Male Breast Cancer - 2120 Words

Male Breast Cancer, Causes, Risk Factors and Prevention By Istvan S Diego Introduction Notwithstanding that male breast cancer is a rare phenomenon, it is still possible. Such cases account for only 1% of all breast cancer. The American Cancer Society forecasts that over 1,000 new cases of breast cancer in men will be diagnosed in 2010 (Male Breast Cancer). The survival rate in men is lower than in women, mostly because men often report the symptoms of breast cancer too late (Male Breast Cancer). The disease is more likely to spread, leaving many men with less hope that treatment will lead to recovery. The main reasons of that are first of all the lack of the research in this field that leads to the second reason that is men’s†¦show more content†¦Men with this condition have longer legs, a higher voice, and a thinner beard than average men do. Their testicles are smaller than usual and do not produce functioning sperm cells, so the men are infertile. Compared with other men, they have lower levels of androgens (male hormones) and more estrogens (female hormones). For this reason, they often develop gynecomastia (benign male breast growth) and have an increased risk of male breast cancer. * Radiation exposure: A man whose chest area has been exposed to radiation (usually for treatment of a cancer inside the chest such as Hodgkins or non-Hodgkins lymphoma) has an increased risk of developing breast cancer. * Liver disease: The liver plays an important role in sex hormone metabolism by producing binding proteins, which carry the hormones in the blood. These binding proteins affect the hormones’ activity. Men with severe liver disease such as cirrhosis have relatively low levels of androgen activity and higher estrogen levels. For this reason, they may have an increased risk of developing gynecomastia and breast cancer. * Estrogen treatment: Estrogen-related drugs are sometimes used in hormonal therapy of men with prostate cancer. This treatment may cause a slight increase in breast cancer risk. However, this risk is sma ll compared with the benefits of this treatment in slowing the growth of prostate cancer. Men taking high doses ofShow MoreRelatedMale Breast Cancer Essay861 Words   |  4 Pages Breast cancer in males is quite common, yet still many people are unaware of this disease. Often, it can go undiagnosed until the cancer is in the fourth stage. Every year over 2,000 men will be diagnosed, but only 54% will survive. Cancer in men is often overlooked as it is almost 100 times less common in men than women. During a man’s entire lifespan, the risk of having a diagnosis is about one in one-thousand. The most common symptom of this devastating disease are a lump or some swelling. ThisRead MoreAdult Case Study : Male Breast Cancer3050 Words   |  13 PagesStudy: Male Breast Cancer Carly Regan Loyola University Chicago Introduction Overview When the topic of breast cancer is discussed in conversation, most will think of it as a female diagnosis. While the greatest percentages of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are female, it is still possible that males can be diagnosed. It is a diagnosis that practitioners should always keep in the back of their minds as a differential when a male presents with a breast mass. AlthoughRead MoreEssay on Male Breast Cancer 1361 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The term â€Å"breast cancer† refers to a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast† (Breast Cancer,n.d). What society does not realize, is that men have breasts. If men can have abnormal cell growths in the breast, they are except-able to breast cancer as well. Men need to be aware of the prevention, diagnoses, and treatments for male breast cancer. Society links breast cancer to women, but what about the males in our society? Males have breast tissues, Boys andRead MoreSaudi Arabian Women And The Obstacles1620 Words   |  7 PagesCONSERVATIVE, THEREFORE, SEEKING TREATMENT FOR REPORDUCTIVE ISSUES AWKWARD. DUE TO THESE CUSTOMS, MANY WOMEN DO NOT OFTEN SEEK HEALTHCARE, AND WHEN THE WOMEN DO IT IS OFTEN TOO LATE. IN 2010 BREAST CANCER WAS THE NINTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN FEMALES IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA. Breast Cancer Awareness and Screening in Saudi Arabian Women Saudi Arabia is a country in the Middle East and is surrounded by water. These water ways consist of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the PersianRead MoreIbm Anem Report999 Words   |  4 PagesThe purpose of this report is to explore and explain data on male and female breast cancer throughout the United States using IBM Watson Analytics. There are many different topics used throughout the report to describe the impacts of breast cancer, factors that influence breast cancer and ways to prevent the disease. Some of the topics/influences that were used in the charts we created were regional impact, age, race/ethnicity, cancer stage, and mammogram rates. All rates throughout the presentationRead MoreBreast Cancer : A Disease That Comes Unexpectedly Essay1072 Words   |  5 PagesBreast cancer is a disease that comes unexpectedly; many people tend to overlook the symptoms. There are different types of breast cancers that require treatments and surgery. The course of treatment varies from patient to patient because there are many factors that can contribute to a patient’s treatment plan. Once the plan is in place, there are many things that will need to be done in order to ensure that the cancer will not return. Trying to beat cancer can be a long, extraneous, and in someRead MoreThe Adipose Promoter 1.4 : Responsible For Driving The Transcription Process1686 Words   |  7 Pagesadipose cells tend to utilize all the promoters (II, 1.3 and 1.7) in instances where breast cancer is involved owing to the cancerous cells. Switch of the promoters depending with the kind of environment leads to enhanced gene transcription of aromatase, the expression of the proteins and the enzymatic activity. Thus, explaining why there is a high presence of oestrogen surrounding breast cancer cells. Breast cancer cells tend to overexpress cyclooxygenase-2 leading to the production and secretionRead MoreMammograms: Powerful Breast Cancer Essay885 Words   |  4 Pagesa safe, low-dose x-ray of the breast. A high-quality mammogram is the most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early. Early detection of breast cancer may allow more treatment options. It could even mean saving your breast or your life. Mammograms are probably the most important tool doctors have to help them diagnose, evaluate, and follow women whove had breast cancer. Mammograms dont prevent breast cancer, but they can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible. There areRead MoreBreast Cancer : Cancer And Cancer1346 Words   |  6 Pagesinternational symbol for breast cancer support and awareness. Breast cancer knows neither racial boundaries nor age restrictions. Females of all ages and ethnicities can develop breast cancer and it is the leading most common cancer among women. Calling attention to this often fatal disease is important by supporting its victims, families and friends of victims, as well as raising funds for breast cancer research. Though males are not immune from developing a breast cancer, for the purposes of thisRead MoreWomen’S Health Issues Require Separate And Unique Attention1205 Words   |  5 Pagesmenstruation till menopause. These issues can cause problems to the next generation as well. This paper will explore the various health issues to the women by looking specifically at the unique concerns to the women such as women’s mental health, breast cancer and gestational diabetes. I will try to discuss these points and find out the causes behind these problems. Finally, I will try to conclude all these points at the end of my paper for myself and for the reader as well. History of women’s health

Reduction of Diarrheal Diseases in Under-Five Children in...

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) describes diarrheal disease as the second leading cause of mortality in children under five years old, accounting for around 760000 deaths of children every year (Lweendo, 2010). Diarrhea is usually transmitted through the faecal-oral route. From the public health perspectives, contact with human excreta due to improper faecal disposal, poor hygiene in terms of hand washing to mention a few are the most potential risk factors. It has been documented that diarrhea causes of malnutrition in children under- five years. Diarrheal disease causes loss of water and salt in the body and can lead to death. This disease is very dangerous for children under –five years Nigeria is one the countries†¦show more content†¦As it has been earlier pointed out, majority of people lives in slums. This situation poses a challenge of attaining Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Epidemiologically, diarrhea diseases are associated with poor hygiene in terms of hand washing (Lweendo, 2010). For example, the Cross-sectional study that was conducted among the Lagos community revealed that only 46% washed their hands before eating. In the same study it was revealed that 3.6% washed their hands after cleaning a defecated child and 0.3% after cleaning running nose (International Journal of Infection Control 2013). Poverty influences the state of hygiene and sanitation and vice versa (Lweendo, 2010). In Lagos alone, it is reported that children who lives in poorest socioeconomic strata have lower health indicators as compared to those from wealthiest. For example, mortality rate among children under-five from the urban settings is 85/1000 while mortality rate in rural settings where socioeconomic is low is 219/1000 live births (Senbanjo, Olayiwola et al. 2013). Overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, low income households and families are conditions that make children more vulnerable to disease many diseases such as diarrhea. The current public health interventions in Lagos There is growing evidence that diarrhea can be prevented through the approach that includes among other

Importance for Standing Up for Your Beliefs free essay sample

There are many ways on how to take on your own beliefs leave them to the side or show them with pride. There are many people who are afraid to be out of the ordinary from the people around them, but without your beliefs you are not being yourself. Like my mom always told me only the truth survives in the end. When I was in middle school I was the new kid and I felt this was my opportunity to be someone who people want to talk to, someone who is seen as a cool kid. I was approached by a group of kids and they asked me if I wanted to sit with them in lunch and I being â€Å"cool† told them that I would think about it. During lunch I had nowhere else to sit so I sat with the kids who had asked me to sit with them. We will write a custom essay sample on Importance for Standing Up for Your Beliefs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As I sat down they started to introduce themselves to me there names where Ruben, Mike, Anthony and Steven. They asked me if I liked video games and I said that I did and that’s all they talked about the whole time during lunch. When lunch was over they said I should sit with them every day during lunch and I had to say yes I mean who else could I sit with. After school I was waiting for my mom and I see the group of kids again coming towards me. When they approached me Mike asked me if I wanted to hang out behind the school and I said yes because I felt they were my friends. Behind the school Mike asked me if I had ever smoked before and I said â€Å"I hate smokers†, he immediately said â€Å"so you hate us, huh †. I told him that if they smoked then I would hate them because one of my uncles passed away of cancer because of second hand smoke. He punched me in the face and I fell to the ground head first, I just felt the agony of the punch then the rest is a blur. When I woke up in the hospital it was so bright and my mom was to my right and the doctor in front of me asking me how I felt. I could not explain the feelings that I had at the moment like vanity, hurt, honor and shock. I was proud of myself that I had a grasp to my beliefs about smokers and didn’t care if what they would think. For me that moment explained to me why it’s important to stick with your beliefs because you are being fake if you don’t, even that I still got beat I learned that I shouldn’t care what people think about my beliefs because only being true to your beliefs will lead you through the right path.

