Economics Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Economics Assessment - Assignment Example For the purpose of this study we have used a product as a guinea pig. In order to understand the impact of the product in its related market and the impact of the market on the product, we have carried out further analysis using the established theories of economics about the future viability of the product. Here for the sake of this analysis we have used the potato chips product manufactured by the Coca Cola Company called LAYS. (Lipsey and Chrystal, 2002) The price elasticity of demand is defined as the magnitude of the proportionate change in demand and the proportionate change in price of the product. Therefore, elasticity is the measure of responsiveness. Price elasticity of demand is a very important concept that is related to the pricing decisions of a product. If an organization wants to generate the maximum amount of revenue from its products and it is unable to determine how much increase in the price can be made by them so that the overall demand of the product does not reduce. This decision is taken on the basis of the analysis of price elasticity of demand. The price elasticity of demand can be described as the rate of response of quantity demanded due to a price change. This means that if a unit change in the price of the produc

Current Trends in the War on Terror Essay Example for Free

Current Trends in the War on Terror Essay As the world is cowering in terror from the 9/11 attacks and the bombing incidents in Indonesia and other parts of the world, the world’s attention is shifted now to where the attacks may occur next and what can be done to address the situation. Some suggest that the answer lies in being able to suppress and perhaps eliminate all of the terrorist cells all over the world. The problem there, however, is that any attack that is targeted at eliminating terrorist cells would necessarily involve any host country where they may be located and in any Middle Eastern country, such an attack could prove disastrous (Campbell Flourney 372). The more practical and ideal solution to this problem therefore lies at a more fundamental level; a more basic level wherein the country has more controls and no international liability (Kochler 37). The solution to this problem is by improving border security in order to prevent the occurrence of these terrorist attacks while the international community seeks for answers to address this problem at a global scale. At this point in time, domestic policies would be the best option in fighting the war against terror. This short discourse will therefore seek to shed light on the issue of terrorism and the crucial role that the border security plays in such. To gain a better understanding of the problem, it is important to first analyze the current trends that have been taken relative to border security to ensure the safety of the public from terrorist attacks. This will then be supplemented by an explanation on how border security can take an even larger role. The most crucial aspect in relation to border security and its role in the war against terror concerns the aviation industry. Since the 9/11 attacks, the public confidence with regard to air travel has greatly been shaken (Taylor 2). The attacks had the effect of sending a message that now, even airplanes could be used as missiles to target buildings regardless of whether there were people on board the aircraft of not. Every plane crash that is reported on the news is suspected to have been caused by a terrorist attack rather than just an equipment malfunction or a pilot error. In response to these attacks, security has been considerably increased in airports all over the world. Every passenger is now subject to a full body search and every hand carried and checked in item is thoroughly inspected for any suspicious objects that can either cause an explosion or aid a hijacker in gaining control over the aircraft (Campbell Flourney 52). The impact has not been limited to airport security as even airplane manufacturers and airlines have resorted to installing devices and taking precautions with regard to what to do in case an airplane is hijacked. One of the safety measures that have been suggested and is highly debated is the issuing of arms for the pilots so that they may be able to defend themselves against any terrorist hijackers that are able to force themselves into the cockpits (Lott 1). The current controversy with regard to airline security concerns the proposal to equip the pilots of airplanes with weapons in order to protect themselves from any hijackers that manage to enter the cockpit (Taylor 2). This proposal is of course faced with a lot of opposition because of the implications of allowing pilots to be armed in aircrafts. There is a lot of concern with regard to the security of the other passengers on board just in case the armed pilots do decide to turn on the other co-pilots and hijack the aircraft themselves or hold passengers as hostages for whatever purpose. The proponents for arming the pilots argue that it is the best option because the pilots need to defend themselves against the terrorist hijackers (Keeler 151). The problem with this is that it negates the training of the pilots which is that in times such as hijackings they are not supposed to deal with the terrorists but instead secure the cockpit and land the plane as soon as possible (Will 1). The concern here is that the plane should be landed right away in order to protect not only the passengers but also the people on the ground who may become targets or victims as the 9/11 experience has shown. The duty of the pilot is not concern himself with whatever goes on in the cabin but instead make sure that the plane is safely on the ground where there are more units who can deal with the situation properly. Pilots are not adequately trained to deal with hijacking situations in terms of dealing directly with the terrorist hijackers (Will 1). Another argument for the arming of the pilots is that such a measure is only designed to protect the pilots from terrorist hijackers who succeed in gaining entry into the cockpit (3). While there as some merit to this precautionary measure, there is no guarantee that the armed pilots will do just that. There are instances when certain people, pilots included, enter a â€Å"cowboys or renegade† mode (Will 1). Most of the pilots have received a degree of military training as fighter pilots and there is some truth to the profiling of fighter pilots â€Å"live wires and risk-takers† (Will 1). The end result in these situations could be that instead of protecting the cockpit and landing the plane like they are supposed to, a number of these former fighter pilots could engage the terrorist hijackers.

Use of Disguise in Homers Odyssey Essay example -- Homer, Odyssey Ess

The Use of Disguise in Odyssey       In Homer's Odyssey, the use of disguise to help convey a false identity assists the characters in accomplishing their plans.   Without the use of disguise it would thwart Odyssey’s attempts at arriving back to his homeland. Each disguise has its own individual purpose, for example Athene's image as Mentor to advise Telemachos.   The main intention being to assist and encourage Telemachos into searching for news of his long lost father without revealing her true identity of divinity.   Being old and wise, and more specifically male, enables Athene to place more power behind the words spoken by Mentor.   This is since men were received with greater influence and reverence than women were culturally and contextually.   Similarly, Odysseus, through... ...d disguiser.   Works Cited and Consulted Heubeck, Alfred, J.B. Hainsworth, et al. A commentary on Homer's Odyssey. 3 Vols. Oxford 1988 Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Murnaghan, Sheila, Disguise and Recognition in the Odyssey, Princeton UP 1987 Van der Valk, Marchinus. Textual Criticism of the Odyssey. Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff, 1949.

Controversy Over Full-Body Scanners

Having security inside an airport is a necessary and important safety precaution, but there is controversy as to how to achieve an effective airport screening system, and yet provide privacy to travelers. A recent national debate has arisen on the topic of installing new Full Body Scanners into airport security systems nationwide. The scanners are thought to be an invasion of privacy, have a very high cost, and are an ineffective security method.One of the key issues for the usage of full body scans is that it can be a major invasion of privacy to people being screened during the airport security process. For instance in the article â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scans vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares After Incident,† the author John Schwartz explains that â€Å"images produced by the machine can be startlingly detailed†(1). So despite claims of â€Å"blurry and opaque images† they can in fact have the potential to become detailed images.This could potentially make th e security process a humiliating experience and discourage some people from air travel. In another article by U. S. A today â€Å"Our View On Transportation Security: Airport Body Scanners Balance Safety and Privacy,† they found out that â€Å"TSA sought to buy scanners that can store and send images in test mode†(1). If the scanners that can store photos are utilized by airport security systems, then it is possible that the images could be copied or shared.People should not have to worry that their semi nude images are going to be shared, however slight the risk. Is it not true that travellers should feel comfortable during the check in process and not need to be concerned about a humiliating or undignified experience? Another important argument against the instillation of full body scanners is that they can be overly expensive relative to traditional screening methods. Jessica Ravidz supports this argument in her article â€Å"Airport Security Bares All, or does it? ,† saying â€Å" each machine can cost up to a total of $170,000 per scanner†(1). It is a costly and unnecessary project because there is already a effective security system in place. It would be cheaper to stay with the current methods of security, such as metal detectors and pat downs than to incorporate a much more costly alternative. A story in The Wall Street Journal â€Å"TSA Pressed on Full-Body Scans Despite Concerns,† Cam Simpson and Daniel Michaels say in the paper that â€Å"The U. S.Transporation Security Administration plans to buy 450 body scanners, and that the Department of Homeland Security announced that they are purchasing 300 more this year†(1). This is a large fund of money that could be used for better training, different technologies, and more efficient systems moving people through the airport security process. Another way the money could be used is to fund investigations and intelligence work and detect threats before they even arr ive at the airport. The financial costs vs benefits to airport security does not appear to support adding Full Body Scanners to our current methods.A different debate on the usage of body scanners is that they are an ineffective security system and cannot detect certain objects. An example is in the story â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scanner vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares Anew After Incident,† by John Schwartz states that â€Å"the machines cannot, for example, detect objects stowed in bodily orifices or concealed within folds of an obese person’s flesh†(2). This proves that the scanner technology is limited and can be deceived under certain circumstances. Therefore the scanners are only useful against a limited number of threats.In the same article Bruce Schneider, a technological security expert is interviewed and says â€Å"If there are a hundred tactics and I protect against two of them, I’m not making you safer, if we use full body scanning, they are going to use something else†(2). He brings up a point that even though the scanners can detect certain concealed objects they still only protect against a few specific threats. And now that people know about the scans and how they work they now also know how to get around them. Those are the reasons on why it is an inefficient security method and should not be put into use as primary airport security.In conclusion this proves that the usage of Full Body Scanners in airports would not be a conventional method to replacing current security processes. The reasons being on why they would not be viable solution are that they are an invasion of privacy to travelers, a costly national project, and would be an ineffective method for increasing security. The solution to the problem dealing with body scanners is to not install them in airports at all, but to stay with traditional methods and finding other means to improve on the current system.

