buy custom Factors that Influence Military Innovation essay

buy custom Factors that Influence Military Innovation essay Just within the scope of this particular research, the paper analyses factors other than technology that tend to impact on military innovation. The particular argument highlights various factors that are actually very important when it is a question of application of some given strategies to ensure innovation within the military force. Just to mention a few, there are the changes in a given military structure, competition among different nations and also consequences due to a war in a particular society, and this is with regard to the periods of 1st and 2nd world wars. The modern social scientists have ensured a number of that examine the exact origin of the so called disruptive innovations. However, when considering the literature as pertains to military innovations is quite vast, each and every models that is put into operation is normally taken from some two larger theoretical perspectives, the theory about balance of power and then the organizational theory. In an attempt to explore more about the military innovations, various schools may be discussed. The first that was represented by Barry Posen tries to comprehend innovation just as it is related to the key changes in the international balance of power and the existing competition between the nations. When considering this particular structural realistic perspective, Posen makes an attempt to pinpoint the most notorious external threat and civilian intervention as the most effective determinants that lead to innovation. In trying to shape up the argument that the existing competition between given nations normally has a greater explanatory power as compared to the organizational theory, Posen alleges that a states ability to innovate may be termed as its security information function. Considering that states behave rationally, in order to counter the ill-effects due to insecurity, they tend to either acquire allies or even the internal balance-by ensuring strengthened militaries. The times when the security threats go low, civilian leaders tend to be satisfied with the incremental improvement. However when the threats go high, so are the tied up incentives in way for achievement of disruptive innovation. Posen gives the Germanys Blitzkrieg developmnt during the 1930s as a good example. He suggested that civilian intervention leads to military innovation either directly or indirectly. This is through officers Posen refers to as mavericks. The mavericks normally produce civilians having the military expertise they do not have and at the same time having an insider who has the ability to steer the organization up to the given required innovation trajectory. Generally, predictions by the Posens model are that in order to ensure that there is motivation of the civilian leaders to get included either directly or indirectly using the military mavericks as the major proxies and hence force the military department to instantly change; nations must get subjected to competition between one another. Apparently when the security threats are relatively low, the civilian leaders tend to be satisfied with the incremental improvements. There was another school by Steve Rosen, which makes an attempt to comprehend innovation through the examination of variations within the military structure. Considering the organizational theory, Rosen alleges that military organizations are in a position to innovate on their own. He views the impetus for reformation as originating from within, owing to the variations within the military structure, besides positing that besides civilian intervention that is not required, also that is generally also counts. According to him, military organizations are normally stimulated by the particular variations noticeable within the environment. He however believes that the origin associated with innovation is when branches belonging to the same service vie to become their given services main security guarantor. Overlapping of their capabilities results to increased competition, and the most senior military leaders both tend to encourage cum moderating these evident internecine squabbles. It is worth noting that innovation takes its due course the moment emerging war fighting parties acquire moral and any other relevant form of support among the senior military leaders after which it is endorsed by the civilian leaders. Assertions by Rosen had it that innovations greatly require product champions-those of the senior officers who advocate constant innovative approaches to open promotion paths and welfare for other reformers. After a scrutiny of the US Navy and also the Marine Corps, Rosen asserts that mainstream senior officers in the military department mostly adopt a two-part strategy in order to ensure fostering innovation. The most prerequisite attempt is challenging of the old and crude methods of waging war and at least some other newer ways and concepts for their replacement, through the means of changing the structure with regard to the military. The other section focuses on political struggle management which is inherent in any step in the course of new concepts implementation. An implementation that can be termed as successful, Rosen posits, is prerequisite and it can be maintained through the creation of stable career paths and hence flag rank for the younger officers who prefer experimenting with the new concepts and development of not only innovative tactics but also techniques. Another proposition is that intervention from civilians can prove quite working when it is a question of promotion of innovation it at all it offers support to military leaders in their strategies to ensure new war fighting methods. Rosen differentiates this particular intervention from the civilian intervention model and the argument is that the newer concepts tend to come from within the military. Rosen also strongly disagrees with the allegations that the military mavericks are more suitable as advocates of transformation. Still it is quite important to note that special training; not just mere training of the officers could quite be effective in creating room for military innovation. Officers ought to acquire training that makes them able to deal with any given situation without specifications. It is evident of how some officers were unable to handle some situations in the course of their operation, finally exposing lack of the standard prowess in handling varied issues. This is do saddening as they ultimately lose trust even in the eyes of the public. Special training enables officers even to handle issues out of their line of operation but still they manage to work perfectly. Innovation will hence be evident in such cases(Adamsky, 2010). Buy custom Factors that Influence Military Innovation essay

