The Education Sector of Tanzania Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10250 words

The Education Sector of Tanzania - Dissertation Example The creation of the MIS model will serve the purposes of empowering decision makers and the creation of capacity to deliver better education services across the sector. In the area of requirements analysis, the creation of the specification for the MIS model was executed through the incorporation of national and international standards of education, regarding the needs of the users of the Tanzanian education sector. Communication with the users was executed through interviews, as this model offered unbiased information on the viewpoints of the user population. Feedback surveys were also helpful towards reaching the desired information base, as collected from social networking and other ICT-related data sites. Areas of constraints included the vague knowledge of the specifications desired by the user population, the unreasonable timelines of the end-users, and the communication gap between implementation teams and the end-user population. The rationales for the choices made were based on rationale capture and rationale representation, which were verified using argument-based choices. The software requirements specification was designed to emphasize on and foster the usage of management information systems throughout the creation, processing, and consumption of information. Performance indicators revolved around the service delivery of service personnel to the documentation of students and offering a complete picture of the educations sector. The features of the model under implementation include capturing baseline statistics like the demography of users to school performance capacities. Data flow across the sector was created to improve the practice and quality of management across the different user groups. INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE MIS MODEL UNDER CREATION The education sector at Tanzania has historically faced numerous challenges, including the lack of basic infrastructure like electricity at local schools, and the in-availabili ty of national funding to foster the educational management standards of these schools. One area that has been redundant in the Tanzanian education sector is the level of access to data and the infrastructure required to manage these databases. Following these areas of deficiency, the Tanzanian sector, just like the case of other Eastern Africa countries, the respective education sectors have not been run and managed in a proper manner. The case is worse among the publicly funded schools, which fully depend on the input of the government – this happens in the area of implementations of technological infrastructure, steered towards educational improvement.

Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay Example for Free

Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay Oil production in the Middle East has not only been a subject of geology or exploiting the lowest-cost field. Where exploration is performed and what fields are developed has been influenced as much by political as by economic factors. Until the late 1960s oil production and exports from the region significantly reflected the major western oil companies’ need to cope with the demands of the different governments in the Middle East, all of whom wanted to see more oil produced in their territories in order that they could get more revenue. The oil companies were as well concerned with the political stability of the regimes in the oil-exporting countries, the dependability of supply, the likelihood of the nationalisation of oil company facilities, demands over royalty levels and pressures to make use of and train local nationals. In view of the fact that then, what gets produced where and exported has depended on political and economic muscle within OPEC which efficiently determines country quotas. Iran was the first country in the Middle East in which oil was exploited with test production starting in 1903 and a key discovery in 1908. Under Reza Shah the country was politically stable, and the oil concession agreement which was signed with D’Arcy in 1901 on very positive terms was to run until 1994. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which afterwards turns into British Petroleum, was founded in 1909. Oil was not discovered in Iraq until 1927, however by that time Persian production was well established, plus a slow growth of demand, reflecting the fragile state of the international economy at the time, intended Iraqi oil exploitation was restricted in these early years. (Mohamed Rabie, 1992). Which oil fields were developed as well reflected rivalries in Middle Eastern interests between the major western powers. Britain, through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, had a virtual monopoly of exploration in Iran, consequently the United States had little choice however to look to Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf, the one area that had not come under European imperial influences. In the 1930s the oil fields of the eastern province were opened up, plus the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) was formed by a consortium of leading United States oil companies. It was ARAMCO that developed the Ghawar and Safaniya fields in the Dhahran area which were to prove to be the largest and most dynamic in the entire world. ARAMCO carries on to account for most Saudi Arabian oil production and exports, although it was nationalised in the 1970s and the role of the American associate companies is now restricted to specialist support and marketing. There was huge resistance to attempts to take over the oil concessions awarded to western multinational oil companies. Conflicts between the oil companies and host-country governments over revenues date back to the 1920s and 1930s when oil started to be exploited in noteworthy quantities, however it was the Iranian government which was the first to demand control of production. After Dr Musaddiq consolidated his power as prime minister in 1952 he set up the National Iran Oil Company, a state-owned entity, to take over Iran’s oil from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. This aggravated a two-year boycott of purchases of Iranian oil by the major western oil companies. Purchases were merely started again when Musaddiq was overthrown and terms were agreed which were satisfactory from the viewpoint of the oil companies. (John Page, 1999). In the meantime the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had changed its name to British Petroleum. It was to focus on developing the oil fields of the Emirates on the Arab side of the Gulf, where the rulers were much more co-operative. It was this new orientation and the co-operation with Shell, the Anglo-Dutch company, which were to consequence in the major developments in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and ultimately Oman. The increasing importance of the Arab Emirates as oil suppliers was not so much a reflection of the quality of their oil or relative cost factors, to a certain extent what mattered was the political environment and the security of oil supplies. Iran, and subsequently Iraq, had their exploration and production curtailed on account of their political intransigence. The beneficiaries were the Arabian Peninsula states that had their oil fields developed and exploited to a greater extent than might otherwise have been the case on the basis of geological decisions alone. (Nora Bensahel, Daniel L. Byman, 2003).

Reader Response of Nam’s At the Door :: Wong Phui Nam

Wong Phui Nam’s â€Å"At the Door† is mainly giving a voice to the unwanted unborn who struggles with death in the early stage of its life. The persona begins by questioning its mother on why did she poisons it. From line â€Å"the poisons seep down, blacken leaf and stem† giving readers the images of death as the poison oozes slowly in painful and destroying manner. The news of pregnancy and birth are in general received as something blissful and joyful, however it is obviously not the case for this pregnancy. This poem illustrates sadness and grief of the discarded foetus, giving it a melancholy tone. The foetus is seen as a plant. The new life of the foetus as symbolises in â€Å"leaf†, â€Å"stem† and â€Å"roots† are â€Å"blacken†, â€Å"pinch† and â€Å"disarrange† and it is deformed before birth by the poison. More images of deformity can be seen in the second stanza. The persona states the â€Å"streams† and â€Å"blood† that gives the notion of new life, is contaminated and hence deformed its â€Å"hooked tail† which is supposed to develop to be its legs and the â€Å"forked ends† as its fingers. The stained and ruined blood causes by the poison has fatally lead the deformity of the foetus and disregard the existence of this new life. The persona’s unwanted existence is described more in the moment of its birth in the third stanza. The persona again questions its mother wonder if she ever pictures the condition of her child in her womb. Instead of developing into a well transformed human being, due to the seeping poison the foetus â€Å"melted back into glistening bunched gel†. This image offers readers an ugly sight of the deformed, unwanted embryo. The deformed foetus that is depicted as â€Å"glistening bunched gel, / red grapes† is â€Å"expelled† from the womb, reinforcing the idea of the unwanted existence by being violently thrown out from the womb where it is presumed to be safe and warm for the new comer. The persona continues by inquiring its mother if she finds life difficult like the way it feels and this notion is portrayed through the dictions, â€Å"harsh† and â€Å"sharp anxieties†. Persona sees itself as â€Å"delicate† â€Å"crystals† implying the notion of fragility and can easily be destroyed. Reader Response of Nam’s At the Door :: Wong Phui Nam Wong Phui Nam’s â€Å"At the Door† is mainly giving a voice to the unwanted unborn who struggles with death in the early stage of its life. The persona begins by questioning its mother on why did she poisons it. From line â€Å"the poisons seep down, blacken leaf and stem† giving readers the images of death as the poison oozes slowly in painful and destroying manner. The news of pregnancy and birth are in general received as something blissful and joyful, however it is obviously not the case for this pregnancy. This poem illustrates sadness and grief of the discarded foetus, giving it a melancholy tone. The foetus is seen as a plant. The new life of the foetus as symbolises in â€Å"leaf†, â€Å"stem† and â€Å"roots† are â€Å"blacken†, â€Å"pinch† and â€Å"disarrange† and it is deformed before birth by the poison. More images of deformity can be seen in the second stanza. The persona states the â€Å"streams† and â€Å"blood† that gives the notion of new life, is contaminated and hence deformed its â€Å"hooked tail† which is supposed to develop to be its legs and the â€Å"forked ends† as its fingers. The stained and ruined blood causes by the poison has fatally lead the deformity of the foetus and disregard the existence of this new life. The persona’s unwanted existence is described more in the moment of its birth in the third stanza. The persona again questions its mother wonder if she ever pictures the condition of her child in her womb. Instead of developing into a well transformed human being, due to the seeping poison the foetus â€Å"melted back into glistening bunched gel†. This image offers readers an ugly sight of the deformed, unwanted embryo. The deformed foetus that is depicted as â€Å"glistening bunched gel, / red grapes† is â€Å"expelled† from the womb, reinforcing the idea of the unwanted existence by being violently thrown out from the womb where it is presumed to be safe and warm for the new comer. The persona continues by inquiring its mother if she finds life difficult like the way it feels and this notion is portrayed through the dictions, â€Å"harsh† and â€Å"sharp anxieties†. Persona sees itself as â€Å"delicate† â€Å"crystals† implying the notion of fragility and can easily be destroyed.