Education Environment Essay

1.Access the following policies on the Department of Education & Training WA website, http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/ Staff Conduct: The purpose of this policy is to outline the Department of Education’s expectation & requirements for the standard of behaviour of staff at work. It provides instruction & direction for the appropriate behaviour in ethical risk situations and areas. It provides information for staff to recognise their rights, where to go for help in resolving breeches or complaints, their legal obligations and expectations within the code of ethics. It also provides a statement of public accountability for staff. Child Protection: The purpose of this policy is to state that all staff employed by the Department of Education is committed to the care, safety and protection of children, including factors such as possible sexual, emotional, physical and/or psychological abuse or neglect of a child. Provides guidelines to aide staff in the correct response to a situation where concern has arisen for the safety & well being of a child or the need for the disclosure of abuse and the actions to take where allegations of child abuse have been made against the staff member. Duty of Care for Students: The purpose is to provide information to staff of the duty of care imposed by law, to take care to minimise the risk of harm to students. It provides an explanation to what the duty of care means & how staff may act to fulfil their duty of care. It also outlines the situations where non-teaching staff, volunteers or external providers must provide a duty of care. The policy also states the need for staff to have a balance between ensuring safety without interfering with a student’s independence and learning opportunities. Occupational Health & Safety: The purpose of this policy is to state the Department of Education is committed to providing and promoting a safe and healthy working environment for staff and students. It provides guidelines to the occupational health & safety requirements within the Department of Education. Contains procedures to identify report & manage hazards, accident or incident investigation and training. It outlines the responsibilities & functions of health & safety representatives & committees. Please see attached printouts of each policy accessed. 2.Visit the Equal Opportunity Commission WA website http://www.equalopportunity.wa.gov.au/ write a summary of the 1984 Equal Opportunity Act. The Equal Opportunity act was set in 1984 and updated in 2002. The Equal Opportunity act is designed to outline the course of action to eliminate discrimination in the work place, accommodation, education or the provision of goods & services or the membership to clubs and to eliminate sexual and/or racial harassment in the workplace, education environments or accommodation. The act promotes the recognition & acceptance of equality of persons of all races & gender. 3.Source a copy of or your job description. Write a summary paragraph of your role and explain how your role will change as you gain more experience. Level 1 Employees are to work under direct supervision of a teacher performing basic routine tasks. They are to assist in the delivery of planned education programs to small groups or individuals. They are to prepare and maintain the learning environment by maintaining resources , displays, equipment and demonstrations, also to assist the teacher with storage of equipment, resources and displays, as well as the management of resources, including inventory lists and stock levels. Assist the teacher with the care and general wellbeing of students both in and out of the classroom. In the Pre-Primary and Pre-School areas, assist with the preparation and distribution of food at morning tea time. Assist with the arrival and departure of students travelling to and from school on busses. Assists students undressing, bathing, dressing, toileting and, where necessary, cleans soiled clothing and areas. Provide administration support in accordance with the school policy and collect monies from s tudents where appropriate. 4.As an Education Assistant, should you have any queries relating to legislation, policies or role, who would you go to for support? The following people can provide information & support in relation to queries regarding legislation, policies or role: Principal, Deputy Principal, Heads of Department, Registrar, Supervising Teacher, Guidance Officers, Teacher Librarian or other Specialist teachers. 5.What is the Industrial Award / Certified Agreement related to Education Assistants / Teachers Assistants? The Teachers Aide’s Award 1979 is a document outlining the the laws in relation to remuneration, working hours & leave for a Teachers Aide. The Education Assistants’ (Government) General Agreement 2010 is a document that outlines core employment conditions and wage increases for employees bound by the general agreement. 6.Source and read a copy of the Industrial Award / Certified Agreement. Submit the first page and a summary paragraph of the award / agreement. The parties bound by the General Agreement are the Director General, Department of Education and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union, Western Australian Branch. The agreement applies to all employees, who are members or eligible members of the Union. The purpose of the agreement is to provide core employment conditions (general terms of employment, leave of absence, hours of work) and together with the awards (Teachers’ Aides’ Award 1979 for Education Assistants, Miscellaneous Government Conditions and Allowances Award 1992, Western Australian Government/Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union Redeployment, Redundancy and Retraining Certified Agreement 2004) to provide wage increases for all employees bound by the agreement. 7.Give an example of when you have adhered to the legislation or policies of the school An example of where I have adhered to legislation or polices of the school would be in the classroom where a student has been repetitively showing disruptive and bad behaviour. Under the guidance of the teacher I have followed through the School Behaviour Management plan and implemented the required steps with the student. 8.Give an example of when you have reviewed your own performance and compliance with legislation / policies and how you got feedback from others. While completing the practical side of the assessment for this module I have had to review my performance in relation to maintaining my duty or care and child protection. I have then sat with my supervising teacher and discussed my rating and received feedback. 9.Give an example of when you have reported an incident or occurrence in line with school policy. An example of when I have reported an incident or occurrence in line with school policy was during a lunchtime break in the Kindy/ Pre-Primary was a duty of care incident. A leak or spillage had occurred in the toilet area. I reported the occurrence to the supervising teacher. I had identified this occurrence as a hazard as the children had the potential to slip in the â€Å"water† and injure themselves. 10. What changes to your personal details should you report to your Principal or line manager? All changes to personal details must be reported to your Principal or Line Manager. My personal details include (but are not limited to): Name, Address, banking details, Criminal History check, Health details, home address, postal address, next of kin. 11. Consider this scenario: You are an Education Assistant working in a Kindergarten, you and your teacher have been advised that in two weeks time, a new student will join the class. The student has a physical disability and requires personal care support. This will require you as the Education Assistant to undertake some manual handling (lifting, reposition of the student, moving the student from the wheelchair to the toilet etc). You currently have no training in manual handling. Consider you role in terms of Duty of Care and Occupational Health and Safety. What actions would you take? I would discuss with the teacher the needed changes in the room to ensure the student felt comfortable and welcome. I would also speak to the teacher about how I have not undergone any manual handling training and would ask the principal if there were any courses available. I would speak to the principal about the possibility of a meeting involving the student’s parents, the teacher, principal and myself. This meeting would then ensure we have a full understanding of the requirements of the student and any necessary changes we may need to make within the classroom to ensure a smooth integration of the student into our class. 12. Describe the curriculum your school uses. The curriculum my school uses is called Years K – 10 Curriculum. It sets out the ‘knowledge, understandings, skills, values and attitudes that students are expected to acquire’ during the students education. These requirements are described as a series of learning outcomes. These learning outcomes consist of the mandatory element of curriculum. They also include overarching outcomes and learning area outcomes. As of 2011 the school will be following the national curriculum.

Center850009088120 Essays - Family Law, Social Programs, Government

Center850009088120 Essays - Family Law, Social Programs, Government center850009088120 1000000 Task 1 - Awards Review Job: Legal Services - Clerical and Admin Condition Award Response Wages There are numerous levels which indicate the weekly wage of a Legal clerical and administrative employee. The weekly wages for an entry level employee (level 1) are; Level 1 = $733.00 Allowances (entry level employee) Meal allowance Uniform allowance Vehicle allowance T ransport of employees-overtime Living away from home allowance Protective clothing Adjustment of expense related allowances District allowances Ordinary Hours of Work Day workers/continuous workers/non-continuous workers: 38 hrs per week (Mon-Fri), however cannot exceed 152 hrs in 28 days Overtime Applies to any work done outside of ordinary hours (38hrs) on any day or shift, or in excess of 38hrs per week. Overtime Rate: -time and a half (first 3hrs) -double time (time after) Summary of a dditional Overtime Rates : Payment for working Saturdays and Sundays - double time for Sat (after 12pm) and Sun (all day) Payment for public holiday work - double time and a half for min. of 3hrs Meal breaks Each day employees are given a meal break of not less than 30 minutes , however no more tha n 60 minutes. This meal break may be taken no later than 5hrs after commencing work and after resumption of work from a previous meal break. Annual leave Prior to commencing a period of annual leave, employees are paid a sum equal to the wages they would have received from the ordinary time the employee would have worked, had the employee not been on leave. The e mployer can allow an employee to take annual leave before the leave has accrued E mployer may require an employee to take annu al leave by giving at least 4 wks notice in the following circumstances: - as part of a close-down of its operations, or part of its operations, where the request is reasonable; or - where more than 8 wks leave is accrued Sick leave An employee (except casual employee) is entitled to paid sick leave when they are unable to work because of a personal illness or injury. This can also include stress and pregnancy related illnesses. Employees may be required to give notice or evidence to be eligible for paid sick leave Full-time employees receive 10 days each year for paid sick leave Maternity leave (Parental leave) Maternity/Parental leave can be taken by employees when an employee gives birth, an employee's partner gives birth, or an employee adopts a child (16yrs and under). Entitlements include; -maternity leave -paternity and partner leave -adoption leave -special maternity leave -a safe job and no safe job leave -a right to return to old job Employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid leave, they can also request an additional 12 months of leave if necessary Task 2 - Living Away from Home Budget (A) Overview of Excel Calculations: Figures Justification: Income Net Income: In order to calculate the net income, the gross income must first be calculated. Note: refer to Task 1 to see the weekly pay Gross income (fortnightly) = weekly pay x 2 = 733 x 2 = $1466 per fortnight 0302260 15382881824355 https://www.ato.gov.au/Calculators-and-tools/Tax-withheld-calculator/TWC-results.aspx Using the Tax Withheld Calculator' t he Net Income (Pay) per a fortnight was calculated to be $1286, when the Gross Income equals $1466. Expenses Note: some of the following expenses are divided by 3 as the costs are equally shared amongst the 3 people Rent: 324612015030450 https://www.realestate.com.au/neighbourhoods/coorparoo-4151-qld Using the average weekly cost from realestate.com for a 3-bedroom unit allowed the for tnightly rent to be calculated and divided amongst the three people. Calculation s : Fortnightly cost = Average weekly rent x 2 3 = 480 x 2 3 = 960 3 = $320 per fortnight 1 person Electricity: 998738518259 Using the average cost of an annual electricity bill in Australia from Bill Republic,' the for tnightly cost can be calculated and divided amongst the three people. Calculation s : Total Fortnigh t ly cost = yearly cost 26 = 1690 26 = $65 total per fortnight Fortnightly cost per person = total fortnightly cost 3 = 65 3 = $21.67 per fortnight (1 person) Water and Sewerage: -66261233004 urbanutilities.com.au/residential/accounts-and-billing/how-your-bill-is-calculated Using the total calculated from Urban Utilities'