Días feriados federales y estatales en EE.UU. en 2019

Dà ­as feriados federales y estatales en EE.UU. en 2019 En Estados Unidos hay 10 dà ­as feriados federales, es decir, aplican en todo el paà ­s y tambià ©n en los territorios como, por ejemplo, Puerto Rico. En los feriados federales por ley tienen dà ­a libre y se les paga a todos los trabajadores no esenciales del gobierno federal. Tambià ©n cierran bancos y escuelas. Sin embargo, las empresas privadas no estn obligadas a brindar el dà ­a libre a sus empleados pero lo habitual es que sà ­ lo hagan y, adems, les paguen el salario del dà ­a feriado como si lo hubieran trabajado, si bien hay importantes excepciones como, por ejemplo, el caso de comercios o restaurantes. Dà ­as feriados federales en Estados Unidos en 2019 1 de enero, lunes, Aà ±o Nuevo21 de enero, lunes, Dà ­a de Martin Luther King18 de febrero, lunes, Dà ­a del Presidente27 de mayo, lunes, Dà ­a de la Recordacià ³n4 de julio, jueves, Dà ­a de la Independencia2 de septiembre, lunes, Dà ­a del Trabajo14 de octubre, lunes, Dà ­a de Cristà ³bal Colà ³n11 de noviembre, lunes, Dà ­a de los Veteranos28 de noviembre, jueves, Accià ³n de Gracias.25 de diciembre, mià ©rcoles, Dà ­a de Navidad El feriado del Dà ­a del Presidente no se celebra en todos los estados y el Dà ­a de los Veteranos no es feriado pà ºblico en Wisconsin. Los dà ­as feriados en EE.UU. como regla general son un lunes, si bien hay excepciones a esta regla. Asà ­, el Dà ­a de Navidad, Aà ±o Nuevo, Independencia o el de Accià ³n de Gracias se celebran el dà ­a de la semana que coincida con el dà ­a del mes de su celebracià ³n. Sin embargo, en esos dà ­as, si el feriado es un dà ­a sbado, el dà ­a libre se adelanta a viernes. Por el contrario, si es un dà ­a domingo, el dà ­a libre se retrasa al lunes siguiente. Dà ­as feriados en los estados en 2019 Los estados pueden establecer dà ­as de observancia pà ºblica de acuerdo a su historia o a sus intereses. Las oficinas estatales cierran y los trabajadores cobran por ese dà ­a, sin embargo, las empresas privadas no estn obligadas a seguir esa norma y deciden segà ºn sus propias reglas. Entre los dà ­as feriados los ms comunes en los estados destacan: El viernes siguiente a Accià ³n de Gracias que, con carcter general, es feriado en los siguientes estados: Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Nuevo Hampshire, Nuevo Mà ©xico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Carolina del Sur, Texas, Washington y Virginia Occidental. El 31 de marzo, Dà ­a de de Cà ©sar Chvez.  Esta conmemoracià ³n es uno de los festivos opcionales y se celebra en Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Nuevo Mà ©xico, Texas, Rhode Island, Utah y Wisconsin. El 24 de diciembre, Nochebuena, que es feriado en Carolina del Sur, Dakota del Norte, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia y Wisconsin. El 26 de diciembre, dà ­a siguiente al de Navidad, es feriado en Carolina del Norte, Carolina del Sur, Texas y Virginia. Cabe destacar que Texas es uno de los estados con ms dà ­as feriados. Adems de los federales y de celebrar el Dà ­a de Cà ©sar Chvez, Nochebuena, Dà ­a despuà ©s de Accià ³n de Gracias y de Navidad, son feriados pà ºblicos las siguientes fechas: 19 de enero: Dà ­a de los hà ©roes confederados.2 de marzo: Dà ­a de la Independencia de Texas21 de abril: San Jacinto19 de junio: Dà ­a de la Emancipacià ³n27 de agosto: Dà ­a de Lyndon B. Johnson Dà ­as no feriados pero celebrados en EE.UU. Estos dà ­as reciben gran atencià ³n en los medios de comunicacià ³n y, en muchos casos, las tiendas y las escuelas estn muy involucradas en las celebraciones. Sin embargo, ni las empresas privadas y las oficinas federales y estatales no estn obligadas ni a dar el dà ­a libre a los trabajadores ni a compensarlos econà ³micamente si no trabajan. 2 de febrero, sbado, Dà ­a de la Marmota14 de febrero, jueves, Dà ­a de San Valentà ­n17 de marzo, domingo, San Patricio19 de abril,Viernes Santo21 de abril, domingo, PascuaCinco de mayo, domingo.12 de mayo, domingo, Dà ­a de la madre.16 de mayo, domingo, Dà ­a del padre.31 de octubre, Halloween Dà ­as feriados y compras En Estados Unidos es habitual que los dà ­as feriados coincidan con grandes rebajas. Sin embargo, no debe confundirse con los los dà ­as conocidos como feriados de impuestos y que se celebran en algunos estados y que implica que en determinados dà ­as no se cobran impuestos a las ventas en determinados artà ­culos. Puntos claves: Dà ­as feriados en EE.UU. Nà ºmero de dà ­as feriados federales en EE.UU.: 10. Los estados pueden decidir no observar algà ºn dà ­a en especà ­fico.Dà ­as feriados que no son siempre un dà ­a lunes, sino que se observan en su fecha: Aà ±o Nuevo, Independencia, Veteranos, Navidad. Adems, el Dà ­a de Accià ³n de Gracias es siempre el cuarto jueves del mes de noviembre.Dà ­as feriados ms comunes en los estados: Cà ©sar Chvez (31 de marzo), viernes despuà ©s de Accià ³n de Gracias, Nochebuena y dà ­a despuà ©s de Navidad. Este artà ­culo es informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Natural Rights of Human Beings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Natural Rights of Human Beings - Essay Example The countries have their own regulations and the people have a certain level of freedom to do things. Every human has the liberty to do whatever he wants, as long as it does not lead to any problem. The basic human rights have gone through a development phase since a country's independence. Human rights were not given much importance in the initial years before a gained its independence. (Locke 1980).The concept of natural rights has definitely expanded over the years. During the initial stages of the formation of government, the humans did not have the rights to express their opinion and they were not given due respect. After some years, public had the liberty to enter into politics. This was a well received change in the history of human rights. Since then, there has been a drastic improvement in the natural rights of human beings. The government permitted people to lead a life with utmost freedom. At the same time, the government imposed certain laws, and failing to follow them will result in remitting a fine to the government. The British government followed this procedure and this was the first phase of development in the human rights. (British Constitution 1689). The government passed various amendments to help the people and a separate department to address the grievances of the public. These improvements in human rights paved way to a better living for the people around the world. Natural human rights further developed and people were granted the rights beyond the political and social levels. People had the freedom and liberty to enter into various fields like education, business and politics. This clearly depicts the development and improvement in the natural rights of the human beings as they earned rights of which they were deprived before. Though there has been a drastic improvement in the human rights, people must have a clear understanding of their rights. Without proper understanding and knowledge, people cannot experience the benefit of their rights. People must realize their responsibilities in building a better world and should come forward to utilize these rights in order to lead a better life. The Bill of Rights includes the various laws and amendments passed by the government of United States. This Bill of Rights contains the existing laws and it is updated each time a new amendment of human rights is passed. The public must follow the existing rules and must also adhere to the new regulation passed by the government. The Bill of Rights must include even the minor rights of the public. The bill must be prepared keeping in mind the welfare of the public instead of merely thinking about the benefits to the government. (United Nations 1948). The rights should be favorable to the public and they must not feel difficulty in following the regulations. The amendments passed by the government have to be according to the current development of the country. The existing human rights have to be modified to suit the public and the current situation. The rules and regulations are meant to help the people and not to make the situation worse. The rights can be lenient in a way to help the public in performing their duties without any problems. They must enable

