Evolution Of Global Cultural Industries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evolution Of Global Cultural Industries - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that one of the most imperative segments of global cultural economy discussed embraces a collection of industries, that can be insecurely notorious as purveyors of cultural products. The brisk expansion and increase of cultural industries in topical decades is a manifestation of the increasing junction that is happening in contemporary society between the economic array on the one hand and systems of cultural look on the other hand. These cultural industries turn out a massive and escalating collection of outputs. The industries that formulate the modern cultural economy are bound as one as an entity of research made by three vital familiar attributes. First, they are all anxious in one mode or another with the conception of goods whose worth respites principally on their figurative content and the modes in which it kindles the empirical reactions of costumers. Second, they are in general subject to the effects of Engels' Law, which recommends that as disposable proceeds expands so utilization of luxury products will ascend at a inexplicably higher rate. Consequently, the wealthier the nation, the higher expenditure on cultural products will be as a portion of families' budgets. Third, organisations in cultural-products industries are focused to spirited competition and organisational force such that they repeatedly agglomerate together in impenetrable specific clusters or industrial regions, whereas their products flow with increasing simplicity on international markets.

A Case for Kenya Essay Example for Free

A Case for Kenya Essay Foreword After two and a half years of studying, I was given the opportunity to do a research project as part of my graduation. Since I wanted to go abroad for a longer time, I tried to look for internships in countries outside the Netherlands. In my second year, I did an internship at Move Your World. Move Your World aims to create awareness on (business) development issues among young Dutch citizens by organising workshops, seminars and competitions. Working with this subject for five months made me realise I wanted to find an internship in a developing country, focusing on business topics. After the internship, Move Your World offered me a job as a project assistant. The job description said I had to work with international development matters and I had to host the vacancy platform on the website. This meant that most vacancies regarding international development would end up in my inbox. I took the job and one of my main goals was to find a suitable internship abroad, regarding some sort of business topic. See more: Beowulf essay essay Luckily, in October 2010, Stichting AfriCulture’s vacancy dropped in my inbox. There were two main aspects that triggered my attention. First of all, it was in a developing country, Kenya. Secondly, I had to construct a business plan for an organisation. It suited perfectly to my wishes. I applied and I was selected to go to Kenya, together with two other Dutch business students. For the past three months I conducted a research for Mizizi Foundation, an organisation that tries to create awareness on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Entrepreneurship among Kenyans. The problem I dealt with was finding a way to restart Mizizi Foundation. Working with an organisational restart issue was very interesting to me, since I may like to set up an organisation myself in the future. Furthermore, I learned a lot about Corporate Social Responsibility. I now believe that implementing a Corporate Social Responsibility-policy is a must for all organisations in the world. I would like to thank Anoek Vriesema, director of Stichting AfriCulture, for selecting me to go to Kenya and for having faith in my capabilities. In addition, I would like to thank Mr. Van Nispen, my supervisor, for his constructive advise on my thesis, and Froukje Joosten, my mother, who is a researcher, for her time-less patience in going through my work. Special thanks go out to three persons in particular. First of all, to my two dear colleagues Marleen and Ester, with whom I have been living and working for the past three months. We managed to combine a lot of fun with serious work, which resulted in a very good business plan and friendship for life. Last but not least, I would like to thank George Muni, chair of Mizizi Foundation, for his professional attitude and his joy, and for giving me the possibility to integrate in the Kenyan way of life. Muni was dedicated to continue with Mizizi. As Muni called it, â€Å"Mizizi is a phoenix about to rise from the ashes.† Mizizi is the Kiswahili word for roots.

Raise the Red Lantern Essay -- Women Raise Red Lantern Essays

Raise the Red Lantern â€Å"All the world’s a stage; all of us are taking the elements of plot, character, and costume and turning into performances of possibilities†(Ward1999: 5) Raise the Red Lantern tells a compelling and sorrowful story of a young woman whose life is destined to be ruined in a male-dominated society. This can be an awakening of some sort to any woman. As Ward states in her text, women learn the rules of our half of the world as well as those of the other half, since we regularly move in and out of the male world. There she defines women’s culture. The term has also been used in its anthropological sense to encompass the familial and friendship networks of women, their affective ties, their rituals. It is important to understand that woman’s culture is never a subculture. It would hardly be appropriate to define the culture of half of humanity as a subculture. Women live social existence within the general culture. Whenever they are confined by patriarchal restraint or segregation into separateness, they transform this restraint into complementarily and redefine it. Thus, women live a duality- as members of the general culture and as partakers of woman’s culture. (Lerner 1986:242) Much like the quote stated, Raise the Red Lantern is set in Northern China in the 1920’s. For thousands of years the people of China have formed family life around patrilineal decent. The assessment of traditional China life was patriarchal. A basis of this set up would be from Confucius. In childhood, Before marriage, Obey your father In adulthood, During marriage, Obey your husband In widowhood, After marriage, Obey your son States in the text, the lowest moment of a woman’s life was her wedding day. Cut off from her natal family, the young bride was an outsider and the object of deep suspicion in her new husband’s household. The only was to earn a place for herself was to have sons. Songlian quits college after her father has passed away and becomes Zuoquian Chen’s fourth wife. When Songlian, who chooses to walk from her house to Chen’s house instead of riding in the wedding carriage, arrives at Chen’s house, there is no sign of a celebration, an omen of things to come. Bound by tradition and inflamed with jealousy, none of the three wives come out to greet the new bride. An old housekeeper welcomes and acknowledges ... ...y. Much as the film was, as it was structured, this film could be a parable of some sort. Songlian would be the individual, the woman. The master would be the government and the customs of the house are the laws of the country. It is an archaic system that always rewards those that play and pay but destroys those who violate. One thing I found appealing about "Red Lantern" is that while the film portrays a brutally patriarchal system in which women are clearly very oppressed and dependent on their lord and master for everything, it does not idealize the women or turn them into doe-eyed, sweet, saintly victims. The wives and concubines are resourceful, smart, competitive, and very determined to make the best of their situation... in any way they can. They can even be cruel and downright evil. Forget the cliche that men are interested in power and women are interested in love. These women are definitely interested in power and status -- though, of course, the only way they can obtain it is by winning the husband's favor. Yet their power struggles are just as ruthless as anything that happens in the "male" world of politics, business, or war, and just as fascinating to watch.

Intermittent Fasting Essay

Intermittent Fasting (or IF) takes that time and increases it. Some versions follow a one day on one day off protocol, others will have you fast 24 hours twice a week, and another popular version is fasting every day for 16 hours, while eating 8 (SST. Pierre and Braid 1-2). Most nutritionist and health experts say that the key to a healthy diet is many small meals throughout the day. There is very little, if any, research proving that to be true. In fact, recent studies have shown just the opposite to be true. That IF, decreasing the amount of time you spend eating, has improved health and lead to fat and eight loss.The most important part of any diet is how it improves overall health. IF has been shown in multiple studies to help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, control seizures, improve insulin sensitivity, and has even shown improved memory and reduced the risk of stroke in studies done on rats. A lot of the studies on the health aspects of IF have been done on rats. This is where most studies get started before moving on the primates then humans. In a university study conducted led by Voiceless, it was found that rats placed n an alternate day fasting group for 30 days showed better recollection on finding their way through a maze (2).They were shown the way out and were able to find their way our faster on repeat attempts. This shows how their memory was improved following the fasting diet. It also reduced inflammation in the brain. In another study done on rats, it was found that an IF diet reduced the risk of stroke (Fan et la. 5). Testing has not only been done on animals though. Although a small sample size was used (6 children suffering from seizures), a study found the 4 out of the 6 children when put n a 2 half day fast a week for 2 months, had a reduction in the amount of seizures, while one of them only had a reduction on the fasting days (Hartman 2).Based on the small size and lacking a control group, it can be said for sure the IF reduces t he effects of seizures, but it is definitely worth looking into. Another important aspect in one's diet is how it affects weight and fat loss. It is well known that calorie restriction is on the only rock solid way to lose weight. Calories ingested have to be less than calories spent through exercise, daily activity, etc. The problem with calorie restriction is that one has to count the calories they are eating by measuring and weighing food. Unless they have a nutritionist or chef preparing their food, it is likely that they will overestimate their calories. By using IF, it is not necessary to weigh and measure food, but by cutting down the allotted time to eat it is much more likely that less food will be eaten. In a study comparing IF, UDF (alternate day fasting), and calorie restriction, it was found that all three groups lost weight, visible fat, and reduced insulin (Baryon's et la 8). The eight/fat loss was greater in the calorie restriction group, but the IF and UDF were not far behind.For the average American that doesn't have the time to weigh and measure foods or unable to afford a personal chef, IF is an excellent choice. In conclusion, IF is a good diet to try if one wants to lose weight and improve health. There have been enough studies that show it is a good method, and It is more practical than counting calories. Imagine an early ancestor trekking through the woods for two days on an empty stomach tracking a heard of deer. Humans Were born to fast. Works Cited Baryon's, Adrienne, Howdy, Kristin, InterTAN Terry, and Aviary, Skirts.

