Snowboarding vs Skateboarding Essay Example

Snowboarding vs Skateboarding Essay Skateboarding vs. Snowboarding By Santiago Durr ENG 1111 Brenda Phegley 9/20/2012 Durr ii Outline Thesis: Skateboarding and snowboarding, they are two sports that could look similar, but they differ in several ways which are: terrain, tricks, cost and pain. I. Introduction II. Background A. Skateboarding B. Snowboarding III. Terrain and season A. Skateboarding B. Snowboarding IV. Tricks A. Skateboarding B. Snowboarding V. Cost A. Skateboarding B. Snowboarding VI. Pain A. Skateboarding B. Snowboarding VII. Conclusion Durr 1 Skateboarding vs. Snowboarding One of the things that has had the greatest impact on my life has been skateboarding, and now there is a new similar passion coming into my life which is snowboarding. I used to think that the two sports would be similar; but as the time went on, I found out that this was not the case at all. The two sports differ in several ways: terrain, tricks, pain, and cost. Skateboarding was the first board sport to come into my life and I must give it the most credit for molding me into the boy I am today. We will write a custom essay sample on Snowboarding vs Skateboarding specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Snowboarding vs Skateboarding specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Snowboarding vs Skateboarding specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It is not the board or the tricks, but the whole attitude that comes with it: The adrenaline pumping through your body as you outrun some overweight police officers and the excitement of learning something new every day. The best thing, I think skateboarding gave me was friendships; and although I am not good friends with some of the people I used to skate with, I have been able to build some wonderful friendships that I love and consider my family. Snowboarding has done good things for me as well, even though I have only been practicing it a year. I got into snowboarding when I came to the US. I was not able to practice it in my country because we do not have a winter season. Even though I hate to say this, I think snowboarding is more fun than skateboarding. The terrain for skateboarding is pretty much wherever there is concrete. However, skateboarding is illegal in most spots which make it difficult to stay in one place for a prolonged period of time. Snowboarding takes a mountain and lots of snow, and it is not illegal, so the last thing that crosses your mind is picking up your board and running from the police. The biggest and most frustrating difference is that skateboarding can be done during the whole year, while snowboarding is a seasonal sport. Durr 2 The tricks involved in the two sports are the second biggest difference. On a skateboard your feet are free to move around and off the board. Being detached from the board enables you to do such tricks as the â€Å"kickflip† or the â€Å"shuvit†. The â€Å"kickflip† requires the individual to jump above the board as the board spins underneath them. The â€Å"shuvit† is done by jumping above the board, while it turns 180 degrees and then landing on the board as if nothing happened. Snowboarding has an entirely different tactic for tricks. An individual is attached to the board, so jumping above the board is completely out of the question. Most of the tricks involve spins in which one turns 180, 360, or 540 degrees with the board. The tricks done in snowboarding also require a lot more height and speed than those in skateboarding which is why is have taken such affection for the sport in this short time. The cost for practicing skateboarding is not as high as the cost for practicing snowboarding. One just needs a board that costs around sixty dollars and it can be done just about anywhere with pavement and is usually for free. In snowboarding not only the gear necessary is way more expensive than needed in skateboarding, but there is also added cost of getting somewhere to do it. The pain that comes with the two sports is somewhat similar. After all, a bruise is a bruise and a cut is a cut. Skateboarding is the sport in which one would suffer from gashes and bloody wounds. Snowboarding is mostly sprained wrists and really bad bruises. Take it from me, falling on a solid sheet of ice hurts a lot more than any pavement. In the end, I have chosen to stick with snowboarding because of its faster pace and the height one can get off a well-made jump, but I will always have a special place in my heart for skateboarding.

To kill a mockingbird - boo radley [updated] essays

To kill a mockingbird - boo radley [updated] essays In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird the children develops a strange relationship with a mysterious character known as Boo Radley. Jean Louise Finch, known as Scout with her brother Jeremey Finch, known as Jem, and their friend Charles Baker Harris are drawn to Boo Radley because of the mystery that dominates him and the Radleys house and, of course their own curiosity. Although the relationship starts out of fear and mystery, that is mostly created by superstitious gossip of the neighbours, the understanding of Boo Radley increases as time passes, until the monster that is Boo, is transformed into a human being, which is his real nature. While the background of the Boo Radley legend may be true, the reader can see that the superstitions of him being a monster is hard to believe and there is much more to Boo Radley. From the neghbours in Maycomb, background of Boo Radley is generally the same. Long ago, Mr. and Mrs. Radley sometimes ventured out into town, but usually kept to themselves at home. They worshiped at home as well. The Radleys had two sons, Aurthur Radley and Nathan Radley. Aurthur Radley joined a group of boys, that resembled that of a gang. They committed rude and sometimes wicked deeds, but nobody told Aurthurs father about his behaviour. One night, the boys resisted arrest and locked Mr. Conner, a guard, in the courthouse outhouse. They came before the jury where Mr. Radley denied sending Aurthur to the industrial school, and promised the judge that he will give no more trouble. Aurthur Radley was locked in his house by his father as punishment and fifteen years passed since. Although this is the true story behind the legend, Jem, Scout and Dill, however, hears rumors that came from Miss Stephanie Crawford, the towns gossip. One of these rumors was an incident that happened when Aurthur was around thirty years old. It was said that Aurthur was sitting on the sofa cutti...

