ICT Analysis Case Essay Example for Free

ICT Analysis Case Essay For my ICT Coursework I am doing a data handling project based on a newly opened restaurant. This restaurant is called Fusion and it was opened on July 7th 2007. Fusion is located in Dubai on the Sheikh Zayed Road. The Manager is Mr. Hashmi. He has asked me to help him out with the data they have collected over the past few months. The reason for doing this is that Fusion has fast become a very popular restaurant. I intend to help them handle their data in order to continue this success. Firstly I am going to help them input their customer details. I then intend to interview Mr Hashmi to establish what more information I can investigate. My reasons for doing this is that it will make their restaurant more efficient as they will now have user friendly data on the computer. The advantage of this is that they can edit the data anytime they want and it will never be lost by anyone unlike data which is written down on paper. They now have more then 300 customers and they thought it was time to get someone to help them with their customer details as there customer base is expanding everyday. They want a user friendly system so it will be easy for their staff to use. They previously had a staff of 20 (front and back of house which has now increased to 40. So with an increased customer and staff base it makes economical sense to implement this database to continue the efficient running of the school. Project Input Processing Output Restaurant Customer Details (name and address) Booking Details (date, time, number in party, table number) Table details (table number, maximum number of people) Look up customer details. Add, Edit and delete booking details. Look up booking details. Search for available tables on a particular time. Search for bookings on a particular date. Booking details on screen. Lists of daily bookings. Letters to customers advertising special promotions and events. Consulting the users of the current system Questionnaire 1. Have you ever been to the new restaurant Fusion? o Yes o No 2. Do you like the new restaurant Fusion? o Yes o No 3. Please give your age ____ 4. Would you like to make any improvements to Fusion o Yes o No 5. If yes, what would you like to improve? 6. What do you feel is the strong point of the restaurant? 7. What do you feel is a weakness of the restaurant? Thats the end of the questionnaire! Thank you for taking the time to complete it. Interview for Mr. Hashmi 1. What information do you store on your data handling system which is currently being used? We use our current data handling system to store the customer details, booking Details and table details. 2. How and where do you store your information? We just write down all these details onto a form. We then file all of this into a filing cabinet into different folders. 3. What happens when new customers come to eat at the restaurant? We right down the customer details onto a form and store it into a filing cabinet. 4. How many customers have you had till now? We have had more than 300 customers coming to the restaurant right now. 5. What problems does the current system cause? There are a lot of problems with the current systems. It is very difficult and time consuming to look up customer names. Even more so it is a very difficult when we have to edit or change data and the data can be damaged as its only being written down on a piece of paper. Also its a waste of paper. Wasting paper is also not very environmentally friendly which is something that as a business we take very seriously. 6. What experience of using a computer do you have? I personally have had a lot experience of using a computer as we have one in the restaurant. However its not used to store information. It is mostly used for sending emails. I think many of my staff would find using computers difficult so therefore by implementing an easy and efficient data handling program would be ideal I have high hopes that my staff would get used to the system quickly therefore making the running of the restaurant more efficient. 7. What kind of storing system would you and your staff prefer? I personally think the staff would prefer a data handling system on the computer as they will only have to learn it once and it would be really easy to use. 8. How much money are you willing to spend on developing a new system? We are willing to invest as much is needed to acquire the perfect data handling program as I am aware that it will ultimately benefit the running of my business. Thus improving profits in the long run. 9. What are some of the advantages of the current system you are using? Well I think the one advantage is that everyone can easily use the current system as there is no practice needed for it. 10. If there was one improvement you would make to the current system what would it be? I would like to change and make the current system easier to use for example I would like to be able to access a customers details quicker and more effectively. Describing the current system The current data handling system used in the Fusion restaurant is just a filing system and is not a digital application program on the computer. Unlike, the other restaurants where they all have a digital application program. The real end user of this system is the staff at the Fusion restaurant. They use a lot of their time organising, collecting, storing, entering, sorting and finding all the data and making sure its in order, neat and ready for the next day. They have to Look up customer details, add customer details, edit them and delete booking details from the data handling system currently being used. This information is presently being filed into filing cabinets. This information is used to keep up-to-date with all the bookings being made and to know if the restaurant is full at a time or empty. The current system has a few advantages. These are a few advantages for the current filing system. These are some of the advantages for using the current system: * The current filing system is very easy to use and everyone can use it no matter how experienced they are * The current filing system much is cheaper then having a computer application program made for the restaurant itself. * It is also very easy to produce the forms as it is just paper and questions that have been printed. This is very easy task for the restaurant but if the customer number increases higher it will be impossible for the system to work in order. * This filing system will never break down and have to go in for repairing unlike an application program, which might have to go in for repairing because of technical problems or damage. * The data wont get lost due to technical fault however through human error it can be misplaced but not every detail of the every customer will not be lost. But if the datas on the computer and it gets damaged all of Fusions information can be lost. To prevent this they will have to keep back up files. Problem Description This project will aim to solve the data-handling problems of the new restaurant called Fusion. This is a restaurant where a variety of foods are served. To do this work and provide these services customer details (name and address), booking Details and table details are collected and stored in filing cabinets. For the current system the data is collected by asking the customers their details over the phone or in person. This current system has a few disadvantages. These are some of the disadvantages for using the current system: * Its very time consuming to use. When the staff wants to find a particular file it takes them an unesccerray