Bottled Water vs Tap Water Essay

Water is vital to human life. Humans can live for several weeks on water alone. However, they cannot survive for more than a few days without it. In fact, a human’s body primarily consists of 55% to 78% water (Geri Walton. ) Therefore, we need water. Life cannot exist without water. While some people prefer drinking bottled water, others prefer drinking tap water. In fact, controversy has been placed on the quality and safety of drinking bottled water versus drinking tap water. The bottled water industry has increased tremendously. They offer several brands of water including: mineral water, spring water, purified water and also well water. Water also comes in many different flavors. If you wish, you may also select carbonated water. In order to label these, each brand has to meet certain qualifications. They must be collected and strictly treated. The Food Standards Agency monitors bottled water. They adhere to rigorous guidelines as to what can and cannot be put on the label. Many believe that bottled water is much healthier than tap water. It is free of bacteria. It is free from filthy chemicals. In fact, the levels of lead in bottled water are much lower than those in tap water. Bottled water is free from contamination and safer for drinking. It prevents harmful substances and organisms from entering into the body. Bottled water has to pass through a purification process. Many companies like to include the word â€Å"pure† in their advertising of campaigns and trademarks. They realize that many people find it secure in health benefits over other products. This guarantees high-quality drinking water. Bottled water provides compelling vitamins and minerals to the human body. Sufficient amounts of minerals are important for managing a healthy human system. There are numerous health benefits for drinking bottled water. In some countries, such as Europe, humans believe that bottled waters have medicinal properties. It contains zero fat, calories and sugar. According to the International Bottled Water Association, â€Å"one of the main health benefits of bottled water is that it can replace less healthy beverages, such as soda, sweet tea, hot chocolate and sugary flavored coffees. (Ipatenco, Sara) In today’s society, bottled water may be found any and everywhere, from offices to homes and restaurants across the country. It is rejuvenating, healthy and convenient to carry around. It is great for those on the go. An accessible bottle in your bag will immediately quench your thirst. Having bottled water may result in more fluid intake. Sufficient utilization of water is important for preventing dehydration and for keeping our bodies functioning properly. Although there are several benefits of drinking bottled water, more and more people are questioning if it is actually better than tap water. In fact, many believe that bottled water is not safer or purer than tap water. Many believe that tap water tastes just as good as bottled water. During a blind taste test in New York City, the greater part of the people actually preferred the taste of tap water over bottled water. Tap water is not hazardous or harmful. In fact, it is well-regulated and inspected hundreds of times per month by the Environmental Protection Agency. These agencies make certain tap water is free of harmful toxins and other bacteria. With tap water, you are more likely to know what is in it. Tap water is tested cautiously. Every year, several tests are taken to ensure that tap water is as safe as it can possibly be. With strict standards, they are tested for micro-organisms and other chemicals and metals. It is also tested for water pathogens that could possibly cause intestinal problems. Tap water is composed of fluoride and chloronation. The enamel-protecting fluoride reduces tooth decay and enhances oral health. It is a major ingredient in toothpastes, while chlorination kills bacteria. Tap water is much cheaper than bottled water. It is free! Bottled water is extremely expensive compared to tap water. Bottled water companies make â€Å"tens of billions of dollars† per year. In today’s society, people are paying so much for bottled water when they could actually get tap water practically free. In fact, â€Å"bottled water costs 500 times more than tap water† (MacKenzie, Ashley. ) By drinking tap water, you save a tremendous amount of money. Drinking tap water is better on our environment. Water bottles are thrown into landfills. It takes more than 700 years for plastic to decompose. Reducing the amount of plastic water bottles in landfills can save energy drastically. Drinking water from a glass or using a refillable steel bottle also saves resources. By drinking tap water, you save the planet. Tap water has some bacteria that are actually beneficial to your health. The human immune system automatically strengthens its defenses against any possible harmful bacteria that it is exposed to. Our immune system is familiar with small amounts of bacteria and is equipped to prevent illnesses. For a fact, our bodies need water. Humans lose water every day through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. In order for our bodies to function properly, it is essential that we replenish it with water. Basically, bottled water and tap water come from the same sources: lakes, springs and aquifers. They each have many benefits. One must decide as to which is best. What type of water will you drink: bottled water or tap water? Make the healthy choice.

Technical Project Paper: Information Systems Security

You are the Information Security Officer for a small pharmacy that has recently been opened in the local shopping mall. The daily operation of a pharmacy is a unique business that requires a combination of both physical and logical access controls to protect medication and funds maintained located on the premises and personally identifiable information and protected health information of your customers. Your supervisor has tasked you with identifying inherent risks associated with this pharmacy and establishing physical and logical access control methods that will mitigate the risks identified.Firewall (1) Windows 2008 Active Directory Domain Controllers (DC) (1) File Server (1) Desktop computers (4) Dedicated T1 Connection (1) Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you: Identify and analyze any potential physical vulnerabilities and threats that require consideration. Identify and analyze any potential logical vulnerabilities and threats that require consideration. Illus trate in writing the potential impact of all identified physical vulnerabilities and threats to the network and the pharmacy. Identify all potential vulnerabilities that may exist in the documented network.Illustrate in writing the potential impact of all identified logical vulnerabilities to the network and the pharmacy. For each physical vulnerability and threat identified, choose a strategy for dealing with the risk (i. e. , risk mitigation, risk assignment, risk acceptance, or risk avoidance). For each logical vulnerability and threat identified, choose a strategy for dealing with the risk (i. e. , risk mitigation, risk assignment, risk acceptance, or risk avoidance).For each physical vulnerability and threat identified, develop controls (i. e. administrative, preventative, detective, and corrective) that will be used to mitigate each risk. For each logical vulnerability and threat identified, develop controls (i. e. , administrative, preventative, detective, and corrective) tha t will be used to mitigate each risk. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Explain the concepts of information systems security as applied to an IT infrastructure. Describe how malicious attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities impact an IT infrastructure. Explain the means attackers use to compromise systems and networks, and defenses used by organizations.Explain the role of access controls in implementing a security policy. Exp lain how businesses apply cryptography in maintaining information security. Analyze the importance of network principles and architecture to security operations. Use technology and information resources to research issues in information systems security. Write clearly and concisely about network security topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions. Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

cellular respiration essays

cellular respiration essays Cellular respiration begins with glucose. Glucose is the primary fuel used in glycolysis, the first stage of cellular respiration. This molecule is found in the gel-like substance called cytoplasm that fills the cell. In glycolysis, glucose undergoes phosphorylation by ATP. The ATP is converted back to ADP. The glucose molecule is rearranged and undergoes a second phosphorylation by ATP. The second ATP is also converted back to ADP. Glucose, a six-carbon molecule, is split into 2 three-carbon molecules of PGAL. As oxidation takes place, NAD picks up a hydrogen atom from each molecule to form 2NADH. Phosphorylation takes place again. For each molecule, 2ADP combine with two phosphates to form a total of 4 ATP, and pyruvic acid molecules are formed. A net gain of 2 ATP have been formed. As the pyruvic acid molecules make their way toward the mitochondria, two more molecules of NADH are formed. A carbon atom also breaks off and combines with two oxygen atoms to produce the waste product carbon dioxide. As a result of these reactions, each pyruvic acid molecule is transformed into a two-carbon compound called an acetyl group. The two acetyl groups combine with a molecule of coenzyme A each to form two acetyl coenzyme A molecules. These molecules are processed in a complex pathway called the Krebs cycle. As the Krebs cycle progresses through both pyruvic acid molecules, six molecules of NADH, two molecules of ATP, and additional carbon dioxide are all formed. FAD picks up a hydrogen atom from each pyruvic acid molecule, and a total of 2 FAD2 are formed. NADH and FAD2 transport their hydrogen atoms and electrons to the electron transport chain. The electrons are passed down the chain of attracting molecules until they reach oxygen. Joined with hydrogen, they combine with the oxygen to form water. As the electrons flow down the electron chain, they release energy that is used to make more ATP. Eight of the ten NADH f ...