Drowling Mountain Ski Resort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drowling Mountain Ski Resort - Essay Example The 2008-09 figures show that an approximate 4 million people came to New York during the skiing season to enjoy the thrills of the sport, which is more or less similar to previous statistics. However, it must be kept in mind that there are around 34 ski resorts to choose from and Drowling Mountains Resort fairs poorly in certain aspects that have caused business troubles for the Board of Directors in the past. Recommendations for Improvement The major problem, of course, is the relatively secluded location of the resort compared to the larger, more populated cities. Syracuse is nearly five hours away from New York, and two hours from Albany. In addition to this, the Drowling Mountain resort must face the problem of low populations within the state. This decreases the opportunity of securing new clientele as well as lacking a healthy number of steady client bases. While it had a respectable position and a high esteem among its clients previously, it has seen a steady decline in its p opularity in the past 10 years. The economic crash in the recent years had dealt its final blow and left the Board of Directors struggling to find financing. The proposed hike in ticket sales, though indeed a positive initiative, can hardly be enough to turn the company around entirely. I think, good and cleverly targeted positive advertising would be an essential requirement of the moment. The initiation should be targeted at young and athletic groups like sponsoring skiing lessons in collaboration with the local high school or offer limited period discounts for children’s outings arranged by the school. This would create a renewed interest in the resort. This essay focuses on the analysis of sports tourism industry aspects. In order to present comprehensive, well-informed and judicious recommendations regarding the issues at hand in Drowling Mountain Ski Resort, the researcher must first focus on the present statistical and financial dynamics of the current snow sports tourism and snow games industry. In the recent past, tourism, particularly, snow tourism has attracted widespread business interests, its central attraction lying mainly in its combination of beauty, adventure sports, and entertainment. The economic centrality of snow tourism has seen significant growth in the past few decades. However, though the last 3 years have seen substantial growth in the Skiing and snow gaming industry of the US, it is indeed a tough area of business, that makes the Drowling Mountain Ski Resort case rather a tricky one. After analyzing the various figures, statistics and a thorough study of the data provided on the three rival companies, as pre sented the paper, it is concluded that an overall marketing makeover has the potential to change the face of the Drowling Mountain Resort. The best course of action, thus, should be one that exploits the opportunities presented by such a rise in interest. While the competition is steep and the inventiveness of business strategies must necessarily be restricted mostly by the involved factors of demographic, geographical and seasonal challenges and recommendations, the researcher believes, will initiate a positive change in the business.

The advantages and disadvantages of coursework as a means of Essay

The advantages and disadvantages of coursework as a means of assessment - Essay Example Assigning coursework helps teacher in analyzing each student’s strengths and weaknesses. Some students are good at speaking while others are good at writing. Course works also save time of both student and teachers. Teachers cannot be with students all day long, but assigning course works helps teachers in assessing each individual student’s capabilities. As I see, invention of internet is the main problem of coursework. No longer children portray their own viewpoint in regards to their assigned tasks and cut and paste the ideas, facts and figures of others. Before the advent of internet, assigning coursework to students used to be very successful as it helped them in illustrating their own creativity in their coursework, but nowadays, course works are more inclined towards plagiarizing. At times, even the student doesn’t know what he has written in assignments. As a matter of determining how much information a student has attained from a coursework, in my opinion, is a useless tool. The focus is more on presenting the assignment instead of learning something out of it. In actual, there’s little learning taking place in coursework scenarios and the tendency of peers to copy each other’s assignment is higher. Due to the reason of copy paste phenomena, universities, schools and colleges are now more concerned in investing in plagiarism detecting software so that anything which is lifted from the internet can be detected. Coursework has always been the most beneficial and effective tool to enhance the capabilities of students, but the advent of internet is making it ineffective. It is necessary for teachers to design and allot the coursework in a way that there are lesser chances of plagiarizing and higher chances boosting student’s skills. Perhaps, by the little modifications it will be feasible to restore the effectiveness in

How memory works Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How memory works - Essay Example This is stored with the usage of three ways. First of all, the human mind changes matter into storage forms. This is done by integrating memory with known events which can be things are seen, heard or experienced. This method is referred to as encoding. The second step is storage whereby the human mind places information in the memory for storage. The final part is the ability of a human being to recall and recover the stored information in times of need that is when a person needs to utilize the memory. An interesting aspect of human memory which is unique to the human memory is that their memory functions as a multi unit. The three basic divisions include the sensory memory, the short term memory and the long term memory. The sensory memory is one which comes directly from the persons five senses. This memory is not very long lasting and stays for around 350 milliseconds. This memory does not possess ways for improvement. In 1960 an experiment was conducted by George Sperling to test this memory. According to the procedure a group of people was shown twelve letters arranged in three different rows. Different subjects were asked to repeat the different letters present in different rows. The subjects recalled what they saw but they could not remember it for a long time. The experiment suggested that the sensory memory got erased after some time and the maximum capacity of the sensory memory that a person could retain was around twelve letters. The short term memory is the next step which is reached when the events are moved from the sensory part to the area of realization and perception. This information is also short lived but the time duration of this memory is greater than that of the sensory memory. This time is around 30 seconds and this memory is used basically in short tasks. But this memory does have space for improvement by a method which is known as chunking. Chunking as the name implies means to break in to pieces. An

