Business assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business assessment - Assignment Example Recommendations 15 8. References 16 9. Appendix 19 1.0 Introduction Purpose of the Report The purpose of this report is to provide a critical comparative analysis of two organisations in the way they are operated and managed. This is to help us in discovering what causes success or failure for organisations and how different organisations adapt to dynamic environment. Organisations not flexible enough to adapt to the environment are unable to attract and retain talented employees or take advantage of available opportunities hence cannot achieve organisational effectiveness. Scope of the Report To analyse the operation and management of the two organisations the report will consider how they are structured and designed so as to show the interrelationships between roles and departments and lines of authority. Secondly, report will cover organisation of work especially the use of teams and team working. Thirdly, it will analyse the approaches to leadership and management adopted by the organisations as this determines their success or failure. The report will then analyse the organisational culture and its impact on the organisations operations and lastly, conclusions and recommendations will be made on how to improve operations and management. Organisations Background Biogenta is a manufacturing company producing crop-protection products and whose mission is to be the most trusted provider of crop-protection products in the world. It has manufacturing facilities in 10 countries and employees in over 80 countries. Contrary to popular belief that large size companies are bureaucratic in nature, Biogenta has an organic structure and a matrix design where individuals belong to a functional area and a project team. The chief executive officer, Jane Morgan is an effective leader and manager whose encouragement of creativity and innovation has pushed the company to greater heights. The company has a very strong culture which emphasizes on learning and development, diver sity and corporate social responsibility. Outback Inc is a traditional organisation run by family members. It offers tourism services to wide range of clients and operates in a very turbulent environment. Being a small organisation, it is expected to have an organic structure but instead, it is bureaucratic in nature with a functional design and little or no teamwork. Creativity and innovation is hindered by its autocratic leadership style. The company has no vision or mission and has a high turnover culture due to lack of opportunity for advancement and employee voice. 2.0 Organisational Design and Structure Benowitz (2011, p.70) defines an organization structure as â€Å"the configuration and interrelationships of positions and departments†. An organisation design on the other hand, is the change of an organization structure to enable it to respond effectively to environmental changes. A poor organization design and structure can lead to lack of co-ordination among function s, slow decision making, and role confusion (Corkindale, 2011). Types of Organisation structure An organisation structure is determined by the degree of complexity, formalisation, and centralisation. Complexity reflects the amount of differentiation in an organisation; formalisation shows the degree to which an organisation uses rules and procedures to direct behaviour while centralisation reflects how power and authority is distributed in an organisation. Gitman and McDaniel (2008) recognise two kinds of

US-Australia Flights and Their Economic Implications Essay Example for Free

US-Australia Flights and Their Economic Implications Essay Airlines and flights availability have very strong implications upon tourism. And tourism, on the other hand affects the economy. Simply stated, it is not very convenient to reach a certain destination without a speedy transportation medium. Imagine how can you reach Washington from Melbourne if there is no flight connecting these two countries? However, connecting two destinations is not an easy task to do. There are a lot of considerations to be done to make the route successful and advantageous to both the air line company and the passengers. In the case of Australia, which has â€Å"eleven per cent (11%) air space of the earth’s surface† (Efficient Planning 2006, 41) flight region, it is quite easy to setup flights. Taking the flight to Washington from Melbourne, or Australia to the United States of America (USA) nowadays are more convenient. In fact recent talks between the officials of these two countries is to have â€Å"open skies† (â€Å"US-Australia†Ã‚   2008) to promote competition and thereby encouraging tourism. Currently, it is the Australian Qantas that takes the lead when flights between the two mentioned countries are concerned. â€Å"At the moment Australian airline Qantas has by far the most non-stop services to the US, and reportedly generates up to 20% of its profits from the route†, according to the BBC report. The weekly non-stop flights between these two countries carried out by Qantas consist of forty-eight (48) trips in all. Can you imagine the exchange of tourism earnings between the US a and Australia only be these flights by a single airline company? Aside from Qantas, other airlines planning to compete in bringing in passengers to Australia from the USA and vice versa are Virgin Blues V Australia and Singapore Airlines. Currently however, there are fourteen (14) weekly flights aside from that of Qantas which is offered by the United Airlines. These flights, totaling to sixty-two are only for the non-stop classification. How about if those with connecting flights are added here? More exchange of tourists can be done if more flights would be counted. Recently, the flights departing the USA going Australia has given   49,000 visitors from the  United States of America only for the 28-day month of February 2008 bringing the total for the two months of 2008, January and   February, to 86,100, â€Å"an  increase of 7 per cent  relative to the same period of the previous year.† (â€Å"February 2008 Highlights†) In fact there is a steady increase of arrivals from the USA to Australia as the year moves away from 2001, the time when security issues on air travels were so critical. The concerns on airline and airport security according to Beirman (2003, 53) became one of the most important challenges facing the world of tourism industry. Airlines and airport authorities worldwide had actively addressed this issue since air piracy first emerged as a terrorist tactic as far back as 1960s.   