The Oakum Room by Theresa Tomlinson Essay Example

The Oakum Room by Theresa Tomlinson Essay Example The Oakum Room by Theresa Tomlinson Paper The Oakum Room by Theresa Tomlinson Paper Essay Topic: Literature The Oakum Room is a short story by Theresa Tomlinson that portrays the harsh and degrading conditions faced by female workhouse employees in a workhouse for the disadvantaged. The writer is able to depict the cruel and disgusting manner in which the workers are treated by her use of imagery and word choice, and in this essay, I intend to discuss these techniques. Tomlinson chooses to use a first-person narrative as a way of making the story more personal, as if the protagonist, Susan, is confiding in us. The use of this personal touch helps us learn more about Susan, in the way she depicts others and the storys events. The first example of this is the onomatopoeia with which she describes Mrs Hansons shoes slap the floor. The reader immediately becomes uncomfortable with the presence of Mrs Hanson (the administrator of the workhouses harsh regime), as the connotations of the word slap suggests violence and her desire for control. The writer chooses to repeat the word to illustrate the power held over the women by their oppressor. The protagonists recognition of the quick step of Mrs Hanson suggests she has already been given a reason to fear her. When Mrs Hanson enters the oakum room, she chooses to address the workers while on the raised dais. The writer does this to imply the way Mrs Hanson feels above the workers and looks down on them, both metaphorically and (by choice) literally. This is evident when Mrs Hanson orders: Put down your work. This command clearly shows Mrs Hansons position over the workers. This short statement is quickly obeyed, even though the women were never told to stop their work: another signal of the absolute authority held by Mrs Hanson and the harsh regime the women are forced to work under. When the women receive a break to eat, they are poorly fed as their meals merely consist of potatoes and a thin liquor that they called gravy. The meal seems even poorer in quality and quantity when contrasted with the extremely heavy amounts of work the women are expected to do. When the workers are told of the reason they have been told to stop work, a murmur of suppressed excitement flew around the room. This tells the reader two things: the use of the term suppressed excitement suggests they feel the need to hide their happy emotions from Mrs Hanson; another sign of her power over them. It also shows the womens dependence on others and a sign of their desperation. They feel excited due to a farmers interest in finding a wife from the oakum room: a proposition that Mrs Hanson describes as most fortunate for the women. The womens desperation is depicted even more clearly when they argue frantically over who should use the one comb the workgroup possess. The author does well to present the women as individuals through her use of dialogue and description whereas Mrs Hanson attempts to rob them of all of their individuality and personal qualities. The gingham smock worn by all the women has been used to demoralise them and make them feel cheap and helpless. Although the women find it difficult under the brutal conditions, they are still able to form strong bonds and a sense of loyalty as a group. There is a strong sense of friendship amongst the women, proven when each worker says they hope the other gets picked. The writer creates gruesome images in the readers mind when describing the removal of sharp particles from red and raw hands. The alliteration here emphasises the extent of the womens suffering. Tomlinson describes the womens skin as: tough like the skin of a beast. This simile is used to convey the dehumanisation of the workforce, who have been forced to change over time, due to the difficult conditions faced as a worker in the oakum room. The workhouse is described as charitable on many occasions by Mrs Hanson. This seems to have been used as an ironic comment by the author who does not believe them to be charitable at all, but a hypocritical and dishonest organisation that exploits vulnerable women. The women are soon lined up like the cattle that he farms in front of their potential husband and Mrs Hanson goes through the qualities and defects of each of the women as if they are not women but dumb animals, unable to comprehend her callous remarks. This is evident when she describes a young woman by saying: She has a young child over at the infants ward. Father unknown, of course still, proof of childbearing. Her brutal and unfeeling words convey the idea that she is fully aware of the feeling that Jarrotson has lined these women up to choose one of them as he would an animal, with no regard for their feelings or emotions. Mr Jarrotson, the farm worker choosing a wife, is described by the author as an ugly and contemptible individual. The fat man of about fifty with small grey eyes openly looks in disgust at the women, choosing not to treat them as human beings, as his cheeks become flushed with enjoyment when he humiliates the workers. This vivid use of word choice clearly conveys his lecherous and disdainful attitude towards the helpless workers. This causes the women to make themselves as unappealing to Mr Jarrotson as possible, in an attempt not to be forced to live with Mr Jarrotson. This shows the reader that the women would rather be working in the treacherous and difficult oakum room together, than be left to marry the farm worker, without the support of each other. Mrs Hanson becomes furious as they continue down the line and she feels her domination and iron control of her workers slipping away. When they reach Polly in the line, it is obvious she possesses meek and humble qualities that Mr Jarrotson finds appealing: he smiles in relief then reaches out and grips her shoulder. The use of the term grip suggests that Polly feels uncomfortable with the contact made by Mr Jarrotson, she does not want to fall into his clutches, and as a result, lashes out, biting his hand. Pollys extreme behaviour here conveys the way in which the writer believes that the women have been treated as animals: they have therefore begun to act as animals. Mrs Hansons humiliation is clear to see as her face glows red with anger. Two women are called to restrain the unresisting Polly, one bearing a strait-jacket, used to symbolise the way in which the women are trapped in the oakum room with no other option in life. The workers are screamed at, and described as disgrace[s] to their charitable benefactors. Again, the writer uses this term to suggest the complete opposite: the organisation is not charitable, but harsh and degrading. The great entrance that consists of high porches and columns and ornate clocks is clearly there for show: an attempt to portray a prestigious and worthy charitable organisation, whereas the working conditions are poor; all of the available money has been spent on the picture painted for the outside world rather than the protection and safety of their workers. The story ends with the women returning slowly and quietly to the oakum room, right back where they started, to face more harsh treatment, knowing that they have made no progress in their position as workers. I believe this depressing image of their crushed defeated footsteps is described purposely to convey the womens inability to rebel due to their lack of options in life. The women are clearly in a desperate situation already, and this is the reason they choose to remain in these unrelenting and depressing conditions. In this short story, Theresa Tomlinson uses vivid and memorable language to depict a situation in which terrible and inhumane conditions have brought out the best in a group of people. The unity and loyalty the women show towards each other, is something we think of as admirable, and her story emphasises the idea that it seems ironic that this type of relationship was caused by such poor and vicious treatment. There are points throughout the story where the women admit that they wouldnt have managed if [they] hadnt had each other. This shows a feeling of their strong bond which persists despite Mrs Hansons efforts to crush their human spirit. In this short story, Theresa Tomlinson creates a stark contrast between the way in which the poor were treated in Victorian times and the way the poor are treated today. The themes in this short story of courage and dignity in the face of brutality clearly emphasise that people nowadays seem to be developing more respect towards each other as individuals; people nowadays are, thankfully, much more conscious of the way their actions affect others.

Could Content Writing Help You Make Ends Meet as a Writer

Could Content Writing Help You Make Ends Meet as a Writer Content could be your best chance of making up the extra income you need to keep your writing ambitions on track. So what is it and how does it work? Content is the material produced Is content the same as advertising? Its more a cross between advertising and journalism. The idea is that people are tired of constant promotional messages – buy this now! – and are becoming increasingly savvy shoppers: before they buy anything, they do loads of research online, for instance, in online forums and on social media. So to reach them, businesses now need to be part of that research process. And that means offering useful information and inspiration to support their decision-making: content. So what does content look like? Its the difference between a mortgage website that just says, check out our deals, and one that also says First-time mortgages: a handy guide for new homebuyers. Since the company is an expert in mortgages, it can tell people some useful things that will help them make a choice. In exchange, the potential customer will consent to hearing a few marketing messages and hopefully feel better disposed towards this provider. Whats the opportunity for writers? The rise of internet search as the dominant way in which consumers interact with businesses has led to a content marketing boom. Video and visual content are increasingly popular, especially in social, but written copy is still needed in huge volumes. Pretty much every business of any size needs content, and that means they need writers. For example, an airline might commission a series of destination guides. A supermarket site might want to develop a library of recipes. A business bank might offer funding tips for startups. A recruitment company might offer CV and interview advice. And so on. With all these examples, theres a strong commercial reason for doing the content: the airline wants people to buy tickets to the destinations they write about, for example. But the content still has to be editorial in flavour: if the material is too salesy it will lose its credibility. How can you get started with content work? Businesses employ a multitude of individual freelancers, freelance platforms and marketing agencies to create content on their behalf. Start What skills and experience do you need?   A background in journalism or copywriting is a great help, but many writers in the content world have no special training and have simply picked up skills and experience along the way. Any specialised knowledge or experience is a plus: a degree in

Lit Review Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lit Review - Case Study Example The intent of this brief analysis will be to understand whether or not the way in which humanity currently interacts with the internet is on the whole helpful or harmful – or whether it exhibits key aspects of what can be understood to be an unhealthful and addictive relationship of dependence. The ultimate stakeholders that the research will be attempting to impact will be the parents of children in society that can have the ability and decision making power to constrain the amount of time that these young people spend online; thereby forming positive life habits that will doubtless be exhibited in their own future life. Through such an analysis, this student would like to engage the reader with information concerning how parents must engage in definitive forms of action in order to ensure that subsequent generations do not grow up to become zombie-like internet addicts with poor communication skills and poorly socialized. Even though the intended audience is aware of the fac t that social media addiction is of importance, the discussion will focus upon presenting a literature review that focuses specifically upon the ills of addiction as it relates to social media. Likewise, the psychology of addiction has long been of particular interest to psychologists and professionals from a variety of different fields. Traditionally, addiction has been understood in terms of well-known substances and behavior addiction of many varieties. However, regardless of whether or not an individual understands addiction as being genetically predisposed or environmentally conditioned, the fact of the matter is that addiction is a very real element of the human psyche. Moreover, addiction spans far beyond the relevance of understanding such a term in its traditional context (Sands 60). What is meant by this is that research into addiction has oftentimes been focused around discussing well-known addictive substances: such as tobacco, alcohol, street drugs

19th Century Americas Affect on Native Americans Essay

19th Century Americas Affect on Native Americans - Essay Example The push was on to the west. The face of Native America would soon be changed forever.Concern over the possibility of European expansion propelled the United States Government to create a buffer to stem a possible encroachment. "Between 1816 and 1840, tribes located between the original states and the Mississippi River, including Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles, signed more than 40 treaties ceding their lands to the U.S." (National Historical Trail, n.p.) The Federal Removal Act signed into law did not call for the actual removal of Indians from their homeland; it gave the authority to negotiate for exchange of their land for land in the western territories. However, pressure to obtain native land soon resulted in the forcible removal of Native Americans from the eastern United States. Probably the most well known forced move became known as the 'Trail of Tears' where thousands died on the forced marches.There was no consideration given for the vast cultural di fferences of various tribes. Uprooted from their way of life and relocated to areas home to other tribes resulted in cultural upheavals and clashes amongst various Native American tribes. Additionally, settlers began pushing westward. As the demand for more land by settlers west of the Mississippi River increased, hostility grew between the settlers and the American Indians.