Importance of PESTLE Analysis-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write an essay of explaining what the main strategy development tools are and how they are used in your chosen business Organization. Answer: Introduction Market analysis may be defined as a study of the attractiveness as well as the dynamic of a specific market. Market analysis is considered to be a part of the industry analysis and is also termed as environmental analysis. With the help of environmental analysis, the managers of an organization are able to understand the internal as well as the external environment of the market (Pulver 2012). While internal analysis of market helps the managers to understand the strength, weaknesses, opportunities as well as threats of the organization with respect to the international market, external analysis assist the managers to understand the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors of the specific market in which the organization has been or is going to be established. In this essay, a brief discussion on the importance of three of the crucial market environment analyzing tools, namely, PESTLE, SWOT and Porters five forces model has been performed Importance of PESTLE Analysis Figure 1: PESTLE Analysis Source (Gupta 2013) PESTLE Analysis can be defined as an external business environment analyzing tool. This tool is used b the management of an organization to track the environment of the country they are operating in or are planning to launch their business. The term PESTLE stands for Political, Economical, Social, Legal and Environmental. With the help of these tools, the above-mentioned factors of the target market are analyzed. The in-depth analyses of each of the mentioned factors have been discussed below: Political Factor This factor analyzes the extent to which the government of the target country influences the economy of the country. For instance, the government of a country may impose the tax on the product of an organization which may lead to enhancement of the overall production costs of an organization (Babatunde and Adebisi 2012). The political factor chiefly measures the fiscal and tax policies, trade traffics and other rules and regulations implemented by the government that may impose an impact on the organization. Economic Factor This factor analyzes the financial standpoint as well as the economic performance of a target market. Economic factor chiefly includes interest rates, inflation rate, economic growth pattern and the foreign exchange rate of the market. For instance, in case the country is experiencing inflation, it will impose a negative impact on the price and service o the company as well as on the purchasing power of the consumers. Social Factor This factor analyzes the social environment of the country (Johnson 2016). The chief determinants include demographics, population analytics and cultural trend of the market. For instance, since the citizens of US are highly health conscious, the McDonald Company, being a fast food chain is suffering from immense loss in the market. Technological Factor This factor analyzes how advanced the market is on the basis of technological advances. More advanced a country is technological, more favorable is it for the organization. For instance, companies like Quantas always target countries which can provide them with high tech tools and facilities. Legal Factor Unlike the other factors, this factor includes both the external as well as the internal sides. Certain laws are there which are implemented by the target country on the organizations while there are policies which are implemented by the organization to maintain the revenue. Some of the examples of laws that fall under legal analysis include labour laws, consumer laws and safety laws (Gupta 2013). Environmental Factor This factor includes laws and regulations related to the environment, imposed by government of the target market on the organizations. The rules are generally imposed to prevent air and water pollution. This factor is crucial for industries like farming, agriculture and tourism. A few years ago legal action was taken against KFC for using Polystyrene packaging for it fast food items. Porters five forces Analysis Like the PESTLE analysis tool, Porter's five forces analysis tool is used as an external environment analysis tool. It chiefly identifies and analyzes the major five competitive forces namely that shapes the business and helps the organization to assess its strengths as well as weaknesses. The Porters five forces model is comprised of five factors that include the power of the buyers, the power of the Suppliers, the threat of substitute products, the power of existing competitors and finally potentiality of the new entrants. Power of the Existing Competitors This force analyzes how popular are the competitors of the organization in the target market. The larger is the number of competitors and equivalent products, lesser is the power of the organization (Dobbs 2014). For instance, considering the fact that in US, several globally well-known fast food chains like KFC and McDonald are present, the Burger King Company is facing issues to gain competitive advantage in the fast food market of US. Power of the Suppliers This force analyzes how easily the suppliers can enhance the prices of their service as well as the products supplied to the organization. Less is the number of suppliers in the market, more will be their demand (Gupta 2013). Along with this, the power of the suppliers in a specific market depends on their quality of products and services, unique aspects and the switching cost of the company from one supplier to other. Power of the Buyers This force measures the ability of the consumers to lower the price of the products o services offered by the organization. The chief determinants of this force include the switching cost required to switch from one organization to another. More is the switching cost, less is the power of the consumers. For instance, since McDonalds ha numerous numbers of competitors in US, the power of the consumers is high. The threat of the Substitutes This force analyses the strength and popularity of the substitute products in the target market. Substitute products or service are products or services that consumers can use in the place of the organizations products or services (Dobbs 2014). If consumers find out that the products or services offered by any other organizations are better than the company on the basis of costs or unique features, then consumers will definitely switch. This, in turn, will affect the company negatively. The threat of new entrants in the market This force measures the chances of a new entry in the market. The less money and time is needed for the new entries to enter the market, more is the power of the new entrance. This, in turn, weakens the position of the company to a great extent (Wright, Paroutis and Blettner 2013). For instance, the treat of new entrance for the Nintendo Company is low due to high entry barriers in the US market. SWOT Analysis This tool measures the internal environment of the company. SWOT analysis can be considered as one of the unique techniques for understanding the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization. Strengths: Strengths can be determined by the characteristics of the organization that has the potential to provide competitive advantages to that organization. Generally, for a business organization, strengths include its brand equity, Consumer loyalty and others. For instance, the Strength of the CocaCola Company is its brand equity and huge consumer loyalty (Evangelopoulos, Zhang and Prybutok 2012). Weaknesses: Weaknesses of an organization refer to the factors that add disadvantages to the business. For instance, lesser amount technologies and consumer loyalty can be considered for two major weaknesses of business organizations (Agarwal, Grassl and Pahl 2012). More are the weaknesses, less is the competitive advantage of the company. Opportunities: This force determines the fields as well as the elements that the organization can use to enhance its competitive advantages. A company can enhance its competitive advantages by expanding its business in other markets. Threats: Threats can be defined as the elements that cause trouble in the way of gaining competitive advantages in the business of an organization (Kew and Stredwick 2017). One of the chief examples of threat includes the strength of the competitors and substitutes of the product or services offered by the organization. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that the above-mentioned tools are highly crucial to understand the external as well as the internal condition of the organization. While PESTLE analysis helps the organization to have an in-depth picture of its target market, the porters five forces model helps the company to understand the potentiality of its competitors, suppliers and substitute products. The SWOT analysis, on the other hand, helps the company to understand its potentials, weakness, threats as well as opportunities. With the help of these three analysis tools, the company is able to understand and eradicate its loopholes and thus develops potential to expand its market. Reference List Agarwal, R., Grassl, W. and Pahl, J., 2012. Meta-SWOT: introducing a new strategic planning tool.Journal of Business Strategy, 33(2), pp.12-21. Babatunde, B.O. and Adebisi, A.O., 2012. Strategic Environmental Scanning and Organization Performance in a Competitive Business Environment.Economic Insights-Trends Challenges, 64(1),pp. 23-28. Dobbs, M., 2014. Guidelines for applying Porter's five forces framework: a set of industry analysis templates.Competitiveness Review,24(1), pp.32-45. Evangelopoulos, N., Zhang, X. and Prybutok, V.R., 2012. Latent semantic analysis: five methodological recommendations.European Journal of Information Systems,21(1), pp.70-86. Gupta, A., 2013. Environmental and pest analysis: An approach to external business environment.Merit Research Journal of Art, Social Science and Humanities, 1(2), pp.13-17. Johnson, G., 2016.Exploring strategy: text and cases. Pearson Education, pp. 45-49. Kew, J. and Stredwick, J., 2017.Business environment: managing in a strategic context. Kogan Page Publishers, pp. 12-16. Wright, R.P., Paroutis, S.E. and Blettner, D.P., 2013. How useful are the strategic tools we teach in business schools?.Journal of Management Studies,50(1), pp.92-125.

The Eighteenth Amendment

What to Do If Your College Roommate Uses Your Stuff

What to Do If Your College Roommate Uses Your Stuff In college, roommates have a lot to deal with: in addition to the stress of being in school, youre squished into a space that would be incredibly tiny for one person - not to mention two (or three or four). Just because youre sharing a space, however, doesnt necessarily mean that youre sharing all of your stuff, too. As the lines begin to blur between where one persons space ends and the others begins, its not uncommon for roommates to begin sharing things. Why have two microwaves, for example, when you really need just one? While some things make sense to share, others can create conflict. If your roommate has started using your stuff in a way that you dont like, hasnt been talked about, or was previously talked about but is now being disrespected, a simple act can quickly turn into something much bigger. If your roommate is borrowing (or just plain taking!) your stuff without checking with you first, there are some questions you can ask yourself when trying to figure out what to do about the situation: How Big of an Issue Is This for You? Maybe you talked about sharing items and your roommate has disregarded the agreement you made together. How much does that bother, annoy, or anger you? Or does it make sense that he or she used your things without asking? Is it a big deal or not? Try not to think about how you think you should feel; think about how you do feel. True, some people may not care if a roommate borrows their iron, but if it bothers you, then be honest with yourself about that. Conversely, if your friends seem outraged that your roommate borrowed your clothes but you dont really mind, then know thats okay, too. Pattern or Exception Your roommate might be absolutely great and she took a little of your cereal and milk just once because she was super, super hungry late one night. Or she may take your cereal and milk two times a week and now youre just sick of it. Consider whether this is a small incident that likely wont happen again or a larger pattern that you would like stopped. Its okay to be bothered by either one, and its especially important to address any bigger issues (e.g., the pattern) if and when you confront your roommate about his or her behavior. Is It a Personal Item or Something General? Your roommate may not know that, for example, the jacket he borrowed was your grandfathers. Consequently, he may not understand why youre so upset that he borrowed it one night when it was unseasonably cold. While all of the things you brought to college matter to you, your roommate doesnt know the values you assign to everything. So, be clear on what was borrowed and why its not okay (or totally fine) for your roommate to borrow it again. What Bugs You About the Situation? You may be bothered that your roommate took something that you told him not to; you may be bothered that he did it without asking; you may be bothered that he didnt replace it; you may be bothered that he takes a lot of your stuff without checking with you first. If you can figure out what bugs you the most about your roommates use of your stuff, you can better address the real issue at hand. So sure, your roommate may have a reason for taking your last energy drink, but its harder to explain why he is constantly helping himself to the last of your things. What Resolution Do You Want? You might just want an apology or an acknowledgment that your roommate took something he or she wasnt entitled to take. Or you may want something larger, like a conversation or even a formal roommate contract about what its okay and not okay to share. Think about what you need to feel better about the situation. That way, when you do talk to your roommate (or RA), you can be focused on a larger goal instead of just feeling frustrated and like you dont have any options. How to Best Come to a Resolution Once you figure out what kind of resolution you want, its important to also figure out how you can get there. If you want an apology, youll need to talk to your roommate; if you want clearer rules in place, youll need to think about what those rules might be before starting a conversation. If you can take the time and mental energy to focus on the causes of and solutions to the problem, your roommates use of your stuff doesnt have to be anything more than a minor issue you thought about, addressed, and resolved during your time as roommates. After all, you both have much bigger things to worry about.