Make solar energy economical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Make solar energy economical - Essay Example Solar energy technology is faced with engineering challenges however there follow ways of making it more efficient in its production, storage, and use. For example, most of solar cells today that is used for commercial purposes are highly made of silicon that converts electricity from sunlight, with less percentage of efficiency due to high manufacturing costs. Due to use of silicon material the cost of electricity production is three times higher which makes the engineering pauses need for cost-effective cells with low manufacturing costs (Simon, 2007). The current standard cells provide thirty-one percent efficiency due to use of silicon materials. Use of new materials for production by multilayer cells can increase the efficiency. There are also other ways of enhancing the efficiency of solar energy which includes the development of nanotechnology. This is the development of engineering structures which are effective compared to the use of molecules and atoms. This makes them effe ctive because one nanometer is equal to a billionth of one meter. Use of other materials like lead and selenium elements in the making of the cells which make a nanocrystal which is more cost effective and more efficient. With the use of standard cells, there is the production of excess heat when a photon releases an electron to carry the electric charge which makes it ineffective and inefficient enough. On the other hand use of nanocrystals made of selenium and lead elements produces extra electrons instead of heat.

Theories of motivation Essay Example for Free

Theories of motivation Essay Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed clearly showed us how difficult it was for the lower 20% population of America to merely survive an entire day. Given the fact that it was during the years 1998 and 2000 that America had its glorious economic boom, it cannot be denied that Ehrenreich’s novel brought to us a wakeup call to reality. On how she struggled to merely pay for her rent or even to get herself enough food to eat is something that a lot of Americans are actually experiencing, especially now that we are in the state of recession. If Ehrenreich had conducted her experiment in the present, I believe, she would have gotten a worse and more difficult experience. The state of America’s economy now is something far from promising—not only for Americans but also to everyone else throughout the globe. It can never be denied that whatever the state of a country’s economy is there will always be a greater percentage of people who belong to the base of the economic triangle. Those people are the ones who struggle to merely have a bed to sleep on at night or even food to eat for the day. They are the ones who push themselves to the limit—physically and mentally—just to survive. Back in 1998, America was considered as one of the best economical refuge of people from different countries. A lot of Asians, Latin Americans, Australians and even Europeans alike venture to the United States to find a better state of living. Nowadays, however, most of those people are starting to leave the country to go back to their homeland due to the sudden loss of jobs and affordable places to live in. This is one proof that indeed, compared to before, the economy of the United States has gotten worse and if Ehrenreich did conduct her experiment in the present, she’d definitely have a harder time. In 1998, 1-star motel rent rates of the US ranged from $13 to $20 a night, depending on the location of the motel and the services that were included with the rent, such as TV, telephone, security, etc. These motels usually were badly kept, needed serious repair and didn’t even provide the basic needs of the usual customer. These were the types of motels that a usual low-wage homeless worker goes to stay. In the present, 1-star motel rates are actually much steeper compared to before, ranging from $55 to $90 a night, with the fact that less motels are available now due to the increasing instability rate of America’s economy. Given those facts, if Ehrenreich would have conducted her experiment in the present, her chances of finding a cheap will-do place would be smaller. She’d have to struggle into either working extremely hard to pay the rents of the most available motel she could find or stay nights in her car for the moments that she didn’t have a place to stay. Of course, Ehrenreich’s chances of surviving in the present would vary greatly depending on her wages. With the reality that wages are a bit higher nowadays compared to before, Ehrenreich would still be having a hard time. In 1998 to 2000, minimum wages were around $6 to $7 an hour and having only one job is not enough to pay for anyone’s monthly rent—add to that food, medics, gas and all the other basic necessities. During the experiment, Ehrenreich struggled from being a waitress to a housekeeper to a dietician and in every month that she had her experiment, she always had to have two jobs just for her to pay the monthly rent. As time goes by, the rich multiply in number, twice as much for the poor and like what Ehrenreich said in her novel, low cost apartments and motels are being replaced by expensive condominiums and apartments, forcing people to rent spaces that they cannot even afford with merely just one or two jobs. If Ehrenreich were to conduct her experiment in the present, she would likewise be forced to rent a space that’s either near her workplace or quite available, which however would force her to choose between extremely expensive and quite affordable. According to Time Magazine, the hourly minimum wage was increased by . 85 cents back in 2007. This happened to be a relief for some people who were working in companies that somewhat considered their employees for good compensation. In some small businesses, however, like Laundromats, Supermarkets and Salons, not much change were seen. Employees who worked under such industries had wages that averaged to only $3 per hour. Given this scenario plus the sudden spike of unemployment in America due to fluctuating prices of basic necessities we could pretty much say that Ehrenreich’s chance of survival drops to nearly impossible. Simply put, Barbara Ehrenreich’s experiment would definitely have different results if she had conducted it in the present. Given the facts of unemployment, fluctuating prices and lack of available resources, Ehrenreich’s chance of survival would be less compared to before. Today is simply a much harder time to live. We are living in a world that’s crueler than before. Surviving is much more difficult, living is truly tiring. America is now a different country, offering hope to some and none to almost everyone. Works Cited: Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By America. USA: Metropolitan Books, 2001. Hansen, Randall S. â€Å"Surviving and Moving Beyond Low-Wage Jobs: Solutions for an Invisible Workforce in America†. 14 November 2008. http://www. quintcareers. com/surviving_low-wage_jobs. html. Caplan, Jeremy and Fitzpatrick, Laura. â€Å"The Worst Jobs in America†. Time. 30 July 2007. 14 November 2008. http://www. time. com/time/business/article/0,8599,1648055,00. html? imw=Y.