Healthcare Analysis Essay

1. Differentiate among the terms strategic management,strategic thinking, strategic planning, and managing strategic momentum. Which of these activities is most important in a healthcare organization and why? ANS: Strategic management consists of the analysis, decisions, and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages. strategic management is concerned with the analysis of strategic goals (vision, mission, and strategic objectives) along with the analysis of the internal and external environment of the organization. Next, leaders must make strategic decisions. These decisions, broadly speaking, address two basic questions: What industries should we compete in?How should we compete in those industries? These questions also often involve an organization’s domestic as well as its international operations. And last are the actions that must be taken. Decisions are of little use, of course, unless they are acted on. Firms must take the necessary actions to implement their strategies. This requires leaders to allocate the necessary resources. Strategic thinking is considered a key thought process of strategic management framework; is defined as the generation and application of unique business insights and opportunities, to create competitive advantage for a firm or organisation. It can be done individually, as well as collaboratively among key people who can positively alter an organisation’s future. Group strategic thinking create more value by enabling a proactive and creative dialogue, where we gain other people’s perspectives on critical and complex issues which is an important benefit in today’s highly competitive and fast-changing business landscape. Strategic planning is an organization’s process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. In order to determine the direction of the organization, it is necessary to understand its current position and the possible avenues through which it can pursue a particular course of action. Generally, strategic planning deals with several key questions like 1 â€Å"What do we do?† 2 â€Å"For whom do we do it?† 3 â€Å"How do we excel?† Strategic momentum is the tendency to maintain or expand the emphasis and direction of prior strategic actions in current strategic behaviour. The most important role as leader of an organization is strategy. The best way to sustain the momentum is by following the guidelines of the Essentials for Successfully Implementing the Strategic Plan and to continue to deploy the small group of people who share the vision and are engaged in helping you implement it. According to me strategic management is the most important activity in a healthcare organization, because a well-formulated strategy can bring various benefits to the organization in present as well as in future. 1 Strategic management takes into account the future and anticipates for it. 2 A strategy is made on rational and logical manner, thus its efficiency and its success are ensured. 3 Strategic management reduces frustration because it has been planned in such a way that it follows a procedure. 4 It brings growth in the organization because it seeks opportunities. 5 With strategic management organizations can avoid helter & skelter and they can work directionally. 6 Strategic management also adds to the reputation of the organization because of consistency that results from organizations success. 7 Often organizations draw to a close because of lack of proper strategy to run it. With strategic management organizations can foresee the events in future and that’s why they can remain stable in the market. 8 Strategic management looks at the threats present in the external environment and thus organizations can either work to get rid of them or else neutralizes the threats in such a way that they become an opportunity for their success. 9 Strategic management focuses on proactive approach which enables organization to grasp every opportunity that is available in the market .2. List, describe, differentiate, and provide examples of the different levels of strategic management. ANS: 1 Corporate level 2 Divisional level 3 Organizational level 4 Unit level Corporate level strategies addresses questions like,†what business should we be in†¦.?† For example if we take Trinity, what business should we do..? Health care, including hospitals, long term care units, hospices etc. The other question would be what other options should Trinity consider like mental health centers. Divisional level strategies are more focused and provide direction for a single business type. For Example Trinity Health, strategies must be developed for separately for hospital division, out patient units, hospice care etc†¦.. how many hospitals are optional .. or what markets are available for new chain of hospitals†¦. Organizational level Strategies includes strategies made at an individual organizational level like each hospital in Trinity’s hospital division may develop their own strategies depending upon the present market conditions. Unit level Strategies support organizational strategies through accomplishing various objectives. Unit operational strategies may be developed within departments of an organizations like a hospital with different units, example Medicine department, Surgery unit or paediatric unit etc

Critical Success Factors (CSF) Analysis

Critical Success Factors (CSF) Analysis Critical Success Factors (CSF) analysis is one of the more difficult strategic management tools to understand, and is even harder to use effectively in real-world management. If properly applied, however, CSF analysis does provide a robust and very practical assessment for strategic planners and can be very effective. As with most management tools, CSF analysis is probably more effective when used together with another, complementary  tool such as SWOT or PEST analysis, because the best use of the CSF analysis is as  a tool for planning and exercising control techniques over processes, rather than as an environmental assessment tool. What Are Critical Success Factors If business and management researchers had an easy answer to that question, perhaps CSF analysis would not be such a challenge to learn to use well. In the most general sense, CSFs are the small number of activities that absolutely must be undertaken effectively for the company to have success. What those specific activities are is a source of confusion, because they are entirely dependent on the unique circumstances of the firm. That has not, however, stopped researchers from trying to develop a definitive, universal list of CSFs that can apply to any company. In a study done about five years ago (K.J. Fryer, J. Antony A. Douglas, â€Å"Critical success factors for continuous improvement in the public sector†, The TQM Magazine, vol. 19, no. 5, 2007), researchers reviewed 29 separate studies on CSFs and interviewed a number of organizations, and came up with a chart that tells us exactly nothing about which success factors are indeed â€Å"critical† (see Table 1): Table 1. CSFs and Their Importance Depending on Business Sector Success Factor Percentage of studies and businesses surveyed which defined the factor as â€Å"Critical,† by business sector: Mixed Sectors Manufacturing Service Public Sector Management commitment 100% 86% 100% 100% Training learning 67% 57% 100% 75% Supplier management 67% 43% 67% 50% Customer management 60% 57% 57% 50% Quality data measurement reporting 47% 14% 33% 50% Corporate quality culture 47% 57% 67% 50% Communication 27% 29% 0% 75% Teamwork 20% 29% 0% 50% Employee empowerment 73% 71% 67% 50% Process Management 47% 29% 33% 75% Organizational structure 47% 57% 100% 50% Product design 27% 29% 0% 25% Ongoing monitoring assessment 20% 14% 0% 50% The problem of choosing appropriate CSFs is immediately apparent; management commitment is an obvious choice, but it seems rather at odds with what we learn in management studies that a factor such as â€Å"Employee empowerment† would be fairly important to many different business sectors, while factors that should complement that – Communication and Teamwork – are not considered very important at all, and somewhat incredibly are apparently completely ignored by service-sector businesses. Wanna know more? Go here: Critical Analysis Writing SWOT Analysis Five Forces Analysis The ADL Matrix and Gap Analysis Buy a Great Paper Online But of course, this single example should be taken with a grain of salt; as they say, your results may vary, and if there is one valuable takeaway  from it, it is the suggestion of success factors that may be considered as a starting point, regardless if they are eventually found to be actually â€Å"critical† or not to a specific organization. It is also important to remember that CSFs are not fixed; they can and probably should change as the circumstances of the business change. For example, other studies have found that it is both common and relatively beneficial for firms facing financial or other crises to shift their CSFs to ones with more short-term effects and change the focus back to a more long-term perspective once the immediate difficulties are resolved. Developing Using the CSF Analysis The interesting thing about using the CSF analysis is that the process of determining what your organization’s critical success factors really are is essentially the whole point. Once the CSFs are identified, steps to see that they are managed properly can be developed using different tools or good old experience and imagination; in many instances, simply identifying what may be a critical success factor and carefully examining why it is indeed â€Å"critical† to the firm suggests the way in which it should be handled. While there are some data management and other analytical tools that can help in selecting CSFs – for example, DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) software applications – the majority of the process is good old-fashioned intuition and discussion. But there are a number of conventions that should be followed to give the selection and analysis process the best chance of success. First, CSFs should be assessed in a â€Å"top-down† fashion; the analysis is not one that is ideally-suited for ‘horizontal’ or ‘collaborative’ organizational structures. Success factors should be judged according to the relevance to the business as a whole, then individual business units or departments, then down to the individual level; if at some level the success factor is not â€Å"critical†, then it needs to be reassessed. The reason for this is that the number of CSFs should be kept to an absolute minimum. This prevents conflicts in objectives and processes and helps to prevent a dilution of effort among too many factors. Second, to avoid overlooking any factors that should be considered â€Å"critical†, potential CSFs should be assessed according to the â€Å"five sources of organizational success†, a methodology developed in the early 1980’s by MIT researcher John Rockart. Industry CSFs are conditions and operational circumstances that are common to firms within the same sector. Peer CSFs are critical success factors for one’s competitors; this obviously requires an accurate and detailed competitive analysis to be done as a prerequisite to the CSF analysis. Environmental CSFs are related to the firm’s political, economic, and market environment, and can be identified by  a method such as a PEST analysis. Temporal CSFs are success factors that are only important at particular times – such as in crisis situations as described earlier – and are most likely to change. And finally, Managerial CSFs are success factors relevant to the management of the fir m at different levels; identifying these may seem to run counter to the â€Å"top-down† process, but in reality actually helps to focus it by revealing internal conflicts in objectives.