long time to go through all the folders and find the file they needed. This is also waste the customers time as they can become very impatient waiting for their file to be taken out. * The current system is also a waste of paper because when a new customer comes in they have to fill in a form or if a customers form is misplaced they will have to fill it in again which will cause inconvenience for the customers and the staff at the Fusion Restaurant. Making the restaurant look incompetent. * The current system also takes up a lot of storage space, which is eventually going to run out as they are going to get more and more new customers everyday. * If a customer wanted to edit their details the staff may find it really difficult to edit it and update information, as it is on paper and will have to be crossed out. This will also be very untidy and not very eye catching. * Also, if one member of staff fills up one form and another member of staff has to use it the next day it will be very hard to understand some peoples handwriting. This may cause inconvenience for the customer. * The system which is being used now can also be damaged as it is just ordinary paper and can be ruined easily by water, tea or coffee. * Another issue is if the original form which was filled previously is misplaced the customer will have to fill another form. This is very frustrating and annoying for the customers. Possible solutions There are a lot of possible solutions for all the problems. These are some of the most sensible and important solutions: * They could employ more staff as part of the staff can only organise all the files in the filing cabinet, but this has a disadvantage as it is very expensive to hire more staff and it might cause confusion among the other staff because of so many people working in one restaurant. * They can also have different filing cabinets for different customers in alphabetical order. This will make it easier for the staff to find the files as they can just go to the filing cabinet for the people whose name began with an A for example. * They can also have a different filing cabinet for bookings and reservations for the day. As this will help the staff, because they can go and check the reservations as they will know which filing cabinet the information is in. * They could also have a data handling system made as this will save their time, will be user-friendly, it will also make files a lot easier to locate and there will be no misspellings in this system. This is also saves on the storage space that would have been used previously for storing all the files. Chosen Solutions I have chosen the best chosen solution for solving the problem that Fusion is currently facing. I think the best solution for this problem is to use an application program which might not be specifically made for storing data from restaurants but can be customised to what the restaurant needs in its data handling system. Some of the advantages of this solution are: * This application program will be able to save all the data from fusion restaurant, with no misspellings and it will also save a lot of storage space. * Also the data cannot be misplaced to anywhere as it is on the computer and as long as the staff press the save button none of the data can be lost. * The data saved on the application program can be edited easily and will still be neat unlike the current system that is being used at Fusion. * The application program wont be time consuming as data can be found within approximately 45 seconds rather then the current system which might take more then 15 minutes. * The application program will also save a lot of paper and ink as the system will be fully digital and wont need to be printed onto paper. * The handwriting in the current system is very hard to read as different people fill out different forms, but with an application program everything will be typed in so this will make the writing very easy to read and understandable for all members of staff. * This might take some training for people who arent familiar with computers but in the long run it is better for the restaurant itself as it is a very modern restaurant and so should have a modern data handling system like the bigger and more established restaurants. System objectives There are a few system objectives for this application program as these will help improve the service provided by the application program. The system objectives for this application program are: * It should allow the staff at the Fusion restaurant to edit customer details as neatly as possible. * Allow me to find customer bookings quicker then the current filing system being used at Fusion. * Allow the staff at Fusion to find customers easily, so they can attend other customers. * The application program should be easy to use. * It also allows the staff to get in touch with the customers which is a positive thing for the restaurant. * The application program should be able to display information fast so it doesnt cause any inconvenience for the staff or the customer. * It should be able to quickly delete customers as when they had filing cabinets they had to find the folder which had to been thrown out. Performance criteria The performance criteria is linked to the system objective as it is just a more detailed explanation about the system objectives. The performance criteria for the application program are: * The system should allow the staff to easily change customer details without time constraints. * It should also allow me to find customer bookings without any problems in about 45 seconds. * The application program should also allow me to find customers easily without showing me other customers and customer details. * It should be easy to use so people without any ICT skills can use it easily too. * It should also allows the staff to get in touch with the customer as pictures can be added to the application program so this shows a clear picture of how the customer looks like. * It should also display information faster, in about 45 seconds for the maximum. * It should be able to quickly delete customers as when they had filing cabinets they had to find the folder which had to been thrown out. This is more efficient and environmentally friendly so therefore no paper is being wasted and also increases the speed of data being processed. Current resources Fusion has a PC even though not used for data handling it is used for emailing customers about current offers and information about Fusion. The current resources that are being used now at Fusion restaurant are: * A Flat screen which is 15 inches in size and has a Screen Resolution of 1280 x 800. * It runs on Windows XP and has the software Microsoft office 2000 right now which is quite old and doesnt have a lot features. * It is of the brand Samsung, which is quite popular for PCs. * The internet connection is DSL, which is faster than the normal internet connections available. Hardware The hardware in a computer is equipment involved in the function of a computer. Computer hardware consists of parts that can be physically handled. The functions of these components are usually divided into three main categories: input, output, and storage. Software Computer software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform tasks on a computer system. The term includes application software such as word processors which perform productive tasks for users, system software such as operating systems, which interface with hardware to provide the necessary services for application software, and middleware which controls and co-ordinates distributed systems.