Same Year, Same Author How to Reference Sources Correctly

Same Year, Same Author How to Reference Sources Correctly Same Year, Same Author? How to Reference Sources Correctly Many referencing systems use the author’s surname and year of publication in citations, with full source information given in a reference list. However, if you are citing multiple sources by the same author from the same year, the name and year alone won’t be enough to cite a text clearly. What do you do if you need to cite two sources from one author that were published in the same year in a paper, then? In this post, we look at how this works with author–date citations. Two Sources from the Same Year in Author–Date Citations To show how this works with author–date citations, we’ll use the APA referencing system. However, the same rules described here apply to other similar systems (e.g., Chicago and Harvard). The basic rule when citing two sources from the same year is to add a letter after the year: Pellow (1994b) originally claimed that love is all around. However, later the same year he claimed to have located it specifically in a wishing well (Pellow, 1994a). Here, for example, we have two sources by â€Å"Pellow† from 1994. Without adding â€Å"a† and â€Å"b† after the year of publication in these citations, we would not be able to tell the sources apart. Pellow is perhaps better known for his pop career than his time in academia.(Photo: Andwhatsnext, aka Nancy J Price) You may be wondering why we used â€Å"b† instead of â€Å"a† for the first citation above. This is because the correct letter to use for each source depends on its position in the reference list. With APA referencing, you would usually list multiple sources by the same author chronologically. However, when multiple sources are published in the same year, you organize them by title: Pellow, M. (1994a). Goodnight Girl: Finding Love in a Wet Place. Glasgow: WWW Inc. Pellow, M. (1994b). Love Is All Around: A Geolocational Study. London: Troggs Publishing. In this case, then, Goodnight Girl is assigned the letter â€Å"a† because â€Å"Goodnight† comes before â€Å"Love† alphabetically. It is vital that the same letters are used in the reference list as in citations, as otherwise your reader will have no way of knowing which source you are citing in each case.

Hinglish - Definition, Etymology and Examples

Hinglish s Hinglish is a mix of Hindi (the official language of India) and English (an associate official language of India) that is spoken by upwards of 350 million people in urban areas of India. (India contains, by some accounts, the largest English-speaking population in the world.) Hinglish (the term is a blend of the words Hindi and English) includes English-sounding phrases that have only Hinglish meanings, such as badmash (which means naughty) and glassy (in need of a drink). Examples and Observations In a shampoo advertisement currently playing on Indian television, Priyanka Chopra, the Bollywood actress, sashays past a line of open-top sports cars, flicking her glossy mane, before looking into the camera and saying: Come on girls, waqt hai shine karne ka!Part English, part Hindi, the linewhich means It’s time to shine!is a perfect example of Hinglish, the fastest growing language in India.While it used to be seen as the patois of the street and the uneducated, Hinglish has now become the lingua franca of India’s young urban middle class . . ..One high-profile example is Pepsi’s slogan Yeh Dil Maange More! (The heart wants more!), a Hinglish version of its international â€Å"Ask for more!† campaign.(Hannah Gardner, HinglishA Pukka Way to Speak. The National [Abu Dhabi], Jan. 22, 2009)Prepaid mobile phones have become so ubiquitous in India that English words to do with their userecharge, top-up and missed callhave become common, too. Now, it seems, th ose words are transforming to take on broader meanings in Indian languages as well as in Hinglish.(Tripti Lahiri, How Tech, Individuality Shape Hinglish. The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 21, 2012) The Rise of Hinglish The language Hinglish involves a hybrid mixing of Hindi and English within conversations, individual sentences and even words. An example: She was  bhunno-ing the  masala-s  jub  phone  ki ghuntee bugee. Translation: She was frying the spices when the phone rang. It is gaining  popularity  as a way of speaking that demonstrates you are modern, yet locally grounded.New research  by my colleagues . . . has found that while the hybrid language is not likely to replace English or Hindi in India, more people are fluent in Hinglish than they are in English. . . .Our data revealed two important patterns. First, Hinglish speakers cannot speak monolingual Hindi in settings which require only Hindi (like our interview scenario)this confirms reports from some speakers that their only fluency is in this hybrid Hinglish. What this means is that, for some speakers, using Hinglish is not a choicethey cannot speak monolingual Hindi, nor monolingual English. Because these Hinglish spe akers are not fluent in Hindi, they are not likely to undergo language shift to monolingual Hindi.Second, bilinguals adjust their speech towards Hinglish when they talk to Hinglish speakers. Over time, the number of Hinglish speakers is growing by adopting speakers from the bilingual community who lose the need to use either language monolingually.(Vineeta Chand, The Rise and Rise of Hinglish in India.  The Wire  [India], February 12, 2016) The Queens Hinglish A testimony is the average north Indians response to the language of the conquering British. They transformed it into Hinglish, a pervasive mishmash beyond state control that has spread from below so that even ministers no longer aspire to imitating the Queen. Hinglish boasts of airdashing to a crisis (famine or fire) lest newspapers accuse them of being on the backfoot. A vivacious mixture of English and native tongues, Hinglish is a dialect pulsating with energy and invention that captures the essential fluidity of Indian society.(Deep K Datta-Ray, Tryst With Modernity. The Times of India, Aug. 18, 2010)[Hinglish has] been called the Queens Hinglish, and for good reason: its probably been around since the first trader stepped off the ships of the British East India Company in the early 1600s. . . .You can hear this phenomenon for yourself by dialing the customer service number for any of the worlds largest corporations. . . . India has literally turned its English-speaking ability, a once embarrassing legacy of its colonial past, into a multi-billion-dollar competitive advantage.(Paul J. J. Payack, A Million Words and Counting: How Global English Is Rewriting the World. Citadel, 2008) The Hippest Language in India This mix of Hindi and English is now the hippest slang on the streets and college campuses of India. While once considered the resort of the uneducated or the expatriatedthe so-called ABCDs or the American-Born Confused Desi (desi denoting a countryman), Hinglish is now the fastest-growing language in the country. So much so, in fact, that multinational corporations have increasingly in this century chosen to use Hinglish in their ads. A McDonalds campaign in 2004 had as its slogan What your bahana is? (Whats your excuse?), while Coke also had its own Hinglish strapline Life ho to aisi (Life should be like this). . . . In Bombay, men who have a bald spot fringed by hair are known as stadiums, while in Bangalore nepotism or favouritism benefiting ones (male) child is known as son stroke.(Susie Dent, The Language Report: English on the Move, 2000-2007. Oxford University Press, 2007)

How not to talk to your kids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How not to talk to your kids - Essay Example The findings revealed that children who were praised according to effort exemplified improved performance; while those praised according to intelligence stagnated. The rationale for the outcome was explained by Dweck, to wit: â€Å"Emphasizing effort gives a child a variable that they can control,† she explains. â€Å"They come to see themselves as in control of their success. Emphasizing natural intelligence takes it out of the child’s control, and it provides no good recipe for responding to a failure† (Bronson 2). One is therefore significantly impressed and intrigued by the contention of Dweck and one’s diverse reactions ranged from disbelief, amazement, and finally, succumbed to agree. There were various supporting ideas that were validated through considerable research to establish credibility to the arguments that were presented in the article. One particular point that was deemed to be of considerable importance was the rationale for the outcome: by praising children based on effort, they could always exert more to achieve more. On the contrary, by praising children based on intelligence, children would be typecast into that perception and based future decisions to conform to this so that risk taking is avoided. For example, one’s personal experience was observing my nephews who showed considerable laziness in studying their lessons. When their parents showered them with praises such as: â€Å"Hey guys, you are such smart kids like you Dad. Go on and study so that you will keep up your good grades.† My nephews would reply: â€Å"We do not need to study, Mom. We already know our lessons.† And therefore, the outcome of not studying was likewise not appropriately addressed, whether they got good grades, average, or low grades. Unlike what was emphasized by Bronson in the article that cited in one of th e experiments conducted at Life Sciences where students were â€Å"predominantly minority and low achieving† (Bronson 2), the study conducted by