20 Critical Essay Topics Understand and Debate Police Brutality

20 Critical Essay Topics Understand and Debate Police Brutality If you are interested in writing a critical essay on police brutality, you can get a jump start by reviewing the 20 useful topics below: Differences in Police Brutality Statistics for Different Genders. Policies to Stop Police Brutality. Policies to Reduce Police Brutality in Two Countries of Your Choosing. Countries with High Rates of Police Brutality. How GDP Influences Rates of Police Brutality. How Police Salary Influences Rates of Police Brutality. Differences in Police Brutality Statistics for Different Ages Groups. Differences in Police Brutality Statistics for Different Countries. Impact of Police Brutality Statistics in Legislation. Influencing Factors for Police Brutality. Low Psychological Evaluative Standards Leads to Higher Rates of Police Brutality. Differences in Police Brutality Statistics for Different Races. Difference between Police Brutality among Female Officers and Male Officers. Whether Male Officers Show More Police Brutality toward Male Victims or Female Victims. Whether Female Officers Show More Police Brutality toward Male Victims or Female Victims. Statistical Changes to Police Brutality over a Ten Year Period. Correlation between Police Corruption and Police Brutality. Changes in Police Corruption Statistics between Urban and Suburban Areas. Whether Arrests and Charges for Police Brutality Reduce Rates of Police Brutality Afterward among Other Officers. Whether Police Brutality is Regularly Swept under the Rug Among Closely Knit Police Units. Out of all the interesting ideas which are available, it can still be difficult to really understand how to get started on any of these topics when writing your essay. Don’t forget to visit the article with facts on police brutality that comply with these topics. In addition, improve your writing quality with guides on critical essays. That is why you will find a great sample essay below on one of the topics listed above: Sample Critical Essay Low Psychological Evaluative Standards Leads to Higher Rates of Police Brutality For some jobs, applicants are required to take psychological evaluations during the application process. These jobs are typically those which require a security clearance or where weapons are wielded. The purpose of the tests are to ensure that the person remains psychologically stable enough to fulfill the duties of their position. Such low standards results in psychologically unstable individuals wielding not only lethal weapons but dangerous levels of authority over others. Because of this background, many of the individuals within the police force if not all have a deep desire to protect one another from anyone who is considered an outside. This only encourages the police brutality that is so prevalent among the psychologically unstable. In many cases the individuals are required to take regular evaluations to ensure they remain stable regularly. After extreme incidents on the job, the same individuals may be required to take an additional test to ensure the incident did not cause damage enough to render the person unable to fulfill their duties. Examples of such cases might include getting shot or having a partner injured or killed in the line of duty. While the purpose of these tests remains viable and is a necessity for ensuring that anyone wielding weapons is doing so safely, the acceptable levels to which certain members are held during their initial application and during subsequent examinations is far too low among police forces, which only cultivates an environment of police brutality. Police forces who are required to take entry examinations for their psychological evaluation are not held to high enough standards. With such low initial requirements, it is not surprising that police officers continue to be approved to work in the line of duty regularly. With low entry requirements, the individuals who were bullies in school or who were severely bullied, those who were not loved enough as a child, and those who have serious psychological issues which result in them craving power and authority over others. This psychological background makes police officers hungry for situations where they can exert their power over others. It makes them immediately feign a feeling of threat if an individual asks why they were pulled over or states to the officer that the officer is actually not in accordance with the law during a procedure. Situations where the psychologically unstable individual even remotely feels threatened results in severe retaliation in the form of police brut ality. What makes this retaliation even worse is the protective nature of the police force. Members within the force will automatically side with one another over anyone who is an â€Å"outsider† even if they know their police member was in the wrong. They will bend the legal rules for no one but their own, making them complete hypocrites. In addition to this, police officers who are already unstable will view an outside complaining that a member of their unit broke the law as a threat. And as aforementioned, these perceived threats to someone who is psychologically unstable result in severe backlash, bullying, and bending of the rules. In order to rectify the issue of high police brutality rates, it is imperative that the psychological standards to which members of the police departments are held be raised. Psychological evaluations should review the stability of the individual, their background, their childhood, and search for any indications in their background that they were abused or that they abused others. By identifying those who seek power and control in order to make themselves feel better, and identifying those who enjoy hurting others to bring themselves up, police departments can stop hiring individuals who are more of a threat to society than a help to society. This can put a stop to police brutality. By doing this, true change can come about to all of the police forces which choose to make the world a better place. References Anderson, Kelly C.  Police Brutality. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1995. Print. Fitzgerald, Sheila.  Police Brutality. Detroit: Greenhaven Press/Thomson Gale, 2007. Print. Kirschner, Robert H. Police Brutality In The USA.  The Lancet  350.9088 (1997): 1395. Web. Kuhns, Joseph B, and Johannes Knutsson.  Police Use Of Force. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2010. Print. Lawrence, Regina G.  The Politics Of Force. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. Print. Nelson, Jill.  Police Brutality. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 2000. Print. Roleff, Tamara L.  Police Brutality. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Print.

Profile of Robert Koch, Founder of Modern Bacteriology

Profile of Robert Koch, Founder of Modern Bacteriology The German physician  Robert Koch (December 11, 1843 - May 27, 1910) is considered the father of modern bacteriology for his work  demonstrating that specific microbes are responsible for causing specific diseases. Koch discovered the life cycle of the bacteria responsible for anthrax and identified the bacteria that cause tuberculosis and cholera. Fast Facts: Robert Koch Nickname: Father of Modern BacteriologyOccupation: PhysicianBorn: December 11, 1843 in Clausthal, GermanyDied: May 27, 1910 in Baden-Baden, GermanyParents: Hermann Koch and Mathilde Julie Henriette BiewandEducation: University of Gà ¶ttingen (M.D.)Published Works: Investigations into the Etiology of Traumatic Infective Diseases (1877)Key Accomplishments: Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (1905)Spouse(s): Emmy Fraatz (m. 1867–1893), Hedwig Freiberg (m. 1893–1910)Child: Gertrude Koch Early Years Robert Heinrich Hermann Koch was born December 11, 1843 in the German town of Clausthal. His parents, Hermann Koch and Mathilde Julie Henriette Biewand, had thirteen children. Robert was the third child and the oldest surviving son. Even as a child, Koch demonstrated a love of nature and showed a high degree of intelligence. He reportedly taught himself to read at the age of five. Koch became interested in biology in high school and entered the University of Gà ¶ttingen in 1862, where he studied medicine. While in medical school, Koch was highly influenced by his anatomy instructor Jacob Henle, who had  published a work in 1840 proposing that microorganisms are responsible for causing infectious disease. Career and Research Upon earning his medical degree  with high honors from the University of Gà ¶ttingen in 1866, Koch practiced privately for a while in the town of Langenhagen and later in Rakwitz. In 1870, Koch voluntarily enlisted in the German military during the Franco-Prussian War. He served as a doctor in a battlefield hospital treating wounded soldiers. Two years later, Koch became the District Medical Officer for the city of Wollstein. He would hold this position from 1872 to 1880. Koch was later appointed to the Imperial Health Office in Berlin, a position he held from 1880 to 1885. During his time in Wollstein and Berlin, Koch began his laboratory investigations of bacterial pathogens that would bring him national and world-wide recognition. Anthrax Life Cycle Discovery Robert Kochs anthrax research was the first to demonstrate that a specific infectious disease was caused by a specific microbe. Koch gained insight from prominent scientific researchers of his time, such as Jacob Henle, Louis Pasteur, and Casimir Joseph Davaine. Work by Davaine indicated that animals with anthrax contained microbes in their blood. When healthy animals were inoculated with the blood of infected animals, the healthy animals became diseased. Davaine postulated that anthrax must be caused by the blood microbes. Robert Koch took this investigation further by obtaining pure anthrax cultures and identifying bacterial spores  (also called  endospores). These resistant cells can survive for years under harsh conditions such as high temperatures, dryness, and the presence of toxic enzymes or chemicals. The spores remain dormant until conditions become favorable for them to develop into vegetative (actively growing) cells capable of causing disease. As a result of Kochs research, the life cycle of the anthrax bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) was identified. Laboratory Research Techniques Robert Kochs research led  to the development and refinement of a number of laboratory techniques that are still in use today. In order for Koch to obtain pure bacterial cultures for study, he had to find a suitable medium on which to grow the microbes. He perfected a method for turning a liquid medium (culture broth) into a solid medium by mixing it with agar. The agar gel medium was ideal for growing pure cultures as it was transparent, remained solid at body temperature (37 °C / 98.6 °F), and bacteria did not use it as a food source. An assistant of Koch, Julius Petri, developed a special plate called a Petri dish for holding the solid growth medium. Additionally, Koch refined techniques for preparing bacteria for microscope viewing. He developed glass slides and cover slips as well as methods for heat fixing and staining bacteria with dyes in order to improve visibility. He also developed techniques for the use of steam sterilization and methods for photographing (micro-photography) bacteria and other microbes. Koch's Postulates Koch published Investigations into the Etiology of Traumatic Infective Diseases  in 1877. In it, he outlined procedures for obtaining pure cultures and bacteria isolation methods. Koch also developed guidelines or postulates for determining that a particular disease is due to a specific microbe. These postulates were developed during Kochs study of anthrax and outlined four basic principles that apply when establishing the causative agent of an infectious disease: The suspected microbe must be found in all instances of the disease, but not in healthy animals.The suspected microbe must be isolated from a diseased animal and grown in pure culture.When a healthy animal is inoculated with the suspected microbe, the disease must develop.The microbe must be isolated from the inoculated animal, grown in pure culture, and be identical to the microbe obtained from the original diseased animal. Tuberculosis and Cholera Bacteria Identification By 1881, Koch had set his sights on identifying the microbe responsible for causing the deadly disease tuberculosis. While other researchers had been able to demonstrate that tuberculosis was caused by a microorganism, no one had been able to stain or identify the microbe. Using modified staining techniques, Koch was able to isolate and identify the responsible bacteria:  Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Koch announced his discovery in March of 1882 at the Berlin Psychological Society. News of the discovery spread, quickly reaching the United States by April of 1882. This discovery brought Koch world-wide notoriety and acclaim. Next, as the head of the German Cholera Commission in 1883, Koch began investigating  cholera  outbreaks in Egypt and India. By 1884, he had isolated and identified the causative agent of cholera as  Vibrio cholerae. Koch also developed methods for controlling cholera epidemics that serve as the basis for modern day standards of control. In 1890, Koch claimed to have discovered a cure for tuberculosis, a substance he called tuberculin. Although tuberculin turned out  not to be a cure, Kochs work with tuberculosis earned him the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1905. Death and Legacy Robert Koch continued his investigative research into infectious diseases until his health began to fail in his early sixties. A few years prior to his death, Koch suffered a heart attack brought on by heart disease. On May 27, 1910, Robert Koch died in Baden-Baden, Germany at the age of 66. Robert Kochs contributions to microbiology and bacteriology have had a major impact on modern scientific research practices and the study of infectious diseases. His work helped to establish the germ theory of disease as well as to refute spontaneous generation. Kochs laboratory techniques and sanitation methods serve as the foundation for modern day methods for microbe identification and disease control. Sources Adler, Richard. Robert Koch and American Bacteriology. McFarland, 2016. Chung, King-thom, and Jong-kang Liu. Pioneers In Microbiology: The Human Side Of Science. World Scientific, 2017. Robert Koch - Biographical. Nobelprize.org, Nobel Media AB, 2014, www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1905/koch-bio.html. Robert Koch Scientific Works. Robert Koch Institute, www.rki.de/EN/Content/Institute/History/rk_node_en.html. Sakula, Alex. Robert Koch: Centenary of the Discovery of the Tubercle Bacillus, 1882. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 1983, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1790283/.

