Bad School System Essay Example for Free

Bad School System Essay What are schools doing for us? If nothing then what can we do to improve them? I think they aren’t doing anything. I have never really thought about this idea until I started research. I think that I am fairly smart, but it is more of after school rather than school itself. I was watching a TED TALK from Ken Robinson and he was talking about how schools kill creativity. He talks about how schools are good at making people who do their jobs successfully. He also says that those same people are doing that job because they don’t have any other choice. By showing this he is trying to show that school kills creativity. Salman Khan the founder of Khan Academy talks about how students don’t get to work on their own pace. Dave Eggers the founder of 826 Valencia talks about how students need 1-1 attention to learn their talents. Ken Robinson has many different videos on school all talking about how school has problems that need to be solved. The one that I watched was â€Å"Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity†. He talks about how school trains you in a way that creates a fear of making mistakes. He says, â€Å"If you’re not prepared to be wrong, then you will never be original†. We are being educated out of creativity. Teachers are not ready to have things be wrong. When grading test or any kind of work there is no such thing as maybe, it is just right or wrong. There are always those kids who are over the top smart and there are those kids that are very creative but not as smart. In this scenario you know that the kid who has the brains is going to get the popularity. Nobody is going to go to the creative kid for help even though he/she might have something worth saying. Then those creative kids will also have to adapt to the school system and eventually lose their creativity. Salman Khan has one very important video on TED and it talks about how students do really get to learn on their own pace in school. The TED TALK is called â€Å"Let’s use video to reinvent education†. In this video he talks about his website www.Khanacademy.com. In this website he has different topics for which he has videos for. He also has sort of an online learning system on the same website. In that learning system they want you to master different concepts that you are having trouble with. So they show you videos on how to do the problem then set you on your own. If you still don’t have perfection then they allow you to repeat. They want you to master the concept by letting you do the whole process as many times as you like. By this you are allowed to learn at your own pace. In school you learn a chapter take a test then move on. Even if you didn’t understand you move on, also the students who get like 90 to 99.9% they still might have some problems that they didn’t understand. I also experienced Khan Academy, I have an account and I am always using it when I need help on something. Dave Eggers has one video on TED and it talks about why students are happier to go to tutoring rather than school itself. In his TED TALK â€Å"Once Upon a School† he shows the audience of a place that he created called 826 Valencia. This is a shop that he founded in which he connected a newspaper editor center, a pirate shop, and a after school tutoring center. He says that students come there running after school to do homework. That’s not really something that you think of. The students get help on any HW especially their English homework. He has his Newspaper crew and volunteers help students 1-1 on HW. He has students write books and then publishes the books. He says that students need 1-1 time with whomever they are working with. In school students don’t really get 1-1 time during school to talk about things that they are having trouble with and stuff like that. In a year he has over 1,400 volunteers helping run 826 Valencia. He thinks that if students are able to have 1-1 time with teachers on their work then they would be more creative. They students would never know if they were doing well or if they needed to improve in certain areas. If you haven’t watched this TED TALK them I recommend every one the watch it. All three of these guys show great ways to improve the School system. These guys are already doing it outside of school, which shows that our School System isn’t really great. There are many problems with our School System we just never think about them as students. You would never think that School would kill your creativity, but when you think about it†¦

Understanding specific needs in Health Social Care

Understanding specific needs in Health Social Care Understanding the specific needs in Health Social Care Table of Content Acknowledgement Table of Content Introduction 1.1 Roles of the health care agencies 1.2 Epidemiology of non infectious disease Epidemiology of infectious disease 1.3 Effectiveness of different strategies and approaches 2.1 Regulate healthcare methods 2.2 Relationship of health and social care service provision 2.3 Current lifestyle choices lead to future health and social services 3.1 Health and wellbeing priorities 3.2 Encouraging behavioral changes 3.3 Changes needed for improving Health and wellbeing Conclusion Recommendations References Introduction Without any doubt, health is the most important factor for a living being. A person’s life is depended on the well-being of health, not to mention all the regular activities are centered towards this. But with the increasing difficulties in regular living is making this very health deteriorating each day. It is very important for mass people to understand the basic of health dynamics. With the changes in the natural spectrum, huge changes have also taken place in human needs regarding needs of health and social care services. Not only the pattern has changed overtime, but also the perception towards these is transformed drastically. 