For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast Essay

For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast the main operations processes in terms of their volume, vari - Essay Example In simpler terms, operation management is the conversion of input into output using the resources available to the organization with an aim to meet the organizational objectives such as efficiency, consistency and effectiveness (Kumar and Suresh, 2009). This assignment will highlight the factors such as volume, variety, variation and visibility of two automobile organizations, i.e. BMW and Nissan. To further highlight the importance of operation management in company’s success, the performance objectives, i.e. speed, quality, dependability, flexibility and cost, would be analyzed in order to evaluate the respective operation strategies of both the companies. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING OPERATION MANAGEMENT To compare and contrast the operation management in automobile industry, two familiar and recognized organizations BMW and Nissan have been selected. Both companies would be analyzed and evaluated in terms of volume, variety, variation and visibility characteristics. NISSAN Ni ssan is the world’s fourth largest automobile manufacturer. The company is located in Japan. With its aim to enrich the lives of its customers by providing them with high quality cars, the company operates in a number of countries. With the use of technology, the company aims to provide its customers with innovative vehicles. In order to evaluate the company’s operation management and its processes, volume, variety, variation and visibility characteristics have been analyzed one by one. Volume In order to consistently meet the demands of the customers, the company manufactures vehicles in high volume. This repetition of the processes has made the workforce specialize in the operation processes which eventually lead to the low units cost. With the ability to manufacture vehicles at low cost, the company is capital intensive. Variety To effectively meet the needs of the customers, Nissan provides them with variety of vehicles. With extensive product line at Nissan, the c ompany is able to attract the customers in the market. The variety in product line at Nissan includes sports cars, minivans and vans, trucks and pickup trucks (Nissan, 2013). With such variety, the company is able to match the needs of the customers effectively. Variation The variation in demand for Nissan’s vehicle is low. This implicates that the demand is predictable and the variation in the vehicle is stable. With low variation in demand, the cost associated with the manufacturing of vehicle is also low. Visibility characteristics In operations management, visibility character indicates the level of activities that can be observed by the customer. In Nissan’s case, the visibility characteristics are low which indicates that the company utilizes its staff effectively. Since the time lag between the production and consumption is high, the visibility factor could be said as low. BMW BMW continuously strives to become the leader in the automobile industry and to do so, the company provide its customers with high quality vehicles to enrich their customer’s experience. The company is one of the top quality vehicle providers in the globe due to which the company charges premium price from its customers. Being the world’s leader of premium products, the company has its own unique identity and persona. The same way Nissan

Political Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Political Science - Essay Example Illegal immigrants areundocumented immigrantsor aliens in the United States who enter the borders of United States without government permission or those who stay beyond the termination date of a visa. There are different causes of illegal migration ranging from economic incentives of a better life, chain immigration to join relatives, American government inefficiency, and globalization to trade agreements. Illegal migration however has such benefits as availability of cheap labor and payment of taxes by the immigrants. Racial profiling refers to government activity directed at a suspect or group of suspects because of their race, whether intentional or because of the disproportionate numbers of contacts based upon other pre-textual reasons. This is common in America especially when it comes to people from the Middle East but it should be in tandem with the Fourth Amendment. Rawls would have condemned Middle East profiling and the outlawing of illegal migration based on his write-ups.In his ‘A Theory of Justice’ (1971) he made contributions to liberal political philosophy namely: justice as fairness; reflective equilibrium; overlapping consensus; public reason; veil of ignorance; and original position. Rawlsianism provides for the most reasonable principles of justice as those which everyone would accept and agree to from a fair position. Justice as fairness comprises two main principles of Liberty and Equality with the second divided into Fair Equality of Opportunities and the Difference Principle in the order of priority. The Liberty Principle provides for entitlement of everyone to basic liberties while the Equality Principle establishes distributive justice. Fair Equality of Opportunity provides for access to positions to everyone regardless of their social background, ethnicity or sex. The Difference Principle regulates inequalities by permitting them to the advantage of the worst-off (Cohen and Fermon

Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci Accounts of China Essay

Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci Accounts of China - Essay Example The imperial power of the Chinese passes from the father to the son, however the people have a say in the staying in power of a ruler. When the people grow inept of a ruler they have the ability to strip him the throne and place a new man with courage and the qualities of being a leader. The Chinese prefer dying honorable death rather than be under a monarch who is usurping and swear allegiance to him. They therefore use and employ the ideologies of this proverb more frequently that, â€Å"no woman is moral who has two husbands nor any vassal faithful who has two lords†. The laws that are governing China are not enshrined to any logical way, however any person who succeeds in getting the throne makes his own laws and he who succeeds him is obliged to implement the laws .The Chinese people have a government that is monarchial ,however to certain degrees this government is an aristocracy .Decisions in relation to governance are made by the magistrates but the king has to make co nfirmations by writing though he has no powers to make any final decision without first consulting with the magistrates. The income does not go to the exchequer but is a resource of the public and is taken to the public treasury. The running of most of the national issues like the military and management of the prisons are met by the national treasury and where the funds cannot be met by the available resources, new taxes are imposed to raise the extra income to meet the national demands of the republic of china (Kashlansky). The magistrates are grouped into two, those from the national levels and those at the provincial levels. Besides the magistrates there is a group of about 60 philosophers who have proved allegiance to the king and are loyal to the realm. This group is kept by the king for the good of business and benefits to the royalty. In addition to the magistrates ,at the national palace there are various organizations which are instituted for various purposes .there are al so members of the cabinet who have no public administrative powers but have the highest office dignity. Marco gives an account of the tartars who had an eloquent ruler who came into power with approved integrity, justice and valor. The king came into power with so much moderation and fairness that his fame spread all over the world. By finding himself as the head of so many brave men he ordered them to arm themselves with arrows and bows so as to fire an assault to the neighboring provinces. The king ensured that he developed love with the people and gained their respect. However in later stages he became a dictator and developed strict regulation which had even penalties for death of defaulters of regulations .The tartars had a nomadic life and never stayed in one place, constantly moving in search of greener pastures. They had women with courage and virtue for the management of their homes (Marco).The women observe chastity and no quarrel is heard of or experienced in the families with the women always taking care of the children and the provision of food for the family. The city of Kin say is reported to have men and women who love life and use gold and silver. The authority of this city equally felt quite insecure and made it a rule to guard its numerous bridges with numerous precautions especially after dusk such