Prisons as Total Intitutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prisons as Total Intitutions - Essay Example This process according to interpretations by Hassine and Abbott creates a subculture for the prisoners with behavioral ways, beliefs and values that though antisocial to the world outside are promoted and even rewarded within the institution of prison. The in-prison socialization helps in this adaptation process but will be severely damaging when the inmate is released to the real world society. Deprivation within the walls of the penitentiary in various forms causes loss of self-esteem in prisoners. It starts from the point of becoming an inmate. It is therefore desirable to introduce correctional policies to reduce the level of deprivation like allowing weekend leaves and conjugal visits as has been done to alleviate sexual deprivation. One way of reducing the prisonization is to involve the inmates in the management of the prison obviously excluding the administrative part. This will help in developing a reciprocal and balanced relationship of the prisoners with the prison administrators providing scope for mature handling of the situation. The real prisons do not, however, fully behave like a total institution of Goffman but in a manner demonstrated by Hassine and Abbott referring to the prisoners falling in line with the inmate sub

Public Health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Public Health - Essay Example surroundings and circumstances determine the health of people. Some of the factors used in the determination of health include genetic factors, educational level, income level and relationship with families and friends. The main determinants of health include social and economic environment, physical environment and the individual’s behaviors and characters. The increase in the income earning may increase the living standards; however, in some case people may fail to control their eating habits and end up acquiring diseases such as diabetes among others. The great gap between the gap between poor and rich increases the differences in health conditions. On the other hand, low education levels also contribute to the development of disease in the community. For instance, the lowly educated people may not be able to understand which kind of food to take at a given time. It becomes very difficult to create a harmonized healthy condition in the entire society because of the variatio n in the social factors (Kindig, 2015). In addition, people have different views and opinion regarding various health factors in the society. For example, some people may support abortion while other opposes the act and considers it an evil act. Such differences influence the efforts made to improve the population health.

Federalism Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Federalism Paper - Essay Example People have different and varied opinions about federalism but for United States it completely make sense to be a federalist country. This is because US is spreaded over a large geographical area and it is near to impossible to run and control the whole country by just having one government. Federalism might look as an incomprehensible idealistic expression, but it has a substantial meaning. It basically reflects the choice of the people and gives them a say in deciding as how the state or even people living in the state should be governed. When votes are being casted, an individual say will only matter when there will be a small number of people casting votes for their state rather than a million people voting for the whole country. People take more interest in the local elections rather than the country election when they are living in a federalist country (Longley, 2013). When all the activities are being handled by the state, the accountability of the state government as well as the people living in that state increases. If someone is not working in the right manner or if they are not being ethical with their work, it is easier to figure out what is wrong and can be corrected there and then. Federalism also makes people more concerned about the state and the people living in the state which is considered to be the best part of it (Magazu, 2013). Different states have different laws which are to the convenience of the people living there. The law of education, health, marriage and divorce, drinking age limit and driving license are major laws which are made and implemented by the state government. The state government does not need permission from the central government to make changes in these laws when and where required hence giving people a more close say in running the place they live in. Secondly the issues that are related to the people directly are heard and solved more quickly and

The Influence of Social Media on Activism and Revolution on the World Essay

The Influence of Social Media on Activism and Revolution on the World Stage - Essay Example Occupy Wall Street was a protest movement where individuals conducted a large-scale sit-in at a park near Wall Street. The widespread popularity of this movement was made possible through social media, most notably Facebook. In these regards, it’s noted that, â€Å"The best way to get people away from their computer is through the computer; you cant organize thousands of people in New York City without the web† (Kannally). Ultimately, then social media directed facilitated the Occupy Wall Street protest. Social media has also had a profound impact on revolution. Undoubtedly the most prominent recent example of this is through the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring revolts emerged in Tunisia when an individual committed suicide after an injustice was committed against him by the government. Rapidly individuals over social media were able to share their experiences of oppression and organize widespread revolts throughout the Middle East. It’s noted, â€Å"The movements throughout the Arab world appeared to have imbued social media with an irrevocable sense of legitimacy as a tool for fomenting change† (Killinger). In this way social media allowed forms of organization to occur in this region that previously had not been possible under the stringent governmental oppression.

Research in Business and Management Literature review

Research in Business and Management - Literature review Example A woman even in the current epoch needs to go through several organizations hazards in workplace if they really desire to succeed in their professional career. Such unequal treatments practiced in contemporary organizations are highly unethical and immoral. This paper will make a critical analysis of several scholarly articles relating to this matter. It is highly rational to critical analyze this issue because if development process of a firm is not engendered, then it prosperity is endangered in the long run (Leinonen, 2012). Long back it was claimed by of all the wilderness of human unawareness, perhaps the most spendthrift and precious to human development has been the waste of the distinguishing authorities of womanhood after the child-bearing age (Leinonen, 2012). It was also found that that both vertical and horizontal segregations among men and women labour force in organizations exists in favour of men workers and against to the female employees (Poutanen and Kovalainen, 2013). They also stated that in work-family arrangements, in labour markets or while making the choice of professions, gender related inequalities are common characteristic features. In 1989, a special study introduced on American military organization showed that the opportunities offered to women were less than the aggregate opportunities provided to men (Swan, 2010). It was claimed that in most of the workplaces in the contemporary era, gender wage gap is highly persistent workplace negativity in most of the nations (Swan, 2010 ). Women are subjected to several occupational hazards in their professional life. The midlife and older women working in various corporate organizations are subjected high job attrition at times of crisis and problems in the external world (Aghazadeh, 2004). Like the recent global financial crisis have significantly lowered the level of women employments relative to that of men in

Experience mis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Experience mis - Assignment Example Again, Laudon & Laudon, (2011) argues that listening to the needs of the customers is a way of improving the market product produced by the market. Ensuring that communication between customers and the staff is enhanced offers a pathway for feedback. Creating barriers to new entry into the market is important to a business’ success (Laudon & Laudon, 2011). Using information systems, the restaurant can effectively provide barriers to any new entrants in the market. For example, the restaurant can use customer feedback to ensure that the customers remain satisfied. Customer satisfaction leads to customer loyalty and hence any new competition finds it difficult to operate effectively. On top of that, the restaurant can use its network to research on any new product that is coming up in the market. This ensures that the customers are not enticed to shift loyalty to the new entrant because the restaurant provides all the products the customers need. Therefore, the use of information systems is paramount to the restaurant’s success in blocking any new entry of

Research in Business and Management Literature review

Research in Business and Management - Literature review Example A woman even in the current epoch needs to go through several organizations hazards in workplace if they really desire to succeed in their professional career. Such unequal treatments practiced in contemporary organizations are highly unethical and immoral. This paper will make a critical analysis of several scholarly articles relating to this matter. It is highly rational to critical analyze this issue because if development process of a firm is not engendered, then it prosperity is endangered in the long run (Leinonen, 2012). Long back it was claimed by of all the wilderness of human unawareness, perhaps the most spendthrift and precious to human development has been the waste of the distinguishing authorities of womanhood after the child-bearing age (Leinonen, 2012). It was also found that that both vertical and horizontal segregations among men and women labour force in organizations exists in favour of men workers and against to the female employees (Poutanen and Kovalainen, 2013). They also stated that in work-family arrangements, in labour markets or while making the choice of professions, gender related inequalities are common characteristic features. In 1989, a special study introduced on American military organization showed that the opportunities offered to women were less than the aggregate opportunities provided to men (Swan, 2010). It was claimed that in most of the workplaces in the contemporary era, gender wage gap is highly persistent workplace negativity in most of the nations (Swan, 2010 ). Women are subjected to several occupational hazards in their professional life. The midlife and older women working in various corporate organizations are subjected high job attrition at times of crisis and problems in the external world (Aghazadeh, 2004). Like the recent global financial crisis have significantly lowered the level of women employments relative to that of men in

