Saturday, December 28, 2019

Teens The Causes And Effects Of Teen Stress - 1309 Words

Every year, because of stress from exams, 40 students kill themselves (Singh). A 15 year-old student in India hung herself in her room, the day before an exam and left a note which tells how she ended her life because she was â€Å"... unable to secure first rank in examination†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Correspondent). This is one of the examples of how stress causes many health problems in teens from being overworked in school and too many responsibilities at home. Most teens today feel the pressure from juggling schoolwork, college applications, a job, and personal time. This matters because as a young teen many feel overwhelming pressure and develop health issues during this time. Teens stress level should be taken seriously because stress can reduce physical and†¦show more content†¦This proves stress can lead to skipping meals and overeating which is harmful to the body. Stress is leading to abnormal eating habits which can damage the body and that is bad for physical health. Str ess can also affect physical activity, which can be an important part of getting rid of stress. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress (Park) but twenty percent of teen worked out once a week or less than that when stressed (Castillo). One of the best ways to relieve stress would be to exercise but because of stress teens did little to no exercise. This is bad for physical health because stress is causing teens to avoid one of the most effective ways to alleviate stress, which can ultimately make stress worse. Stress can cause many physical health problems for teens which is why hey should be taken seriously when they say they are stressed because it can cause sleep deprivation, abnormal eating habits, and a lack of exercise which can be a crucial part of stress relief. Too much stress on a teen can also reduce mental health. Depression is a mental illness that can be caused by stress. Severe depression is common in teens (Iliades) as thirty percent of teens fe el depressed because of their stress levels (Castillo), which may have led to the forty students who commit suicide over exams every year (Singh). Students feel depressed because of the stress they feel in their everydayShow MoreRelatedTeenage Pregnancy : A Growing Epidemic1733 Words   |  7 Pages Faith Garner October 19,2015 English 1010 Cause/ Effect Essay Mrs. McFadden Teenage Pregnancy: A Growing Epidemic Over the last five years, teenage pregnancy rates have increased substantially. According to Evelyn Kappeler, director of the Office of Adolescent Health, â€Å"One in four girls will become pregnant before the age of twenty.† (http://youth.gov/sites/default/files/2015TPPMonth_DirectorStatement.pdf) Teenage pregnancy is a growing problem that has now become a major epidemicRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On High School Students1277 Words   |  6 PagesCauses and Effects of Stress on High School Students According to Patino (Hoffman 1) stress is one of those things that all people at some time in their life will experience. Many events can cause stress in high school teenagers. Relationships with family and friends, psychological and physical factors, schoolwork and tests, search for job just to name a few. High school students experience stress because their bodies are undergoing Physical and psychological changes they experience in their adolescentRead MoreTeen Stress Essay1328 Words   |  6 PagesThe way stress affects teens ages between 13 and 17 are extremely unfortunate and very health concerning. Stress has been increasing in teens by 2.2% since 2013 according to an infographic posted on related to this topic. With these high levels of stress, it can lead to serious mental and physical health problems. These stress levels can cause anxiety, depression, and panic attacks in teens who are suffering from long-term and short-term stress. This is an important topic because whe n stress is notRead MoreStress And Its Effect On Our Lives1494 Words   |  6 PagesSinister Stress Everyone has stress, but not everyone realizes the impact it has on their lives. Most people don’t realize or understand the amount of stress they are under. What used to be considered extreme levels of stress has become normal in today’s society. Most people, adults especially, don’t realize that teens largely experience these high levels of stress. Before talking about the stress that teens experience, though, it is best to understand what stress is and why one has it. Stress is a naturalRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On Mental And Physical Health Of A Person1129 Words   |  5 PagesStress impacts the mental and physical health of a person in many ways. Prolonged or frequent exposure to stress can be detrimental to a person s health. It is important to get counseling for stress management before it becomes chronic or life threatening. Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is study of the ways the immune and nervous systems interact with each other and impact mental and emotional health. PNI research suggests that chronic stress can cause mood disorders such as depression and anxietyRead MoreDrug Abuse Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pagesheroin ,tobacco and alcohol,As said from the NIDA â€Å"drug abuse kill 500 people every day† .Most people start taking drugs in moments of stress or hard times.People have started to get addicted to the drug thinking that they help release their stress.so people try to pass on their bad choices to others to help them release their stress.side effects in the drugs may cause illnesses,body pains and sometimes death.Many people die because of these drugs without having a care in the world ,all they know isRead MoreThe Destruction of Stress in the Lives of Teenagers801 Words   |  4 PagesLarge amounts of stress in a teenager’s life can lead them down a destructive path. This pro blem occurs every day, and is a common occurrence in every teen’s life. There are many different causes of stress and even more ways it can affect the person. Mandy causes of stress may include: expectations from loved ones and teachers, family problems, social issues, and balancing school, extracurricular activities, and work. Some teens are very good at managing their time while others cannot handle as muchRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Causes Serious Physical And Emotional Problems1369 Words   |  6 Pages Teen pregnancy causes serious physical and emotional problems for adolescent mothers, therefore there should be steps taken to prevent such things from happening. I have a close friend who got pregnant at the age of fifteen. It was a mega crisis for her and her baby. It caused a heartbreaking feud between my friend and her parents, as well as her schooling, leading her to drop out of high school. The emotional stress she gained was harming her body. The baby’s father wanted nothing to do with theRead MoreCensoring of Violent Video Games1152 Words   |  5 Pagesgames do harm to teens and society due to making teens accumulate frustrations,makes teens think violence is acceptable in problem solving, and makes them very unhealthy but it also does some good, such as helps teens control their emotions, makes them conscious of what is good from what is bad, and helps them get rid of stress. This controversy may just be solved with the help of some research. Violent video games makes teens think violence is acceptable in problem solving. Teens usually play andRead MoreToo Much Stress in Teens Lives716 Words   |  3 Pagesno question that adults have large amounts of stress as a result of jobs, money, family issues and the economy. What is often overlooked is how much stress and anxiety teens experience. It is common knowledge that teens worry about school, grades, and sports; but this does not even begin to scratch the surface of the amount of stress teens go through. Teens today feel pressure from the whole of society to conform and to be popular or in style. Teens are also expected to plan for, and have their future

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Workplace Bullying Is A Phenomenon That Affects Many...

Workplace bullying is a phenomenon that affects many organizations, especially among healthcare professionals. â€Å"Bullying of nurses has been identified as affecting patient outcomes, occupational stress, and staff turnover with fifty percent of those reported being bullied identified managers or directors as the bullies†(Etienne, 2014, p. 6). This paper will analyze data, information, knowledge, and wisdom continuum as it relates to workplace bullying in the healthcare environment. It will identify appropriate databases for obtaining information, useable knowledge, the role of informatics, and the progression from useful knowledge to applied wisdom. Develop the concept/idea/issue you selected from your practice area into a relevant question. Among nurses in the healthcare setting, how does administrative bullying affect morale in the workplace? Describe the question you developed and then relate how you would work through the four steps of the data, information, knowledge, and wisdom continuum. Be specific. The question was formulated using the PICO method and address the following elements: †¢ Patient, Population, or Problem (P): The population are the nurses working in a specialty unit of the hospital †¢ Intervention (I): The intervention (of interest) is workplace bullying of nurses by the administrative staff of the Special Care Nursery †¢ Comparison (C): The question compares the morale of nurses who do not experience administrative bullying within their unit †¢ OutcomeShow MoreRelatedLateral Violence in the Workplace1270 Words   |  6 PagesLateral violence in the workplace Lona A Smeltzer Southern New Hampshire University Lateral violence in the workplace Abstract This paper explores five published articles as they relate to the concept of Lateral violence (LV) within the nursing profession and how it directly affects the work environment. The concept of LV is also known as abusive behavior, horizontal violence, bullying, aggression, horizontal hostility, verbal abuse or â€Å"nurses eating their young†. There are fourRead MoreCurrent Literature Regarding the History of Bullying Research1254 Words   |  6 PagesAdult bullying at work is shockingly common and very destructive. In an in-depth analysis of 146 organizations worldwide, workplaces evidencing bullying on a relatively routine basis made up 44% of the total analyzed. U.S. studies also suggest alarming prevalence rates. During any given 6 to 12 month period, up to 13 percent of workers are bullied on the job; this increases significantly when counting those bullied anytime during their careers .These numbers translate to millions of workers: AccordingRead MoreThe Effects Of Wo rkplace On The Organization And Answer The Following Questions Essay1290 Words   |  6 Pageshurtful behavior. Almost everyone has succumbed to bullying in life, whether it was in the role as an innocent target, horrible aggressor, or tacit bystander. Thus, recently social media seems to express utter disdain with bullies terrifying innocuous classmates in schools, but many organizations overlook workplace bullying and underestimate its power since it is not a punishable offense. Consequently, almost 14 million American adults succumb to bullying daily, and millions more experience the mortifyingRead MoreThe Effects Of Workplace Bullying On The Organization And Answer The Following Questions Essay1315 Words   |  6 Pageshurtful behavior. Almost everyone has succumbed to bullying in life, whether it was in the role as an innocent target, horrible aggressor, or tacit bystander. Thus, recently social media seems to express utter disdain with bullies terrifying innocuous classmates in schools, but many organizations overlook workplace bullying and underestimate its power since it is not a punishable offense. Consequently, almost 14 million American adults succumb to bullying daily, and millions more experience the mortifyingRead MoreBullying Is A Phenomenon Of Unequal Power870 Words   |  4 Pages Bullying is and up and coming topic in our society due to the affects and/or outcomes on the individual(s) that are victimized. Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort. It is mistreatment severe enough to compromise a targeted worker’s health, jeopardize her or his job and career, and strain relationships with friends and family.(workplacebullying.com) Bullying can take place in many settings and throughoutRead MoreCyber Bullying1493 Words   |  6 PagesPLAYED ON MEAGAN IS KNOWN AS CYBER BULLYING. IN THE YEARS SINCE I FIRST HEARD THIS STORY I’VE HEARD PLENTY MORE STORIES THAT FIT THIS CATEGORY SUCH AS THE SUICIDE OF RYAN HALLIGAN, AND TYLER CLEMENTI JUST TO NAME A COUPLE. CONSTANTLY HEARING THESE STORIES IN THE NEWS LET ME KNOW THAT CYBER-BULLYING IS A GROWING PHENOMENON AFFECTING MANY LIVES AROUND THE WORLD WHICH IS WHY I CHOSE THIS TOPIC TO RESEARCH. TODAY I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT PROFESSIONALS DESCRIBE AS CYBER-BULLYING ,SOME OF THE ACCREDITED RESEARCHRead MoreIntroduction. The Purpose Of This Article Is To Provide1362 Words   |  6 Pagespurpose of this article is to provide a concise summary of what sexual harassment is, discussing who it affects, and its prevalence in organisations using evidence and examples. A range of views will be provided to describe how sexual harassment affects organizations and employees. This article will examine the primary alternative interventions aimed at resolving for sexual harassment in the workplace. The alternatives are all considered to be preventions, rather than reactions to promote a proacti veRead MoreBullying in the Workplace2514 Words   |  11 PagesBullying in the workplace is one of the most significant challenges facing companies today. According to the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention nearly half (49%) of all workers in the United States have been a victim or witnessed abusive behavior towards an employee (www.workplacebullying.org). Bullying in the workplace is similar to childhood bullying, but workplace bullies often operate within established policies of their companies. They commit deliberate acts against employees or co-workersRead MoreStress in the Workplace Essay1426 Words   |  6 PagesStress in the workplace Stress in the workplace has become one of the increasingly popular topics of discussion over the last couple of decades. It has become a major concern among various organizations creating an impact on the management and operations of the organization. This paper will give a detailed definition of what stress in the workplace is and the most common causes of stress amongst both employers and employees. In the midst of investigating the causes of stress, I will give an outlineRead MoreEssay about Cyber Bullying1223 Words   |  5 Pagesto those who have been or are currently victims of cyber bullying words can be the difference between life and death. â€Å"Words hurt, and they hurt much more when repeated in the echo chamber of the Internet.† (Rep. Linda Sanchez via FoxNews.com) There are at least 4 examples in the United States where cyber-bullying has been linked to the suicide of a teenager [1]. What is Cyber Bullying? Cyber bullying is defined as â€Å"bullying through information and communication technologies, mediums