1.1 The core concept- health changes in perception regarding health and social care services The fundamental pattern of health and social care is changed due to revolution in the need regarding this. There are various macro factors contributing to this, alongside the micro ones. In various countries, there are mammoth changes in the demographic pattern and the health literacy which has changed the whole landscape of health and social care services. To understand the perception of changing health and social care services it is very important to understand the underlying concepts like normality, disability, illness etc. Normality: Normality which is also known as normalcy depicts the behavior which is consistent with an individual’s most common behavior in terms of health factors. It is very vast term to describe and it in many cases it changes with the context. When it comes down to the definition of health, this normality is a very significant concept. A healthy state generally stands for normal and sound process of all the functions that drives a human being. Clinically normality represents the consistency between the bodily and psychological functions. The reverse is generally known as abnormality. Disability: Disability means partial or total forfeiture of a person’s bodily function which could be motor functionality, walking etc. As mentioned earlier this loss could be partial or complete and this could even be from birth. A person might have one disability or he could have multiple disabilities which could be ostensible for instance loss of a limb or it could also be in hidden form for example epilepsy or post-polio syndrome. Some types of disabilities are multiple-sclerosis, spina bifida etc. There was time when there was a norm in the society which permitted the stigma and discrimination. People tend to avoid and stigmatize the person with illness, disabilities and it kept going on for a long period of time. The ultimate result of this was that it made the whole situation way more difficult for the affected person and consequentially, it becomes really hard for them to recover from the illness. The problem of mental illness is a common phenomenon for example at some point of life out of every four people generally experiences mental health problem. Still approximately one in every ten children faces various mental health problems. With the changes in the condition health and social care services have changed drastically. On the positive side, the stigmatization and discrimination have been reduced significantly due to continuous awareness in mass level. 1.2 impact of social policy, legislation and culture on availability of services In the sector of health and social care, social policy along with legislation and culture play a great role when it comes to availability of necessary service for each a group of individuals having specific needs. If the social policy does not support the support the specific needs and patronize it in favorable way then it will become impossible to lead life in a favorable way. The legislation, in this case, is very important both on individual and mass level. For example, right now it is secretary of state’s responsibility to promote comprehensive health service all over UK which will lead to significant improvement in physical as well as mental health of the individual; in addition to this, the service will aid in not only the prevention but also the diagnosis of mental and physical issues. The outcome of the health and social care services will be measured based on the effective, quality and the experience of the concerned persons. In this regard, only legislation and policy will not suffice in the long run. To make this kind of practice sustainable and craft the system in such flexible way so that the changes can be made whenever it is necessary. To attain this objective, the services required for the individuals with specific needs have to turned into a culture which people will adhere to follow, not for just the sake of legislation that has to be followed in formal manner. 2.1 the mechanism of supporting individual with specific needs To attain this objective, the services required for the individuals with specific needs have to turned into a culture which people will adhere to follow, not for just the sake of legislation that has to be followed in formal manner. There are been number of cases of where health and social care do not work in harmony when it is about the meeting the specific needs of the individuals. Every year total number of people in UK requiring both health and social care is on an increasing trend. Just for example, total percentage of individuals crossing eighty five will double in the next twenty years which will arouse the complex need https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-sure-health-and-social-care-services-work-together of health care as well as social care. By complex need of health care we refer to multiple health problem at the same time which need to be backed up by the social care services. So far the most glaring issue is that, these two are not collaborating as per expected level. And this is turning into a big problem for the service takers. For example, a person after staying a while in hospital requiring final treatment is trying to know how many days he might have stay after treatment. Over the period of time, being in hospital became a gruesome experience for him; but this mental issue is mostly overlooked. This is just a representation of common scenario taking place most often. In many cases, one important parts either health care or social care is missing. When health and service care is joined up and given properly to the people, that has the highest probability of meeting individual need. This concept should be put into model and later on, it will work as a guiding principal for the health care and social care service providers. 2.2 evaluaiton of currently available system services Generally it is perceived that, when two services- health care and social care are collaborated it must be very beneficial for the people who are taking this service as well as for the service providers. But yet this notion is to be supported by number of facts. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14629210 there is an study done by Brown L, Tucker C by to evaluate the efficacy of the currently available system of health care and social care to meet the specific needs of the individuals. This study more of less represents the current scenario of available systems. The study was conducted among a group of aged persons who were given both health care and social care. In the initial stage the result was very much aspiring. The health care and social care needs were assessed successfully and in a timely manner. This was like a one stop approach for two big aspects catering the individual needs. The whole process of communication of the issue, understanding the aspect and the exchange of required information was drastically improved but it comes down to implementation this seemed not to work properly. Even though the individual need assessed properly, the problem started in the implementation level. The implementation of the service was not satisfactory because of the duly implementation as well as the follow up process. Innovation in the phase of implementation can play a great role as well as the change in implementation process also. Even though two entities giving health and social care services have the same goal they have different organizational structure, ideology and working process. During the implementation phase, it becomes very difficult to accommodate both services in subsequent point of time. So far in nationwide analysis, the same problem is been observed. Even though the general perception is that, the outcome has to be good naturally the fact is quite the opposite. In many cases the efficacy of current model is questioned thoroughly. To make these two services more appropriate and effective for the individual needs it is very important to do the organizational and legal fixes rather than just focusing first hand coordination portion. 3.1 understanding approaches intervention strategies supporting individual specific needs There can be a number of ways to support the individual need with health care and social care, but it is very important to come up with the best strategy and blend it effectively. Here the challenge is, each individual aspect for example health care can be appropriate in its own stance but when it comes to collaboration the approach will be different. Let us consider a common scenario- Autism where it is very important to use the perfect strategy to meet the individual specific need. Since there is hardly any permanent cure for autism, the professional bodies use a number of approaches that aid the concern in different ways. The most challenging aspect in this case is, there are never two individuals with exact same case of autism where a approach might perfect work one person, whereas the same approach will fail with slightly different case. http://www.autism.org.uk/living-with-autism/strategies-and-approaches.aspx before coming up with the exact approach it is highly important to gather all the relevant data pertaining to the autism for that specific individual. In addition to this, dealing with this is a long term approach, so while choosing the method one must be very careful and plan down the line what might take place. One standard startup intervention procedure is health and service based intervention. Apart from the health and service based intervention The starting intervention could be like behavioral and developmental intervention, motor and sensory intervention, counseling etc. Health and service based intervention takes places in multiple phases and it needs to be planned beforehand. Standard Health and service based intervention is planned based on the focus to constantly uphold the well being of the individual with autism which will require a vast range of treatment and therapies as well as well a number of sociological approach. The common scenario is to use variety of approaches and methods which generally include professional therapists, speech, langue therapist along with psychological therapists. This panel of therapists will be working together to ensure the proper development of the concern. This combination of different therapies is used with behavioral, motor sensory, augmentative in addition to alternative intervention method. Among these, the standard procedure of health care includes standard operational procedures like medication, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology aiming at the development of speech and language. On the other ha nd, service based interventions generally include aiding people in education, development of social skills, day to day basis development on social skills, accessing the needs and change in those and respond accordingly. This is just the beginning. The challenge with autism is the lack of awareness and when people do not admit to have the autism. It is a common barrier for autism. The autism is most cases is invisible because it just possess few signs; so it becomes really difficult what exact health and social care needs are required for he particular individual and how it can be tailored to maximize the benefits. Starting from the daily rituals to particular special activities, everything needs to be chalked out and it needs to done on a daily basis. This is one approach dealing with the individual with autism. Another approach could be, after assessing all the possibilities, figuring out two or three most potential route to deal with the scenario and start trying those out in a co ntrolled setting for smaller time being. After getting the results, the best method will be carried forward. The disadvantage with this approach is that the change could have negative impact on the concern. That it is very important to access the health and social care needs thoroughly at first and then act on this. The social care support might be very extensive here, starting from the education it could end up in finding appropriate works. The employment service are designed in such a way that it suits individual abilities and needs and to make the approach successful the team of health and social care need to work closely with the family members, at least at the very first stage they need to collaborate with the concerned family to understand the early stage development scope and devise the plan accordingly. 