Predestination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Predestination - Essay Example As such, he places the human beings where he wants them to be for fulfillment of his purpose because God made every human being with his own intentions and therefore, no one has the right to abuse it. On the other hand, determinism is based on the notion that everything that happens has a reason and is influenced by something else. The decisions made by people on how they want their lives to turn out, or the results they expect from their behaviors are based on something which happened earlier and influenced their lives. As such, determinism is not influenced by religious affiliations and beliefs, but rather by choices and consequences. This means that life is free and has no preset conditions which influence the fate of humans. The choices made determine the kind of life’s outcome to expect. Eliot’s Silas Marner is a book that starts with predestination and ends with determinism. The book is set in two different places - Lantern Yard and Raveloe. Lantern Yard is highly religious and salvation is highly predestined there. Cleanliness in faith is not a guarantee that you are predestined to serve God. This is because there are already those who are predestined to serve God there even when they are very unclean. For instance, William, who demonstrates the opposite of the faith he claims to exercise is predestined to serve God while Silas is predestined not to exercise salvation despite being very innocent and pure. In Raveloe, people’s lives are controlled by determinism as morals as opposed religion are upheld. As such, people suffer the consequences of their own actions. Predestination is witnessed through the analysis of the character of Silas Marner. He seems to be born with a predestined personality and no matter what he does, he has no control to change the course his life is taking. Religion in Lantern Yard is very strict and salvation seems to the based on predestination. Silas is a very staunch believer of faith but he loses

Bankruptcy of WorldCom Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bankruptcy of WorldCom - Case Study Example It was at this point the company began drifting. Political behavior is something which is self-serving in nature and is not at all accepted by any organization. Political behavior has a numerous negative consequences which may result in conflicts and disharmony within the organization. Such disharmony and conflicts can be noticed when people in an organization pit against one another or even against the organization. We can observe this kind politics been played by the employees of WorldCom. There was an instance when the Controller of the company David Myers made a false accounting entry of $370 millions as accruals. David Myers first asked the Director of International Fixed costs Mr. Timothy Schneberger to release the above mentioned amount as accruals. But as her refused to do that and also denied to provide the account number to Myers to make the entry, another senior manager in General accounting named Betty Vinson helped Myers in the task. The account number was obtained by Vinson from a lower level analyst in Schneberger's group and after this the entry was made by one of the subordinate of the analyst. This practice of releasing accruals as and when required continued and employees in the General accounting department also started doing the same thing. All this happened without the employees consulting their superiors or the department heads'. One more relevant incident happened when the General accounting department released an amount of $281 millions against line costs from the tax department's accruals and the tax department was not aware of this act until the year 2001. The release of undue and false figures of accruals was easily done by making the employees act one against other. The work that was to be actually done by the respective employees was carried out by employees in a different department who were actually loyal to the top management rather than company. When David Schneeman, the acting CFO of UUNET refused to book 9 line accruals as instructed by David Myers for his business unit, s taff in the department of general accounting made the entry. Finally, it so happened that an amount of $3.3 billions were released in a span of only one year. The corporate environment of WorldCom was not so healthy. The finance department of the company was located at Jackson, Mississippi. The department had none of the senior lawyers located in Jackson. The lawyers were kept away from the inner circle of the company or it's CEO. They were consulted only when the CEO Ebbers felt some necessity. Never was an advice given by the lawyers was like by Mr. Ebbers. He used to convey them personally, his displeasure about the advice, if any, given by them. The culture of WorldCom was created in such a way that the legal function was less influential and was not welcomed by a healthy corporate environment or culture. There was a sever attitude problem among the employees of WorldCom. The attitude of the employees sent a clear message that none of the employees should question their superiors and need to simply do what was instructed to them. Even the senior managers of different departments were not excluded from this. In fact, they used to face personal criticism and threats. A relevant example for this happened in the year 1999. One of the senior managers in the General accounting department was warned by Buddy Yates, director of General Accounting for showing the actual accounting figures in the accounts of the

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Project management - Essay Example A project manger should be aware of leading a group of people rather than only managing them. Being a project manger can be a wonderful experience, not only is it challenging but it also helps us in stretching our minds and abilities further than what we thought. A project is a usually a small venture to create products or services. In some organization which comprises of application developers, consultants or IT integration whatever they do is a project because they complete a project for other organization or for their own business success. Therefore, as Kevin Kocis mentioned in his interview that the best part of IT Project management is leading and initiative that solves the business needs and or helps in the success of the business. IT Management is the all about implementing of technology and inspiring the team members. In a technical project the largest group of people involved are the users. Now that we have established the meaning of Project Management we shall proceed further and see what is required to start a project. To start a project all the information about the same is collected from people who are associated or have interest in the project. After all the information is gathered, than the project manager fits them together and finalizes whether this information can be deemed as a project or not. This similar theory is also explained by Kevin Kocis. The Project manger should establish the start and end time of the project. He is responsible for seeing whether the target is achieved and also developing ways to reach the target and making way for his team members. The one who is funding the project is known as the project sponsor. The project sponsor shall determine what the end result of the project should look like. To communicate between his seniors and team, the project manger acts like the interpreter as sometime the person who is funding the project is unaware about the information and relies on the project manager to help him

Recent Writing on Marriage Has Explored the Notion of Sacrament in Essay

Recent Writing on Marriage Has Explored the Notion of Sacrament in Relation to Marriage - Essay Example The sacrament of marriage depends on the graceful acts associated with it. This may be in the will of god or the will of the Holy Spirit. Marriage can be viewed as an institution or experience depending on the description given with reference to it. All the same, the church considers man and woman mutually in a relationship as per the will of God. The description of this may also vary with time and civilisation which influences legislation and action of man. The way in which the Christians viewed Christ’s perfection became applicable in cases involving marriage of baptised individuals. This brought the spirituality of these couples was kept away from any blemish acts instead of a sacrament becoming the full realisation of it as the nature of the marriage. Marriage has been viewed by Christians as a sacrament of vocation. The structure of the Christian matrimonial bed defines the identity of marriage as a sacrament. The sacrament takes place as convenient to the convent involvi ng God and revealing the salvation mysteries. The love in a woman man relationship, in accordance to the needs of the Holy Spirit defines the sacrament. Marriage was traditionally viewed to be a contract based institution contrary to the Christian view of marriage as a sacrament. In this context, it was meant to gain mutual rights and possession of partners. In the contract, and sacrament identity of a marriage, relationship became apparent as various people made descriptions of the same (Carlo 76). In the view of marriage as an institution, the husbands view their spouses and the relationship separate from the sacrament of marriage. The end of marriage becomes the end aim of marriage as it comes in the subsequent marriage generations. There was a turning point in the Vatican council that described the marriage as a structure where man and woman receiving from one another as established by the creator. Laws regulating how they carry themselves are in a manner that the partnership is rooted in agreement of both parties in the biblical terms. The sacrament of marriage can also be viewed as a consecration which reflects God's love for man the matter of sacrament was to be found in a mutual understanding made between the two in the relationship. The priest took part in qualifying the partners in the sixteenth century, which, however, was described by Cano that it recognised marriage as a contract. But the priest becomes the minister of the sacrament and gave priestly blessings. In this way, the marriage in Christianity religion get a description from the book of John that describes the spirit calling whoever feels thirsty to take the water of life. The Holy Spirit cannot be seen, and the sacred silence, therefore, should be kept by conjugal community for them to receive the language of the Holy Spirit through praying. They intern get the gift of sacrament and life as a true spiritual generation of marriage The idea of marriage has been conceptualised by the church as being natural. Those who do their marriage in the church do it before God just like he constituted the marriage between Adam and eve at the beginning of creation. Humans, however, have taken control of various events in marriage such as reproduction, which has been manipulated by science. Humans are expected to rep[reduce in the most effective manner thereby passing their genes to the subsequent generations. the mating process has been intervened by human events. biological

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Project management - Essay Example A project manger should be aware of leading a group of people rather than only managing them. Being a project manger can be a wonderful experience, not only is it challenging but it also helps us in stretching our minds and abilities further than what we thought. A project is a usually a small venture to create products or services. In some organization which comprises of application developers, consultants or IT integration whatever they do is a project because they complete a project for other organization or for their own business success. Therefore, as Kevin Kocis mentioned in his interview that the best part of IT Project management is leading and initiative that solves the business needs and or helps in the success of the business. IT Management is the all about implementing of technology and inspiring the team members. In a technical project the largest group of people involved are the users. Now that we have established the meaning of Project Management we shall proceed further and see what is required to start a project. To start a project all the information about the same is collected from people who are associated or have interest in the project. After all the information is gathered, than the project manager fits them together and finalizes whether this information can be deemed as a project or not. This similar theory is also explained by Kevin Kocis. The Project manger should establish the start and end time of the project. He is responsible for seeing whether the target is achieved and also developing ways to reach the target and making way for his team members. The one who is funding the project is known as the project sponsor. The project sponsor shall determine what the end result of the project should look like. To communicate between his seniors and team, the project manger acts like the interpreter as sometime the person who is funding the project is unaware about the information and relies on the project manager to help him

Critical Analysis of Pleasantville Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical Analysis of Pleasantville Film - Essay Example She tries to convince David, who thinks it is okay to be the way they were. The family set-up does not go well with her as she finds it boring and sort of a routine. She feels lost and does not belong in the town where people follow same patterns day in day out and where it is forbidden to have their personality. Jennifer, however, adapts to the new lifestyle as she finds the attention from boys and becomes famous. She together with David helps the people of Pleasantville to have their way of thinking (Simon 67-8). The second character is David, who is a quiet, unpopular kid who many people in Pleasantville depended on. He is a loner who is glad to be in Pleasantville, which he thinks of as an escape place. He grows to have leadership characteristics and earns color when he punches out a thug who was attacking his mom. He is protective of his sister and many people in the suburb depend on him for guidance and protection. He is glad that he ends up with a family with values and a home-cooked meal at dinner. His primary aim for the town is to have some flexibility and to be able to adapt to the new ways. He empowers the people of Pleasantville to have their mindset (Simon 67-8). However, it does not go so well as not everyone is for empowerment. David helped in putting out fire from a tree in the suburb. Initially, had been no fire in Pleasantville, and all the firefighters ever did was rescue a cat stuck in a tree. David brought to light and color to the firefighters as he helped them learn to put out a real fire. He is a romantic character when he becomes so happy that it rained for the first time in Pleasantville on the first date with Margaret. Margaret offers him an apple, and when it starts raining, David shields Margaret from the rain using his umbrella.