A Study Of Interest Group Lobbying Politics Essay

A Study Of Interest Group Lobbying Politics Essay The introduction of organized interests is nothing new in American politics. Political scientists, politicians, and scholars alike all agree that interest groups are natural phenomena in a democratic regime. Political interests have played a central role in American politics since James Madison first warned the framers of factionalism. Since then, the last five decades have seen an alarming rise of interest groups, changing fundamentally accounting the ongoing transformation of American politics and the pressures of campaign reform. Modern parties as well as established interest groups have demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. The 20th century saw an increase in penetration of political and economic interests in the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, leading to the growth of political activity that have opened doors while closing others. With these changes, interest groups have adjusted their strategy and tactics to adapt to the opportunities and constraints among the decision-making arenas. In line with these changes in American politics, it has revolutionized the representation and success of social movements. With the continuing need for more representation, politicians have come to recognize the impact groups can have when they mobilize support. Though they have impacted American politics in various ways, it is important to understand the methods they have used accounting the changing political environment. These strategies however, are not limited to one particular decision-making arena, but are the most commonly used. Interest groups are involved in American Politics in various ways. This especially is true within the judicial processes. When it comes to strategies used by interest groups, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee has become the most formal strategy pursued by interest group representatives. This process provides opportunity for interest groups to express their opinions directly to the people who have the power to accept or reject a nominee. While the former has been the most popular tactic for groups, it requires a high level of national prestige to acquire an invitation to this committee. In the case of Roberts and Alito nominations, the absence of interest group participation did not reflect their unwillingness to testify. Instead, their influence was mitigated by the committees refusal to allow interest group participation. While the former method has been one of the most effective ways to be represented, it requires prestigious interest groups which often require abund ant human and financial capital. Position taking on the other hand, is a low-cost alternative tactic used to support a judicial nominee. These actions serve to mobilize members and help generate contributions. Advertisements, on the other hand, have been the most common tool used in all decision-making arenas. As a result, interest groups have used television, radio, and billboards to support or oppose a judicial nominees. The growth in communication technologies has increased the number of strategic opportunities for interest groups. In fact, during the Bush administration, nearly all ads for or against Bush nominees were aired on cable new programs, which appealed to audiences who are more likely to be engaged in political affairs. Interests groups are also likely to also participate in mass mailings containing nominee information to fundraising support. More recently however, with the ongoing changes and development of technology, interest groups have begun using technology as a tool in electoral campaigns. Technological advancements have complemented traditional strategies. Websites, e-mails, and blogs, have become a cheap and effective approach over the last decade. When it comes to Interest group influence in elections such as the presidency, parties and candidates must have enough money to communicate and mobilize properly. Candidates seeking funds have found organized interests willing to contribute to those who share their political view. Interest groups involved in campaign contribution have seen the most constraints. Fortunately, federal campaign finance laws have been largely ineffective in limiting the role of special-interest money. Following the federal regulations after 1971, the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) has administered and enforced numerous federal campaign laws. By setting hard money contribution limits, it subsequently led to the rise of political action committees. Since hard money was defined as money contributed directly to a candidate of a political party (Loomis, 285), it was opportunity for interest groups to donate unregulated (soft) money to the political party as a whole. Subsequently, the Bipartisan Campaign Re form Act in 2002, prohibited unregulated contributions to national party committees. With the ongoing constraints by the FEC, PACs have become vey creative in allocating their resources. One strategy they have used is bundling, when PACs collect checks made out to a particular candidate and then send each candidate the checks all at once (Loomis, 191). Morgan Stanley, for example, bundled nearly $600,000 to the reelection campaign for Bush. In addition, PACs have also funneled money by giving contributions to other PACs or organizations that support their interests. 527 groups which refer to the groups that are not regulated by the FEC found various methods for advocating issues. As a right to free speech, groups were allowed to spent unlimited amount of independent money. They are able to do this by avoiding the use of specific words that include: vote for, elect, support, oppose. As special interest seek to influence government policy and members of Congress, two main strategies are commonly used; electoral and access. Most elected officials want to be reelected therefore they listen to people who can help or hinder that reelection. Interest groups take advantage of this situation by rallying voters to their cause and contributing money to reelection campaigns. Most interest groups cannot legally encourage their members to vote for or against a particular candidate, but they can achieve the same effect by informing their members of candidates stances on issues. For example, for years the Christian Coalition have issued voter pamphlets which describe the candidates positions on issues that are particularly important to group members, such as abortion. Other groups play the ratings game by publishing the positions of all members of Congress on key issues with the hope of swaying voters. Unfortunately, Electoral strategies are highly ambitious and risky which ca n often backfire in future elections. Access strategies however, are known as risk-averse strategies. These are techniques in which interest groups work to get access to directly influence an official. Unfortunately, given how busy members of Congress and other government officials often are, getting access pose major challenges. Sometimes a lobbyist can only get a few minutes of the officials time, so the lobbyist must be prepared to make a pitch very quickly. Some types of people have an easier time getting access than others. Some lobbying organizations use these types of people to help gain access. Actor Michael J. Fox, for example, has lobbied for increased funding for Parkinsons disease research. Both Angelina Jolie and Bono have also successfully lobbied Congress for their causes. When looking at social movements in the 21st century, one of the most successful has been the contemporary environmental movement. While interest groups have had more success in American decision-making institutions in the past, social movements have utilized similar tools to get their voices heard. Through coalitions with interest groups, private funding, technological advancements, the environmental movement has become a formidable force in American politics.