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Organizational Behavior Examines the Management Skills

Question: Describe about the Organizational Behavior for Examines the Management Skills. Answer: Thesis Statement: The present article examines the management skills of the executives working in the large organizations of New Zealand, in order to understand and evaluate the problem of brain drain, in the country. The author of the article claims that the New Zealand economy has been presently encountering a huge loss of productivity that is challenging the economic stability of the nation. However, according to the author, the reason of the same is lack of management skills, possessed by the executives working in the organization, who are unable to utilize the resources in an effective way, and attract or retain the workforce (Bech et al. 2014). From the research that was being conducted, it was being observed that most of the executives claimed that changing market condition, changing consumer demands, and an inability to offer innovative service to the consumers, were deemed to be highly responsible for the sudden downfall of the New Zealand economy (Smallboe et al. 2012). Strength and Weakness of the Thesis Statement: The thesis statement of the essay intends to claim that the fall in the growth of economic productivity in new Zeeland is caused considerably due to inefficient management of resources, and lack of awareness about the market situation. It is considerably true in the sense that the management system is not as strong or efficient as it should be. Undoubtedly, it is true that there is a lack of adequate human skill in the market, yet it should be noted that the executives have to come up with innovative ideas (Gkikas et al. 2014). The article rightly states that it is not merely an unfavorable economic climate, but much of the problem has emerged out of the executives incapacity of improving consumer experience by changing the business model. The problem with New Zealand businesses is that the executives are failing to respond effectively to the consumer demands, and reducing their costs, and as a result unable to create value in the products produced. The total innovation rate, as repo rts suggest is even less than 50% (Szabo et al. 2012). However, as far as the weakness of the thesis statement is concerned, it should be remembered that though the article speaks of the importance of innovation to be introduced by the executives of the organization, it fails to highlight the reason underlying the problem. The article does not clearly address the two most significant barriers impeding the growth of innovation in the nation. The New Zealand economy is not very strong, and as such without sufficient government assistance, the executives of the organizations are unable to develop or even introduce any sort of innovation (Edgett 2014). It is undeniable that a culture of innovation undoubtedly needs to permeate every organization of New Zealand, but it should be remembered that without sufficient financial assistance from the government it is difficult. It has been observed that there are few workforce skills that are absolutely absent among the New Zealand workers, and as a result of the lack of specialized skills, it is dif ficult to develop a few industries. Students or employees need to be trained in professional skills that are required for the job roles of Telecommunications Engineer and Telecommunications Network Engineer. It has been observed that most of the residents of New Zealand suffer from shortage of professional skills like these, and hence a systematic and organized approach is required (Piri et al. 2015). Personal Viewpoint: From the article, it has been observed that New Zealand is suffering from economic downturn, owing to two important factors, the one being brain drain, and the latter being lack of favorable business condition in the country. The brain drain rate is indeed very high in New Zealand, which is as much as 10 times bigger than any of the neighboring nations. The government is required to come forward in order to implement steps such as personal tax cuts. Besides, it should be remembered that the executives of the organizations in order to attract and retain skilled workforce, must offer higher salary and attractive benefits to the employees so that they are willing to work in their home country, instead of migrating to a foreign nation. In case the nation wants to compete with the other foreign countries, it must ensure that the executives and the managers of the various New Zealand organizations are capable of offering suitable training to the existent employees, in order to meet the dem ands of innovative business models (Trampusch 2014). Apart from offering sufficient training to the employees, the executives are also required to conduct sufficient market research, in order to understand the prospect of various industries within New Zealand. The firm based surveys and market research can be very helpful here in understanding the effective strategies that other foreign organizations are adopting to stay in competition (Stevens and Norman 2016). It is to be noted that New Zealand has a huge prospect of introducing innovation in the industries such as healthcare service industry, IT industry, and others, and hence the executives should take up an active step for introducing unique business ideas in these sectors. Underperformance of the organization cannot merely result from lack of financial resources, and hence training the employees and improving management practices can largely help in resolving the problem (Kell et al. 2012). Thesis Statement Disagreement: The thesis statement of the essay, that states that lack of efficient management of financial as well as human resources has led to the downturn of the economy of New Zealand is partially true, and hence can be agreed with, only to a considerable extent. The entrepreneurs as well as the executives of different organizations must have the drive to innovate, train the employees in an effective way, and must be able to eliminate their risk-averse nature. Collaborating with foreign entrepreneurs, entering in a joint venture and asking a foreign country to collaborate can largely help in this regard. However, it is undeniable that the successful accomplishment of each of these factors is only possible when the government assumes an active role in the offering assistance to the organizations. Here, in this regard, it is important to mention, that not only financial assistance, but the government must also liberalize its trade policies, if it is willing to help the New Zealand organizations restore economic stability. Hence, one cannot completely agree with the thesis statement that the business executives have to increase their efficiency and effectiveness to help the economy restore its mobility. The role of the government in offering funding facilities, or opening up research centers, thereby helping in the complex process of business innovation, cannot be denied (Afoso and Jallis 2013). Key Points: The article talks of the importance of business innovation that is required to help the economy sustain itself in future. However, it should be remembered that both the government of the country, as well as the managerial executives of each organization have to take up an active step in achieving the end. It has been noted that most of the executives are risk-averse, and are unwilling to invest in uncertain areas. However, the managers as well as the employees need to be groomed, and they must participate in the knowledge sharing process, so as to bring about revolutionary change. Further, the executives of the organizations must be able to offer career development opportunities, and revise the reward and remuneration scheme in order to retain and attract skilled workforce (Chesbrough 2013). Research from Academic Resources: According to a recent research conducted by New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, it has been reported that the executives of the different organizations of the nation have become less optimistic about investing about their outlook of business, as a result of which they are showing less inclination to invest in new fields, and to hire new staffs. The report also noted that the managers lacked sufficient skill and professional expertise in developing innovative ideas, formulating fresh strategies, and communicating the benefits of the same for implementing the same. The innovation rate in the country is less than 50 % and hence the managers must arrange a variety of corporate training programs, both national and international, for the purpose of setting up a highly innovative and creative business environment in New Zealand (Boons et al. 2013). Concepts: The role of the HR executives in resolving this issue is highly important. It should be noted that the employees need to be trained and the business managers and executives have to inspired to boost creativity and innovation in the business. Revising the salary schemes and offering additional benefits that are offered by other countries is also needed. Above all, in certain spheres, there is a huge amount of skill shortage, such areas have to be identified, so that the students and the employees can be properly equipped with these skills. Conclusion: To conclude, it can be said that the government as well as the executives of the organizations of the country must participate in the process of restoring economic stability to the business sphere of the country. However, it cannot be achieved without adopting a systematic and highly organized approach. It can be achieved not only by seeking financial assistance and moral support from the government, but also by inspiring the employees, thereby motivating them to re-shape their ideas to match the ideas and expectations of a changing consumer market. Reference List: Afonso, A. and Jalles, J.T., 2013. Growth and productivity: The role of government debt.International Review of Economics Finance,25, pp.384-407. Bech, M.L., Gambacorta, L. and Kharroubi, E., 2014. Monetary policy in a downturn: are financial crises special?.International Finance,17(1), pp.99-119. Boons, F., Montalvo, C., Quist, J. and Wagner, M., 2013. Sustainable innovation, business models and economic performance: an overview.Journal of Cleaner Production,45, pp.1-8. Chesbrough, H., 2013.Open business models: How to thrive in the new innovation landscape. Harvard Business Press. Edgett, S.J., 2014. Innovation: A Critical Capability.The European Business Review, Januaryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ February, pp.28-30. Gkikas, A., Jones-Evans, D. and MacKenzie, N., 2014, January. Effectiveness and Importance of Innovation on Business Performance in an Uncompetitive Region: Evidence from High-Growth SMEs in Wales. InICSB World Conference Proceedings(p. 1). International Council for Small business (ICSB). Kell, P., Cameron, R., Joyce, D. and Wallace, M., 2014. International developments in skills migration: a case study of the opportunities, threats and dilemmas for Australia. InWorkforce Development(pp. 37-55). Springer Singapore. Piri, I.S., Chang-Richards, Y. and Wilkinson, S., 2015. Skills Shortages in the Christchurch Subcontracting Sector. In5th International Conference on Building Resilience. Smallbone, D., Deakins, D., Battisti, M. and Kitching, J., 2012. Small business responses to a major economic downturn: Empirical perspectives from New Zealand and the United Kingdom.International Small Business Journal, p.0266242612448077. Stevens, M. and Norman, R., 2016, February. Industry expectations of soft skills in IT graduates: a regional survey. InProceedings of the Australasian Computer Science Week Multiconference(p. 13). ACM. Szabo, S., Ferencz, V. and Pucihar, A., 2013. Trust, Innovation and Prosperity.Quality Innovation Prosperity,17(2), pp.1-8. Trampusch, C., 2014. Collective skill formation: a historical analysis of the least-likely case New Zealand.Journal of Vocational Education Training,66(2), pp.135-155.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Procter and Gamble