Caring for the Dementia Patient: Evidence Based Practice

Caring for the Dementia Patient: Evidence Based Practice Lisa Krier The population of elderly people in society is continually increasing, which places demands on the health care system. Drugs are extensively used in the elderly, and when the patients have dementia, this raises their level of vulnerability (Jedenius, Johnell, Fastbom, Stromqvist, Winbald Andreasen, 2011). The administration of psychotropic drugs to dementia patients experiencing out of character responses has become increasingly controversial. Many of these drugs come with black-box warnings from the FDA, have not been approved for use in patients with dementia and are not recommended for the elderly. Many of these drugs have shown to be harmful in the elderly, decreasing quality of life and even leading to death, and have adverse effects (Azermai, Elseviers, Petrovic, Van Bortel, Vander Stichele, 2011). Nurses have two options when dementia patients experience out of character responses, 1) administer a psychotropic medication to calm the resident, or 2) use a therapeutic approach to calm the patient without the potential of adverse side effects that medications pose (Logsdon, McCurry, Teri, 2007). Change Model Overview The John Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Process consists of defining the practice question, gathering, appraising, and synthesizing the available evidence, and then translating the plan into the clinical setting. Nurses with various levels of education have been able to use this process successfully with mentors assisting and the support of their organizations. Nursing professionals find this process beneficial in understanding the elements of nursing intervention and implementing the evidence found into their practice setting (Dearholt Dang, 2012) Practice Question Step 1: Identify an EBP question The population involved in this evidence-based practice question is dementia patients who experience out of character responses. The intervention being utilized is the use of therapeutic approaches to calm the dementia patient, compared with the use of psychotropic drugs to calm the dementia patient suffering an out of character response. The desired outcome is to see a decrease in the number and severity of out of character reactions in the patients, along with fewer adverse side effects that psychotropic medications may have (Jeste et al., 2008). Step 2: Scope of practice question The population of elderly in the United States is steadily increasing and many of these elderly will require the services of a long-term care facility sometime in their life (Harris-Kojetson, Sengupta, Park-Lee, Valverde, 2013). It is estimated that 69% of residents in long-term care facilities were taking at least one psychotropic medication (Galik Resnick, 2013). Out of character reactions are common in patients with dementia, but there is no FDA approved drugs to deal with these responses in the dementia patient. The unlabeled use of psychotropic medications is commonly used, even though many of these drugs come with black-box warnings from the FDA. These drugs can cause postural hypotension, sedation, falls, and even mortality, especially with the use of atypical antipsychotics (Jeste et al., 2008). The cost of fall related injuries are estimated to be between $16 and $19 billion annually for nonfatal injuries and around $170 million for deaths resulting from falls, adding addi tional demands on an already stressed health care system (Currie, 2008). Steps 3, 4, and 5: Team The team members involved in this pilot project consist of the Memory Support Coordinator, the Life Enrichment Coordinator, the night shift nursing supervisor, the day shift nursing supervisor, two Certified Nursing Assistants from the day shift and one Certified Nursing Assistance from the night shift. All of the selected participants have direct patient contact and work in the Memory Support Unit with all of the patients having a diagnosis of dementia. The Memory Support Coordinator will be the projects bridge to the facilitys administration. The chosen team members will be trained in therapeutic approaches to maintain a calming environment and to utilize when any of the patients experiences an out of character response. Evidence Steps 6 and 7: Internal and external search for evidence The quantitative research that was obtained for this projected consisted of three peer-reviewed research articles and one systematic review. One of the peer-reviewed research articles that was utilized for this project was of high evidence, with the other two peer-reviewed research articles containing good evidence. The systematic review that was used consisted of several randomized controlled trials. All of the articles used for this project did make recommendations based upon the evidence cited in the research. Steps 8 and 9: Summarize the evidence One of the peer-reviewed research articles that was obtained was of high strength and evidence. It consisted of a randomized study, a large sample size, a control group, and detailed the physical outcomes of dementia patients receiving psychotropic medications. The study recommends that careful consideration of the adverse effects of psychotropic medication used in the elderly along with further longitudinal studies is necessary to fully explore the impact these medications have on the elderly (Galik Resnick, 2013). The other two peer-reviewed research articles that were obtained were of good evidence and strength. One of the articles consisted of a systematic review of randomized clinical trials and discussed behavioral treatments that were successful in treating behavioral disturbances in dementia patients (Logsdon, McCurry, Teri, 2007). The third peer-reviewed research articles utilized for this project was a randomized study to discuss the prevalence of psychotropic medications used in nursing homes in relation to patient’s behaviors. The article consisted of a randomized study with a large sample size, but the study did not have a control group. Several recommendations were cited, including the withdrawal of psychotropic therapy in the elderly population (Azermai, Elseviers, Petrovic, Van Bortel, Stichele, 2011). The final research that was used for this project was a systematic review of randomized, controlled trials that had adequate sample sizes and control groups. This article discusses the two approaches used in treating dementia patients with behavior disturbances, pharmacological and behavioral. The articles discuss what is known and what is not known in regards to the two approaches and make several clinical and research recommendations (Jeste et al., 2008). Step 10: Recommendations for change All of the articles used in this project discussed the adverse effects of psychotropic medication use in this population and the fact that these medications are not effective in treating behavior disturbances in the dementia patient. When psychotropic medications are used to treat out of character responses in the elderly, they are being prescribed off-label as the FDA has not approved any of these medications for treating behavioral disturbances in the dementia patient. Also, many psychotropic medications come with black-box warnings from the FDA and have been proven to have many adverse effects, especially in the elderly population (Jeste et al., 2008). Two of the articles discuss the success of the use of therapeutic approaches in calming the dementia patient experiencing an out of character response. What makes the use of therapeutic approaches exciting is that there are no adverse physical effects associated with them and the quality of life is not diminished, and may possibly b e enhanced, in the dementia patient (Logsdon, McCurry, Teri, 2007). Translation Steps 11, 12, and 13: Action plan This pilot study will take place in the Memory Support Unit, which is home to approximately 36 residents, all of whom have a diagnosis of dementia. The eight faculty members that will be participating in this study will all attend a three-day training seminar on how to recognize the early signs of residents who are becoming anxious, and