Critiquing an Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Critiquing an Argument - Essay Example We have to put emphasis on our tasks to maintain and preserve a safe and hale and hearty environment, from our own human rights to exhausting supplies of natural resources (Lewin 34). Thoreau existed in the era of slavery. He on one occasion spent a night in jail for failing to pay his taxes to the government that sustained it. But his protestation was not only to the slavery of the Negro, but rather the slavery of all people (Murphy 45). As one interpretation has illustrated Walden would be seen as a setting free narrative, the story of a flee from delusion. For Thoreau, the figurative deep South was just two miles away; Agreement, though it restricted family and friends, was a kind of prison people were not aware they were in, imprisoned by materialism and conventionality (Murphy 47). Thoreau prominently stated to his blank page, the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. With his acquaintance Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau at the present, stands as a pillar of what may be described as the ethic of American distinctiveness (Murphy 54). The insincerity of this is the fact that they both railed in opposition to so much of what the United States and other Western countries have debatably become: prosperous consumer playgrounds shadowed by not having a personal meaning. Yet Walden and the writings of Emerson that so prejudiced it, is as striking as ever to those in hunt for something more (Lewin 58). Most of the opinions and ideas in it have gone through public awareness, and it has been one of the core inspirations for the modern generation of personal development writers. For example, among the descriptions of nature and people we find these now-famous lines: If one advances confidently in the direction of his own dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours, and I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious

The Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation Essay Example for Free