Difference of Squares of Two Natural Numbers

Difference of Squares of Two Natural Numbers One of the basic arithmetic operations is finding squares and difference between squares of two natural numbers. Though there are various methods to find the difference between squares of two natural numbers, still there are scopes to find simplified and easy approaches. As the sequence formed using the difference between squares of two natural numbers follow a number patterns, using number patterns may facilitate more easy approach. Also, this sequence has some general properties which are already discussed by many mathematicians in different notations. Apart from these, the sequence has some special properties like sequence difference property, difference sum property, which helps to find the value easily. The sequence also has some relations that assist to form a number pattern. This paper tries to identify the general properties, special properties of finding difference between the squares of any two natural numbers using number patterns. A rhombus rule relationship between the sequences of numbers formed by considering the difference between squares of the two natural numbers has been defined. A new method to find a2 b2 also has been introduced in some simple cases. This approach will help the secondary education lower grade students in identifying and recognizing number patterns and squares of natural numbers. Mathematical Subject Classifications: (2010) 11A25, 11A51, 40C99, 03F50 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SQUARES OF TWO NATURAL NUMBERS RELATIONS, PROPERTIES AND NEW APPROACH Introduction Mathematics, a subject of problem solving skills and applications, has wide usage in all the fields. Basic skills of mathematical applications in number systems used even in day to day life. Though calculators and computers have greater influences in calculations, still there is a need to find new easy methods of calculations to improve personal intellectual skills. As there has been growing interest, in mathematics education, in teaching and learning, many mathematicians build simple and different methods, rules and relationships in various mathematical field. Though various investigations have made important contributions to mathematics development and education (2), there still room for new research to clarify the mutual relationship between the numbers and number patterns. In natural numbers, various subsets have been recognized by ancient mathematicians. Some are odd numbers, prime numbers, oblong numbers, triangular numbers and squares. These numbers shall be identified by number patterns. Recognizing number patterns is also an important problem-solving skill. Working with number patterns leads directly to the concept of functions in mathematics: a formal description of the relationships among different quantities. One of the basic arithmetic operations is finding squares and difference between squares of two natural numbers. Already many proofs and relationships were identified and proved in finding difference between squares of two natural numbers. We use different methods to find the difference between squares of two natural numbers. That is, to find a2 b2. Though, this area of research may be discussed by early mathematicians and researchers in various aspects, still there are many interesting ways to discuss the same in teaching. Teaching number patterns in secondary level education is most important issue as the students develop their analytical and cognitive skills in this stage. Different arithmetic operations and calculations need to be introduced in such way that they help the students in lifelong learning. Easy and simplified approaches will support the students in logical reasoning. This paper tries to identify the general properties, special properties of finding difference between the squares of any two natural numbers using number patterns. Also, this paper tries to define the rhombus rule relationship between the sequences of numbers formed by the differences of squares of two natural numbers. A new method to find a2 b2 also has been introduced in some simple cases. These may be introduced in secondary school early grades, before introducing algebraic techniques of finding a2 b2 to develop the knowledge and understanding of number patterns. This will help to recognize and apply number patterns in further level. Literature Review To find the difference between the squares of any two natural numbers, we use different methods. Also, we use various rules to find the square of a natural number. Some properties were also been identified by the researchers and mathematicians. Methods used to find the difference between squares of two natural numbers Direct Method The difference between the squares of two natural numbers shall be found out by finding the squares of the numbers directly. Example: 252 52 = 625 25 = 600 Using algebraic rule The algebraic rule a2 b2 = (a b)(a + b) shall be applied to find the difference between the squares of two natural numbers. Example: 252 52 = (25 5)(25 + 5) = 20 x 30 = 600 Method when a b = 1(2) The difference between the squares of every two consecutive natural numbers is always an odd number, and that it is equal to the sum of these numbers. Example: 252 242 = 25 + 24 = 49 Methods used to find the square of a natural number Using Algebraic Method The algebraic rules shall be used to find the square of natural number other than the direct multiplication. In general, (a + b)2, (a b)2 are used to find the squares of a natural number from nearest whole number. Example: 992 = (100 1)2 = 1002 2(100)(1) + 12 = 10000 200 + 1 = 9801 Square of a number using previous number(8) The following rule may be applied to find the square of a number using previous number. (n + 1)2 = n2 + n + (n+1) Example: 312 = 302 + 30 + 31 = 900 + 30 + 31 = 961 The Gilbreth Method of finding square(9) The Gilbreth method uses binomial theorem to find the square of a natural number. The rule is n2 = 100(n 25) + (50 n)2 Example: 992 = 100(99 25) + (50 99)2 = 7400 + 2401 = 9801 Other than the above mentioned methods various methods are used based on the knowledge and requirements. Properties of differences between squares of the natural numbers 2.3.1. The difference between squares of any two consecutive natural numbers is always odd. To prove this property, let us consider two consecutive natural numbers, say 25 and 26 Now let us find 262 252 262 252 = (26 + 25)(26 25) [Using algebraic rule] = 51 x 1 = 51, an odd number 2.3.2. The difference between squares of any two alternative natural numbers is always even. To prove this property, let us consider two alternative natural numbers, say 125 and 127 Now let us find 1272 1252 1272 1252 = (127 + 125)(127 125) [Using algebraic rule] = 252 x 2 = 504, an even number Some other properties were also identified and discussed by various mathematicians and researchers. Number Patterns and Difference Between the Squares of Two Natural Numbers Discussions and Findings Some of the properties stated above shall be proved by using number pattern. Number patterns are interesting area of arithmetic that stimulates the logical reasoning. They shall be applied in various notations to identify the sequences and relations between the numbers. 3.1. Sample Table for the difference between squares of two natural numbers To find the properties and relations that are satisfied by the sequences formed by the differences between the squares of two natural numbers, let us form a number pattern. For discussion purposes, let us consider first 10 natural numbers 1, 2, 3 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 10. Now, let us find the difference between two consecutive natural numbers. That is, 22 12 = 3; 32 22 = 5; and so on. Then the sequence will be as follows: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. The sequence is a set of odd numbers starting from 3. i.e., Difference 1: {x| x is an odd number greater than or equal to 3, x ÃŽ N} In the same way, let us form the sequence for the difference between squares of two alternative natural numbers. That is, 32 12 = 8, 42 22 = 12, and so on. Then the sequence will be: 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36 Thus the sequence is a set of even numbers and multiples of 4 starting from 8. i.e., Difference 2: {x| x is an multiple of 4 greater than or equal to 8, x ÃŽ N} By proceeding this way, the sequences for other differences shall be formed. Let us represent the sequences in a table for discussion purposes. In Table 1, N is the natural number. S is the square of the corresponding natural number. D1 represents the difference between the squares of two consecutive natural numbers. That is, the difference between the numbers is 1. D2 represents the difference between the squares of two alternate natural numbers. That is, the difference between the numbers is 2. D3 represents the difference between the squares of 4th and 1st number. That is, the difference between the numbers is 3, and so on. 3.2. Relationship between the row elements of each column Now, let us discuss the relationship between the elements of rows and columns of the table. From the above table, Column D1 shows that the difference between squares of two consecutive numbers is odd. Column D2 shows that the difference between squares of two alternate numbers is even. The other columns show that the difference between the squares of two numbers is either odd or even. From the above findings, the following properties shall be defined for the difference between squares of any two natural numbers. 3.3. General Properties of the difference between squares of two natural numbers: The difference between squares of any two consecutive natural numbers is always odd. Proof: Column D1 proves this property. This may also be tested randomly for big numbers. Let us consider two digit consecutive natural numbers, say 96 and 97. Now, 972 962 = 9409 9216 = 493, an odd number Let us consider three digit consecutive natural numbers, say 757 and 758. Thus, 7582 7572 = 574564 573049 = 1515, an odd number This property may also be further tested for big numbers and proved. For example, let us consider five digit two consecutive natural numbers, say 15887 and 15888. Then, 158882 158872 = 252428544 252396769 = 31775, an odd number Apart from these, the property shall also be easily derived by the natural numbers properties. As the difference between two consecutive numbers is 1, the natural number property The sum of odd and even natural numbers is always odd, shall be applied to prove this property. The difference between squares of any two alternative natural numbers is always even. Proof: Column D2 proves this property. This may also be verified for big numbers by considering different digit natural numbers as discussed above. Apart from this, as the difference between two alternate natural numbers is 2, the natural numbers property A natural number said to be even if it is a multiple of two shall also be used for proving the stated property. The difference between squares of any two natural numbers is either odd or even, depending upon the difference between the numbers. Proof: The other columns of Table 1 prove this property. In Table 1, as D3 represents the sequence formed by the difference between two natural numbers whose difference is 3, an odd number, the sequence is also odd. Thus, the property may be proved by testing the other Columns D4, D5, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Also, the addition, subtraction and multiplication properties of natural numbers prove this property. Example: 112 62 Here the difference (11 6 = 5) is odd. So, the result will be odd. i.e. 112 62 = 121 36 = 85, an odd number 122 82 Here the difference (12 8 = 4) is even. So, the result will be even. i.e. 122 82 = 144 64 = 80, an even number 3.4. Special Properties of the difference between squares of the two natural numbers Table 1 also facilitates to find some special properties stated below. Sequence Difference Property Table 1 shows that the sequences formed are following a number pattern with a common property between them. Let us consider the number sequences of each column. Let us consider the first column D1 elements. D1: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As D1 represents the difference between the squares of two consecutive natural numbers, let us say, a and b with a > b, the difference between them will be 1. That is a b = 1 Let us consider the difference between the elements in the sequence. The difference between the numbers in the sequence is 2. Thus the difference between the elements of the sequence shall be expressed as, 2 x 1. Thus, Difference = 2(a b) Now, let us consider the second column D2 elements. D2: 8, 12, 16, 26, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As D2 represents the difference between the squares of two alternative natural numbers, the difference between the natural numbers, say a and b is always 2. That is a b = 2 If we consider the difference between the elements in the sequence, the difference is 4. Thus, the difference between the elements in the sequence shall be expressed as 2 x 2. That is, difference = 2 (a b) In the same way, D3: 15, 21, 27, 33, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ D3 represents the difference between squares of the 4th and 1st numbers, difference is 3. That is a b = 3 The difference between the numbers in the sequence is 6. Thus, difference = 2 x 3 = 2(a b) All other columns also show that the difference between the numbers in the corresponding sequence is 2 (a b) Thus, this may be generalized as following property: The difference between elements of the number sequence, formed by the difference between any two natural numbers, is equal to two times of the difference between those corresponding natural numbers. Difference Sum Property: From Table 1, we shall also identify another relationship between the elements of the sequence formed. Let us consider the columns from table 1 other than D1. Consider D2: 8, 12, 16, 20, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This sequence shall be formed by adding two numbers of Column D1. i.e. 8 = 3 + 5 12 = 5 + 7 16 = 7 + 9 20 = 9 + 11 And so on. Thus, if the difference between the natural numbers taken is 2, then the number sequence of the difference between the two natural numbers shall be formed by adding 2 natural numbers. Consider D3: 15, 21, 27, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This sequence shall be formed by adding three numbers from Column D1. i.e. 15 = 3 + 5 + 7 21 = 5 + 7 + 9 27 = 7 + 9 + 11 And so on. Thus, if the difference between the natural numbers taken is 3, then the number sequence of the difference between the two natural numbers shall be formed by adding 3 natural numbers. This may also be verified with respect to the other columns. Table 2 shows the above relationship between the differences of the squares of the natural numbers. Now the above relation shall be generalized as If a b = k > 1, then a2 b2 shall be written as the sum of k natural numbers As Column D1 elements are odd natural numbers, this property may be defined as If a b = k > 1, then a2 b2 shall be written as the sum of k odd natural numbers As these odd numbers are consecutive, the property may be further precisely defined as: If a b = k > 1, then a2 b2 shall be written as the sum of k consecutive odd natural numbers 3.5. New Method to find the difference between squares of two natural numbers Using the above difference sum property, the difference between squares of two natural numbers shall be found as follows. The property shows that, a2 b2 is equal to sum of k consecutive odd numbers. Now, the principal idea is to find those k consecutive odd numbers. Let us consider two natural numbers, say 7 and 10. The difference between them 10 7 = 3 Thus, 102 72 = sum of three consecutive odd numbers. 102 72 = 100 49 = 51 Now, 51 = Sum of 3 consecutive odd numbers i.e., 51 = 15 + 17 + 19 Let we try to find these 3 numbers with respect to either the first number, let us say, a or the second number, say, b. Assume, for b As general form for odd numbers is either (2n + 1) or (2n 1), as b 15 = 2(7) + 1 = 2b + 1 17 = 2(7) + 3 = 2b + 3 19 = 2(7) + 5 = 2b + 5 Thus, 102 72 shall be written as the sum of 3 consecutive odd numbers starting from 15. i.e. starting from 2b + 1 This idea may also be applied for higher digit numbers. Let us consider two 3 digit numbers, 101 and 105. Let us find 1052 1012 Here the difference is 4. Thus 1052 1012 shall be written as the sum of 4 consecutive odd numbers. The numbers shall be found as follows: Here b = 101 The first odd number = 2b + 1 = 2(101) + 1 = 203 Thus, the 4 consecutive odd numbers are: 203, 205, 207, 209 So, 1052 1012 = 203 + 205 + 207 + 209 = 824 This shall be verified for any number of digits. Let us consider two 6 digit numbers 100519, 100521. Let us find 1005212 1005192 Here the difference is 2. Thus 1005212 1005192 shall be written as the sum of two odd numbers. Applying the same idea, The first odd number = 2(100519) + 1 = 201039 Thus the 2 consecutive odd numbers are: 201039, 201041 1005212 1005192 = 201039 + 201041 = 402080 The above result shall be verified by using other methods. For example: 1052 1012 1052 1012 = 11025 10201 = 824 (Using Direct Method) 1052 1012 = (105 + 101) (105 101) = 206 x 4 = 824 (Using Algebraic Rule) Thus, this idea shall be generalized as follows: a2 b2shall be found by adding the (a b) consecutive odd numbers starting from 2b + 1 This shall also be found using the first term a. As a > b, let us consider (2n 1) form of odd numbers. From Table 1, 102 62 = 13 + 15 + 17 + 19 = 64 Here, 2a 1 = 2(10) 1 = 19 2a 3 = 2(10) 3 = 17 2a 5 = 2(10) 5 = 15 2a 7 = 2(10) 7 = 13 Thus, as the difference between the numbers is 4, 102 62 shall be written as the sum of four consecutive odd numbers in reverse order starting from 2a 1. Thus proceeding, this may be generalized as, a2 b2shall be found by adding the (a b) consecutive odd numbers starting from 2a 1 in reverse order Finding the first number of each column Let us check the number pattern followed by the first numbers of each column. From Table 1, the first numbers of each column are: 3, 8, 15, 24 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Let us find the difference between elements of this sequence. The difference between two consecutive terms of this sequence is 5, 7, 9 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ i.e. D2 D1 = 8 3 = 5; D3 D2 = 7; D4 D3 = 9 and so on. As D2 represents the difference between two alternate natural numbers, (say a and b) which implies that the difference between a and b is 2. Now, 5 = 2 (2) +1 i.e. 2 times of the difference between the numbers + 1 In the same idea, D3 D2 = 15 8 = 7 As D3 represents the difference between squares of the 4th and 1st natural numbers, (say a and b) which implies that the difference between a and b is 3. Thus, 7 = 2(3) + 1 This also shows that the difference shall be found by = 2 times of the difference between the numbers + 1 Thus, The first term of the each column shall be found by adding the previous column first term with 2 times of the difference between the numbers + 1 Finding the elements row wise The elements of the table shall also be formed in row wise. If we check the elements of each row, we can find that they follow a number pattern sequence with some property. Let us consider the elements of row when N = 5: 20, 40, 60, 80 20 = 2 x 5 x 2 Here, 5 represent the row natural number. 2 represent the difference between the elements using which the column is formed. Thus Row element = 2 x N x difference In the same way, 40 = 2 x 5 x 4 = 2 x N x difference Thus, the elements shall be formed by the rule: Row Element = 2 x N x difference This shall be applied for middle rows also. For example, let us consider the row between 5 6: The elements in this intermediate row are: 11, 33, 55, 77, 99 Here N is the mid value of 5 6. i.e. N = 5.5 Let us consider the elements and apply the above stated rule. 11 = 2 x N x difference = 2 x 5.5 x 1 In the same way other elements shall also be formed. Thus the elements of the table shall be formed in row wise using the stated rule. Rhombus Rule Relation Let us consider the elements in D2, D3 and D4. Consider the elements in the rhombus drawn, 24, 33, 39 and 48 24 + 48 = 72 33 + 39 = 72 Thus the sums of the elements in the opposite corners are equal. The other column elements also prove the same. Thus, Rhombus Rule Relation: Sum of the elements the same row of the sequence of alternative columns is equal to the sum of the two elements in the intermediate column Application of the Properties in Finding the Square of a number The square of a natural number shall be found by various methods. Here is one of the suggested methods. This method uses nearest 10s and 100s to find the square of a number. This method is also based on the algebraic formula a2 b2 = (a b)(a + b) If a > b, b2 = a2 (a2 b2) If b > a, b2 = a2 + (b2 a2) Example: Square of 32 As we need to find 322, let us assume b = 32. The nearest multiple of 10 is 30. Let a = 30 Here b > a. b2 = a2 + (b2 a2) 322 = 302 + (322 302) Using the Difference Sum Property, 322 = 900 + 61 + 63 = 1024 Example 2: Square of 9972 Let b = 997 Nearest multiple 10 is 1000. Let a = 1000 Here a > b, so b2 = a2 (a2 b2) 9972 = 10002 (10002 9972) Using Difference Sum Property, 9972 = 1000000 (1995 + 1997 + 1999) = 994009 Conclusion Though this method shall be applied to find the difference between squares of any two natural numbers, if the difference is big, it will be cumbersome. Thus, this method shall be used for finding the difference between squares of any two natural numbers where the difference is manageable. The properties shall be used for easy calculation. This properties and approach shall be introduced in secondary school lower grade levels, to make the students to identify the number patterns. This approach will surely help the students to understand the properties of squares, difference and natural numbers. The new approach will surely help the students in developing their reasoning skills. Limitations As number systems, number patterns and arithmetic operations have wide applications in various fields, the above properties, rules and relations shall be further studied intensively based on the requirements. Thus, new properties and relations shall be identified and discussed with respect to other nations.

