Yellow Fever Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Yellow Fever - Essay Example It is similar to the â€Å"West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus† (CDC 2010, section ‘Yellow fever virus transmission’). The virus is spread by mosquitoes in tropical regions of South America and Africa (CDC 2010, PHAC 2010, PubMed Health 2009, WHO 1993, WHO 2011). It replicates inside the mosquito (WHO 1993) and after being bitten by an infected mosquito, symptoms usually occur within three to six days (CDC 2010, PubMed Health 2009, WHO 2011). There is no treatment of yellow fever, but the focus is on symptom management and vaccination (WHO 2011). Many difference species of the Haemogogus and Aedes mosquitoes are vectors or hosts that act as a vessel to spread the flavivirus that causes yellow fever (WHO 2011). It can be transferred between monkeys, between people, and from monkeys to humans (WHO 2011). Mosquitoes can be classified as domestic, wild, or semi-domestic and there are three main transmission cycles (CDC 2010, PHAC 2010, WHO 2011). In the first cycle known as the sylvatic yellow fever (or jungle), monkeys are infected by mosquitoes who then pass on the virus to mosquitoes that bite them.

Weekly Discussionborad6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly Discussionborad6 - Assignment Example It is however evident that the elders avoided talking on matters of sexuality. This was mostly because they did not want the teenagers to ask questions that dwelled further into the matter (Kara 7). This however has consequences because the children seek to explore on their own hence face consequences at the end. The director brings this out by showing how Moritz is disturbed by the dream he has been having at night (Kara 8). For the teenagers to understand what they are facing, Melchior is in the play to make things easier for them. He is very knowledgeable from the books he has read and therefore tells them about the puberty changes they are experiencing. Martha who faces sexual abuses from her father decides to tell her friends about her ordeal. She however tells them not to tell anyone because even her mother cares less about her. This shows the position of the female gender in the society, they girl child is neglected and the father does as he pleases. Wendla then seeks to find out what her friend goes through when her father abuses her. In one instance where she meets Melchior, her costumes look very appealing and after talking about the time when they kissed, they end up having sex. This makes her get pregnant and all relates to her ignorance. This is because her mother lied to her about where children came from. Her mother then tells her to have an abortion and she dies in the process (Kara 8).This shows that it was against the customs for young girls to get pregnant and her mother was afraid of what people will say. The general setting made me have a personal touch with the play because it looked so real. The background of the theater had black backdrops that seem to illustrate the sad happenings in the society. Such ordeals are like the death of Wendla as well as Moritz. Wendla dies due to abortion whereas Moritz shoots himself (Veit). The songs that they sung as the play unfolded related closely to what was

Employee Motivation Elements in Job Design

Employee Motivation Elements in Job Design Introduction Background It is obvious that the world is in constant change process. Markets are growing and becoming more competitive and dynamic. According to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (online), the systems and methods that once were effective to hold organisations together are now more likely to prevent communication and demotivate employees. Managers now need to take account of the changing attitudes and expectations of employees. They need to find new ways to organising work so that it allows more flexibility and brings motivation and job satisfaction to employees. Robinson, I. (2006) argues that motivated employees produce higher levels of performance, are more enthusiastic and committed to the organisation. They are willing to use their skills, participate and contribute to the benefit of the company. By contrast, demotivated employees are likely to be apathetic and to have higher levels of absence. It is self evident that organisational performance is likely to be greater with motivated and engaged employees. The concept of job design opens a new perspective to creating a more favourable work environment in which motivated employees will improve and enhance organisational performance. Aims Objectives This projects objectives are the following: To identify those specific factors / elements which are considered / used when designing job. To establish which job design factors motivate employees. To establish whether a relationship exists between employee motivation and the quality of job performance. The purpose of my research is fundamentally to find out whether the following hypothesis is true: H1. The aspects of job design improve employee motivation and lead to improved employee performance. Answering the following questions will help to research into my topic as well as either prove or disprove the hypothesis I have put forward. These are the following: What is job design? What is the difference between Mechanistic and Motivational approaches in job design? Are motivation and job performance inter-related? What are the factors of Motivational approach that improve employee motivation? What is the role of IT in job design? Such a study aims offer insight into the changes going around and a basis for managers for reflecting on how best reorganise work to improve performance. Preliminary literature review There is a wealth of literature covering the topic of my research hypothesis. My study of the literature will start with the key question of what job design is and how it impacts employee performance. I will then compare two different approaches, mechanistic approach and motivational approach in job design and assess the role of IT in this context. Jobs are created by people for people. Whether deliberately or by default, choices are made about which tasks to group together to form a job, the extent to which job holders should follow prescribed procedures in completing those tasks, how closely the job incumbent will be supervised, and numerous other aspects of the work. Such choices are the essence of job design, which may thus be defined as the specification of the content and methods of jobs (Wall and Clegg, 1998:265-268). Background to job design Mechanistic approach The concept of job design was first used in the late nineteenth century when industrialists such as Taylor or Ford first introduced a scientific approach in management practices (CIPD, online). Their approach consisted of defining clear job roles, suggesting that workers required specific tasks and boundaries to enable organisation to become more productive, effective and efficient. The principle of this approach is that a job is broken down into small and simple tasks that can be easily learned and performed. It is assumed that it makes the production more efficient (Business Dictionary, online). It aims to achieve maximum job fragmentation to minimise skills requirement and job learning time. Taylor (1914) was one of the first to develop the idea of time and motion studies to identify the most efficient movements during a work task. Workers were selected and trained to perform their jobs using Taylors approach and were offered monetary incentive to ensure that they performed to the ir maximum efficiency. Bloisi (2007) argues that the problem with this approach to job design is that it is too preoccupied with the productivity and ignores the workers social needs. According to Pickard (2006, in CIPD), in the 1960s, the focus shifted from hard, process-oriented approach to job design emphasizing social behavioural perspective of employees. While scientific management aimed on achieving organisational effectiveness through task fragmentation, during the middle part of the twentieth century, there was recognition that motivation would influence organisational performance. The work of Maslow and McGregor advocated that job design could be heavily influenced by understanding and responding to the motivations of individuals. However, it was Herzbergs two-factor theory of motivation and the concept of job enrichment that was to shape the development of job design during the second half of the last century (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002). Motivational approach This new approach, called human relations approach (Bloisi, 2007) stems from the assumption that jobs can be designed to stimulate employee motivation and increase job satisfaction. Herzberg (1993, in Bloisi, 2007) asked two questions: What makes you feel good about your work? and What makes you feel bad? From the answers received, Herzberg concluded that the job satisfaction was one of the key elements of motivational job design. In his two-factor theory he identified hygiene factors and motivator factors. Hygiene factors are referred to practices at work that would cause dissatisfaction, but if corrected would not motivate (i.e. salary, organisations policies, administration and supervision). For example, if an employee were given a laptop computer to do his job, it may stop him to be unhappy because of the lack of the IT, but he would not be motivated to work harder. On the other hand, motivator factors, such as achievement, advancement, growth, recognition, responsibility and wor k itself, tend to create satisfaction and positive attitude and discretionary effort of employees (Robinson, 2006). The impact of job design on employee performance From the studies of motivator factors, different job design models were developed, such as Hackman and Oldhams (1980, in Bloisi, 2007). They developed a job characteristics model that identified the motivational factors of a job from the following aspects: Skills variety the variety of skills needed to complete the task. Task identity how much of the complete product or service is completed by the worker; how much they feel they have ownership of the task. Task significance how important is the task to the lives of others. Autonomy how much of decision-making role the person has while doing a job. Feedback how much feedback an employee is given about their job performance. The Figure 1 below shows how job characteristics described above impact on critical psychological states of employees, therefore improving their job satisfaction and performance. Core job Critical psychological Outcomes characteristics states Skill variety Job identity Job significance Job autonomy Feedback from job Meaningfulness of work Responsibility for work outcomes Knowing the actual results of the work activities Less absenteeism Less turnover High satisfaction High motivation High quality work performance Figure 1. Job characteristics model. Source: Adopted from Hackman and Oldham (1980: 77). It can be seen from the diagram above that when the critical psychological states are high, then employees will have a high level of internal work motivation. This leads to a greater productivity and helps create competitive advantage through people. During the 1990s an increased emphasis on employee empowerment led to high discretion models characterised by individual job enrichment and self-managing teamwork (Huczynski and Buchanan 2001, in CIPD online). Herzberg (Accel, online) suggested the following for the job enrichment: Lessen the control and retain accountability at the same time; Increase personal accountability for work; Grant additional autonomy and authority to employees; Make company reports available to all employees and not only to managers; Introduce new and more challenging tasks into the job; Encourage the enrichment of skills and expertise by assigning employees to specialized tasks. This approach aims to involve employees in decision-making processes, planning, organisation and control of work. An example of this can be through self-managed teams, where workers are given a goal to achieve but it is their teams that decide how tasks are allocated to achieve their goal. Job rotation can also be used as part of the motivational approach; here, employees are moved from one job to another over time (Bloisi, 2007). When job rotation is used, most of the jobs tend to be similar. However, it can increase skills variety and help boost job identity. The Figure 2 illustrates how job redesign can improve work and make it more meaningful. After the redesign of the cashiers jobs, their new jobs were found to be more motivating and as a result their job performance increased significantly. Before job redesign After job redesign Cashiers cashed cheques, processed deposits and payments for bills Business customers were referred to a business advisers Foreign currency transaction were referred to another cashier Auditors ensured transactions balanced Errors were notified to cashiers No feedback on workload No records were kept on who did the transactions Cashiers handled all aspects of the transaction for both business customers and foreign currency Feedback on errors available immediately Feedback on volume displayed on a computer screen Cashiers signed their names to each transaction so they were recognised as taking responsibility for their work Figure 2. How job redesign can make work more efficient and meaningful. Source: Bloisi (2007: 84). Research has shown that if work is seen as meaningful and important to the individual then they are likely to be more committed to the organisation and more productive. The role of IT in job design Developments in technology and increased use of the Internet open a new perspective in organisation and job design. Many employers are developing flexible working patterns using latest technological advances. There are great advantages as well as drawbacks to it. Here are some examples of how employer and employees can benefit of IT: Employees are encouraged to work more flexibly: it means they can work from home. Employees can save money and time on travelling to work. Although employees are physically absent at work, employers can always contact them either by mobile phone or email. Apart from that, organisations safe a huge amount of money on property costs, when some of the workforce is based at home. Disadvantages of using developed communication technologies at work: Employees are no longer able to switch off from work: they work outside their habitual nine-to five hours. It can lead to increased employee stress and dissatisfaction, which ultimately leads to less productive work. Despite these obvious disadvantages, the benefits of the use of the communication technology are major. As stated in Bloisi (2007), British Telecom encourages staff to work more flexibly. Following a workstyle analysis it now has 7500 of its workforce formally based at home and another 40,000 have remote access. Not only has it saved  £180 million in property costs, but also improved productivity by 20-40 per cent. The example above illustrates how flexible working in job design can act as a significant motivator contributing to employee well-being and improved productivity. Methodology Approach to my research scope The scope of my research is to explore the impact of job design on employee motivation and improved performance as its result. This is reflected in my research topic and hypothesis. This topic is of my own interest. Basically the research consists of the following three sequential parts: Job design Æ’Â   Employee motivation Æ’Â   Improved performance My research objectives and questions are designed in a way so that they first explore what job design is; secondly, how it can motivate people (Herzberg theory above); thirdly, I studied the model of Hackman and Oldham about the impact of employee motivation on the quality of their task performance (please see above). Research methodology Definition: Pattron (2009, online) defined research methodology as a highly intellectual human activity used in the investigation of nature and matter and deals specifically with the manner in which data is collected, analysed and interpreted. Secondary data collection method I have conducted a preliminary literature review to investigate what other authors write about my research topic. All findings in my literature review are meant to serve as a base for comparison with the results of primary data collection. The comparison between the two will help to either prove or disprove my research hypothesis. Theory Hypothesis Primary Research Conclusions The approach I have adopted for my research is deductive and can be represented in the diagram as follows: Figure 3. Deductive Research Approach. Primary data collection method Written questionnaire is the method I have chosen to collect the data. The type of my questionnaire is the Likert Scale (PHS, online) where I have given a scale to indicate the strength of agreement to statements (please see a sample of my questionnaire in the Appendix 2 below). The advantage of this type of questionnaire is that it is easier and faster for the recipient to complete and also allows direct comparability to answers as well as to assess the feelings of the respondents towards issues. This method ascribes quantitative value to qualitative data, makes it amendable to statistical analysis. A numerical value is assigned to each potential choice and the final average score represents overall level of accomplishment or attitude toward the subject matter. This questionnaire is targeted on sample population. Sample population is a number of homogenous respondents who share important characteristics e.g. all employed and working in a relatively big companies, rather than self-employed or working in small private businesses. It is essential to make the data comparable as well as to make conclusions meaningful (PHS, online). Accordingly, I distributed my questionnaires to a number of people working in different organisations but which had one same characteristic employed and working in medium size businesses. Approach to analysis and interpretation of data The theories in the literature review above (Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics model) have confirmed my research hypothesis which states that there is a link between job design, employee motivation and improved performance. In order to test this theory, I designed my primary data collection (questionnaire: questions 1 to 15) so that it fits the following formula: Motivating Potential Score MPS = Skill Variety + Task Identity + Task Significance x Autonomy x Feedback 3 Source: Hackman Oldham, 1980:90 in Bloisi, 2007. This formula is a summary of Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics model. It measures the overall potential of a job, or Job Satisfaction. It is calculated by taking the average of Skill variety plus Task identity plus Task significance and then multiplying that Average by Autonomy and Feedback. The outcome of jobs with high MPS will be high quality work performance and high worker satisfaction (Hackman Oldham in Bloisi, 2007). I created additional 12 questions, 16 to 27, to identify strong feeling of employee engagement. Results from this part of the questionnaire would show a strong correlation between high scores and superior job performance. All answers are accumulated and represented in the table in the Appendix 1 below. For each of the agree answers 1 point, and for each of disagrees 0 point is ascribed. The averages are calculated as well as MPSs for individual questionnaires. Conclusions The objective if this research was to investigate into the impact of job design on employee motivation and performance. The results of the primary data should either prove or disprove the statement made in the research hypothesis. The research was based on 5 dimensions that according to Hackman and Oldham (1980) would help to analyse how jobs were designed. The highest score for the Variable 1 (average 1.93) showed that the majority of the respondents agreed to a certain degree with the statement that their jobs require the variety of skills and abilities. Whereas Task significance and Autonomy had the lowest scores (Appendix 1). MPS has revealed which of these dimensions, that impact total Motivating Potential of a job, can be redesigned so that employees feel more motivated. Additional questions on job performance (16 to 27 and referred as Variable 6 in the Appendix 1), showed the result for the quality of job performance (average score 7.8 out of 12 questions). The research has revealed that job performance score is far greater at those jobs which had higher scores for Task variety, Task significance and Feedback. Therefore, we can conclude that if a job is well designed, people feel more satisfied and motivated which results in improved performance. Thus, our research hypothesis has proven to be true. Timescale Key tasks with milestones plotted along a time line