Beirman (54) further noted that   â€Å"the drop in both domestic and international airline patronage coupled with the reduction of scheduled air services was expected to flow through to patronage of hotels, resort and attractions. Indeed, as stated, the number of passengers is also reflective of the tourism industry because without a means of transportation, tourists cannot just reach where they want to go! And reciprocally, without passengers, flights/airline routes cannot simply survive. On the other hand, things causing people to travel include publicities such as in 1999 when   Qantas airline gained so much profit despite the economic challenges. It was attributed to exposure and publicity related to games would also result in a longer-term growth period  (Qantas Flies High as, 3). Furthermore, there were 44,900 visitors from the  United States of America  during December 2007 bringing the total for 2007 to 459,700, (â€Å"December 2007 Highlights† 2008) an  increase of one (1%) per cent  relative to 2006 while there were a total of 456,000 (â€Å"December 2006 Highlights† 2008) US American arrivals in 2006, a two (2%) per cent rise relative  to 2005, while in 2005, 446,200 (â€Å"December 2005†, 2008)   American visitors arrived,   making an increase of three (3%) per cent  relative to 2004 records. Table 1 American Flyers to Australia (2004-2007) Year Head Count Yearly Increase in % 2007 459.700 0,81 2006   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   456.000 2,20 2005 446.200 3,00 2004 433.200 Base   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are the economic implications of the above result? Pairing with recent data above, the period covering 2006 and 2007, the tourism industry in Australia contributes 3.7% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 3.4% to the country’s Gross value added amount. Moreover the industry employed 482, 800 individuals comprising 4.7% of the total Australian employment (â€Å"Market Insights† 2008). It surely is a very positive output caused by tourism and one of the contributing factors are the flights and inflows of tourists and visitors mentioned in the preceding discussions. On the other hand, Australian visitor arrivals to the U.S.in 2003 summed up to approximately 582,000 giving a 12% rise from the previous year (â€Å"International Arrivals†, 2005). The following year, a 4% increase followed to 603,000 arrivals (â€Å"International Arrivals†, 2006). In fact the two countries exhibit similar trends, increasing flights as the years move away from 2001 and the number of arrivals are almost reciprocally comparable. In the US, more flights mean more commissions to or incentives to the travel and tourism industry and economy. According to Ioannides and Debbage (1998, 120), through travel agencies commissions, the airline industry can manipulate the type of advice given by the agents. This means more monetary circulation in the market and naturally, as previously mentioned, the ensuing effects to the hotel and accommodation industry, beaches and attractions business, museums, and any other tourist spots in the U.S. And not to be missed, the corresponding taxation paid by those earning entities. In fact, as Hall, and Page (2002, 2) stated, tourism, as with other forms of economic activity, therefore reflects the increasing interconnectedness of the international economy. Indeed, by its very nature in terms of connections between generating areas, destinations and travel routes or paths, tourism is perhaps a phenomenon which depends more than most not only on transport, service and trading networks but also on social, political and environmental relationships between the consumers and producers of the tourist experience. Furthermore tourism can be viewed as a primary industry which, through visitor spending, increases job opportunities and tax revenues, and enhances the communitys overall economic base  (Hall, and Page 2002, 5) Thus, these are what those flights and arrivals are all about: profits and taxes, money circulation and improved economy. Works Cited Beirman, David. 2003.  Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis : A Strategic Marketing Approach /. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen Unwin. http December 2004 Highlights://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=102031251. December 2005 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival data. Tourism Australia.http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=1173. December 2006 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival data. Tourism Australia. http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=2100. December 2007 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival data. Tourism Australia. http://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=2808. Efficient Planning of Long Distance Flights Path. 2006. Airline Fleet and Network Management, January.   http://www.aviationindustrygroup.com/index.cfm?format=1184 . February 2008 Highlights, Latest Visitors Arrival Data. 2008. Tourism Australia. ttp://www.tourism.australia.com/Research.asp?sub=0318al=2878. International Arrivals to the United States for December, Fourth Quarter, and Annual 2005. ITA, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/pdf/2005ArrivalsAnalysis_DecFourthQtr.pdf. International Arrivals to the United States for Fourth Quarter and Annual 2006. ITA, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/a-2006-400/index.html. Ioannides, Dimitri and Keith G. Debbage, eds. 1998.  The Economic Geography of the Tourist Industry: A Supply-Side Analysis. London: Routledge. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=108239141. Hall, C. Michael, and Stephen J. Page. 2002.  The Geography of Tourism and Recreation: Environment, Place, and Space. London: Routledge. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=108405174. Market Insights, Tourism Facts. 2008. Torism Australia. http://www.tourism.australia.com/content/Research/Factsheets/Key_Tourism_Facts_07.pdf Qantas Flies High as Net Profits Rise. 1999.  Business Asia, August 30, 3. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5001296632. US-Australia flight talks begin could lead to cheaper flights across the Pacific.  2008. BBC News, February, 8. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7240588.stm.