Application of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Procter Gamble is a large American company that specializes in distribution of consumer goods. Some of the products distributed by the company include foodstuff, cleaning agents, beverages, and personal care products. These products are expected to meet different needs of an individual.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Procter and Gamble specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be applied to define the preferences of consumers (Noel 2009, p. 124). The following diagram shows the Hierarchy of Needs, as observed by Maslow. At the bottom are the most basic needs. Such needs are very important because an individual cannot exist without them. As one moves up the pyramid, the needs become secondary. Many individuals rarely reach the highest point, which is the self-actualization need. As shown above, a number of products distributed by P rocter and Gamble are basic implying that an individual cannot do without them. Food and beverages are meant to satisfy hunger and thirst. These are the most basic needs of a human being. The company should therefore consider increasing production of foodstuff and beverages because the two products are in high demand. It is possible to change consumer needs because they grow over time. An individual may perceive a product like medicated soap to be a social need, especially if its cost is high. However, a marketer can change this perception through advertisements. This would convince the consumer that the product is needed for the protection of skin. The product would no longer be a social need, but a safety need. This would definitely increase the sales of the company in the market.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Effects of Different Groups on Consumer Behavior Consumer be havior is always shaped by different factors. A consumer would have a negative perception towards a certain product because of cultural practices or other social factors. Peer is known to be one of the leading determinants of an individual’s behavior. The way an individual behaves would be shaped by the group behavior. The youth forms a market segment that is most influenced by peer pressure. An individual would buy a product based on how his or her peer feels about that particular product (Blythe 2008, p. 57). At this stage of development, the peers are very sensitive about what others think about them in society. They would always strive to eliminate all forms of negative comments from their age mates. They would also wish to be viewed as trendy individuals. Religious groupings would also affect the behavior of a consumer. Because of their religion, Muslims would rarely buy pork. Key Research Areas to Research on as a Marketer of Procter and Gamble Research activities would focus on youths because they form a major market segment for this firm. The main interest would be to determine the factors that affect the behavior of youths in the market (Solomon 2010, p. 94). Moreover, the researcher would be interested in knowing how the emerging technologies affect the behavior of youths in the market. From this research, the researcher would be hopeful of coming up with strategies that would make the company benefit from this market segment. This is because the market segment for youths has been growing steadily in the twenty-first century. Moreover, this market segment would be a surety for the firm’s sustainability. Outline of a Marketing Research Proposal In conducting this research, the outline will be simple but detailed. The research would focus on covering all the relevant details. It would take the following format: Introduction Literature review Methodology Data analysis Conclusion and recommendations List of References Blythe, J 2008, Cons umer behavior, Thomson Learning, London.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Procter and Gamble specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Noel, H 2009, Consumer behavior, AVA Academia, Lausanne. Solomon, M 2010, Consumer behavior: a European perspective, Prentice Hall, Harlow. This report on Procter and Gamble was written and submitted by user F1rebrand to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Adventures Of Huck Finn And Society Essays - English-language Films

Adventures Of Huck Finn And Society "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn," according to Ernest Hemingway. Along with Ernest, many others believe that Huckleberry Finn is a great book, but is the novel subversive? Since this question is frequently asked, people have begun to look deeper into the question to see if this novel is acceptable for students in schools to read. First off subversive means something is trying to overthrow or destroy something established or to corrupt (as in morals). According to Lionel Trilling, " No one who reads thoughtfully the dialectic of Huck's great moral crisis will ever again be wholly able to accept without some question and some irony the assumptions of the respectable morality by which he lives, or will ever again be certain that what he considers the clear dictates of moral reason are not merely the engrained customary beliefs of his time and place." Trilling feels that Huck Finn is such a subversive character that this will not make people believe in something totally again, because they will fear being wrong like the society in Huckleberry Finn was. I believe this and I think the subversion in the novel is established when Mark Twain begins to question the acceptable morality of society. Twain uses humor and effective writing to make Huckleberry Finn a subversive novel about society in the 19th century. Huck Finn, a boy referred to as "white trash," is a boy that has grown up believing totally what society as taught him. This passage shows an example of how society teaches him. "...And keep them till they're ransomed." "Ransomed? What's that?" "I don't know. But that's what they do. I've seen it in the books, and so of course that's what we've got to do." "Well how can we do it if we don't know what it is?" "Why, blame it all, we've got to do it. Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?" (8-9) This is a conversation between Tom Sawyer and his gang of robbers. This shows how the boys are influenced by society and believe they most follow exactly what is in the books, because that is the right way to do things. In today's society, ransoming someone is a huge crime and is totally unacceptable. In this book, Twain makes ransoming a humorous issue. In fact, throughout the novel Twain makes violence a humorous issue and does not act upon it as a serious issue. This goes with the whole theme of the novel that there is no moral. The way Huck has been raised, he has no clue that what Tom's gang wants to do is ludacrist, and should be totally unacceptable. Twain uses this conversation also to show the beginning of questioning throughout the novel. This will show a pattern of how Huck questions things to learn. Whatever Hucks hears, he believes is the right and acceptable answer. Tom's Gang of Robbers was a part of humorous violence in the novel, but Huck would run into real violence as well. Huck faked his death, and headed down the river, and he decides to go ashore and stays with a stranger family named the Grangerfords. The Grangerfords who were a very nice family, but a family that was obsessed with death. The Grangerfords and another family called the Sheperdson's have had a feud going on for 30 years, but no one knows why. "What's a feud?" "Why, where was you raised? Don't you know what a feud is?" "Never heard of it before-tell me about it." "Well," says Buck, "a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; and then that other man's brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in-and by and by everybody's killed off, and there ain't no more feud. But's it's kind of slow, and takes a long time." "Has this one been going on long Buck?" "Well I should reckon! It started thirty year ago, or som'ers along there. There was trouble 'bout something and then a lawsuit to settle it; and the suit went agin one of the men, so he up and shot the man that won the suit-which he would naturally do of course. Anybody would." (108) This conversation is a very important role in determining if this novel is

Sunday, November 24, 2019

ocean current essays

ocean current essays El Nino has been a reoccurring phenomenon for centuries. Man has only started to realize how much of the worlds weather is effected by it. The term El Nino refers to an irregular warming of the seas surface. During the last 40 years there have been 10 significant El Nino occurrences. Most affecting the coast of South America. Water temperatures increase along the coast as far as the Galapagos islands. Weak events will raise the water temperature 2 to 4 degrees Celsius and will have minor impact on fishing. However strong events such as the 1982-83 event will disrupt climate conditions around the world as well as local conditions. It has been linked to floods and droughts all over the world. Hurricanes and tropical storms are also altered in their numbers by El Nino. Therefore it would be very helpful for people if El Nino could be predicted and prepared for in some form. During a El Nino cycle there are many biological changes. Due to a depressed thermocline there is less photosynthetic activity resulting in a decrease in the primary life forms that form the beginning of the food chain. The warmer waters that are brought by these changing cycles hold less dissolved oxygen forcing fish to go deeper or venture elsewhere. Due to a lack of data during El Nino occurrences it is not fully known if fish populations are depleted solely due to exposure to El Nino. A decrease in their growth and reproductive success has been observed by many surveys in coastal waters. The link between climatic effects around the world and El Nino is now well established. It has taken many years of studying to understand how the pieces of the puzzle, from ocean currents to winds and heavy rains fit together. During the 1920s a scientist was on assignment in India trying to predict the Asian monsoons. As he sorted through his records he discovered a connection between barometer readings at stations on the eastern and western sides o...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Revolution in russia 1917 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Revolution in russia 1917 - Essay Example Moreover, as per the historical perspective, the act of revolution is regarded as a movement that is often highly violent undertaken to overthrow or make significant changes in the old regime and completely change the fundamental scenario of society for betterment. In the 18th century, the French Revolution evidently refashioned the entire society with the aim to make people believe that transformation can be achievable through rebel and violence. Likewise, a significant example of revolution of the 20th century was the Russian Revolution of 1917, which was led by Vladimir Lenin (Neitzel 1-2). Correspondingly, the paper intends to highlight the aspects of Russian revolution 1917 and its changing dimensions. Besides, in this regard, the paper explores the key reasons behind the introduction of revolution in the Russian economy. The paper will also demonstrate the relationship between government and the inhabitants during the revolution. The paper will also recognize the key aspects in terms of the impact of the revolution over the Russian economy through identifying the series of activities involved. In this respect, the essay will also explore the prior cause of Russian revolution. Since, 1533 Russia was under the governance of tsars, who were regarded as second largest in terms of their courage and power in the global scenario. In the 19th century and the early 20th century, students, workers, members and peasants introduced movements to overthrow the government. Moreover, the 1825 revolt against Nicolas I as well as the 1905 revolution was the two unsuccessful movements that aimed at establishing constitutional monarchy in the nation (Stobaugh 222-223). Moreover, the main reasons of the dilemma in the government regime stemmed from incompatible transformation of the nation into a modern economy. On the other hand, industrial society was in the autocratic mode before the revolution. Besides, the fall of Russian