3.2 need for development and support for individual with specific need Specific development methods need to be applied for the individual with specific needs, more specifically showing different characteristics. Other than the social needs, the health and wellbeing need to be checked on a regular basis because at the end of the day, if he does not have the functioning body he won’t be able to do anything else. For this purpose, the health needs have to identified thoroughly and plan the acts based on that. There could be a number of activities which the person has to undergo and for convenience, these should be turned into a ritual format so that it becomes easier. Apart from these, health improvement needs to be monitored on a regular basis. Other than this it will not be possible to track the whether the approach is right or wrong. There should scope for adaptions and improvisations to make the process much better and updated. 4.1 Strategies for coping up with challenges, potential impact of challenges and strategies to cope up While working in health and social care there are a number of scenarios posing specific challenges. Below are two of them- With the increasing access to information, people are right now more knowledgeable in various subjects, even it could be to small extent but with the blessing of technology information is on the fingertips. But analyzing this information is totally different issue. In most cases being a part of health and social care I have seen that, the parents or relatives of the person taking services are intruding into the operational procedure without having sufficient knowledge on the subject. It is very much possible that it happens because of their extra cautiousness towards the wellbeing of their closed ones. Since we have deal with concern usually on a long term basis it becomes very difficult to experience this kind of intrusion. Another challenge is to tailor the service with the given agenda and financial constrain. In many cases, it becomes very difficult to meet specific need by tailoring it as per the agenda given. This is mainly because of the continuously changing demand and increa sing public expectation. Since there are multiple entities involved in this procedure, it is very difficult to accommodate minor changes if that are done on a continuous basis. The potential impact of the challenging behavior on the health and social acre is that the health and social care givers have to be pretty much through regarding their understanding of the all the necessities and act accordingly. Starting from the planning, collaboration and execution phase they have to be very much cautious and the same time flexible regarding the plan. All the works need to be functionally assessed all the time and regular evaluation has become mandatory for the efficacy of the work. The core strategy to keep up with challenge is support from all the entities, be it the party taking the service or the one giving this. While dealing with the challenges clear target need to be set regarding the timeline, deliverables and all other specific activities. For working the with the challenging behaviors regarding specific needs it is very important to clearly communicate with the involved member, share the course of actions along with other specifications clearly. The rewards and sanctions will be set in such a way that it best suits and eases the operational procedure.

Radio Frequency Identification Rfid Tourism Essay

Radio Frequency Identification Rfid Tourism Essay Chapter 1 Introduction The 21st century has experienced massive changes and growth in several fields of the world economy. International trade, communication, technology, financial services, manufacturing, and other fields of business have recorded immense growth. To this end, competition is cutthroat as businesses become global and multinational conglomerates dictate business trends. In this regard, international transport, both human and commodity, has immensely increased. The number of ships, airlines, cross-border railways, international highways, and other forms of transport are recording immense volumes of transportation. Such colossal volumes create identification and tracking headaches for businesses as they strive to meet the needs of the customers. Commodities in transit tend to get lost in huge piles of baggage, creating a nightmare for both the client and the business. In the past, several technologies have been used to identify and track baggage. One such technology has been the use of a bar code system, a collection of unique numbers that identifies the specific baggage. While this technology may be effective in identifying items, it was found wanting when it comes to tracking. To solve this, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been introduced as a means of solving both the identification and tracking requirements. The RFID system is composed of two basic units, the tag and the receiver unit. The tag is a device that contains a small, inexpensive, programmable memory chip and a transponder unit that is attached to the commodity to be transported. The chip is a memory unit that contains unique information regarding the baggage, and the transponder transmits that information to a receiver. Hence, when the baggage or commodity passes through a magnetic reader, the information regarding the baggage is captured and retrieved via the transponder. This information not only identifies what the baggage is and who the owner is, but it also provides information regarding where the baggage has originated (Garfinkel, Juels, Pappu, 2005). The receiver unit is composed of an interrogator which emits a signal that activates