Social Media In Present Day

Social Media In Present Day Social media is a compilation of online platforms that allows public to communicate through different type of online features. These connective features can be sharing of knowledge and idea, networking, online discussion, and other content of communicating (Heesters, as cited in Schets, 2010, p. 22). The concept of social media just about existed ten years ago. However nowadays, social media are the fastest growing websites online and can be see there is a rapid and continuing increase in their audience and reach. By catching up with this online trends, there are increasing number of nonprofit organizations are using social media as aims to increase outreach, fundraising and recruitment capacity. Nonprofits exploit the online social networks to offer exponential possibilities for developing personal relationships. Once an organization established a good connection to an individual, that person can leverage his or her personal contacts (Tetrick, 2010). Today, there were about half a billion people around the world have Facebook accounts and nearly 200 million have Twitter accounts. These two social networking sites will be the most popular among internet users worldwide. Statistics illustrated public who are younger, wealthier and better educated in demographic segments use social media more than other groups (Beribe, as cited in Berube, 2010, p. 1 ). Social media able to reach more consumers globally as it continues to grow, especially with social networking and microblogging sites. These are the most commonly sites used for socialization and connecting with friends, parents, relatives, etc. Among all the Social Netwroking Sites that used by the nonprofits, Facebook and blogging got the most attention from public. There were also recent studies indicated that old generations are using social media frequently. Therefore, social media has the potential to widen audience for nonprofits (Pierce Wood Smith, as cited in Hovey, 2010, p.2). The chart below shows how Schets (2010) illustrated social medias key social platforms. A chart of the key social platforms (Source: Adapted from Schets, 2010) The Importance of social media The social media is an unpaid media, it is created by an individual and company on the internet. (Weber, as cited in Kichatov Mihajlovski, 2010, p. 6). Over last few years, social media has become universal and even more significance for social networking and content sharing. The emerging of social media has directly affect traditional media and broadcast media as the main promotional tools. (Asur Huberman, 2010) The main role of social media in an organization is to facilitate communications either with the organization and with one another, or on their own terms. The communications will only be more effective if the organizations target audience is already comfortable with social media tools (Tetrick, 2010). Social media is believe to has more opportunities than traditional media. For instance, blogs allow two-way dialog between an organization and its public (Seltzer Mitrook, as cited in Hovey, 2010, p.2). Moreover, social media platforms allow organizations to freely take advantage of existing social networks and virally spread their messages. For nonprofit organizations, social media sites, such as blogs and Twitter, provide new ways to engage publics in, fundraising, activism, and publicity (Kanter, 2007; Mattson Barnes, Waters, Burnett, Lamm Lucas, as cited in Tetrick, 2010, p. 15). Through social media, non profits organizations share the work of publicity and advocacy with volunteers. Their organizational information is open to public too (Cronk, Fine, Waters as cited in Tetrick, 2010, p. 12 ). Undeniable, it can be clearly seen that both the organizational communication and public relations have a rapid change due to todays internet technologies (Curtis, as cited in Tetrick, 2010, p.1). The previous public relations studies indicate that social media is widely being use in public relations sector, espcially the phenomenon of blogging have the potential to bring dramatic changes to many aspects of public relations. However, they do not use it to the fullest mean (Eyrich Padman Sweetser Kent Xifra Huertas, as cited in Hovey, 2010, p. 1) Accoding to the other public relations studies, the role of social media mainly help the organization to cultivate the relationships with their publics. Moreover, it allows the organizations to react immediately to the problem from their public (Wright Hinson, as cited in Hovey, 2010, p. 2). Furthermore, the internet technologies has become a publicity tool after President Barack Obamas election campaign. By the use of social media, he successfully raise around $750 million. Not only that, he able to mobilize more than 13 million supporters during his 2008 election (Scearce, as cited in Tetrick, 2010, p. 6). After reviewing the previous research studies, it can be conclude that social media is an essential tool which play the role in facilitating the overall communication process. By using social media, it can gain fresh support for the organization. Morover, by making them more immediate, open an avenue to a new audience, it can strengthen an organizations existing communication attempts. Social Media and Youth It can be say that young generations today grow up with the internet. Our young generations have the whole globe at the point of their finger tips. The emerging of the social media somehow is shaping and changing the way our young generations is communicating with others. Social media become their daily partner on the internet world. Through social media, youth able to get their relationship, friendship, information, entertainment, education, etc. It can be seen clearly that there were an obvious changing pattern of media use among young generation in present day (Jalil Jalil Latiff, 2010). The importance of charity awareness Charity awareness plays a key role in which it will create a desire for people to help others. Individual who has charitably aware instigates a sense of fulfilment to those who translate their desire to actions and thus improve the lives of those who are in need (Soft Power Education Blog, 2008). In this study, the awareness towards charity work refers to the capability to have an in-depth knowledge which will educate people more about charity work and encourage more people to be involves in charity work. By having charity awareness, it will indirectly create a desire to aid others. Individual who have charity awareness will try to think of ways and means to build bridges to deliver the task. As a consequence, it will reach a certain goal of fulfilment with oneself through the advancement of the lives of those less fortunate people who are the object of that charitable desire. Link between Social