Money Laundering Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework Essays

Money Laundering In a recent movie Mickey Blue Eyes, there is a comical scene in which an unknown artist’s painting is sold to a buyer for $50,000. It seems as though a restaurant owner owed the mafia a large sum of money and he paid them by bidding an absurd amount of money for a horrid painting. The movie made this scene seem quite innocent and funny (See Appendix 1 for more examples). Unfortunately money laundering is a serious crime that is still prevalent in the United States and other countries. Money laundering is the routing of illegal profits from bank to bank to disguise its existence. The illegal profits are usually made through activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution rings, illegal arms sales, and various other things. The Russian mafia, the Triad (otherwise known as the Chinese mafia), and the Columbian drug cartel are just a few of the groups that partake in money laundering (FATF). No one knows exactly how much money is launder yearly but it is estimated to be about $100 billion in the United States (CCANB). Although there are hundreds of ways in which to launder money, some are more lucrative than others. The Black Market Peso exchange, gold, and digital cash are some of the more common ways to launder money. Making it harder to crack down on money laundering is the fact that many countries do not have money-laundering laws in place like the United States does. These other countries make it possible for this illegal activity to carry on. These countries are only hurting themselves because money laundering creates a direct negative effect on their economy. If these nations want to fight money laundering they will need to implement laws against it. Banks could be one of the most useful tools in stopping the laundering of money. WHAT IS MONEY LAUNDERING? As mentioned earlier money laundering is the process of hiding profits from illegal criminal activities. The major goal of these criminal activities is to make as large of a profit as possible. The money laundering process is very important to these criminals because it allows them to enjoy their profits without revealing the source. When one of these activities generates large profits, the group involved must find away to disguise the funds without attracting attention towards themselves. The way they accomplish this is by moving the funds to an indiscrete place wh... ...Feb 1996. 7 Nov 2001. http://members.tripod.com/~orgcrime/genmluk.htm â€Å"Money Laundering: A Banker’s Guide to Avoiding Problems.† Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks. 29 Jun. 2000. 2 Nov 2001. http://www.occ.treas.gov â€Å"Money Laundering: Black Market Peso Exchange.† U.S. Customs Service 3 Nov 2001 http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/enforcem/pesos.htm â€Å"Money Laundering: Financial Crimes Investigation.† U.S. Customs Service 4 Nov 2001 http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/enforcem/mone.htm â€Å"Money Laundering: A Changing Scenario.† U.S. Department of State 4 Nov 2001 http://usis.usemb.se/drugs/money/scenario.htm Preston, Staff Sergeant R.D. â€Å"Financial Investigations and Money Laundering: Investigator Manual.† United Nations International Drug Control Programme Rider, B A K. â€Å" The financial world at risk: The money dangers of organized crime, money laundering and corruption.† Managerial Auditing Journal v8n7, (1993): p3-14. ABI_INFORM_FT 6 Nov 2001 http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org â€Å"U.S. Wants CPAs to Help Fight Money Laundering.† The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants May 2000. 19 Sep. 2001 http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/may2000/news1/htm