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Motion and grauity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motion and grauity - Research Paper Example ys, â€Å"An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest, unless the object is acted upon by an outside force† (Croce, pp. 38). From this explanation, it is an understanding that a body remains in motion unless some other force stops it down. From this definition, this other force can be either friction or gravity, and thus, understanding of motion itself is an efficient way of understanding the force of gravity. The second law says, â€Å"Acceleration of an object is dependent upon two variables - the net force acting upon the object and the mass of the object† (Quah, pp. 57). This law explains that mass and force are the two indicators that decide the rate with which the body slows or accelerates. Thirdly, Newton stated, â€Å"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction† (Quah, pp. 57). In this regard, these three laws of motion are the best ways of defining and understanding motion. Specifically, from these understandings, motion is any change that occurs in the location or place of a body with regard to time and space. In addition, it is an observation that in physics, scientists always define and explain motion with respect to different references, such as friction, gravity, time, velocity, etc. However, without gravity, there can be no definition of motion. In particular, gravity is the most fundamental concept of nature that allows objects and bodies with any mass to interact, and more specifically, attract each other (Garnow, pp. 23-25). In addition, gravity enables the objects and bodies with masses to acquire weight that results in their falling on the ground. In this regard, gravity or gravitation is the basic force that keeps existence of sun, earth, moon, etc in the universe in balanced manner, whereas, its absence would have caused irregularity in orbits of the universe. Therefore, gravity is the fundamental force that directs and manages motion of bodies and objects in the time and space (Garnow, pp.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 28

Case Study - Essay Example Lufthansa is one of the five founding members of the largest Airline alliance known as â€Å"Star Alliance†, which was established in the year 19971. Contextually, discussions will also be made regarding the influence of Lufthansa’s performance due to the cooperation with Star Alliance. Lufthansa has adopted various strategies in order to expand the market internationally among which the creation of strategic alliance with the Star Alliance is considered the most effective one. It is the largest airlines alliance having 28 members. The Star alliance was founded in the year 1997 by five different airlines company including the Scandinavian Airlines, Thai airways, Air Canada, United Airlines and Lufthansa. As a result of the alliance, Lufthansa has been able to reduce the resources as well as the cost through the sharing of other airlines partner. This resource sharing strategy has led the company to maximize the profits and operate more efficiently. Moreover, the alliance has also provided opportunity for the company to expand its international territory and gain access to the new markets. Generally, expanding a market requires a vast investment of capital, but because of the strategic alliance, Lufthansa do not have to incur large investments to enter any new marke ts or face any risk. However, the company is also trying to expand the international market by acquiring renowned small carriers of different countries and establishing alliances with reputed airline companies of the world. Moreover, entering the American market was possible by Lufthansa due to the collaboration of Continental Airlines with the Star alliance. Moreover, in order to expand the international market, the company also established alliances with the airline industries of China and India2. The cooperative strategies being adopted by Lufthansa helps the company to make