Theories for Determinants of Emotional States

Theories for Determinants of Emotional States INTRODUCTION An individual fast asleep at night is suddenly awakened by a loud noise coming from somewhere within the house. He immediately becomes physiological agitated: the body begins to sweat, the heart beats faster, and hands begin to tremble. Does he experience fear, or perhaps another emotion such as anger, or even happiness? Schachter and Singer (1962) proposed a two-factor model that specifies the conditions under which people will experience one particular emotion or another when faced with an emotionally exciting event, such as impending danger. This model states that a person’s emotional response to danger is dependent on the interaction between their physiological arousal and cognitive appraisal of the situation (e.g. whether it is dangerous or not). Ordinarily, danger would trigger biological changes, such as increased heart rate, trembling, crying, and perspiration. These physiological changes in turn determine both the intensity (i.e. level) and quality (i.e. type) of our emotional response. However, the particular type of emotion experienced depends on how we cognitively perceive or ‘read’ the situation. For example, we experience fear if the situation is appraised as dangerous or life threatening, such as an approaching lion, or an imminent category 4 tornado. SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS In the scenario described at the beginning of this essay, the individual woken suddenly by a noise, and physiologically aroused will experience emotional arousal. The intensity of his emotions will be a direct function of his level of physiological arousal. So, for example, we will experience very strong emotions if his heart is beating extremely fast and he is sweating profusely. However, the type of emotion experienced will depend on how is appraises the situation. He will experience fear if for example he believes a burglar has broken into the house and is armed and dangerous. By contrast he may experience anger if he knows that his excitable pet dog probably knocked something down while chasing his cat around the house. Or he may experience happiness if he knows the noise was caused by his loving fiancà ©e who has just returned from the airport after long holiday her parents, and perhaps tripped over something when entering the darkened house. Schachter and Singers (1962) two- f actor model is actually a redevelopment of the James-Lange theory. James Lange originally proposed that emotional experience is contingent on the physiological changes induced by an event. Thus, for example, imminent natural disaster for example will first trigger an emotional response in an individual, for example anxiety. Because they feel anxious, the person will experience physiological changes consistent with this emotion, for example increased heart rate, and perspiration. ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS Whether physiological changes precede emotional arousal, or vice versa, is a controversial subject. Psychologist Walter Cannon (1927/1987) proposed an model, known as the Cannon-Bard theory, which contends that physiological arousal is in fact contingent on emotional experience. It can be argued that human beings are not very good at monitoring physiological changes in their body. For example, subtle changes in heart rate, or mild increases in perspiration may go undetected (Chwalisz et al, 1988). If so, then people may simply fail to experience any emotion, regardless of their appraisals of the situation. Yet, people generally react instantaneously to danger, exhibiting signs of emotional disturbance, without necessarily being aware of an increase in heart rate or other physiological changes (Zillman, 1978, 1988). The emotional experience isn’t determined by our detection of biological changes, but rather may be contingent on how we appraisal of the stimulus, and our memory ( i.e. prior experience) and general knowledge about the stimulus. For example, an individual who suddenly comes face to face with a lion will correctly judge that this animal can kill and therefore his life is under threat. This appraisal in turn will produce fear. Similarly, the person may remember that he was viscously attacked the last time he met a lion, and/or more probably be aware of the fact that big carnivorous cats kill people. Another problem with the Schachter and Singer model is their failure to account for how people cope with threat or danger. They assume that physiological arousal elicits emotional arousal, so that they relationship between the two variables is always positive. However, theories on coping propose that two people confronted with the same stressful event may experience marked different intensities of anxiety. More specifically Janis and Mann’s (1977) conflict-theory argued that the level of intensity experienced varies depending on how people deal with stress generated by uncertainty what to do. Complacency results in little or no emotional arousal. Defensive avoidance refers to evasive strategies, such as denial, wishful thinking, and shifting responsibility -emotional arousal is generally low, but easily becomes intense when signs of the danger become salient. Hypervigilance denotes panic, and occurs when the danger seems highly imminent (e.g. an approaching tornado, or impendi ng illness). It is characterised by extremely high levels of emotional arousal. Finally, vigilance refers to a rational, and logical problem solving approach, and emotional arousal is considered to be ‘moderate’, rather than extremely high or low. The problem with Janis and Mann’s (1977) model is that to date there has been a paucity of experimental research testing the association between coping strategies and stress levels (but see Mann Tan, 1993). However, studies have demonstrated correlational relationships between coping styles and emotional arousal (Witte Allen, 2000), suggesting that the former should form an important element of Schachter and Singers (1962) model. More specifically, it is possible that physiological changes generate strong emotions when people cope in one particular way, and little or no emotion arousal when people cope another way. Stimulus Characteristics Schachter and Singers (1962) model makes no reference to features of the stimulus itself. Rogers (1983) argued that the way we respond emotionally to a stimulus, specifically a threatening communication such as a health warning, depends on how we perceive aspects of the stimulus. He argued that dangerous events, such as a probable illness or impending natural disaster contain cues as to the probability of the event, and its seriousness or magnitude. The greater our estimates of the seriousness of a