12 Angery Men :: essays research papers

The movie Twelve Angry Men begins with an eighteen year old boy from the ghetto who is on trial for the murder of his abusive father. A jury of twelve men are locked in the deliberation room to decide the fate of the young boy. All evidence is against the boy and a guilty verdict would send him to die in the electric chair. The judge informs the jurors that they are faced with a grave decision and that the court would not entertain any acts of mercy for the boy if found guilty. Even before the deliberation talks begin it is apparent most of the men are certain the boy is guilty. However, when the initial poll is taken Juror #8 (Henry Fonda) registers a shocking not guilty vote. Immediately the room is in uproar. The rest of the jury resents the inconvenient of his decision. After questioning his sanity they hastily decide to humor the juror #8 (Henry Fonda) by agreeing to discuss the trial for one hour. Eventually, as the talks proceed juror #8 slowly undermines their confidence by saying that the murder weapon is widely available to anyone, and that the testimony of the key witness is suspect. Gradually they are won over by his arguments and even the most narrow minded of his fellow jurors hesitantly agrees with him. Their verdict is now a solid not guilty. Arriving at a unanimous not guilty verdict does not come easily. The jury encounters many difficulties in learning to communicate and deal with each other. What seems to be a decisive guilty verdict as deliberations begin slowly becomes a questionable not sure. Although the movie deals with issues relating to the process of effective communication this paper will focus of two reasons why they encounter difficulties and how they overcome them. First, we will apply the Johari grid theory and see how it applies to their situation. Then, we will see how each individual's frame of reference and prejudices effect their perception which cause difficulties in the communication process. If we analyze the Johari grid of each juror we see a large hidden area in the case of all of the men. Take into consideration, referred to by juror numbers only they do not even have the benefit of knowing their names. These men have never talked before. Each of them come from different situations with