implementing therapeutic approaches for these patients to calm them rapidly and efficiently without the use of medication. After the training seminar, the staff will meet on a biweekly basis and carefully review each residents life story to become familiar with their history and likes or dislikes to design therapeutic approaches that are appropriate for the individual patient, as well as thoroughly examine the behavioral monitoring sheets of each resident who experiences out of character responses. The primary emphasis for the team will be to maintain a calm, quiet environment to prevent the onset of out of character responses, and decrease the number and severity of these behavioral disturbances. This project will be evaluated during each biweekly meeting, to see if the therapeutic approaches being used are effective for the individual residents by reviewing their behavioral monitoring sheets. Any changes to the residents individual care plan will take place during these meetings. The pilot study will be evaluated after the first six months to review the effects of any dosage reductions in psychotropic medications for individual residents and the efficacy of any therapeutic approaches utilized to manage their out of character responses. The Memory Support Coordinator will report the results to the administration of the facility and will discuss the findings at the weekly department head meetings. Steps 14 and 15: Evaluating outcomes It is the objective of this pilot study to see dosage reductions in any psychotropic medications being used, and eliminated altogether if possible, and to see the number and severity of out of character responses decreased without the use of psychotropic medication. Residents in the Memory Support Unit who receive psychotropic medications have their records reviewed by the pharmacist on a quarterly basis and recommendations for dosage reductions of these medications are then forwarded to the physician. Residents in the Memory Support Unit have detailed behavioral sheets where any behavioral disturbances are noted, how many times these disturbances occur per shift, any therapeutic interventions utilized before the administration of a prn medication, the efficacy of the intervention utilized, and any side effects noted from the administration of psychotropic medications. The behavioral sheets will be monitored on a weekly basis by the Memory Support Coordinator to see if there have bee n changes in any of the categories previously mentioned. Therapeutic approaches that have proven to be effective for individual residents will be added to their care plans. The individual results for each resident will be discussed at the biweekly meetings attended by the pilot study staff and the Memory Support Coordinator will forward this information on to the administration of the facility. Steps 16, 17, and 18: Implementation As there are dementia residents in every part of the facility, they also have behavioral monitoring sheets where the same information is recorded as those patients residing in the Memory Support Unit. After the initial pilot study staff have been trained and are utilizing therapeutic responses with all of the individuals in the Memory Support Unit, the entire staff in the Unit will be trained and coached by the pilot study staff. After the training has been completed in the Memory Support Unit, staff in the other areas of the facility will be trained and coached by the Memory Support Unit staff and will begin implementing the appropriate therapeutic approaches for their individual patients. The implementation of gradual dose reductions of psychotropic medications, unless clinically contraindicated, is mandated by CMS guidelines, as well as individualized approaches to person-centered care (CMS, 2013). This ensures that the implementations set forth in this pilot study will become per manent. The behavioral sheets for every resident with a diagnosis of dementia and/or receive psychotropic medications will continue to be monitored and discussed at the risk meetings that are attended by all department supervisors on a weekly basis. The results of this study will be entered into a database for forwarded to the home office, to be shared with all of the facilities in the organization. Conclusion The administration of psychotropic medications to elderly patients, especially those suffering from dementia, has been increasingly controversial. Currently there are no medications approved by the FDA for use in dementia patients suffering from behavioral disturbances, and if these drugs are being utilized, they are being prescribed for off-label use (Jeste et al., 2008). Psychotropic medications have shown to have negative effects on the physical function of elderly patients (Galik Resnick, 2013), even leading to mortality (Azermai, Elseviers, Petrovic, Van Bortel, Vander Stichele, 2011). Guidelines from the CMS mandate that gradual dose reductions be attempted for all psychotropic medications, unless clinically contraindicated, and individualized approaches to person-centered care are utilized (CMS, 2013). After thoroughly examining the evidence from the research articles, the pilot study staff will be trained in the use of therapeutic approaches to deal with resident experienci ng out of character responses. As the pilot staff becomes comfortable with implementing these approaches, the staff in the rest of the facility will be trained. The behavioral sheets for each resident will be monitored, and the therapeutic approaches that have proven to be effective for each resident will be added to their individual care plan. The behavioral sheets will be reviewed each week at the risk meetings attended by all department supervisors, and any appropriate changes will be made to the resident’s individualized care plans. The goal of this pilot study is to decrease the dangerous effects of psychotropic drug use in the elderly (Azermai, Elseviers, Petrovic, Van Bortel, Vander Stichele, 2011), as well as improve their quality of life with the use of therapeutic approaches specifically tailored to their individual needs and wants (Logsdon, McCurry, Teri, 2007). References Azermai, M., Elseviers, M., Petrovic, M., Van Bortel, L., Vander Stichele, R., (2011). Geriatric drug utilization of psychotropics in Belgian nursing homes. Human Psychopharmacology, 26, 12-20. Center for Medical Medicaid Services. (2013). Center for clinical standards and quality survey certification group. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=1ved=0CB4QFjAAurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cms.gov%2FMedicare%2FProvider-Enrollment-and-Certification%2FSurveyCertificationGenInfo%2FDownloads%2FSurvey-and-Cert-Letter-13-35.pdfei=6g1xVO4V6YmxBMW8gdgEusg=AFQjCNH-POJP2PwdaIXyFpIGmzHN-vDrKw Currie, L. (2008). Fall and injury prevention. In R. Hughes (Ed.). Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26531 Dearholt S. L., Dang, D. (2012). John Hopkins nursing evidence-based practice: Model and guidelines (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: sigma Theta Tau International. Galik, E., Resnick B. (2013). Psychotropic medication use and association with physical and psychosocial outcomes in nursing home residents. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 20, 244-252. Harris-Kojetson, L., Sengupta, M., Park-Lee, E., Valverde, R. (2013). Long-term care services in the United States: 2013 overview. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Jedenius, E., Johnell, K., Fastbom, J., Stromqvist, J., Winbald, B, Andreasen, N. (2011). Dementia management programme in a community setting and the use of psychotropic drugs in the elderly population. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 29, 181-186. Jeste, D. V., Blazer, D., Casey, D., Meeks, T., Salzman, C., Schneider, L., †¦ Yaffe, K. (2008). ACNP white paper: Update on use of antipsychotic drugs in elderly persons with dementia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 33, 957-970. Logsdon, R. G., McCurry, S. M., Teri, L. (2007). Evidence-based psychological treatments for disruptive behaviors in individuals with dementia. Psychology and Aging, 22(1), 28-36.