Media Charity Work Awareness Not surprisingly, all charities associations raise funds and need donations in order to sustain their causes. Without those funds, they will hardly survive in society. All the money received by charities is used for the cause each charity is committed to. The received funds used to help needy children and families and even protecting animals from human abuse, while a small amount is use for future fundraising activity. It is very significant for charity organizations to invest in fundraising so that it can attract new supporter and to inform public about the updated events and activities as well as latest information about the campaign. In this study, public who have charity awareness will automatically lent their hands to help those who is in needed. In present day, there were more and more charities use social media to promote their good cause. Basically, social media is a good promotional tool for charities to increase awareness among public. Many charities use social networking such as Facebook, Twitter and other online platform in promoting their causes. Previous research shows that by using social media to promote, it can make the campaign to be successful once done in the right way. CASE STUDY World vision Malaysia World Vision has been established in Malaysia for 14 years. It serves as the support office of World Vision International. It is a charity organization that assists the poor especially children to help themselves. It will collect fund from public then donate to people that in backward countries. There are three main programs in World Vision. They are Child Sponsorship program, 30- Hour Famine program and Gifts of Hope program. These programs aim to help child that is in need. Through Child Sponsorship program, public can sponsor needy children by just donate RM50 per month to provide them education, food and others. For 30- Hour Famine, participants are require fast for food for 30 hours in order to get them experiences the hunger that those children and families endure everyday. Besides, through Gifts of Hope program, public can sent gifts to the needy children or families that select from the catalogue such as school uniforms, livestock for families and others (World Vision Malaysi a, 2006). 30-hour Famine 30-Hour Famine began in Malaysia since 1997. It is known as a global movement against poverty and hunger worldwide. Its main purpose is to encourage public to donate and help children as well as families in need. The fund which collected will be able to help feed and care for tens of thousands of kids all over the world. Since famine intend to motivate ordinary people to care and assist for those unlucky and needed people, therefore participants will get to experiences hunger for 30 hours through the 30-Hour famine campaign that will be conducted once a year. During the fast for 30 hours, participants undertake different activities while learning about some global issues. They also learn what it takes to stop hunger in its tracks. The fast can be done with a group or individually, it is depend on the participants themselves. Due to 30-Hour Famine is powered by World Vision, the donors are not just feeding kids for a day but are helping them overcome poverty for a lifetime. 30-Hour Famine History World Vision was established in Malaysia in 1997. The first 30-Hour Famine in Malaysia was organized by The Sin Chew daily. It was successfully raises for around RM2.6 million. Although the crisis strikes was happened on 1999, but the 30-Hour Famine still continue to roll in. During this period, Fish Leong started to join the Famine and had her first performance. After this, Silvia Chang and Sally Woo become the ambassadors of the Famine at year 2000. The first off- site Famine was held in Penang in this year too. At the following year, HELP University College appeared to be the headquarters of the Famine after the Sin Chew. The Famine was held all together in KL, Johor and Penang. Their sponsor will be E-Excel and Nesh. In 2002, the Famine camp which is with English version was held. Its headquarter, HELP University College is assigned to be the host of both the English and Chinese Famine Camps. At 2003, the SARS epidemic is very serious and forced the Famine have to be postponed from May to July. Due to this reason, the Famine was held in Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara KL for the first time. In order to show their caring to the community, the English campers visited local charities and presented proposals on their causes at 2004. After that, the first Volunteer Training Camp was held. On the other hand, due to campers form Johor began and ended their fast on the train, therefore, the Famine Express was born. In 2006, the Famine camp continue to gain a lot of enthusiastic responses from the public, an unprecedented number of newcomers join both the Chinese and English Famine camps. The media also play an important role in promoting the camps. During its 10th year anniversary at 2007, it was reported the Famine has been break the record whereby about 10, 000 sponsors, donors, volunteers and campers took part in its largest camp ever. Furthermore, the Famine stared to spread its wing to East Malaysia for the first time. In 2008, the Do it Yourself (DIY) camps were held across the nation. The Famine was also decentralised in order to widen its reach and empower its supporters. Since the issue of global food crisis is getting serious day by day, therefore, World Vision offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia decided to focus on the Global Food Crisis. In Malaysia, it gain a good response from public in which there are about 100 DIY camps with the more than 10,000 campers joined the joined the cause of fighting global hunger and raise awareness on the food crisis among public. Identity 30-Hour Famine Logo World Visions vision statement Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so World Visions mission statement The mission of World Vision is to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God. World Visions core values The World Vision Partnership shares a common understanding bound together by six core values. With these core values, World Vision able to live and work towards because it treat the core values as the fundamental and guiding principles that determine World Visions actions. The six core values as below: We are Christian We value people We are partners We are committed to the poor We are stewards We are responsive Uses and gratifications Theory (UG) Uses and Gratification theory is a time-honored media use theory. It is a theory which is based on the concept that a person cannot influence by media unless he or she has some use for that media or its messages. (Ruggiero, as cited in Stafford Schkade, 2004, p. 226). Through this