How Titan Armoured Vehicle Launch Bridge Can Benefit Indonesian Army Engineers

AN ESSAY ON HOW TITAN ARMOURED VEHICLE LAUNCH BRIDGE CAN BENEFIT INDONESIAN ARMY ENGINEERS By Captain Yaenurendra Hasmoro Aryo Putro INTRODUCTION 1. Several characteristics of Indonesia’s environment seem to be considerable in determining the role of Indonesian Army Engineers (IAEs). Firstly, terrain that is predominantly seashore area with lots of volcanoes on every big island. Secondly, the large number of rivers in Indonesia including around 500 both large and small.Thirdly, the high risk of natural disasters caused by 128 active volcanoes and the location of its islands ‘on the edges of the Pacific, Eurasian and Australian tectonic plates’. Those three characteristics combine to give irregular but frequent supporting tasks for IAEs whether in calm normal situations or chaotic post-disaster evacuation ones. Many of these requirements need to be met only with bridging efforts. Hence, it is logical to deduce that Indonesian military engineers need a strong, yet r apid capability in bridging.One of the options is to possess a quantity of Titan Armoured Vehicle Launch Bridge (Titan AVLB). 2. This essay will briefly nominate the prerequisite of utilizing Titan AVLB as one of the main bridging vehicle in IAEs. CURRENT BRIDGING CAPABILITIES 3. The main task with which IAEs are burdened is to support the manoeuvre of infantries in the battlefield including to facilitate either river/lake or other gap crossing . Even, in the peace time IAEs frequently play a role in supporting low level development of the country as well as to contribute to rehabilitation efforts in disasters.To carry out this particular function, IAEs are equipped with three kinds of bridging systems: Bailey bridge, Acrow panel bridge, and pontoon bridge. Most of the combat engineer Battalions are resourced with Bailey bridges. Only a small number of battalions have the resources of Acrow panel bridges. Meanwhile, pontoon bridges can be found only in the training centre. Whilst th ose structures have been used effectively in many situations, nevertheless, there are several short-falls. The mentioned bridging structures are all heavyweight ones. For example, it needs more than 34 tonnes of materials to construct a triple-single Bailey ridge which can only connect 22 metres gap. The next problem is in transporting such a heavy materials. Another difficulty is with the time consumed and man power required to erect these bridge structures. The process of launching either a Bailey or Acrow panel bridges would previously take up to 1 platoon of soldiers to push the panels one by one. Nowadays, powerful heavy equipment (dozer, crane, etc) can be employed. Also, whilst the heavyweight problem is not the case for pontoon bridges, nevertheless, time and manpower are still complexities. 4.Facing this set of disadvantages, it seems that there has been little research published on the effort to substitute or at least strengthen the bridging capability of IAEs. Even in the training centre, other options of alternative bridge system are not yet introduced. SUITABILITY OF THE TITAN ARMOURED VEHICLE LAUNCH BRIDGE (AVLB) 5. AVLB is an armoured vehicle equipped with a set of folded bridge spans that can be launched and retrieved mechanically. There are various types of AVLB used by several countries. The focus in this essay will be on the Titan AVLB which is a most recent type. . The Royal United Kingdom Engineers (RE) is one of the national institutions using Titan AVLB. The RE explain that the Titan AVLB is modified from the ‘Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (MBT) chassis’. This kind of bridge was drafted to connect up to 60 metres of space by laying an assortment of three close support bridges. The AVLB operates in improved ‘ground manoeuvre formations’ which will enable dealing with an assortment of earth terrain. The other important thing is the short time required to lay the bridges. This vehicle can launch bridge no. 10 (26 m etres) in two minutes.It can also carry and lay two of no. 12 bridge (13. 5 metres) in 90 seconds. 7. Pictures and specification of the Titan AVLB are shown below. Titan Armoured Vehicle Launcher Bridge (AVLB) Specifications Weight (Estimated)62,500kg CarriesCarries BR-90 Close Support Bridges: No. 10 (length 26 m, span 21-24. 5 m); No. 11 (length 16 m, span 14. 5m); & No. 12 (length 13. 5 m, span 12 m) Road Speed59kmh Road Range450kms Enginecomprises Perkins CV12 diesel engine, David Brown TN54 enhanced low-loss gearbox and the OMANI cooling group: Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) is also fitted Engine Power1,200bhpCrew3 Armament1 x 7. 62mm machine gun, Stowage for crew man-portable Light Anti-Tank Weapons, Fitted with NBC protection system. THE ADVANTAGES FOR IAEs 8. the capabilities and the specifications of the Titan AVLB are clearly apparent in the above table and explanation. The obvious deduction is that several advantages will be appreciated by anyone who utilizes this vehicle. I am optimistic that after graduating from the Capability and Technology Management Course (CTMC), I may be able and to access and to conduct further detailed research on this matter.Nevertheless, at the moment even given the limited scope of this paper, it is clear at least there are three advantages to discuss in term of benefits for IAEs by utilizing Titan AVLB. 9. One good point to start with is the ability of this vehicle to move by itself. The 62. 5 tonnes of weight can not be considered as light, however, since the vehicle can move easily and relatively fast, weight is no longer a problem. Even the transportation problem presented with Bailey, Acrow panel, and pontoon bridges is eliminated by this vehicle.This beneficial fact negates the requirement to use another vehicle and subsequently saving some amount of fuel and costs. 10. The second benefits can be identified is the minimum use of manpower. It is explicitly written in the specifications that this magnificent vehicle can be manned by only three personnel. For this reason, human resources in a company of engineers for instance, can be managed more efficiently and can undertake more parallel tasks. Particularly in a disaster relief, military personnel are vital to be involved in both evacuation and rehabilitation efforts. 1. The last but not least, the perfect integration of this equipment’s ability to operate on almost all terrain along with its rapid launching and retrieving, will be very valuable in providing assistance during periods of disaster relief especially when the permanent bridge facilities may have collapsed or are not in order. Subsequently, evacuation could be undertaken faster, more lives could be saved. In addition, the quick launch of the bridges will also assist the government as well as other concerned parties in conducting the rehabilitation process. CONCLUSION 2. The Titan AVLB is a heavy duty engineering vehicle which can move by itself, carrying a set of bridges which are ready to be launched within minutes, and operated by not more than 3 personnel. Its combination of advantageous capabilities is highly suited for IAEs in order to meet the challenges presented by the Indonesian environment, both in normal daily situations and post-disaster evacuation and rehabilitation periods. BIBLIOGRAPHY ‘Armoured Vehicle Launch Bridge’, Wikipedia, 6 November 2010 at 22:51, viewed on 21 November 2010, < http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Armoured_vehicle-launched_bridge> Central Intelligence Agency, ‘The World Factbook†, in Central Intelligence Agency, Oct 05, 2009 10:49 AM, viewed on 21 November 2010, . Partnership for Disaster Reduction South-East Asia Phase 4, ‘Monitoring and Reporting Progress on Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia’, in Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, April 2008, viewed on 21 November 2010, The Royal Engineers, ‘Titan Armoured Vehicle Launcher Bridge (AVLB)’, The Bri tish Army, viewed 19 November 2010, < http://www. armedforces. co. uk/army/listings/l0062. html>