The Organisational Learning and the Learning Organisation Essay Schools are in business to promote learning; amongst both adults and pupils. But do they as organisations learn? Is it in fact possible for an organisation as a whole to learn? Even if there is evidence that individuals within organisations are learning, this does not automatically add up to collective learning: There are many cases in which organisations know less than their members. There are even cases in which the organisations cannot seem to learn what every member knows. (Argyris and Schà ¶n 2000:309) How schools learn to implement complex and multiple change successfully has always been of central concern to those interested in school improvement: making the link between organisational learning and school improvement is not a new idea. Roland Barth claims that school improvements main task is all about learning: School improvement is an effort to determine and provide, from without and within, conditions under which the adults and youngsters who inhabit schools will promote and sustain learning among themselves. (Barth 1999:45) In England especially, schools are under pressure to accommodate and manage change and are constantly dealing with public scrutiny of their effectiveness. Issues they are required to deal with include: a revised National Curriculum, performance management, revised criteria for OFSTED inspections, school self-evaluation, standards for head teachers and subject leaders, as well as the ongoing requirement to improve attainment for all pupils. All the activities that constitute learning are a fundamental contribution not just to improvement and performance, but also to an ethos and spirit of community in a school.( Stoll, 2005, 62-69)   We outline the importance of organisational learning to school improvement, and highlight the role of feedback, suggesting ways in which its role could be developed. The five questions we ask are:   1 What is organisational learning?   2 Why is it important to school improvement?   3 What are the processes that influence organisational learning?   4 What is the contribution of feedback?   5 How could its role in organisational learning be enhanced? What Is Organisational Learning? A definition of a learning organisation as it relates to education is: â€Å"A group of people pursuing common purposes (and individual purposes as well) with a collective commitment to regularly weighing the value of those purposes, modifying them when that makes sense, and continuously developing more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing those purposes.† (Leithwood and Aitken 2003:41) This definition suggests certain basic activities need to happen for organisational learning to be able to occur: the pursuit, review and modification of common aims; and opportunities to identify, articulate and design more effective, efficient ways of accomplishing these purposes. It can be easy for a school to lose sight of its primary purpose of fostering and encouraging learning, particularly in times of increased complexity and requirement to respond to external demands for improvement. As a recent participant on one of our courses put it: the core beliefs and goals about learning in my school †¦ have been forgotten in the mass of pressures we are under at the moment. School improvement research distinguishes more effective and more rapidly improving schools by the ability of practitioners to stay in touch with the schools core values, beliefs and goals and take charge of externally driven change rather than being controlled by it (Senge 1999; Rosenholtz 2000; Stoll and Fink 1999; Gray et al. 2003, 141-53). This is, in Senges words, because they are constantly enhancing their capacity to create their own future and know that it is in their hands. This mind-set is a cornerstone of effective improvement efforts. Organisational learning has been described as a dynamic and complex phenomenon best understood by considering learning processes and effects as influencing each other in a reciprocal way (Cousins 1998:220-1). Through collective inquiry, school staff and their communities engage in processing of internal or external information that challenges them to reflect on and adapt assumptions underpinning their practice. It also helps them to understand how they can influence their own destiny and create the necessary knowledge. In this sense, the basic meaning of a learning organisation is one that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future (Senge 1999:14). The Processes That Influence Organisational Learning Our own work suggests four particular processes that can crucially influence the organisational learning of schools. Where these can be deliberately and strategically developed, this facilitates the appropriate conditions and climate within which school improvement can operate. These four processes are: working actively with the context; processing, creating and using strategic knowledge; developing learning-oriented cultural norms; and systems thinking. (Leithwood, K. and Louis, 1998, 119-23) Working Actively With The Context The articulation of goals that are shared by all stakeholders in a school, including pupils, is not enough in a rapidly changing and demanding context. More than twenty years ago, Argyris and Schà ¶n (2000) argued that the key challenge is not to help an organisation become more effective at performing a stable task in the light of stable purposes, but to help an organisation restructure its purposes and redefine its task in the face of a changing environment (p. 320). To do this, schools need to connect more effectively with the world beyond them: Schools cannot shut their gates and leave the outside world on the doorstep, they can no longer pretend that their walls will keep the outside world at bay.   (Hargreaves and Fullan 1998:7) Being able to read the context is a critical skill in effective school improvement. Schools, as other systems, must have the capacity to sense, monitor and scan significant aspects of their environment (Morgan 1999:87). Intelligent schools know their survival can depend on their sensitive response and adaptation to the environment of which they are a part. This contextual intelligence has been defined as one of nine key intelligences a school needs to have (MacGilchrist et al. 2002). Working to develop and adapt school goals in the light of contextual messages is a crucial purpose for the organisational learning that schools continually need to address. (MacBeath, 1998, 311-22) Currently, insufficient notice is being paid to the limited opportunity and power schools feel they have to attend to this basic process. Indeed, the predominant emphasis on the delivery of the external reform agenda paradoxically distracts many schools from initiating their own learning and this results in a loss of both collective self-esteem and of feeling in charge of change (Learmonth and Reed 2000). Processing, Creating And Using Strategic Knowledge The importance of strategic thinking, planning and action in school improvement together constitute a particular knowledge base required for organisational learning. Louis (1998) argues that what distinguishes organisational learning processes from the notion of acquisition, storage and retrieval inherent in some definitions of individual learning, is an additional step of collective knowledge creation: Schools cannot learn until there is explicit or implicit agreement about what they know about their students, teaching and learning, and about how to change. (p. 1086) She describes three sources from which this knowledge is drawn: teachers individual knowledge about the curriculum and their own pedagogical practice; knowledge created when their practice is systematically examined; and knowledge that comes from others, advisers, colleagues, inspectors. Through a combination of dialogue and deliberation, this information is explored, interpreted and distributed among the school community creating collective knowledge and helping powerful learning systems in a school to develop. (Cousins, 2000, 305-33) The process is complex but can also increase the potential for organisational learning in a range of ways. Five assertions have recently been made about the contribution that a strategic approach can make to school improvement (Reed 2000). These are: 1 A strategic approach is underpinned by an explicit commitment to fundamental values and goals in a school.   2 A strategic approach is not just about putting a particular plan into operation. It is a way of working with different levels, goals and expectations at the same time.   3 A strategic approach involves a complex combination of skills thinking, planning, doing, analysing, judging, reflecting and giving and receiving feedback.   4 A strategic approach is more than a way of achieving coherence. It is a social process that needs to take account of how those involved are feeling and experiencing life in a school as well as supporting them in investing in their own learning.   5 A strategic approach builds knowledge and interest about what is happening as it goes along so that everyone can learn about the process and work together to achieve the agreed goals. Developing Learning-Oriented Cultural Norms Once schools have identified key aspects of their environment, they must be able to relate this information to the operating norms that guide their current behaviour. Norms are the unspoken rules for what is regarded as customary or acceptable behaviour and action within the school. They are also a window into the deeply held beliefs and values of the school: its culture (Stoll 2003). Leithwood, Jantzi and Steinbach (1998) found that school culture appeared to be the dominant influence on collective learning, more so than vision and mission, structure, strategies, and policy and resources. Rait (2003) explains: An organizations culture embodies an informal structure and normative system that influence information flow and other organizational processes. Culture may implicitly or explicitly delineate the boundaries of what is considered proper and improper action. (p. 83) Norms are critical because Life within a given culture flows smoothly only insofar as ones behaviour conforms with unwritten codes. Disrupt these norms and the ordered reality of life inevitably breaks down (Morgan 2002:139). Norms, therefore, shape reactions to internally or externally proposed or imposed improvements and, indeed, to organisational learning. Cultivating learning-oriented norms is, therefore, essential because the acceptance of changes by a school depends on the fit between the norms embedded in the changes and those within the schools own culture (Sarason 1999). Knowledge needs to have a socially constructed, shared basis for organisational learning to occur (Louis 2004). If norms of individualism and self-reliance exist, and collaboration is not valued, the necessary team learning is at risk. Similarly, schools with norms of contentment, avoidance of change, goal diffusion, top-down leadership, conformity, nostalgia, blame, congeniality rather than collegiality, and denial (Stoll and Fink 1998), are less likely to engage in organisational learning. Stoll and Fink (1999) identify ten norms that appeared to underpin the work of improving schools: shared goals; responsibility for success; collegiality; continuous improvement; lifelong learning; risk taking; support; mutual respect; openness; celebration and humour. They highlight the human and cultural dimension of change. Two of these merit further discussion for organisational learning. The first, collegiality, involves mutual sharing and assistance, an orientation towards the school as a whole. It is spontaneous, voluntary, development-oriented, unscheduled, and unpredictable. Little (1999) identifies four types of collegial relations. She views three as weaker forms: scanning and story telling, general help and assistance, and sharing. The fourth form, joint work, is most likely to lead to improvement and, we would argue, organisational learning. It covers team teaching, mentoring, action research, peer coaching, planning and mutual observation and feedback. These activities create greater interdependence, collective commitment, shared responsibility, and, perhaps most important, greater readiness to participate in the difficult business of review and critiques (Fullan and Hargreaves 2000, xii). The second norm, risk taking, is also critical for organisational learning. Time for experimentation, trial and error and handling failure are essential parts of learning. They symbolise a willingness to try something different, to consider new approaches, and to move into uncharted territory. The other norms support, mutual respect, openness, and celebration and humour set the important climate that enables risk taking to occur without danger. School improvement depends on the use of different mental maps of a school and the creative pursuit of understanding how the whole (the system) and the constituent parts (the subsystems) are relating to each other. Organisational learning occurs where the interdependency of parts and whole, systems and subsystems can be enhanced to enable collective activity to be more effective and satisfying for everyone involved. Systems thinking has been described as a discipline for seeing wholes (Senge 1999:68). It is a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than linear cause-effect chains, for seeing patterns and processes of change rather than a static snapshot. The capacity to see patterns and discern connections between seemingly unconnected events emerges as a key feature of organisational learning from both our experience and the literature: A systems approach at least helps an investigator understand that the problem is to discover the underlying connections and interdependencies (Vaill 1999:108). It is also a crucial tool for improvement efforts, a basis for taking charge of change and feeling more in control. Systems thinking enables a school to analyse more deeply the causal factors that underlie their concerns and difficulties especially where linear deductions of causality fail to get at the root issues. In short, it means it is more important to focus on circles of influence rather than straight lines (Senge 1999). We now take up this point in relation to the role of feedback. One way we have come to understand the contribution of feedback to organisational learning is to take as a starting point Senges (1999) definition of feedback. He uses the discourse of learning and feedback described as loops. Feedback as it used here, is different to positive feedback meaning making encouraging remarks or negative feedback meaning potential bad news. It is a broader concept, meaning any reciprocal flow of influence (p. 75) encompassing the notion that every influence is both cause and effect. Indeed, Senge argues that the practice of systems thinking and organisational learning starts with understanding feedback. We want to present a view of feedback as an organisational process that itself can be learned about and used as well as having the other, more dialogue-based functions that feedback can have in the school community. OConnor and McDermott (2002) describe feedback as thinking in circles; hence the notion of feedback loops: the consequences of our actions coming back to us and so influencing what happens next. This concept of feedback challenges immediately any notion that organisational learning can be achieved by either linear or mechanistic means: it needs processing and use of information. Feedback, then, in this sense is the return of information to influence the next step (OConnor and McDermott 2002:26). Two basic types of feedback loop have been identified. The first is reinforcing feedback. This describes a situation where change continues to change and grow: a response to something happening makes it happen more frequently. An example from school life could be a response to a high number of exclusions. (Goldstein, 2000, 313-15) The school puts in place a procedure for sanctions and rewards, and this results in further exclusions. The feedback from this situation, then, suggests that the procedure for sanctions and rewards itself needs tightening up which, again, unexpectedly causes more exclusions to occur. The second is balancing feedback, which reduces change and restores balance. A balancing feedback loop is where the response to something happening makes it happen less (Johnstone 2004:12-13). An example would be a primary school that on analysing its KS1 results finds that the poor quality of spelling is contributing to low attainment. A plan implemented across the Key Stage for addressing spelling more systematically with pupils and their parents enhances their capability, reduces their errors and significantly raises attainment. Schools as systems are experiencing feedback loops in this way all the time, and to the extent that they are aware of and working with reinforcing and balancing loops, and are learning how to manage them, they will be in the process of genuinely becoming a learning organisation. (Anderson, 2003, 235-58) Currently, a focus on the analysis of attainment data and making causal links to practice in the classroom can provide good examples of use of feedback. Significant connections are being made from one part of the school (the data) to another (the learning and teaching programme), and in the process organisational learning can occur. Morgan (2002) and others have reminded us of a key element in organisational learning processes which may influence the direction a reinforcing cycle takes towards growth or decline. Organisations may display adaptive learning which solves problems at an operational level: they scan the environment, compare against the operating targets, and initiate appropriate action. In so doing, they show the ability to detect and correct deviations from the norm. Many organisations are quite proficient at this including bureaucratic, fragmented organisations where employees are not encouraged to think for themselves and interest in what the organisation is doing is marginal. However, single loop learning may keep an organisation focused on the wrong goals and prevent success in a changing environment. Effective organisations require double loop learning in which the crucial extra ingredient is to question whether the operating targets are relevant and whether the norms are appropriate. (Chaston,   2001, 139-51) This is generative learning which solves fundamental problems in a creative way and facilitates survival in periods of change. Morgan suggests that when people are unable or not prepared to challenge underlying assumptions, The existence of single-loop learning systems, especially when used as controls over employees, may prevent double-loop learning from occurring (2002:90). The capacity in a school to reflect on its own learning while it is using the information provided by feedback is crucial. Ertmer and Newby (1999, 1-24) outline the characteristics of an expert learner, which include the capacity to regulate ones own learning, to self-monitor. It is possible to see that this capacity in a school, to use and reflect on feedback processes, is a key capability in a learning organisation. The following example illustrates the value of questioning while using feedback. A school joined one of our school improvement projects with the view that a group of Key Stage 2 pupils were, in the staffs description, restless and lacking concentration in their lessons because they had poor listening skills. It was to be the focus for their project. These were not pupils with any obvious learning difficulties. The teachers stated clearly that they wanted to improve the listening skills of these pupils. We cautioned them not to jump to conclusions before they had carried out a careful systemic audit and analysis of the context in which this problem was manifesting itself. (Fiol, 2002, 803-13) They reluctantly agreed. What emerged from the audit was a very different kind of causal picture. The process of gathering information showed that this group were actually very good listeners in settings that sufficiently caught their attention and enabled them to access the curriculum in ways that made sense to them. Through examining the wider system that the pupils were part of, it seemed that this group of pupils were signalling through their lack of engagement that schemes of work and teaching processes were inadequately differentiated for them. (Huber, 2000, 88-115)   Improving this practice was the focus of a very successful project in the school. The teachers learnt to look at their whole situation in a more sophisticated way instead of jumping too quickly to conclusions based in their minds on a linear and more simplistic model of the relationship between learning, teaching and achievement. The situation these teachers found themselves in is a very good example of reinforcing feedback. The more the pupils had a learning diet that did not meet their needs, the more they did not listen. When the school gave them a more carefully designed programme of activities the listening skills of the pupils were shown to be perfectly satisfactory. The balancing feedback process had produced the results that they wanted and staff had learnt a great deal about those pupils, their needs and most importantly about the impact of their teaching.( Kim, 2003, 37-50) It has been claimed that school improvement is an inquiry not a formula and that the successful structure for school improvement will have the nature of a clinical science, where communities of educators treat their best ideas as stepping stones to better ones (Joyce et al. 2003:2). The Making Belfast Work, Raising School Standards (MBW RSS) initiative can be seen as exemplifying such a process. Individual schools involved in the initiative engaged in self-evaluation and review as an integral part of the initiative. (Learmonth, 1998, 78-85) The fourteen schools also worked together during the three years on the project sharing experiences and approaches, creating a wider learning community outside the individual school. The LEAs engagement in the process was threefold; manager, participant and an evaluator of the change process. (Mumford, 2000, 24-31) The external evaluation, however, provided the LEA with an objective framework within which to consider organisational learning at a range of levels. Managing educational change and the resultant organisational learning is [a] multivariate business that requires us to think of and address more than one factor at a time. While theory and practice of successful educational change do make sense, and do point to clear guidelines for action, it is always the case that particular actions in particular situations require integrating the more general knowledge of change with detailed knowledge of the politics, personalities and history peculiar to the setting in question. (Fullan 2000: xii) In evaluating the MBW RSS initiative it is important to acknowledge the context of civil unrest which for over a generation has been an everyday fact of life for people living in the city. Recent political initiatives to move forward the peace process have been welcomed by all who are concerned about the quality of life in Belfast although uncertainty about the future remains evident. The term feedback, in education, is perhaps most commonly used in classroom and school contexts. (Sadler, 2003, 877-909)   It can, however, be used across the education system to promote organisational and institutional learning. We focus on the role of the external evaluation as a method of providing feedback to   †¢ increase understanding of the various impacts of an educational improvement initiative; improve awareness of the processes of implementation at school and LEA level; and provide the basis for analysis of planning, implementation of future initiatives, enhancing the capacity of the LEA to evaluate its own organisational learning with regard to future initiatives involving clusters or individual schools. The extent to which an organisation can learn from feedback from an outside evaluation depends on a number of factors. The very act of commissioning shows a willingness to be scrutinised and a desire to learn from an experience. In the MBW RSS there was a climate within both the LEA and schools which suggested that they could effect change and raise standards. Participants were willing to ask difficult questions and challenge practice. A high degree of co-operation among participants and an honest willingness to talk about strengths and weaknesses were important prerequisites for organisational learning. (Prange, 2003, 23-43) However, many school improvement initiatives have fallen short of their stated objectives because managers have tried to change too much, too quickly. If learning is to take place there must be a tacit understanding that this will not happen for all participants at the same time. Finally there was an acceptance by participants that if this initiative was not going to be just another one of many, which would have little impact beyond set funding, plans and systems had to be put in place which would sustain learning. (Nicolini, 2003, 727-47) LEAs are charged with the duty of managing and monitoring school improvement in their schools. There are many ways in which an LEA might approach this function. Areas for improvement could be identified in Educational Development Plan (EDPs) and targeted through programmes for continual professional development (CDP). Perhaps the most common mechanism used to stimulate school improvement by an LEA is the formulation and management of school improvement initiatives. (Gray,   2002, 27-34) The recent implementation of national initiatives in England (e.g. the National Literacy and Strategy and Numeracy Hour in primary schools) has not stopped LEAs from continuing to develop locally targeted projects aimed at raising school standards. Most recently, inspection has been one route by which the performance of school improvement initiatives has been monitored (the programme began in January 1998). The Office of Standards in Education (OFSTED) underlines the important contribution an LEA can make in delivering school improvement by calling its framework for LEA inspection LEA support for school improvement, picking out school improvement as an LEAs key function (OFSTED 2003:6). However, the Chief Inspector of schools in his annual report (1998/2003) claimed that some LEAs gave ineffective support to schools and could spawn a plethora of ineffective and often unwelcome initiatives which, more often than not, waste money and confuse and irritate schools (p. 20). The extent to which OFSTED can give detailed feedback on initiatives, sufficient to ensure organisational learning, is limited because inspections use a national framework and thus do not focus on the aims of different LEA initiatives. An alternative to inspection would be to use outside consultants to evaluate a specific programme. If an LEA is to make use of an evaluation to improve its services, the evaluators feedback can identify areas in which the LEA can learn and should indicate how that learning can be transferred to other initiatives. In evaluating the Making Belfast Work Raising Schools Standards initiative, the ISEIC team were specifically asked to investigate the impact of the overall project and to identify the factors which facilitated improvements and any barriers to success. The BELB, which has a history of innovative projects, wished to consider the implications of the evaluation with a mind to examining other school improvement projects and its part within these. The idea for the initiative stemmed from thinking in the Department of Education: Northern Ireland (DENI) which approached Making Belfast Work as funders. The initiative intended to help schools address significant disadvantage and under-achievement among their pupils. The project was intended to target a small number of secondary schools and their main contributory primary schools. Additional funding of  £3m, over a three-year period was to be allocated. We cannot report on all aspects of the evaluation covered in the main evaluation report (Sammons et al. 1998; Taggart and Sammons 2003) but will focus on ways in which the evaluations final report was able to feed back key learning points to the LEA, relevant to its management of future school improvement initiatives and the extent to which the initiative had an impact in term of its stated aims. The feedback was couched in terms that were intended to enable BELBs personnel to engage with their own learning and thus better understand their crucial role in initiating and managing initiatives. By doing this, the evaluators sought to help the Board improve its capacity to learn and thus enrich the service it offered to schools in the crucial area of raising school standards. Outsiders offering schools critical friendship as a basis for dialogue can be invaluable to developing organisational learning capacity. Schools need an external perspective to observe what is not immediately apparent to those working on the inside. These individuals and groups can watch and listen, ask thought-provoking questions about formal and informal data that help those in schools sort out their thinking, make sound decisions and determine appropriate strategies. This relationship, however, is more likely to work when it is based on trust and support, where critical friends bring an open mind and a commitment to mutual exchange, rather than their own vested interests. Consequently, when the feedback critical friends convey contains difficult messages, these are more likely to be heard and taken on board. A longer-term outcome of effective critical friendship appears to be the ability to help a school become its own critical friend. References    Anderson, V. Skinner, D. (2003). Organisational learning in practice: How do small businesses learn to operate internationally? Human Resource Development International, 2(3), 235-258. Argyris, C. and Schà ¶n, D. A. (2000) Organizational Learning: a theory of action perspective, Reading MA: Addison-Wesley.   309-20 Barth, R. (1999) Improving Schools from Within: teachers, parents and principals can make the difference, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.   44-46 Chaston, I., Badger, B., Sadler-Smith, E. (2001). Organisational learning: An empirical assessment of process in small U.K. manufacturing firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 39(2), 139-151. Cousins, J. B. (1998) Intellectual roots of organizational learning, in K. Leithwood and K. S. Louis (eds) Organizational Learning in Schools, Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.   220-21   Cousins, J. B. and Leithwood, K. (2000) Enhancing knowledge utilization as a strategy for school improvement, Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization 14: 3, 305-333. Ertmer P. A. and Newby T. J. (1999) The expert learner: strategic, self regulated and reflective, Instructional Science 24: 1, 1-24. Fiol, C.M. Lyles, M.A. (2002). Organisational learning. Academy of Management Review, 10(4), 803-813.   Fullan, M. and Hargreaves, A. (2000) Whats Worth Fighting for in Your School?, Buckingham: Open University Press.   p.xii   Goldstein H. (2000) Editorial: statistical information and the measurement of education outcomes, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society A 155:3, 313-315. Gray, C. Gonsalves, E. (2002). Organisational learning and entrepreneurial strategy. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 3(1), 27-34. Gray, J., Hopkins, D., Reynolds, D., Wilcox, B., Farrell, S. and Jesson, D. (2003) Improving Schools: performance and potential, Buckingham: Open University Press.   141-53   Hargreaves, A. and Fullan, M. (1998) Whats Worth Fighting for in Education?, Buckingham: Open University Press.   p.7 Huber, G.P. (2000). Organisational learning: The contributing processes and the literatures. Organisation Science, 2(1), 88-115.   Johnstone, C. (2004) The Lens of Deep Ecology, London: IDEE. Kim, D.H. (2003). The link between individual and organisational learning. Sloan Management Review, Fall, 37-50.   Learmonth, J. and Lowers, K. (1998) A trouble shooter calls: the role of the independent consultant, in L. Stoll and K. Myers (eds) No Quick Fixes: perspectives on schools in difficulty, London: Falmer Press.   78-85   Learmonth, J. and Reed, J. (2000) Revitalising Teachers Accountability: learning about learning as a renewed focus for school improvement, paper presented at the Thirteenth International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Hong Kong, January.   Leithwood, K. and Aitken, R. (2003) Making Schools Smarter, Thousand Oaks CA: Corwin.   Leithwood, K. and Louis, K.S. (eds) (1998) Organizational Learning in Schools, Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.   119-23   Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D. and Steinbach, R. (1998) Leadership and other conditions which foster organizational learning in schools, in K. Leithwood and K. S. Louis (eds) Organizational Learning in Schools, Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.   Little, J. W. (1999) The persistence of privacy: autonomy and initiative in teachers professional relations, Teachers College Record 91:4, 509-536.   Louis, K. S. (2004) Beyond managed change, School Effectiveness and School Improvement 5:1, 2-25.   Louis, K. S. (1998) Reconnecting knowledge utilization and school improvement, in A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan and D. Hopkins (eds) International Handbook of Educational Change. Part 2, Dordrecht: Kluwer.   MacBeath, J. (1998) I didnt know he was ill: the role and value of the critical friend, in L. Stoll and K. Myers (eds) No Quick Fixes: perspectives on schools in difficulty London: Falmer Press.   311-22   MacGilchrist, B., Myers, K. and Reed, J. (2002) The Intelligent School, London: Paul Chapman. Morgan, G. (1999) Images of Organizations, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.   Morgan, G. (2002) Images of Organization (2nd edn), London: Sage. Mumford, A. (2000). Individual and organisational learningthe pursuit of change. Industrial and Commercial Training, 23(6), 24-31. Nicolini, D. Mesnar, M.B. (2003). The social construction of organisational learning: Conceptual and practical issues in the field. Human Relations, 48(7), 727-747.   OConnor, J. and McDermott, I. (2002) The Art of Systems Thinking, London: Thorsons. Prange, C. (2003). Organisational learningDesperately seeking theory? In M. Easterby-Smith, J. Burgoyne, L. Araujo (Eds), Organizational learning and the learning organization (pp. 23-43). London: Sage Publications.   Rait, E. (2003) Against the current: organizational learning in schools, in S. B. Bacharach and B. Mundell (eds) Images of Schools: structures and roles in organizational behavior, London: Sage.   Reed J. E. (2000) Strategic thinking in the Malawi school support system project, unpublished materials developed for Ministry of Education, Malawi.   Rosenholtz, S. J. (2000) Teachers Workplace: the social organization of schools, New York: Longman Sadler-Smith, E., Chaston, I., Spicer, D.E (2003). Organisational learning in smaller firms: An empirical perspective. In M. Easterby-Smith, L. Araujo, J. Burgoyne (Eds), Proceedings of the 3rd International Organisational Learning Conference (pp. 877-909). Department of Management Learning, Lancaster University.   Sarason, S. B. (1999) Revisiting The Culture of the School and the Problem of Change, New York: Teachers College Press.   Senge, P. M. (1999) The Fifth Discipline: the art and practice of the learning organisation, London: Century Business.   Stoll, L. (2003) School culture: black hole or fertile garden for improvement, in J. Prosser (ed.) School Culture, London: Paul Chapman.   Stoll, L. A. and Fink, D. (1999) Changing Our Schools: linking school effectiveness and school improvement, Buckingham: Open University Press.   Stoll, L. and Fink, D. (1998) The cruising school: the unidentified ineffective school, in L. Stoll and K. Myers (eds) No Quick Fixes: perspectives on schools in difficulty, London: Falmer Press.   Stoll, L., MacBeath, J., Smith, I. and Robertson, P. (2005) The change equation: capacity for improvement, in improving school effectiveness, in J. MacBeath and P. Mortimore (eds) Improving School Effectiveness, Buckingham: Open University Press. 62-69   Vaill, P. B. (1999) Learning As a Way of Being: strategies for survival in a world of permanent white water, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Destructive Stem Cell Research Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topic