theory, it can help to understand consumer motivations for media use. UG theory was started in the 1940s when researchers interested to find out the reasons why audiences engaged in different types of media behavior (Wimmer Dominick, as cited in Ruggiero, 2000, p. 4). UG Theory illustrate how people actively seek out specify media and specify content to generate specify gratifications (West Turner, ac cited in Chasse, 2009, p. 2). Furthermore, it worked to explain media need for individual and individual involvement. Beginning in the 1920s and continue on into the 21st century, some media scholars have practised an in-depth understanding of human interaction with mass media, what effects media will on the audiences and how audiences use media. There are strong connections between media selection and the gratifications consumers seek. (Bantz, Blumler, McQuail, Mcleod, Becker, Rubin Ruggiero, as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569) There are 5 basic assumptions in UG theory. Firstly, the audience is considered active. Second, audience uses media with goal-oriented. Not only that, audience have self- awareness to know and understand well the purpose for using certain media. Third, different people own different type of communication behaviours. They are based upon psychological and social factors. Fourth, these two factors will influence how good media can serve and satisfy peoples needs and wants. People will select which media they like the most. Finally, people are sometimes more influential than media. People will chose other media to get information when they were not satisfy with the current media they chose (Rubin, as cited in Pornsakulvanich, 2005, p.14) By view from the psychological perspective, UG basically emphasized the active role of individual in choosing media to fulfil their needs. This theory normally focused on to explain the way why and how people use the media rather than the way media influence people (Klapper, as cited in Pornsakulvanich, 2005, p. 13). Previous research assumes that audience are actively involved in the media consumption (Rubin, Ruggiero, Severin, Tankard, Windahl, as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569). Some scholars stated that the social media is pull-media in which it aims to provide information that is interest to certain audience, users have to be actively click and type to access those information. It can make user become more goal-oriented and aware in their everyday consumption (LaRose, Eastin, Lin Jeffres, as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569). UG theory has been applied to different types of online content due to different media fulfil different needs (Perse, Courtright, Dun, as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569). Online media play the same role as television, radio in order to provide entertainment, satisfaction and social interaction needs (Ferguson, Perse, Kaye, Papacharissi Rubin, as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569). However, there are still some differences between online media and traditional media. For example, online media enable audience to control over content. By using search engine, internet users able to search for specific issue compared to less interactive media such as television and radio (Kaye, as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569). Nowadays, most of the mass communication scholars point out the UG theory normally is identified to be a sub tradition of media effects research (McQuail, 1994). As Ruggiero (2000) state, the emergence of computer-mediated communication has revived the important of UG theory. Pratically, it provided a cutting edge theoretical approach at the beginning stages of each new mass communications medium such as television, radio, newspapers, and now the Internet. Accoding to UG thoerry, the audience is selective when using media and mostly is encouraged by rational self-awareness of the individuals own needs and an expectation that those needs will be satisfied by particular types of media and content (Katz, as cited in ruggiero, 2000, p. 18). Accoding to few recent researchs, it stated research who has UG involvement which focuses on more advanced communication technologies such as uses of the Internet found few gratifications, which were information seeking , entertainment and diversion, exploration and relationship building (Charney, Greenberg, Kuehn, Tewksbury, Althaus, as cited in Melanie Grellhesl, 2010, p. 24). Television and internet hold the same roles as to entertain, to provide escapism, and social interaction (Ferguson, Perse, Kaye, Papacharissi Rubin as cited in Ancu Cozma, 2009, p. 569). Explanation In this study, those undergraduate students are actually applying the UG approach when they are deciding to look for more information about 30-Hour Famine. Students choose the medium that could satisfy their needs to find out for information that they wanted to know about 30-Hour Famine campaign, and that they are able to recognise their reasons for making media choices by chosing social media. The uses and gratifications approach use to test how the audience uses mass media to satisfy psychological and social needs. As an actice audience, they chose their favour media based on their ability to satisfy their needs. In this study, people who are interested to be involved in charity work such as 30-Hour Famine will try to find out more information about the organization through their favour media. Most of the undergraduates students select social media to satify their need as they are active internet users. Internet is suited well to the UG approach (Kaye Johnson, as cited in Stark, 2009, p. 21). Audience is active due to the internet create a two-way communication. In this study, those undergraduate students are active audience. There were a two- way communication when students posted comment and asked questions on the 30-Hour Famine official website, it can help students to be even more understand about the campaign. Additionally, students who were using the web will actively look out for more information about the campaign by clicking on links and using search engines, hence showing that the web is goal oriented and those undergraduates students were aware of the needs they were attempting to satisfy (Lin Jeffres, 1998, as cited in Stark, 2009, p. 21). As a conclusion, the advanced communications technology nowadays did benefits user a lof in communication. User can have have more choices to select when communicate with others, it also allowed new ways for users to communicate (Ruggiero , as cited in Melanie Grellhesl, 2010, p. 22) For example, social media is a new way for internet users to communicate with each other. By using social media, internet users able to post, view, comment anything in the internet.