the transponder. Once the transponder has forwarded data to the interrogator, the receiver unit has an inbuilt decoder that translates the data and relays it in a manner that can be understood. The RFID concept has since become the preferred tracking technology for most shipments. However, the technology has not been implemented in consumer goods found in stores. This is because tags are still comparably expensive when it comes to consumer goods. Huge shipments such as shipping containers have employed RFID technology as international sea ports have increased their annual luggage capacities. In the aviation industry, much controversy surrounds the use of RFID technology. Some airlines are finding it expensive to introduce, while leading airlines are introducing RFID with a competitive edge in mind. There are also social issues that surround the implementation of RFID. These social issues range from human tracking to tracking baggage even after it has left the airport. Opponents of RFID technology argue that such tracking infringes on privacy and should therefore not be used in any of its forms. While the above argument may be true, RFID provides unrivalled efficiency in han dling goods in transit. History Roberti (2011) explains that RFID technology has been in use for quite a few years now. It is noted that RFID technology was employed in the Second World War in order to identify enemy gunships and fighter planes. In 1980, RFID tags were used to identify military equipment. Garfinkel et al. (2005) assert that recent growth can be attributed to the rise of invasive commerce. In this way, businesses make use of RFID technology to track movement of commodities and by extension understand consumer behavior. These businesses are able to do this by embedding smart readers and transmitters onto commodities in order to track them over a wider distance using a networked system to gather data from different locations. This information provides businesses with a clearer view of which consumers prefer what commodity. This allows businesses to align their production with consumer preference. Uses of RFID As previously mentioned, RFID was first used in warfare to discern friend from enemy. Similarly, the military used the RFID system during the cold war era to identify, manage, and track nuclear weapons. Today, there are several applications of RFID, which may include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supermarkets and retail stores use RFID to manage inventory, equipment, and staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Airports and airlines use RFID to manage staff, passengers, and baggage. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Hospitals have used the technology to manage key equipment, inventory, and staff. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Manufacturing businesses have used RFID to manage inventory and employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The military uses the technology to track and monitor personnel and dangerous material such as nuclear weapons. Advantages of RFID One of the greatest advantages of RFID tags is the ability to track consumer goods right from the manufacturer to the point of sale. In general, most goods are produced in foreign nations and shipped to destination countries. However, due to a lack of tracking systems, some goods are lost during transportation, and this is a huge loss for businesses. RFID will give such businesses the opportunity to track shipments. Another advantage of RFID is the ability to decode past information regarding where a person or goods have been. Such historical information is important in providing crucial information regarding past occurrences. The third advantage is that RFID is automated technology that does not require a human being to actively read it, as the bar code system does. Therefore, it eliminates the human error element in tracking and managing movement of goods. Disadvantages of RFID In general, RFID can be dangerous technology if not properly managed. For instance, if RFID is embedded in shoes or clothing, such pieces of clothing can be used to track the movements of an individual around the world. Such tracking highly invades the privacy of an individual without that individuals knowledge or consent. Such tracking may also be a dangerous security risk for individuals. Emirates Airlines The airline industry is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world. As international commerce has rapidly increased, so has the airline industry. Asia, in particular China, India, South Korea, Singapore, the Arabian Gulf, and Malaysia, has spurred growth. The United Arab Emirates has also experienced immense growth, and Emirate Airlines is right in the middle of this growth. Emirates Airlines is the biggest airline in the Middle East with more than two thousand flights per week. The airline prides itself on a 50,000 staff base and long-range flights (emirates.com, 2008). The airline started off as a business of necessity. The company website explains that in the mid-1980s, the top airline at the time, Gulf Air, reduced flight services into Dubai. Thus, the royal family in Dubai decided to invest in a new airline, and in March 1985, emirates airlines started operating (emirates.com, 2008). The airline has since registered rapid growth, becoming one of the biggest purchasers of aircrafts. It prides itself on a long-range fleet of both Boeing and Airbus aircrafts. In its hangers are the dream liners Boeing 777 and the magnificent Airbus A380. Such immense growth and investment has led the airline to be a major player in the airline industry. emirates.com (2008) confirms this by asserting that in 2011, the airline was the fourth largest airline in the world. This success has been attributed to excellence in in-flight service and consistent profits. The company expects to receive an order of 90 Airbus A380 aircraft by 2017. This is the single largest purchase of passenger aircrafts in aviation history securing, its future in the aviation