threat, and its probability of occurrence, the greater the level of anxiety experienced. In other words, stimulus characteristics determine the intensity of our emotional experience. A large volume of research published since the mid 1970s has found ample evidence in support of Rogers (1983) ideas (see reviews by Eagly Chaiken, 1993; Milne et al, 2000). In fact Rogers formulations continue to influence professional thinking especially in trying to understand people’s emotional reac tions to threatening health communications. It can be argued that Rogers’s ideas do not invalidate Schachter and Singers (1962) model. Stimulus characteristics may simply be something else people consider, in addition to monitoring their physiological parameters, and trying to work out the situation. Or perhaps Rogers’s appraisals fit in with Schachter and Singers emphasis on appraisals of the situation. Thus, if people perceived the situation as highly dangerous, because of the high severity and probability of the danger, then they would interpret their physiological arousal as fear. METHODOLOGICAL AND ANALYTICAL ISSUES Critique of Schachter and Singers two-factor model requires closer scrutiny of the evidence they present in support of their model. Various methodological and analytic constraints limit the conclusions that may be drawn (Coolican, 1994). Firstly, the study design is questionable. This study was set up as a between-groups design with subjects assigned to either one of two physiological arousal conditions – a treatment group (injected with adrenaline), or placebo group (given a saline condition). There was no control group. The presence of a control group is significant because it allows the researcher to demonstrate that observed effects were not simply a result of the ‘anticipatory’ effects of interventions (treatment or placebo) given to subjects. Another problem with the design was the failure to control for background variables that may confound treatment effects. In particular, subjects baseline emotions prior to the study should have been accounted for in the analysis, in order to partial out any pre-intervention differences between groups. The population was a sample of introductory psychology students. This kind of sample is generally better informed that the average man on the street, and have been able to decipher the researchers’ hypotheses, and hence provide responses intended to confirm or refute the predictions. The sample size was also rather limited (just over a 100), making it more difficult to detect statistically significant differences between the groups. This may partly explain the absence of group differences in self-reports of anger between the adrenaline-ignorant and adrenaline-informed groups. The anger condition was problematic because it was felt that subjects didn’t want to display anger towards the experimenter regarding their participation in the experiment. The sample was not randomly recruited meaning that the findings may in fact be specific to the particular subjects used, and may not generalise accurate to the wider population. CONCLUSIONS Perhaps the best evidence in support of the two-factor model lies in the difference observed between the three ‘information’ conditions amongst subjects injected with adrenaline. Those in the adrenaline-ignorant and adrenaline-misinformed group reported the highest ‘happiness’ levels, presumably because, lacking information about why they were experiencing physiological arousal, there automatically assumed that they felt that way because they were happy. This demonstrates two things. Firstly, it shows that physiological arousal may elicit an emotional experience (intensity), and secondly that an understanding of the situation led to a particular type of emotional experience – happiness. This confirms supports the two-factor proposition that emotional experience is a function of the interaction between physiological and situational (i.e. cognitive) factors. Nevertheless, the evidence is questionable, largely due to the absence of a control group, and a lso the small sample size. Schachter and Singers analysis also fails to account for other factors that may moderate that may have an independent effect on emotional experience, regardless of physiological arousal, such coping strategy, memory, prior experience, and general knowledge. There is a strong possibility that the impact of physiological arousal may be significantly attenuated after accounting for additional factors. In essence, emotional experience in certain circumstances may be driven solely by cognitive factors (i.e. thoughts, perceptions, memory), with biological changes have little or no effect peoples emotional response. REFERENCES Cannon, W. (1927/1987) The James-Lange theory of emotions: a critical examination  and an alternative theory. Special issue: 100 years of the American Journal of  Psychology. American Journal of Psychology. 100, pp.567-586. Chwalisz, K., Diener, E. Gallagher, D. (1988) Autonomic arousal feedback and  emotional experience. Evidence from the spinal cord injured. Journal of  Personality Social Psychology. 54, pp.820-828. Coolican, H. (1994) Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Hodder   Stoughton. Eagly, A.H. Chaiken, S. (1993) The Psychology of Attitudes. Fort Worth, TX:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Janis, I. Mann, L. (1977) Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict,  Choice, and Commitment. New York: The Free Press   Mann, L Tan, C. (1993) The hassled decision maker: the effects of perceived time  pressure on information processing in decision making. Australian Journal of  Management. 18, pp.197-209. Milne, S., Sheeran, P. Orbell, S. (2000) Prediction and intervention in health related  behaviour: a meta-analytic review of protection motivation theory. Journal of  Applied Social Psychology. 4, 149-163. Rogers, R.W. (1983) Cognitive and physiological processes in fear appeals and  attitude change: A revised theory of protection motivation. In B.L. Cacioppo,   L.L. Petty, D. Shapiro (Eds), Social Psychophysiology: A Source Book  (pp.153-176). London, UK: Guilford. Schachter, S. Singer, J. (1962) Cognitive, social and physiological determinants of  emotional state. Psychological Review. 69, pp.379-399. Witte, K. Allen, M. (2000) A meta-analysis of fear appeals: implications for  effective public health campaigns. Health Education Behaviour. 27, pp.591-  615. Zilman, D. (1978) Attribution and mis-attribution of excitatory reactions. In J.H.  Harvey, WE.J.Ickes R.F. Kidd (eds) New Directions in Attribution  Research Vol 2. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum. Zilman, D. (1988) Cognition-excitation interdependence in aggressive behaviour.  Aggressive Behaviour. 14, pp.51-64.