Marriott Corporation” the Cost of Capital Essay Example for Free

Marriott Corporation† the Cost of Capital Essay What is the weighted average cost of capital for the Marriott Corporation and cost of capital for each of its divisions? – What risk-free rate and risk premium did you use to calculate the cost of equity? – How did you measure the cost of debt? – How did you measure the beta for each division? Solution What risk-free rate and risk premium did you use to calculate the cost of equity? – Risk-free rate proxy The risk-free rate is determined using the yields of U. S. Treasury securities, which are risk-free from default risk. U.S. Treasuries are subject to interest rate risk, therefore, the selected maturity should correspond to an investment horizon[1]. – Investment horizon According to the cost-of-capital calculation methodology used by Marriott Corporation, lodging division was treated as long-term, while restaurant and contract services divisions were treated as short-term because those assets had shorter useful lives. – Expected return proxy Arithmetic average return is more suitable than geometric mean as it is better in estimating an investment’s expected return over a future horizon based on its past performance (geometric mean is a better description of long-term historical performance of an investment). – Risk-free interest rate Taking into account the above, arithmetic average annual returns of long-term U.S. government bonds for the period 1951-1987 (4.88%, see Appendix 1) is  considered to be risk-free rate for lodging division. Arithmetic average annual returns of short-term U.S. government bonds for year 1987 (5.46%, see Case Exhibit 4) is considered to be risk-free rate for restaurant and contract services divisions. – Market proxy SP 500 index is selected as a market proxy as it is believed to be close to the true market portfolio. As it is important to use historical returns for the same market index used to calculate beta (which is given), an assumption is made that the given leverage data is calculated based on the same SP 500 index. – Market risk premium Market risk premium should be calculated for the same horizon as that used for the risk-free interest rate. Thus a spread between SP 500 composite returns and long-term U.S. government bond returns for the period 1951-1987 (7.88%, see Appendix 2) is a market risk premium for lodging division. A spread between SP 500 composite returns and short-term U.S. government bond returns for year 1987 (-0.23%, see Case Exhibit 5) is a market risk premium for restaurant and contract services divisions. How did you measure the cost of debt? Marriott Corporation and each division are given market value-target leverage ratios and credit spreads as well as U.S. government interest rates as of April 1988 (see Case Tables A and B). According to investment horizons discussed above, the following cost of debt is estimated: How did you measure the beta for each division? Ideally, when estimating beta by using past returns, time interval should be consistent with an investment horizon. Betas given in Case Exhibit 3 are estimated over 1986-1987 period. As these are the only betas given, they are assumed to be relevant for both long-term and short-term investment horizons. Equity betas of each division are calculated from comparable hotel and restaurant companies. Equity betas are then unlevered taking into account financing structure of each company according to the following formula: [pic], where Tax = 40% An average of unlevered betas of comparable companies is assumed to be a proxy for unlevered betas of Marriott divisions. For calculations of unlevered betas for each division see Appendix 4. What is the weighted average cost of capital for the Marriott Corporation and cost of capital for each of its divisions? WACC is calculated according to the formula given in the case taking into account the tax shield. Cost of equity is calculated according to CAPM model.