industry. Dubai International Airport DXB Dubai is one of the seven emirates making up the United Arab Emirates and one of the fastest developing locations in the globe. At the center of this development is the Dubai International Airport, referred to as DXB in the aviation world. The airport is the biggest aviation hub in the Middle East, handling 65% of all passengers travelling through the Middle East. The airport handles over 130 airlines that make about six thousand flights per week (emirates.com, 2008). Home to emirate airlines, DXB has committed an entire terminal to the airline. Dubai International Airport sits about 4km north of central Dubai and handles over 50 million passengers annually. Similarly, it is also the sixth busiest airport in terms of cargo, handling slightly over 2.2 million tons annually. The airport is an important economic establishment in the UAE. The airport provides over 58,000 jobs with hundreds of thousands of indirect employment opportunities. With rapid growth in international tourists visiting Dubai, the airport forecasts that by 2017, it will handle three times the number of passengers visiting today. Similarly, as China and the rest of Asia lead the world in economic growth, Dubai is seeking a more central role as the linkage between the Far East and the rest of the world. Cargo haulage is set to increase at incredible rates. Dubai international airport is constantly looking to expand in order to meet its future needs. A second airport that seeks to complement DXB is Al Maktoum International Airport. Problem Statement With the recent rise in terrorism, drug smuggling, and huge numbers of passengers and cargo, Dubai International Airport and Emirates Airlines are looking to turn to RFID technology. While the concept of RFID may be both timely and necessary, several pertinent issues impact the implementation of RFID at both DXB and Emirates airlines. This research reviews the controversial issues surrounding RFID implementation. The result of this research is to establish whether implementing RFID will be beneficial to DXB and Emirates Airlines. The reason RFID is the preferred technology for the airline and the airport is the ease with which the technology improves management and efficiency. The technology could be used to manage both cargo and passengers. With increasing volumes of baggage, the cost of monitoring such luggage has kept increasing as well. This cost is draining company resources and leading to continually diminishing efficiency. A shift to RFID would help the airline and DXB to become the leading airline and location, respectively, in terms of efficiency in handling both passengers and luggage. Benefits of RFID to Emirates Airlines Emirates airlines has been experiencing an increasing number of passengers and by extension baggage. In addition, with the introduction of Boeing Dreamliners and Airbus A380, airlines have to find a means of bettering their passenger and baggage handling efficiency. With the introduction of RFID technology, Emirates Airlines will shift its business efficiency to new heights. Furthermore, the airline has been experiencing increasing numbers of barcode misreads, and tracing such lost baggage has been a headache. The airline finds such baggage and, at its own cost, ships the baggage to the customers preferred destination. RFID provides effective tracing mechanisms, and the number of such mistakes will be greatly reduced. Benefits to DXB There are several advantages that DXB would accrue by implementing RFID technology. Some of the advantages include: Security: RFID has the advantage of tagging both employees and baggage, and the chips contain information about the state and the location of the subjects. This provides effective security management throughout the entire airport. The tags may also be used as security keys for staff, hence managing the movement of both staff and passengers. Managing Equipment: RFID chips could also be used on equipment and other important airport tools. The technology will provide better equipment management for the airport. Situational Analysis In February 2008, Emirates Airlines announced its first trials with RFID. The airline was to partner with Londons Heathrow, DXB, and Hong Kong International Airport in testing early uses of RFID technology (emirates.com, 2008). The airline in partnership with DXB and the other airports was going to invest nearly AED 2 million in the technology. The airline was targeting nearly half a million bags over a six-month period. According to Emirates Airlines, RFID not only helps the airline run the business more effectively, but it also gives customers some peace of mind knowing that their baggage is properly and securely handled. Premise This research is based on RFID and the different aspects and the challenges that come with implementing RFID technology both at the Dubai airport and at Emirates Airlines. This paper will explore the different aspects regarding RFID technology, its current applications and the need for the technology at the airport. This paper will delve into the advantages that will accrue upon adopting RFID technology. Definitions Decoder- device translating radio waves to data. DXB- Dubai International Airport RFID- Radio Frequency Identification technology RFID chips- programmable silicon devices that hold subject information. Transponder- transmitter devices that emit radio waves with subject information. Delimitation One of the main limitations is the lack of resources to perform live tests of the different versions of RFID technology. Thus, for the purpose of results and recommendations, this research will rely on scholarly works and case studies on the same. Another limitation that is likely to hamper the project is the time constraints required to evaluate the entire project. Implementing RFID at an international airport and such a massive airline will have several impacts over a long period of time. This project may not have sufficient time to evaluate the challenges and results of implementing RFID.

