1 page - Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

1 page - - Assignment Example (5% level of significance) A telephone sales company with 200 sales staff uses a five-level grading system for annual performance. End-of-year bonus payments for sales staff are determined on their individual performance grading. Staff rated Grade 1 receive only the minimum bonus payment while staff rated Grade 5 receive the highest bonus payment. The company has an expected distribution of performance grades which it uses to budget for bonus payments. However the company’s financial director is concerned that the actual distribution of performance grades differs significantly from the expected distribution with proportionally fewer sales staff getting the lower grades and proportionally more getting higher than expected grades. Based on the latest performance grades, is the financial director right to be concerned? Use a 5% significance level. , we thus reject the null hypothesis and conclude that the actual distribution of performance grade differs from the expected distribution at 5% significance level and as such the financial director is right to be concerned. A packaging device is set to fill detergent packets with a mean weight of 500g. It is important to check the machine periodically because overfilling increases the cost of materials whereas underfilling leaves the firm liable to prosecution. A random sample of 25 filled packets is weighed and shows a mean net weight of 510g with a standard deviation of 15g. What conclusion can be drawn at the 5% level of

Explain the Different Types of Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Explain the Different Types of Discrimination Essay Discrimination has many meaning and many different ways people can discriminate against others. Discriminations can be as simple as a person making a judgment against someone else by the way they dress or the way they speak or it can be the people are discriminated against (out casted/left out) because they choose to be different or have a disability or different colour of skin or even religion. Discrimination is unfair treatment of a person action based on prejudice which someone has of that individual and it can affect the targeted individual physically, this could be self-harm or eating disorders, intellectually, the individual won’t want to go to work because of how they are being treated, emotionally, which could be depression, anxiety, aggression, stress or fear, and finally, it can also affect them socially, because they might isolate themselves from the people around them which could result in the loss of friends and it may make some of their relationships with others strained because they think that everyone they know is going to treat them in the same way. The types of discrimination are: culture, disability, age, social class, gender, sexuality, health status and cognitive ability. The first type of discrimination is culture. This can be very important to some individuals because it shows their identity to other people and it is also the way in which they lead their life no matter what country they’re living in. Cultural discrimination means that when an individual from a different background or culture follows their cultures rules strictly; they are disliked by some people because they have a different lifestyle, following and they do not follow the same rules because of how they’ve been raised by their family. It is developed within the social group which they have been raised in; and it can change when they become mature enough to decide for themselves which culture best suited for them. In a profession in Health and Social Care it is important for everyone who is concerned to respect other people’s cultures. It is important for the individual because it gives them a sense of understanding and support, promotes their well-being and can also help their health. Also it is important to health and social care professionals because they see the benefits of their care value base and it underlines the importance of respecting an individual’s culture. Sometimes people see this as if the individual is receiving special treatment because they are different; which can make them feel angry or strong jealousy and as a result they will make the individual from a different culture feel isolated; which might make any relationships which the individual has strained and it can make them feel like they have no respect from anyone around them because of how they look or behave. In health and social care a lot of people work with and support people with varying degrees of disabilities. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone who has a disability. The act covers employment, access to goods, facilities and services of organisations, education, buying and renting a property and transportation services. There has to be full access ability for anyone with a disability. However, people who are part of the same establishment might discriminate against a disabled person in a wheel chair or with a severe disability; by calling them disrespectful names and say that they don’t deserve to be a part of the establishment just because they are disabled in some way; and this can make the disabled person feel depressed and suffer from anxiety problems because if the same thing has been said enough times then they will believe that they don’t deserve an education or have the right to same things which a non-disabled person has the right to. Age discrimination occurs â€Å"when someone is treated unfavourably because of their age, without justification, or is harassed or victimised because of their age†. There have been some controversies regarding the dispensing of certain very expensive drugs to older people because of their shorter life expectancy due to their age. And as a result some people have argued that the money would be better spent on drugs for younger people. However, this would be denying a drug due to their age and would open the health service to considerable legal risk, and legal advice would be needed before discussions like this could happen. Also, sometimes when there are a lot of elderly people and only a few teenagers waiting to get on a bus and when the bus arrives at their stop the teenagers get onto the bus before the elderly people; the elderly people may decide to talk aggressively to the teenagers just because they are older and they feel that they are more important because they might have a disability. Social discrimination is the actual behaviour of those who treat others differently depending on their social situation, to pigeon-hole someone socially, such that someone on benefits is treated unfairly compared to that of someone who works for a living. Invariably its a dysfunctional psychology re-enforced by peer pressure to gear an individual’s thought processes to fail to take into account or assess another individuals sole circumstances before passing judgement. It is not really seen as a problem by the bearer of the discrimination unless the bearer directly experiences some similar discrimination. The social class of an individual is apparent from the area in which they live with their family; the higher the social class, the better the place is kept and maintained. This form of inequality has also infiltrated health and social care. In the foreword to a Department of Health education, the former Secretary of State for Health stated that the poor are more likely to get cancer than the rich, and their chances of survival are lower too; this letter carries on to say that health care is essentially a postcode lottery, which means that having access to health care is often determined by where an individual lives. However, in the Equality and Human Rights Commission it states â€Å"At the heart of human rights is the belief everybody should be treated equally and with dignity – no matter what their circumstances†. An individual cannot be discriminated against because of their gender; if they are however it refers to a bias towards one gender. In the vast majority of careers, this bias means that women do not obtain the same opportunities as men for everything from their initial health care education right through to the hiring process and workplace environment. Their career advancement is also smaller and slower in comparison with career advancement for men. On top of that, women and men may perform the same jobs, but women will receive fewer benefits and less pay than men. Under the Gender Equality Duty 2007, all organisations, including health and social care services, cannot discriminate unfairly due to a person’s gender. Equal rights of access, health care and rights must be adhered to. Sexuality is a very individual thing; although most people are ‘straight’, heterosexual, a significant percentage of the population are gay, bisexual, celibate or asexual. Unfair treatment on the basis of someone’s sexuality – or assumptions about their sexuality – is discrimination and has no place in the sport’s environment. Sexuality discrimination happens when someone is treated unfairly compared with others, because of their sexuality. It can also occur because someone makes assumptions about someone elses sexuality. Under the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (the Act), it can be unlawful to do this. Under federal legislation, it can also be unlawful. The Act says it is against the law to treat people unfairly because of their sexuality, whether they are gay, lesbian, heterosexual or bisexual. The law also protects a person who identifies, or has identified, as a member of the opposite sex by living or seeking to live as a member of that sex. The law also protects sex workers working lawfully. Health status discrimination often occurs when an individual is diagnosed with HIV or AIDS. Sources of stigma include fear of illness, fear of contagion, and fear of death. Fear of illness and fear of contagion is a common reaction among health workers, co-workers, and caregivers, as well as the general population. Stigma is one means of coping with the fear that contact with a member of an affected group; by caring for or sharing utensils with a PLHA will result in contracting the disease. HIV-stigma is often layered on top of many other stigmas associated with such specific groups as homosexuals and commercial sex workers and such behaviours as drug abuse by using needles and casual sex. These behaviours are perceived as controllable and are therefore assigned more blame, receive less sympathy, but instead, more anger and are less likely to receive assistance as opposed to people with AIDS who were infected through circumstances where there was no control, such as receiving a blood transfusion. However, sometimes it can be difficult to make decisions regarding a person’s medical treatment; their expected quality of life after the treatment has been given and their overall life expectancy have to be seriously considered. And the people who are making these decisions for someone should always keep questioning their own assumptions and prejudices; and also do their best to balance the welfare of individual patients with broader funding considerations. Under section 2 of the Family Status Discrimination Ordinance (FSDO), family status means the status of a person who has the responsibility for the care of an immediate family member. An immediate family member is a person who is related by blood, marriage, adoption or affinity. However, this can lead to a variety of discriminations against members of the family; they can be against gay or lesbian parents, single parents, parents of different genders, parents of different races with mixed-race children and other family groupings. It can either direct or indirect discrimination, direct discrimination means that a person is treated unfavorably because of their family status and indirect discrimination means when a condition or requirement, that is not justifiable, is applied to everyone but in practice adversely affects persons who have family status; an example of this would be a company insists that all its employees work overtime and a widower who has responsibility for care of his young children cannot comply with that condition. The company then dismisses him. The complainant feels aggrieved because as a single parent he cannot comply with that condition. If the company cannot justify why each and every employee must meet that condition, it could be a case of indirect discrimination on the ground of family status. Cognitive disability is defined by some as bellow average intellectual function that adversely affects educational and adaptive performance. There are a broad range of disabilities that fit into this criterion. Cognition is the mental process of understanding and acquiring knowledge through the senses, thought and perception. A person with a cognitive disability may have difficulty with some or all of the following cognitive areas: memory formation or retrieval; attention span; reading and comprehension; problem solving; and visual input. Discriminating against someone because of their cognitive ability might arise because of a brain injury, a learning disability or difficulty or a person’s social class or education. It can be easy to determinate against people with cognitive disabilities but care must be taken not to do so. Valuing People Now is a government strategy which aims to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and those of their families and carers.