Race And Class Structure Of South Africa Sociology Essay

Race And Class Structure Of South Africa Sociology Essay The issue of race which sometimes could be looked on as ethnicity has habitually been a very debatable issue among scholars, researchers and some scientists. Closely linked with this is the controversy surrounding the issue of identity which has been the cause of war and some other similar problems in the past; the result of which is evident in todays multicultural and multi-ethnic societies. In some parts of the world, it is usually difficult to classify a particular group of people or tie them down under a specific identity. In many cases, identities are usually sometimes related to position or hierarchy which can be linked to classification in terms of high, middle, low; in some other cases however, this classification which may be seen in different perspective, could be broad such as rich and poor categories. Racial and ethnic classifications have led to the concept of `ethclass ´ with the help of which alternatives in group identification can be understood across all classes a nd ethnic groups which is illustrated in the classification rendered above. The discussion on race and class which has been up for many years and is still going on among researchers and students can be seen as the descriptions of history of different people in a particular area and misconception about race are no less prevalent now than they were many years ago. Stephen stated that from an evolutionary standpoint it was evident that the race relation cycle was a universal phenomenon (Steinberg, 2001:2). The issue of race and class is an issue that has brought forward conflict, discrimination and many more that has happened in so many countries. In Burundi, it is the discrimination or classification between the Hutus and the Tutsis; in America, the classification of black Americans and the white Americans and some other classification included in America due to multiculturalism. In Germany, it is the classification between the Jews, Turks and the typical Germans; and in South Africa, it is the classification and discrimination between the blacks and the white South Africans. If we take the case of the Americans, it is seen that many people who are born in the USA and automatically are US citizens are still segregated from those who believe they are the main citizen of the country due to history, progeny and lineage. Race creates a  ´group` only when it is subjectively perceived as a common trait (Weber, 1922:52). These implies that in the US, it is glaring that race is nothing new to majority of the Americans it is normal to them and should be practiced and showed through an attitude or behaviour towards who they do not like by way of segregation. Weber make a claim that, the fact that several million mulattoes (a person with one black parent and one white parent) in the United States speaks clearly opposed to the assumption of happenings between people of different races antipathy, even among quite different races (ibid, 1922: 53). The explanation of the problems caused by race and class above will lead me to my point of departure and the focus of my paper on the issue of race and class structure in South Africa Race and Class Structure in South Africa The subject of the place and role of race, class and ethnicity has been at the focus of discussion and deliberation about the character of the South African problem and the strategies necessary to solve it (Nengwekhulu, p.29). South Africa being an African country is known to be a black country, which the majority of its population should also be black and so it should be for the majority of the workers, non workers and probably the farmers because Africa is generally known to be an agrarian continent. Therefore we can find several people being farmers at the subsistence level. In the aftermath of South Africas 1948 elections, as the Afrikaners who are the white minority in SA, National Party (NP) began enforcing its apartheid policies on the majority who are the blacks in SA. Inspired by religious mythology and legitimized by the Dutch Reformed Churches, Afrikaner nationalism controlled the State or the country of South Africa. These minority non-black rulers made and enforce series of rules that dichotomized the bi-racial South African ethnic landscape. These rules involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against non-whites are collective called apartheid. During the regime of apartheid, there were a lot of discrimination, using race and class structure as tools of oppression and segregation. Part of the discrimination is racial classification, racial domination and profiling between the white and black and not leaving out the rich and poor. The white are classified as the rich and the higher class people while blacks are seen as the lower class people and segregated from the whites. During the apartheid regime, the blacks were segregated from the white in terms of where they live and where they can live, the kind of work they can do. The ethnic blacks and the white rulers cannot intermarry; they can only associate in well defined and highly limited scenarios or circumstances. The whites are eligible to do only the high paying and mostly offici al and profitable duties while the blacks are limited to those works that are naturally difficult and with unprofitable and low incomes such as mining and subsistence farming. In a clear statement, the blacks became aliens in their own country as a result of the apartheid revolution. With respect to racial equality, contrary to initial assumptions, inter-race income disparity remains a greater determinant of inequality than intra-race differences. In other words, the aggregate difference between White and non-White, incomes is the dominant reason for South Africas extraordinarily high Gini coefficient (Zain et al, 2009:7). Couple with the quote above, it is noted that the white (Afrikaners) ruled with apartheid revolution from 1961 to 1989 with the National Party (NP) before the African National Congress took over. In a nutshell, it is worthy to note that before the advent of the apartheid regime in 1948, people of South Africa including the white settlers lived in harmony. There were the normal happenings between members of the same group, country or organization and tribal warfare which is similar to those that happens in many other countries of the world but 1948 proved to be a pivotal point in the history of South Africa whereby the white minorities, mainly the descendants of the anglo-dutch people that have been ruling since the 18th century decided to introduce laws that favours ethnic segregation, discrimination, racial classification, racial domination and profiling and the general introduction of class structure. The foregoing led Nengwekhulu to observe that the white racism and the articulation of racial consciousness by blacks cannot therefore just be ignored on the basis that they are expression of false consciousness and epiphenomena of the economic base (Nengwekhulu, p.29). The sc heme of grand apartheid, which begun at that time and lead to the delineated separate schooling, jobs, pay and places to live, and deprived most black Africans of citizenship in South Africa. Forgetting the fact that Africans has the massive and growing majority in South Africa, while whites are the minority; national liberation there would mean a profound change in who ruled. Nengwekhulu, in his article, explain further in the problems faced by the South African people with the illustration that South African situation and in formulating strategies for the elimination of black domination and exploitation whilst according to both race and ethnicity a place and role in this analysis and formulation of a strategy for black liberation and for social change (ibid, p.30). In other words, we can say the matter of race, class and ethnicity is not only of crucial theoretical but it is also a matter of powerful political significance for it is on the basis of the resolution of this question that the proper ground work can be laid not only for political strategies for the struggle against black exploitation but also for the construction of a future South Africa. Race discrimination, prejudice and ideology in South Africa are therefore not what happens or what people do without trying to change anything or oppose them in fundamentals of whose existence is determined automatically. They are however social matter which is not fully understood with a relative autonomy. For this reason, race discrimination and prejudice has always existed between the blacks and white and the colours in South Africa now they interact with each other while maintaining their identities. The incidence of apartheid in South Africa from 1948 to 1994 could be linked in retrospect to a form of social misnomer that is opposed to the classical form of Marxism. Marxism is based upon a materialist interpretation of history. Taking the idea that social change occurs because of the struggle between differ ent classes and races within society who are under contradiction of one against the other. The Marxist analysis leads to the conclusion that capitalism, the currently dominant form of economic management, leads to the oppression of the proletariat as in the case of the South African apartheid era, who not only make up the majority of the worlds populace but who also spend their lives working for the benefit of the bourgeoisie, or the wealthy ruling class in society. From the foregoing, I will attempt to explore the Marxist ideals and how it could be extended to explain the socio-economic dis-enfranchisation of the black majority as it happened in the apartheid in South Africa. Marxism The Marxist vision of society and history was presented in the 1848 Communist Manifesto in dramatic narrative form, sketching out the rise of capitalism and bourgeois society and its revolutionary overthrow by the industrial proletariat (Harrington, 2005:154). According to Karl Marx, Marxism is as a philosophy of history couple with an economic doctrine. He further explains Marxism also as a theory of revolution and the basic explanation for how societies go through the process of change (Marx, p: 2). He explains his idea by using two basics of ideas that is in demonstrating and explaining his idea of Marxism which they are MATERIALISM and CLASS STRUGGLE. By Materialism of Marxism, Marx aimed that the engine that drives society is the economy. Economic forces are more complex and pervasive than we thinkà Ã‚ ¾ According to Marx, they even determine how we think: Consciousness is from the very beginning a social product (Mazlish, 1984, p. 94). That is, the way at which people incorpo rate there things in when we talk about human material life shapes every part of humans life including the most important aspects that could include general character of the societal, community, public, political, and spiritual or religious practice of life. This could also be that it does not have to be that the well being of human that can prove the fact of their state of being but having in mind that the social life of human can also be a determinant in their consciousness. By Class Struggle which is the idea that is applicable to the problem of class structure in South Africa. Marxist analysis takes historical materialism a step further. All of human history can be explained and predicted by the competition between antagonistic economic classes, or as Marx put it, The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. In political terms, this means that the social classes are competing in essence for control of the state-or, as Marxists would put it: the class that controls the Mode of Production also controls the State (Marx, 1818-1883,p: 4). The existence of class struggle that brought about the Marxist idea is applicable to the situation of South Africa because South Africa in the time of the apartheid government or ruler was one of the most hideously racist administrations during the time of twentieth century, a very obvious case of the bourgeois ruling class oppressing the majority proletariats (Zain, 2009:8). This struggle lead to the idea that social change occur due to class and race problem of discrimination between white and black South Africans. The existence of class struggle which is one of the basic tenets of Marxism as clearly evident in the case of South Africa sought to overcome the dogma and reductionism of Stalinism and Trotskyism, to engage with history as a living process rather than a mechanical formula, to found a historical consciousness linking local struggles to global processes, and implant itself in a working-class movement which sought to control its own destiny, openly and democratically, rather than submitting to the authority of nationalism or pseudo-science (Nash, 1999:66). In other words, it can also be noted that the regime of the apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s can be seen as Western Marxism as portrayed in Douglas Kellner article. In terms of the Western Marxism, South Africa started with the recognition in the midst of white students that are not among the social force that could bring about innovative change into the country South Africa. In a global context, this generation of South Africa n Marxists played a vital role in interpreting for the Western left, in the terms of their own thought, a struggle which had come to be crucial to the whole history of our time (ibid: 1999:66, quoted in Sweezy and Magdoff, 1986). In the analysis of Marx and Engels who are the author of Marxism, cultural ideas of a period serve is always to the comfort of the ruling class, providing ideologies that justifiable the domination of class. They make analysis of Ideology clarifying it as a critical term for Marxian that describes how dominant ideas of a ruling class promote the interests of that class and help mask oppression, injustices, and negative aspects of the specific culture, society or country. The introduction of the apartheid in South Africa includes the above mentioned in the case whereby most of the blacks were separated from the white. The blacks South Africans were leaving in a place where they can be classified as the lower class group and the white due to the kind of job a nd the place they live are seen as the high class and that is what the system of the apartheid illustrate segregation. At every situation in South Africa, white students or the white ethnic group were in a lot of ways allowed to their opinions and decisions on their own different individualities, with limitation that could do as ethical individuals that has no living history of struggle to be identified with, which includes the relationship to their history. Marxism as the political and economic theories of Karl Marx during the 1818 1883 that should give details of the changes, alterations, modifications and developments in a particular society or country that is implanted by implementing socialism. The implementation of socialism was supposed to be based on the belief that everyone has the same equal right in a countrys at which the government would have to own and control the main industries and not by private settings. But in the case of South Africa, the ruling system by the apartheid regime was not for equal right or for the development of the changes that were altered, but it brought differences between the black and the white which could be seen as racial dominant in South Africa. In other words, instead of the implementation of socialism, the case of South Africa led to capitalism. That is, instead of equal right as socialism represent; it was a system at which South Africa countrys businesses and industry are controlled and run for profit by private owners (the Afrikaners (whites)) which means I am not free to be open to the other as a person. I have to manipulate the other in such a way as to obtain things. And to manipulate the other I have to manipulate myself (Wolpe, 1980:21). In other words, capitalism did not basically take advantage of human beings whose underlying identity or personality was left otherwise indifferent by their experience of class mismanagement. The regime of apartheid which is that practices of Capitalism in South African can be viewed as the focused and attention to the relationship between the countrys economy and its polity, specifically on the relationship between class and race to build differences, racial capitalism and segregation between the working class people and the lower class people and South Africa being an Africa and a black country at large which was ruled by the white government who came up with the system of apartheid which was viewed as racial domination. Thus, the Marxism ideology is used to analyze the situation that occurred in the 1970s to 1980s till the end of apartheid in 1994 in South Africa. This is because when the white (the Germans, French, Irish and the British) who are known at the long run as the Afrikaners because of their way of life, and due to believes and culture and also that the Afrikaners view themselves as Africans and not as white people. They brought churches and believe into South Africa and because of the culture and believe they brought, these made the main South Africa people to believe in them and be rest assured of their words and whatever they promised of doing. Even though they are seen as the minority, they still have principal contributions to what is happening in the country and to the dos and donts in South Africa. With these minds of the Afrikaners, they created a political party that promised the people and the ethnic South Africans as a result of their trusts and basic cultural beliefs and ideol ogies allowed the white Afrikaans to have their ways. Part of the campaign during the election was the introduction of Apartheid which was introduced in 1948 to be practiced. Thereafter they implemented series of laws that promises a lot as the ideology portrays which is supposed to be for socialism but instead lead to segregation of the white and the blacks in South Africa. The idea of Marxism is to create equal right for everyone in the country while the government alone rule the country at which the Marxist theory is implemented. On the contrary in an unfortunate manner, most of the countries at which the Marxist theory was implemented did not survive with the Marxist theory due to the wrong implementation of the theory. The question of the place, role and relationship of race, class and ethnicity is not only of crucial theoretical significance but it is also a matter of powerful political significance (Nengwekhulu, p: 30). The white South Africas used the apartheid and the imple mentation of Marxism which they promised during the campaigns to acquire economic advantages and these economic advantages they never want to lose for any reason because it is of a great impact to their racist regime. A similar occurrence in some other countries has led to serious outcomes. If we take the case in France during the 18th century, the practices of oppression lead to war between the bourgeois and the proletariats. In their case, the bourgeois are the upper class people, the ruling class, and wealthy people while the proletariats are the working class people. Therefore because the bourgeois are the ruling class, they believe in power and used their power in differentiation and segregation between the working and the ruling class which later lead to war. As a result of these in South Africa, equal right as the theory portrays, the white goes to different schools, live in a separate environment, work in separate place and they have no say in what is going on within the cou ntry. The apartheid government isolate and keep apart the education, health care, and other community services, thereby make available black people with lower services compare to those of white people. Apartheid and the non-implementation of the true tenets of Marxism, led to deep class division between races and classes in South Africa failed because theirs was an oppressive form of government that put class wedges between different races and classes in the country. The race, class and separation of the white from the black in South Africa eventually lead to the struggle of class and race structure. In the manner, the black South Africans struggle for their race and class. The black South Africans during the racist regime in the 1970s to the 1980s which was the apartheid regime, after being promised a lot but instead was initiated with differences, maltreatment and segregation lost trust in the National Party (NP) people and had to struggle for their right which is equal right for everyone. In other words, non implementation of the true ideals of Marxism led to deep divide between the races and classes of people in South Africa. Nowadays, since 1994 onwards, we have a succession of governments that tries to practice equality among the disparate genders and classes of South Africa. The issue of racial discrimination and ethno-centric profiling has been reduced to the barest minimum. People are no longer hounded or massacred when they demand for their rights under the ethics citizenship as opposed to what happened in the Sharpeville massacre of the 1950s. Although we still have to a quite subliminal level the issue of class relating to the economic situa tions of the different classes of South Africans but the same is what is happening in many other countries that practices loose form of Marxism laced with high doses of Socialism such as the case of South Africa. It still remains a highly agrarian country but in the general case, it is no longer at the subsistence level. The proletariats that are majorly involved in the mining business now have a satisfying sense of belonging. Racial desegregation of South Africa has brought about mutual economic emancipation to the hitherto different classes of people as people that use to initially feel disenfranchised in their homeland now seems to have enhanced sense of belonging. The country still have its normal problem of crime, intrinsic economic instabilities, manipulation of governmental policies and general increased in awareness among the populace of the lassitude of their economic drive, but the same trend is being witnessed in several other developing countries that are middle ranked in the committee of nations such as South Africa. No longer do we have issues that relate to economic listlessness provoked by racial disparities and ethnic discrimination. South Africa in subsequent years as a country is still trying to dissociate from the lethargy and scariness harbingered by the Apartheid era but we now have in the country peace occasioned by sense of belonging. The general feelings in South Africa now are revealed through one of the speeches of Nelson Mandela after voting in the first South African democratic election and took the office in 1994, which initiates a new regime. Now we moved from a regime of doubt, separation, limited opportunities, disorder and conflict. In other word, a new era is starting to give hope, resolution and to build the nation. Thus a genuinely cast of voter results will give prospect to all the South Africans and make them realize the country is theirs and they are one nation. The speech thus goes that the fundamental requirements of majority of the citizens will be talked, such as the provision for employment, accommodation, and the initiation of power supply. Including the constructions of schools and hospitals, providing free, compulsory quality education, running water, paved roads (Natal, 1994) stating that these are their main concern which includes the minorities the white (Afrikaners). He made clear citizens should have confidence also that there would be security to those who are bothered that by these transformations and revolutions, which might not be of benefit or improvement to them. I again repeat that I have throughout my life as I pointed out in the Rivonia Trial: I have fought very firmly against white domination. I have fought very firmly against black domination. I cherish the idea of a new South Africa where all South Africans are equal and work together to bring about security, peace and democracy in our country. I sincerely hope that the mass media will use its powerful position to ensure that democracy is installed in this country (ibid: 1994). Since this historic speech at Inanda, Kwazulu Natal in April 1994, South Africa has continued to grow in leaps and bounds albeit with the normal problems that a budding and truly developing country might experience. From the foregoing, it could be inferred that any country that intermarry the basic tenets of the proletariat Marxism with democratic ideals may very well reap the benefits. However, the practices of these ideals must be in sync with true respect for the basic and fundamental rights of the citizenry. No nation may be able to move forwards if these ideals are violated. In many other countries of the world such as Iran in 1979, Russia in 1917 and France in 1789-1799, ruler ships by potentates and maximum rulers were done away with due to their well documented lack of care for the needs of the proletariats and the masses in their charge. In these countries, the initial deep chasm between the rulers and the proletariats were very well abridged due to introduction of class and ethnic declassification. So also in South Africa, the gain of racial declassification since 1994 and the introduction of almost a classless society is still unfolding and times will be able to show if truly the new trend could be maintained well into the future and if it will truly continue to benefit the entire people of South Africa.