Customer Service Representative Morale Essay -- essays research papers

A business seeks to make a profit by providing customers with goods and services. The success of the business is in the quality of the goods and customer service. Management and leadership styles have a great impact on the working environment and employees’ motivation. The working environment also affects both management and other employees’ motivation, which in turn influences the overall progress and well being of the organization. It all comes down to keeping employees enthusiastic and energized by developing a leadership style that will build teamwork and growth for the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The managers’ leadership style contributes directly to the employees’ motivation and work satisfaction. There are many types of leadership styles, one that is task-oriented and the other is employee-oriented. A manage or supervisor with a task-oriented style will typically train and expect results as if they we doing the task themselves. On the other hand, the manager with an employee-oriented leadership style will foster team work with a concern in boosting employee self esteem, enhancing their decision making and problem solving skills. Not all leaders fall exclusively into one style or the other. Depending on the personality and the dominant part of the manager’s style, the effects on the customer service representative will vary. There are three main types of leadership styles that shape all kinds of leaders. The three types are the autocratic, democratic, and free-reign styles of leadership. The autocratic style of leadership would be considered the most task-oriented type, in which the manager carries out all the decision-making process without any feedback or suggestions from subordinates. Communication is one-way, where the work provided by the manager is to be done without any modifications by the subordinates. In this style of leadership, the delegation of authority is controlled, meaning that the decision-making is only performed by senior managers and is rarely delegated to subordinates along the chain of command. The democratic leadership style is more of a participative type of leadership. It is a two-way communication leadership, in which employees are allowed to contribute in the decision-making; however, the manager makes the final decision. The delegation of authority in this style of leadership is less controlled and more de... ...ses, motivating employees to produce the desired behavior. The days of a customer service representative sitting in a dimly lit cubical for hours on end, without the proper skills and information are long gone. The customer service representative today is a highly skilled individual with a passion for assisting each and every caller with the best possible service they can provide. They are empathetic, compassionate, and dedicated to the task at hand. They are truly an asset to any companies well being and success. References Leavitt, W.M. (1996). High pay and low morale-Can high pay, excellent benefits, job security, and low job satisfaction coexist in a public agency? Public Personnel Management, 25, 333-341. Khaleque, A., & Chowdhury, N. (1983, May). Perceived importance of job facet and over all job satisfaction of top and bottom level industrial managers. Paper presented at the proceedings of the third Asian Regional Conference of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, Bang, Malaysia. Rahman, T., Rahman, T., & Khaleque, A. (1995). Job facets and job satisfaction of bank employees in Bangladesh. Psychological Studies, 40, 154-156

Tolerance in the Middle Ages :: essays research papers

The issue of toleration has and always will be a strong and influential topic among peoples of all ethnic and culture backgrounds. The same is true for the issue of religious toleration, in the case being between the Jews and the Christians in Medieval Europe. It is argued between R. Menahem ha-meir and Katz that the word toleration is not simply an explanation of the times, but rather a false impression of the truth. The truth in this case being, that the Jews and Christians wanted isolation and separatism from each other while at the same time being able to co-exist together in their respective societies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By looking at the Katz text, it is plain to see that his main argument on the topic of religious toleration is that these two groups of people in this time period did indeed desire separation and exclusiveness from each other. The problem that stemmed from this isolation was the difficulty in making everyday life work for both religious groups while at the same time keeping them apart from one another as much as possible. Furthermore, we see the struggle defined by Katz which describes the Jews and the difficulty they faced in translating their ancient texts to every day life scenarios. Much of what was written in the Aggadah and the Halakha was not always applicable to these past every day situations, so we begin to see a redefining and stretching of the sayings in the ancient text and the politics of the time in order to better suit the people and not disrupt the economy, society, etc. For example, we see the Jews now being able to represent themselves in court because of the new technicality which allows the oath to be taken. It is now allowed because the Christian taking the oath is swearing on a ?composite? God and more technically, a piece of paper which the Jews do not recognize as true authority (The Gospels). This shows how the social realities had changed and how the Jews had adapted to the situations by not getting rid of the text, but by instead articulating the text while maintaining exclusiveness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand, R. Menahem ha-meir says in his article that toleration needs to be understood contextually, as in Katz?s work, however he also stresses that the need for the isolation and separation should be looked at strictly in its historical environment along with the already specific religious assumptions that the Christians and Jews have towards one another.