The Once And Future King - Mig Essay -- essays research papers

The Once and Future King The legend of King Arthur is a tale as timeless as any other found in literature today. Introduced to us by Sir Thomas Malory during the fifteenth century in Morte d' Arthur, it was the first complete tale of Arthur's life. Countless portrayals followed for any reader interested in the tale of the boy who was destined to become King. The Once and Future King by T.H. White is certainly the most popular representation of the immortal legend of King Arthur. It is similar to the tales woven before it but White gives new meanings and modernization to the traditional story through his unique perspectives and writing. White takes the reader on a journey in the past enriched by the knowledge of the future. Most importantly, White's notion that society cannot be governed by might alone is a prevalent theme throughout the work. He expresses the ideals of 'might vs. right'; as it relates to a world much like our world today. He clearly understands that 'might'; rules the actions of individuals, but 'right'; is the ideal that we seek to obtain. As we often find, the former prevails. The novel is divided into four sections that represent periods of time in Arthur's life. The novel begins with The Sword in the Stone, the tale of Arthur's childhood. At this time, he is not referred to as Arthur but Wart. His foster brother gave him this name and it was his childhood nemesis. Early in the book, Wart finds Merlyn who becomes his tutor. One of the earliest indicatio...

Competing with Information Technology Essay

Chapter 2 introduces fundamental concepts of competitive advantage through information technology and illustrates major strategic applications of information systems. Information Technology (IT) professionals must understand how to use IT systems and technology to deliver a competitive advantage to the organization. Information systems and technology should provide more than a cost savings benefit to organizations. Today, IT solutions are expected to provide the means to surpass a competitor’s performance. As discussed in Chapter 1, the role of IT professionals is changing. Currently, there is an evolving term, business technology, which is used to describe the emerging role in IT. IT professionals are becoming more and more integrated with the business operations of an organizations. The Real World Case Study 4, â€Å"IT Leaders: Reinventing IT as a Strategic Business Partner,† describes how one organization is reorganizing to better utilize IT to increase business benefits and contribute to a competitive advantage. It is important for an IT organization to utilize IT to reduce the cost of running the business, grow the business, or develop new services to change the business. To position an organization to better provide its products and services, an understanding of the competitive forces is needed. Michael Porter identifies five threats that require business strategies ensure that an organization can out-perform other competitors. They are: 1. Rivalry of competitors within its industry 2. Threat of new entrants 3. Threat posed by substitute products that might capture its market share 4. The bargaining power of customers 5. The bargaining power of suppliers To counteract these threats, competitive strategies must be developed to address the potential risks an organization may encounter as it strives to maintain its position on the market place. The competitive strategies are: 1. Cost Leadership Strategy 2. Differentiation Strategy 3. Innovation Strategy 4. Growth Strategies 5. Alliance Strategies 6. Other Strategies These strategies can be used either individually or in a combination to position an organization to better compete for the future. An example of an organization that is utilizing IT to change how it does business and remain economically viable in the future is the online magazine Cross Talk. In the 1990’s, Cross Talk was printing and mailing the magazine to subscribers. With a decrease in funding, this organization had to develop ways to reduce costs, deliver its services to its subscribers, grow its subscriber base, demonstrate its value above other on-line content providers, and justify why it should not be eliminated. Cross Talk is now available at its new website in either an online digital flipbook format or PDF version—CrossTalk is now completely electronic. This change reduces their carbon footprint and allows them to bring the journal to their readers in their preferred and most convenient format. This is also CrossTalk’s first step towards reaching new reader devices and enhancing the suitability of the journal for our increasing electronic readership. Customer Value Customer value has become a driving force in the world economy. A key success factor for many organizations is developing customer value by increasing customer loyalty, anticipate their future needs, respond to customer concerns, and provide top-quality customer service. One example is Southwest Airlines. Not only have they automated ticket sales via the Internet, Southwest also sends special offers regarding discounts available at my destination, emails to remind customers that the trip is â€Å"around the corner,† text alerts if a flight is delayed, and offers incentives to fly with them. It seems that Southwest Airlines provides a personal assistant to help make the travel experience more enjoyable. Think about how some of your favorite businesses are creating customer value for you. Internet Technologies Many organizations use Internet technologies to create a strategy to offer fast, responsive, high-quality products and services tailored to a customer’s individual preferences. Internet technologies make customers the focal point of customer relationship management (CRM) and other e-business applications. New technologies such as wikis and blogs are also being incorporated as a means to provide enhanced customer experience. Such communications enable continual interaction with customers by creating a cross-functional collaboration with customers in product development, marketing, delivery, service, and technical support. Television is taking advantage of this capability. TV news shows are reading and answering emails and some reality TV shows allow views to vote for their favorite contestant, preferred ending, or favorite commercial. Using the Internet technologies, business units are better able to shape and offer products and services. Value Chain The value chain is another concept that helps to identify opportunities for strategic information systems. It views an organization as a series of basic activities that add value to its products and services. In this framework, activities are organized into primary and support processes. From the business understanding gained by analyzing an organization’s value chain, the IT organization