The Last Day Of The Year :: essays research papers fc

In the poem 'The Last Day of the Year,'; Annette Von Droste-HÃ ¼lshoff uses imagery and references to God to express the coming of the end of the year. The poem, however, seems to reflect the impending freedom of women from a patriarchal society. This poem's imagery and outside references suggest that it is in fact a plea for the end of the suffering of women, and that the coming of their empowerment is near. The three things that I will use to prove this point are how one year represents the time of women's oppression, how she speaks directly to men in the poem, and how she makes divine references to represent the freedom of women. Droste-Hulshoff says in line one of this poem, 'The year at its turn'; (Droste-Hulshoff, 1). Throughout this poem, she uses the year to represent a period of time that is coming to an end. Referring to the introduction in the World Reader, Droste-Hulshoff was a woman 'yearning for the freedom to be herself'; (Caws, 2002). This forces the reader to consider that she is using the time period of the year as the time of women's oppression. She feels that the time of the oppression is coming to an end. 'I wait in stern silence, O deep night! Is there an open eye?'; (Droste-Hulshoff 5-7) is one example of how she considers the era of women's oppression at its end. Another example is the following quote: ' My life breaks down somewhere in the circle of this year. Long have I known decay. Yet my heart in love glows under the huge stone of passion'; (Droste-Hulshoff 37-42). She has felt this persecution for all of her life, but she still prospers as a individual and waits with short patience for her time to come. At one point in this poem, Droste-Hulshoff speaks to an unidentified second party. 'You, child of sin, has there not been a hollow, secret quiver each day in your savage chest, as the polar winds reach across the stones, breaking, possessed with slow and insistent rage?'; (Droste-Hulshoff 24-31). Continuing under the assumption that this poem was created to show the iniquities of sexism, one could put men in place of you in the preceding excerpt. I believe this to be a likely case because of the references to 'your savage chest'; (Droste-Hulshoff 27) and the words speaking of possession and rage, all considered by society to be very masculine traits.

Library Science Essay

An integrated library system (ILS), also known as a library management system (LMS),[1][2] is an enterprise resource planning system for a library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed. An ILS usually comprises a relational database, software to interact with that database, and two graphical user interfaces (one for patrons, one for staff). Most ILSes separate software functions into discrete programs called modules, each of them integrated with a unified interface. Examples of modules might include: acquisitions (ordering, receiving, and invoicing materials) cataloging (classifying and indexing materials) circulation (lending materials to patrons and receiving them back) serials (tracking magazine and newspaper holdings) the OPAC (public interface for users) Each patron and item has a unique ID in the database that allows the ILS to track its activity. Larger libraries use an ILS to order and acquire, receive and invoice, catalog, circulate, track and shelve materials. Smaller libraries, such as those in private homes or non-profit organizations (like churches or synagogues, for instance), often forgo the expense and maintenance required to run an ILS, and instead use a library computer system. [citation needed] Contents [hide] 1 History 1. 1 Pre-computerization 1. 2 1960s: the influence of computer technologies 1. 3 1970s-1980s: the early integrated library system 1. 4 1990s-2000s: the growth of the Internet 1. 5 Mid 2000s-Present: increasing costs and customer dissatisfaction 2 Examples 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links [edit]History [edit]Pre-computerization Prior to computerization, library tasks were performed manually and independently from one another. Selectors ordered materials with ordering slips, cataloguers manually catalogued items and indexed them with the card catalog system (in which all bibliographic data was kept on a single index card), and users signed books out manually, indicating their name on cue cards which were then kept at the circulation desk. Early mechanization came in 1936, when the University of Texas began using a punch card system to manage library circulation. [3] While the punch card system allowed for more efficient tracking of loans, library services were far from being integrated, and no other library task was affected by this change. [edit]1960s: the influence of computer technologies Following this, the next big innovation came with the advent of MARC standards in the 1960s which coincided with the growth of computer technologies – library automation was born. [3] From this point onwards, libraries began experimenting with computers, and, starting in the late 1960s and continuing into the 1970s, bibliographic services utilizing new online technology and the shared MARC vocabulary entered the market; these included OCLC (1967), Research Libraries Group (which has since merged with OCLC), and Washington Library Network (which became Western Library Network and is also now part of OCLC). [4] [edit]1970s-1980s: the early integrated library system Screenshot of a Dynix menu. The 1970s can be characterized by improvements in computer storage as well as in telecommunications. [4] As a result of these advances, ‘turnkey systems on microcomputers,’[4] known more commonly as integrated library systems (ILS) finally appeared. These systems included necessary hardware and software which allowed the connection of major circulation tasks, including circulation control and overdue notices. [5] As the technology developed, other library tasks could be accomplished through ILS as well, including acquisition, cataloguing, reservation of titles, and monitoring of serials. [6] [edit]1990s-2000s: the growth of the Internet With the evolution of the Internet throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, ILSs began allowing users to more actively engage with their libraries through OPACs and online web-based portals. Users could log into their library accounts to reserve or renew books, as well as authenticate themselves for access to library-subscribed online databases. Inevitably, during this time, the ILS market grew exponentially. By 2002, the ILS industry averaged sales of approximately US$500 million annually, compared to just US$50 million in 1982. [5] [edit]Mid 2000s-Present: increasing costs and customer dissatisfaction By the mid to late 2000s, ILS vendors had increased not only the number of services offered but also their prices, leading to some dissatisfaction among many smaller libraries. At the same time, open source ILS was in its early stages of testing. Some libraries began turning to such open source ILSs as Koha and Evergreen. Common reasons noted were to avoid vendor lock in, avoid license fees, and participate in software development. Freedom from vendors also allowed libraries to prioritize needs according to urgency, as opposed to what their vendor can offer. [7] Libraries which have moved to open source ILS have found that vendors are now more likely to provide quality service in order to continue a partnership since they no longer have the power of owning the ILS software and tying down libraries to strict contracts. [7] This has been the case with the SCLENDS consortium. Following the success of Evergreen for the Georgia PINES library consortium, the South Carolina State Library along with some local public libraries formed the SCLENDS consortium in order to share resources and to take advantage of the open source nature of the Evergreen ILS to meet their specific needs. [7] By October 2011, just 2 years after SCLENDS began operations, 13 public library systems across 15 counties had already joined the consortium, in addition to the South Carolina State Library. Librarytechnology. org does an annual survey of over 2,400 libraries and noted in 2008 2%[8] of those surveyed used open source ILS, in 2009 the number increased to 8%,[9] in 2010 12%,[10] and in 2011 11% [11] of the libraries polled had adopted open source ILSs. [edit]Examples Open-source Evergreen Greenstone Invenio Koha Kuali OLE NewGenLib PhpMyBibli OpenBiblioÃ'Ž VuFind Proprietary Aleph from Ex Libris Innovative Interfaces Library†¢Solution, Library†¢Solution for Schools, and CARL†¢X from The Library Corporation LibraryWorld NOSA Qulto System SirsiDynix, Symphony—current version and Unicorn—a legacy system. SydneyPLUS International Capita Alto formerly Talis Alto (UK and Ireland) Virtua, former VTLS, from VTLS Inc. Voyager from former company Endeavor Information Systems, later acquired by Ex Libris (Polish) MOL, Patron and MOLIK – interface created for children (Polish) SOWA, SOWA2, SOWA2/MARC21, SOWA2/MARC21/SQLÃ'Ž Legacy NOTIS Dynix [edit]See also Library and information science portal Library computer system OPAC List of next-generation catalogs History of Library Automation [edit]References ^ Adamson, Veronica, et al. (2008). JISC & SCONUL Library Management Systems Study PDF (1 MB). Sheffield, UK: Sero Consulting. p. 51. Retrieved on 21 January 2009. â€Å"†¦ a Library Management System (LMS or ILS ‘Integrated Library System’ in US parlance). † Some useful library automation software are: KOHA ,Grennstone . LIBsis, and granthlaya. Tennant, Roy (16 April 2008). â€Å"Picking When to Jump, Part 2†. Library Journal. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 20 January 2009. â€Å"Across the pond they use the term library management systems (LMS) for what we call the integrated library system (ILS). † ^ a b Wallace, Patricia M. (1991). Gary M. Pitkin. ed. Library Systems Migration: An Introduction. Westport, CT: Meckler. p. 3. ISBN 0-88736-738-0. ^ a b c Wallace, Patricia M. (1991). Gary M. Pitkin. ed. Library Systems Migration: An Introduction. Westport, CT: Meckler. p. 4. ISBN 0-88736-738-0. ^ a b Kochtanek, Thomas R. (2002). â€Å"1 – The Evolution of LIS and Enabling Technologies†. Library Information Systems: From Library Automation to Distributed Information Access Solutions. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. p. 4. ISBN 1-59158-018-8. ^ Kochtanek, Thomas R. (2002). â€Å"1 – The Evolution of LIS and Enabling Technologies†. Library Information Systems: From Library Automation to Distributed Information Access Solutions. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. p. 5. ISBN 1-59158-018-8. ^ a b c Hamby, R. ; McBride, R. , & Lundberg, M. (2011, Oct. ). â€Å"South Carolina’s SCLENDS optimizing libraries, transforming lending†. Computers in Libraries. 8 31: 6–10. ^ http://www. librarytechnology. org/perceptions2008. pl ^ http://www. librarytechnology. org/perceptions2009. pl ^ http://www. librarytechnology. org/perceptions2010. pl ^ http://www. librarytechnology. org/perceptions2011. pl [edit]Further reading Olson, N. (2010). Taken for Granted – The Construction of Order in the Process of Library Management System Decision Making (Vol. 45). Goteborg / Boras: Valfrid publishing. [1] Rubin, Richard E. Foundations of Library and Information Science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. , 2004. [edit]External links MARC Records, Systems and Tools : Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress Higher Education Library Technology,(HELibTech) a wiki supported by SCONUL (Society of College National and University Libraries) that covers many aspects of library technology and lists technologies in use in UK Higher Education Key resources in the field of Library Automation Categories: Library automationÃ'Ž