Development of Hospital Management System

Development of Hospital Management System Introduction Hospital Management is a web based application to manage the activities related to doctor and patient. Hospital Management is based on distributed architecture. This involves the web services which receives request from the web based application and service processes the request and sends the response back to the application. Web services performs the database operations like insert, delete and update the information about the patients, doctors etc. This kind of distributed architecture is called as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). This application contains login form, patient registration, doctor registration. Hospital Management application allow patients to edit their information like patient name, contact number, address, disease from which he is suffering from etc. The concept of hospital management is very big. The scope of hospital management involves different modules like login module, patient info, doctor info, billing module, registration module and administration module. Login module will include the operation related to login, forgot password, password change, sending confirmations or alerts etc. Patient info module will include the details about the patient like patient history about his treatment and doctors involved in the treatment, details of medicines suggested by doctors. Billing Module will include the details of fees, mode of payment used by the patient to pay the fees. Registration module will allow the users to register their profiles. Administration module allows performing operations like creating the new users, performing password change operations, loading the information of doctors for the first time. Hospital Management uses sql server 2005 as the backend. The database is maintained on the remote server, this database h olds all the information related to the hospital. Abstract: Before SOA architecture, DCOM or (ORBs) object request brokers based on CORBA specifications were used to develop the distributed applications. DCOM is known was distributed component object model. DCOM is an extension of COM (component object model), DCOM was released in 1996. It works primarily with Microsoft windows. It will work with Java Applets and ActiveX components through its use of COM. Service Oriented Architecture is nothing but collection of services. These services are deployed at different servers at different locations. These services communicate with each other to perform required operations. The communication can be simple data passing. Service Provider: The provider will create the service using any technology like .net or java and publishes its information for accessing the outside world. The provider decides which service to be published and one service can provide multiple operations, how to price the services or without charge like free services. Provider also decides the category of the services. The most common broker service is UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) provides a way publish and discover the information about the services. Service Requester: The requester identifies the services using UDDI or any other service broker. The services provide the required operations then the requester should take it to the service provider for contract. Then requester can bind the services to the application and execute to get the required information. The principles used for development, maintenance and usage of SOA are Reuse, comparability, granularity and interoperability. Identifying the services and categorizing them. Monitoring and tracking. The specific architectural principles of SOA design are Service loose coupling Service encapsulation Service contract Service abstraction Service reusability Service discoverability PROJECT SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE: SCOPE Development of a computerized Hospital management system with the provision of flexible, accurate and secured access to data thus bringing in the highly useful end product for the users as well as for the management. OBJECTIVE To develop a system that maintains a sophisticated Hospital management details bringing out the flexibility and the ease with which the users can use it. To track and improve internal performance of the financial corporation thereby allowing the flexible and secured transactions to happen. FEATURES OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM In the existing system the data required for the Hospital management is maintained in records. These are to be updated according to the requirements of the customer. It takes time to search for the required data. All the details regarding the hospitals and its timings are hard to maintain. The work will be more so the systems need more number of crew to fulfill the requirements. There may be a chance of failure since it is manual. A simple fault of the system may lead to inconvenience and also cause a vast destruction. So these faults make the system less effective and performance of the system is very slow. Hence, there should be a system to overcome all these defects and provide the users with more facilities. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTENDED SYSTEM In the proposed system everything is computerized. The system provides all the details regarding the hospitals, its details, and soon. The users can search the required data easily within no time. A very less number of people are required to handle the system. The patients need not wait for long time to fulfill his requirement. There is no chance of any failure in the system, which improves the performance of the system and also increases the efficiency of the system. Though this system is very beneficial a minor failure in the server or else the computer leads to a major loss of data. PROJECT OVERVIEW The project performs the following functions In 1997, a team of Medical Professionals has set up the first hospital, it signaled the dawn of a new era in medical care. At the heart of this movement was a burning desire to practice medicine with Compassion, Concern and Care, with a single-minded objective the recovery of the patient. Today, with Multi-Specialty HOSPITAL across the state, and a reputation for humanitarian and selfless service of the highest order, Hospital enjoys an unbelievable amount of goodwill. A million smiles will bear testimony to that. At hospital, we operate on a physician driven model. This means that all the main constituents of the CARE movement the promoters, administrators and service providers are physicians. At the centre of the CARE model is the patient and the over-riding motive of all of Cares activities is to provide quality medical care at an affordable cost. Technology, Training and Teamwork form the very core of the CARE model. We emphasize on a comprehensive and continuous education and training of every individual involved in patient care. Every effort will be taken to ensure that our growth is one decided by the patients needs, and not one decided by our corporate requirements. Our hospital believes at: A patient is the most important person in our hospital. He is not an interruption to our work; he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our hospital. He is a part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so. NEED FOR COMPUTERIZATION: The use of computerized hospital is to provide effective facilities to the people, which are suffering from any problems. The advantages are: Less cost No mediators Excellent services The main goal of this hospital management system is to achieve the people satisfaction. Hospital management system provides effective facilities to the people from any place in the world. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Software Requirement Specifications: Operating Systems : Windows 2000 Prof Database server : Sql Srver 2005 Programming Language : C# Hardware Requirement Specifications: Application Server Configuration: Computer Processor : Pentium IV Clock Speed : 700MHZ Processor Hard Disk : 40GB RAM : 256/512 MB Modem : 56KBPS Database Server Configuration: Computer Processor : Pentium IV Clock Speed : 700MHZ Processor Hard Disk : 40GB RAM : 256/512 MB SYSTEM ANALYSIS Existing System: In the current system the data required is maintained in records. They are to be updated according to the requirements of the users. It takes time to search for the required query. All the details regarding the hospital and its patients are hard to maintain. The work will be more, so the system needs more number of crew to fulfill the requirements. There may be a chance of failure since it is manual. A one fault of the system may lead to inconvenience and also causes a vast destruction. So these faults make the system less efficient and performance of the system is very slow. Hence, there should be a system to overcome all these defaults and provide the users with more facilities. In the current system if the user was suffering from any pain or etc heshe has no idea how to control the pain and suffering. Just they will be no idea for them and they become sicker and died more sooner And to know the availability for the treatment they have to go to hospital but mostly the government hospital doesnt give more facilities to the patient as the patients want from the doctors. But in the case of the private hospital the patients has to pay more fares for the treatment and they do more delays in the case of the treatment they will be more formalities to be fulfil by the patients which take lot of time waste. Proposed System: In the proposed system everything is computerized. The system provides all the details regarding the Hospital, doctors, patients, bed numbers, and fares also and so on. The user can search required data easily with no time. A very less number of staff is required to handle the system. The patients need not wait for a long time to fulfil his requirement. There is no chance of any failure in the system, which improves the performance of the system and also increases the efficiency of the system. Though this system is very beneficial a minor failures in the server or else the computer leads a major loss of data. FEASIBILITY STUDY In preliminary investigation we got the result that the computerized Hospital management system is feasible. This includes following aspects. Technical Feasibility: Technical feasibility is nothing but implementing the project with existing technology. Computerized Hospital management System is feasible. Economical Feasibility: Economic feasibility means the cost of under taking project should be less than existing system Hospital management system is economically feasible, because it reduces the expenses in the manual system. TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW .NET Framework The .NET Framework is a new computing platform that simplifies application development in the highly distributed environment of the Internet. The .NET Framework is designed to fulfill the following objectives: To provide a consistent object-oriented programming environment whether object code is stored and executed locally, executed locally but Internet-distributed, or executed remotely. To provide a code-execution environment that minimizes software deployment and versioning conflicts. To provide a code-execution environment that guarantees safe execution of code, including code created by an unknown or semi-trusted third party. To provide a code-execution environment that eliminates the performance problems of scripted or interpreted environments. To make the developer experience consistent across widely varying types of applications, such as Windows-based applications and Web-based applications. To build all communication on industry standards to ensure that code based on the .NET Framework can integrate with any other code. .NET FRAMEWORK HAS TWO MAIN COMPONENTS: The Common Language Runtime and the .NET Framework Class Library: The common language runtime is the foundation of the .NET Framework. You can think of the runtime as an agent that manages code at execution time, providing core services such as memory management, thread management, and remoting, while also enforcing strict type safety and other forms of code accuracy that ensure security and robustness. In fact, the concept of code management is a fundamental principle of the runtime. Code that targets the runtime is known as managed code, while code that does not target the runtime is known as unmanaged code. The class library, the other main component of the .NET Framework, is a comprehensive, object-oriented collection of reusable types that you can use to develop applications ranging from traditional command-line or graphical user interface (GUI) applications to applications based on the latest innovations provided by ASP.NET, such as Web Forms and XML Web services. The .NET Framework can be hosted by unmanaged components that load the common language runtime into their processes and initiate the execution of managed code, thereby creating a software environment that can exploit both managed and unmanaged features. The .NET Framework not only provides several runtime hosts, but also supports the development of third-party runtime hosts. For example, ASP.NET hosts the runtime to provide a scalable, server-side environment for managed code. ASP.NET works directly with the runtime to enable Web Forms applications and XML Web services, both of which are discussed later in this topic. Internet Explorer is an example of an unmanaged application that hosts the runtime (in the form of a MIME type extension). Using Internet Explorer to host the runtime enables you to embed managed components or Windows Forms controls in HTML documents. Hosting the runtime in this way makes managed mobile code (similar to Microsoft ® ActiveX ® controls) possible, but with significant improvements that only managed code can offer, such as semi-trusted execution and secure isolated file storage. The following illustration shows the relationship of the common language runtime and the class library to your applications and to the overall system. The illustration also shows how managed code operates within a larger architecture. .NET COMPONENTS AND FEATURES: .NET Architecture: Features of the Common Language Runtime: The common language runtime manages memory, thread execution, code execution, code safety verification, compilation, and other system services. These features are intrinsic to the managed code that runs on the common language runtime. With regards to security, managed components are awarded varying degrees of trust, depending on a number of factors that include their origin (such as the Internet, enterprise network, or local computer). This means that a managed component might or might not be able to perform file-access operations, registry-access operations, or other sensitive functions, even if it is being used in the same active application. The runtime enforces code access security. For example, users can trust that an executable embedded in a Web page can play an animation on screen or sing a song, but cannot access their personal data, file system, or network. The security features of the runtime thus enable legitimate Internet-deployed software to be exceptionally featuring rich. The runtime also enforces code robustness by implementing a strict type- and code-verification infrastructure called the common type system (CTS). The CTS ensures that all managed code is self-describing. The various Microsoft and third-party language compilers generate managed code that conforms to the CTS. This means that managed code can consume other managed types and instances, while strictly enforcing type fidelity and type safety. In addition, the managed environment of the runtime eliminates many common software issues. For example, the runtime automatically handles object layout and manages references to objects, releasing them when they are no longer being used. This automatic memory management resolves the two most common application errors, memory leaks and invalid memory references. The runtime also accelerates developer productivity. For example, programmers can write applications in their development language of choice, yet take full advantage of the runtime, the class library, and components written in other languages by other developers. Any compiler vendor who chooses to target the runtime can do so. Language compilers that target the .NET Framework make the features of the .NET Framework available to existing code written in that language, greatly easing the migration process for existing applications. While the runtime is designed for the software of the future, it also supports software of today and yesterday. Interoperability between managed and unmanaged code enables developers to continue to use necessary COM components and DLLs. The runtime is designed to enhance performance. Although the common language runtime provides many standard runtime services, managed code is never interpreted. A feature called just-in-time (JIT) compiling enables all managed code to run in the native machine language of the system on which it is executing. Meanwhile, the memory manager removes the possibilities of fragmented memory and increases memory locality-of-reference to further increase performance. Finally, the runtime can be hosted by high-performance, server-side applications, such as Microsoft ® SQL Serverâ„ ¢ and Internet Information Services (IIS). This infrastructure enables you to use managed code to write your business logic, while still enjoying the superior performance of the industrys best enterprise servers that support runtime hosting. .NET Framework Class Library: The .NET Framework class library is a collection of reusable types that tightly integrate with the common language runtime. The class library is object oriented, providing types from which your own managed code can derive functionality. This not only makes the .NET Framework types easy to use, but also reduces the time associated with learning new features of the .NET Framework. In addition, third-party components can integrate seamlessly with classes in the .NET Framework. For example, the .NET Framework collection classes implement a set of interfaces that you can use to develop your own collection classes. Your collection classes will blend seamlessly with the classes in the .NET Framework. As you would expect from an object-oriented class library, the .NET Framework types enable you to accomplish a range of common programming tasks, including tasks such as string management, data collection, database connectivity, and file access. In addition to these common tasks, the class library includes types that support a variety specialized development scenarios. ADO.NET ADO.NET IN CONNECTED MODE: ADO.NET provides consistent access to data sources such as Microsoft SQL Server, as well as data sources exposed via OLE DB and XML. Data-sharing consumer applications can use ADO.NET to connect to these data sources and retrieve, manipulate, and update data. ADO.NET cleanly factors data access from data manipulation into discrete components that can be used separately or in tandem. ADO.NET includes .NET data providers for connecting to a database, executing commands, and retrieving results. Those results are either processed directly, or placed in an ADO.NET Dataset object in order to be exposed to the user in an ad-hoc manner, combined with data from multiple sources, or remotes between tiers. The ADO.NET Dataset object can also be used independently of a .NET data provider to manage data local to the application or sourced from XML. The ADO.NET classes are found in System.Data.dll, and are integrated with the XML classes found in System.Xml.dll. When compiling code that uses the System.Data namespace, reference both System.Data.dll and System.Xml.dll. ADO.NET provides functionality to developers writing managed code similar to the functionality provided to native COM developers by ADO. The most important change from classic ADO is that ADO.NET doesnt reply on OLE DB providers and uses .NET managed providers instead. A .NET provider works as a bridge between your application and the data source. ADO .NET and .NET managed data providers dont use COM at all, so a .NET application can access data without undergoing any performance penalty deriving the switch between managed and unmanaged code. The most important difference between ADO and ADO.NET is that dynamic and Key set server -side cursors are no longer supported. ADO.NET supports only forward-only read-only result sets and disconnected result sets. .NET Data Providers: .NET data providers play the same role that OLE DB providers play under ADO, they enable your application to read and write data stored in a data source. Microsoft Currently supplies five ADO.NET providers: OLE DB .NET Data Provider: This provider lets you access a data source for which an OLE DB provider exists, although at the expense of a switch from managed to unmanaged code and the performance degradation that ensues. SQL Server .NET Data Provider: This provider has been specifically written to access SQL Server version 7.0 or later using Tabular Data Stream (TDS) as the communication medium. TDS is SQL Servers native protocol, so you can expect this provider to give you better performance than the OLE DB Data Provider. Additionally, the SQL Server, .NET Data Provider exposes SQL Server specific features, such as named transactions and support for the FOR XML clause in SELECT queries. ODBC .NET Data Provider: This provider works as a bridge toward an ODBC source, so in theory you can use it to access any source for which an ODBC driver exists. As of this writing, this provider officially supports only the Access, SQL Server, and Oracle ODBC drivers, so theres no clear advantage in using it instead of the OLE DB .NET Data Provider. The convenience of this provider will be more evident when more ODBC drivers are added to the list of those officially supported. .NET Data Provider for Oracle: This provider can access an Oracle data source version 8.1.7 or later. It automatically uses connection pooling to increase performance if possible, and supports most of the features of the Microsoft OLEDB Provider for Oracle, even though these two accessing techniques can differ in a few details—for example, the .NET Data Provider for Oracle doesnt support the TABLE data type and ODBC escape sequences. SQLXML Library: This DLL, which you can download from the Microsoft Web site, includes a few managed types that let you query and update a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 data source over HTTP. It supports XML templates, XPath queries, and can expose stored procedures and XML templates as Web services. The ODBC and Oracle providers are included in .NET Framework 1.1 but were missing in the first version of the .NET Framework. If you work with .NET Framework 1.0, you can download these providers from the Microsoft Web site. The downloadable versions of these providers differ from the versions that come with .NET Framework 1.1, mainly in the namespaces they use: Microsoft.Data.Odbc and Microsoft.Data.Oracle instead of System.Data.Odbc and System.Data.Oracle. ADO.NET Object Model: Its time to have a closer look at the individual objects that make up the ADO.NET architecture illustrated in Figure 21-1. Youll see that objects are divided into two groups, the objects included in the .NET Data Provider, and those that belong to the ADO.NET disconnected architecture. (In practice, the second group includes only the Dataset and its secondary objects.) Dataset (Disconnected data) .NET Data Provider Connection DataAdapter Command Data Reader ADO.NET Objects at a Glance The Connection object has the same function it has under ADO: establishing a connection to the data source. Like its ADO counterpart, it has the Connection String property, the Open and Close methods, and the ability to begin a transaction using the Begin transaction method. The ADO Execute method isnt supported, and the ADO.NET Connection object lacks the ability to send a command to the database. The Command object lets you query the database, send a command to it, or invoke one of its stored procedures. You can perform these actions by using one of the objects Executexxxx methods. More specifically, you use the ExecuteNonQuery method to send an action query to the database—for example, an INSERT or DELETE SQL statement—an Execute Reader method to perform a SELECT query that returns a result set, or an Execute Scalar method to perform a SELECT query that returns a single value. Other properties let you set the command timeout and prepare the parameters for a call to a stored procedure. You must manually associate a Command object with the Connection object previously connected to the data source. The Data Reader object is the object returned by the Execute Reader method of the command object and represents a forward-only, read-only result set. A new row of results becomes available each time you invoke the Data Readers Read method, after which you can query each individual field using the Get Value method or one of the strongly typed Getxxxx methods, such as Get String or Get Float. Remember that you cant update the database by means of a Data Reader object. The Dataset object is the main object in the ADO.NET disconnected architecture. It works as a sort of small relational database that resides on the client and is completely unrelated to any specific database. It consists of a collection of DataTable objects, with each DataTable object holding a distinct result set (typically the result of a query to a different database table). A DataTable object contains a collection of Data Row objects, each one holding data coming from a different row in the result. A Dataset also contains a collection of Data Relation objects, in which each item corresponds to a relationship between different Data Table objects, much like the relationships you have between the tables of a relational database. These relations let your code navigate among tables in the same DataSet using a simple and effective syntax. The DataAdapter object works as a bridge between the Connection object and the DataSet object. Its Fill method moves data from the database to the client-side DataSet, whereas its Update method moves data in the opposite direction and updates the database with the rows that your application has added, modified, or deleted from the DataSet. Connection Object: Whether you work in connected or in disconnected mode, the first action you need to perform when working with a data source is to open a connection to it.InADO.NET terms, this means that you create a Connection object that connects to the specific database. The Connection object is similar to the ADO object of the same name, so youll feel immediately at ease with the new ADO.NET object if you have any experience with ADO programming. Setting the Connection String Property the key property of the Connection class is Connection String, a string that defines the type of the database youre connecting to, its location, and other semicolon-delimited attributes. When you work with the OleDbConnection object, the connection string matches the connection string that you use with the ADO Connection object. Such a string typically contains the following information, The Provider attribute, which specifies the name of the underlying OLE DB Provider, used to connect to the data. The only values that Microsoft guarantees as valid are SQLOLEDB (the OLE DB provider for Microsoft SQL Server), Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 (the OLE DB provider for Microsoft Access), and MSDAORA (the OLE DB provider for Oracle). The Data Source attributes, which specifies where the database is. It can be the path to an Access database or the name of the machine on which the SQL Server or the Oracle database is located. The User ID and Password attributes, which specify the user name and the password of a valid account for the database. The Initial Catalog attributes, which specifies the name of the database when youre connecting to a SQL Server or an Oracle data source. Once youve set the Connection String property correctly, you can open the connection by invoking the Open method: ADO.NET in Disconnected Model: In the preceding chapter, you saw how to work with ADO.NET in connected mode, processing data coming from an active connection and sending SQL commands to one.ADO.NET in connected mode behaves much like classic ADO, even though the names of the involved properties and methods (and their syntax) are often different. Youll see how ADO.NET differs from its predecessor when you start working in disconnected mode. ADO 2.x permits you to work in disconnected mode using client-side static record sets opened in optimistic batch update mode. This was one of the great new features of ADO that proved to be a winner in client/server applications of any size. As a matter of fact, working in disconnected mode is the most scalable technique you can adopt because it takes resources on the client (instead of on the server) and, above all, it doesnt enforce any locks on database tables (except for the short-lived locks that are created during the update operation). The following Imports statements are used at the file or project level: Imports System. Data Imports System.Data.Common Imports System.Data.OleDb Imports System.Data.SqlClient Imports System.Data.Odbc Imports System.IO Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions The DataSet Object Because ADO.NET (and .NET in general) is all about scalability and performance, the disconnected mode is the preferred way to code client/server applications. Instead of a simple disconnected recordset, ADO.NET gives you the DataSet object, which is much like a small relational database held in memory on the client. As such, it provides you with the ability to create multiple tables, fill them with data coming from different sources, enforce relationships between pairs of tables, and more. Data Set: The DataSet object is central to supporting disconnected, distributed data scenarios with ADO.NET. The DataSet is a memory-resident representation of data that provides a consistent relational programming model regardless of the data source. It can be used with multiple and differing data sources, used with XML data, or used to manage data local to the application. The DataSet represents a complete set of data including related tables, constraints, and relationships among the tables. The DataAdapter object, which works as a connector between the DataSet and the actual data source. The DataAdapter is in charge of filling one or more DataTable objects with data taken from the database so that the application can then close the connection and work in a completely disconnected mode. After the end user has performed all his or her editing chores, the application can reopen the connection and reuse the same DataAdapter object to send changes to the database. Admittedly, the disconnected nature of the DataSet complicates matters for developer