Small business management (find attachment) Assignment

Small business management (find attachment) - Assignment Example For reason that it needs to monitor the customers’ marketing response to prove that indeed Mobile Plus Group Ltd., is a viable business endeavor. This feedback on how the market responds shall be used to evaluate the efficacy of the marketing effort and business structure that will cater to customer needs. Through feedback control, it will be able to identify which part of the business went according to plan or fell short of expectation and be able to apply remedial measures when required. II. Relevance of Selected Method of Control. Employing an effective control mechanism in Mobile Plus Group Ltd. will assure us that the performance of the business will go as planned. Through it, we will be able to measure actual performance and will also be able to apply corrective measures to ensure that the â€Å"business’s objectives and plans are being carried out† (Dixon, 2003). In determining the method of control to be employed, it is important to determine the objectiv e of a business at a given time. And to elect appropriate modality of control given the circumstances which in this case is the Feedback Control as the business is still in its introductory phase that needs to urgently capture enough market share to prove itself as a viable business entity. A. ... This will be aided by an effective Management Information System that will provide us with concrete data to analyze. Control will also be performed by soliciting written feedback from the customers through feedback form available in our outlet. C. How Control will be Effective The efficacy of monitoring actual sales versus target sales will give us an indication of the efficacy of our marketing drive and to validate our hypothesis about the market. If market performance fell short of expectation, we will be able to apply remedial measure to steer actual performance in the direction of planned performance. By soliciting the feedback of our customers, we will be able to determine which part of the business is doing well or fell short of expectation. As it is the vision of the company to leverage itself from the competition through customer service that is second to none, we will be able to determine if indeed our frontliner’s performance is in line with this vision and make nece ssary correction or retraining if actual performance fell short when compared to expectation. III. Risk Involved While there is a huge potential for our celphones having an 80 % market for them, we are not however without competition. This competition poses a risk to the business as customers have other alternatives to purchase their need for a handheld mobile device. There is also a direct competition with our products, meaning there are also other businesses selling the same product such as ours and priced competitively and could even be lower. Also, there is also a risk that the market may not respond to our marketing drive of providing them a celphone with two working SIM cards with a TV and game functionality. While this added functionality may provide them with convenience and

Dissertation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Dissertation - Research Paper Example In terms of methodology, both qualitative as well as quantitative approaches have been taken into concern for obtaining a valid conclusion. The research results helped identifying certain potential factors or strategies, which can help in the overall improvement of academic performances of the boys and girls belonging to the Bangladeshi community. These factors include building effective communication with respective schools and increasing the level of participation of parents in attending school meetings among others. Apart from this, the other strategies that used by the then poorly performed schools of Tower Hamlets including effective spending and ensuring high quality of teaching as well as learning may also contribute in serving the above stated purpose. The conclusions of the research suggest that the boys as well as the girls in Bangladeshi community will be able to attain well at KS4 level by effective adoption and execution of the discussed strategies. The purpose of this research is to explore, ascertain and analyse the strategies that are put in place in a secondary school in Bethnal Green, East London for the boys as well as the girls in the Bangladeshi community to attain well at KS4. Evidence suggests that the size of the educational gender gap differs by ethnicity (Bhattacharyya, et al. 2003). The evidence of gender imbalance in the Bangladeshi community in Bethnal Green/East London clearly reveals the persistence of political as well as social differences and the presence of multiculturalism factor in the respective region (Malik, 2015). It is worth mentioning that the research study used a specific school in order to find out the actual strategies that can be applied in making the boys as well as the girls of the Bangladeshi community to accomplish well at KS4 level. The ethnic mix of the school could be reckoned as mixed culture wherein the students belong to different nations with distinct cultural backgrounds. It can be

Organisations, organising appealing and organisation effectiveness Essay

Organisations, organising appealing and organisation effectiveness - Essay Example Over the time, the study of how effective the organization is in achieving the goals that it intended has undergone an evolution due to the changes in the environment that took place as well as the fast pace at which these changes occurred. There has been a shift towards the adoption of more rational approaches to organizations. This paper reviews the reasons why managers prefer rational approaches. It also explores the open systems theory and how is it of benefit to managers. Scott proposed three concepts for defining organizations: rational, natural and open systems. Rational systems concept deals with the fact that organizations are created to function as effectively as possible to achieve a set of intended objectives. The goals of the organization are specific and have been defined explicitly. The rational system also encompasses the view that organizations have a lot of formalization. One of the variables governing a formalized structure is that rules regulate behavior and are accurately and clearly drawn. Another variable of the formalized structure is that roles and role relations are devised independently of the personal qualities and interaction between the individuals having different positions within the organization (Scott, 2001). Frederick Taylor was an engineer-turned-management consultant and was a strong advocate of the rational system theory. In his view, all organizations did not function with the accomplishment of a certain goal in mind ; however, this was a problem and needed to be dealt with. Managers nowadays prefer the rational systems approach for organizing. By regulating the behavior of the individuals through rules, the process of formalization can be carried out effectively. This will result in the mitigation of uncertainty. Uncertainty can lead to disorder, apprehension and disturbances in many

Dissertation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Dissertation - Research Paper Example In terms of methodology, both qualitative as well as quantitative approaches have been taken into concern for obtaining a valid conclusion. The research results helped identifying certain potential factors or strategies, which can help in the overall improvement of academic performances of the boys and girls belonging to the Bangladeshi community. These factors include building effective communication with respective schools and increasing the level of participation of parents in attending school meetings among others. Apart from this, the other strategies that used by the then poorly performed schools of Tower Hamlets including effective spending and ensuring high quality of teaching as well as learning may also contribute in serving the above stated purpose. The conclusions of the research suggest that the boys as well as the girls in Bangladeshi community will be able to attain well at KS4 level by effective adoption and execution of the discussed strategies. The purpose of this research is to explore, ascertain and analyse the strategies that are put in place in a secondary school in Bethnal Green, East London for the boys as well as the girls in the Bangladeshi community to attain well at KS4. Evidence suggests that the size of the educational gender gap differs by ethnicity (Bhattacharyya, et al. 2003). The evidence of gender imbalance in the Bangladeshi community in Bethnal Green/East London clearly reveals the persistence of political as well as social differences and the presence of multiculturalism factor in the respective region (Malik, 2015). It is worth mentioning that the research study used a specific school in order to find out the actual strategies that can be applied in making the boys as well as the girls of the Bangladeshi community to accomplish well at KS4 level. The ethnic mix of the school could be reckoned as mixed culture wherein the students belong to different nations with distinct cultural backgrounds. It can be

Jamaica Travel Guide and Travel Information Essay

Jamaica Travel Guide and Travel Information - Essay Example The Jamaicans are very hospitable and friendly. Jamaica’s main cities are Kingston, its capital, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril and Port Antonio (Mapsofworld, par.2). Getting around Jamaica is not a problem. There are several means of transportation for tourists such as riding a bike, scooter, bus, taxi or renting a car. Ferries and boats are available to take one to the various islands around Jamaica. For tourists interested in historical sites and botanical gardens, Kingston is the place to visit. Its major attraction is the Port Royal which used to be the home of sea pirates and Buccaneers. Other famous attractions of the city are the Castleton gardens, the Rockford Mineral Bath, National Art Gallery, and the Bob Marley museum which archives the life and times of the famous reggae legend (Mapsofworld, par.3). Historical sites though are not the unique selling point of Jamaica. Its beaches are its main attractions. If one wants to have a taste of the sun and sand of the island, there is a myriad of choices. In the Kingston area, there is the Lime Cay which is a small island off the coast of Port Royal, which is best for sunbathing and water sports. The Turtle Beach and the Mallard Beach are two of the more popular beaches in the city of Ocho Rios. Accommodations are not hard to find in that there are an array of hotels along the beach where one can choose to stay. And if one is an avid fan of James Bond movies, then one should not miss going to the James Bond Beach which is where the GoldenEye Hotel is located (IIWINC, par.3). The hotel is the former residence of Ian Fleming, the James Bond writer. Another amazing beach is the Dunn’s River Beach which is located under the famous Dunn’s River Waterfalls.  Ã‚  

Store and retrive information Essay Example for Free

Store and retrive information Essay Understand processes and procedures for storing and retrieving information Explain the purpose of storing and retrieving required information: The reason you store information is so you when you need it in the future you can easily find it. Most companies have to either store documents in fire proof cabinet’s or on hard disks or any other electronic storage devices. Most companies have confidential files about the company, employees or customers that have to follow the data protection act. Describe different information systems and their main features: Server on the server at our company we use the server to store all are files for example financial data, HR files, sage and accounts, maintenance, training, HSBC, customers, employees, etc. these are all in relevant files so you can locate them easily. GX – our bespoke system saves all of the work that we have processed so you can locate them by going on to contracts and finding the relevant customer’s and looking what they have had from when they joined with our company and we can also look back in the past to see how much we have made and how many pieces we have sent out. Explain the purpose of legal and organizational requirements for the security and confidentiality of information: Information that is stored in an organisation has to follow the security and confidentiality procedures. For example finances, customer’s and employee’s details should be secured and only certain members of staff should be able to access physical and electronic data unless you have been given authorisation. If information gets into the wrong hands it could have serious consequences and might lead to legal action. Explain the purpose of confirming information to be stored and retrieved: All companies store a lot of information, but if you store the wrong information that isn’t up to date or is not correct there is no use of it. So when storing information you should be cautious that it is proof read. You keep information for a reason so you should keep everything updated. The wrong information can be really serious if it falls in to wrong hands. Read more:  Store and Retrieve Information Essay Describe ways of checking information for accuracy: When you are saving important information it is essential that you proof read it, or if you are not sure get someone to double check it, as you only want accurate data. By using decent software to store database will help ensure  that the information is accurate. Explain the purpose of checking information for accuracy: All organisations have to check to make sure that there information is correct because if one thing is wrong for example in the financial department if the money that is coming in and going out is inaccurate, this might lead to staff might not get paid correctly or you haven’t got enough money to pay either staff or employers. Explain the purpose of providing information to agreed format and timescales: By having an agreed format in an organisation is called a house style by using a house style it will let other companies or customers identify who you are, for example by the font, logo, font size, emphasis and spacing. By not having this you don’t look very professional and will make things take longer if you have to use extra time making it right. By having a timescale will let staff and customers know when work will be completed by over running the timescale will make the company look unorganised and not very professional. Describe the types of information that may be deleted: As a company goes on your will get more and more customers and might have some customers leave your company so you should always check the data and making sure it is accurate, so you don’t have any unwanted data. Most companies will have a policy on how long you should store data for and after that time it should be deleted or shredded following security and confidentiality procedures. Describe problems that may occur with information systems and how to deal with them, when necessary: When storing important information there is always going to be a risk whether it is saved onto a computer or it is physical because computers get viruses from attackers so you should always make sure that you have got proper security like antivirus software and firewalls need to be used as well as passwords. When you have physical information there is always a risk that there could be a fire or flood, or information can be seen by the wrong person who do not have authority to access information. You should always have locks and maybe even a fire proof cabinet for important documents.