Mexican Religion Shapes Culture Essay

Mexican Religion Shapes Culture Throughout the world, the expansion of religion has significantly influenced the development of humanity in many different ways. Religion is an organized collection of belief and cultural systems with world views that relate humanity to spirituality and moral values (dictionary.com). Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to explain the origin of the Universe and give a convincing meaning to life. It was Hernan Cortes who first brought the Catholic Church to Mexico in 1521. His expedition, which included a friar named Bartolome de Olmedo and a priest named Juan Diaz, was mandated to convert the Indians into Christians. After the Spanish conquest, Mexico became colonized which, was helpful in the attempt to influence indigenous people to take on Catholicism. Religion has impacted Mexican societies through their culture, their surroundings and architecture, and their families. Roman Catholicism was established as the dominant, but not official, religion of Mexico. Today, about 89% of Mexicans still identify themselves by this division of Christian religion. The 2000 census reported that Mexico had some 101,000,000 Catholics among the population aged five and above. This equates to about 91% of their total population, making it the second largest Roman Catholic country in the world. The Catholic Church is the world’s largest Christian church, and is its largest religious grouping. Catholicism influences people in many countries, and in Mexico this influence is no less apparent. Though not everyone in Mexico is Catholic, religion seems to maintain a social order. Mexican Catholics take the many rules of Catholicism very seriously. In the article â€Å"The Catholic Church in Mexico: Triumphs and Traumas†, Shep Lencheck claims, â€Å"As of this moment the Church remains a unifying force in the private lives of Mexicans. It is the one constant in the changing and sometimes chaotic Mexican scene† (Lencheck 1). Thus, Catholicism is an ever present aspect in the lives of many Mexicans. Statistics show that almost 50 percent of Mexico’s population attends weekly mass at their local church. This weekly mass isn’t the only Catholic part of Mexican culture. Many ceremonies, including baptisms, confirmations, and weddings revolve around the Catholic Church. These events become more than just a religious ceremony but they are turned into a social event or community celebration with family and friends regardless the religion professed. A perso ns journey through religion is celebrated and all events from baptisms to weddings come with a party where religion is integrated into the social lives of many. The majority of society is scared to act upon certain sins in fear of the unknown (Hell). In the Catholic religion it is believed that sins of great evil are mortal sins-which bring the dire consequence of going to hell if unrepented for. In the bible a fear of God is clearly demanded, â€Å"The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them,† (Psalm 25:14) This states that in order to be a good Catholic, one must have a fear of God. This fear is instilled in Catholics from the moment they join the religion. They are told that in order to guarantee themselves eternal life they must have a personal covenant relationship with God. Part of this relationship includes following the rules of the religion to ensure a pathway to eternal life. Sin can also be viewed as anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and god. If one does not believe they will also receive consequences, â€Å"Hell will also punish the sin of those who reject Christ† (Matthew 13:41) So whether you believe or not, committing sins leads to the ultimate punishment. This fear of Hell keeps many Catholics from breaking their covenant with God. The Catholic Church holds great power over their followers. As its own arbiter, the Catholic Church accepts no authority as being higher than itself. In the mid 1960s, Mexico experienced a population growth that instantly became a problem. The increasing population added to social inequalities and put pressure on job creation and emigration. In â€Å"Latina Sexuality, Reproduction, and Fertility as a Threat to the Nation.†, author Leo Chavez explains the population boom in Mexico. Mexico’s high fertility rate was the result of an unusually pronatalist cultural tradition, which meant that Mexicans placed an abnormally high value on having children. Because of machismo and Marianosmo, the argument went, men are dominant and women were submissive, and having more children increase the social status of both. Motherhood is viewed as an essential purpose for a woman’s existence. (Chavez 535) These trends in procreation were very strong in the Mexican culture. The church had their own reaction to this population boom and in 1972 the Catholic Church called for reduced family size, and has promoted family planning clinics and education programs. This shows how the Catholic Church rules over everything, even things as uncontrollable as social trends. No matter where you go, you will always see some sort of solicitation about religion. It could be door to door solicitation, over the radio, on television, advertisements on billboards, or even on clothing. No t only is religion everywhere and impractical to avoid, most of the solicitation revolves around begging. More specifically, in the late 160Os, the brothers and mothers of the church would travel throughout the neighborhoods soliciting funds for their masses, sick comrades, and the like. In Nicole Von Germeten’s work called Black Blood Brothers: Confraternities and Social Mobility for Afro- Mexicans, she shows how public solicitation was a prominent feature of Afro-Mexican Catholicism during the seventeenth century, The comrades petitioned support on a large scale, dispatching numerous members to diverse locations consistently each week and on religious holidays. These initiatives proved remarkably lucrative. For instance, records for the Incarnation and Saint Biaises, a sizable seventeenth century Black confraternity of Valladolid, indicate that begging accounted for nearly all of the funding for the group’s activities. (Von Germeten, pp. 111) Their success is exceptional, which is common among the institutions, which points to the generosity of the colonists and to their respect for the organizations within the Catholic faith. The Mexican people were involved in the creation of the Catholic Church in Mexico from the beginning. They supported the church and provided the funds for the religion to grow within their cities and surroundings. Whether a house is small and rural or large and urban, crosses, rosaries, and small candles honoring Jesus or Our Lady of Guadalupe decorate most homes in Mexico. Icons such as these are mainly used for worship and have great significance to Catholics. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a recognized symbol for all Mexican Catholics and was used in the struggle for independence against the Spanish. â€Å"The most important icon of Mexican national culture is the Virgin of Guadalupe, which illustrates the pervasive influence of Roman Catholicism in the national culture. She is viewed as the â€Å"mother† of all Mexicans. The dark-skinned Virgin is the Mexican version of the Virgin Mary and as such represents national identity as the product of the mixing of European and Meso-American religions and peoples.† (everyculture) This icon represents Mexico as a whole and shows just how large an influence Catholicism has had on Mexico. With the display of icons such as the Lady of Guadalupe, the home becomes an expression of the religion of the family. There are about 5000-7000 churches in the entire country. Even in the Prehispanic Period, Mexican architecture focused mainly on places of worship including the pyramids and temples of the indigenous. Catholicism has found its way into the architecture of many cities in mexico including Mexico City. One of the most visited b uildings is The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the outskirts of Mexico City. This Church has become such a facet of Mexican Architecture that, according to The Catholic News Agency, even our former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has visited the shrine, â€Å"During her recent visit to Mexico, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made an unexpected stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers ‘on behalf of the American people,’†(CNA). This Catholic Church is a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe as well as a very popular tourist and religious attraction. The Shrine welcomes tens of thousands of visitors annually. Religion has integrated itself so deeply into Mexican architecture that most tourist attractions are religious based. The strength of the family unit is intertwined with the practice of religion and in the eyes of most Mexicans, family is valued greatly. Family is the essence of Mexican life. Most families are very closely knit and it is not unfamiliar to see three or more generations living together in the same household. But religion is what holds these families together so tightly. Country Facts points out how religion holds the Mexican family together, â€Å"The Mexican people are quite religious and they have important religious events the whole year round on which the families get together to celebrate. Amongst the important dates for the Mexican families are the 12th of December which is known as the Nuestra senora de Guadalupe. The 24th and 25th of December are important dates according to the Christian traditions.†(Country Facts 2) The biggest holidays for Mexican families are religion based. Families get together to celebrate their religion and also to celebrate their family. Religion and family go hand in hand in Mexico and these events are used to keep even extended family as closely knit as possible. Mexican families sometimes make pilgrimages to The Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe. A pilgrimage, defined by The Modern Catholic Dictionary, is a journey to a sacred place undertaken as an act of religious devotion. Its purpose may be simply to venerate a certain saint or ask some spiritual favor; beg for physical cure or perform an act of penance; express thanks or fulfill a promise. In The Houston Chronicle, journalist Dudley Althaus reports on Mexican pilgrimages, â€Å"tens of thousands of Mexico’s Roman Catholic faithful will travel narrow and hazardous two-lane highways through central Mexico’s cold highlands to the Basilica of The Virgin of Guadalupe.† (Althaus). Most who embark on this journey do not do so alone. Many families will make a pilgrimage together in order to prove their faithfulness or to ask for a blessing for the family. Families who make a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe do so for different reasons. The upper classes trave l out of tradition, and the poorer classes more likely do so for specific material requests for themselves or others. Prayer has played a vital role in religion for many years throughout history. Mexican families will often pray during meals or privately in their separate rooms before bed. A few reasons why they pray is because it is very relaxing, because they want to thank God, and some even pray solely because they want something. In the Catholic religion praying is crucial for a close, personal relationship with God. One Bible verse states: †Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened† (Matthew 7:7-8 NAB). Prayer has a positive impact on family unity and connectedness, which Mexicans are universally drawn to. This belief in prayer resounds in the heart of every Mexican, convinced that it is a source of strength and protection. Religion has impacted Mexican societies through their culture, their surroundings and architecture, and their families. Roman Catholicism was established as the dominant, but not official, religion of Mexico. Today, about 89% of Mexicans still identify themselves by this division of Christian religion. Throughout the world, the expansion of religion has significantly influenced the development of humanity in many different ways. WORKS CITED Baxamusa, Mufaddal H., and Abu Jalal. Does Religion Affect Capital Structure?. Rochester, Rochester:, 2013. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Carrigan, Henry. â€Å"Houses of God: Region, Religion, and Architecture in the United States.† Publishers Weekly 244.30 (1997): 67-. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Lorentzen, Lois Ann. â€Å"La Llorona’s Children: Religion, Life, and Death in the U.S.-Mexican Borderlands.† The Americas 62.3 (2006): 474-5. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. â€Å"THE ARTS: Diego Rivera; Art and Revolution; Cleveland Museum of Art Premieres Retrospective.† The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Jun 18 1999: 6-. ProQuest. Web. 10 Apr. 2013 . Ramirez, Margaret. 2000. RELIGION / Exploring issues, answers and beliefs. Los Angeles, Calif. Tribune Publishing Company LLC Von Germeten, Nicole. (2006a) Black Blood Brothers: Confraternities and Social Mobility for Afro-Mexicans. FL: University of Florida Press. â€Å"religion.† Dictionary.com Unabr idged. Random House, Inc. 17 Apr. 2013. .