International Coach Federation Code of Ethics

International Coach Federation Code of Ethics International Coach Federation Code of Ethics Professional Conduct at Large #7 – I will maintain, store, and dispose of any records created during my coaching business in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security, and privacy, and complies with any applicable laws and agreements Professional Conduct with Clients 12 – I will not knowingly take any personal, professional, or monetary advantage or benefit of the coach-client relationship, except by a form of compensation as agreed in the agreement or contract. Professional Conduct with Clients #18 – I will not become sexually intimate with any of my current clients or sponsors. Confidentiality/Privacy and Conflicts of Interest. #22 – I will maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality with all client and sponsor information.I will have a clear agreement or contract before releasing information to another person, unless required by law It is very interes ting to learn that a coach and a teacher are very much alike in many ways, especially when it is about ethics. I learned also that the coach’s pledge is very similar to the teacher’s. As an ICF Professional Coach, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching clients and sponsors, colleagues, and to the public at large.I pledge to comply with the ICF Code of Ethics, and to practice these standards with those whom I coach. If I breach this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the ICF Code of Ethics, I agree that the ICF in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to the ICF for any breach may include sanctions, such as loss of my ICF membership and/or my ICF Credentials. Reference International Coach Federation Code of Ethics. Retrieved from www. coachfederation. org/ethics/En  cache  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Similares

Management Information Systems and Its Importance

What you think Management of Information Systems is and why it is important in today’s business environment? Management Information Systems (MIS) is the term given to the discipline focused on the integration of computer systems with the aims and objectives on an organization. Modern businesses have been leveraging on MIS to manage, order, organize and manipulate the gigabytes and masses of information generated for various purposes. MIS helps businesses optimize business processes, address information needs of employees and various stakeholders and take informed strategic decisions.The development and management of information technology tools assists executives and the general workforce in performing any tasks related to the processing of information. MIS and business systems are especially useful in the collation of business data and the production of reports to be used as tools for decision making. With computers being as ubiquitous as they are today, there's hardly any la rge business that does not rely extensively on their IT systems (Kenneth C. Laudon).However, there are several specific fields in which MIS has become invaluable like in decision support systems, resource and people management applications, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), project management and database retrieval applications. 1) Support Strategy: While computers cannot create business strategies by themselves they can assist management in understanding the effects of their strategies, and help enable effective decision-making. MIS systems can be used to transform data into information useful for decision making.Computers can provide financial statements and performance reports to assist in the planning, monitoring and implementation of strategy. MIS systems provide a valuable function in that they can collate into coherent reports unmanageable volumes of data that would otherwise be broadly useless to decisi on makers. By studying these reports decision-makers can identify patterns and trends that would have remained unseen if the raw data were consulted manually. MIS systems can also use these raw data to run simulations – hypothetical scenarios that answer a range of ‘what if’ questions regarding alterations in strategy.For instance, MIS systems can provide predictions about the effect on sales that an alteration in price would have on a product. These Decision Support Systems (DSS) enable more informed decision making within an enterprise than would be possible without MIS systems (Obrien). The other area which MIs support is data processing. 2) Data Processing: Not only do MIS systems allow for the collation of vast amounts of business data, but they also provide a valuable time saving benefit to the workforce.Where in the past business information had to be manually processed for filing and analysis it can now be entered quickly and easily onto a computer by a d ata processor, allowing for faster decision making and quicker reflexes for the enterprise as a whole. 3) Management by Objectives: While MIS systems are extremely useful in generating statistical reports and data analysis they can also be of use as a Management by Objectives (MBO) tool. MBO is a management process by which managers and subordinates agree upon a series of objectives for the subordinate to attempt to achieve within a set time frame.Objectives are set using the SMART ratio: that is, objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-Specific. The aim of these objectives is to provide a set of key performance indicators by which an enterprise can judge the performance of an employee or project. The success of any MBO objective depends upon the continuous tracking of progress. In tracking this performance it can be extremely useful to make use of an MIS system. Since all SMART objectives are by definition measurable they can be tracked through the gen eration of management reports to be analyzed by decision-makers.Advantages of MIS: The field of MIS can deliver a great many benefits to enterprises in every industry. Expert organizations such as the Institute of MIS along with peer reviewed journals such as MIS Quarterly continue to find and report new ways to use MIS to achieve business objectives. Better Planning and Control: MIS has to be designed and managed in such way that it aggregates information, monitors the company's activities and operations and enhances communication and collaboration among employees (Obrien). This ensures etter planning for all activities and better ways to measure performance, manage resources and facilitate compliance with industry and government regulations. Control helps in forecasting, preparing accurate budgets and providing the tools and vital information to employees, top management and business partners. Core Competencies: Every market leading enterprise will have at least one core competenc y – that is, a function they perform better than their competition. By building an exceptional management information system into the enterprise it is possible to push out ahead of the competition.MIS systems provide the tools necessary to gain a better understanding of the market as well as a better understanding of the enterprise itself. Enhance Supply Chain Management: Improved reporting of business processes leads inevitably to a more streamlined production process. With better information on the production process, comes the ability to improve the management of the supply chain, including everything from the sourcing of materials to the manufacturing and distribution of the finished product. Disadvantages of MIS:Depending on organization deployment, usage and extraneous factors, some disadvantages related to Management Information Systems can come to the fore. Allocation of budgets for MIS upgrades, modifications and other revisions can be quite tricky at times. If budge ts are not allocated uniformly or as per immediate requirements, key functionalities might get affected and benefits might not be realized consistently. Integration issues with legacy systems can affect the quality of output and vital business intelligence reports (Kenneth C. Laudon). Risks Associated With MIS:Risk reflects the potential, the likelihood, or the expectation of events that could adversely affect earnings or capital. Management uses MIS to help in the assessment of risk within an institution. Management decisions based upon ineffective, inaccurate, or incomplete MIS may increase risk in a number of areas such as credit quality, liquidity, market/pricing, interest rate, or foreign currency. A flawed MIS causes operational risks and can adversely affect an organization's monitoring of its fiduciary, consumer, fair lending, Bank Secrecy Act, or other compliance-related activities.Since management requires information to assess and monitor performance at all levels of the organization, MIS risk can extend to all levels of the operations. Additionally, poorly programmed or non-secure systems in which data can be manipulated and/or systems requiring ongoing repairs can easily disrupt routine work flow and can lead to incorrect decisions or impaired planning (Obrien). Constant Monitoring Issues: Change in management, exits or departures of department managers and other senior executives have a broad effect on the working and monitoring of certain organization practices including MIS systems.Since MIS is a critical component of an organization's risk management strategy and allied systems, constant monitoring is necessary to ensure its effectiveness (Obrien). Quality of inputs into MIS needs to be monitored; otherwise consistency in the quality of data and information generated gets affected. Managers are not able to direct business, operational and decision-making activities with the requisite flexibility.Bibliography Kenneth C. Laudon, J. P. (n. d. ). Management Information Systems. Obrien, J. A. (n. d. ). Management Information Systems . 2006.