History of Hollywood

History of Hollywood Hollywood cinema is the most popular in the world.  Hollywood has a significant influence on the cinema of other countries, its no secret that it was Hollywood movies set in the fashion of many genres of film.  They are decisive in the choice of subject, and in the selection of an ensemble of actors, and in creating the image of the film for an advertising campaign.  Today this industry still dictates fashion for movies, every year it produces thousands of films. And that is something! The old studio system in Hollywood combined the production of films, their rent and a network of cinemas.  This system, which allowed major U.S. companies to win national and international markets, known as the Golden Age of Hollywood. Film production has two main components: the producer and his film crew and services.  Many of the major studios of the world combine these processes under one roof: for example the famous Seven studious in Hollywood Fox, Universal, Paramount, Sony, Disney, Warner, MGM.  Other studios offer only services and rent out their premises for lease without their own production and distribution: for example the famous Hollywood studio Raleigh.  All those and others, regardless of whether they run in the production of their own products or not, have one thing in common the perfect industrial base.   History of creation of cinema industry in the USA and Creation of Hollywood The creation of cinema is considered to be the date of the first public display of film of brothers Louis and Auguste Lumiere, on December 28, 1895.   At that time Lumià ¨re brothers showed only their moving pictures in Paris Grand Cafe, and in the U.S. film industry was already a dynamic industry of entertainment.  Thomas Alva Edison in 1891, presented his movie-making camera and peep show the device that projected moving image onto the screen.  However, the screen size was slightly larger than a matchbox, but for a minute audience could see a moving picture.  Two years later, William   Dickson, Edisons assistant, built first studio and began to make films that appear in cinema salons. Unexpectedly peep show became very popular, maybe because it created the illusion of a long trip or visiting the theater, where different comedies or entertaining stories were shown.  From the invention of the Lumiere brothers, peeps differed only by one thi ng the lack of a large screen, that was corrected by Edison in April 1896.  Since then, the U.S. salons became real cinemas. Why the cinema was so popular in the United States?  In Europe films and cinema were entertainment for more or less wealthy people, and in America they immediately became available to the mass public. In 1908, Edison subjected to himself all firms that used while film production and distribution his proprietary equipment.  Everyone who wanted to work in the field of cinematography, was supposed to make a charge, otherwise he threatened to prosecute.  To escape from the agents of Edison, William H. Zelig shifted production of his films from Chicago to California, opening Hollywood studio.  So did also Carl Lemmle, who moved his company from the capital of cinema New York to the West Coast. ( Bowser,   1990, p. 160.) Cinema came in Hollywood in the person of Colonel William H. Zelinga, who in the beginning of XX century bought the piece of land in Wilcoxs area for a branch of his Chicago production company. He acted entirely on legal rights he had an official license for the survey equipment and rolling copying movies.  However, in 1907 in America broke the so-called patent war, the essence of which were disputes about the ownership of projection equipment.  After that, the municipality of Los Angeles forbidden to open in the city and its environs nickelodeons (semi-underground cinema, at the entrance to which was taken a charge of five cents, in English Ni, and Odeon is a theater, where the stolen movies were shown on unlicensed equipment). Interest  to the cinema in America evolved in parallel with great colonization process of the country with people all over the world, who were the potential audience. For example, in 1907 only from Europe to America came to 1,285,000 people, who gave a new and strong impetus to the development of cinema. In addition, it were immigrants who became founders of the countrys largest movie studios: Adolf Tsukor (Hungary  ), who began his career as an apprentice at the furriers, founded  «Paramount »; Charles Lemley (Germany) founded the  «Universal », Warner Brothers (Poland) founded the  «Warner Brosers », Louis B. Mayer (  Russia, Belarus) founded  «Metro-Goldwin-Mayer ». (Scott, 2005) HOLLYWOOD -is a district in Los Angeles, California, located in northwest of downtown Los Angeles.  It is famous as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars.   The first studio in Hollywood was founded by Centaur Company, located in New Jersey, that wanted to shoot westerns in California.  They rented an abandoned roadside diner at 6121 Sunset Boulevard at the corner of Gower-street, and turned it into the studio in October 1911, calling it Studio Nestor in honor of the western branch of the company.  Later the building became film lab in Hollywood, which is now called « Hollywood Digital Laboratory  ».  ( Bowser, 1990) The first feature film made in the studio Hollywood, in 1914, was the film an Indian husband, created by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel.  Feature films, made in Los Angeles before Indian Husband were the films From Dusk Till Dawn (1913) and Sea Wolf (1913). (Bowser,  1990, p. 160.) Hollywood had a lot of advantages: there was a lot of sun, spread out around the magnificent scenery mountains, valleys, islands, lakes, beaches, deserts, forests where it was possible to recreate any character that comes on the planet.  The land here is cheap cost, around there were numerous labor for construction and maintenance of studios.  By 1915 it was concentrated 60% of American filmmaking, and for the next five years, an system of film studios, which allowed Hollywood to become a cinema capital of the world.   The word Hollywood is often used as the word movie in the United States.  Alias refers to Tinseltown shiny surface typical of Hollywood and the film industry.  Currently, most of the industry dispersed in nearby cities such as Burbank and the Los Angeles Westside, but such auxiliary industries like editing, effects, props, post-production and lighting companies, remain in Hollywood, as well as for location filming in  Paramount Pictures. In 1911 the company Nestor Company opened in Hollywood at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and the streets Gouner first studio.  By 1920 years in Hollywood studios have opened such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, and Hollywood became the center of American cinema.  The growing film industry require appropriate infrastructure.  In Hollywood, they built homes for many film companies, employees, opened a lot of banks, restaurants, clubs, cinemas.  After World War II look of Hollywood once again changed.  Although most studios were in the Hollywood, many movie stars and show business have moved to Beverly Hills, was followed by fashionable restaurants and shops. Many historic Hollywood theaters are used as places of filmmaking and concert venues in major theatrical releases and prime of the Academy of Awards.   Very often the notion of American Cinema and Hollywood unite.  And this is a big mistake. American cinema it is not only a huge Hollywood film industry, but also developed a system of independent cinema.  This film, produced by enthusiasts without the intervention of major film companies, which they simply do not support.  On the one hand, this means smaller budgets, on the other hand less pressure on the directors.  This film is usually not rich, because the producers of film-makers have to look for themselves (and often have to invest and own money).However, in the U.S. independent film is quite popular.  In addition, it also earned worldwide recognition, not just winning on the international kinokonkursah and festivals, and has yielded a number of major contemporary authors.  Prominent representatives of the modern independent American cinema are Woody Allen, John Malkovich, Michael Moore, Jim Jarmusch, David Lynch, Joel and Ethan Coen. Filmmaking in Hollywood from the era of silent cinema to the Golden Age of Hollywood Hollywood began his fame in the era of silent films.  Although the films of that era were shown without sound, talented directors and artists had made them a highly entertaining spectacle.  Films made during the silent movies era in Hollywood are among the greatest masterpieces in cinema history.  Although the directors of silent films often resorted to using titles that told the audience important information, yet the main stake was done on the visual images, not only on the development of the plot, but also in the transfer of thoughts and feelings of characters.  Of course, the audience needed time to understand the language of the Great Silent, but  soon it became really successful. (Koszarski, 1990) Creation of feature films in 1920 was very difficult. While the system of studios offered little opportunity for expressions of artists, it nevertheless had generated a lot of talented filmmakers.  Some of them, such as John Ford or King Vidor, had taken a prominent place in the history, others, like James Cruz, Rex Ingram, Lewis Weber and Fred Niblo, were forgotten. (Koszarski, 1990) With the advent of sound cinema, filmmaking began to flourish.  The success was so deafening that Hollywood had entered a period of greatest prosperity, when its perfectly executed masterpieces helped the audience in the world at least temporarily forgot emotion of that troubled era. Indeed, the silent cinema was never completely silent.  Even the first film screenings were held with the accompaniment of a pianist.  By 1920s, many cinema had their own organs, machines of sound and even orchestras.  In Hollywood, directors were in no hurry to spend huge money on renovations of theirs studios and movie theaters, fearing that talking films could just be a passing fad. (Koszarski, 1990) But by the mid 1920s the company, Warner Brothers, was facing severe financial difficulties, and it was necessary to somehow attract the audience.  In 1926 the studio released the film Don Juan a costume film with sound and orchestral music recorded by the system Vitafon.  But finally the era of silent films ended only in October 1927, when the film The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson in the leading role was released. The transition to sound film was so expensive that Hollywood was forced to seek sources of funding to apply to banks and other business institutions.  In return, some of them, expressing the views of various religious organizations demanded that the film studios to avoid sensitive topics.  As a result, in 1934, Hollywood had to take a set of rules, known as the Production Code: according to this code, in Hollywood movies were not allowed criticism of any religious believes, surgery, drug use, drunkenness, and cruelty to children or animals.  The use of curses, even the most innocuous, is also forbidden.  It was impossible to show details of robberies and acts of violence, to discourage violations of law, and criminals were not allowed to kill police officers.  Stringent restrictions are imposed on everything that was related to sex.  Nude actors on the screen, showing same-sex and interracial love affairs and even passionate kissing was stric tly prohibited. When Hollywood began producing its sound pictures, it quickly regained its reputation as the director of best film production, which made it the capital of world cinema in the era of silent films.  1930-1945 years were the golden age of Hollywood.  Its studios during this time brought into the world 7500 full-length films.  Most of them were black and white, but since 1935 were coming out more and more films made with the use of Technicolor. (Scott, 2005)   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The system of studios remained virtually unchanged, although the organization was similar studios, each of them has developed his own special style. The largest of the studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer asserted that it had more stars than the sky.  It specialized on bright and cheerful family pictures. Production Company Paramount felt strong influence of European cinema.  Many of its films delt with topics of wealth, power and human passions. The company United Artists didnt made own films, but engaged rental tapes of independent producers, such as Samuel Goldwyn and David O. Selznick. (Scott, 2005) The company Warner Brothers had never been rich, but still managed to release a number of popular gangster movies, social films and musicals. XX Century Fox also filmed musicals, westerns and historical pictures, but with very modest budget. The Company Universal had no equal in the era of silent films, but with the advent of sound had to go to the staging of cheap game tapes, mostly horror films.   Columbia was in great distress that survived only by borrowing stars and directors for its most important films from other studios. In the center of each film were of course the stars, although much attention was paid to the quality of the script, as well as costumes, sets and lighting.  Nevertheless, the astronomical fees of stars were in the past, moreover, now they were all involved with very stringent contracts with one or another studio.  The actor, who refused from the proposed role, was threatening suspension from work or the loan of another movie company. In late 1930 the lives of ordinary Americans were not easy: in the era of the Great Depression even the biggest studios with difficulty managed to attract audience in cinema halls. One way of attracting of the public was the practice of double sessions.  Now the film A the main full-time film was accompanied by a less expensive film B within a single session.  Many films of Class B were produced by small cinema companies, which were nicknamed the fraternity of beggars.   The most fortunate of them were of Republic and Monogram, that produced practically more than 40 films a year: they were mostly westerns, adventure films and thrillers. 1946 was for Hollywoods biggest studios the year of greatest success in its history.  However, a few months later, it plunged into the deepest crisis caused by the need to reorganize the system of film studios, the changes in audience preferences, as well as government investigation which went down in history as the Hollywood witch hunt. (Scott, 2005) The foundation of the major Hollywood studios and their influence and dominance in the American filmmaking processes Paramount History of  «Paramount Pictures » began in May 1912.  The companys founder and one of the first producers Adolph Zukor saw that the existing cinemas attract mostly migrants from the working class, so together with partners Daniel Frohman Charles Frohman, he decided to open the first cinema showing art films, which will focus on the middle class due to the fact  that the pictures will be removed leading actors of that time.   In the same year another producer Jesse Louis Lasky opened  «Lasky Feature Play Company ». As the first employee company Lasky took on the work a theater director Cecil B. De Mille, who had at that time no experience in cinema.   Since 1914, the company Lasky and the studio  «Famous Players » mandated distribution of the pictures of the new company Paramount Pictures  », that was founded earlier, in the 1914by the owner of several theaters in Utah William Wadsworth Hodkinson, who had bou ght and merged a few smaller firms. (Scott, 2005) Soon  «Paramount Pictures  » became the first successful film studio in the country. Until then, movies were distributed only  in the territory of one state or region that was not effective. One of the first slogans of the company was the motto  «Famous Players in Famous Plays ».   