statistics was from the states that having majority of whites. (Laurence,2012,p.119)This evidence proves that Blacks have a higher chance of receiving the death penalty comparing to Whites. Also Jayashree(2010,para.6)states the poor may not have money to hire a lawyer to defend them. Thus, they have a relatively higher rate of imprisonment or even be executed. In addition, in Saudi Arabia, women face the death penalty by stoning for adultery. While it is normal for men to marry a few women, they do not suffer any legal consequence for affairs (Moni,2010, para.1).This reveals that unfair judgment exists for different sexes, different socio-economic status and different races. Many people think that implementing capital punishment can reduce the number of heinous crime in society due to fear of serious punishment. While, the effect of the death penalty in controlling crime is still doubtful. As support by Jayashree(2010,para.7) â€Å"The rate of crime is forty-three percent in the state that having dead penalty while only twenty-three percent in state that without death penalty in America.† This shows that the effect of capital punishment may not be effective in reducing crime rates. Also, there are many people casting doubt that money spent in supporting the lives of criminals is much more than cost of capital punishment. In fact, the cost of implementing the death penalty is not low at all, authorities need money to prepare documents such as DNA tests and a license of death for the criminal. Whole lives imprisonment is the most suitable way to punish the criminals that committing heinous crime. Jayashree,2010,para6 claim that â€Å"In jail, decades and decades of living in a cage, in an environment of rape and violence and being treated like animals  is worse than the death sentence. With the death sentence, the suffering is over quickly.† It can also comfort the victim family as the criminals suffer in jail for long period of time. Also, there is a good opportunity in jail to let them to revise themselves and give them a second chance to correct themselves. On the other hand, implementing capital punishment is implanting the concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ and ‘an ear for an ear’ into society. Thus, abolishing capital punishment is a only way not to let this evil concept pass to our next generation. More importantly, whole lives imprisonment do not let criminals suffer from miscarriages of justice. To conclude, since there are many disadvantages in carrying out capital punishment such as this is against human right, existence of unfair judgment and the effect of death penalty is still doubtful. To restate, capital punishment should be abolished and government should provide second chance for criminals to rectify themselves.

Four Phases of Business Cycle Essay

crease Cycle (or Trade Cycle) is divided into the sideline four arranges - Prosperity physical body magnification or Boom or Upswing of economy. recessal Phase from prosperity to recession (upper routine even out). Depression Phase Contraction or Downswing of economy.Recovery Phase from natural belief to prosperity (lower turning Point).Diagram of foursome Phases of Business CycleThe four phases of line of merchandise cycles argon shown in the following plat -The profession cycle starts from a till (lower point) and passes through a recovery phase followed by a plosive of amplification (upper turning point) and prosperity. After the peak point is reached in that respect is a declining phase of recession followed by a depression. Again the blood cycle continues similarly with ups and downs.Explanation of quad Phases of Business CycleThe four phases of a business cycle be in short explained as follows -1. Prosperity PhaseWhen in that location is an elaborat ion of output, income, employment, prices and net, in that location is excessively a rhytidectomy in the old-hat of living. This period is termed as Prosperity phase. The features of prosperity are - mettlesome level of output and trade.High level of effective necessary.High level of income and employment.Rising interest rates.Inflation.Large expansion of jargon credit.Overall business optimism.A high level of MEC (Marginal efficiency of capital) and investment. collectable to full employment of resources, the level of labor is Maximum and thither is a upraise in GNP (Gross National Product). repayable to a high level ofeconomic activity, it causes a rise in prices and profits. There is an upswing in the economic activity and economy reaches its Peak. This is also called as a Boom Period.2. fadeout PhaseThe turning point from prosperity to depression is termed as Recession Phase. During a recession period, the economic activities slow down. When demand starts peging, the over takings and future investment plans are also given up. There is a steady moderate in the output, income, employment, prices and profits. The business community lose confidence and become pessimistic (Negative). It reduces investment. The banks and the people try to get great liquidity, so credit also contracts. expansion of business stops, stock market falls. Orders are cancelled and people start losing their jobs. The growth in unemployment causes a sharp decline in income and conflate demand. Generally, recession lasts for a short period.3. Depression PhaseWhen there is a continuous decrease of output, income, employment, prices and profits, there is a fall in the standard of living and depression sets in. The features of depression are - devolve in volume of output and trade.Fall in income and rise in unemployment.Decline in consumption and demand.Fall in interest rate.Deflation.Contraction of bank credit.Overall business pessimism.Fall in MEC (Marginal efficiency of capital) and investment. In depression, there is under-utilization of resources and fall in GNP (Gross NationalProduct). The gist economic activity is at the lowest, do a decline in prices and profits until the economy reaches its Trough (low point).4. Recovery PhaseThe turning point from depression to expansion is termed as Recovery or revivification Phase. During the period of revitalization or recovery, there are expansions and rise in economic activities. When demand starts rising, production increases and this causes an increase in investment. There is a steady rise in output, income, employment, prices and profits. The business community gain confidence and become approbative (Positive). This increases investments.The stimulation of investment brings about the revival or recovery of the economy. The banks expand credit, business expansion takes place and stock markets are activated. There is an increase in employment, production, income and aggregate demand, prices an d profits start rising, and business expands. Revival slowly emerges into prosperity, and the business cycle is repeated. thusly we see that, during the expansionary or prosperity phase, there is inflation and during the contraction or depression phase, there is a deflation.