JP Morgan Chase †Information Systems Business Case

JP Morgan Chase – Information Systems Business Case Free Online Research Papers Questions Task One The case study gives an overview of J.P Morgan Chase’s move back from outsourcing. Discuss their Information Technology and Information Systems Strategy in relation to their business requirements. Task Two From your own knowledge of System Theory and System Development practice, discuss methods, which might be used for developing new systems following the merger with Bank One. Task Three Effectiveness of the Information System for the organisation and its users should be considered. Introduction J.P Morgan Chase is a financial holding company. It is the second largest financial services firm in the United States. The firm operates in more than 50 countries. Its principal banking subsidiaries include J.P Morgan Chase Bank National Association, which is a national banking association with location in 17 states; and the Chase Bank USA, National Association. J.P Morgan Chase also operates a principle non-banking subsidiary, J.P Morgan Securities Inc., which is an investment-banking firm in the United States. The firm runs additional set of businesses including its Private Equity and Treasury Businesses, corporate support companies, leasing companies, e-commerce companies, and a host of other financial services businesses. In 2002 J.P Morgan Chase made a major strategic decision. The firm struck a deal with IBM to outsource a significant portion of its IT infrastructure. In September 2004 J.P Morgan cancelled the remainder of the outsourcing contract with IBM after only 21 months seem expected. J.P Morgan Chase’s decision to reverse its IT Strategy, â€Å"Back-sourcing† its information technology, was triggered by a merger with Bank One Corporation in July 2004. Analysts predict that J.P Morgan Chase would look offshore for outsourcing arrangements in the future but would follow a diverse multi-source model rather than agree to a mega deal with a single vendor. Information Technology and Information Systems Strategy All organisations operate within an environment that influences the way in which they conduct business. Strategy development is strongly influenced by considering the environment the business operates in. Environmental influences are broken down into two categories, firstly Microenvironment which is the immediate competitive environment, and the secondly the Macro-environment which is the wider environment. For Information Systems and Information Technology strategy, the most significant environmental influences are those of the immediate marketplace, which is shaped by the needs of the customers and how services are provided to them through competitors and intermediaries and via upstream suppliers. Information Systems have become essential for helping organisations deal with changes in the global economies and the business enterprise. Information Systems provide firms with communication and analytical tools for conducting trade and managing business on a global scale. Information Systems are the foundation of new knowledge based products and services in knowledge economies Such as J.P Morgan Chase and help firms manage their knowledge assets. Information Systems make it possible for businesses to adopt flatter, more decentralised structures and flexible arrangements of employees and management. Organisations are trying to become more competitive and efficient by transforming themselves into digital firms where nearly all core business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees are digitally enabled, just as J.P Morgan Chase tried to do. There are five main key management challenges in building and using Information Systems. The first is designing systems that are competitive and efficient. The second is understanding the system requirements of the global business environment. The third is creating an information architecture and IT infrastructure that supports the organisations goals. The fourth is determining the business value of Information Systems and the fifth is designing systems that people can control, understand, and use in a socially and ethically responsible manner. The Seven R’s Paul Lickert refers to seven modern management imperatives as the seven R’s. The seven R’s highlight how an organisation must compete by using Information Systems strategy to respond to its external environment. 1. Reach – IS/IT both allow global competition and is required to compete; organisations need information and the tools to process it to allow quick, accurate response, anytime and anywhere; global competition implies information networks and inter-organisational systems 2. Reaction – IS/IT is needed to access and interpret customer feedback. Ti can be used to keep track of customers, products and projects – it is particularly important to bring order to data to facilitate fast and accurate response to so that managers will be able to anticipate customer needs to be flexible and quickly developed. 3. Responsiveness – there needs to be a rapid movement of product ideas to the market. Organisations need IS/IT to help manage this process: efficiency and speed as well as accuracy and reliability are required and information needs to be relevant and well formatted. 4. Refinement – More customer sophistication means increased turbulence in the market, so more information and the tools to manage and manipulate it are needed. Customers are better at communicating precise requirements, which means that niche market appear, grow and disappear rapidly. As a result increased breadth of information is required to create and market products. Also, customers respond well to systems that respond well to them. 5. Reconfiguration – As business processes need to evolve and adapt to market needs, there is a big impact on information resource requirements needed for organisational learning. Complex work structures generate complex data, and management support systems are needed to help manage continually evolving work patterns and structures. Also new architectures allow decentralisation of IS/IT and greater customer responsiveness. 6. Redeployment – Rapid redeployment of resources is required to meet the customer’s needs. An Organisation needs to able to visualise complex arrangements for resources and models to manage them. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain detailed, relevant information on resources at all times and be able to redeploy them. Information itself has become a competitive resource, as well as allowing more control over other resources. 7. Reputation – IS/IT can be used to support product development, testing, marketing and customer post-sale service. It can also help to reduce the gap between expectation and performance. Organisations need to enhance the quality and reliability of the product, and the Information Systems can help in such areas as quality benchmarks, measurement and group-based control techniques. There are four tools used to provide a firm foundation for further analysis of the IS/IT strategies. Each tool examines in the context of the way in which it can be used to help derive an IS Strategy that is an integral part of an organisation’s business strategy. 1. Porter and Miller’s Five Force Model Porter and Miller’s five-force model is a model for analysing the different external competitive forces that affect an organisation and how information can be used to counter them. These five forces can exert a profound influence on how business is conducted. If the model is to be used successfully, it will require a thorough analysis of the industry under consideration. Of itself, the resulting information will not automatically generate a business strategy for the organisation. However, it will create a vivid picture of the market environments within which the organisation is operating and provide some pointers towards avenues of further investigation. The five forces are: Rivalry between existing competitors. Threats of new entrants. Threats of substitutes. Power of the Buyers. Power of the suppliers. The value of this model is that it encourages an organisation to look inside itself in the context of the external environment. Porter and Miller’s Five-Force Model 2. Porter’s Competitive Strategies Related to his work on the five forces, Porter proposed three different competitive strategies that could be used to counter these forces, of which the organisation may be able to adopt one. Once a competitive strategy has been identified, all marketing efforts can be applied to achieving this and IS can help support the aim. The three competitive strategies are: Overall Cost Leadership – Firm aims to become the lowest-cost producer industry Differentiation – creates a product perceived industry-wide as being unique. Focus or Niche – This involves identifying and serving a target segment very well There is also a possible undesirable outcome: Stuck in the middle – the firm is unable to adopt any of the above approaches arid, therefore, it is ultimately at the mercy of competitors that are able to offer these approaches. 3. Value Chain Analysis This is an analytical framework of decomposing an organization into its individual activities and determining the value added at each stage. In this way, the organization can assess how effectively resources are being used at the various points on the value chain. Value chain analysis makes a distinction between primary activities, which contributes directly to getting goods and services closer to the customer and support activities to take place. Primary activities can be broken down into five areas: Inbound Logistics Outbound Logistics Operations Marketing and sales Service Secondary activities fall into four categories: Corporate administration and infrastructure Human resource management Technology development Procurement It is probably easier to see how IS can be applied within this model than in the five forces model. 4. Critical Success Factor Critical Success Factors are measures that indicate the performance or efficiency of different parts of the organization. Good performance of processes measured by these factors is vital to the business unit or organization. This technique is one of the most useful for an organization in pinpointing what is its precise information needs. Critical Success Factors will exist in every functional area of the business and they indicate those things, which must be done right if that functional area is particular, and the organization as a whole are to flourish. Critical Success Factors will also relate to the level within each functional area. Once the Critical Success Factors have been determined across process and hierarchical levels, it is possible to consider the key decisions that have to be made if those Critical Success Factors are to be achieved. Systems Theory Systems Development Practices There are nine principles of the dynamic systems development methodology. 1. Active user involvement is imperative 2. DSDM teams must be empowered to make decisions 3. The focus is on the frequent delivery of products 4. Fitness for business purpose is the essential criterion for acceptance of deliverables 5. Iterative and incremental development is necessary to converge on an accurate business solution 6. All changes during development are reversible 7. Requirements are baseline at a high level 8. Testing is integrated throughout the life cycle 9. A collaborative and cooperative approach between all stakeholders is essential SSASM and the Waterfall Model Although complex, SSDAM as a methodology only covers part of the system development process, as the name of methodology suggest, the emphasis is on the analysis and design. However, given the importance of having system requirements determined correctly before further developments take place, this is perhaps understandable. The attention is now turned on what the traditionalists would regard as very antithesis of a proper structure of methodology that is rapid application development. The traditional waterfall or SDCL model as described previously was discussed in the context of a system that acquired using a bespoke development approach. For Package software, that application of the SDCL stages would be: Initiation Feasibility Analysis Design Build Implementation/changeover Maintenance and review The RAD Approach Avison and Fitzgerald (2002) outlined and approach to rapid application development, which embraces many of the principles outlined in the principles of the dynamic systems. For them, the RAD approach: Is based on evolutionary prototyping rather than the traditional lifecycle approach It identifies key users and involves them in workshops at the early stages of development It obtains commitment from the business users It requires the use of CASE (computer-aided software engineering) tools for system building. Typical RAD activities include: Joint requirements planning (JRP) to determine high level management requirements Joint application design (JAD) using prototyping tools to explore processes, interface, screens, reports, dialogues, etc., which are then developed and modelled using entity modelling, dataflow diagrams, action diagrams and function decomposition diagrams Transformation of user design and code generation, often with the assistance of CASE tools A cut over phase involving more testing, functional level training, training for organisational change and adaptation, conversion, parallel running and, finally, live running. The result of the rapid application development approach should be new information systems that more closely meet the requirements of the intended users, not least because the requirements will not have changed significantly over a relatively short development timescale. For this reason I would recommend that J.P Morgan Chase use the RAD Approach to develop new systems following the merger with Bank One. Effectiveness of Information Systems Abrupt changes in the economic environment are forcing businesses to absorb and integrate new ways of delivering value to their customers. The opening of new markets, the increase in globalization, and the growth in cross-border mergers and acquisitions have focused the attention of many companies on how best to deliver their products and services across a complex network of suppliers, manufacturers, and intermediaries. Greater differentiation of products and services through an emphasis on customer service combined with the emergence of new technology has provided an incentive for many companies to rethink their business models. At the same time, many companies are recognizing that, in order to provide global reach and local responsiveness, the traditional vertically integrated business model requires re-evaluation. To meet these growing challenges, more and more companies are looking to co-operate with their supply chain partners. In order to gain supply chain efficiencies, companies need to exchange large amounts of planning and operational data, ranging from information for annual contracts and periodic progress reporting to real-time delivery and invoicing data. The emergence of the Internet and new software applications has provided an opportunity for some companies to move towards an extended enterprise business model-one that enhances value across traditional corporate boundaries. To support the transfer of information between supply chain partners there is a requirement to utilize technology in an effective way. But in the last decade, business information systems development has focused on internal process integration of traditional functions, such as sales, production, and materials management. The prime driver of this trend has been the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP R/3, Baan, and Oracle. Managing Treats In general terms, threats to information systems can be managed using basic approaches and techniques: Firewalls – Firewalls act as a barrier between an information system and the Internet. The software attempts to monitor and control all incoming and out going traffic in an attempt to prevent outsiders gaining access to the information system. Intrusion detection software – this type of software monitors activity on the network in order to identify intruders. Typically the software will look for characteristic patterns of behaviour that might identify the fact that someone has gained assess to the network AI software – many organisations have begun to develop applications that use artificial intelligence in order to detect intrusion attempts or unusual activity that might indicate a breach in security. Bibliography Bakos, J. Yannis, Dependent Variables for the Study of Firm and Industry Level Impacts of Information Systems, Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Information Systems, 1995 pp. 10-23 Barki, H and S.L. Huff, Implementing Decision Support Systems: Correlated of User Satisfaction and System Usage, INFOR, Vol. 28 No. 2, May 1990, pp. 89-101 Crowston, Kevin and Michael E. Treacy, Assessing the Impact of Information Technology on Enterprise Level Performance, Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Information Systems, 1986, pp. 299-310 Hirschheim, Rudy and Heinz K. Klein, Four Paradigms of Information System Development, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 32 No. 10, October 1989, pp. 1199-1215 From Adam Smith to Michael Porter: Evolution of Competitiveness Theory Page 212 by Dong-Sung Cho, Hwy-Chang Moon, Tong-Song Cho Making Good in Business 1921 Page 2 by Roger W Babson 2003 176 pages Marketing Insights from A to Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs to Know Page 21 by Philip Kotler Business Information Systems By Paul Bocij, Dave Chaffey, Andrew Greasley Simon Hickie. Research Papers on JP Morgan Chase - Information Systems Business CaseThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andStandardized Testing