Technology: Friend or Foe? :: essays research papers

Technology is defined by dictionary.com as â€Å"The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives† Determining whether this technology has helped or hindered our society, we must remember that it is not limited to computers and the internet. Technology has had a variety of faces over the last several thousand years of human existence. As man began to understand more and more about his environment, he began to use that knowledge to accomplish a practical purpose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We know from history books and stories passed from generation to generation that man gradually improved things as he discovered them. This is true from the invention of the wheel to the ancient Egyptians great pyramids. Had they not discovered the technology to accomplish these things, our American way of life would be vastly different today. The wheel led to the horse drawn carriage, which led Henry Ford to invent the automobile and the assembly line. Ford's Model T, the only auto Ford produced from 1910 to 1927, not only outsold every other car made for much of its product life, it outsold all the myriad other cars sold in the U.S. combined*. From those two inventions alone, a great improvement in travel and productivity was accomplished, not to mention the money. Today, we still manufacture automobiles and many other things in an assembly line due to its efficiency and effectiveness. Modern technology has robots to reduce the number of human operators required. Computer controls enhance the precision of the machinery used in these assembly lines to reduce flaws. This process continues to improve, but there are side effects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Will Smith, a corporate trainer in the IT industry with 15 years experience said that â€Å"Without technology, many Americans would be without work today. The advancement of computers and the internet has created far more opportunities for new kinds of jobs. My company would not exist without it. Computers do fail, creating the job of pc repair for thousands, if not millions of people. Anytime you use equipment to improve things you need someone to maintain it, and therefore jobs are created.† The question was then posed, â€Å"What negative effects, if any, do you see resulting from the widespread use of technology?†. Mr Smith replied, â€Å"The internet in particular has encouraged laziness among many people. It also causes people to withdraw from social interaction because they can do everything they need from their home.

Bis220 Wireless Technologies

Wireless Technologies Proposal Team B BIS/220 July 2, 2012 Dr. Richard Swafford Wireless Technologies Proposal As Party Plates grows and becomes more successful, new technologies need to be implemented to allow the company to better serve our customers. Today we are going to lay out a new plan to make our deliveries more efficient. Our customers are our number one priority essay writer uk. Serving them with a better product and pinpointing delivery times will help us achieve this. To accomplish this, we are proposing that we integrate two types of wireless technologies in our delivery trucks: GPS tracking systems and Bluetooth.GPS System Currently, we have five trucks operating all over the city at any given time. With grid lock and accidents, implementing the GPS system will allow our drivers to navigate with HD Traffic information around these areas and make delivers on time. The system we are proposing is the TomTom GO Live 1535M. With this system, Party Plates can set up a Twitte r account and our drivers can keep companies informed on what time they expect to deliver. Additionally, if there are any issues with delivery, Twitter messages can be sent out to inform the company of that as well.The device can also locate the cheapest fuel prices which in the long run, will save the company money. However, there is a small drawback to this system. According to CNET Reviews. com the system says that, â€Å"searching the connected services is clunky and, at times, intuitive (CNET 2012). † Each unit costs $179 dollars per unit and installation is as simple as installing mounts in each truck to hold the devices, totally costs being approximately $1000. Bluetooth Next we would like to equip each truck with Bluetooth technology to seamlessly keep our customers connected with our drivers via phone.Our drivers are already using cellphones, however, with the current law, only Bluetooth devices are legal to use in our trucks. We are proposing purchasing Aliph Jawbon e Era Bluetooth devices for each driver. This will allow our drivers to take calls without taking their hands off the wheel. The only downfall to this system according to CNET Reviews. com is that,† The Aliph Jawbone Era doesn’t have a dedicated volume rocker, and the way it fits the ear is not as easy and comfortable as we would like (CNET 2012). † References CNET Reviews (2012). Latest Technology Reviews. CBS Interactive. Retrieved from http://www. cnet. com/? tag=hdr

How Is Technology Affecting People Psychologically? Essay

In 1922, a doctor’s kit was the most desired toy in the United States. Almost all toys on the website â€Å"Hot Holiday Toys for 2012† were either electronic or electronic related. These toys range from Furbuddy, an electronic pet that talks, to Nintendo and Wii’ games and gaming systems. What impact is technology having on people? Today, with thousands of video games offered; nearly 1 billion users on Facebook; and the average person checking their phone close to 75 times per day, one can only wonder how this affects people psychologically. This can be seen in how the internet offers amazing information and opportunities that have changed the way people communicate. Internet World Stats website cites that the internet users have grown over 566% since 2000. Ease of access to information and communication is, of course, a big reason to use the internet, but is there more to it? Is the ability to control completely the information one reads and the people one interacts with a part of this draw to the internet? The person who holds the mouse is in control when he or she surfs the web. He or she chooses which sites to go to and which people to interact with. In many ways the user feels safe. If something negative online occurs, one can simply exit the site. On Facebook, if someone posts something the user doesn’t like, the user can block the sender or â€Å"unfriend† the offending person. Unfortunately, this negative online interaction is all too frequent. Cyber bullying is the act of bullying using electronic technology. It has become so serious that laws have been passed to outlaw it; going as far as jail time. Cyber bullying occurs with one out of six children. It can be devastating because it can happen 24 hours per day and every day of the week. The worst part about Cyber bullying is that it can even happen when the victim is alone. Cyberbullying Research Center states, â€Å"There have been many high profile and tragic incidents in the media in recent years which have linked adolescent suicides to experiences with cyber bullying.† The technology used in this type of bullying ranges from cell phones, social media sites, to chat rooms. It has become such a problem that many schools have created programs to discuss the harmful effects it causes. Cyber bullying is an example of the disinhibition effect. Psychologists have created this term meaning when people online loosen up, feel more uninhibited, and express themselves more than they ever would in a face to face conversation. It can be threatening and hurtful as in cyber bullying; or it can be what psychologist call benign disinhibition. This is when a person reveals secret emotions, fears and wishes. The user may share too much about themselves, but overall it is not harmful. This sharing of experiences has been seen as a very positive experience when regarding veterans. Many times soldiers come back from war and have feelings about their experiences that they feel civilians do not understand. Sites and chat rooms have been created to fill this need. As John Suler author of The Psychology of Cyberspace states they don’t have to worry about how others look or sound when they â€Å"say† something. Seeing a frown, a shaking head, a sigh, a bored expression, and many other signs of disapproval or indifference can stop what people are willing to express. Not being able to see expressions of a person’s feelings, leads to one expressing themselves more openly. This has created support for not just veterans, but others who reach out to people â€Å"like them† so they can connect and feel understood. Another group who seek to connect with each other are gamers. Video games have exploded in popularity since 1947. Now over 72 percent of the Americans play video games. Video games have been proven to increase decision-making skills which come in handy in a fast-paced world. They have also been proven to improve men and women’s ability to picture 3D objects states U.S Department of Defense researchers. However, as much they may be helping gamers with thinking skills; violent video games are certainly not helping with violent behavior. A study was done with two groups of college students; group one played a violent video game and group two played a nonviolent video game. The researchers measured how the students felt and how they behaved. Social Psychologist Brad Bushman at Ohio State University showed the groups two violent pictures: one of a man shoving a gun down another man’s throat; another of a man holding a knife to a woman’s throat. â€Å"What we found is for people who were exposed to a lot of violent video games; their brains did not respond to the violent images,† Bushman said. â€Å"They were numb, if you will.† People who play violent video games become numb to the violence they see. Knowing this, one may find it disturbing to know that the top three most sold video games in the US, are all listed by Parenting website in â€Å"The 10 most violent video games to avoid.† list. Does playing violent video games increase violence or just make the user numb to it? That is still to be determined. The positive effects of technology are as endless as imagination. The amazing ability to instantly have knowledge at your fingertips any time of the day or night is one benefit it is hard to imagine being without. Being able to connect with a friend continents away is a wonderful gift that keeps people in touch with each other. But like most things; technology has a negative side like cyber bullying; and the violence in video games open to children a keystroke away. Technology has no doubt changed the world, but the question becomes does the positive outweigh the negative and if so, what should be done about the negative aspects?