Hades, Patron God of the Underworld in Greek Mythology

Hades, Patron God of the Underworld in Greek Mythology The Greeks called him the Unseen One, the Wealthy One, Pluoton, and Dis. But few considered the god Hades lightly enough to call him by his name. While he is not the god of death (thats the implacable Thanatos), Hades welcomed any new subjects to his kingdom, the Underworld, which also takes his name. The ancient Greeks thought it best not to invite his attention. The Birth of Hades Hades was the son of the titan Cronos and brother to the Olympian gods Zeus and Poseidon. Cronos, fearful of a son who would overthrow him as he vanquished his own father Ouranos, swallowed each of his children as they were born. Like his brother Poseidon, he grew up in the bowels of Cronos, until the day when Zeus tricked the titan into vomiting up his siblings. Emerging victorious after the ensuing battle, Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades drew lots to divide up the world they had gained. Hades drew the dark, melancholy Underworld, and ruled there surrounded by the shades of the dead, various monsters, and the glittering wealth of the earth. Life in the Underworld For the Greek god Hades, the inevitability of death ensures a vast kingdom. Eager for souls to cross the river Styx and join fief, Hades is also the god of proper burial. (This would include souls left with money to pay the boatman Charon for the crossing to Hades.) As such, Hades complained about Apollos son, the healer Asclepius, because he restored people to life, thereby reducing Hades dominions, and he inflicted the city of Thebes with plague probably because they werent burying the slain correctly. Myths of Hades The fearsome god of the dead figures in few tales (it was best not to talk about him too much). But Hesiod relates the most famous story of the Greek god, which is about how he stole his queen Persephone. The daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, Persephone caught the eye of the Wealthy One on one of his infrequent trips to the surface world. He abducted her in his chariot, driving her far below the earth and keeping her in secret. As her mother mourned, the world of humans withered: Fields grew barren, trees toppled and shriveled. When Demeter found out that the kidnapping was Zeus idea, she complained loudly to her brother, who urged Hades to free the maiden. But before she rejoined the world of light, Persephone partook of a few pomegranate seeds. Having eaten the food of the dead, she was compelled to return to the Underworld. The deal made with Hades allowed Persephone to spend one-third (later myths say one-half) of the year with her mother, and the rest in the company of her shades. Thus, to the ancient Greeks, was the cycle of seasons and the yearly birth and death of crops. Hades Fact Sheet Occupation:Â  God, Lord of the Dead Family of Hades:Â  Hades was a son of the Titans Cronos and Rhea. His brothers are Zeus and Poseidon. Hestia, Hera, and Demeter are Hades sisters. Children of Hades:Â  These include the Erinyes (the Furies), Zagreus (Dionysus), and Makaria (goddess of a blessed death) Other Names:Â  Haides, Aides, Aidoneus, Zeus Katachthonios (Zeus under the earth). The Romans also knew him as Orcus. Attributes:Â  Hades is depicted as a dark-bearded man with a crown, scepter, and key. Cerberus, a three-headed dog, is often in his company. He owns a helmet of invisibility and a chariot. Sources:Â  Ancient sources for Hades include Apollodorus, Cicero, Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus, Ovid, Pausanias, Statius, and Strabo.