Should You Become a Special Education Teacher

Should You Become a Special Education Teacher Are you ready for a very demanding, challenging yet very worthwhile and rewarding career? 10 Questions 1. Do you enjoy working with children with special needs? Are you committed to helping those in need achieve their potential?Some of the types of disabilities youll be working with include: learning disabilities, speech or language impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbance (behavioral, mental FAS etc.), multiple disabilities, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, visual impairments, autism (autism spectrum), combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injury, and other health impairments. 2. Do you have the required certification? Certification/licenses to qualify you to teach?Special education certification will differ according to educational jurisdiction. North American Qualification 3. Do you have endless patience?I spent many months working with a child with Cerebral Palsy with the main goal being achieving a yes/no response. After months of working on this, it was achieved and she would raise her hand for yes and shake her head for no. These kinds of things are often just taken for granted, this was a very big learning leap for this child and made the world of difference. It took endless patience. 4. Do you enjoy teaching life skills and basic literacy/numeracy?Basic life skills overview here. 5. Are you comfortable doing the ongoing and what seems like endless paperwork required? IEPs, curricular modifications, referrals, progress reports, committee notes, community liaison forms/notes etc. 6. Do you enjoy assistive technology? There are more and more assistive devices available to students with special needs, you will be on a continuous learning curve to learn about the technologies available to students. 7. Are you comfortable with the inclusive model and teaching in a variety of settings? More and more special educators are supporting special needs student within the regular classroom. Sometimes, teaching in special education could mean having a small class of all life skills students or a class with students with autism. In some cases, there will be a variety of setting from small rooms for withdrawal combined with special and the inclusive classroom. 8. Are you able to handle stress?Some special educators burn out easily due to the additional stress levels caused by heavy workloads, administrative tasks and very difficult to handle students. 9. Are you able to develop good working relationships with a wide range of professionals, community service agents, and families? It is important to be empathetic and very understanding when working with the many individuals involved in the students behalf. The key to success is often a direct result of having exceptional relationships at all levels. You need to feel that you have a very strong ability to work as part of a team in a cooperative and collaborative manner. 10. The Bottom Line: You need to feel very strongly about your ability to impact the future of children with disabilities. If your main personal goal is to have a positive impact and to make a positive difference in the lives of children with disabilities this may well be the profession for you. It takes a special teacher to become a special education teacher.

25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals

25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals 25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals 25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals By Mark Nichol You probably know a preposition a word that shows a relationship between two words or phrases by demonstrating place, time, or another quality when you see it, but that’s grammar. What about usage? Which prepositions go with a given verb or adjective, and when? Some choices are no-brainers, but others can present a challenge. Here’s a guide to various words that require writers to choose from more than one preposition depending on meaning and sentence construction: 1. Abide â€Å"with us for a while,† â€Å"by the rules† (or â€Å"I can’t abide him†). 2. Answer â€Å"to him for what you’ve done,† â€Å"for what you’ve done.† 3. Caution â€Å"about unsafe conditions,† â€Å"against the rash proposal.† 4. Compare â€Å"with other products that make the same claims,† â€Å"apples to oranges.† 5. Confide â€Å"in her about my problems,† â€Å"to him what I really think.† 6. Conversant â€Å"about climate change,† â€Å"in several languages,† â€Å"with aspects of technology.† 7. Differ â€Å"from other species in their diet,† â€Å"with them about the cause of the company’s failure,† or â€Å"about public policy,† â€Å"on public policy,† or â€Å"over public policy.† 8. Different â€Å"from what he was used to,† â€Å"than he was used to.† From is the preferred usage, but than substitutes for â€Å"from what.† (â€Å"Different to† is a Britishism.) 9. Dissent â€Å"against the status quo,† â€Å"from the majority opinion.† (To or with are not considered standard usage.) 10. Dissimilar â€Å"to her previous sculpture.† (From is considered incorrect.) 11. Enamored â€Å"of every woman he meets.† (With is considered incorrect.) 12. Equivalent â€Å"in amounts,† â€Å"to the earlier result.† (With is not considered standard usage.) 13. Excerpt â€Å"from their book was reprinted without their permission.† (Of is considered incorrect.) 14. Forbid â€Å"him from attending,† â€Å"him to attend.† (To is considered the more correct of the two choices.) 15. Identical â€Å"to the one she saw yesterday,† â€Å"with the one she saw yesterday.† (Language purists consider with more correct, but use of to is significantly more common.) 16. Independent â€Å"of the group, he protested the plan.† (From, as in â€Å"Independent from her family,† is considered incorrect.) 17. Instilled â€Å"instilled a few drops of the solution into the wound,† â€Å"in him a drive to succeed.† (With, as in â€Å"Instilled with a drive to succeed,† is considered incorrect.) 18. Oblivious â€Å"of the warning signs,† â€Å"to the noise†; the choices are often interchangeable. (About is often used in association with oblivious, but it’s not considered standard usage.) 19. Vexed â€Å"about her behavior,† â€Å"at her behavior.† The correct preposition to use with the following words depends on whether the object is a person or a thing: 20. Comment â€Å"about her† or â€Å"to you about what happened,† but â€Å"on the issue.† 21. Impatient â€Å"with him,† but â€Å"about the delay,† â€Å"at the delay,† or â€Å"with the delay.† 22. Inquired â€Å"of him where he was going† and â€Å"after her whereabouts,† but â€Å"into their progress† or â€Å"about the vacant apartment.† 23. Mastery â€Å"over all other competitors,† but â€Å"of the skill.† 24. Reconcile â€Å"with her boyfriend,† but â€Å"to the loss of her boyfriend.† 25. Succeed â€Å"as a businessperson,† but â€Å"to the position.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?36 Poetry TermsThe 7 Types of Possessive Case

RESPONSE Waiting for Superman Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

RESPONSE Waiting for Superman - Movie Review Example Key Idea from the movie In America child education system is set to be depended on fund raisers, which proves to be quite unsuccessful sometimes. The American slogan† no child left behind’ has become contemptuous hitting line. Its shame, other countries education system is out ranking the ever-famed American system. The movie â€Å"Waiting for Superman†1 portrays the school life of five ambitious though poor kids namely; Bianca, Emily, Anthony, Daisy, and Francisco studying in charter school. All deserve better in life and are capable of achieving their respective goals. Guggenheim  tries to show how the current system is hindering their progress rather than boosting. An important feature appeasing me is the director’s aim in developing ‘education system-renewal’ ideas in viewers mind.In the film as all have proven results of success, they are assaulted with applications, and the families have to submit to a abashing lottery system2. As winni ng names are called, I am filled with sympathy to the point—a child’s future shouldn’t hang on so primordial a process. It is inferred that a good –education necessarily doesn’t essentially calls for a high social status. We should visualize faces of children whose entire future is claimed on our incapability to change the education system. The stunning attack of September 11 in New York has put forward few implications about the Arab Education system3.