Destructive Stem Cell Research       Nine states now ban all destructive embryo research, whether publicly or privately funded. The state of Virginia itself has banned the use of cloning to make human embryos for research, and is considering a response to the Jones Institute's project for making research embryos by in vitro fertilization.(36) And the Food and Drug Administration, without funding any part of in vitro fertilization, recently wrote to in vitro fertilization clinics engaged in new reproductive techniques to remind them that such technologies, albeit privately funded, are subject to federal regulation.    Like the argument that human embryos are not members of the human race, arguments that destroying them is necessary for medical progress or that funding such destruction is needed to prevent broader abuse cannot be sustained. With these arguments out of the way we can return to the real issue at stake: Should the federal government subsidize - and force millions of morally opposed taxpayers to subsidize - research that requires the destruction of innocent human life? We hope that Congress will answer that question in the negative, and will unite instead to support promising medical research that everybody can live with.    Most Christians have grave concerns on this critically important issue of embryonic stem cell research. In our view, conducting research that relies on deliberate destruction of human embryos for their stem cells is illegal, immoral and unnecessary.    It is illegal because it violates an appropriations rider (the Dickey amendment) passed every year since 1995 by Congress. That provision forbids funding "research in which" human embryos (whether initially created for resear... ...eficiency (SCID)-X1 Disease," 288 Science 669-72 (28 April 2000).    16. K. Foss, "Paraplegic regains movement after cell procedure," The Globe and Mail (Toronto), June 15, 2001 at A1.    17. E. Ryan et al., "Glycemic Outcome Post Islet Transplantation," Abstract #33-LB, Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, June 24, 2001. See: http://38.204.37.95/am01/AnnualMeeting/Abstracts/NumberResults.asp?idAbs=33-LB.    18. M. McCullough, "Islet transplants offer hope that diabetes can be cured," Philadelphia Inquirer, June 22, 2001 at A1.    19. D. Woodbury et al., "Adult Rat and Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Differentiate Into Neurons," 61 J. of Neuroscience Research 364-70 (2000) at 364 (emphasis added).    20. D. Prockop, "Stem Cell Research Has Only Just Begun" (Letter), 293 Science 211-2 (13 July 2001)(citations omitted).