John F. Kennedy :: essays research papers fc

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in the Boston suburb of Brookline. Kennedy was the son of Joseph P. Kennedy a formerambassador to Great Britain. Kennedy was much like his father, possesing a delightful sense of humor, a strong family loyalty, a concern for the state of the nation, endless vitality and a constant air of confidence no matter how dire the situation (Kennedy, Sorensen, Harper & Row, New York 1965, Page 18). Growing up in a priviliged household and graduating with honors from Harvard. He served as an assistant to his father (1938), naval officer (1941-1945), journalist (1941 and 1945) and Congressman (1947-1953), he had traveled to every major continent and talked with the presidents and prime ministers, of some thirty-seven countries. In 1952 he was elected to the United States Senate and in 1953 he married Jaqueline Bouvier. However one year later a spinal operation brought him to the edge of death's door, causing him to deeply reflect on his character (Sorensen 28). After his dangerous operation he researched and wrote a book, about democracy. The next year narrowly missing the Vice Presidential nomination of his party, Kennedy emerged as a national figure in large demand. "John Kennedy was not one of the Senate's great leaders" (Sorensen 43). Very few laws of great importance bear his name. Even after his initial â€Å" traditionally' inactive freshman year in the Senate, his chances for major contributions to the Senate excluding his stances on fair labor reform and against rackets, were constantly diminished of his Presidential campaign. His voting record reflects his open minded views, and strengthed beliefs. He was well liked and respected by many Senators. Kennedy was regarded for his eagerness and cool logic in debate situations His only real â€Å"enemy† was Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin (Sorensen 45).McCarthy's rough and wide-ranging hunts for Red, "pinks" and headlines had stomped on the freedoms of people who had not committed a crime, and Kennedy was too rational and reasonable a man to remain indiferent to the extremism known as Mcarthyism. Kennedy often was a thorn in McCarthy's side obstructing many of McCarthy's personal choices for various offices and by serving on certain committies of which McCarthy was chairman, such as the Government Operations Committee (Sorensen 46). Kennedy's political philosophy revoloved around the idea that one could not allow the pressures of party responisbility to cloud ones personal responsibility. Meaning after all was said and done that the decision falls upon yourself to make the choice regardless of what your party platform was. Of course the platfrom had significant merit, nevertheless it still came down to