How does the quality of mentors reflect on student nurses grade on Essay

How does the quality of mentors reflect on student nurses grade on placement - Essay Example A mentee can even make the decision to work on an ability, during placement, that his or her mentor has identified as a personal strength even though the mentee may not completely believe this; thus improving his or her overall marketability. Research Question: How does the quality of Mentors reflect on nursing students grades on placement? Introduction In nursing, mentoring can be said to be a part of the ‘helping process’ that allows student nurses to benefit from the experience of the more practiced nurses. Mentoring allows the structural, insightful, and intentional learning which takes place in different stages. The mentor is expected to account for his or her own as well as the mentee’s experience. The professional student nurse mentor will help the student nurse to realize her potential and demonstrate how best to put theoretical issues into practice. The professional student nurse also plays a big part in determining their placements. They can establish le arning contracts for their mentees which help the student nurses to learn about how to participate in projects. Rationale Mentoring is the prime example of self-directed learning. It basically calls for a mentor and mentee to take responsibility for all the learning processes that are necessary (Carter, Hudyma, and Horrigan 2010). In most professions, including nursing, the recognized codes of ethics stress the tradition and professional requirement of passing to new learners the skills and abilities that they require in order to be competent. In a mentoring relationship between a student nurse and a certified medical practitioner is mutually defined and shared (Kenyon and Peckover 2008). Moreover, the mentor’s character plays an important part in influencing the student nurse’s selection of placement choice as well as future career. Through the study of the importance of mentorship qualities, mentors will be able to recognize the effect that their behaviors have on th eir mentees (Young and Curzio 2007). This study will also give suggestions on how mentors can alter their approaches towards student nurses so as to avail intervention strategies that will help the mentees to make more informed decisions in future. For many students to benefit the most from mentoring relationships, mentors must be able to understand when they do not make the best decisions for the situations they are in (Harwood, Reimer-Kirkham, Sawatzky, Terblanche, and Van Hofwegen 2009). They must also be able to recognize what other options they have in terms of their dealing with difficult situations, and the effects that will materialize in mentees if their behavior impacts on student nurses in a negative way (Sedgwick and Yonge 2009). Background Research studies conducted by specialists have shown that mentors play a significant role in the lives of student nurses. In addition, the individual qualities of the mentor can greatly affect how a student nurse responds to his or he r placement. For example, mentors who hold the view that supervising a student nurse’s placement is a privilege for them tend to have more influence on their mentees (Jokelainen, Jamookeeah, Tossavainen and Turunen, 2013). Understanding mentors will also seek to make sure that their student nurses acquire the required clinical skills that are required

Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Corporate Finance - Essay Example The alternative to the CAPM has been proposed by Ross in 1976. CAPM fails to deliver the desired outcome due to its impractical assumptions. For example, it has been assumed that all the investors share the same kind of information and possess the same amount of information. It may not be feasible in the real market scenario. Moreover, Fama and French (2006) argued that identifying and estimating the market return (Rm) is quite a difficult task. Thus, a different form of pricing model has been proposed named as Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). In APT, the pricing of the equity has been derived based on the number of systematic factors. The model exposes that a set of common factors stimulate the outcomes of the market. Moreover, this model also highlights the fact that stocks of the same industry tend to move together. The presence of the multiple factors has complicated the CAPM and also narrows down its scope. In APT approach, the values of the assets are evaluated based on the law of one price and no arbitrage. The model can be considered as a multi-factor model. APT is derived from a statistical model. However, CAPM can be treated as an equilibrium asset pricing model (Fama and French, 2004). The assumptions like the equal expectation of the investors are not considered in APT. According to Grammig and Schrimpf (2009), the APT model is more reasonable compared to the CAPM, as the former considers the lesser amount of assumptions. The assumptions of the APT model are as follows.

Reflections on the Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflections on the Environment - Research Paper Example And, its impacts have far-reaching consequences and possess a possibility to exterminate the biological existence from the planet earth. The author maintains that the global climate change is and will be impacting on the water resources and environment both at the local and regional level, and at the global level as well. This will affect the entire population as well as the magnitude of the droughts, floods will be highly increased; in addition to that, the aggregate sea levels will not remain the same but will rise posing an imminent threat to the coastal cities and areas of world; and, it will require relocation of people living nearby seas. In this regard, I support the view that we need to take certain steps reducing the carbon footprint and other activities spreading pollution and damaging the ecological system. I personally believe that my contribution will not be enough however, that does not mean I should not be doing anything about the ecological system and climate change; but, the steps such as the implementation of going green, meaning encouraging forestation, plantation, responsible living, and maximum efforts must be put in practice towards minimizing the causes that are generating the pollution and exacerbate the problem of the climate change. Entry 3: News Article Source: Mark, Kinver. 2012. â€Å"Accumulating ‘micro-plastic’ threat to shores.† BBC News Science & Environment, January 27. Accessed January 27 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16709045 Word count: 221 Microscopic plastic debris from the process of washing clothes is amassing in the marine environment and it could be entering into the food chain (Kinver, 2012). The British Broad Casting... The researcher of this essay aims to analyze a lot of environmental challenges. The climate change has become a major issue affecting each and everything living or existing on this planet earth. And, its impacts have far-reaching consequences and possess a possibility to exterminate the biological existence from the planet earth. Microscopic plastic debris from the process of washing clothes is amassing in the marine environment and it could be entering into the food chain. The number of species of animals, microorganisms, plants and the substantial diversity of genes in these species and a variety of ecosystems on this planet such as rainforests, deserts, coral reefs; are aggregately identified as the components of the biologically diverse earth. The biodiversity supplements ecosystem productivity where each species, regardless of its size and structure and role for the diversity, have to play its part in maintaining the smooth functioning of the ecosystems on this planet. Tam Hunt speaks in the favor of the electric vehicles in responding to the article by John Peterson arguing that electric vehicles will take us backward in our efforts reducing the greenhouse gas emissions. In order to support his point of view, Hunt indicates that the mentioned figure in the blog posit ‘low carbon scenario’ of 200 g/CO2 in the aggregate electricity sector; in addition to that, electric vehicles would diminish about half the emissions of hybrid cards.

Individual Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Individual Report - Essay Example The article focuses on the importance of an organization’s workforce in marketing strategy. The author touches on general marketing concepts covered by great authors such as Kotler and Levitt and builds upon them with relation to the human resources of an organization. In the academic context, the article is a practical approach to internal marketing and covers the concept of including the 5th P in the marketing mix. From an industrial context, the theoretical concepts covered stress the implementation of these concepts in the industry. The author reiterates the importance of refraining from platitudes and instilling the value of employees with regards to customer service at all levels of the organization. From a scholarly point of view, the article builds on attempts to include people power by authors such as Parkinson (1988), Gross et al. (1993), Rafiq and Ahmed (2000) and Judd himself in 1987 and 2001. The difference between this article and others is that it focuses on peo ple power as an integral part of the marketing mix over all sectors in an economy whereas other articles focused on its role in specific industries or the importance of employees in internal marketing. An organization needs customers to survive and be profitable and customers are looking for value. Marketing persuades the customer that value is to be found in a specific organization’s product or service thus an organization has two main marketing objectives which are to satisfy customers and to provide customers with a differentiated product that holds value for them. An introduction of marketing mix in the article explains that it is the combination of price, promotion, placement and most importantly product that an organization develops to attract and satisfy customers. The marketing mix elements must provide an offering that holds value for customers and substantially differentiates the offering from competitors. According to Levitt (1986), marketing is basically

Salvador Dali and Surrealism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Salvador Dali and Surrealism - Research Paper Example The paper "Salvador Dali and Surrealism" highlights the meaning of Salvador Dali's art and his influence in surrealism. Salvador Dali is one of the greatest abstract artists of all periods. The Persistence of Memory is considered as the masterpiece of Salvador Dali. Salvador Dali is a well known Surrealist artist. Surrealism is a typical artistic movement that made researchers, thinkers and artists explore the expression of the unconscious. Surrealism attempted to establish a new social order, giving a new definition for mankind. Surrealism is an artistic style and a cultural movement. It makes use of the visual imagery hidden in the subconscious mind to prepare art works that is not associated with logical comprehensibility. Surrealism is related to the psychoanalytical works of Sigmund Freud and Jung. Giorgio de Chirico, Renà © Magritte and Man Ray are few of the famous artists who were part of the Surrealist movement. Salvador Dali is the advocate of Surrealism. His works like Th e Persistence of Time and Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening are typical examples of his works. The Persistence of Time is a celebrated painting of Salvador Dali. This seminal work of surrealistic art was created by Dali in 1931. The Persistence of Time is deemed as one of the most recognizable icon of the Surrealist movement. This painting is an excellent exhibition of the artist’s deep thoughts on hardness and softness, which was the topic of his works during those periods.

Individual Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Individual Report - Essay Example The article focuses on the importance of an organization’s workforce in marketing strategy. The author touches on general marketing concepts covered by great authors such as Kotler and Levitt and builds upon them with relation to the human resources of an organization. In the academic context, the article is a practical approach to internal marketing and covers the concept of including the 5th P in the marketing mix. From an industrial context, the theoretical concepts covered stress the implementation of these concepts in the industry. The author reiterates the importance of refraining from platitudes and instilling the value of employees with regards to customer service at all levels of the organization. From a scholarly point of view, the article builds on attempts to include people power by authors such as Parkinson (1988), Gross et al. (1993), Rafiq and Ahmed (2000) and Judd himself in 1987 and 2001. The difference between this article and others is that it focuses on peo ple power as an integral part of the marketing mix over all sectors in an economy whereas other articles focused on its role in specific industries or the importance of employees in internal marketing. An organization needs customers to survive and be profitable and customers are looking for value. Marketing persuades the customer that value is to be found in a specific organization’s product or service thus an organization has two main marketing objectives which are to satisfy customers and to provide customers with a differentiated product that holds value for them. An introduction of marketing mix in the article explains that it is the combination of price, promotion, placement and most importantly product that an organization develops to attract and satisfy customers. The marketing mix elements must provide an offering that holds value for customers and substantially differentiates the offering from competitors. According to Levitt (1986), marketing is basically