Friday, November 15, 2019

Enterprise resource planning

Enterprise resource planning 1. INTRODUCTION Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are among the most important business information technologies to emerge in the last decade. The basic concept of Enterprise Systems is focused mainly on standardization, synchronization and improved efficiency. Thousands of major construction firms and increasing numbers from other sectors as well, either have just completed their first ERP implementations or are in the middle of this major undertaking. ERP systems can be defined as configurable information systems packages which integrate information and process across organisational functional areas (Kumar and Hillegersberg, 2000). The benefits of Enterprise Systems are very significant: coordinating processes and information, reducing carrying costs, decreasing cycle time and improving responsiveness to customer needs (Davenport 2000). Keeping the project on schedule, under budget and the quality are usually are the main problem that has been faced by the construction industry. Construction industry is one of the major industries in contributing the economy, eventhough it is measured to be one of the most highly fragemented, inefficient and geographically detached industries in the world (Chung, 2007). To overcome this inefficiency, a number of solutions have long been offered including implementation of IT. In the context of the construction industry, ERP would be defined as a computer-based business management system that integrates all processes and data of the business, including engineering/design, planning, procurement, construction and maintenance/operations (Tatari et al. 2007). Now a days numbers of major construction companies are implementing the integrated IT solutions such as ERP systems to better integrate their various functions. However, these integrated systems in construction present a set of unique challenges, different from those in the manufacturing or other service sector industries. Each construction project is characterized by a unique set of site conditions, a unique performance team, and the temporary nature of the relationships between project participants. This means a construction business organization needs extensive customization of pre-integrated business applications from ERP vendors. Unfortunately, such an extensive customization can lead a construction firm to ERP implementation failure. The ERP applications that are used by construction industry can be classified into two distinct groups: pre-packaged Software, and Web-based Project Management System (WPMS). Currently, the worlds biggest pre-packaged ERP software contributors involve SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, J.D. Edwards, and Baan. SAP is said to have about 60% of the world market (Holland, Light, Kawalek, 1999). 2. Problem Statement ERP has become an essential part of enterprise method over the globe. Use of ERP in other sectors is being stable and growing. Its critical influence within designing novel business environments and procedures has been noteworthy. Different organizations in assorted subdivisions have dedicated to paying out and have already paid out large summations of capital for the implementation of ERP in their organizations. These equivalent companies possess been able towards document major improvements, both concrete and elusive, within their campaigns as a outcome of ERP implementation. Large number of organizations have implemented ERP in their process and make it more effective and profitable. The same observation can be made for some of the most successful corporations in the world. The question needs towards be asked why is this? What are a number of the listened benefits that inflict corporations devote towards the implementation of ERP within their organizations? According to Oliver, Romm (2002), in common with other types of investment activity the adoption of an ERP system is a purposive intervention by an organization for bringing about a new state of affairs that is judged to be superior to the current state. The most bulk valued factor that are often stated as a intent for performing to the implementation of ERP: Integration Access of Information Improvement in process Thoughtfulness in business Dissatisfaction with out dated legacy systems After implementing ERP companies have been competent to enhance costumer relation, strengthen delivering the flexible supply chain partnerships, improving the organizational flexibility, improve decision-making competency and decreasing task culmination time and cost (Ahmed, and Ahmed, Azhar, Mallikarjuna, 2003). Although Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has been completely applied by various associations internationally, within almost everybody of the else principal industrial sectors, its utilization in the building industry has been limited to exert via a few large organizations The greatest gatherings of construction administration that have either failed in their efforts to take on this technology, or are not very apparent with it are Small and Mid Size Construction Organizations. These organizations comprises the strength of the construction industry and have their possess specified commercial and operational needs. The failure of Small and Mid Size Construction Organizations to adopt ERP, despite all its promise advantages, is a problem that desires to be addressed. It can be proposed that 2. RESEARCH PURPOSE The overall purpose of this research is to assess the critical success factors for the implementation of ERP systems to support construction industry and to what extent it is being used in enterprise integration and the benefits derived from using ERP systems. Furthermore, success factors coupled with the organizational performance will be assessed and validated. The relationship between the perceived performances will be assessed against the influence of upper management support, role of project champion in managing change in the organization, the level of organizational emphasis on communication and training, and organizational experience with ERP systems. 3. RESEARCH AIM The proposed research endeavours to investigate the following questions: What issues and problems faced by Construction organisations during the implementation of ERP systems? How can problems be reduced in implementing complex new technology into the existing structure of an organization? What must be considered, from the organizational as well as the technical perspective, to effectively integrate the technology and people in the organization who use it? Although this study cannot fully answer these questions, this research will provide valuable information concerning the technological and management systems used to support Construction organizations. Evaluation of implementation and problem issues will serve to further support management decision making. 4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS This research will identify the characteristics of ERP systems used in todays Construction industry. The results of this research will provide additional realistic information for construction organizations seeking to implement ERP systems, providing recommendations pertaining to the issues that must be addressed for companies to avoid critical problems in their own implementation of ERP systems. Questions to address: What are the critical success factors for implementing ERP system in a Construction organization? Is upper management support crucial to the success of ERP systems? What are the change management strategies the management should employed to help the successful implementation and performance of ERP systems? Is the success of ERP system depends upon the level of effective communication and the employee education and training? The generalized question to which this research will contribute is: What are the basic factors that determine the success of ERP systems implementation in regards to the ability of the system to influence organizational performance? When an organization decides to implement and integrate an extended, inter-departmental computer system into its operations, what issues must be addressed to indemnify that the computer application system will effectively contribute to organizational performance improvement? 5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The objectives of this research are as follows: To independently obtain current information regarding the state of ERP systems in Construction organization today. To determine the critical success factors for implementing an ERP system in Construction organisation. To survey current users about factors that contribute to the success of ERP systems, especially in regards to effective communication, user training techniques, change management and the effect of upper management support. This will serve to validate previous research as well as obtain more information about successful experiences in industry. 6. Research method The research method appropriate for this research project will be of qualitative nature through an interpretive case study, where data collection techniques will consist of thorough literature review, secondary data review of documentation regarding the ERP project and interviews from senior computer, technical and management consultants. 2. Literarture Review 1. INTRODUCTION Literature is a term that refers to all sources of published data and Literature Review is a written summary about the findings from the literature (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). A literature review helps in establishing what research has been conducted on the researchers chosen area of study and also to identify what research is currently in progress (Saunders et al., 2000). In order to research into Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, a thorough literature review has been conducted with a centre of attention placed on ERP systems and the implementation of these systems in Construction organizations. Previous papers on ERP implementation projects will be reviewed focusing on successes and previous failures in ERP projects. As the research site is Hindustan Construction Company Ltd., the coonstruction sector has also been reviewed. 2. ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING 2.1The ERP Phenomena ERP systems are highly integrated software packages (Holland et al., 1999) that can be customised to cater for the specific needs of an organisation (Boudreau and Robey, 2000; Esteves and Pastor, 2001; Laberis, 1999). The concepts that have been evaluated and, at times, utilized by construction organizations in achieving the goal of improved efficiency through better management of collaborated knowledge is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)(Negahban and Baecher 2008). ERP systems have been defined to be a computer program that provides a general working platform for all departments of an enterprise with their management functions being integrated into the program (Jingsheng Halpin, 2003). Several definitions from the published literature are given to further explain the concept: ERP (enterprise resource planning systems) comprises of a commercial software package that promises the seamless integration of all the information flowing through the company-financial, accounting, human resources, supply chain and customer information (Davenport, 1998). ERP systems are configurable information systems packages that integrate information and information-based processes within and across functional areas in an organization (Kumar and Van Hillsgersberg, 2000). One database, one application and a unified interface across the entire enterprise (Tadjer, 1998). ERP systems are computer-based systems designed to process an organizations transactions and facilitate integrated and real-time planning, production, and customer response (OLeary, 2001). Kapp et al. (2001) defined ERP as a system of integrated procedure, rules and algorithms designed to function consistently time and time again (p. 85). The key point in an ERP system is integration. The purpose of ERP is to create one computer system that can perform all the functions of every department within an organization by linking all the departments into one single database. What ERP really does is organize, codify, and standardize an enterprises business processes and data. According to Negahban, S, 2008 By utilizing this technology would allow the construction industry to harness the power of collective knowledge. In addition, regulatory and competitive forces, financial demands of owners, and an ever-shortening timeline to finish projects contributed to an increased pace of the utilization of this technology in the construction industry. It took the construction industry longer than other industries to realize the importance of the utilization of IT applications in improving the possibility of ultimate success in an integrated project environment. 2.2 Evolution of ERP The history of ERP can be traced back in 1960s, when the system focuses mainly towards inventory control (Seo, 1999). During 1970s, a shift of focus towards MRP (Material Requirement Planning) was observed. This system helped in translating the master production schedule into requirements for individual units like sub assemblies, components and other raw material planning and procurement. This system was involved mainly in planning the raw material requirements (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). Then, in 1980s came the concept of MRP-II (Manufacturing Resource Planning) which involved optimizing the entire plant production process (Seo, 1999; Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). In the beginning, MRP-II was an extension of MRP to include shop floor and distribution management activities. Afterwards, it was further extended to include areas like Finance, Human Resource, Engineering, Project Management etc (Seo, 1999). This gave birth to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) which covered the cross-functional coordination and integration in support of the production process (Seo, 1999; Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). The role of enterprise resource planning (ERP) does not match its name. It is no longer related to planning and resources, but is rather related to the enterprise aspect of the name. ERP attempts to unify all systems of departments together into a single, integrated software program based on a single database so that various departments can more easily share information and communicate with each other.(chung,2007).The ERP include the entire range of a companys activities. It addresses both system requirements and technology aspects including client/server distributed architecture, RDBMS, object oriented programming etc (Bancroft, 1996). ERP systems are designed as an integrated set of software modules, all linked to a common database, handling a host of corporate functions such as finance, human resources, material management, sales etc. (Slater, 1998). Russell and Taylor (1995) suggested that the ERP of today differ from traditional MRP II system in the areas of relational database management, graphical user interface (GUI), fourth generation languages (4GL), client-server architecture and open system capabilities. In addition, Kapp et al. (2001), stated that the differences between ERP and MRP II is the inclusion of a variety of manufacturing processes within ERP, in which modern ERP software is able to handle both discrete work orders and flow orders, JIT and MRP, EDI, and hand-entered orders (p. 86). Wainewright (2002) also stated that MRP was used for tracking suppliers, work-in progress and the output of finished goods, while ERP was used for all type of business with additional functions including financials, payroll and human resources management. Furthermore, Kremzar and Wallace (2001) also stated that ERP is far better than MRP II for three reasons: a) ERP applies a single set of resource planning tools across the entire e nterprise, b) ERP provides real-time integration of sales, operating, and financial data, and c) ERP connects resource planning approaches to the extended supply chain of customers and suppliers. According to Koch(2002) the main reasons that companies take ERP are summarize below: Because of its Integrated Financial Information i.e. to create a single version of information which cannot be questioned because all the members of the company use the same system. The information is integrated on one system rather than scattered on many different systems that cannot communicate which each other, so that the company can track orders and can coordinate with different related departments across many different location at the same time. It standarized and speed up the process using single integated system which can save time and increase productivity. Reduces inventory by improving the observation ability of the order process inside the company. The popularity of ERP systems started to soar in 1994 when SAP, a German based company, released its next generation software known as R/3 (SAP, 2003). In the following years, companies began to pour billions into ERP systems offered by SAP and its major competitors such as Oracle, Baan, J.D. Edwards, etc. Recently, ERP vendors add more modules and functions as add-ons to the core modules giving birth to the new term i.e. extended ERPs or ERP II (Adam and Sammon, 2004). It is the enterprise systems for the 21st century. These ERP extensions include advanced planning and scheduling (APS), e-business solutions such as customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) (Bhattacherjee, 2000). ERP II systems are about optimizing the supply chain through collaboration with trading partners. It crosses all sectors and segments of business, including service industries, government, and asset-based industries like mining (Turban et al. 2001). According to Zrimsek (2003), ERP II systems is web-based, open to integrate and interoperate with other systems, and built around modules or components that allow users to choose just the functionality they need. Figure 1 summarizes the historical events related with ERP. 2.3 ERP Functions, Purpose of ERP Systems Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are software driven business management system which integrates all facets of the business, including manufacturing, planning, sales and distribution, financials and human resources (Kuang et al., 2001). It is a system that integrates all information that runs through an organisation (Davenport, 1998) and can be categorised as a large information system. It can be customised to cater the needs of an organization (Watson and Schneider, 1999). During 1990s ERP systems became the de-facto standard for replacement of legacy systems in large, and particularly multi-national companies (Parr and Shanks, 2000) ERP systems become more widely implemented, software applications are developed to help business managers implement ERP in diverse business activities such as project planning and management, subcontracting, material tracking, service, finance and human resources (tatari,2009) However, enterprise systems expanded to include back office functions (such as operations, logistics, finance, and human resources) and non transaction-based systems (Davenport, 1998) or front-office functions (such as sales, marketing, and customer service), as integral components of ERP systems (Davenport, 1998; Chen, 2001). This expansion result from the emergence of Supply Chain Optimization (SCO) (Chen, 2001), or Supply Chain Management (SCM) (Turban et al., 2001) and CRM strategies and systems (Chen, 2001), as illustrated in Figure 2. Turban et al. (2001) referred to this beyond the corporate walls integration as extreme integration (p. 304). Turban et al. (2001) further commented that in this approach to integration, SCM can be viewed as the brain and ERP as the strong body (p. 305). While the names and numbers of modules in an ERP system provided by various software vendors may differ, a typical system integrates all these functions by allowing its modules to share and transfer information freely and centralizing all information in a single database accessible by all modules (Chen, 2001). Provided in Figure 3 is an overview of an ERP system. Due to the importance of these systems in terms of added functionality over legacy systems and potential integration benefits, a large number of organisations are adopting these systems to manage their operations (Ross, 1999). They adopt these systems due to various technical or business reasons. Technical reasons include Y2K issues (myth), replacing legacy system that did not work etc. Organisations that have successfully implemented ERP systems view them as one of the most important innovations that have lead to the realization of substantial tangible and intangible improvements in a variety of areas (Davenport, 2000). Five other reasons for acquiring an ERP system are: 1) to integrate financial information, 2) to integrate customer order information, 3) to standardize and speed up manufacturing processes, 4) to reduce inventory level, and 5) to standardize Human Resource information (Koch, 2002). According to Kremzar and Wallace (2001), operating the business in a rapidly changing and highly competitive environment is the primary purpose of implementing an ERP system. Various studies have been done focussing on adoption and implementation of software applications (Harrison et al., 1997; Lassila and Brancheau 1999). However, the enterprise-wide implications, high resource commitment, high potential business benefits and risks associated with ERP systems make their implementation a much more complex exercise in innovation and change management than any other software package (Nelson and Somers, 2001; Gefen, 2000). Radding (1999) argued that when an organisation puts millions of dollars into a core business application and reengineers its business processes around it, the system is destined to become much more than an application. 2.4 General Perspective of Todays ERP Systems For over a decade the ERP system has had major impact on the manufacturing industry. Besides manufacturing companies, the ERP system has also gone further to serve the other industries. According to Boyle (2000), the ERP system is also linked with the web and e- commerce applications and beginning to use web browsers as the graphical user interface. Management was not using ERP to its full potential. Today, ERP is the foundation of businesses domestically and globally (White et al., 1999). It is used as a management tool and gives organizations a great competitive advantage (Koch, 2002). As ERP systems become more widely implemented, software applications are developed to help business managers implement ERP in diverse business activities such as project planning and management, subcontracting, material tracking, service, finance and human resources.(tatari,2009) Most of the ERP packages, today, provide multiple language and currency capabilities, allowing operations in different countries to become more integrated (Computerworld, 1998). In an era of globalization, such characteristics are very appealing for organizations desiring to expand their activities worldwide without losing control over them. The popularity of ERP is evidenced in a study that showed that nearly 19 percent of organizations across all industry sectors have installed ERP software (Computer Economics, 1999). The study also showed that the popularity of ERP continues to rise, with 34 percent of the surveyed organizations investigating, piloting, or implementing ERP packages. Davenport (1998) characterized ERP as the most important development in the corporate use of information technology in the 1990s (p. 122). 2.5 ERP Systems and Construction Organizations In the construction industry, because of the fragmented nature of the business, ERP implementation and utilization has not reached the same level as the other industrial sectors; however, the construction industry has finally awakened to importance of ERP, even though it is lagging behind other major industries that have been utilizing ERP to improve their efficiencies and bottom lines. (negahban,2008) There has been a remarkable improvement in both the speed and ability to conform to logical, customer-oriented business processes with the configurable and more flexible ERP systems (Donovan, 1998). In fact, now days, the management can chose from number of ERP products that come with multiple best practice options. The old MRP systems were very rigid as predefined business processes were embedded in the software making it difficult to adapt to the real needs of a manufacturing business (Seo, 1999). Customizing an off-the-shelf MRP system was expensive, difficult, risky and unusually time-consuming. As a result, companies had to make their order fulfilment process in such a way so as to accommodate the vendors predefined MRP software process but it greatly limits the managements ability to adjust their order fulfilment process to cope with changing customer requirements and to create a competitive advantage (Donovan, 1998). With todays developments in ERP software technology, compani es have an opportunity not only to configure business processes at much more reasonable cost and risk but also to create the opportunity for a competitive advantage (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). The success of ERP in manufacturing enterprises resulted in its adoption by some large construction companies (ML Payton Consultants 2002; Voordijk et al. 2003). The high expectation of achieving all-round cost savings and service improvements is very much dependent on how good the chosen ERP system fits to the organizational functionalities and how well the tailoring and configuration process of the system matched with the business culture, strategy and structure of the organization. By implementing right ERP system, the organization significantly improve its entire order-to-delivery process, increase its ability to service customers at a lower cost and also better forecast its sales and other business activities, which is a competitive advantage (Harvard Business School, 1997). With ERP, it is possible to share and exchange information in digital format throughout the project life cycle. Thus, information is stored only once and all project participants are able to access this information in real-time(tatari,2009) Generally an ERP system is expected to improve both backbone and front-end functions simultaneously. Organizations decide to install ERP systems for many tangible and intangible benefits and strategic reasons. In various cases the calculation of return on investment (ROI) is weighted against the many intangible and strategic benefits (Gefen, 2000). However, to get the benefits of ERP systems, organizations need to undertake some problems and disadvantages. The advantages and disadvantages that organizations face after implementing ERP are given below: Benefits of ERP systems Integrating the organizations activities by processing a large majority of an organizations transactions (OLeary, 2001) and managing the information needs of companies (Gefen, 2000; Baskerville et al., 2000). Facilitation of intra-organization communication and collaboration (OLeary, 2001). ERP does the integrating job, allowing the business to spend less time figuring out whats going on and more time for improving (Slater, 1999). Options exist to purchase only the modules needed presently and acquire any extra modules needed in the future (Gefen, 2000). ERPs use an enterprise-wide database which allows access to the data in real time (OLeary, 2001). Both small and large companies can benefit both technically and strategically from investments in enterprise systems (Markus and Tanis, 2000) as they enable organizational standardization, eliminate information asymmetries and provide on-line and real-time information (OLeary, 2001). Disadvantages of ERP systems ERPs can have a negative impact on the work practices and culture of an organization (Allen and Kern, 2001; Soh et al., 2000). It takes an average of 8 months after the new system is installed to see any benefits (Koch et al., 1999). Lack of feature-function fit between the companys needs and the packages available (Markus and Tanis, 2000). The need for competent consulting staff to extensively customize the ERP (Gefen, 2000) to increase the acceptance of a new system. There is a need for extensive technical support prior to its actual use (Gefen, 2000). 2.6 ERP Systems Architecture ERP vendors understood the limitations of the old legacy information systems, i.e. MRP/MRPII systems, used in large enterprises of the 1970s and 1980s. Some of these old systems were developed in-house while others were developed by different vendors using several different languages, database management systems and packages, creating number of incompatible solutions unfit for the data flow between them (Seo, 1999). It was not easy to enhance the capacity of such systems or the users were unable to upgrade them with the organizations business changes, strategic goals and new information technologies (Chen, 2001). ERP systems are recognized for their databases and interdepartmental linkages. ERP structure provides a basis for MRP systems to become an enterprise integration tool (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). Enterprise integration is viewed as developing the availability and accessibility of information within an extended corporate system and using the information system to efficientl y coordinate both the decisions and actions of thousands of individuals (Enterprise Integration Laboratory, Univ. of Toronto, 1994). To operate in an enterprise sense, the organizations need to distribute their applications for costing, planning, scheduling etc to accommodate the multiple layers of the organization, its work centers, sites, divisions and management levels (Turban et al., 2001). Multiple languages and currencies are also being included for global applications (Chase and Aquilano, 1995). The characteristics of an ERP system are as follows: Modular design containing many distinct business modules such as financial, manufacturing, accounting, distribution, etc (Davenport, 1998; Chen, 2001). Use centralized common database management system (DBMS). It is based on distributed, client/server computer systems (Wood and Caldas, 2001, p. 387). The modules are integrated and provide seamless data flow, increasing operational transparency through standard interfaces (Holland et al., 1999). It is generally complex system involving high cost (Davenport, 1998). It is flexible and offer best business practices (Davenport, 2000). It requires time-consuming tailoring and configuration setups to integrate with the business functions of company (Gefen, 2000). The various functional modules work in real time with online and batch processing capabilities (Davenport et al., 1998). Different ERP vendors offer different ERP systems with some level of specialty but the core modules are almost the same for all of them. The main ERP modules found in the successful ERP systems are as follows (Turban et al., 2001): Accounting management Financial management Manufacturing management Productio Enterprise resource planning Enterprise resource planning ERP Evaluation and Selection process. A successful ERP project requires selecting an ERP solution, implement the solution, manage changes and examine the practicality of the system, Wei and Wang, (2004). Wrong ERP solution choice would either fail the implementation or weaken the system to a greater impact on the enterprise, Hicks, (1995); Wilson, (1994). Most enterprises often jump into looking at ERP functions and features rather than examining the strategy and business processes. It is important for management to know the current strategy, processes and supporting systems compared to what they could be with the new systems, Donovan, (2001). For most enterprises, the decision to implement ERP functionalities will require buying a software package from one of the more popular vendors on ERP market like SAP and Oracle. But the selection process is not a straightforward task, hence thorough understanding of what ERP packages are to offer, differences in each of them and what might be at stake in selecting one package over the other should be well examined, Sammon and Adam, (2000). Evaluating and selecting an ERP system can be a very complex process on the other hand, but it should be a fact-based process that will bring the enterprise to the point where comfortable well-informed decisions can be made, Donovan, (2001). Thus, in an online poll conducted by ESI International survey of 2,000 business professionals, (2005), fig. 1, below, it clearly show that most software projects, ERP inclusive, failed due to lack of adequate requirements definition. In addition to the above, typical ERP project implementation can still fail due to wrong solution choice, Donovan, (2001). Therefore, a research carried out by Management Agility Inc, (2005), revealed that it is imperative to adopt a thorough evaluation and evaluation process before adopting any ERP solution in SMEs. Hence, there are eight steps detailed below in the flowchart, fig. 2, for a careful and reasonable level of a successful ERP implementation in SMEs. None of these steps must be rush through or skip to avoid any element of failure. These eight steps can be categorised into 5 stages; Planning RFP Solution Evaluation Negotiation Selection and Agreement ERP Software Hardware (Solution) Evaluation and Selection Steps Yes No Stage 4 Stage 3 Stage 2 Stage 1 Define Requirements Shop Round for Product Clarify Requirements Evaluation Vendor Inquiry Interact with Vendors Negotiate Agreement Action Agreement Define business case/need and spell-out required values. Be specific. Ensure the business sponsor is willing to push through business case for change. Look round the market for what product is available. Identify vendors that operates and their general approaches to technologies the take. Discuss with others in the same industry as you are etc. Clarify your requirements and be sure of what you are looking for in line with you business case. Refine requirements if possible and be specific too. Find out what product is looking promising in line with the business need and from which vendor. Identify which vendor and their products and invite interesting ones for demo etc. Request for proposal (RFP). Invite each shortlisted vendor over for a chat and find out more about the product. List out expectations based heavily on business requirements. At this point evaluate this approach. Can you afford to change your current process? Can you afford the change the new product will bring and many more? Initiate Negotiation for the selected product with the selected vendor. Agree on who does what, when are they to be done. Negotiate deliverables, timelines, cost payments schedules and terms, support inclusive. Review all legal terms, finalise the contract and select product for onward implementation. Alignment of business requirement to what the software/hardware can provide. This is the core of the whole exercise else stop the evaluation. Evaluate the product capabilities in line with the business requirement. Evaluate the impact of this product on the business requirement. Stage 5 Analyse Gaps Yes For effective ERP Solution evaluation and selection process, the above steps are categorised into 5 phases as explained below; Stage 1 Plan Requirement Business need is defined, along with areas in business that required technical approach. Develop a specific business case with business value for a solution. Ensure that the project sponsor is willing to articulate the business case for change. Indentify vendors that operate in the line of products you are looking for. Get familiar with the software and hardware infrastructure presence for the solution seeking. Get general view of investment needed, considering software, hardware, other related infrastructure and ongoing support. Based on the survey, evaluate the organisation readiness for the investment and decide whether to continue or not. Now define priorities under must-have and nice-to-have accordingly. Stage 2 Request for Proposals (RFP) Shortlist interesting vendor based on the outcome of market survey for products. Invite interesting vendors for interaction/demonstration of their products. Collects facts/functionalities in line with the business need from various products demonstrations for the developments of unbiased RFP for vendors. Set-up a neutral body to develop RFP using all facts gathered during products demonstration aligned to the business requirements. Distribute out RFP that addresses the vendor as a company and the products they offer. Generate basic expectations from an ideal proposal in line with the business need for onward selection of the ideal software vendor. Stage 3 Solution Evaluation Identify and prioritise remaining gaps between software capabilities as demonstrated and business requirements. Sample form in fig. 3; below. Identify how the gaps will be bridge in terms of configuration, configuration, process change or combination of all these. If the gaps cannot be bridge, then discontinue the evaluation exercise immediately. If the gaps can be bridge consider reengineering of those affected business processes affected and continue with the evaluation. Stage 4 Contract Negotiation Negotiate with each vendor. Establish software, hardware and other infrastructure agreement requirements, which include version, components, maintenance and support. Also negotiate participation in user groups, license costs, maintenance fees and many others. Establish service provider agreement which also include deliverables, timelines, resources, costs and payment schedules. Establish other legal requirements. Stage 5 Selection and Agreement Upon successful negotiation with the right vendor; Review all legal terms on privacy protection, operation guidance and data manipulation etc. Approve agreements with the selected vendors. Agree on implementation plan.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Chinook Salmon :: essays research papers