The Effects Of Day Care Paper

Day care clearly has a significant impact on the health of young children. How many hours children spend in day care before they go to kindergarten plays a major role in how they develop later. According to thoughtful social scientists, â€Å"in teachers' reports of kindergà ¤rtners social behavior, the effect of hours spent in day care is greater than the effect of the quality of parenting, and comparable to the impact of poverty' (Jennet Jacob Erickson ). From personal observation, the negative effect of too much time spent away from the mothers is regrettably apparent, and even obvious.Unfortunately, oftentimes the mothers themselves do not recognize the negative effects of separation between mother and child. A low level of maternal sensitivity, paired with more time spent in day care, and/or a lower quality of day care, will cause undesirable results. Children will tend to feel more insecure and less attached to their mothers. Children need a significant amount of one-on- one time with their mothers in order to create a stable foundation for growth. If little children are deprived of that essential time, it is sure to show later in some way.Throughout the US and around the world, more and more mothers are starting careers. Therefore, more children are going to day care. In 201 0, one in four children with a working mother went to day care. These rates are increasing. Even though most people in the modern world would agree that it is admirable that so many women are becoming independent, it is unavoidable that there are consequences for the family. For children, more time in day care during early childhood results in a lowered social ability to be competent and cooperative with others, more problem behaviors, negative ND even depressed moods, as well as aggression and conflict.It is troubling to think that many young children are suffering unnecessarily. Regrettably, the role of stay-at-home-mom is becoming less and less desired as the world takes on a mo re prominent feminist view. Although it is understandable that some mothers are working to put food on the table, there are plenty who are simply trying to climb the corporate ladder. The neglected children Of these mothers are unfortunately often left wondering if they are as important to the mothers as the job. Mothers need to exhibit sensitivity throughout childhood.Many can agree it is the best way to ensure a healthy social-emotional development. It is proven that â€Å"children whose mothers exhibit low levels of sensitivity and who are in child care more than ten hours a week or in lower quality childcare are more likely to experience attachment insecurity' (Jennet Jacob Erickson). Attachment insecurity can lead to negative behavior outcomes. It is likely that neglect from mothers can even slow development. Research shows that â€Å"children who experienced more hours of child care had significantly fewer social skills ND poorer work habits in the third grade† Genet J acob Erickson).Preteens with extensive child care backgrounds continued to show similar results. What many mothers fail to realize is that the stability and quality of the where they are sending their children does not make up for the lost positive mother- child interactions. Whether an individual chooses motherhood or not, she must understand the importance of adapting to the role. To take on the responsibility of becoming a mother, she must understand that this is not a role that can be done carelessly in any way.The absence of quality mother- child time can result in bad behavior later, particularly in adolescent-teenage years. Children tend to have better social-emotional development when they have a healthy attachment to their mothers. It is proven that â€Å"at age 15, children who had experienced more non-relative (non-family) child care reported more risk-taking behaviors and impulsively, including using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs; behaving in ways that threatened saf ety; and not being able to control impulses appropriately' (Jennet Jacob Erickson).Clearly, children who do not have enough sufficient one-on-one time with their mothers are the ones who grow up to be â€Å"misguided teens. † Of course, this is not the only factor and not the only answer to every situation. But, statistics imply that many cases could be cured simply with some tender love and care. With an answer as straightforward as this, it is discouraging that many insensitive and uninvolved mothers are still left wondering later why their child has developed behavioral issues. Many could argue the fact that the ever-growing day care business across the country is a growing issue.

Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Example

Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Example Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay What is the outcome of a scheme devised by two desperate men in need of money? The outcome can be just preposterous, as in the comical short story â€Å"The Ransom of Red Chief† by O. Henry. In this story, Sam and Bill are two-bit con men who need money to pull off a scheme. The con men are faced with unexpected obstacles that cause them to take extreme measures to obtain what they want. The author uses literary devices such as figurative language, allusions, and irony to create a humorous and amusing tale. One literary technique the author uses throughout the story to illustrate comedy is figurative language. This paints vivid pictures for the reader on what is occurring in essential scenes. Bill said, â€Å"the boy put up a fight like a welter-weight cinnamon bear.†(pg.) This is a humorous simile that gives the reader a clear picture of a small boy putting such a struggle that he resembles a professional fighter. This simile also refers to a red colored bear of North America that is wild and ferocious. The combination illustrates quite a fight. Also, when Johnny asks to keep on playing a â€Å"look comes† into Bill’s eyes â€Å"like a rabbit’s when you catch it in a trap† (pg.55) This illustrates how poor Bill feels about having to play with Johnny again. The continued belittling and badgering by the boy and the surrender that Bill feels are expounded upon when the boy speaks.The dialect and language used in the text provide humor and exaggeration to the actions and tone of the characters. Furthermore, another way the author establishes humor is through the utilization of allusions. The ideas and emotions created by allusions contribute to what the author is conveying. When Bill recuperates from Johnnys assault with the slingshot, Bill states that his â€Å"favorite Biblical character is â€Å"King Herod† (pg.53).This allusion is a reference to King Herod, who once ordered the deaths of all boys under the age of two. This offers the re

Absurdity in The Stranger essays

Absurdity in The Stranger essays The Stranger contains a strong notion of absurdity; the useless attempt humanity makes to find rational order where none exists. Philip H. Rhein believes that Camus asserts that individual lives and human existence in general have no rational meaning or order. Though Camus does not openly refer to the notion of absurdity in The Stranger, events that occur in the novel are perfect examples that life is absurd: the story of the Czechoslovakian man, Salamano, and the trial of Meursault. While in jail, Meursault thinks about the story of a young Czechoslovakian man who left his village, made a fortune, and returned to his village in disguise to see his mother and sister. He planned to reveal his identity after showing off his wealth. Unfortunately, his mother and sister killed and robbed him before he could reveal himself. Rhein believes that the absurdity of life is emphasized by the story of the Czech...although Meursault finds the story unbelievable from his point of view. There is no reason for the son to have died. His ironic fate does not comply with any logical or ordered system governing human existence; his death is a meaningless tragedy that defies rationalization or justification. Salamano, Meursaults neighbor, has a dog that he beats and swears at. One evening his dog runs away and Raymond and Meursault find Salamano searching for it. That night, Meursault hears Salamano crying in his room. Later, Salamano talks with Meursault and states that he is sure that Meursault loved his mother, despite the fact that Meursault offers no evidence to support this. Some view this as Salamano himself supplying the rational order that he desires to find in the world. The way Salamano turns the conversation suggests that Salamano uses the discussion to displace his own guilt. Salamano assumes that Meursault really loved his mother despite sending her away, just as he loved his dog even though he be...