Water Based Fire Protection System Essay Example for Free

Water Based Fire Protection System Essay Water based fire protection system is the system which is designed to control fire, protect life of people, to minimize damages of materials and infrastructure in more effective manner. A considerable improvement has been made in this system to increase the efficiency of the system and to provide increased fire protection benefit. Numbers of deficiencies are identified in this system in form of reliability, tank storage flow capacity and hydrant spacing. To develop fire protection system in effective manner engineer services are hired in form of consulting, research and development, education, manufacturing and enforcement of facilities management. These engineers basically conduct fire research to known the exact effect of the innovative product or initiative on the fire system. During their research emphasis is made on four areas such as to involve risk analysis in fire protection design to obtain desired result. To conduct research in those areas where the emission of heat is higher and to translate ideas into model to implement it to get the desired result. They also give more emphasis on the understanding of human behavior to predict better on reaction of people to fire cues, smokes and alarms and also on availability of data to obtain more accurate figure, more cost effective designs, increased reliability and a better understanding of financial losses and the cost of improvement in fire protection system. The above research helps the engineers to make evolutionary improvements and to create advance developments in the fire protection system as the situation required. Historical and Evolutionary Improvements in Water based Fire Protection Systems Fire protection system that is incomplete, inadequate or absent or full of deficiencies is not capable of to control fire in best manner. For e. g. sprinkler system installed improperly or lacked water, fire alarms and smoke detractor not in proper condition, improper fire doors etc. These above problems can be solved by installing sprinklers throughout the complex, by adopting fire safety emergency escape route. As a result of this safety of members, staffs, visitors, buildings and life can be possible. It is recommended that proper investigation of all the machinery and fire protection surveys reports to be made on regular interval to ascertain the deficiency involve in the Water based fire protection system and thereby to remove them. The National Fire Protection Association is the sole national organization which develops and lay down standards, measures and steps mandatory required for the fire protection system for the protection of individuals and property from the dangers of fire. This Association helps the fire protection system to remain update with current technology and aware those with the recent improvements required therein. It is made compulsory provision to incorporate audit committee in every fire protection system to check whether the requirements of fire codes and regulations have been properly complied to ensure safety. It is also recommended to hire the service of capita police under the fire protection system to easily control over fire at anywhere. Their 24 hours on site presence play an important role in to control fire of uncontrolled nature. In recent years the need to prevent loss of aircraft damaged by guns and missiles is that to develop fire extinguishing system in the aircraft. In ships, on the other hand to cope with accidental fires, it is necessary to develop more effective fire extinguishing systems. The sprinkler, which was introduced more than 100 years ago, has developed incrementally, and advancements have been made more evolutionary and revolutionary. But the recent sprinklers which have been developed are designed to effectively fight fires in specific fire hazards and to make more efficient use of water. New sprinklers have been developed in the last several years for storage fire risk. The other technology which is emerge in recent years is the introduction of mist technology which is intermingled with work conducted on water spraying systems and sprinkler system. This system was earlier involve in fire control but did not prove to be so much effective due to the variety of pressures, agents, atomization techniques and nozzle configuration. So for its proper implementation need is require to conduct full scale fire testing for each application for which water systems could be applied. The main problem lies with the installation of this system in control of fire is that it is very costly to design, develop, and evaluate. There are three main advantages of water mist system over conventional fire protection systems. The very first advantage is the ability of water mist systems to perform fire extinguishment, suppression or control with far less water than the traditional system. The other advantage is its ability ton effectively cool the protected space. It has been generally seen that during or after water discharge the temperature of the product as well as environment reduced significantly. The last but not the least advantage is its ability to provide smoke scrubbing system which helps to efficiently remove the smoke from the environment that will lead to more clear surrounding. According to USFA (United States Fire Administration) analysis, United states and Canada are most prone to fire death among all industrialized nations. Till date, the fire problem in America was as severe as it was 30 years ago (Principal Findings and Recommendations). However, as a result of recent improvements fires are down by 21 percent per capita, there is reduction in deaths and injuries by 27 percent, adjustment of dollar loss is 28 percent. In 1975, when USFA was established, the approximate fire death were 12000 and the objective was to reduce deaths by 50 percent within 25 years. The goal was achieved by increased use of smoke alarms; there is significant decrease in the number of fires and death cases over past two decades. The greater use of sprinkler system, better code enforcement of fire and smoke-resistant construction methods, and newer fire rated construction materials has led to noticeable control over the fire death rates. Instead of making so much progress in the past decade, the United States is still having one of the highest per-capita fire death rates in the world. Here, the question arises, whether changes in the new building codes will set the United States back by a decade? Will over reliance on sprinklers and elimination of fire rated construction eliminate many of the gains that have been achieved over the past 30 years? This has led to a strong controversy on the subject of balancing active (sprinklers) and passive (fire and smoke-resistant construction) elements in fire protection, building design, and construction interests over the past several years. As a result of required changes in construction, as defined in the new International Building Code (IBC) 2000 and the new National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 5000 building codes, this issue has came into existence. How Codes have Changed and have been Implemented given these Improvements Over the past 30 years, the three national model building codes are incorporated with the increased use of sprinklers while the requirements for fire-resistant components such as walls, floors beams, trusses, girders, dampers, doors, cables and columns, concrete, fireproofing, fire duct wrap, firestop systems, fire rated glazing, and fire rated wall and ceiling boards are reduced. These components and materials are very useful in controlling the spread of fire, limit the damage to a burning building and surrounding structures, and allow sufficient time for occupants to escape and firefighters to do their work before the structure collapses. The two types of building codes are †¢ IBC 2000 It consists of three regional codes- BOCAI (Building Officials and Code Administrators International), SBCCI (Southern Building Code Congress International) and ICBO (International Conference of Building Officials). These codes are merged to produce a new code which represents an overall reduction in standards levels and thus in life-safety effectiveness. Significant differences in the fire protection effectiveness among areas of United States have been recorded due to difference in building code requirements, demographics, and public awareness of fire and smoke hazards. For example, less restrictive areas such as South and North east suffered greater loss of life as compared to regions such as California, where higher standards have been in force. These code differences has led to estimation of allowable height and area tables for building spaces and required mix of active and fire-resistant construction. †¢ IBC/NFPA 5000 The introduction of this code not only comprises to less restrictive provisions but also relax certain requirements: Earlier, BOCA National Building Code allowed only certain buildings with sprinklers to be constructed with no area restrictions or â€Å"fire-ratings† till one storey height. However, under IBC and NFPA 5000, the buildings can be two storeys high and need not be fire rated. The SBCCI Standard Building Code proposed that firewalls should have four-hour fire-resistance rating. With the incorporation of new codes, the fire ratings have reduced to two or three hour as per building occupancy and use. The ICBO Uniform Building Code allowed buildings to have sprinklers either to increase the allowable height or allowable area of building, but not both simultaneously. However, IBC and NFPA 5000 allowed both without increase in fire-resistant construction. The revised code has reduced the cost of new commercial construction by 2 to 3 percent because of significant increase to height and area tables and reductions in fire-resistant construction requirements. Increased reliance on sprinkler system is responsible for less-restrictive construction regulations and fire-resistant construction requirements. Projections for Future Trends and Expectations: Number of projections and planning is made in the coming years to increase the efficiency of the system which most suitable to future situation. The mission of water based fire protection industry is to preserve and enhance the quality of life through professional, highly trained, well equipped organization which delivers quality life suppression, prevention, education, emergency medical service, explosive ordnance disposal, rescue and other services. A noticeable increase in fire stations and apparatus is made at those places were chances of fire is more. The numbers of trained staff have increase to provide quick customer service. Currently fire stations are staffed with three personnel; a captain, engineer and a fire fighter who provides immediate life support. Providing training to as many as people and to include it as a subject in the course study to create the interest. The fire station were remodeled which are three person engine company. The priorities of fire protection system is to quickly response at emergency times, to provide training to personnel, to prevent fire, public education and development of public relations, to prepare pre-incident planning and to provide all the needed facilities of apparatus and equipment maintenance. A new system to collect data related to fire incident is constituted called as National Fire operating System (NFRS). In recent years more emphasis is given on the development of fire fighting strategy tactics, on aggressive interior attack, emphasis on primary and secondary rescue operations to increase the efficiency of each individual. The new program is also set up to measure the level of fitness of employees and to ensure that employees can perform their duties in healthy and safe manner, and to reduce job related injures. A rescue list will be available to common people to utilize the service in case of need and to provide service beyond normal expectations. Numbers of safety surveys are conducted at business places, education centers, service organizations and other public places to minimize the risk of fire and in return to provide a safe place to live. References: Reffered to sites: 1. http://www. pbcsd. org/reports/reviews/WaterSytemReview102706. pdf/Memorandum. 2. http://www. sfpe. org/upload/sfpe_research_agenda.pdf/The society of fire protection engineers. 3. http://www. facilitiesnet. com/ms/article. asp? id=4270keywords=fire%20protection,%20fire%20inspections. Keeping Fire Protection Systems from Going Bad: Developing a Maintenance Program By Lynn Proctor windle 4. http://www. fireengineering. com/articles/article_display. html? id=196217 CLARIFYING THE ISSUE OF FIRE PROTECTION BALANCE Richard R. Licht BY RICHARD R. LICHT 5. http://www. tahoefire. com/StrategicPlan2004. pdf PLAN REVIEW PROCESS