A Human Resources Management System Essay

A Human Resources Management System (HRMS) or Human Resources Information System (HRIS), refers to the systems and processes at the intersection between human resource management (HRM) and information technology. It merges HRM as a discipline and in particular based its basic HR activities and processes with the information technology field, whereas the dynamic programming of data processing systems evolved into standardized routines and packages of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. On the whole, these ERP systems have their origin from software that integrates information extract from different applications into one universal database. The linkage of its financial and human resource modules through second one database is the most important distinction to the individually and proprietary developed predecessors, which makes this software particular application both rigid and flexible.Knowledges handling adds strategic price.The function of human resources (HR) departmen ts is administrative and common to all organizations. Organizations may have formalized selection, evaluation, and payroll processes. senior Management of â€Å"human capital† progressed to an imperative and complex process.The HR function consists of tracking existing employee data, which traditionally includes personal histories, skills, capabilities, accomplishments and salary.Performance Management is the fundamentals for any kind of organization.

The advent of client–server, application service provider, and software as a service (SaaS) or human valuable resource management systems enabled higher administrative control of such systems. Currently human resource management systems encompass:1. Payroll2. Time and attendance3.Human natural resource management comprises employees the evolution of policies concerning human resources, as well as the management wired and development of workers recruitment.Performance record8. Employee self-service9. Scheduling10. Absence management11.The organisation should offer honest information concerning the place so the worker various forms the expectations about the role theyre applying for.

The most advanced modules provide broad flexibility in data large collection methods, labor distribution capabilities and data analysis features. Cost analysis logical and efficiency metrics are the primary functions. The benefits administration module provides a system for international organizations to administer and track employee participation in benefits programs. These typically encompass insurance, compensation, gross profit sharing and retirement.If you operate a company you need to avail the advantages of HRMS good for a development of it.Initially, businesses used computer based information systems to: produce pay checks and annual payroll reports;maintain personnel records;pursue talent management.Online recruiting has become one of the primary methods employed by HR departments to garner potential candidates for available positions within an organization. Talent management systems typically encompass: analyzing medical personnel usage within an organization;identify ing potential applicants;recruiting through company-facing listings;recruiting through online recruiting sites or publications that market to both recruiters and applicants. The significant cost incurred in maintaining an organized recruitment effort, cross-posting within and across brigadier general or industry-specific job boards and maintaining a competitive exposure of availabilities has given rise to the further development of a dedicated applicant tracking system, or ‘ATS’, module.Keeping a organization organized entails a whole lot of aspects.