A Virtual Training Environment Essay -- Gaming

Technology has become a huge part of the way we live. As the years move on, we are becoming more technologically advanced, and part of that progression is due to the fact that we are using avenues that we would have overlooked 20 years ago. One of these avenues is the use of video games in nonconventional ways, like supplementing a real class room for a virtual one, to help ease some of the social anxiety of those with Aspersers and Autism, and to assist in the training our troops, utilizing a safe and cost effective environment. Unfortunately, these methods have been questioned, by those weary of the dominant presence technology has taken in this new generation of youth; however, all of these pathways are helping solve a real problem with aid of virtual environments. One innovative way virtual environments have been implemented is the use of video games to aid in making learning and teaching situations more comfortable. This new style of education is made possible with the use of virtual classrooms in the massive multiplayer online game, MMO, Second Life (SL). Through the use of this fully virtual world, we are now able to teach tangible skills to others. In â€Å"Using Second Life to enhance classroom management practice in teacher education†, Jennifer Mahon et al. explored this theory. They established that, â€Å"Overall, the results of this study suggest that using SL for a simulation of classroom management is promising (130)†. Because is it always easier to learn in an atmosphere where one feels relaxed and comfortable, this use of Second Life shows great potential. By using online games this way it is allowing not only new teachers, but veteran teachers as well to gain or brush up on skills they need as educators interacting with... ...re will prosper. Works Cited Bauerlein, Mark. The Dumbest Generation: how the digital age stupefies young Americans and jeopardizes our future (or, don’t trust anyone under 30). New York: Penguin Group Orvis, A Karin, et all. â€Å"An Examination of the Role Individual Differences Play in Videogame- Based Training.† Military Psychology 21.4 (2009): 461-467. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Apr. 2012. Mahon, Jennifer, et al. â€Å"Using Second Life to enhance classroom management practice in teacher education.† Educational Media International 47.2 (2010): 121-132. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 APR. 2012. Mitchell, Peter, et al. â€Å"Using Virtual Environments for Teaching Social Understanding to 6 Adolescents with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.† Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders 37.3 (2007): 589-599. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 APR. 2012.

The Magnetism of the Good and Ethical Realism Essay -- Philosophy Good

The Magnetism of the Good and Ethical Realism ABSTRACT: Ethical antirealists believe the words ‘good’ and ‘bad’, and ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, do not signify properties that objects and actions have or might have. They believe that when a person calls pain or any other event ‘bad’ and adultery or any other action ‘wrong’, he does not report some fact about that object or action. J. L. Mackie defends ethical anti-realism in part by appealing to an ontological queerness he believes value properties would have if they existed. "If there were objective values," Mackie writes, "they would be entities or qualities or relations of a very strange sort, utterly different from anything else in the universe." (1) Goodness would have a queer magnetic power. "Something's being good both tells the person who knows this to pursue it and makes him pursue it. An objective good would be sought by anyone who was acquainted with it, not because of any contingent fact that this person, or every person, is so constituted that he desires this end, but just because the end has to-be-pursuedness somehow built into it," Mackie says. If there were a property of the sort we conceive of good as being, it would be a queer property—one we cannot reasonably believe exists, Mackie argues. "Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim." Aristotle "To the rational animal the same act is according to nature and according to reason." Marcus Aurelius In this paper I address and overturn the above argument from ontological queerness against value-realism that Mackie uses in the quoted passage. I argue as follows: thou... ...inted with good properties of those objects is contingent on some fact about the nature of people. Thus there are two parts to the explanation of why people want and seek pleasure and other goods. First, it is the nature of an object’s being good that the object has a property which, when people are aware of it, provides them, in certain circumstances, reason to desire, seek and choose that object. Second, members of intelligent species are disposed by nature to form desires in response to reason and to act for reasons. A person’s intelligence consists in part in a disposition to form desires for, and to seek, objects that have properties that provide him with reason to desire and seek that object. A person’s intelligence directs him toward what there is reason to desire. Notes (1) Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1977) p. 38.