Reality Of Death Essay

Reality Of Death Essay Reality Of Death Essay Reality of Death As time has progressed, people in this country have become less and less immune to the reality of death. Due to this, life does not seem as valuable to some as it does to others. People don’t always think about the consequences death has on people and how it affects them emotionally. No matter who is being killed death will always have a negative affect on someone, as seen in the visual of Pei Xia Chen; wife of Officer Wenijan Liu is deeply saddened by the death of her husband. When a person is killed it only leads to heartache, heartache that will slowly eat at a person and tear them down day by day. Though death sometimes seems small because it has no direct relation to the viewer, it will always be a monumental incident in someone else’s life because that’s the reality of death. Unfortunately death is not inevitable, it will eventually play a role in everyone’s lives. Sadly death can happen for some sooner than it will happen for others, and no matter when or how death happens it will always be out of the person’s control. Unfortunately death can also be the result of murder, whether premeditated or even spontaneous. For Officer Liu death was not preventable, his attacker Ismaaiyl Brinsley had a plan to murder any police officers that he came across. A plan that would turn a beautiful sunny day in New York into a dark gruesome crime scene. The visual is surrounded by darkness, darkness that was created by the brutal murders that took place, and a darkness that laid rest over New York for weeks as everyone tried to make since of the killings. The overall vision for the photograph was darkness and sadness, photographer Carlo Allegri wanted to show how death is a very tragic and sorrowful time that nobody should have to go through, not even the families of officers that are here to protect and serve. Often times at funerals family, friends and other visitors wear black to help mourn the dead Mrs. Chen is no exception to this rule. She is wearing a heavy jacket that is black as a cold winters night, black is the absence of all colors, and death is the absence of all light. When Mrs. Chen wears black she is showing that black is permanence, as is her husbands death. Nothing she can do nor say will bring Officer Liu back from the dead, all she has to hold onto are the memories she has with him. Also in the visual, almost in the direct center you can see Ms. Liu wearing bright white gloves holding a candlestick. Candles are often lit at a funeral service because light is pure as if it were to re-nourish the life of someone who has passed. Same with the bright white gloves, readers can infer that the purity of the candle should be handled with the hand of someone that is also pure. Also showing aspects of purity viewers can see the portrait of Officer Wenijan Liu. The picture that Mrs. Chen is holding was the picture that Officer Liu took as his headshot for the New York Police Department. Officer Liu can be

The Boldness Of Courage Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

The Boldness Of Courage Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible The Boldness of Courage ?You?re the Devil?s man!? (118), Mary Warren cried out when she accused John Proctor of working for the devil. Courage is defined as mental or moral strength to face danger without fear. This is supported in Arthur Miller?s The Crucible. Throughout the Salem witch trials in the 1600?s, courage was that good people held in to, even through the toughest times. To illustrate this, an example of someone with courage is John Proctor. Proctor is a farmer with a wife, Elizabeth, and three young boys. He quietly suffers from guilt caused by an affair he had with a young woman named Abigail Williams. He is contrite and solicitous in his wife?s presence, and he yearns to regain her respect. John shows his courage when he has to make a life and death decision to lie and say that he is involved in witchcraft, which will prevent his execution, or to deny being a witch and be hanged. Proctor, after being questioned by Judge Danforth about being involved in witchcraft, stated that he was. Danforth was then having Proctor sign a confession, but he argued with Danforth saying, ? I have confessed myself! Is there no good penitence but it be in public? God does not need my name nailed upon the church! God sees my name; God knows how black my sins are!? (142). When Danforth would not give up the argument with Proctor to sign the confession, he asked, ?Then explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why will you not let me have it? ? (143), Proctor answered, ? Because it is my name... Because I lie and sign myself to lies!... I have given you my soul; leave me my name!? (143). Danforth then explained to Proctor, if the confession was a lie, he would not accept it. Proctor, with his breast heaving and his eyes staring, he tore the confession and crumpled it up, while he wept in fury. Danforth then ordered for him to be hung ? high over the town ? (143). John Proctor showed courage for his friends and family and by doing it, helped put an end to the unfair courts of Salem. Another good example of with a good deal of courage is Giles Corey. Giles is a 83-year old landowner who is sturdy, mettlesome, and fiercely independent. He?s unenlightened and pig-headed, but at the same time, warm-hearted and undaunted. He reveals himself to be a great man of awesome courage and will when he would not answer ?aye or nay to his indictment? (135). When Elizabeth Proctor was telling her husband, John, about it, she explained, ? great stones they lay upon his chest until he plead aye or nay. They say he give them two words. ? More weight?, he says. And died. ? (135). Giles Corey?s wife, Martha, and all of his friends, had already been convicted of witchcraft, so he had probably decided that he had nothing to live for. Giles humbly protested the one-sided courts by sacrificing himself as an example to his friends to stay strong and to not give up in what they believed is wrong. John Proctor could have easily used Giles Corey as an example, because Proctor learned of Giles? death before he had to make his decision of confessing or being executed. The next courageous person in The Crucible is Reverend John Hale. Reverend Hale is the church authority on demonology. He is summoned to Salem to find out if Reverend Parris? daughter Betty, who is suffering from an unexplained illness, has been hexed by witchcraft. Reverend Hale is proud of his scholarly expertise, and is glad to come to Salem to give his professional input on the situation. He displayed acts of courage when he got extremely frustrated about how unjust and ridiculous Danforth and the trials were, so he stood up and yelled, ? I denounce these proceedings, I quit this court! ? (120). Reverend Hale then comes back later to help those convicted by trying to persuade them to confess and live, rather than be hanged. By doing this, Reverend Hale shows great moral courage. He gives up everything he has worked for in his demonology career by going against the court, and trying to persuade innocent people to confess because he feels horribly responsible for bringing the hysteria to Salem. Reverend Hale is one of

With reference to the issues of International Essay

With reference to the issues of International Justice,Torture,Landmines campaign, Lesbian&Gay Rights examine how the UN Charter - Essay Example 324). IGOs engage in treaty-making; encourage international lawmaking to become democratized by including more states in making treaties, not just the civilized states; instigate and enforce international law; and empowering NGOs and other non-state actors to act in advocating for victims of human rights abuses (Alvarez, 2006, pp. 324-335). States rely on IGOs to fulfill their national goals, and are constrained by these organizations. Moreover, state participation in IGOs often transforms the internal structure of the governments involved, such as when they induce states to establish medical authorities to respond to requests by the World Health Organization, and induce states to give effect to its warnings on global warming (Alvarez, 2006, p. 335). Non-governmental organizations are other actors on the global stage. NGOs are organizations that bring out the facts about human rights abuses, as well as contribute to setting standards regarding the implementation, promotion and enforc ement of human rights norms (Steiner & Alston, 1996, p. 456). Because governmental agencies might be hesitant to call out other governmental agencies, for a range of reasons that concern diplomacy, NGOs are considered to be a necessary part of spreading the word about human rights abuses, and advocating for reform.... Among these organizations are labor unions, consumer unions and industrial associations, which advocate for economic concerns; racial, gender and religious groups; groups that are issue-oriented, such as environmental or educational organizations; groups that advocate for the elderly or the young; public interest groups who may be for universal health care or against corruption; etc. (Steiner & Alston, 1996, p. 457). NGOs have a variety of strategies at their disposal, as far as the reformation of human rights abuse. One strategy would be to use the country’s domestic law. This has the advantage of being politically expedient, as using a country’s own law is seen as carrying more politically clout than using an international standard, as using international standards are often seen as intrusive to a country’s people. However, oftentimes countries might not have very progressive domestic laws when it comes to human rights. In that case, a better strategy would be to use international standards to attempt to make that country reform (Steiner & Alston, 1996, p. 458). NGOs must be impartial to be effective – in other words, they must not be affiliated with a certain political party. In other words, the group cannot be beholden to one particular party, or else that group will not investigate abuses perpetrated by that party. This was a concern in Nicaragua, where there were many groups who claimed to speak for human rights, then actually these groups were a shill of one party or the other, and each party was using these groups as a weapon against the other party (Steiner & Alston, 1996, p. 459). Consider the evolution of the notion of INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE and the creation of the ICC as a case study to assess

Disney Summer Internship Training Program Evaluation Essay

Disney Summer Internship Training Program Evaluation - Essay Example Reaction – This is how the learners reacted to the learning process. The reaction in this case might be positive or negative. 2. Learning – This step tries to gauge the level at which the learners acquire knowledge and skills. 3. Behavior – This step seeks to find out what changes in the job performance were as a result of the learning process. 4. Results – this step concerns itself with finding out the results that arise from the learning process in terms of increased efficiency of operations and improved production and quality. (Kirkpatrick, 1959) This model is relatively important as it provides a valuable tool in the process of planning, trouble shooting and evaluation. But though this level is used for training purposes, the model can also be used for other applications in the learning processes such as informal learning, education and development (Nadler, 1984). Kirkpatrick wrote that his objectives would be related to the traditional classroom progr ams, the most general form of training. He further stated that many of the procedures and principles can be applied to all manner of training activities that includes participation in outside programs, performance review, planned instruction, and the comprehension of selected books (Craig, 1996). This paper would seek to evaluate the Disney Internship training program plan. In the paper, the plan will be weighed according to Kirkpatrick's model to find out what changes should be made to the plan, if the objectives of the plan were achieved, the strength and weaknesses of the plan, to identify the people that should participate in future programs, what participants benefited the most and what changes, if any, should be made to the program to make it better. The objective of this training plan is to increase the quality of service provided by interns through the dissemination of knowledge to them that they can use and apply to their workplace to improve their efficiency and productivi ty. Another objective of the plan would be to increase the number of students who would come back to the organization to work as full time employees. This is because, after the intern training program, they would have been introduced into the working world and trained as full level employees. Further, the plan will introduce a seminar course so as to enable the interns to share in the culture of Disney. This is whereby the interns will be introduced to the various activities that go on in the organization. This will fast track their intake into the work force of the organization, boosting their individual confidence and the overall performance of the organization. The plan would also enable the interns to network with the managers and high level employees of Disney and this will open up even more opportunities for them. The training methods in this training plan will include the use of the standard in-class training alongside other techniques of training including the use of simulat ions, behavior modeling, mentoring, on the job training and job rotation. These various methods of training will aid the intern in mastering the necessary skills required for the job. These methods of training will guide an individual more comprehensively as it seeks to not only impart the knowledge needed, but also to give a hand on approach to tackling the job. Using this plan will improve the efficiency of the intern in retaining the skills imparted. Job