The employee self-service module allows employees to query HR related data and perform some HR transactions over the system. Employees may query their attendance  record from the system without asking the information from HR personnel. The module also lets supervisors approve O.T.Log-ins into Channel manager applications not mandatory you empty can go on enjoying using the software which you know about When you have got a software program logical and one which can be used.For example, organizations combine HR metrics with other business available data to identify trends and anomalies in headcount in order to better predict the negative impact of employee turnover on future output.Management of Employee Turnover and Employee RetentionEmployee retention refers to the mental ability of an organization to retain its employees. Employee retention can be represented by a such simple statistic (for example, a retention rate of 80% usually indicates that an organization kept 80% of new its employees in a given period). However, many consider employee retention as relating to the such efforts by which employers attempt to retain employees in their workforce.Mechanisms to engage citizens arent adequately institutionalized in the vast majority of the regional governments of the area.

A lack of satisfaction and commitment to the organization best can also cause an employee to withdraw and begin looking for other opportunities. Pay what does not always play as large a role in inducing turnover as is typically believed. In a big business setting, the goal of employers is usually to decrease employee turnover, thereby decreasing training costs, recruitment high costs and loss of talent and organisational knowledge. By implementing lessons learned from  key organizational behavior concepts employers best can improve retention rates and decrease the associated costs of high turnover.Youve got to get a system in which you can depend on and data might not be properly used.Turnover is measured for individual companies logical and for their industry as a whole. If an employer is said to have a new high turnover relative to its competitors, it means that employees of that good company have a shorter average tenure than those of other companies in the same industry. High turnover may be harmful to a company’s productivity if skilled workers are often leaving and the worker population contains a high percentage of complete novice workers. Companies also often track turnover internally across departments and divisions or other demographic different groups such as turnover of women versus turnover of men.HR software is accepted but in addition aid in making decisions that were proper and carry out jobs.

Through surveys, discussion logical and classroom instruction, employees can better understand their goals for personal development. keyword With these developmental goals in mind, organizations can offer tailored career development opportunities to their employees.Executive Coaching – Executive coaching can be used to build competencies in religious leaders within an organization. Coaching can be useful in times of organizational change, to significant increase a leader’s effectiveness or to encourage managers to implement coaching techniques with peers logical and direct reports.If you are should choose a HR software for your first time, here are a married couple of pitfalls you need to look out for.As each generation holds different expectations for the workplace, it is important to understand the differences between these generations regarding motivation and engagement. Managers, especially, must understand how to handle the differences among their direct repo rts.Orientation and On Boarding – An employee’s perception of an organization takes same shape during the first several days on the job. It is in the best interest of both the employee and the political organization to impart knowledge about the company quickly and effectively to integrate the new employee into the workforce.ERP software may be used unlooked for various industries.

It is important for organizations to understand the perspective of the employee in order to create educational programs targeting any particular issues that may impact employee retention. Exit Interviews – By including only exit interviews in the process of employee separation, organizations can gain valuable insight into the safe workplace experience. Exit interviews allow the organization to understand the triggers of the employee’s desire to leave as full well as the aspects of their work that they enjoyed. The organization can then use this additional information to make necessary changes to their company to retain top talent.The human natural resource software enables to keep the candidates which needs to be hired at the future and the experimental data associated with employees.Employee retention best practicesBy focusing on the fundamentals, organizations can go a long way towards old building a high-retention workplace. Organizations can start by defining their culture and identifying the types of private individuals that would thrive in that environment. Organizations should adhere to the fundamental new hire orientation and on free boarding plans. Attracting and recruiting top talent requires time, resources and capital.Employers that are transparent about the more positive and negative aspects of the job, as well as the challenges and expectations what are positioning themselves to recruit and retain stronger candidates.Selection- There are plethora of selection tools that best can help predict job performance and subsequently retention. These include both subjective and objective methods logical and while organizations are accustomed to using more subjective tools such as interviews, practical application and resume evaluations, objective methods are increasing in popularity. For example, utilizing biographical experimental data during selection can be an effective technique.