I Remember :: Personal Narrative Nuclear Bombing Violence Essay

I Remember I remember Rick's face as he turned away from the window and came back toward his seat that day; it had a look of horror I was to never forget. His face expressed seriousness, disbelief, and sadness. We were all terror-stricken after we knew the awful truth, but Rick had seen it. He knew before all of us. Even before his eyes began to have problems, he was visibly affected by the bomb. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. It all started with more subtle things such as the small bomb at the World Trade Center, but then bigger disasters began to occur. When the bomb hit Idaho, everyone was devastated. . . . "What do you mean it's not an earthquake, Rick?" I asked. Before he could answer, we heard an announcement over the intercom telling all classes to get to a television. The newscaster's words shocked us all. "...what appears to be a bomb of nuclear origin. We are still trying to discover who dropped this bomb. All we currently know is that INEEL has gone up in flames as a result, and we have heard of no survivors so far." Everything began to sink in slowly . . . a nuclear bomb? INEEL? No survivors? What about radiation? I began to worry about everything at once. The school called an assembly ten minutes later. Many of us wandered into the gym in a daze. Some people didn't seem to know what was going on, or else weren't affected. As I looked around the crowded gym, the sea of faces reflected their emotions. Mr. Kyrel, a science teacher, looked extremely grim. He sat on a bleacher with his head in his hands. He wasn't paying any attention to the students passing by him. When he did look up his lips formed a tight line, his hair was tousled, and every wrinkle on his brow was visible. He sat in solitude with solemness etched into his eyes. A student on the other side of the gym was crying hysterically. Several people surrounded her. Her face was contorted by her anguish and sorrow. Those around her looked distressed as well, but they were focusing on calming her down. In another area of the gym a junior b oy was clowning around with a friend of his. He didn't seem to know what was happening. I Remember :: Personal Narrative Nuclear Bombing Violence Essay I Remember I remember Rick's face as he turned away from the window and came back toward his seat that day; it had a look of horror I was to never forget. His face expressed seriousness, disbelief, and sadness. We were all terror-stricken after we knew the awful truth, but Rick had seen it. He knew before all of us. Even before his eyes began to have problems, he was visibly affected by the bomb. I remember that day as if it were yesterday. It all started with more subtle things such as the small bomb at the World Trade Center, but then bigger disasters began to occur. When the bomb hit Idaho, everyone was devastated. . . . "What do you mean it's not an earthquake, Rick?" I asked. Before he could answer, we heard an announcement over the intercom telling all classes to get to a television. The newscaster's words shocked us all. "...what appears to be a bomb of nuclear origin. We are still trying to discover who dropped this bomb. All we currently know is that INEEL has gone up in flames as a result, and we have heard of no survivors so far." Everything began to sink in slowly . . . a nuclear bomb? INEEL? No survivors? What about radiation? I began to worry about everything at once. The school called an assembly ten minutes later. Many of us wandered into the gym in a daze. Some people didn't seem to know what was going on, or else weren't affected. As I looked around the crowded gym, the sea of faces reflected their emotions. Mr. Kyrel, a science teacher, looked extremely grim. He sat on a bleacher with his head in his hands. He wasn't paying any attention to the students passing by him. When he did look up his lips formed a tight line, his hair was tousled, and every wrinkle on his brow was visible. He sat in solitude with solemness etched into his eyes. A student on the other side of the gym was crying hysterically. Several people surrounded her. Her face was contorted by her anguish and sorrow. Those around her looked distressed as well, but they were focusing on calming her down. In another area of the gym a junior b oy was clowning around with a friend of his. He didn't seem to know what was happening.