How To Create Opt-In Forms 5 Ways To Convert Traffic Like Crazy

How To Create Opt-In Forms 5 Ways To Convert Traffic Like Crazy Without a doubt, everyone wants to turn their website visitor into a customer. But did you know that  95% of first-time visitors  are not ready to purchase from your website right away? In fact, it takes on average three to four visits to your website for prospects to actually think of buying from you. This means if you’re selling a product or a service on your website, you could be losing many potential customers unless you build an email list and nurture them to purchase your products. Nonetheless, persuading visitors to submit your opt-in forms is key to the success of your business. Now, opt-in forms require various elements to attract leads and encourage completions. Each  of these elements is essential for boosting sign ups by reducing friction. In this post, let us discuss various key elements of high conversion opt-in forms, and how each element can contribute to improving your conversion rate.How To Create Opt-In Forms: 5 Ways To Convert Traffic Like Crazy1. Make Your Lead Generation Form Visually Appealing Studies show that  55% of visitors  spend fewer than 15 seconds on your website. Evidently, if you’re looking to increase conversion rate, you’ll need to grab the attention of your visitors as quickly as possible with a beautiful opt-in form. While prettiness of your form can be pleasing to eyeballs, the primary goal should be to make your form stands out from the rest of the content of your page, so it easily grabs the attention of your visitors. QuickSprout’s lead generation form is one of the perfect examples of a visually appealing opt-in form. Wondering what makes the QuickSprout’s form stands out? Let’s take a look at them below. Subtle shadow: You can notice a subtle shadow below the bottom corners, providing the form a little popping kind of effect. Directional cues: Using a directional cue has an inevitable role in designing a high converting opt-in form. It shows your visitors where to focus in your form. In the QuickSprout example, the header points downwards where the fields and button are placed. Recommended Reading: How To Write Landing Pages That Will Boost Your Conversions The below example of Constant Contact’s form is another example of using directional cue that points CTA button. Use directional arrows on opt-in forms to direct user actions.Actionable Tips for Creating a Visually-Appealing Opt-in Form Design When it comes to from design, below are a few tips that might help you: Create pretty opt-in forms using a form generator: You don't  necessarily have to be a designer in order to create an eye-catching form. If you’re on WordPress, you may use a free plugin like  Optin Forms  or use a premium SaaS solution like  OptinMonster. Visually appealing landing pages: While opt-in forms are an essential element of your landing page, make sure all other elements are also optimized for conversion. WordPress offers  various landing page plugins  for designing a page. Here are some other popular options to consider: LeadPages Unbounce Instapage 2. Increase Perceived Value With Compelling Content Upgrades What is the most important thing that encourages people to subscribe to your list? If you ask me, it is the opt-in bribe you offer your leads for subscription. Undoubtedly, visually appealing design attracts eyeballs to your opt-in forms. However, design alone is not sufficient to encourage people to subscribe to your list. It doesn’t matter how pretty your design is, unless you convey the benefits of subscription you can’t expect many sign ups. In order to encourage sign ups, make sure you offer something valuable which your prospects can’t refuse. That being said, you shouldn’t necessarily offer something huge as an opt-in bribe, but make sure it should be perceived as high-value. Encourage signups via opt-in forms by offering something prospects can't refuse.Again, let’s take a look at the QuickSprout’s opt-in form and its title copy. It says â€Å"Free Course: Double Your Traffic in 30 days + Secret Bonus (Valued at $300)† Let’s see how it increases perceived value with this compelling content. It focuses on solving a pain point: Solving a common pain point is one the best ways to encourage leads to subscribe to your list. In this case, QuickSprout offers a guide that tells how to double traffic in just 30 days. Because gaining traffic is a time-consuming task, this is an undeniable offer. Images: Another thing I liked about the form is that it shows the free course as a bundle of books and CDs, which definitely raises the perceived value of the opt-in bribe. Specifying dollar value: It also mentions how worthy the offer is by specifying its dollar value- yet another great way to increase perceived value. Recommended Reading: 10 Stunning Examples Of Visual Content Marketing Content Upgrades: Increasing Actual Value vs. Perceived Value While it is always possible to raise the perceived value of your content upgrade, one of the drawbacks of this approach is that since more and more marketers are offering generic opt-in bribes like ebooks, it is hard to differentiate yours from your competitors. And this is the primary reason  why the team at CopyBlogger launched a free paywall for MyCopyBlogger rather than a generic opt-in bribe such as an ebook. They wanted to offer both perceived as well as actual value than traditional methods. If you haven’t heard about MyCopyBlogger yet, it is a premium content library consisting 15 eBooks and a 20-part internet marketing course. In order to access the content, subscribers are required to log in to the site by entering their email address. Below are the results of this approach. This strategy of increasing perceived value and actual value boosted the sign up rate by 400%. Besides the sign up rate, the lead quality remained high and it helped to generate $300,000 in Authority  sales in their first month. This video from Jeff Sauer of  Jeffalytics shows how to build content upgrades to gate behind your opt-in forms: Recommended Reading: How To Use Social Media Analytics To Create The Best Content 3. Reduce the Number of Form Fields Undoubtedly, reducing the number of form fields is one of the easiest ways to increase sign up rate. And it has been proven by many studies. By analyzing contact forms of 40,000 of their customers, Dan Zarrella at HubSpot  found  that conversion rates improve when unnecessary fields are eliminated. Blivakker.no  found  an 11% rise in sign up rate when the number of form fields is reduced. Expedia eliminated just one field  resulting in a $12 million profit. These results make sense because shorter opt-in forms make submission easy and convenient for your prospects, which in turns encourage more sign ups. Increase signup form completions by eliminating unnecessary fields.So when creating an opt-in form, always double check whether each field is necessary and try eliminating the fields that are not critical for your marketing strategy. Number of Fields: Lead Quantity vs. Quality With that said, do keep in mind that the quality of your leads  is as important as the conversion rate. For that reason, if you’re eliminating the number of fields for boosting conversion, make sure to test the quality of your leads  as well. For instance, while auditing the lead flow, the team at B2B software company Iron Mountain found that eliminating number of form fields tremendously reduces the quality of leads. For them, in order to qualify a lead, simply gathering name and email address are not just enough. So, instead of reducing the number of form fields for boosting sign ups, they focused on improving qualified leads. A form submission is considered qualified if a lead submits accurate information for sales inquiry. At the end of the test, the A/B test with form design variations  improved qualified leads by 140%. Below are a few lessons you can learn from this case study. Validate fields: Leads submit accurate info if the fields are validated. This can help improving lead quality. Qualified leads improve efficiency  of sales teams: If you’re a B2B business, qualified leads help your sales team to focus on selling rather than researching contacts. Capturing more info: Gathering more info helps in personalizing follow up emails tailored to the lead’s industry. Two Additional Actionable Tips Aside from validating form fields, below are a few tips to follow. Add help text: Provide helps tips next to each field explaining why each info is being collected. Use ghost text: Ghost text helps users to identify in what format each field should be filled in. However, if you insist users to insert irrelevant fields, for example, dashes for a phone number, chances are it will create friction, which in turn reduces conversion rate. 4. Make the CTA Button Stand Out Make sure your users can easily differentiate your CTA from rest of the opt-in form elements. This strategy can help to grab the attention of your potential leads and encourage clicks. In one case study,  Dmix tested  comparing green and red button colors in their CTA. After testing 600 subjects, they found that conversions increased by 34% when they used red button. The reason why red button outperformed the green in the above example is that the red stands out from the rest of the design. So it draws attention and encourages click. Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Using Color Psychology In Marketing + Free Color Schemes Below is another example of using a button that doesn’t blend into the design. Additionally, make sure your CTA is actually a button. This separates the button from other elements placed on your page, which persuades visitors to click on it. For example, RIPT tested their original call to actions against a new CTA button. When the control is tested against the original, they immediately saw a rise in sales. The copy of your CTA button is as important as the color. According to a  survey by Formstack, little changes in button copy can help boosting conversion rates tremendously. With that said, you shouldn’t blindly follow someone else’s test on your opt-in form. The only way to improve conversion is to conduct a test on yours and learn how various CTA versions resonate with your audience. Recommended Reading: How To Write A Call To Action In A Template With 6 Examples 5. Place Forms Above-the-Fold Placing an opt-in form above-the-fold is a common practice to grab the most attention of your visitors. Entrepreneurs-journey.com offers a good example of a form that is placed above-the-fold. The best thing about this leaderboard sized opt-in form is that unlike popups, it grabs attention without annoying visitors. In fact, visitors can also choose not to display the form if they wish not to view it. Such placement is advisable,  especially because  Google recently announced  that they’ll start penalizing "intrusive interstitials" like popups on mobile devices from Jan. 10, 2017. So if you’re currently using any kind of intrusive opt-in forms for growing your list and are concerned about receiving a Google penalty, you might want to remove it from your website and place it above-the-fold for mobile devices. While above-the-fold placement can be an easy tactic to grab the attention of your visitors, it is not a "one size fits all" solution for driving more conversions. Let’s take a look at when you shouldn’t place your form above-the-fold. Should opt-in forms be above-the-fold? It depends.When Above-the-Fold Isn't The Best Option Did you remember the age old marketing lesson AIDA? AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Remember the AIDA formula when building opt-in forms.When it comes to the placement of your opt-in form on your landing page, this means before asking your potential lead to complete a form, you’ll need to explain about your offer and convince them to subscribe to your list by explaining its benefits. Various sales pages have been using this AIDA tactic for boosting conversion. Optimize Your Opt-In Forms And Drive More Conversions! I hope this article gives you some insights on creating a high converting opt-in form for your next list building campaign. Every website and its audiences are unique. It is always better to test what brings better result before making assumptions. What is your favorite tip for creating a high-conversion lead generation form? Share your thoughts with us by dropping a line below in the comments section.

Green Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Green Intelligence - Essay Example accountability, organizations are finding that success is increasingly being measured not only by financial performance, but also by ecological and social accomplishments as well† (p.3). This is what is now called as the green intelligence. Green intelligence is the development of strategies and methods of developmental practices that promote social or national growth while trying to sustain the health of the ecological system. The goal of green intelligence is to meet the new energy needs and product demands of a consumer society that is becoming more aware of the ever-present problems in the environment. The development of this practice may not save what has already been destroyed in the environment, but it can help greatly in preventing further damage. The study made by the PricewaterhouseCoopers (2008) found that â€Å"consumer demand for green technology products is on the rise. Government customers are increasingly mandated to purchase green where available, and the spectrum of products covered by such provisos is growing† (p.51). If various major governments and private sectors adopt the green intelligence a core goal and as part of their methods and practice, then it could make up for all the environmental damage that has been done for the past

Car Manufacturing and Costing Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Car Manufacturing and Costing Systems - Essay Example Meanwhile, by 1939, the UK car manufacturing Industries have reached to the extent where they seconded the United State worldwide in terms of manufacturing car, as there were 20 Independent car manufacturing companies based in UK. Additionally, according to Stephen King (2005) that "BEFORE THE Second World War, there were hundreds of UK car companies. Had you wanted to buy a car, you could have opted, in the 1930s, for an elegant Alvis. Going back a bit further, you might have preferred the rather underrated, yet classy, Albion. Now, with the administrators called in to sort out MG Rover, it looks increasingly likely that you will no longer be able to 'Buy British' at all unless you're heading for the niche world of Morgan or for self-employment as a taxi driver". The costing system that was used in most manufacturing companies in the 1930s was the volume based costing system. This therefore implies that this costing system must have been employed in the car manufacturing process in the United Kingdom during this period. A volume-based costing system is a costing system that assigns overheads to products based on the output level achieved. (Blocher et al, 2005). Overhead or indirect costs are arbitrarily assigned to products based on either labour or machine hours rather than based on the product's demand for activities and thus resources. (Blocher et al). A vA volume based costing system allocates costs to products using arbitrary methods such as direct labour hours. These systems have proven to be appropriate when manufacturing systems used to be labour intensive, when labour used to be the principal value-adding activity in the raw material conversion process. (Cooper and Kaplan, 1992). However, with the advent of sophisticated technological developments and automation of manufacturing processes, direct labour is no longer directly working in the conversion of materials to products. Instead labour is simply engaged in setting up machines and supervising production activities (Kaplan and Cooper, 1992). Under the volume based costing system products that are manufactured in low quantities tend to incur more costs than those that are produced in large batches. The costs incurred per unit on these low-volume products are usually higher than that for the high-volume products. (Kaplan and Cooper, 1992). Therefore, when a volume based costing system is used to allocate overhead costs to products both low- and high-volume products are allocated equal amounts of costs. (Kaplan and Cooper, 1992). Activity based costing (ABC) a cost accounting system that recognizes the fact that costs are incurred by each activity that takes place within the organization and that products (or customers) should bear costs in proportion to their demand for activities (Owe and Law, 1999) is the costing system that was used in the UK car manufacturing industry in the year 2000. This is so because car manufacturing in the year 2000 became computerised and the role of labour in manufacturing was mainly supervisory. Apportioning overheads using labour or machine hours while appropriate in the 1930s could not be appropriate in 2000. ABC was proposed by Professor Johnson