Nursing Theorist Grid

Nursing Theorist Grid Use grid below to complete the Week 4-Nursing Theorists assignment. Please see the â€Å"Nursing Theorists’ Grading Criteria† document, located on the Materials page of the student Web site. Name: Thomas Miller Theorist Selected: Ida Orlando Description of Theory: â€Å"Orlando’s theory is a reflective practice that is based on discovering and resolving problematic situations† (Alligood, 2010, p. 339). This theory is focused on defining the nurse-patient relationship. According to Orlando, the main function of nursing is to determine the needs of the patient and ensure that these needs are met, whether by the nurse or by others.The patient will have verbal and nonverbal behaviors that clue the nurse into the nature of his or her problems. The nurse must explore these behaviors with the patient to determine the needs that must be met to resolve the problematic situation that the patient presents with. The nurse must also be aware of hi s or her reactions to the cues the patient presents and must validate these reactions with the patient. It is always possible for the nurse to misinterpret the behaviors of a patient, and form incorrect ideas about what the patient needs.Validating the behaviors with the patient ensures that the nurse can fulfill the function of nursing, which is to find and meet the patient’s immediate need for help in the immediate situation which results in improvement (Alligood, 2010). The success of the help provided can be evaluated by observing for improvement in the patient’s verbal and nonverbal behavior. These behaviors must also be validated with the patient. This makes this theory dynamic and collaborative. Theory’s Historical background: Orlando developed her theory in the 1950s after receiving grants for studies integrating mental health concepts into nursing education.This was the first inductively developed nursing theory. Orlando recorded nurse patient interacti ons over three years and categorized her records as â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† nursing (Alligood, 2010). Orlando conducted a second study where she â€Å"assessed the relevance of earlier formulations, educated and evaluated nurses in the use of her formulations, and tested the validity of the theory formulations† (Alligood, 2010, p. 338). This helped her validate her original observations and to extend â€Å"her theory to include the entire nursing practice system† (Alligood, 2010, p. 338).Major theory assumptions related to: Define according to theorist:| How does this concept relate to nursing practice? | How does this concept relate to nursing education? | PersonTo Orlando, a person is a unique individual with his or her own behaviors and perceptions that are related to the context in which those behaviors and perceptions occur. Each person has his or her own needs that must be met and these needs change depending on the context and perceptions of that person. Each person is also the only one able verify if his or her behavior means what it appears to mean.In the context of the nurse-patient relationship, a person is an individual who needs help in order to have his or her needs met. The unique patient behavior provides cues to indicate the needs that must be met. | â€Å"Improvement, according to Orlando (1990), is the goal of the nursing process† (Faust, 2002, p. 15). Because the individual is unique, each patient must be approached for validation of his or her behaviors separately. The nurse cannot make assumptions of one person’s behaviors based on what they learned from another patient with the same behaviors.It also means that â€Å"patient behavior requires assessment at the time it occurs† (Faust, 2002, p. 15). It is possible that the same behavior occurring at different times means different things. The nurse must always validate the meaning of behaviors with the patient before attempting to meet the needs of the patient to ensure the correct needs are being met. | This is an important concept for nursing education. Nurses are educated on how to plan for the care of a patient. The goal of nursing is patient improvement by meeting the needs of the patient.It is impossible to meet the needs of the patient if the nurse does not know the needs of the patient. Nurses must be educated to validate patient behaviors with the patient. Nurses must also be educated to be aware of their own feelings about patient behaviors and how to avoid making assumption about the needs of the patient. Nurses must learn to recognize the uniqueness of every individual and how behaviors can mean different things in different contexts. | HealthOrlando did not clearly define health. It is possible to infer what Orlando considered health to be from her writings.According to Faust (2002, p. 15), â€Å"health is the result of a patient’s needs being met. † This means that for a person to be healt hy, they must be in a state where all their needs are met or are capable of being met. If their needs are not met, they are in a problematic situation and have an immediate need for help from the nurse. Improvement of this problematic situation results in the patient being restored to a state of health. This is the goal of the nurse-patient relationship. | Improving the patient’s problematic situation and restoring the patient to a state of health is the goal of nursing.This can only be done by finding and meeting the patient’s immediate needs. â€Å"It is the nurse’s responsibility to meet the patient’s need for help either by supplying it directly or by calling on the services of others† (Schmieding, 1987, p. 432). The important thing about this for the nursing process is to take this in a systematic approach. The nurse must first determine what needs the patient has before planning how to meet those needs. The nurse plans the appropriate activit ies to help the patient and return him or her to a state of health. This concept of health means that nurses must be educated to focus on the needs of the patient and validating these needs with the patient. Nurse education for restoring a state of health should not be focused on tasks to perform, but on forming relationships to discover what the patient needs to maintain his or her health or to return to a healthy state. Although the tasks are important, nursing education must focus on how nurses choose the correct tasks to help the patient. Nurses must also be educated on how to recognize whether he patient has an immediate need for help or not. Nursing â€Å"Nursing is an interaction with people who have an immediate need for help – the subsequent relief of distress. Stress relief provides improvement, leading to a sense of well-being† (Faust, 2002, p. 16). The goal of nursing is to discover and meet the patient’s immediate needs for help. Nursing is â€Å"à ¢â‚¬ ¦concerned with providing direct assistance to individuals in whatever setting they are found, for the purpose of avoiding, relieving, diminishing, or curing the individual’s sense of helplessness† (Alligood, 2010, p. 339).Nursing is a process in which the nurse determines if the patient has an immediate need, what that need truly is, and plans actions to meet that need. | The nurse must develop a therapeutic relationship with the patient by validating the patient’s behaviors and not making assumptions about the behaviors. â€Å"In Orlando’s theory, nurse–patient