Project Management and Virtual Teams Essay

Athabasca University Abstract Due to advanced communication technologies, globalization and outsourcing most of the project management teams are based on groups of individuals called virtual teams who work across time and space using communication technologies. Members of virtual teams may be employees of same company from same country, or they can be contractors, suppliers and company employees around the globe. Managing projects using virtual teams have some advantages and disadvantages. Also several studies have been done to try to determine the factors that are positively co-related to the effectiveness of virtual teams (Schwalbe, 2011). To manage virtual teams successfully in project management, the project manager must manage these factors successfully and also minimize the impact of disadvantages. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the virtual teams in project management and outlines the factors that are positively correlated to the success of projects based on virtual teams. The paper also outlines some of the recommendations to successfully manage the virtual team in information technology projects. Keywords Globalization, outsourcing, virtual teams, video conferencing, telecommuting, Project Management, Trust and relationship, Advantages of Virtual teams, Disadvantages of virtual team. Introduction Imagine that you are a project manager in a multinational organization and managing a project to upgrade the server operating system and your team members are from different countries with different cultures and working in different time zones. To complete the project successfully that is based on virtual teams, project manager must understand the advantages and disadvantages of managing virtual teams and factors that positively affect the team members. Today most of the project management teams are based on virtual teams whose members work across time and space using communication technologies and project managers cannot rely on previous methods of project team management where they were able to build trust between team member by social interaction, face-to-face meetings, and direct observations of fellow team member commitment. Literature Review Virtual teams do have some advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages outlined by Kathy Schwalbe are: 24/7 availability of workers increasing competiveness and responsiveness, lowering the cost of project as many virtual team members do not need office space and support, providing more flexibility and expertise as project managers have access to the talent around the globe and increasing the work/life balance for team members by eliminating fixed office hours and the need to travel to work. (Schwalbe, 2011). Communication and trust are the most important factors that influence the virtual team performance. Saonee Sarker and others discussed the â€Å"theoretical linkages among trust, communication, and team member performance in virtual teams†. (Sarker1, Ajuja, Sarker, & Kirkeby, 2001). To prove their argument the researchers identified and tested three proposed models (additive, interaction, and mediation) describing the role of trust in its relationship. The results of the study indicated that the â€Å"mediating† model best explains how communication and trust work together to influence the performance of virtual team members. In simple words them study proves that â€Å"a communicative individual will be more likely to be trusted and will therefore be more likely to be a high performer†. (Sarker1, Ajuja, Sarker, & Kirkeby, 2001) Radostina K. Purvanova reviewed experimental literature and emerging field research on virtual teams. Author compared the â€Å"results from both type of literature and found that experimental literature has largely reported negative results for virtual teams, whereas ? eld investigations and case studies of real virtual teams employed by business organizations report positive outcomes for virtual teams. According to the article although results reported by experimental versus field studies are quite different, author concludes that both literatures have revealed negative attitudes toward virtual communication media. Advantages of Virtual Teams The main advantages of virtual teams include: The biggest advantage of virtual team enjoyed by an organization is the associated cost savings. The organization can save huge expenses on real estate, office spaces, utility bills such as gas, electricity, water etc. and executive’s travel. Team members can work from anywhere and anytime of the day. They can choose the place they work based on the mood and the comfort. You can recruit people for their skills and suitability to the job. The location does not matter. There is no time and money wasted for commuting and clothing. Physical handicaps are not an issue. Another advantage is the labour laws, some organizations prefer to have virtual teams because of strict local labour laws. Since the members span the time zones, there could be different team working on the same project 24/7, so when one member sleeps there will be another one somewhere else who would start work where the former had left. This shortens the product development time as well as faster response time to demands in both global and local markets. Disadvantages of Virtual Teams Disadvantages of virtual teams include: Since team members do not frequently meet or do not meet at all, the teamwork spirit may not be present. Some people prefer to be in a physical office when working. These people will be less productive in virtual environments. To work for virtual teams, individuals need to have a lot of self-discipline. If the individual is not disciplined, he or she may be less productive. The cultural difference between the members of virtual teams gives rise to number of conflicts. For example, while an employee from one part of the world would write a straightforward email describing a bad situation; this would be perceived as impolite by a member of the team from other part of the world. This would lead to conflicts, mistrust and difficulties in fruitful collaboration which is so vital for the success of virtual team functioning. These challenges are also precipitated by the absence of non-verbal cues so intrinsic to face-to-face interactions. Many members of virtual teams are adversely affected by the lack of physical interactions. Most of the communications in virtual environment is task-oriented. In today’s society where job is an important social force for most of us because many of our workplace colleagues also constitute our close friends, this gives a not-so-good feeling of social isolation. This in turn counter-effects productivity as well as leads to stress. In the virtual environment, it is better to communicate, clarify, and confirm everything to make sure that all members have the same understanding about the task at hand. This produces of ton of paperwork and files that could quickly fill your archives. Factors that positively affect virtual teams Succession planning and promotions involving virtual team members are important factors and if managed properly, virtual team members will feel that they are receiving recognition and credit and as a result they will be satisfied and their productivity will be increased. (Leonard, 2011) Since team members are not communicating face to face, constructive team and individual feedback early and often becomes more important and if managed properly can avoid many problems before hand. Trust between team members and project leader is an important factor that can affect the performance of team members. One important way to build trust between team members is effective communication. The more they communicate with each other and with project more they build the trust. Well defined and documented team process also important which saves a lot of time for especially new team members to find answers to their questions related to policies and procedures. A team member selection and role preference is also important factor to successfully manage the virtual teams. â€Å"Dr. Meredith Belbin defined a team role as a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way. 15 It is important to select team members carefully and to form a team where all roles are covered. Each virtual team member must also understand his or her role(s) on the team. † (Schwalbe, 2011) Discussion and Conclusions Organizations such as IBM, Microsoft, Whirlpool as well as SMEs are reaping the benefits of virtual teams for some time now. It has been a well-recognized fact that virtual team is not a passing tide but it is here to stay. Virtual teams are rising in numbers nowadays and even small technology companies are now adapting virtual team practice for recruiting the best people from all over the globe and reduce the cost. As outlined in previous sections, virtual teams do have advantaged and some disadvantages as well. To benefit from advantages and to minimize the impact of disadvantages a project manager can focus on factors that positively affect the virtual team’s performance. As indicated by previous researchers, increase in trust, comfort level and communication effectiveness leads to better project success. All of the above discussed disadvantages can be overcome by following a different leadership approach, trainings, greater role clarity and effective communication strategies. Also earlier discussed factors that affect virtual teams, if managed properly can result in a successful project. In addition, the companies using virtual teams can minimize their operating costs and maximize the profit margins. Additionally, the employees working in virtual teams are at advantages when it comes to working in their own home, own time, and reduction of commuting costs. Therefore, organizations should look into setting up virtual teams for different tasks whenever possible. To reap the benefits of virtual teams in projects and minimize the impact of disadvantages virtual team managers should manage the outlined factors properly and should also follow best practices outlined in next section. Best Practices When running virtual teams, some of the best practices include: An instant messaging program can be used to create a sense of presence amongst members of the team. Chat is a good way to have side conversations during meetings to gain consensus, confirm understanding or ask questions. Quick questions can be asked through instant messenger as a substitute for popping into someone’s cubicle. Services for syncing files, bug tracking, project management, source control, web conferencing, conference calls, screen recording, usability testing and so on. A virtual phone system allows mapping of phone extensions to any phone number. Advance features allow callers to dial by name, get placed into a phone queue or get recorded answers back from a phone tree. In-person meetings are also a good option; it helps build team cohesion and trust and can help people get to know each other on a deeper level. But they are by no means critical. Bringing everyone together once a year may cost a little, but it’s still often cheaper than paying local salaries and rent, and increases the efficiency of team.