The company was signing contracts and raised many stars, like Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino and Wallace Reid.  With the arsenal of the stars  «Paramount » was unable to introduce such a thing as a  «block booking », which meant that if the cinema owner wishes to buy a film with good actors, it had to purchase another smaller films of  «Paramount » for rental throughout the year .  Such a system of relationships could, on the one hand, make  «Paramount » a leader in this position in the 20-30s, but on the other to allow the Government to prosecute the company on the basis of competition law for more than 20 years. During the 20-ies of  the last century, Zukor managed to built a huge theatrical network of more than 200 screens, driving two filmmaking studios and became one of the first investors in the radio, getting a 50% stake in a newly created in 1928  «Columbia Broadcasting System ».  By purchasing in 1926 a thriving cinema network  «Balaban Katz », he hired Barney Balaban, who became president of  «Paramount », and Sam Katz, who ruled the cinema circuit  «Paramount-Publix ».  Zukor also hired independent producer BP Schulberg who was managing the studio  «West Coast ».  (Scott, 2005)   In 1927 the company  «Famous Players-Lasky » changed its name to  «Paramount-Famous Lasky Corporation », and three years later, taking into account the importance of cinema  «Publix », was renamed to  «Paramount-Publix Corporation ».(Scott, 2005) As before, the film company  «Paramount » continued to focus on the stars: in the 20-ies  they were Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino.  By 30s of the  last century many new talents appeared: Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Gary Cooper, Claudette Colbert, the Marx Brothers, Dorothy Lamour, Carole Lombard, Bing Crosby, the famous Argentine tango dancer Carlos Gardel and many others.  At this time  «Paramount » really was called a factory of the production of film, which produced 60-70 films in a year.  thesewere the benefits of a huge network of cinemas and the previously mentioned system of  «block booking ». Multiplication unit of the  «Paramount » also had great success, thanks to two main characters: sailor Pop and Betty Boop.  Studio  «Fleischer Studios » produced cartoons with both heroes right up until 1942, when  «Paramount » reorganized the company, made it  «Famous Studios », and gained control over the cartoons. In 1940  «Paramount » agreed with the government decision to terminate the systems of  «block booking » and  «pre-selling » (practice of collecting money in advance for the rental of films, which are still in the stage production).  Although a similar action in the company has been a serious reduction in production costs, nodding the bar from 60 to more moderate 20 films a year. However, with new stars Bob Hope, Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Paulette Goddard and Betty Hutton and an astronomical number of  the movie in time of war,  «Paramount » and other companies, who owned a combination of studio-theater, earned more than they had ever before. That is why the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Justice Department decided to reopen the case against five companies owning such a combination.  All this eventually led in 1948 to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that brought an end to the classical Hollywood studios system. Company  «Paramount » was divided in two:  «Paramount Pictures Corporation » was still involved in film production, including those intended for display in the 1500-screen cinemas. Company  «Paramount Pictures » was among the first followers of television in 1939, running in Los Angeles an experimental television station, later known as  «KTLA », and station  «WBBM-TV » in Chicago. The company also invested in innovative DuMont Laboratories  and DuMont Television Network. However, due to aggravation of anti-trust control by the state after 1948  «Paramount » limited participation in the television network, and  «DuMont » in the mid-50s of the last century ceased to exist. Animation and production of short films  «Paramount » came into the possession of various television producers, who are mostly cartoons and shows acquired by  «UM M.  T.V.  Corp.  ».Animation about Popayà ¡n were sold  «Associated Artists Productions »,  «Superman »  «Motion Pictures for Television », while the remaining cartoons were sold to the company  «Harvey Comics ». In the beginning of the 1960s the future of  «Paramount » was a question: a risky movie business was not successful, cinema network was in the past, investments in  «DuMont » and play TV turned to nothing. Despite tough times,  «Paramount » released commercially successful pictures such as  «The Odd Couple » (1968), Love Story (1970), Rosemarys Baby (1968) and Chinatown. (Scott, 2005) In the 80-90-s.  of the last century, the successful promotion of Paramount Pictures in the field of light movie was even more intensive producing such hits as Flashdance (1983), Friday the 13th, Raiders of the Lost  Ark (1981) and its sequel Beverly Hills COP » (1984), and of course film series with comedian Eddie Murphy and films series of Star Trek.  Despite the fact that special attention was paid to commercial cinema, from time to time serious dramatic film were made, like Atlantic City (1980) and Forrest Gump (1994).  At the same time in the collection of films  «Paramount » more than usually degree began to appear remakes and television tapes based on the movies.  Although sometimes they have been commercially successful, yet the studio had produced very few films of the same level which once made a Paramount Pictures a leader in the production of movies. In 2005  «Paramount » announced the acquisition of the company  «DreamWorks » for 1,6 billion U.S. dollars. This agreement did not include the unit DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., which is the most profitable part of the company DreamWorks. However,  «Paramount » got the right to hire and distribution of profitable animated pictures  «DreamWorks », which include Shrek Franchise. The American company engaged in the manufacture and distribution of film production, Paramount Pictures Corporation is now located in Hollywood and now this company is the oldest American film studio. The place where it is now- is the historical centre of cinema production, and for many visitors with a newly renovated studio  «Paramount » embodies Hollywood, and the tour tothe studio attracts a large number of guests. Universal Studios Universal Studios (Universal Pictures) is the second largest Hollywood studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal and is included in more than a dozen studios in the world. Universal was founded on the base of one of its predecessors Yankee Film Company (1909).  Founder of Universal are Carl Lemley, and Abe and Julius Stern. In 1908 Thomas Edison created Motion Pictures Trust, which collected payments from all aspects of the film business from production to the show because he owned a patent for an electric motor used in cameras and a film projector, and a monopoly on distribution.  Lemly and other theater owners saw the way in getting rid of Edisons monopoly in the production of original films, which led to the fact that Lemley with partners in June 1909, created a Yankee Film Company.   Soon, the company has become a Independent Moving Pictures Company, and from 8 June 1912, it became known as Universal Film Manufacturing Co.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The main areas of activity were Universal film production and distribution. Very important for the development and success of the company was commemoration in the titles the names of the actors, that allowed the company to sign contracts with many famous artists of that time.  In addition, it helped to create the so-called star system a system of stars.   Thus, in 1910, Lemley is actively promoted Florence Lawrence, until the well-known as Biograph Girl, what can be considered the first ever case of name actor in the marketing companys film studio.   In 1915, Lemley has opened the worlds largest film studios Universal City Studios , that had an area of 0.9 km ² on the Cahuenga Pass near Hollywood.  Management Studio was a third area of activity of the company. In 1926, Universal opened a studio in Germany Deutsche Univarsal-Film AG, which was headed by Joe Pasternak.  Until 1936, the unit produced 3-4 films a year, but under pressure of the growing influence of Hitler in Europe, it had to migrate first to Austria and then to Hungary.  With the advent of sound in cinema, this studio was to make films in German, Hungarian and Polish languages.  Universal did not not showed these films in the U.S., but they still fall into the American Rental efforts of independent distributors.   Then the studio made such famous films as: Show Boat (1929) , a rich musical Broadway with the first color scenes, The King of Jazz (1930) and On the Western Front, which brought the studio an Oscar  for the best film of 1930.  Also was made a series of films about monsters Universal Horror films this is Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy. (Scott, 2005) By the beginning of the Second World studio retured to its recent specialization: Romance, cheap western and classic horror sequel to the studio.   In 1950, the companys agent, Lew Wasserman, MCA and Universal Studios produced a veritable revolution in the American movie business: Wasserman signed the contract with the studio, under which his client the great James Stewart receives no fee, and the portion of the profits from the rental of 3 films with his participation,  which were supposed to withdraw to Universal.  When one of those films Winchester 73 became a mega hit rolled, Stewart became the first truly rich American actor.  Soon this form of payment for the actors work was firmly established in the practice of American and international film business.   In the late 50-ies of XX century studio, and the whole movie business in general, was undergoing yet another difficult period associated with the development of television.  The company MCA, which was the actors agency, became a powerful television producer, and in 1958 for $ 11 million acquired Universal Pictures with its studio area of 1.5 km2.  Although formally Universal remained independent producer, the effect of MCA on the nature of film removed at the studio was very significant.  However, MCA not only significantly upgraded the capacity of the studio, but signed for Universal contracts with such prominent actors like Doris Day, Lana Turner and Cary Grant. In the 70 years of the last century, despite the fact that the studios made such hits as Airport, The Sting, American Graffiti, Jaws, ET, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park  period, the main magic wand for the studio were films made for television.  In the early 70s Universal combined its efforts on the world distribution of his films with Paramount Pictures, but in 1981 they have been joined by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: so there appeared a company United International Pictures, which since 1997 also distributed films of Dreamworks.  (Scott, 2005) In the 90 years Universal had repeatedly changed owners, that led to the creation of one of the largest U.S. and global media conglomerates NBC Universal. Warner Brothers The American company, which is one of the largest producers of film and television entertainment. Warner Bros.  includes several subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros.  Studios, Warner Bros.  Pictures, Warner Bros.  Television, Warner Bros.  Animation, Warner Home Video, DC Comics and The CW Television Network. The company is named in honor of the four Warner brothers who founded in 1904 the Duquesne Amusement Supply Company (the precursor to Warner Bros.), which distribute films.  For several years, the territory in which they worked for the company, expanded to include a four-state area.   By the beginning of the First World War the brothers began producing films, and in 1918 opened a studio Warner Bros.  Studio, situated on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.  Sam and Jack Warner produced the pictures, while Harry and Albert were engaged in finance in New York.  In 1923 they formally merged into a corporation Warner Bros.  Pictures, Inc.   The company prospered, allowing the brothers in 1924 to get a loan on Wall Street.  This money was acquired by Vitagraph Company, which had a nationwide distribution network, and bought several radio stations and built new theaters. In the 1920s company began to actively develop the film with sound and in 1926 began producing films with sound and sound effects.  In 1927 it released the film The Jazz Singer with dialogue, and the film became a sensation, and inaugurated an era of talking pictures.   In 1928 the company acquired one of the largest networks of cinemas Stanley Company. Later, in 1929, the brothers acquired its main rival First National Pictures.  The court allowed the two companies merge under the name Warner, provided that prior to 1938 the brothers will be releasing several films a year under the name First National Pictures.   In 1928 the brothers released in theaters now Lights of New York (born Lights of New York) with a full sound track.  Since then, the entire film industry finally turned to movies with sound: by the end of 1929 all the major studios released only sound films.   In 1929 Warner Bros.  released their first full-color film  «On with the Show ».  The second color film Gold Diggers of Broadway, that had become so popular that was shown in cinemas for over ten years- thus began the era of color film.   In the period from 1929 to 1931, Warner released a set of color films (Sally, Bright Lights, Song of the flame, Song of the West, Under the moon of Texas and others).  Most of them were musicals, and audience quickly got tired of them, so the studio had to withdraw from this genre.   Under the guidance of Darryl Zanuck in the 1930 studio famed for its gangster movie, and then to melodrama.  Around 1934 the company has problems with the censors, so it switched to making of historical films. In 1930 it established an independent company Warners cartoon, under the direction of Leon Schlesinger cartoon creation.  In 1931, it established a new series of cartoons Looney Tunes humorous sketches with a jazz soundtrack.  In 1933, new artists came to the studio (Jack King, Freeze Freeling et al), who produced the famous Buddy (born Buddy).  Studio has acquired a recognizable style that made its work extremely popular.   Among them were rabbit Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. During the Second World War studio became very rich thanks to increased demand for movies. In these years the company opened a lot of actors who were celebrities: Joan Crawford, Doris Day, etc.  (Scott, 2005) In January 5, 1948 Warner Bros.  released the first color newsreel, the Night of Roses Parade, that was a significant contribution to the development of the cinema.   In 1948 the Supreme Court of the United States, considering the antitrust disputes, issued a decision that made Warner Bros.  and four other major film companies of the country separate from the film industry of their networks cinemas.  Without the possibility of wide translating, there was no longer need to produce 30 films a year, so the brothers began to turn their production and ultimately sold the company to bank syndicate. For some time the company was engaged in adaptation of the popular plays, as well as a very good showing in creating a television series (individualist and others).  In 1958 began its work the record company Warner Bros.  Records, but