Chinook Salmon Environmental Science Wednesday, February 26, 1997 Among the many kinds of fish harvested each year by commercial fisheries is the Oncorhynchus tshawytscha or Chinook salmon. The United States catches an averages of about three hundred million pounds of salmon each year. However some Chinook salmon have been recently listed as threatened. Man has been the main cause for the decline in Chinook salmon populations. The populations of Chinook salmon have declined for several reasons. Hydropower and it's destructiveness to the environment, pollution, and overfishing are the three main causes for the decline. The Chinook salmon is known for traveling the greatest distance back to its spawning grounds, often traveling one to two thousand miles inland. This long journey is now often interrupted by hydroelectric plants. Hydropower is a very good alternative resource for power, however it is very damaging to our salmon populations. The dams block off rivers, which block the salmon's path back to their breeding grounds. The salmon go back to the same areas, just as their ancestors did, to lay their eggs. The hydropower plant's turbines are also very dangerous to young salmon. Many of them are killed by the giant turbines on their way back to the ocean. Killing off many of the salmons new generation. Pollution is also a killer of many Chinook salmon. Pollution caused by sewage, farming, grazing, logging and mining find it's way into our waters. These harmful substances kill many species of fish and other marine life. The Chinook salmon is no exception. The chemicals are dumped into the rivers and streams and eventually these chemicals find their way to the ocean, polluting and effecting each area they pass through. The largest contributor to the decline in the Chinook salmon population is the commercial fishing industry. From a period of 1990-1992 815,000 Chinook salmon were caught by commercial fisheries. This does not include the 354,000 recreational catches. Commercial fishing is a big industry. Commercial fishers use nets, which they pull by boats. Some nets are designed so the holes in the nets are large enough for the head of the fish to fit through, and then the mesh gets caught in the fish's gills. Others are designed to circle around a school of fish and then is drawn shut. New technologies have developed factory stern trawlers which easily haul netloads of up to 100 metric tons of fish. However, when catching the salmon, fisherman use pound nets to catch the fish on their way to their spawning grounds. The average annual salmon catch in just the United States is about 300 million pounds, of that about 60 percent is canned.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Vermeer’s Hat Review Essay