Import Substitution Industries Essay

â€Å"There is a belief among some economists that a country should focus more on export sector explanation and diversification than promoting the import substitution Industries (ISI).† Critically comment on this taking Sri Lankan economy as an example. You are expected to refer relevant articles from recognized sources on the said areas and provide your own views and analysis with proper reasoning. Export means shipping the goods and services out of the port of a country. An import is a good brought into a jurisdiction, especially across a national border, from an external source. Import Substitution Industries (ISI) means an economic theory employed by developing or emerging market nations that wish to increase their self-sufficiency and decrease their dependency on developed countries. Implementation of the theory focuses on protection and incubation of domestic infant industries so they may emerge to compete with imported goods and make the local economy more self-sufficie nt. Normally importing is not bad. Importing raw materials and goods is one of the paths of increasing the profit margins. There are number of benefits in importing the goods, such as high quality, low prices, and benefits related to the international trade. But I think there are more disadvantages for country. Importing of goods could lead the erosion of the domestic markets and national economies specifically when there is trade deficit occurrence the import is higher than the export. And can also be increased due to import of goods such as conflict in the domestic values due to the acceptance of social values. The domestic industries can also be crippled due to the import of the countries where the wages are low and the domestic industries are unable to compete since they cannot lower down their prices of goods than the cost of goods. The exporting of goods is specifically difficult and disadvantageous for the small and medium size firms. The sale of services and goods into the foreign market is difficult for them rather serving the domestic market. A lack of knowledge of different languages, difference in culture, exchange regulations and trade regulations having the major impact on exporting the goods. But normally there are have more advantages than importing. One of the major advantages of export is the ownership advantage which is specific to the firms international experience, asset and ability of the exporter to  either develop the differentiated product or low cost product with in the values chain. A combination of investment risk and market potential is known as the location benefit of the particular market combination. In order to retain the core competencies within the organization and stitching it throughout the country without retaining the license, selling or outsourcing is the international advantage in export. Some of the organizations having lower level of ownership advantage may do not enter into the foreign markets. In case a company’s products and company’s ownership equipped with the international advantage and ownership advantage, the entry can be made through low risk model known as exporting under the eclectic paradigm. There is low investment requires in exporting of goods than the other modes of inter national trade and expansion such foreign direct investment. Somehow it is recognized that the lower level of risk result in ,lower level of rate of return than possibly the other modes of international trade. On the other hand the usual return on international trade in export sales might not have greater potential but also there will be no risk. In export of goods the managers are allowed to exercise the various operational control however it does not have the option over the control of marketing activities of the company. The end consumer of exported goods is far away from the exporter though the various intermediaries can manage the risk. Export performance is one of the strongest areas of Sri Lanka’s economy at the present time. It can be best described as a growth area. If you were to take exports as a whole, there has been an improvement of around 14% across the board, in terms of the foreign exchange that was realized by Sri Lankan exports. However, in some sectors, the growth has been very much more. For example, in the electronic sector, it is as high as 80%, with rubber performing at 45%, wooden products at 57%, and so on. And also emphasis that the government’s policy is not restricted to enhancing the quantum of foreign exchange that we earn from exports. Earning more foreign exchange is important as the country requires it, but we do not intend to stop there. This is a necessary condition but we do not see it as being sufficient. One of the main policy objectives is to ensure that all benefits percolate down to the grassroots level. In other words, there has to be an equitable distribution of wealth and income right throughout the country. So Sri Lanka is today referred to as a ‘middle income country’ with a per capita income  of US$ 1,370. However, one of our problems is that the distribution of income within the country is far from equitable. A good example of this is the fact that the per capita income in the district of Colombo is seven times what it is in districts such as Monaragela, Pollonnaruwa and Hambantota. Thus we need to address the inequities that are inherent in that situation. This is why the putting a particular emphasis on the concept of ‘export promotion villages’ that are being developed around the country. However in this year Imports in Sri Lanka increased to 1845.30 USD Million in July of 2014 from 1439.40 USD Million in June of 2014. Imports in Sri Lanka averaged 1035.70 USD Million from 2001 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 1986.40 USD Million in November of 2011 and a record low of 408 USD Million in February of 2002. (Reported by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka) Normally we export different type of goods like Apparel, tea, rubber coconut gems etc†¦ In those industries the tea industry is perhaps Sri Lanka’s most strategic economic sector and pure Ceylon tea our only internationally known brand. We are the world’s biggest tea exporter, manufacturing more than 300 million kilos of black tea annually, almost all of which is exported. Our orthodox teas usually sell at a premium over other orthodox teas from elsewhere. Therefore we can increase that industry and get more economical profit for our country. In importing we have to pay more money with huge taxes to other countries, and in that situation we waste our money more. But if we focus more on export sector explanation and diversification we can improve our productions, develop our manufactures, and finally we can export those productions for other countries, then we can earn more profit. Don’t want to pay unessential money for other countries if we’ll develo p our exporting industry. In that case we can increase jobs for our people also, and we can develop our economy. So, mainly Imports and exports may seem like general terms that have little bearing on everyday life, but they exert a profound influence on the consumer and the economy. In today’s interlinked global economy, consumers are used to seeing products and produce from every corner of the world in their local malls and stores. These overseas products or imports provide more choices to consumers and help them manage strained household budgets. But too many imports in relation to exports which are products shipped from a country to foreign destinations can distort a  nation’s balance of trade and devalue its currency. The value of a currency, in turn, is one of the biggest determinants of a nation’s economic performance. So finally studying about those cases I also think the country should focus more on export sector explanation and diversification than promoting the import substitution Industries (ISI).