interaction involvesreciprocity; making the relationship dynamic and collaborative† (Sheldon & Ellington, 2008, p. 390). This means the nurse must evaluate constantly and validate patient behaviors.It is imperative for the nurse to determine what the patient actually needs in order to plan interventions to meet the needs. The nurse must also be aware that each behavior is unique within the context in which it occurs. This means that each behavior must be assessed and validated when it happens to avoid making assumptions about the patient’s needs. | Learning to perform this process correctly should start early in the education process. It takes practice to do this correctly. â€Å"Finding out and meeting the patient's immediate needs for help becomes an acquiredway of thinking† (Schmieding, 1987, p. 32). This process needs to become automatic for the nurse. He or she must be able to recognize their own internal feelings and overcome them to avoid making assumptions. Nursing education needs to take this into account and help student nurses practice this concept early and often. Nursing education must also teach proper communication techniques so that nurses will be comfortable and able to validate patient behaviors with the patient. | EnvironmentThe environment is the context in which the patient’s problem exists and his or her behavior manifests.Orlando does not clearly define environment, but relates it to the immediate situation. â€Å"A disruption in the environment creates a problematic situation. At that moment the person experiences an organic response† (Schmieding, 1987, p. 434). Orlando calls this an immediate reaction. This immediate reaction to the environment causes the problematic situation that the patient needs help with. The patient may have needs based on his or her environment that is not being met that result in the problematic situation. This results in the patient seeking help. â€Å"Environment is part of any nurse-patient interaction, because it is involved in all nursing situations. To help a patient, it may be necessary to take action related to the environment† (Faust, 2002, p. 16). The nurse may have to educate the patient to avoid things in his or her environment. This has implications for Orlando’s theory because this will involve fully assessing the patient’ s needs and validating his or her behaviors relating to their environment. The nurse must determine if the environment is interfering with meeting the patient’s needs. If this is the case, the nurse must act to deal with the environmental problem.This may involve educating the patient or enlisting the aid of others to help the patient overcome his or her environmental barriers. | This is another case in which nurses need early and frequent practice. Nurses do not often consider the patient’s environment when planning care. Many patients do not consider their environment as a cause of their problems, either. It is the responsibility of the nurse to determine if this is a problem. Nurses must learn how to validate patient behaviors appropriately and assess the needs of the patient. Nurses must learn how to interact with patients to draw this information out.This takes practice and should be done early in an educational setting. Practicing this skill is important so that it will become a habit for the nurse. | References Alligood, M. R. (2010). Nursing theory: Utilization ; application  (4th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database Faust, C. (2002). Orlando's deliberative nursing process theory: A practice application in an extended care facility. Journal of Gerontological Nursing,  28(7), 14-18. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/204155222? accountid=35812; http://linksource. ebsco. om/linking. aspx? genre=article&issn=00989134&volume=28&issue=7&date=2002-07-01&spage=14&title=Journal+of+Gerontological+Nursing&atitle=Orlando%27s+deliberative+nursing+process+t Schmieding, N. (1987). Problematic situations in nursing: analysis of Orlando's theory based on Dewey's theory of inquiry. Journal Of Advanced Nursing,  12(4), 431-440. doi:10. 1111/1365-2648. ep13107529 Sheldon, L. , & Ellington, L. (2008). Application of a model of social information processing to nursing theory: how nurses respond to pa tients. Journal Of Advanced Nursing,  64(4),

Coeducation: 2nd Millennium and Universal Elementary Education Essay

In early civilizations, people were educated informally: primarily within the household. As time progressed, education became more structured and formal. Women often had very few rights when education started to become a more important aspect of civilization. Efforts of the ancient Greek and Chinese societies focused primarily on the education of males. In ancient Rome, the availability of education was gradually extended to women, but they were taught separately from men. The early Christians and medieval Europeans continued this trend, and single-sex schools for the privileged classes prevailed through the Reformation period. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coeducation grew much more widely accepted. In Great Britain, Germany, and the Soviet Union, the education of girls and boys in the same classes became an approved practice. In the 16th century, at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic church reinforced the establishment of free elementary schools for children of all classes. The concept of universal elementary education, regardless of sex, had been created. [2] After the Reformation, coeducation was introduced in western Europe, when certain Protestant groups urged that boys and girls should be taught to read the Bible. The practice became very popular in northern England, Scotland, and colonial New England, where young children, both male and female, attended dame schools. In the late 18th century, girls gradually were admitted to town schools. The Society of Friends in England, as well as in the United States, pioneered coeducation as they did universal education, and in Quaker settlements in the British colonies, boys and girls commonly attended school together. The new free public elementary, or common schools, which after the American Revolution supplanted church institutions, were almost always coeducational, and by 1900 most public high schools were coeducational as well. [3] The early success and achievement of women at Oberlin College persuaded many early women’s rights leaders that coeducation would soon be accepted throughout the country. However, for quite a while, women sometimes suffered uncivil behavior from their male classmates. The prejudice of some male professors proved more unsettling. Many professors had disapproved of the admission of women into their classes, citing studies that stated that women were physically incapable of higher education, and some professors found it difficult to acknowledge women’s presence once they were admitted. Even today, there have been books, studies, and other arguments claiming that women and men learn very differently from each other because of their brain differences. One of these books is called â€Å"Boys and Girls Learn Differently! † by Michael Gurian. [4] By the end of the 19th century, 70% of American colleges were coeducational. In the late 20th century, many institutions of higher learning that had been exclusively for people of one sex became coeducational.