In Vermeer’s Hat: The seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, Timothy Brook uses Vermeer’s paintings to show the effects of trade on the world and the overall globalization occurring. Brook argues that this globalization had begun in the seventeenth century. He takes a look at Vermeer’s paintings, and uses them as windows into seventeenth century history to discuss further topics of interest. Through every painting, it leads to a door that causes a discussion point of the history of the world. Brook starts the story setting out in the city of Delft in the Netherlands.This author does not simply restate history facts we all know, he goes much deeper than that, getting to the heart of each painting and the history shown throughout each one, proving his arguments to be true. Through every painting, it led to a door that caused a discussion point of the history of the world. In Brook's third chapter, he goes on to discuss the painting Young Woman Readin g a Letter at an Open Window. The title itself is very self-explanatory. The painting has a young woman who is looking toward a window while reading a letter.Also in this painting is a table draped with a tablecloth and a spilt bowl of fruit lying on top of it. The bowl of fruit is what Brook uses as a window into the seventeenth century, specifically the Chinese porcelain, and how it began to become a part of Dutch life. Brook argues that the VOC (Dutch East India Company) had begun their interest and trade for porcelain shortly after 1600. He backs up his argument stating that among the most successful potters were those from Delft, who were descendants from the sixteenth century. Brook says,â€Å"They brought their knowledge of ceramics production with them and were able to set up kilns in Delft's renowned breweries, many of which had been forced to close down as working-class taste shifted from beer to gin. In these newly converted potteries, they began to experiment with imita tions of the new ceramic aesthetic coming from China, and buyers liked what they produced†. (78) This shows you that this new change of potteries, and porcelain originated in the seventeenth century, and Brook has a good understanding of the globalization that is occurring.Through the make and trade of porcelain, Dutch people were becoming more global, and opening their trade to other countries such as China, Europe, and Spain. It also proves that his arguments are completely valid. He has his facts straight and does not only tell you, but shows you through the paintings the history involved to back him up. In chapter five, School for Smoking, it does not directly deal with one of Vermeer’s paintings;, however,; it takes a look at the Delft manufactured Chinese plate, which leads to a discussion about tobacco.He Brook states that tobacco started in Europe due to Portuguese sailors, and from there it spread, and soon became was in high demand. Through this sudden outburs t of a need for tobacco, it made way for a growth in the global community, eventually being a contribution to the opium phenomenon. Brook states, â€Å"From this new labor arrangement, a new system of trade emerged. Tobacco (along with sugar) was a crop that could be used to make the Americas profitable, while Africa supplied the labor to make plantation production in the Americas feasible and South American silver paid for goods shipped from Europe and the Americas to Asia.Together the three prime commodities of the age—silver, tobacco, and slaves to mine the first and harvest the second—set the foundations on which the long-term colonization of the Americas rested. † (132) Brook connects tobacco to the reason more plantations were built, and why slaves were needed more than before and how it helped the colonization of the American world. He states that tobacco started in Europe due to Portuguese sailors, and from there it spread and soon became was in high dem and.Chinese people thought that tobacco had medicinal purposes, while Native Americans thought that tobacco connected you to a supernatural world. If we skip back a little, in the first chapter of Vermeer’s Hat: The seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World, Brook discusses Vermeer's first painting, View of Delft. This painting is one of the only outdoor scenes Vermeer had painted that is still in existence. The first window Brook opens for his readers in this painting is a view of the city of Delft.This painting shows the river harbor in Delft. Brook first uses the herring buses in this painting to open a window into the seventeenth century. Herring buses Timothy Brook states herring buses in Vermeer's Hat, are, â€Å"three-masted vessels built to fish for herring in the North Sea† (12). The herring buses give Timothy Brook a window to talk about the climate change and sickness in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In these two centuries, the temperat ures were falling all over the world, creating increased sickness and shorter crop seasons.In Vermeer's Hat, Brook says that the two herring boats in the painting are evidence of climate change. Brook also uses Vermeer to talk about the exchanges in the seventeenth century. He states that one of the benefits of the climate changing was the southward movement of fish stocks in the North Sea. This gave the fisherman more success. Another window Brook uses to open up the seventeenth century areis the roofs of the buildings in this painting. In particular, he uses a warehouse, known as the Dutch East India Company, or as they call it the VOC.The VOC was as Brook states in Vermeer's Hat, â€Å"tThe world's first large joint stock company, the VOC was formed in 1602 when the Dutch Republic obliged the many trading companies popping up to take advantage of the Asian trade boom to merge into a single commercial organization† (15). This company gave huge advantages for the Dutch for m aritime trade in Asia. It became one of the most powerful companies for business enterprises in the seventeenth century. Brook talks about how the VOC even affected a painter such as Vermeer's life.The VOC for many Dutch meant a better life. Due to this maritime trade, advances in technology were made. A couple discoveries were the magnetic compass, which allowed sailors to lose sight of the land and still know approximately where they were, paper, whichthat helped merchants to keep track of records, and gunpowder, which helped them make military advances. All of these windows Brook opens show the interchanging ideas, products, and climate. Brook I think Brook did well backing up his arguments about globalization.He uses evidence, and facts, and history, to prove everything. It is all quite logical as well, explaining how things have begun to change into a more modern world with exchanges of ideas and such. Brook shows us that all of these globalizations we think of such as fast com munications, and high tech objects all started from the beginning globalization of the seventeenth century. And none of this occurred due to big companies and millions of people, it started by a few men who opened up routes and communications for us.As a college undergraduate student myself, depending upon your area of interest, I would recommend this book to others. I have never been interested in history, but it is quite interesting the way Brook uses random objects and buildings in Vermeer's paintings to show the globalization occurring. So I would say if you love history or art definitely read this book. Even if you do not love either one of those, read it. You will definitely appreciate it, and have a much better understanding of seventeenth century history after reading it.This book is an easy read, with not a lot of hard vocabulary to have to understand as well. Reading this book makes you realize where all the trade and new ideas came from. Holly, You make some good points. I made some suggestions and corrections. Your paper should have no extra spacing between each paragraph (it should be 0pt between each one). Also, you jump around a little in the body section. You may want to just move your discussion of the earlier chapters to the beginning of the body section, so that the body then flows from the earlier to the later chapters. Good job though. – Ms. Perry