can determine where to best apply IT systems and technology. The following value chain graphic provides an example of how and where information technologies can be applied to specific business processes to gain a competitive advantage in the market place. Value chain offered by information technologies. Business Reengineering Often times, to remain competitive, an organization must consider more than just where and what IT systems and technology solutions should applied. An organization must look at how it actually does business and then reengineer its business processes. Business reengineering requires an organization to re-design how it does business by eliminating stove-piped, silo organizations and functions, develop an improved understanding for opportunities for information sharing, and instituting enhanced stewardship regarding an organizations data and business processes. Agile Companies The rate of change is increasing and organizations must be able to quickly respond to changing market trends. Standardized, long-lived products and services are giving way to globalized, niche markets which offer products that are individualized and short-lived. To become an agile organization, an organization must consider the following strategies. 1. Provide a solution that customers perceive as a solution to an individual problem. This allows the product to be priced based on value rather than cost to produce. 2. Cooperate with customers suppliers, and other companies to quickly bring the product to market. 3. Thrive on change and uncertainty. 4. Leverage the individuals and knowledge of the processes. Become entrepreneurial in spirit. Knowledge as a Competitive Advantage To remain competitive, organization must become a learning organization. Organizations must be able to capture the knowledge of the organization, learn from this knowledge, and then use it to enhance its offerings. Knowledge Management Systems facilitates an organization’s ability to capture and then utilize its knowledge. Understanding and being able to utilize this â€Å"unstructured date† is key to developing and maintain a competitive advantage. Information capture includes processes, procedures, patents, reference works, best practices, etc. This integration of knowledge helps an organization become an innovative and agile provider of high-quality products and customer services, and potentially a more formidable competitor in the market place. Leaders in information technology are expected to be not only a technology professional but also a business professional. Many are tasked with finding emerging business opportunities, driving growth, encouraging innovation, and engaging customers. This provides a tremendous opportunity for you to step up and co-create and ultimately shape the future business vision. Collaborating with the business will not be enough—you don’t just provide the technology but jointly own the success and failure of business initiatives. IT Portfolio Management and Governance An emerging trend is enhanced IT Portfolio Management and Governance as a means to effectively apply IT systems and technology to business needs. According to Richard Spires, DHS CIO, in his blog post entitled Getting Program Governance Right Helps Ensure Success on the federal CIO Council Web site: Complex IT systems encompass at least a half-dozen stakeholder organizations that must be synchronized, including the strategy organization, the business or mission owner of the system, IT, finance, procurement, security, and privacy. Ensuring all key stakeholders are involved in key decisions is an essential element to assuring genuine alignment. Program Governance Boards provide guidance, decision-making, and oversight of one or more programs. The function of the Program Governance Board is not to usurp the authorities of the Program Manager (PM), but rather to provide a forum by which the PM can bring key issues and trade-off decisions to an informed, empowered body that has a vested interest in that program’s success and views the PM as a trusted advisor and true subject matter specialist. IT organizations must determine where to invest time, people, and money in current and new IT systems and services in order to enhance the value of products and services. To do this, many organizations are categorizing offerings into individual portfolios and establishing a strong governance structure to guide the selection and investment into solutions. Enterprise Architecture Organizations are establishing an Enterprise Architecture (EA) to inform, guide and constrain the investment decisions made by governance boards regarding IT systems. The Federal CIO Council defines EA as: Enterprise Architecture is a strategic information asset base, which defines the mission, the information necessary to perform the mission and the technologies necessary to perform the mission, and the transitional processes for implementing new technologies in response to changing mission needs. An enterprise architecture includes a baseline architecture, target architecture (sometimes referred to an as-is and to-be), and a sequencing plan. An EA identifies which processes and IT systems to standardize and integrate. The benefits of an EA are reduction in IT Costs, improved IT responsiveness, guides the proper selection of IT solutions to ensure the accomplishment strategic business outcomes. The components of an enterprise architecture is described in the figure below: Various layers of an enterprise architecture. (Source: NIST) Conclusion How does your organization determine how to invest in IT? You might see if one of your organization’s senior executives is available for a 30 minute meeting to discuss how the organization determines what technologies to invest in as a corporation. Think about questions to ask. Some examples might be: how is an business need identified? How are IT investments justified? Who are your competitors? If you work for an IT consulting firm, you might as how the company decides what contracts it will bid on. It can be said that our use of IT systems and technology is equivalent to when we were using rotary telephones. As you complete your Masters Program at UMUC, remain watchful of emerging trends in the IT industry, how it will be utilized to gain a competitive advantage, and what impact it will have on the skills needed by an IT professional and the organization structure required to take advantage of the advancements in technology. Trends currently occurring that may be worth watching are: cloud computing, software as a service, virtualization, social networks, and mobile computing. It is through developing learning as a life-long habit, remaining aware of trends in the industry, and understanding the impact that technology has on a company’s ability to compete that you, as an individual, will be able to keep your skills current, agile, and competitive.