Les Demoiselles D’avignon Essay

My museum paper is on the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, painted by Pablo Picasso in Paris, June-July 1907. Oil on canvas, 8’x7’ 8† (243.9Ãâ€"233.7cm). He became one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century and the creator (with Georges Braque) of Cubism. A Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, Picasso was considered radical in his work. Born October 25, 1881, Malaga, Spain, and after a long prolific career, he died April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France. This was my first time at the Museum of Modern Art; I never went there because I never had everyone to go with me. I went with my cousin; she is an art teacher and who better to go to the Museum of Modern Art with then an art teacher. When we first got to the museum there wasn’t much to see in the lobby. We went on the escalator to the fifth floor were hundreds of people walking all thought-out the galleries. My cousin explained all the different types of art and artists to me as we were walking though the galleries. I ended up in the Alfred H. Barr Jr. Painting and Sculpture Galleries where I seen a painting from a French painter, Fernand Leger called â€Å"Women with a Book† I thought that was the painting that I wanted to do my report on, but when I seen art work from Pablo Picasso like, The Studio, Ma Jolie and The Three Musician I was speechless. Some of his work that I seen at the museum was breathtaking, but one in particular caught my eye; it was the Les Demoise lles d’Avignon. It is located in the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller, Second Gallery. As you walk into the gallery, the â€Å"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon† is the first painting you see, because of how large it is, and all the bright colors in the art work. When I seen the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon in my art book I through that it was a nice painting, but when I stood right in-front of it I was astonish. The Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is not just a painting; it truly is a master piece. There had to be about thirty people standing around the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and another twenty people looking at the other art work in the room. Some people were just standing looking at the painting, some taking pictures. As I, started taking pictures of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon I couldn’t help but notice the painting to the right, it was called â€Å"Repose† and to the left was another painting called the â€Å"Two Nudes† both are painted by Picasso. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are the woman of Avignon, the term demoiselles (meaning â€Å"young ladies†), was a euphemism for prostitutes and â€Å"Avignon† refers not to the French town but to a street in the red-light district of the city of Barcelona where Picasso was a young artist. (Art A Brief History), pg 532. Print. The d’Avignon are actually five prostitutes, and these are five women naked. They’re looking at us, as much as we’re looking at them. The very early studies show a sailor walking into this curtained room where the ladies stand and the woman on the far left now has the traces of having been that man entering the room, and you can even feel a certain masculinity in the sort of sculptural carving of her body and the way that the very large foot is stepping toward the others. It almost seem like it’s a build-up of geometric forms, and if you look at the chest of the woman at the very top right, you can see one of these cubes making up the space underneath her chin, thus the name Cubism. One striking aspect of this painting is the way that it’s staged on which these women are painted, is almost looming out at the viewer. Rather than feeling like these woman are nice and safely set back in some kind of room, that you are peering into. I feel like the woman are almost piled on top of each other. Piled in such a way that the canvas is almost stepping out at the viewer. Its part of the desire of the painting to confront you, I think physically, psychologically, as well as intellectually with everything that’s going on in it. It’s painted in pinkish, peach flesh skin tones against a back drop of brown, white and blue curtains. The figures are very flat and theirs is little illusion that these are real bodies. Looking at the five figu res from left to right, the woman to the far left is standing in profile facing right with her left hand; she reaches up behind her head to hold an orange brown curtain back. She has long straight black hair falling down her back. Her head, from the neck up peers to be in shadow or sun-tan, it’s a darker brown than the pinkish flesh of her body. She stares straight ahead expressionless. Her right eye from the front view is large, simplified and out-lined in black with a black pupil surrounded by brown. Her right arm hangs stiffly by her side. Her breast jets forward in a ruff square shape. Beside this figure, in the center of this painting are two women looking directly forward, straight out of the canvas. Their black eyes are wide and uneven. Their left eye brows extend a sweeping line to form simplify noses. Their mouths are straight lines. The one on the left raises her bent right elbow and places her hand behind her head, as if posing seductively. Her black hair is pulled back and falls behind her left shoulder. Her breasts are half circles; none of the women’s breast has nipples. The women on the right, raises both arms and puts both hands behind her hand. Her dark brown hair is pulled into a high bun. The last two figures don’t fit in with the painting, they are unexpected. The one to the top right stands back, her raised arms parting the blue curtain on which she’s coming out from. Her black hair hangs down her back; one eye socket black and empty. Her nose, like her face is large and elongated, striped diagonally in green across her cheek, suggesting less the face of a human then the forms of an African mask. In front of her, is another woman she is sitting or squatting, elbow on one raised knee which jets forward at the center of the painting almost looks as if her back is facing the viewer, but that is not true because her dark tan face is turned towards the viewer. She raises her arm to her face and beneath her chin is a large ambiguous form recalling a boomerang, it might be her hand, or a piece of melon she’s eating. Her body is flat and her nose is also stripped. Her face looks like a mask, and she has one uneven eye completely white, the other completely blue. The drapery behind them doesn’t hang softly; it looks like shatter pieces of glass with blue and white tones. In the center at the bottom of the painting are assorted fruits on a wrinkle white cloth; a pear, an apple, grapes and a slice of melon. The pear and apple have shrieks of red in them, the melon is reddish too and the grapes are grayish white. In conclusion, my experience at the Museum of Modern Art was delightful. Walking through the museum and seeing ancient statues and painting from so many different decades was so fulfilling. I didn’t realize how much I enjoy looking at art work; I just wanted to see more and more. I kept asking myself, how did they do this? How did they do that? What were they thinking when they paint this? Even though I didn’t get all my answers I was like a sponge, soaking it all up. What a wonderful, amazing day. I will definitely go back. Bibliography: Cothren Michael W., and Marilyn Stokstad. Art: A Brief History 4th ed. Page.531, 19-7. Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest (333.1939) Laurence King Publishing Ltd, London. (2010-2007) Print. Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019. April 29, 2012 Pablo Picasso. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. 1907. Oil on canvas, 8†² x 7†² 8†³ (243.9 x 233.7 cm). Acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest.  © 2003 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. http://www.moma.org/ Web. (2012).