Friday, November 8, 2019

Reflections on Preschool Child Observation Sessions essays

Reflections on Preschool Child Observation Sessions essays My observation of children took place at a preschool in Houston, Texas. There were about fourteen children in the area where I was observing; half were boys and half girls. They were between the ages of two and five. The first time I observed was October 4, at 2:00 p.m. for two hours and the second date was October 5 at 2:00 p.m. for two hours. I was to pinpoint some of the development processes that stood out to me and that I was able to relate to my current studies in Counseling. Early on in my observation, I did not see any children misbehaving, therefore I didn't see how they are disciplined. I did ask one of the students about their discipline police, and she said that they use time-outs and explain to the children why they are being put on a time-out. While I was there, a two and a half year-old girl began acting up by taking the toys from other children;she was doing this in a very forceful way, so the caregiver told her she was on a time-out. The little girl had to sit by herself until she was ready to play fair; within two minutes, she had said "sorry" and was ready to play again. The use of discipline is important because it fosters a sense of self-control in the children that will stay with them throughout life. Peer relationships were clearly noticeable between the children at both childcare visits, although the younger children at the locations did not interact with one another very much, even though they were playing alongside one another. The text states that between the ages of 2 and 7 children seek to play with children regardless of sex, but at the daycare the children grouped by sex except for one group that was being read to. The older girls were playing together at a mini-kitchen. Even though there were only girls at the daycare they all seemed be involved in the traditional female activities like making supper and cleaning. I doubt if boys were present they would be playing with the group. ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

James Madison, 4th President of the United States

James Madison, 4th President of the United States James Madison (March 16, 1751–June 28, 1836) served as Americas 4th president, navigating the country through the War of 1812. Madison was known as the Father of the Constitution, for his role in its creation, and a man who served during a key time in the development of America.   Fast Facts: James Madison Known For: Americas 4th president and the Father of the ConstitutionBorn: March 16, 1751 in King George County, VirginiaParents:  James Madison, Sr. and Eleanor Rose Conway (Nelly), m. September 15, 1749Died: June 28, 1836 in Montpelier, VirginiaEducation: Robertsons School, College of New Jersey (which would later become Prrinceton University)Spouse: Dolley Payne Todd (m. September 15, 1794)Children: One stepson, John Payne Todd Early Life James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, the eldest child of James Madison, Sr., a plantation owner, and Eleanor Rose Conway (known as Nelly), the daughter of a wealthy planter. He was born at his mothers stepfathers plantation on the Rappahannock River in King George County, Virginia, but the family soon moved to James Madison Sr.s plantation in Virginia. Montpelier, as the plantation would be named in 1780, would be Madison Jr.s home for most of his life. Madison had six brothers and sisters: Francis (b. 1753), Ambrose (b. 1755), Nelly (b. 1760), William (b. 1762), Sarah (b. 1764), Elizabeth (b. 1768); the plantation also held more than 100 enslaved persons. The earliest education of James Madison, Jr. was at home, probably by his mother and grandmother, and at a school located on his fathers plantation. In 1758, he began attending the Robertson School, run by Scottish tutor Donald Robertson, where he studied English, Latin, Greek, French, and Italian, as well as history, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and geography. Between 1767 and 1769, Madison studied under the rector Thomas Martin, who was hired by the Madison family for that purpose. Education Madison attended the College of New Jersey (which would become Princeton University in 1896) from 1769–1771. He was an excellent student and studied a range of subjects, including oratory, logic, Latin, geography, and philosophy. Perhaps more importantly, he made close friendships at New Jersey, included the American poet Philip Freneau, writer Hugh Henry Brackenridge, lawyer and politician Gunning Bedford Jr., and William Bradford, who would become the second attorney general under George Washington. But Madison grew ill in college, and stayed in Princeton after he graduated until April 1772, when he returned home. He was sickly most of his life, and modern scholars believe he likely suffered from epilepsy. Early Career Madison didnt have a vocation when he left school, but he soon became interested in politics, an interest perhaps stirred but at least fed by his continuing correspondence with William Bradford. The political situation in the country must have been exhilarating: his zeal for freedom from Britain was very strong. His first political appointment was as a delegate to the Virginia Convention (1776), and then he served in the Virginia House of Delegates three times (1776–1777, 1784–1786, 1799–1800). While in the Virginia house, he worked with George Mason to write Virginias constitution; he also met and established a lifelong friendship with Thomas Jefferson. Madison served on the Council of State in Virginia (1778–1779) and then became a member of the Continental Congress (1780–1783). Father of the Constitution Madison first called for a Constitutional Convention in 1786, and when it was convened in 1787 he wrote most of the U.S. Constitution, which outlined a strong federal government. Once the Convention ended, he, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton together wrote the Federalist Papers, a collection of essays that were intended to sway public opinion to ratifying the new Constitution. Madison served as a U.S. Representative from 1789–1797. On September 15, 1794, Madison married  Dolley Payne Todd,  a widow and socialite who set the pattern for the behavior of White House first ladies for centuries to come. She was a well-liked hostess throughout Jeffersons and Madisons time in office, holding convivial parties with both sides of the Congress in attendance. She and Madison had no children, although John Payne Todd (1792–1852), Dolleys son from her first marriage, was raised by the couple; her son William had died in the 1793 yellow fever epidemic that killed her husband. In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, in 1798 Madison drafted the Virginia Resolutions, a work that was hailed by anti-federalists. He was secretary of state under President Thomas Jefferson from 1801–1809. Embargo Act and the Presidency By 1807, Madison and Jefferson became alarmed at increasing reports on upheavals in Europe suggesting that Britain would soon go to war with Napoleons France. The two powers declared war and demanded that other nations needed to commit to a side. Since neither the Congress nor the administration were ready for all-out war, Jefferson called for an immediate embargo on all American shipping. That, said Madison, would protect American vessels from almost certain seizure, and deprive European nations of a needed trade that might force them to allow the U.S. to remain neutral. Passed on December 22, 1807, the Embargo Act would soon prove unpopular, an unpopularity that eventually led to U.S. involvement in the War of 1812. In the 1808 election, Jefferson supported Madisons nomination to run, and George Clinton was chosen to be his vice president. He ran against Charles Pinckney, who had opposed Jefferson in 1804. Pinckneys campaign centered around Madisons role with the Embargo Act; nevertheless, Madison won 122 of the 175 electoral votes. Negotiating Neutrality Early in 1808, Congress replaced the Embargo Act with the Non-Intercourse Act, which allowed the U.S. to trade with all nations except France and Great Britain because of the attacks on American shipping by those two nations. Madison offered to trade with either nation if it would stop harassing American ships. However, neither agreed. In 1810, Macons Bill No. 2 was passed, repealing the Non-Intercourse Act and replacing that with a promise that whichever nation would stop harassing American ships would be favored and the U.S. would stop trading with the other nation. France agreed to this and the British continued to stop American ships and impress sailors. By 1811, Madison easily won the renomination for the Democratic-Republicans, despite being opposed by DeWitt Clinton. The campaigns main issue was the War of 1812, and Clinton attempted to appeal to both those for and against the war. Madison won with 128 out of 146 votes. War of 1812: Mr. Madisons War When Madison started his second administration, the British were still forcibly attacking American ships, seizing their cargo, and impressing their sailors. Madison asked Congress to declare war: but support for it was far from unanimous. The war, sometimes called the Second War for Independence (because it resulted in the end of U.S. economic dependence on Britain), pitted a barely prepared U.S. against the well-trained force that was Great Britain. On June 18, 1812, Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, after Congress, for the first time in American history, voted to declare war against another nation. Americas first battle was a disaster called the Surrender of Detroit: The British, led by Major General Isaac Brock, and Native American allies, led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, attacked the port city of Detroit on August 15–16, 1812. U.S. Brigadier General William Hull surrendered the town and fort, despite having a larger army. America fared better on the seas, and eventually retook Detroit. The British marched on Washington in 1814, and on August 23 they attacked and burned the White House. Dolley Madison famously stayed in the White House until she ensured that many national treasures were saved. The New England Federalists met at the Hartford Convention in late 1814 to discuss pulling out of the war, and there was even talk of secession at the convention. But, on December 24, 1814, the U.S. and Great Britain agreed to the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the fighting but resolved none of the pre-war issues. Retirement After his presidential term in office ended, Madison retired to his plantation in Virginia. However, he still stayed involved in political discourse. He represented his county at the Virginia Constitutional Convention (1829). He also spoke against nullification, the idea that states could rule federal laws unconstitutional. His Virginia Resolutions were often cited as a precedent for this but he believed in the strength of the union above all. He took a leadership role in the formation of the University of Virginia, especially after Thomas Jeffersons death in 1826. Madison was also a slave owner- Montpelier had 118 slaves at one point- who helped found the notorious American Colonization Society to help resettle freed blacks in what would become Liberia, Africa. Death Although Madison remained vigorous and active during his early retirement, beginning after his 80th birthday in 1829, he began to suffer from longer and longer spells of fever and rheumatism. Eventually he was confined to Montpelier, although he continued working when he could through the winter of 1835–1836. On June 27, 1836, he spent several hours writing a thank you note to George Tucker, who had dedicated his biography of Thomas Jefferson to him. He died the next day. Legacy James Madison was in power at an important time. Even though America did not end the War of 1812 as the ultimate victor, it did end with a stronger and independent economy. As the author of the Constitution, Madisons decisions made during his time as president were based on his interpretation of the document, and he was well-respected for that. In the end, Madison attempted to follow the Constitution and tried not to overstep the boundaries set before him as he interpreted them. Sources Broadwater, Jeff. James Madison: A Son of Virginia and a Founder of the Nation. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.Cheney, Lynne. James Madison: A Life Reconsidered. New York: Penguin Books, 2014.Feldman, Noah. The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President. New York: Random House, 2017.Gutzman, Kevin R. C. James Madison and the Making of America. New York, St. Martins Press, 2012.Ketcham, Ralph. James Madison: A Biography. University of Virginia, 1990.