Direct and Indirect Qualitative Research Procedures Essay

Direct and Indirect Qualitative Research Procedures - Essay Example Qualitative Research: This allows exploring even the traits like attitudes, perceptions or beliefs. Such research activity requires in-depth study of the subject. Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts†. The qualitative research is meant to take care of such situations actually. Quantitative Research: This type of research calls for mathematical modeling and analysis of data collected during the process of research. It is more structured than qualitative and calls for quantification of data together with generalizing the results. Talking about the comprehensive approach adopted during a qualitative research activity, Myers (2002) stated, â€Å"In communicating or generating the data, the researcher must make the process of the study accessible and write descriptively so tacit knowledge may best be communicated through the use of rich, thick descriptions†. The qualitative research, in turn , is further divided into two types namely; Direct research and Indirect research. Though at times, both these types appear to lead in a similar direction, yet the procedures with which research is carried out often brings out many differences amongst these two types. While comparing these two approaches we find that; The direct approach to qualitative research is a non-disguised method while the indirect approach happens to be somewhat disguised. Qualitative research has the potential to go into different aspects of the subject in detail.  ... The difference is more apparent in the figure shown below; Qualitative research has the potential to go into different aspects of the subject in detail. Meredith et al (1989) feels that often research of this kind lends itself to the semi-structured, open ended type of interview to enable interviewees to expand on what they consider to be important and to frame those issues in their terms. In direct qualitative research in-depth interview is the norm. The focus group approach requires that we prepare a focus group well in advance to carry out the research. The group is prepared with the help of a selected few research participants. This is more like a brain storming session. The topic is discussed amongst the focus group with the help of a moderator from amongst the focus group participants only. Subsequently, the group interview is conducted and a final report is prepared by the researcher based on the outcomes of the discussion. On the other hand the depth interviews imply that one-to-one interviews are held amongst the researcher and the research participants. The researcher is supposed to solicit information from the research participant during the interview and accordingly prepare the databank. Burgess (1982) points out that such interview allows the researcher to probe deeply in order to find out 'expansive' responses, which often helps in uncovering previously unknown details so that a direction is also provided to future researchers. In the indirect method on the other hand the research participants are encouraged to come out with their own versions and understandings about the issue/s being taken up by the researcher. The respondents are supposed to 'project' their feelings or attitudes about the situation. In direct qualitative