The Conquest of the Aztec Empire

The Conquest of the Aztec Empire From 1518-1521, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his army brought down the mighty Aztec Empire, the greatest the New World had ever seen. He did it through a combination of luck, courage, political savvy and advanced tactics and weapons. By bringing the Aztec Empire under the rule of Spain, he set events in motion which would result in the modern-day nation of Mexico. The Aztec Empire in 1519 In 1519, when the Spanish first made official contact with the Empire, the Aztecs ruled most of present-day Mexico either directly or indirectly. About one hundred years before, three powerful city-states in central Mexico - Tenochtitlan, Tlacopan and Tacuba - united to form the Triple Alliance, which soon rose to pre-eminence. All three cultures were located on the shores and islands of Lake Texcoco. Through alliances, wars, intimidation and trade, the Aztecs came to dominate most of the other Mesoamerican city-states by 1519 and collected tribute from them. The pre-eminent partner in the Triple Alliance was the Mexica city of Tenochtitlan. The Mexica were led by a Tlatoani, a position roughly similar to Emperor. In 1519, the tlatoani of the Mexica was Motecuzoma Xocoyotzà ­n, better known to history as Montezuma. The Arrival of Cortes Since 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, the Spanish had fairly thoroughly explored the Caribbean by 1518. They became aware of a large landmass to the west, and some expeditions had visited the shores of the Gulf Coast, but no lasting settlement had been made. In 1518, Governor Diego Velazquez of Cuba sponsored an expedition of exploration and settlement and entrusted it to Hernan Cortes. Cortes set sail with several ships and about 600 men, and after a visit to the Maya area of the southern Gulf Coast (it was here that he picked up his future interpreter/mistress Malinche), Cortes reached the area of present-day Veracruz in early 1519. Cortes landed, founded a small settlement and made mostly peaceful contact with leaders of local tribes. These tribes were bound to the Aztecs by ties of trade and tribute but resented their inland masters and tentatively agreed with Cortes to switch allegiances. Cortes Marches Inland The first emissaries from the Aztecs arrived, bearing gifts and seeking information about these interlopers. The rich gifts, meant to buy off the Spanish and make them go away, had the opposite effect: they wanted to see the riches of the Aztecs for themselves. The Spanish made their way inland, ignoring pleas and threats from Montezuma to go away.      When they reached the lands of the Tlaxcalans in August of 1519, Cortes decided to make contact with them. The warlike Tlaxcalans had been enemies of the Aztecs for generations and had held out against their warlike neighbors. After two weeks of fighting, the Spanish gained the respect of the Tlaxcalans and in September they were invited to talk. Soon, an alliance was forged between the Spanish and the Tlaxcalans. Time and again, the Tlaxcalan warriors and porters which accompanied Cortes expedition would prove their value. The Cholula Massacre In October, Cortes and his men and allies passed through the city of Cholula, home of the cult to the god Quetzalcoatl. Cholula was not exactly a vassal of the Aztecs, but the Triple Alliance had much influence there. After spending a couple of weeks there, Cortes learned of a plot to ambush the Spanish when they left the city. Cortes summoned the leaders of the city to one of the squares and after berating them for treason, he ordered a massacre. His men and Tlaxcalan allies fell on the unarmed nobles, slaughtering thousands. This sent a powerful message to the rest of Mesoamerica not to trifle with the Spanish. Entry into Tenochtitlan and capture of Montezuma In November of 1519, the Spanish entered Tenochtitlan, capital of the Mexica people and leader of the Aztec Triple Alliance. They were welcomed by Montezuma and put in a sumptuous palace. The deeply religious Montezuma had dithered and fretted about the arrival of these foreigners, and did not oppose them. Within a couple of weeks, Montezuma had allowed himself to be taken hostage, a semi-willing guest of the intruders. The Spanish demanded all sorts of loot and food and while Montezuma did nothing, the people and warriors of the city began to get restless.   The Night of Sorrows In May of 1520, Cortes was forced to take most of his men and return to the coast to face a new threat: a large Spanish force, led by veteran conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez, sent by Governor Velazquez to rein him in. Although Cortes defeated Narvaez and added most of his men to his own army, things got out of hand in Tenochtitlan in his absence. On May 20, Pedro de Alvarado, who had been left in charge, ordered the massacre of unarmed nobles attending a religious festival, The enraged inhabitants of the city besieged the Spanish and even Montezumas intervention could not alleviate the tension. Cortes returned in late June and decided that the city could not be held. On the night of June 30, the Spanish tried to stealthily leave the city, but they were discovered and attacked. On what came to be known to the Spanish as the Night of Sorrows, hundreds of Spanish were killed. Cortes and most of his most important lieutenants survived, however, and they made their way back to friendly Tlaxcala to rest and regroup.   The Siege of Tenochtitlan While in Tlaxcala, the Spanish received reinforcements and supplies, rested, and prepared to take the city of Tenochtitlan. Cortes ordered the construction of thirteen brigantines, large boats which could sail or be rowed and which would tip the balance while assaulting the island.   Most importantly for the Spanish, an epidemic of smallpox broke out in Mesoamerica, slaying millions, including countless warriors and leaders of Tenochtitlan. This unspeakable tragedy was a great lucky break for Cortes, as his European soldiers were largely unaffected by this disease. The disease even struck down Cuitlhuac, the warlike new leader of the Mexica. In early 1521, everything was ready. The brigantines were launched and Cortes and his men marched on Tenochtitlan. Every day, Cortes top lieutenants - Gonzalo de Sandoval, Pedro de Alvarado and Cristobal de Olid - and their men assaulted the causeways leading into the city while Cortes, leading the small navy of brigantines, bombarded the city, ferried men, supplies and information around the lake, and scattered groups of Aztec war canoes. The relentless pressure proved effective, and the city was slowly worn down. Cortes sent enough of his men on raiding parties around the city to keep other city-states from coming to the relief of the Aztecs, and on August 13, 1521, when Emperor Cuauhtemoc was captured, resistance ended and the Spanish were able to take the smoldering city. Aftermath of the Conquest of the Aztec Empire Within two years, the Spanish invaders had taken down the most powerful city-state in Mesoamerica, and the implications were not lost on the remaining city-states in the region. There was sporadic fighting for decades to come, but in effect the conquest was a done deal. Cortes earned a title and vast lands, and stole most of the riches from his men by short-changing them when payments were made. Most of the conquistadors did receive large tracts of land, however. These were called encomiendas. In theory, the owner of an encomienda protected and educated the natives living there, but in reality it was a thinly-veiled form of slavery. The cultures and people meshed, sometimes violently, sometimes peacefully, and by 1810 Mexico was enough of its own nation and culture that it broke with Spain and became independent. Sources: Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. . Trans., ed. J.M. Cohen. 1576. London, Penguin Books, 1963. Print. Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. New York: Bantam, 2008. Thomas, Hugh. Conquest: Montezuma, Cortes and the Fall of Old Mexico. New York: Touchstone, 1993.