Karim rashid work's images Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Karim rashid work's images - Research Paper Example Bdesigns%26b%3D148%26ni%3D21%26ei%3DUTF-8%26xargs%3D0%26pstart%3D1%26fr%3Dchr-yie8%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=330&h=330&imgurl=www.modernrestaurantseating.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2007%2F12%2Fkarim_rashid_kite_chair.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modernrestaurantseating.com%2Fkite-chair-by-karim-rashid-light-and-convenient&size=8k&name=karim+rashid+kit...&p=karim+rashid+designs&oid=1fd9cc2308e679e2&fr2=tab-web&no=166&tt=288&b=148&ni=21&sigr=12mjumc8l&sigi=12m8ea27d&sigb=141seuem1 http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dkarim%2Brashid%2Bdesign%26ei%3Dutf-8%26fr%3Dchr-yie8&w=500&h=494&imgurl=deco-design.biz%2Fwp-content%2Fsoundwave-flo-panneau-acous.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fletsgodeco.blogs.marieclairemaison.com%2Fdesign&size=146k&name=soundwave+flo+pa...&p=karim+rashid+design&oid=6d971e700056e8ba&fr2=&no=2&tt=16645&sigr=11kqcloko&sigi=11qdtrj9g&sigb=12n0232lc http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dkarim%2Brashid%2Bdesign%26ei%3Dutf-8%26fr%3Dchr-yie8&w=468&h=414&imgurl=marvinblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2009%2F09%2FRashid-Colors.bmp&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmarvinblog.com%2Fkarim-rashid-for-gorenje&size=567k&name=Rashid+Colors&p=karim+rashid+design&oid=d9d22d8896cebc86&fr2=&no=15&tt=16645&sigr=11edp4eg0&sigi=11ropkcfr&sigb=12n0232lc http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dkarim%2Brashid%2Bdesign%26b%3D22%26ni%3D21%26ei%3Dutf-8%26xargs%3D0%26pstart%3D1%26fr%3Dchr-yie8&w=600&h=592&imgurl=www.trender.fr%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2008%2F12%2Fkarim9.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trender.fr%2Fpage%2F8&size=79k&name=karim9&p=karim+rashid+design&oid=33aa9ba4612d699e&fr2=&no=30&tt=16218&b=22&ni=21&sigr=10sede1d8&sigi=11kg7q1lt&sigb=13jn4jkia

Essay Convsersion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Convsersion - Essay Example ngers to know the exact location of the city buses they intend to board, using GPS network, and thus to avoid longer waiting periods in the cold and rain. Our project idea won the competition and our professor for the marketing subject even went to the extent of advising us to propose the idea to the London Transport Authority. Personally, I was in complete agreement with him. Initially all the four of us were fired up with enthusiasm but eventually my colleagues lost interest in pursuing the idea, overcome by heavy school work and imagined bureaucratic hurdles. I followed the herd, killed my own instinct and dropped the idea altogether. In hindsight, as I see the proliferation of GPS applications now, I realize how I have lost a golden opportunity in not pursuing my own instincts – a lesson well learnt from a mistake. Coming to the second episode, after completing undergraduate degree, most of my fellow students were scrambling for jobs and accepting offers that came their way. On the other hand, I was watching with interest the globalization process and the emergence of China on the world economic scene and felt that in this changed scenario, familiarity with the Mandarin language would be of immense help in the coming days. At that time, I had the option either to accept an offer from an investment bank where I had successfully completed internship earlier or to go to Beijing to learn Mandarin, following my inner convictions. I chose the later option and do not regret it. It proved as one of my best self-improvement investments, as I had to deal with Chinese clients both in my earlier stint with a New York investment bank and after joining my family business here in Singapore. Aptly enough, this response follows upon the previously related incidents and has continuity with them. Before joining my present job, I worked for four years in a couple of comfortable jobs in international banking. They had all the fun of high profile jobs – lot of travelling

Ethical Issues Involved in Animal Testing Essay

Ethical Issues Involved in Animal Testing - Essay Example 3). Another argument that contests animal testing is the moral status animals. It was noted that animals’ capacity to feel pleasure or pain equate them to humans in terms of moral status. The arguments on the moral status of animals were discussed extensively in Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. One argument was contended by Kant in his Lectures on Ethics, highlighed as follows: â€Å"we have indirect duties to animals, duties that are not toward them, but in regard to them insofar as our treatment of them can affect our duties to persons† (Kant, 1997, p. 240). Animal Testing is Ethical It has been revealed that the argument for or against animal testing actually stemmed from the views of philosophers (Mukerjee, 1997). As disclosed, Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher and a writer of Animal Liberation, allegedly supported the utilitarian theory which espoused that â€Å"in all decisions the total amount of good that results—human and animal—should be weighed against the suffering—human and animal—caused in the process. Not that to him the interests of humans and animals have equal weight: life is of far greater value to a human than, for example, to a creature with no self-awareness† (Mukerjee, 1997, p. 87). Apparently, the philosophy of utilitarianism was identified with John Stuart Mill, who espoused that â€Å"in any given situation the right action would be the action that tended to minimize the suffering and pain, and maximize the pleasure and happiness, of all interested parties. He further thought that the suffering, pain, pleasure and happiness of animals should be included in this calculus† (Branham, 2005,... It has been revealed that the argument for or against animal testing actually stemmed from the views of philosophers (Mukerjee, 1997). As disclosed, Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher and a writer of Animal Liberation, allegedly supported the utilitarian theory which espoused that â€Å"in all decisions the total amount of good that results—human and animal—should be weighed against the suffering—human and animal—caused in the process. Not that to him the interests of humans and animals have equal weight: life is of far greater value to a human than, for example, to a creature with no self-awareness† (Mukerjee, 1997, p. 87). Apparently, the philosophy of utilitarianism was identified with John Stuart Mill, who espoused that â€Å"in any given situation the right action would be the action that tended to minimize the suffering and pain, and maximize the pleasure and happiness, of all interested parties.   He further thought that the suffering , pain, pleasure and happiness of animals should be included in this calculus† (Branham, 2005, par. 2).  To refute Regan’s assertions that animals have rights, philosophers and researchers, such as Carl Cohen.   The Moral Significance of Animals' Moral Claims, 2010, par. 12). This assertion was likewise supported by Festing and Wilkinson that â€Å"the use of animals in research can be ethically and morally justified. The benefits of animal research have been enormous and it would have severe consequences for public health and medical research if it were abandoned† (Festing & Wilkinson, 2007, p. 1).

Houston Club tour report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Houston Club tour report - Assignment Example Houston Club understands the importance of having a high number of members in order to keep it operational. In this case, the company has implemented an efficient membership marketing structure that has ensured that the club’s membership segment of golf club approximate 400 members, the country club has about 600 members, and there are about 1,000 members in the club’s dining, sporting, and business segment. In effect, the club appears to be doing well in an environment where some of the clubs were closing down in Florida. However, the club’s main advantage was that there were fewer clubs within its area of operations. For Houston Club, exclusivity is one of the marketing strategies that the company has utilized in order to gain more members than other clubs. In this case, the club has packaged itself as an exclusive Gentlemen’s Club, which is an important strategy of the club in differentiating itself from its competitors. Exclusivity is evident in the club’s facilities ranging from their rooms and other important features such as wine lockers stocked with some of the most expensive wines. The exclusivity makes more members want to join the club and become part of the elite. After identifying the importance of this strategy in gaining more members, the club consequently introduced three segments of membership with these three being golf club membership, country club membership, and the other segment drawing membership from people interested in dining, sporting, and business. In this way, the club has a capacity to market its membership across members with varying interests. Other than membership marketing strategy focusing on the club’s exclusivity, the PR team packaged offers from the club, sent invitations to the city’s law firms, and then focused on the oil, gas, and financial industries by sending invitations to members who were attracted to the packages offered by

Essay Convsersion Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Convsersion - Essay Example ngers to know the exact location of the city buses they intend to board, using GPS network, and thus to avoid longer waiting periods in the cold and rain. Our project idea won the competition and our professor for the marketing subject even went to the extent of advising us to propose the idea to the London Transport Authority. Personally, I was in complete agreement with him. Initially all the four of us were fired up with enthusiasm but eventually my colleagues lost interest in pursuing the idea, overcome by heavy school work and imagined bureaucratic hurdles. I followed the herd, killed my own instinct and dropped the idea altogether. In hindsight, as I see the proliferation of GPS applications now, I realize how I have lost a golden opportunity in not pursuing my own instincts – a lesson well learnt from a mistake. Coming to the second episode, after completing undergraduate degree, most of my fellow students were scrambling for jobs and accepting offers that came their way. On the other hand, I was watching with interest the globalization process and the emergence of China on the world economic scene and felt that in this changed scenario, familiarity with the Mandarin language would be of immense help in the coming days. At that time, I had the option either to accept an offer from an investment bank where I had successfully completed internship earlier or to go to Beijing to learn Mandarin, following my inner convictions. I chose the later option and do not regret it. It proved as one of my best self-improvement investments, as I had to deal with Chinese clients both in my earlier stint with a New York investment bank and after joining my family business here in Singapore. Aptly enough, this response follows upon the previously related incidents and has continuity with them. Before joining my present job, I worked for four years in a couple of comfortable jobs in international banking. They had all the fun of high profile jobs – lot of travelling

Houston Club tour report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Houston Club tour report - Assignment Example Houston Club understands the importance of having a high number of members in order to keep it operational. In this case, the company has implemented an efficient membership marketing structure that has ensured that the club’s membership segment of golf club approximate 400 members, the country club has about 600 members, and there are about 1,000 members in the club’s dining, sporting, and business segment. In effect, the club appears to be doing well in an environment where some of the clubs were closing down in Florida. However, the club’s main advantage was that there were fewer clubs within its area of operations. For Houston Club, exclusivity is one of the marketing strategies that the company has utilized in order to gain more members than other clubs. In this case, the club has packaged itself as an exclusive Gentlemen’s Club, which is an important strategy of the club in differentiating itself from its competitors. Exclusivity is evident in the club’s facilities ranging from their rooms and other important features such as wine lockers stocked with some of the most expensive wines. The exclusivity makes more members want to join the club and become part of the elite. After identifying the importance of this strategy in gaining more members, the club consequently introduced three segments of membership with these three being golf club membership, country club membership, and the other segment drawing membership from people interested in dining, sporting, and business. In this way, the club has a capacity to market its membership across members with varying interests. Other than membership marketing strategy focusing on the club’s exclusivity, the PR team packaged offers from the club, sent invitations to the city’s law firms, and then focused on the oil, gas, and financial industries by sending invitations to members who were attracted to the packages offered by