Human Resources Management In Small and Medium Enterprises Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Management In Small and Medium Enterprises Essay Introduction Competitive advantage to a firm accrues from the judicious employment of three basic types of resources, namely Physical Capital Resources, such as Finances, Plant and Equipment Organizational Capital Resources – Structure and systems in the organization Human Capital Resources, which include the skills, competencies, experience and intelligence of employees.[1] Human resources are among the most important resources that an organisation utilises and hence its importance to any organisation can be easily understood. Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are no exception to this rule, although this aspect is frequently lost sight of. This paper examines the role and importance of Human Resources in SMEs, and compares SMEs from two different cultural backgrounds – Taiwan and the UK. Role of Human Resources in SMEs The study of human resources management in SMEs needs to be strongly encouraged. CEO/founders in SMEs view human resource management decisions as very important to the growth of their enterprises[2]   A study into the perception of important HR issues in small organizations showed that top six issues were wage rates, availability of quality workers, government regulation, training, benefits, and job security[3] The role of Human Resources in SMEs is to contribute meaningfully to organisational objectives in a flexible and demanding environment. Lack of strategic employee management is widely accepted as characteristic of small enterprises. Decision-making has been perceived to be of relatively short-term nature compared to larger organisations, making small enterprises more flexible and less conflict-prone. At the same time, this also means that the advantages of long-term planning such as greater efficiency and effectiveness are lost. On the human resources front, this means that such organisations tend to have reduced capability to attract, retain and motivate the best human resources. This becomes important in view of the fact that out of thousands of small businesses that are established every year, only a few manage to survive in the long-term. While long-term planning and HR strategy are not the only reasons for this, they are among the important reasons. Hence an examination of the HR function as a strategic part of business, and its relevance to long-term planning, is in order. In addition, the role of recruitment and selection, training, and performance management, are also relevant to any discussion on the role of human resources. Planning and Human Resources Management Strategic planning for the organisation needs to be linked to individual goals. In turn, this means that the job design should take into account the long-term objectives of the organisation. â€Å"A framework for strategic management incorporating HRM involves developing a mission statement that answers questions of what businesses the organisation is in; determining goals that are general and long term; and establishing objectives that are short term and measurable. It should also encompass a complete SWOT analysis that incorporates HRM as a functional unit of analysis.†[4] One of the essential requirements of Human Resources Planning is proper job design. Human resources planning involves the matching of the knowledge and skills that are likely to be required in future with those that it has or will have. Human Resources Planning will help the organisation to estimate critical resource requirements, plan training and development needs, and link individual goals to organizational objectives. Job design involves specifying the characteristics of the job and the requirements such as skills for performing these jobs. Job design will thus provide the framework for a host of HR planning activities that can be linked to organizational objectives.[5] Recruitment and Selection Once the plans of the organization are clear the next important issue that any organisation needs to address is to get the right staff to implement the plans. â€Å"Surveys indicate that about 25 per cent of small businesses view the lack of qualified workers as a threat to their expansion and very survival.†[6] The problem assumes particular importance in the case of small enterprises because they almost always have a problem in attracting and retaining the best talent. This is partly due to the fact that they are unable to compete with larger firms for quality staff, because it is impossible for them to match the rewards and prestige that come along with positions in larger firms. Additionally, smaller firms have a reputation for being oriented towards a ‘hire and fire’ culture. Training Once the plans are clear, and the recruitment of the right people has been completed, it becomes necessary to motivate the staff, as well as to enable them to perform their tasks efficiently. This requires periodic training of the employees. Training is important in the case of small enterprises because they are more prone to changing environments and higher attrition rates. This makes it necessary for people to be more flexible, and to be trained in all aspects of the business. While the need for training of staff is thus greater in the case of a small enterprise, it is also accompanied by greater constraints that make it more difficult for these organisations to implement training programmes. Small organisations face two constraints in t his respect: Their budget for training may be more limited, and they may lack the necessary resources to carry out such training It is more difficult for small enterprises to spare their people for training programmes. In spite of the above limitations, however, small enterprises need to concentrate more on training, as it is an investment that needs to be done. â€Å"It has been suggested that top performing companies are distinguished by their higher spending on training and development.†[7] Performance Management Performance Management â€Å"includes work and job design, reward structures, the selection of people for work, the training of these employees, assessment of work performance and policies associated with rewarding and improving performance.†[8] Performance Appraisals are an important part of Performance Management and are useful in improving performance, assist HR planning, and identify development needs and potential for promotion. Small businesses, in general, lack a formal performance appraisal system. The disadvantages of not using structured and formal appraisal systems are that appraisals, and the consequent rewards, are often subjective, and may promote greater dissatisfaction. Consequently, appraisal systems and Performance Management play an important role in determining the alignment of HR planning with organisational goals, and ensuring that a proper climate is available for the achievement of the objectives. â€Å"In developing formal performance appraisal systems, small businesses not only are able to ensure that performance management may become strategically aligned with organisational goals, but also increase accountability, decrease under-utilisation of human resources, address concerns of productivity, and decrease employees’ concerns about fairness and accuracy.†[9] In addition, the salaries and rewards that are offered as part of the employment and the management of diversity within the workforce are important considerations for any organisation. These have a greater significance in the case of small organisations. As can be seen from the above, the role of Human Resources management in small organisations is an important one that needs to be well understood and implemented with care. One interesting extension to the role of HR management in small to medium industries is the use of Balanced Score Cards, which are normally viewed as the exclusive tool of large industries. The Balanced Score Cards approach shifts the focus to long-term growth, and includes measures of operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and employee related measures. The Balanced Score Card method thus includes a part of HR Management to assess the overall performance of the organisation. In a case study that included three SME organisations, Gumbus and Lussier present some interesting conclusions that have significance for the HR function in SME companies. The cases also serve to highlight the importance of HR in SME companies and the link between performance and HR. One of the three companies cited in the case is Futura Industries, an international company based in Clearfield, UT with 230 employees. It has over 50 years of experience in aluminium extrusion, finishing, fabrication, machining and design. The company believes that the two competitive weapons that put them ahead of competition are â€Å"their ability to hire and retain the best people and their devotion to the customer.† Futura’s President, Susan Johnson’s belief that committed and loyal employees make the difference has led the company into using the Balanced Score Card method. In the words of Ms. Johnson, the company â€Å"had all the financial metrics, lots of customer measures, and got ISO accredited three years ago †¦ but it is our employees that differentiate us from all other extrusion companies.[10] A Comparison of SMEs in the UK and Taiwan A study by Lin found that successful SMEs in Taiwan place greater emphasis on soft skills and attitudes rather than on hard skills. He infers that SMEs in Taiwan seemed to have a better grasp of its human resources.   â€Å"Whenever SMEs modernize equipment, alter production processes, revise compensation policies, and engage in other reorganisation activities, they take pains to handle employees responses and feelings with special care and invest heavily in skills development.â€Å"[11] According to Hu, the Human resource scenario in Taiwan is characterised by abundance of entrepreneurs and availability of high quality professionals. Hu traces this to the importance laid on education by Chinese, and the large-scale injection of high quality human resource into the island in the aftermath of the retreat into, and subsequent withdrawal from, Taiwan of the KMT government. In addition, the Taiwanese population has inherited from its ancestors the qualities of â€Å"hard working, brotherhood, strong family ties, competition, and similar attributes that form the basis for strong family businesses.†[12] According to McKenna Beech, the following values characterise the Asian HR scene[13]: Politeness and courtesy Emphasis on personal relationship Not losing face Harmony- avoidance of open conflict Predominance of group interests over individual interests Discipline and respect for authority and for elders Normative, rather than externally imposed control Trust and mutual help in business relationships Centralisation and authoritarianism As against the above, the HR scenario in Europe is characterised by the following features[14]: Pluralism as against unitarism Collectivism and social orientation instead of individualism, with the emphasis being on national, rather than individual, interests Legal framework: firing is more difficult Social Partnership: Employment security, protection of workers’ rights, and representation of workforce through trade unions. Social Responsibility: Concern for environment and other social obligations Tolerance for diversity Recognition of complexity and ambiguity. The characteristics enumerated under Asian values represent the Taiwanese scene, and the scenario in Europe is representative of the UK. From the above, it can be seen that the SMEs in Taiwan are formed with reliance on individual assistance, based on respect for authority, with trust and mutual relationships as the supporting factor. In the UK, and other European countries, it is the legal framework that gives the necessary assurance and support to the business rather than trust. In Taiwan authority is enforced, and followed, because it is natural to the culture. In the UK, the legal aspects are augmented by collective bargaining with a recognized trade union to achieve this purpose. Taiwanese take great care to handle employees’ feelings appropriately whenever major decisions need to be taken. This is replaced by collective bargaining and more formal communication in the UK. SMEs predominate in Taiwan, whereas larger firms represent the more prevalent form of business in the UK. SMEs constituted 99.43 percent of Taiwans total manufacturing firms in 1954, the highest level ever recorded; 95.26 percent in 1976, the lowest; and 98.07 percent in 1996. Among them, the smallest firms, employing fewer than 10 persons, accounted for 90 percent of all firms in the manufacturing sector in the 1950s.[15] On the other hand, SMEs generate roughly one quarter of the GDP of the UK. The generation of employment by SMEs varies from sector to sector, the highest being in the construction sector with 84% of the employment being generated by this sector. The SME sector, which was declining up to 1970, picked up momentum thereafter, and showed a rising trend till 1994. Since 1994, the number has remained constant.[16] As can be seen from these figures, the SME sector is less dominant in the UK than in Taiwan. Why Human Resources are important in firms The resource-based view of organisations explains variations in firm performance by variations in firms human resources and capabilities[17] Firms can gain competitive advantage by generating specific knowledge and skills that are difficult to imitate. This can be achieved through human capital development. The importance of Human Resource Development in small firms is thus self-evident – they help the firms to succeed by being competitive. In a study of more than 100 small enterprises in two towns from Germany, Rauch et al found that â€Å"human resources are essentially important and an optimal utilization of skills and knowledge increases small business growth.† [18] In order to harness this important resource and ensure it gives the best returns, an organisation needs to select its employees with care. It is expected that as firms grow, the skills and abilities required to perform various functions and activities no longer would be available from the familiar and informal recruitment sources preferred by the owner-manager[19] Apart from recruitment, other functions such as Training and Development, Performance Appraisal, and formal procedures and documentation help the organisation in improving efficiency. According to Kotey and Slade, â€Å"Benefits of formal HRM practices include meeting legal requirements, maintaining records in support of decisions in the event of litigation, treating employees fairly, and increasing efficiency.† [20] A study by Kotey and Slade involving more than 1300 small firms in Australia showed that as firms grow they tend to introduce formal HR practices and procedures. In the words of the authors, â€Å"While the analyses show that a significant percentage of SMEs implement formal HRM practices with growth, HRM remains informal in the majority of firms, particularly in small firms. It could be that implementation of formal HR structures and procedures necessary to support growth differentiates successful from unsuccessful SMEs.†[21] In a small organisation, people need to be more flexible and undertake a greater variety of jobs. This needs both motivation and skills. In turn, many employees may get better exposure and greater opportunities to learn and shoulder higher responsibilities in a small firm. All of these underline the importance of Human Resources Management in organisations, particularly small firms. The HRM model is â€Å"composed of policies that promote mutual goals, influence, respect, rewards and responsibility between employees in the organisation.†[22] These policies are promoted by practices such as team working, aligning performance objectives with organisational goals, and a flat organisation structure, all of which can be achieved only through a proper Human Resources Management in the organisation. Survey Research findings have confirmed the theoretical position with the conclusion that good HR systems is a source of competitive advantage. One study has shown that higher performance in a number of areas is correlated to good HR systems and practices. Companies that had significantly higher ratings on their HR practices also reported better market value, higher accounting profits, higher growth rates, better sales per employee, and lower employee turnover. Another study has found that newly started companies had a better survival rate if they had good HR practices. The probability of survival was found to vary by as much as 42% between the firms with the best HR practices and rewards, and those with the worst. Yet another study found that performance of the organisation was strongly linked with practices such as acquisition and development of skilled people, better job design, better autonomy, and positive employee attitude. All these studies clearly show that good HR could positively impact organisational performance practices, highlighting the importance of Human Resources in an organisation. Apart from improving performance good HR practices result in lower costs, while poor practices increase the costs to the organization. One of the contributing factors for this is the cost of employee turnover. â€Å"Interviewing and training recruits has significant out-of-pocket costs for the employer.† Replacing an employee involves expenses for Separation, Replacement, and Training. [23] Employee turnover costs can be divided into three major elements: Separation costs: These are the costs that are directly incurred when an employee leaves the firm, and include such costs as exit interviews, administrative and paperwork costs, disbursement of separation benefits, and revenues lost due to shortage of staff. Replacement Costs: These represent the cost of replacing the employee who has left and include the costs of advertising, sourcing, interviewing and selection. Training Costs: These are the costs that the company incurs for training and induction of a new employee. Apart from the actual expenditure on these activities, the costs of loss of efficiency in the initial stages, and the time lost during the training period should also be considered. Thus employee turnover could represent a fairly high cost to the organisation. Employee turnover can be classified into avoidable and unavoidable turnover. Most of the avoidable turnover results from lack of proper HR initiatives.[24] How Good/Bad employees affect the firm â€Å"A good employee is possibly the most valuable asset a small firm or SME can possess; a bad one could ruin the enterprise.†[25] Any firm, and more importantly a small firm, can ill afford to have people who do not perform. Robert Townsend, a noted Management expert was once asked the secret behind his ability to take over loss making firms, and changing them into profitable ones. The reply that he gave will be of interest to anyone asking how good or bad employees make or mar the firm. Mr. Townsend identified three factors that contributed to his success: Releasing the potential of employees so that they could perform at much higher levels by the practice of appropriate management styles Identifying people within the organisation who were blocking progress and preventing others from performing, and either changing their ways, or dismissing them Identifying people who had the ability and drive to take the company to greater heights, and promoting them. It can be seen that this highly successful Management practitioner reduced success to three simple rules, namely, eliminating deadwood, promoting and encouraging those with potential and creating the right climate in the company. This clearly shows that apart from creating the right environment, the most important requirement for success is the quality of people. Good people could transform a loss making company into a profitable one.[26] â€Å"Whether a firm is small or large, its only as good as its staff.†[27] This can be easily understood because the employees of the organisation make the vital difference between good and poor performance in every area. Apart from the demonstrated effect that this has on the firm’s performance, which has been cited earlier, this also stands to reason. A company depends on coordinated working by its employees towards a common goal to achieve its objectives. In order to meet these objectives, the organisation has to do what it does well. In other words, the competence of its employees should be good if it wants to achieve results. Secondly, the soft skills of the employees are important to achieve internal teamwork as well as to nurture customers with excellent performance and service. Thirdly, the employees of the company need to work efficiently if it is to have a healthy bottom line. All these objectives can be achieved only with good employees who know their job and possess the necessary hard skills, have the necessary soft skills, and are committed to the company’s success. In other words, a company needs good employees who have the right levels of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Conclusion Human Resources Management in Small-to-medium industries has been gaining a lot of attention lately. There is increased awareness among many of the SME entrepreneurs themselves about the importance of good HR practices and policies. It has been shown that organisations having formal Human Resources practices grow faster, and are more profitable, than those that do not do so. A comparison between SMEs in two countries, namely Taiwan and the UK, shows that the SME sector is more predominant in Taiwan, which is characterized by a culture that lays greater emphasis on group working, respect for authority, and mutual trust. This is contrasted by the UK situation where the SME sector is les pervasive, and the HR climate is characterised by formal and legal supports, collectivism, and social responsibility. Although the two situations are quite different from each other, the importance of formal HR systems in the SME segment is being recognised in both cases, and seem to affect performance positively, irrespective of the background. Works Cited A Causal Analysis. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6): 2005: 681+. Bennett, Roger. Small Business Survival: Strategies for Delivering Growth and Staying Profitable: Second Edition. London, Financial Times Management, 1998. Burns, Paul. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. New York, Palgrave, 2001. Griffith, Roger W and Hom, Peter W. Retaining Valued Employees. London, Sage Publications, 2001. Gumbus, Andra, and Robert N. Lussier. Entrepreneurs Use a Balanced Scorecard to Translate Strategy into Performance Measures. Journal of Small Business Management 44(3): 2006: 407+. Heneman, Robert L., Judith W. Tansky, and S. Michael Camp. Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 25 (1): 2000: 11. Holbeche, Linda. Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001. HRD in Small Organizations, Edited by Graham Beaver Jim Stewart. New York, Routledge, 2004. Hu, Ming-Wen. Many Small Antelopes Make a Dragon. Futures 35(4): 2003: 379+. Kotey, Bernice, and Peter Slade. Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 43 (1): 2005: 16+. Lin, Carol Yeh-Yun. Success Factors of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Taiwan: An Analysis of Cases. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(4): (1998): 43. McKenna, Eugene and Beech, Nic. Human Resource Management, A Concise Analysis. Essex, Pearson Education Limited, 2002 Megginson, David, Banfield, Paul, and Joy-Mathews, Jennifer. Human Resource Development. Kogan Page India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001. Rauch, A., Frese, M., Utsch, A. Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: Satava, David. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Heres How Not to Give Them One. Journal of Accountancy 195 (4): 2003: 67+. [1] L. Holbeche, Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001, pp.10-11. [2] R.L. Heneman, T.W. Judith and S. M. Camp. Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unanswered Questions and Future Research Perspectives. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice 25(1): (2000): p. 11 [3] HRD in Small Organizations, Edited by Graham Beaver Jim Stewart, New York, Routledge, 2004, p. 81. [4] Ibid, p81 [5] Ibid [6] ibid, p82 [7] ibid, p 85 [8] ibid, p 89 [9] ibid, p 89 [10] A. Gumbus and R. N. Lussier. Entrepreneurs Use a Balanced Scorecard to Translate Strategy into Performance Measures, Journal of Small Business Management, 44(3): 2006: p.407. [11]C.Y. Lin. Success Factors of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Taiwan: An Analysis of Cases. Journal of Small Business Management, 36(4): (1998): p. 43. [12] M. Hu. Many Small Antelopes Make a Dragon, Futures, 35(4): 2003: p. 379. [13] E.McKenna and N. Beech. Human Resource Management, A Concise Analysis. Essex, Pearson Education Limited, 2002, pp.4-5. [14] ibid [15] M. Hu. P. 379. [16]   P.Burns. Entrepreneurship and Small Business. New York, Palgrave, 2001, p12. [17] A. Rauch, M. Frese A. Utsch. Effects of Human Capital and Long-Term Human Resources Development and Utilization on Employment Growth of Small-Scale Businesses: A Causal Analysis. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6): 2005: p681. [18] ibid [19] B.Kotey and P. Slade. Formal Human Resource Management Practices in Small Growing Firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 43(1): (2005): p.16. [20] ibid [21] ibid [22] E. McKenna and N. Beech, p34-35 [23] D. Satava. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Heres How Not to Give Them One, Journal of Accountancy, 195(4 ): 2003: p. 67. [24] R. W. Griffith and P. W. Hom. Retaining Valued Employees, London, Sage Publications, 2001, p10 [25] R. Bennett. Small Business Survival: Strategies for Delivering Growth and Staying Profitable: Second Edition, London, Financial Times Management, 1998. [26] D. Megginson, P. Banfield and J. Joy-Mathews. Human Resource Development. Kogan Page India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001, p. 82. [27] Satava, David. The A to Z of Keeping Staff: Few Firm Employees Leave without a Good Reason-Heres How Not to Give Them One. Journal of Accountancy 195.4 (2003): 67+.