Ethical Leadership Example

Ethical Leadership Example Ethical Leadership – Coursework Example Ethical Leadership Ethical Leadership Ethical business practices improve organizations’ image and reputable. According to research, organizations that create codes of ethics and adhere to them generally perform better than others that do not (Hughes and Ginnett, 2012). The UK’s Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) conducted a study that showed that ethical business practices bring huge financial and non-financial rewards. A 2010 report prepared by the IBE and titled Does Business Ethics Pay?, showed that in a sample of FTSE 100 firms, firms that had good codes of ethics and practiced them outperformed firms that did not practice ethics (Hughes and Ginnett, 2012). Ethical companies posted better results than unethical ones in three out of four financial metrics: market value added (MVA), price/earnings ratio and economic value added (EVA). Between 2003 and 2008, findings showed that there was a strong evidential proof that large American corporations with codes of business ethics and conduct posted above-average performances when compared to other categories without â€Å"codes.† Ethical business practices also play a huge role in promoting organizations’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices (Hughes and Ginnett, 2012). Evidence shows that consumers prefer to pay for goods and services from companies that practice ethical business practices compared to ones that do not. For example, companies such as Enron that were involved in unethical business practices collapsed because consumers refused to purchase their products. Unethical business practices and unethical leadership negatively affect organizations’ relationship with consumers as well as organizational culture (Bowie, 2013). Unethical business practices and unethical leadership encourage corruption and unethical behavior among employees. Employees often look at what their leaders do and follow the same cue. This creates a chain reaction that seriously corrupts orga nizations (Bowie, 2013). ReferencesBowie, N. (2013). Business ethics in the 21st Century. Dordrecht: Springer.Hughes, R., & Ginnett, R. (2012). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience. Homewood, IL: Irwin.