Research Proposal on Banking Essay Example for Free

Research Proposal on Banking Essay Introduction Over thirty-five years have passed since academics began speculating on the impact that information technology (IT) would have on organizational structure. The debate is still on-going, and both researchers and managers continue to explore the relationship between IT and organizational structure. As organizations need to process more information under these uncertain conditions, IT is one possible way for organizations to increase their information processing capability. We are conducting a research in HBL bank that, how bank increase the number of account holders using Internet banking among its Current Account holders. IT has a dramatic effect on both peoples personal and professional lives. IT is also changing the nature of organizations by providing opportunities to make fundamental changes in the way they do business. The technology is changing rapidly, with computing speeds and the numbers of transistor equivalents available in a given area of a microprocessor chip both doubling in very short time. Organizations are acquiring more and more technology systems to assist in everything from manufacturing to the management of information to the provision and improvement of customer service. Harnessing and coordinating this computing power is the challenge. New tools and innovative perspectives with which to examine, interpret, and comprehend these rapidly evolving environments are always needed and sought. Background / Literature View: IT is transforming the way that business is conducted. Computers prepare invoices, issue checks, keep track of the movement of stock, and store personnel and payroll records. Word processing and personal computers are changing the patterns of office work, and the spread of information technology is affecting the efficiency and competitiveness of business, the structure of the work force, and the overall growth of economic output. Many people believe that the primary driving force behind this information revolution is progress in microelectronic technology, particularly in the development of integrated circuits or chips. Thus, the reason that computing power that used to fill a room and cost $1 million now stands on a desk and costs $500 or that pocket calculators that used to cost $1000 now cost $10 is that society happens to have benefited from a series of spectacularly successful inventions in the field of electronics. But fewer people understand why the introduction of information technology occurred when it did or took the path that it did, why data processing came before word processing or why computers transformed the office environment before they transformed the factory environment. Because this technology oriented view of the causes of the information revolution offers little guidance to the direction that technological developments have taken thus far, it offers little insight into the direction that they will take in the future. Electronic banking is one of the first things that come to mind when one thinks about the future of banking. It is generally assumed that electronic banking is new and that it will replace or supplement many channels of delivery of retail banking services. The term electronic banking as used here refers to any banking activity accessed by electronic means. It includes Online Banking, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Automated Call Centers, Digital Cash, Internet Banking, Screen Telephones, E-Utility Bills and so on. These channels of delivery can be used for presenting and paying bills, buying and selling securities, transferring funds, and providing other financial products and services. Electronic banking can be used for retail banking and business-to-business (B2B) transactions, as well as for facilitating large-amount transfers. Equally important, electronic banking is a worldwide phenomenon. As the term is used here, it involves transactions. Web sites that are transactional are considered electronic banking. Electronic banking and the Internet in general are forcing a shift in the way banks and other businesses organize and the way they think of themselves. A shift is taking place from vertical integration to virtual integration. Banks and other financial intermediaries must realize that they are in the financial information industry. The Internet makes it possible to bring both customers and suppliers together to share critical business information. E-banking helps banks relay and show to their clients how good their services are, how many services we are providing and that the services they offer are of better standards. Through E-banking the company can show the clients that they are better than competitors and can give them satisfaction guaranteed. Statement of the problem The internet and the different things it can do to uplift business procedures, products and services is a current necessity for business. One of internets products is Electronic banking. Electronic banking is a faster way for clients to transact with the banks personnel. Clients can still transact with banks while on the comfort and safety of their homes and Offices. The main purpose of this proposed research is to determine, how we will increase Internet Banking Users among their present Account holders. Theoretical Framework: Increase Internet Banking Users Quality Products (websites) A Bank Manager observed that, if he provides the better Quality Products (Websites) and Low Bank Charges on Internet-Banking to his Account holders. This will increase the number of Customer of Internet Banking. But it will not affect on those Account holders with less qualification and do not use internet. Qualification of account holder and use of internet Low Bank Charges on Internet Banking Research Objectives: This Research intends to find out, If Bank updates its website and gives quality products, easy use and as well as reduce its transaction charges on Internet banking will increase the number of users using Internet Banking among its Account holders. However, according to the literature review, the qualification of account holder is plays an important part in this relationship. Our objective is if we increase quality products and reduce its transaction charges on Internet banking will increase the Internet Banking users. Research Question: * If we increase quality products and reduce its transaction charges on Internet banking will increase the Internet Banking users or not? * Qualification of customer and use of internet is effect on internet banking users or not? Research Design/Methodology: Type of research This research will use the descriptive type of research. Descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition and solving the problem. The descriptive approach is quick and more practical financially. Moreover, this method will allow for a flexible approach, thus, when important new issues and questions arise during the duration of the study, a further investigation may be allowed. The study opted to use this kind of research considering the goal of the study to obtain first hand data so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study. Research Strategy For this research data will be gathered through collating published studies from different books, articles from different related journals and studies, and other literary instruments. Afterwards make a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material. The study will then summarize all the necessary information. The study will then make a conclusion based on the said information and provide insightful recommendations on how to solve the said problem. Sample and Sampling Technique The respondents of the research came from the different branches of bank mentioned from Karachi. Due to time constraint and also, for the convenience of the researcher, only hundred (100) respondents were considered for the study. The convenience sampling technique was imposed in the study to pick up the hundred respondents, mainly because the availability of the respondents from the different branches was considered. This part of the study is important because the most important data needed to fulfill the objectives and aims of this study will only be supplied by the respondents from the Branches of HBL bank Karachi. Primary and secondary data collection The primary source of data will come from a survey using questionnaire and interviews that will be conducted by the researcher. The primary data frequently gives the detailed definitions of terms and statistical units used in the survey. These are usually broken down into finer classifications. The secondary source of data will come from research through the internet; books, journals, related studies and other sources of information. Acquiring secondary data are more convenient to use because they are already condensed and organized. Moreover, analysis and interpretation are done more easily. Validation of the instrument For validation purposes, the researcher pre-tested a sample of the set survey questionnaires. This was done by conducting an initial survey to at least five respondents from the different banks from Karachi. After the respondents answered, the researchers then asked them to cite the parts of the questionnaire that needs improvement. The researcher even asked for suggestions and corrections from the respondents to ensure that the survey-questionnaire is effective. Automatically, these five respondents were not included as respondents for the study. Data analysis Data gathered will be analyzed through frequency distributions. These will give way to reviewing the data categories and the number of referrals in each category. The data acquired will be analyzed according to the different categories and importance. The information that will be gathered and analyzed will be important to achieve the objectives desired by the study.

Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI)

Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) Discuss the weaknesses of the Occupational Stress Indicator. What are the alternatives? The Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) is one of the most frequently used measures of occupational stress. Its intention is to provide practical help to individuals and their organizations (Cooper et al., 1988). It was designed to measure the key components of the stress process and work study in a wide variety of organizations. The original occupational scale contained over 200 items scored on a 6-point Likert-type scale. The Indicator consists of one biographical questionnaire and six questionnaires each measuring different dimensions of stress. For example, source of stress, moderating factor in aspects of dealing with stress and the stressors affects on the individual and situation. The sources of pressure questionnaire have six subscales and are a measure of factors thought to have a role in the aetiology of occupational stress. There are three questionnaires for assessing moderating variables: these are for type A behaviour pattern with three subscales, locus of control with t hree subscales, and coping strategies with five subscales. A further three questionnaires for mental ill-health, physical ill-health, and job satisfaction (with six subscales), assess strain or `stress effects. In simple terms, the OSI uses questionnaire statements to assess, a) how you feel about your job b) how you assess your current state of health, c) the way you behave generally, d) how you interpret events around you e) sources of pressure in your job, and f) how you cope with the stress you experience. OSI questionnaires are based on identifying three key elements of the stress process-effects, sources, and individual differences-and the scale places appraisal at the centre of the process. In particular, it is felt that it is not the demand or the source of pressure itself that is the issue; it is the perception of that pressure (Lazarus, 1966). It follows that the perception of individual differences such as coping and support and the perception of stress outcomes such as w ell-being and job satisfaction should also be measured. Pratt and Barling (1988) stated that it is as important to measure the interpretation that individuals give to an event as it is to measure the event itself. The recognition that appraisal plays a key role in the stress process makes it appropriate to use self-report questionnaires to measure stress at work. The essence behind the OSI was to provide a measurement scale, which would in turn provide a link between theoretical knowledge – in particular Lazarus (1966) Transactional Model and empirical evidence. Before discussing alternatives, it is important to evaluate the strengths of the instrument – and assess the positive attributes that the indicator has provided for future research. Although self-report mechanisms of discovering data have had criticism for its susceptibility towards experimenter bias – i.e. participants lying for socially desirable reasons, or over-playing/down-playing their answers for personal means, self report instruments are a valuable way of seeking responses from the core source themselves. Thus responses are first hand – and not an interpretation from a second or third party. In regards to work related stress – it has been found that self- reported health is a good indicator of the health status (Farmer Ferraro, 1997) and there is a positive relationship between self-reported health and self-efficacy (Parkatti, Deeg, Bosscher, Launer, 1998). Thus, this may imply that self report responses collected from a measurement like the OSI may well yield valid responses in regards to their health and how this in turn may affect how they feel about their working environment and how they perform within it. There has been a considerable body of research that has investigated self-reported health and occupational stress. It is accepted that in work situations stress due to increased psychological demands and reduced job control is related to poor self- reported health (Andries et al., 1996). Therefore, asking employee’s to complete the complex occupational stress indicator questionnaires may indicate where this stress is coming from and how the person perceives they are dealing in the situation. The major advantage of the OSI is that it is a mechanism of which may highlight a potential damaging work-related stress problem – not only high-lighting the problem, but the scale attempts to highlight its source and potential solution as well. The OSI has been used extensively since its publication in 1988. However, up until the late 1990’s, the scale has not been changed or been amended in any way. A number of studies have reviewed the design and use of the questionnaire in attempt to test the psychometric properties of the OSI, and to see if the instrument could be improved. The original OSI suffered from being developed on the basis of a very small (N = 156) sample. Therefore, it was important in any evaluation of the scale to include a vast sample to prepare the analysis from. In attempt to evaluate the scale structure and reliability, Williams (1996) analyzed the data for over 20,000 participants working in over 100 different organizations. The data was collected between 1990 and the end of 1995 from a wide variety of organizations in the public and private sector in the United Kingdom. Accounting for errors, a sample of 4,455 individuals in total adds support to a great body of literature that presents a consi stent picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the Occupational Stress Indicator. Through analyse, the scale appears strong at measuring job satisfaction, mental and physical health, and sources of pressure (Cooper Bramwell, 1992; Rees Cooper, 1992; Robertson et al., 1990). However, if the aim of the OSI questionnaires are to identify key elements of the stress process- e.g. the effects, sources, and individual differences-the indicator is somewhat flawed. The indicator is not so strong at evaluating the extend to which the individual feels in control of their situation (i.e. locus of control) or what behaviour, coping strategies people are most likely to adopt (Kirkcaldy, Cooper, Eysenck, Brown, 1994). Thus, the scales seem to lack in the ability to address the fundamental issue of individual differences in the process of stress, and how one perceives and copes with their situation. Therefore, there is strong evidence to suggest that the scale itself needs improvement or redesi gn to account for this (Williams Cooper, 1997). To discuss alternatives or improvements for the Occupational Stress Indicator – one needs to highlight how we define stress and how this definition is relevant in the work place. Stress can be regarded as the sum of total of environmental demands that tax our mental resources. For some (e.g. Lazarus, 1975), stress only has impact if we appraise it as threatening or harmful to ourselves. Symptoms of stress are varied but often present itself as some kind of strain in psychological, physiological, behavioural or physical health. Information about the individual and stress is often accumulated through self-report questionnaires. The most common (but not necessarily the strongest method) is through the use of a cross sectional design – such as the OSI. All data collected via this method is self-report and collected from the same people at the same time. There is danger in this approach – as it can often inflate the correlations observed between job-factors and the st rain outcome, and this does not accurately indicate the direction of causality. Conclusions derived from such analysis are often in terms of ‘main effects’ (of work related factors) and modifiers (moderate, mediators – variables that serve to enhance or attenuate the effect of job stress). For example, the level of control or autonomy against level of work load put upon the individual. However, this does not clearly tell us whether these two variables are related or independent of each other. It is merely assumed that one causes the other. As mentioned before, the flaws of the OSI seem to be in its ability (or lack of ability) to reliably identify how one perceives their situation and addresses coping strategies to suit. Lazarus (1975) account of occupational stress is useful here. He purposes a transactional cognitive view of stress. Lazarus believes that it is not just the environment that needs to be taken into account when considering sources of stress, but also a look at the person and how they ‘fit’ into the environment. Lazarus (1975) believes that there is a transaction between the environment and the person. This transaction is only stressful if a) the person believes the outcome of behaviour is relevant to personal goals/beliefs and b) if the person recons that the environmental demands exceed the personal resources of the individual. Furthermore, every encounter between the environment and the person involves appraisal and coping strategies. Lazarus (1975) believes that since perception of the s tressor is all important, it is pointless to pursue objective indicators of the environment. Rather it is this perception of the situation that indicators how stressed one will feel. A great criticism of the OSI is in its complexity and its length. This makes the administration of the scale a timely process. In response to this, Faragher, Cooper and Cartwright (2004) purpose an alternative, two-stage, risk assessment process. This involves an initial screening questionnaire for all employees of a given work place, and then conventional risk assessment tools are used to evaluate in detail just those individuals identified as having a potential stress problem. There are three main sections of the questionnaire which measure employee perceptions of their job, organizational commitment and employee health. This shorter version of the Occupation Stress Indicator is termed the ASSET – A Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool. Tests of just under 10,000 employees in 100 public and private sector organizations within Britain found ASSET to be quick and easy to complete, generating a high response rate. Thus in comparison to the OSI, the evaluation of the ASSET provides evidence that it possesses good reliability (a small number of reliable factors which increases the ease of interpretation) and has good reports of validity. However, it could be regarded that this shortened scale may have negative consequences for its validity. For example, the ASSET is put forward as a two stage ‘risk assessment’. This implies that the scale is administrated to assess the employee’s susceptibility to feeling stressed. Therefore, this ignores that there is an interaction between the environment and the person, but instead, puts heavy emphasis on the person’s ability to cope in a given environment. Therefore, this type of risk assessment may be perceived as more of a ‘test’ – rather than a support mechanism. Therefore, the validity of the screening scale itself is put into question – as it is highly likely that participants will want to answer in a socially acceptable manner to avoid incrimination. . Another scale that has adopted a shorter format is the Pressure Management Indicator. Williams Cooper, (1996) cite this model as more reliable, more comprehensive, and shorter than the OSI. The Pressure Management Indicator did infact evolved from the Occupational Stress Indicator. Therefore, the comparisons between the two scales here, opposed to the ASSET scale, are more valid and useful. Therefore, its inventors regard it as the replacement indicator of occupational stress. Williams and Copper (1998) examined existing measures of stress (directly and indirectly related to work) – these included questionnaires on mental health (e.g., Crown Crisp, 1979), job satisfaction (e.g., Warr, Cook, Wall, 1979), and locus of control (e.g., Rotter, 1966) and worked from the original OSI to produce a standardized, reliable, compact, and comprehensive instrument to measure work-related stress. The PMI incorporates three main scales; stress-outcome, stressor and the moderator factor. The stress-outcome scales measure, job and organizational satisfaction, organizational security, organizational commitment, anxiety-depression, resilience, worry, physical symptoms, and exhaustion. The stressor scales cover pressure from workload, relationships, career development, managerial responsibility, personal responsibility, home demands, and daily hassles. The moderator variables measure drive, impatience, control, decision latitude, and the coping strategies of problem focus, life work balance, and social support. To overcome the limitations of the original OSI, Williams and Copper (1998) embarked on a comprehensive analysis of the scale, ranging from analysis of the name of the scale – e.g. it was found that the mention of ‘stress’ in the title of the original scale implied there was a ‘stress problem’ in the organisation. Thus changing the name to ‘Pressure’ intended to imply a more neutral term (opposed to stress – the n egative consequence of pressure – William 1994). Through the extensive analysis of the OSI Williams and Copper (1998) revealed the main attributes of the original scale that existed as its weakness – and purposed to find solutions to these problems. For example, as stated the scale could be interpreted as threatening and time consuming. Thus a shortened version was essential. Another issue highlighted with the use of such a lengthy scale – was infact the possibility that a large number of items would increase the co-efficient alpha rating – and thus making the scale appear more reliable than it actually is. Therefore, the production of the PMI was designed to revise the questionnaires and number of items, without sacrificing its psychometric properties. Furthermore, it may be felt that the items on the OSI were bias towards white-collar or executive levels – ignoring the stress felt at lower levels of the organisation. The length and complexity of the OSI may have been bias towards workers who took on re ading activities regularly – opposed to the more manually skilled employee’s with more hands on day to day tasks. With this diversity in mind – it is essential that a vast number of employment scenarios are covered on any stress indicator scale. It may be interpreted that the original OSI was not so diligent in representing such diversity in the work-force. Williams and Copper (1996) were careful to use an extremely diverse data set representing over 100 different organisations from the public and private sectors. Incorporating diversity, it is also important to eradicate cultural boundaries in the questioning material. For example, the acknowledgement and understanding that many companies want to investigate work-related stress across national and ethnic boundaries is important. Therefore, can the OSI be regarded as a multi-cultural measure of occupational stress? It may be suggested that the mere fact it was based on a very small sample of just over 150 people , that it is impossible that is has gained a representative view of the world and the people and organisations within it. Furthermore, the consideration that the world of work is always changing means that the questions on the scales need to reflect changes in demand such as job insecurity and technology. The fact that, the original OSI scale has not been amended since its production renders it out-of-date in many respects. To combat these downfalls, William and Copper (1996), attempt to combine the questionnaires with organization-specific items, in hope of identifying sources of pressure and the use of coping mechanisms. The original scale lacks the ability to provide a cross-occupational and cross-company analysis. The solution was to develop a standardized measure covering all aspects of the stress-strain relationship that is, stressors, moderating factors, and stress outcomes (William and Copper, 1996). The new PMI questionnaires are intended also to help raise awareness of occ upational stress at the individual and organizational level, identify those individuals who need remedial help, and provide information for the design of appropriate interventions In light of the discussion above, the Occupational Stress Indictor has presented many weaknesses – in particular reference to its design, practical administration, validity and reliability. Many have questioned the length and complexity of the original self-report questionnaire. This has led to a revised version of the scales in the form of the PMI (Williams and Copper, 1996). The PMI, developed just under ten years after the original OSI, intended to combat many of its methological concerns such as shortening the administration process and taking into account cultural and occupational differences of its users. It would appear that through the quest to appeal to a wide audience – i.e. a diverse work base, the original OSI flawed due to its lack of ability to be able to offer a reliable source of stress indicator in reference to the individual’s perception of the situation and how they perceive they are coping. Although the original OSI was giving an accurate rep resentation of job satisfaction, mental and physical health, and the sources of pressure – i.e. concrete certainties that are easily measurable, the scale was not so reliable in measuring more abstract properties such as perceptional qualities. Therefore, it may seem a valuable option to concentrate on the perceptual properties of the scale itself to produce more reliable scale that measures how the individual feels, opposed to just how the individual acts in their environment– hence the development of the Pressure Management Indicator. This goes hand in hand with the theoretical assumptions that underpin the measurement scales – e.g. Lazarus transactional model of stress – purposing that there is a transaction between the environment and the person – which in turn may render the interaction as a stressful one or not. It is important to take into account that stress is an interactive process between the stressor and the moderator and the stress out come. The newly revised PMI scale is more advanced than the original OSI scale in that it takes into account this interaction. An important factor highlighted by the ASSET scale is that the administration of an Occupation Stress Indicator or Pressure Management Indicator needs to be as impartial as possible. A large weakness that needs to be overcome about any type of stress indicator is that it is not measuring the person’s ability to cope in stressful situations. For example, the scale is not intended to assess or question personality or to test the personal attributes of the individual, but instead, to provide an indication of how one perceives their working environment and how a number of variables interact to produce potentially stressful effects for the individual. The overall aim of a stress indicator scale is to identify physical and psychological areas of concern that can be highlighted to encourage an optimal balance of stress, coping strategies and support in the w ork place. References Books Cooper, C. L., Sloan, S. J., Williams, S. (1988). Occupational Stress Indicator. Windsor, England: NFER- Nelson. Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York: McGraw-Hill. Lazarus, R.S. (1975). The healthy personality: a review of conceptualizations and research. In Levi, L (Ed). Society, stress and disease, vol 2. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Pratt, L. I., Barling, J. (1988). 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