Abscisic Acid and Stomatal Closure :: essays research papers

Abscisic Acid and Stomatal Closure Abscisic acid is a single compound unlike the auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins. It was called "abscisin II" originally because it was thought to play a major role in abscission of fruits. Though ABA generally is thought to play mostly inhibitory roles, it has many promoting functions as well. In 1963, abscisic acid was first identified and characterized by Frederick Addicott and his associates. They were studying compounds responsible for the abscission of fruits (cotton). Two compounds were isolated and called abscisin I and abscisin II. Abscisin II is presently called abscisic acid. ABA is a naturally occurring compound in plants. It is a sesquiterpenoid (15-carbon) which is partially produced via a certain pathway (mevalonic pathway) in chloroplasts and other plastids. Because it is sythesized partially in the chloroplasts, it makes sense that biosynthesis primarily occurs in the leaves. The production of ABA is accentuated by stresses such as water loss and freezing temperatures. It is believed that biosynthesis occurs indirectly through the production of carotenoids. Carotenoids are pigments produced by the chloroplast which have 40 carbons. Breakdown of these carotenoids occurs in a complex mechanism which produces ABA. The transport of ABA can occur in both xylem and phloem tissues. It can also be translocated through paranchyma cells. The movement of abscisic acid in plants does not exhibit polarity like auxins. ABA is capable of moving both up and down the stem. The various roles of ABA are †¢ Stimulates the closure of stomata (water stress brings about an increase in ABA synthesis). †¢ Inhibits shoot growth but will not have as much affect on roots or may even promote growth of roots. †¢ Induces seeds to synthesize storage proteins. †¢ Has some effect on induction and maintanance of dormancy. (This information taken from http://www.plant-hormones.info/abscisicacid.htm) Stomatal Closure †¢ Addition of ABA to the growth medium (a mixture of vermiculite and peat moss) causes the closure of the stomates within 3 h and an increase in the Pos of the protoplasts of the aba1 plants to 50 mm s-1. †¢ Arrival of ABA in the leaves appears to signal stomatal closure as well as a change in the Pos of the plasma membranes. †¢ We hypothesize that under non-stress conditions ABA is required to maintain a population of actively functioning aquaporins at the plasma membrane.