Atwoods Tricks With Mirrors as a Declaration of Female Independence Es

Atwood's Tricks With Mirrors as a Declaration of Female Independence Relationships are complex things, with ever-changing dynamics. Some traditional roles are always played in the constant search for balance between giving and taking in relationships. Women have historically and stereotypically played the role of "giver" in male-female romantic unions. In recent years the gender laws of relationships have been changing and evolving, but even as recently as the 1970s and 1980s women have been restricted to the role of complacent giver in their relationships. Their freedom of thought and even private speech have been impossible to repress, however, and through broadening that communication, things have been forced into change. A perfect example of this form of communication as an attempt to change the role-playing games of relationships is Margaret Atwood's 1974 poem, "Tricks With Mirrors." Through the use of poetic devices such as metaphor and tone in "Tricks with Mirrors," Atwood attempts to explain and break free from the restrictions of these tradit ional dynamics in relationships.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Part I of the poem, Atwood uses a seemingly vague introduction to the subject matter, but gets straight to the point. Within five lines, she distinctly identifies her role as a mirror as she says, "I enter with you / and become a mirror," (lines 4-5). She gives the impression that she is merely an object in this relationship - she is a mirror through which her self-absorbed lover may view himself. "Mirrors / are the perfect lovers," she states (lines 6-7). They show a constant and loyal reflection to whoever may stand in front of them. She is objectifying herself as she tells her lover to carry her carefully up the stairs and to ... ...She uses her tone of voice and the metaphors of mirrors and pools to make her case for freedom. Atwood's speaker is merely an object trapped in a relationship in which she serves only to reflect her lover to himself - and she no longer wishes to remain as such. She is seemingly ever patient in her endeavors, and continues to give throughout her quiet rebellion. All her lover ever does is take from her what he pleases - a faithful reflection of what he wishes to see in himself. Atwood defines these traditional roles in relationships while forming her opposition to the nature of these unfair dynamics. "Tricks with Mirrors" is almost an anthem for the oppressed woman - a statement that calmly explains a situation that needs to be changed. A deeper message may be found in the poem, however, as she conveys her detached unhappiness - do not become a mirror, she tells us.

Discussion Topic – Egocentric Thinking

How does conducting research move you away from the problem of egocentric thinking that was discussed on page 21 in the Paul and Elder critical thinking booklet? As humans we are sometimes stuck in our own beliefs. We believe what we are told and what we've always known. â€Å"We do not naturally appreciate the point of view of others nor the limitations in our own point of view† (Simmons, 2011). By conducting research, we are able to encounter other views that are more factual with actual research behind it. We only have so much to offer based on our experiences.If we research other's work from around the world, we are now open to so many more possibilities. A critical thinker is one that would research often to find multiple perspectives and then take that Information to form an educated response. A non- critical thinker would be the one to stick to their own beliefs based on what they know from personal experience. * How might conducting your inquiry research project contri bute to your professional knowledge base, rather than relying on your intuitive knowledge base to make decisions?By conducting my own Inquiry research project, I will be able to see many perspectives and ideas related to my topic by professionals from all over. Because I am a new teacher, I really rely on other's work because they've had so much more experience than me. They've put in the time for all that research that I would have never known otherwise. We all live in different areas so my research results may only work for the student's In my area. It's important to get a variety of research so that you can compile them to get a more well-rounded result.How does the skill of making decisions based on critically reviewing and conducting research differentiate you as a professional educator? By making decisions based on reviewing and research, differentiates me because I am not Just taking what I know from my own classroom and sticking with what I know. I am able to research profes sional articles to open my mind and allow new ideas in. A teacher that researches often and tries new ideas in their classroom, will have more of an Impact and become a better-rounded professional with much more to add to this profession.

Phoenician Management Team Essay

The senior management of Phoenician company in Phoenix, Arizona was involved in defining an ambitious $38 million spa and golf renovation program. They considered three options for the center for well-being spa Of which the first option was seen as short-term fix, while the remaining two were viewed as having longer-term potential. Since before any work activities start on the project, the project has to be defined; that work was successively completed by the Phoenician management team; and with assistance from Starwood field operations and corporate offices. The both together prepared an extensive analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threads to better understand the environment, which should define the project right away. Planning the project The corporate design and construction group developed architectural and engineering plans, as well as the work breakdown structure (which is an important part of the project plan) and diagrams showing the critical path for the possible project options. Monitoring and controlling the project The Planning process corresponds to the â€Å"plan† component. The Executing process corresponds to the â€Å"do† component. The Monitoring and Controlling process corresponds to the â€Å"check-act† component. The Initiating process starts the â€Å"plan-do-act-check† cycles. The Closing process ends them. It is the integrative nature of project management, which requires that the Monitoring and Controlling process interact with every aspect of the other process groups Project monitoring and control is the key process in the project management cycle. Properly executing this process will contribute significantly to successful project completion. Points to know The decision to renovate the golf course and existing spa became not a question of whether to undertake the projects, but to what degree they needed to be pursued. The Phoenician management team prepared an extensive analysis of strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats to better understand the environment. The result of this analysis was used by the team to identify the set of activities necessary for each option. The management team created a work breakdown structure in order to compare different project options. Reference Page Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P., & Malhotra, M. K. (2010). Operations management. (9th ed.). Pearson College Div. Marriott International, I. (2012). Meetings and events: Step–by–step planning guide . Retrieved from http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/event-planning-guide.mi Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK ® Guide, 3rd Edition. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Project Management Institute, 2004, p. 5.