Aspect of the law and engineering Research Paper

Aspect of the law and engineering - Research Paper Example In civil engineering, there are frequent cases where injuries are borne by the employees (being the workers) due to industrial accidents and other such hazards related to the construction of various projects2. Prior to worker’s compensation, an employer was held to several narrowly defined duties of care for the protection of his employees (Mitchelle, 1976). The employers seldom received their due after having borne the injuries mainly because of the unfortunate prevalence of the doctrine of contributory negligence, the fellow-servant rule and voluntary assumption of the risk in the common law countries. In order to tackle this discriminatory issue of industrial liability in case of injured employees, the concept of Workmen’s Compensation was introduced. It is now popular in many countries namely the United States of America, Brazil, Germany, India, UK etc. In the United States of America, the Workmen’s Compensation laws are created differently by various states however the fundamentals of all the acts remain the same. There are a number of characteristic properties that are common in all the laws of Workmen’s Compensation – (a) automatic entitlement of the employer to compensation in case of personal injury borne due to an industrial accident (b) Employee’s contributory negligence or employer’s freedom from the fault does not lessen the former’s rights (c) Only employees are covered and not independent contractors (d) Cash benefits, Medical expenses etc. are provided and benefits for dependents are counted in case of death of the employee (however maximum and minimum are imposed) (e) the employee or his dependents forfeit the right to personally sue the employer for the loss (f) Right to sue third persons in case of negligence on their part prevails (subject to conditions) (g) administration is in the hands of administrative commissions (h) the employer is required to secure his liability through private insurance etc. so that the liability of compensation passes to the consumer in the price of the product (Larson, 1952). Initially a few problems were recognized in the U.S. regarding the Worker’s Compensation as apparently it disregarded the Fourteenth Amendment’s prohibition against taking of property without due process of law and deprived both parties of the freedom of contract. This problem was resolved by the New York Workmen’s Compensation Act of 1916 after the famous case of New York Central Railroad Company v White3. The specific laws which deal with construction safety hazards in the U.S. are administered by governing regulatory body called Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)4. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the employers have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace to their employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 has defined certain responsibilities for the employers and also has defin ed penalties in case of violation of the duties5. In order to start a construction or even before entering a contract, an engineer has to keep in mind all the legal aspects of workmen’s compensation. Even though the Engineer may cover up his costs by ultimately shifting it to the customer in form of price of the product, he has to initially formalize the insurance for his employees. In case the engineer

Role of geography in shaping life and evolution Essay

Role of geography in shaping life and evolution - Essay Example Geography as a discipline refers to the study â€Å"variations in phenomena from place to place† and explains the spatial features of a place (including climate, topology, land and water elements) that distinguishes it from other places (Holt-Jensen, 2009:9). The influence of a land’s geographical characteristics and the life forms that develop therein have been commonly known in a general way, in the manner that polar bears are known to inhabit glacial areas and elephants are known to naturally thrive in Africa and Asia. There is a need, though, to more profoundly appreciate the impact of geography to the development of animal and plant life, and vice versa, in order to effectively address sustainability. Biogeography involves the junction among biology, geography and history – that is, a merging of the study of the distribution of a species in location and time. Many authors have cited a host of factors that affect the evolution of life forms through time in re lation to geography: speciation, extinction, continental drift; glaciation and changes in water forms; landmass areas and isolation; available energy supplies; adaptation, and adaptive radiation Schluter (2000). Adaptation and adaptive radiation are closely related, but not the same. ... There are several links that may be drawn between biology and geography. The spatial attributes transcend the mere physical characteristics but also impact upon the subtle changes in the chemical constitution of the place. A causal link has been established, for instance, between the calcium levels of a place and the clutch size of birds and other life history traits. This is a relatively new finding, in that avian clutch size (i.e., the number of eggs/ nestlings produced by one female at one time) used to be linked only to food availability, predation and seasonality. It was found, however, that active females consume supplemental calcium during the breeding season and throughout egg formation, which they do not otherwise do during the off-season. This tends to support the observation that calcium availability is a factor that limits reproduction (Patten, 2007). A similar development is the change in the permafrost caused by the interaction between atmosphere, and snow cover in plac es such as the Swiss Alps, that impact upon the life cycles and survival prospects of snow-bound species (Luetschg & Haeberli, 2005). Biogeography has been described as â€Å"a science that is not only about islands but about the whole fabric of the natural world† (Kanigel, 1996). This definition appears to separate â€Å"man-made† from nature, that anything man-made upsets the natural balance. If that were held to be true, then the very existence of man would be unacceptable. The alternative position should therefore admit the viability of the anima urbis, or the role of nature in defining human-animal relations in the context of city life. There has been a resurgence of interest in exploring animals and the urban moral