We Are Our Mothers Daughters Essays - Cokie Roberts, Free Essays

We Are Our Mothers Daughters' Essays - Cokie Roberts, Free Essays We Are Our Mothers Daughters' Book Review We Are Our Mothers Daughters News correspondent Cokie Roberts, author of a meaningful book titled We are Our Mothers Daughters, published in 1998, call number 001-170, discusses significant issues facing women today in her book. She takes her readers on a personal and political journey, exploring the diverse roles women have played throughout American history and the connections and distinctions among different generations of women. On a personal level, each essay is an introduction to several of the fascination women Roberts has encountered during the course of her reporting career; she also relates powerful and moving life stories about the women in her life, like her mother former Congresswoman Lindy Boggs. Roberts style is unique. Roberts takes you through intimate stories of extraordinary women; these women become the beginning for more extensive discussions of womens position in politics, business, motherhood, and marriage, as well as other issues. Roberts examines the nature of womens roles, from mother to mechanic, sister to soldier, from her personal experience. Roberts is very sincere to her feelings in her writing in this book. I felt just as she was happy or sad. She begins her writing with the intense story of her sister, whom dies from cancer at a young age. The story of her mothers life as a politician next. Roberts also, wrote about an aunt of hers, a soldier, mechanic, friend, reporter, civil rights activist, wife, and an enterpriser. She concludes her book by her last chapter titled A Womens Place. She discusses all the important roles of the women she wrote about and how they tie together. A womens place is everywhere and anywhere in todays world. She worked her writing by writing about the women that were close to her and extended from there to other fascinating women she encountered in her career. Roberts dedicated a chapter to each women she wrote about. This book from my view is sensitive, strait forward, and perceptive. It also shows such a diversity of choices and perspectives available to women today and greatly affirms the bond of females powerful inter connection among all women, whatever their background. I would suggest anyone interested in where a women belong and the history of women should read this selection. Its just one of those bookes, where from start to end you might cry or laugh. I garuntee when you begin to read, you will not want to stop till you have read the entire book.

Ethical Debate on Assisted Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical Debate on Assisted Suicide - Essay Example This is because they have adequate knowledge to assist persons commit suicide. The ethical debate on assisted suicide is not as recent as most people assume. Examining the principles of medical ethics sheds light on these issues. In the 4th century B.C, the Hippocratic Oath took precedence as guidance to doctor patient relationship. One section of this oath holds that the doctor should not administer, or advice persons to administer lethal drugs. The Platonian philosophical error focused an immense deal on not only the moral but also the psychological (social) and theological (religious) questions on suicide. However, the ancient debates on suicide and assisted suicide for that matter take little account of the self. Instead, these debates focus on the social role and responsibility of the person committing suicide. Religion, on the other hand, takes a rather different approach. In Christianity, for instance, killing is wrong whether done to self or others. The contradiction is that most religions hold the virtue of compassion with endearment. While other parties will use this same virtue to root for assisted suicide, religion still views it as wrong (Gorsuch, 2009). Philosophy, like most religions, acknowledges the human ability to distinguish right from wrong. Upon this foundation, a philosopher may examine the issue of assisted suicide from one feasible approach. This first approach requires that one assumes that all factors held constant, an individual in their right state of mind in whatever decision they make reflect their moral, religious, philosophical and by extension ethical convictions. As such, a person choosing death instead of life must have examined their options and tagged assisted suicide â€Å"best option†. Fernandes (2008) while reflecting on some of the arguments

Critical analysis of the issues effecting global ecological integrity Essay

Critical analysis of the issues effecting global ecological integrity and how they impact on the health of populations - Essay Example Mcmichael (2001) defined the development of human frontiers geographic, climatic, and intellectual and technical has met many setbacks from disease, starvation and deteriorating resources. The communal and ecological revolutions wrought by agrarianism, industrialization, fertility control, social transformation, urbanization and mass utilization have intensely exaggerated patterns of health and disease. These days, as life expectancies rise, the planet's ecological units are being dented by the combined weight of populace size and exhaustive economic activity. Global warming, stratospheric ozone diminution and loss of biodiversity cause large-scale risks to human health and endurance. Human population and individual health eventually depend on the veracity of ecosystems and the ecosphere (i.e., without an environment competent of supporting life, no population and, hence, no health can exist). Healthy populations can subsist in restricted environments that have lost their ecological integrity such as most urban constituency only if healthy ecosystems subsist elsewhere to sustain them. This is a purpose of technology and trade and is a trait of human culture that exceptionally differentiates humans from other animal genus reliant on their local environments. That is, human health can be retained by healthy ecosystems (or, at least, productive ones) elsewhere. In this technique, the local population inflicts its ecological footprint on the global commons and on other regions or countries (Rees and Wackernagel 1996; Wackernagel and Rees 1996; Rees 1996, 1997; Pimentel et al. 2000). This interregional dependency can unclear the connection linking people and their health with the health of ecosystems. "To help define shared perceptions of long-term environmental issues and the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, a long-term agenda for action during the coming decades, and aspirational goals of the world community." (Bruntland 1987: ix). It is improbable that increasing "footprints" are sustainable in the long run. The ideas of global commons, ecological health, ecological health, ecology health, ecological integrity and disintegrity, and the like, usually relate to the situation of the biosphere that supports life. Indicators have been developed by agencies such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (WWF 1998) as standard measures that offer a sense of the health of environmental life support systems.