Operation Barbarossa Essay

Operation Barbarossa, the code name given to Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, would come to be considered one of Nazi Germany’s greatest follies in the Second World War, and would play a monumental role in bringing an end to Hitler’s regime just a few years later. Though the operation itself lasted less than six months it resulted in four years of harsh fighting on the Eastern Front, marked by an enormous casualty toll for both the Russians and the Germans and countless battles fought in the cruel conditions of Russian winter. All of this despite the fact that both countries had engaged in a mutual non-aggression pack two short years earlier. In 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a series of agreements regarding how both countries would split the territory separating them and share the resources therein. Signing of the pact created strong political and economic ties between the two nations, at least on the surface. Historians, however, argue that the pact was doomed to fail long before it was even signed, as Hitler had long harbored a disgust for the Soviet Union’s Slavic peoples, which he viewed as sub-human. Couple this racial prejudice with the extremely different political ideologies governing both countries and it becomes clear that the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union was merely one of temporary convenience. Despite the volatile nature of the German-Soviet relationship, it still struck many as incomprehensible why Hitler should choose to invade Russia in 1941, with war already raging in the west. One can only judge that Hitler, in a misplaced display of ego, believed the west to already be won, with France effectively crushed and England standing as the only viable opponent on that front, struggling hopelessly to maintain a foothold on the European mainland. Believing the western front was theirs, Germany sought to expand her influence and complete her domination of Europe by conquering the resource-rich eastern countries- including the powerhouse of the Soviet Union. Preparations for the invasion began in April of ’41, as Germany began to secretly amass troops on her eastern borders. The plan involved a three-pronged Blitzkreig attack that would simultaneously strike northern Russia with the object of taking Leningrad, while a second group struck toward Moscow and a third took a southern route through the Ukraine. By doing this, Hitler believed that the Russians would be caught completely off guard and would be unable to mount an effective defense in so many places at once. Hitler’s plan, however, contained a number of fatal flaws. Firstly, he greatly underestimated the numbers and strength of the Soviet military, which had effectively doubled its number of troops, artillery pieces and aircraft since the outbreak of war in western Europe. Though not all of this strength was situated in the western part of Russia, where Hitler planned to strike, significant advances had also been made in Soviet infrastructure (most significantly, their railroad system) such as allowed for more efficient movement of troops and supplies, and therefore faster mobilization. Also, the German superiority in armor, which had served them so well in their western blitzkrieg was lost to them here- Soviet tanks, though less technologically advanced at this point in the war, actually outnumbered German tanks approximately four-to-one. The one advantage inarguably held by the Germans was troop quality. The German army was well trained, well equipped and led by experienced and educated officers. The Soviet army, in contrast, were untested by battle and overwhelming led by incompetent officers, many of whom had been given their commissions in exchange for political favors. The vast majority of Soviet officers had less than one year of experience, as many of the older and more experienced commanders had been executed or imprisoned during Stalin’s â€Å"Great Purge† between 1936 and 1938. When Operation Barbarossa began in the pre-dawn hours of June 22nd, 1941, Germany initially made fantastic gains. Approximately three million German soldiers, supported by armor and the Luftwaffe swarmed across the border, advancing more than 200 miles in the next 5 days. The only solid resistance they were met with in the first few days of the attack came in the south, where Soviet commanders reacted quickly and were able to organize an effective defense. The central and northern arms of the German advance, however, met little resistance and charged ahead at full speed- a factor that would later return to haunt them. Armored divisions of the German army actually advanced too quickly, putting them well ahead of the infantry divisions meant to support them. This forced Hitler to call the Panzer divisions to a halt for nearly a week to allow their accompanying infantry troops time to catch up- a week that was used by the Soviets to amass troops ahead of the German advance and fortify target cities such as Stalingrad. By the time the order was given to resume the advance, heavy rainstorms struck which greatly slowed the progress of German tanks attempting to slog down muddy roads. With their advance slowed and the element of surprise expired, the Germans faced ever-strengthening resistance from the Soviet army. In a decision that would prove disastrous, Hitler ordered the central arm of the attack to call-off its march for Moscow and redeploy to the north and south, strengthening the other two prongs of the invasion in hopes of quickly capturing the rich oil fields in the south and the Soviet stronghold of Leningrad in the north. This had mixed results, as the southern wing of the attack was eventually successful in capturing Kiev, and with it an approximate 600,000 Soviet troops, but the advance in the north stalled as heavy resistance was met in Leningrad. The southern wing, after completing its advance through the Ukraine, resumed the march toward Moscow, ultimately coming within 15 miles of the Soviet capital before the Soviets’ greatest ally came to their aid- the harsh Russian winter. As had been the case for Napoleon more than a hundred years earlier, the Russian winter proved disastrous to the unprepared German troops. Expecting a quick victory, the German army had not bothered to supply its men with winter uniforms, and as the snows set in many found themselves facing temperatures well below zero wearing little more than light cotton summer clothing. Frostbite, pneumonia and other side effects of the horrendous cold mercilessly ate away at the German divisions, which were already weakened by months of hard fighting. To make matters worse the cold prevented use of German tanks in many instances, which froze solid in the fields, and high winter winds and snow flurries grounded the Luftwaffe, preventing air support. The Soviets in contrast, well accustomed and prepared for the hardships of winter, took the opportunity to launch a massive counter attack which robbed the Germans of most of their earlier gains, pushing them back over 200 miles and removing the pressure on Moscow. Never again would the Germans make it so deep into Russian territory, though the war continued on and countless more men would die in the years to come. The failure of Operation Barbarossa proved disastrous to Hitler’s Reich, which lost huge numbers of valuable and experienced troops and vast amounts of material that would have proved invaluable to them later in the war. They also awoke the military beast that was Soviet Russia and forced themselves to actively wage war on two fronts, a strain that would eventually prove too much for Germany as Allied efforts redoubled in the west with the entrance of the United States into the conflict.

Benchmarking: University and Target Organizations Essay

What is benchmarking? †¢ Benchmarking is an approach for departments to measure and compare themselves with higher-performing departments with the goal of identifying work processes, products, services, or strategies that will lead to improvement. Benefits of benchmarking †¢ Identify best practices that increase student satisfaction. †¢ Achieve efficiencies and increase productivity. †¢ Helpful during times of budget growth and reduction. †¢ Broaden perspectives and overcome resistance change. †¢ Demonstrate the quality and efficiency of your programs and services. Origins of benchmarking †¢ Emerged in 1980s as a survival tool for Xerox. †¢ In 1990, first university benchmark study conducted by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. †¢ In 1992, the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) conducted a national benchmark study on administrative services. †¢ Since 1992, hundreds of schools have participated in NACUBO’s benchmark studies on topics ranging from admissions to purchasing. †¢ Today many higher education associations conduct benchmark studies. Opportunities for benchmarking in higher education †¢ Admissions – process of reviewing of applications †¢ Registrar – processing transcript requests †¢. Center for Student Involvement – processing the registration of student organizations †¢ Student Health Services – scheduling doctor appointments †¢ Campus Recreation – signing students up for recreation classes †¢ Career Services – registering employers in job fairs †¢ Crafts Center – registering students in workshops †¢ Human Resources – processing timesheets and payroll †¢ Transportation Services – arranging for special event parking services †¢ Police – computer – aided dispatch services †¢ Facilities Design – project design review process Five steps to benchmarking 1. Planning 2. Identifying target organizations 3. Data collection. 4. Analysis 5. Implementation Step 1. Planning †¢ Limit the study to what is vital to the performance of your department. †¢ Consider highly – regarded practices or services that can be made even better. †¢ Look into practices or services that students and staff regard as â€Å"broken†. – labor – intensive, time – consuming processes with suspected waste – Services or processes that generate dissatisfaction with students. – Processes that affect other key processes in your department or other departments. – Processes with poorly defined objectives or frequent errors requiring corrections. Prioritizing your benchmarking projects †¢. Potential for improvement in student satisfaction or staff productivity, †¢ Extent to which the process or service is broken, Feasibility of re-engineering the service or product. Selecting benchmark study team Involve staff members who are most familiar with the processes or services. If processes or services extend to other departments, involve their staff as well. Include a staff member who can successfully recruit the target organizations to participate in the study. Step 2. Identifying target organizations Identify recognized leaders based on: –awards, conference presentations, articles in association publications, and leaders in your  field. †¢ Target organizations can be departments: –internal to the university that perform similar processes or offer similar services. –with similar processes or services at other universities. –outside of higher education with similar functions, products, or services. Step 2. Identifying target organizations To ease the recruiting the process look for institutions that affiliate with one another in some manner. –They still need to be top performers! Secure their cooperation by: –Ensuring confidentiality of the results. – Making their participation easy by minimizing their investment of time in the study. – Promising to share the results. Step 3. Data collection †¢ The objective of data collection is to: – examine processes or services, – resources devoted to processes or services, and – measure performance. Step 3. Data collection Use methods such as: telephone interviews, on – line surveys, collection of department information (e. g. , organizational charts, procedure manuals) detailed flowcharts of internal processes interviews during meetings at conference, interviews and observation during site visits Step 3. Data collection †¢ Measuring performance involves developing metrics such as: †¢ QUALITY – student satisfaction surveys,  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ EFFICIENCY – number of transactions completed per departmental FTE, or – departmental cost per transaction processed. Examples of metrics †¢ Benchmarking study of custodial services in Student Centers †¢ QUALITY †¢ Staff and student ratings of the appearance of various spaces in the facility (e. g. ,bathrooms, dining spaces, meeting spaces, lounge spaces). †¢ EFFICIENCY †¢ Number of FTE dedicated to custodial services divided by facility square footage †¢ Number of FTE dedicated to custodial services divided by the number of people who visit the facility each day †¢ Amount of supplies and expenses budgeted to  custodial services divided by the number of people who visit the facility each day. Step 4. Analysis †¢ Your analysis may focus on: †¢ Differences in quality and efficiency levels. †¢ Factors that contribute to the differences in quality and efficiency including: †¢ Organizational structure, †¢ Leadership and mission †¢ Organizational stability and staff experience, †¢ Policies, †¢ Work flows and internal processes, †¢ Use of technology such as the web, email, phone †¢ Staffing levels, †¢ Training of staff, †¢ Division of job responsibilities, †¢ Funding, †¢ Use of assessment to receive student feedback Step 5. Implementation †¢ Analysis phase culminates in a documented action plan and recommendations †¢ Identify strengths and weaknesses relative to benchmark partners, †¢ Recommendation may include changing: – processes, – job responsibilities, – staff involved, – use of technology and development of software tools. Resources †¢ American Society for Quality http://www. asq. org †¢ Student Voice http://www. studentvoice. com †¢ Educational Benchmarking Inc. http://www. webebi. com – Has national benchmark studies on first – year experience, housing, Greek life, student centers, student organization leaders. †¢ International Benchmarking Clearinghouse http://www. apqc. orgÃ'Ž