Bioengineering and Its Subsidiary Fields Essay examples -- Bacteria, Ge

Bioengineering and the Flaws of Consequentialism Pierce College Abstract In 1973 the first bacteria were genetically modified. In 1974 mice were genetically modified. And in 1982 genetically modified bacteria capable of producing insulin were commercialized. Genetically modified food has been sold since 1994. In a similar time frame, the ideologies of stem cell research and therapeutic reproductive cloning have come to fruition. It is the aim of this paper to demonstrate through consequentialist ethical reasoning, particularly using the concepts of utilitarianism and relativism that no definitive judgment can be made on the morality and ethical correctness of bioengineering and its subsidiary fields of genetic manipulation, stem cell research and therapeutic reproductive cloning due to the uncertain nature of the consequences of these acts. The paper will examine a brief history of these emergent scientific disciplines and the still uncertain nature of the far-reaching consequences a nd implications of their implementation. â€Æ' Bioengineering and the flaws of consequentialism Bioengineering is a broad umbrella term covering many different scientific disciplines. Under this umbrella are the specific studies of gene isolation, construction, targeting, transformation, selection, regeneration, transfer; cellular engineering, and synthetic biology. Relative to the discussion of the ethical nature of this field are the principal topics of genetic and cellular engineering, stem cell research; reproductive technologies to include gene replacement and transformation in humans and animals; and bioengineered organic food. Bioengineering, in one form or another, has been around since the mid-20th century, with the term first coined in 1954 and w... ...tation among a society of hereditarily dying people be worth the sustained existence of the society? Possibly. Would the idea of genetically altering food for weather sustainability if the world were immediately threatened by harsh weather seem more acceptable? Again, possibly. There are no concrete answers to those questions objectively however. And in the world as we know it, in 2011, it’s similarly hard to say that any of the conditions currently affecting the rapidly globalizing world are of such a dire and unpreventable nature that they require tampering with the genetic foundations of our existence. However, another, somewhere else in the world might disagree, and that leads me to conclude that consequentialist reasoning alone is an unacceptable medium for the analysis and moral rationalization of the hard choices of bioengineering and its subsidiary fields.

How Fairuz can increase productivity without neglecting service quality

Introduction Service quality is defined as the gap that exists between customer expectations and their perception of the service. Service productivity, on the other hand, is defined as the effectiveness with which resource inputs are transformed to produce value for customers (Barnes, 2003). In the hospitality industry, customer satisfaction is achievable through ensuring that they are provided with the best possible service quality. This will not only determine their satisfaction, but also their possibility to return or recommend the company to other potential customers. Just like quality is paramount, it is also vital to ensure that productivity is at its optimum so as to cater for all customers, especially during peak seasons (Grigoroudis & Siskos, 2009). In this regard, companies are expected to ensure that service quality does not compromise productivity, and vice versa. This report presents a proposal for Fairuz, a Lebanese restaurant that operates in London, on the approaches that can be used to increase their service quality without overlooking productivity. The restaurant serves Lebanese food, and has a seating capacity of 75 clients at any given time (Fairuz, 2014). By applying the strategies that are suggested in this proposal, the company will be able to increase customer satisfaction and reduce operation costs. Proposal There are several aspects of Fairuz that ought to be addressed in increasing service quality and the overall productivity of the restaurant. As this proposal aims to make these improvements at Fairuz, it will focus on improving the position of the restaurant in the market by making it more competitive than other restaurants of its level.Improving ProductivityThis section presents the approaches that Fairuz restaurant needs to use in order to increase its service productivity. Though there are many approaches that can be used to achieve this, this paper suggests three approaches that Fairuz can use. These include improving employee productivity, using key performance indicators to measure productivity and utilization of technology (Assaf et al., 2011).Employee productivityProductivity of employees in service companies is largely dependent on human resource practices or policies used. The collective efforts that are made by employees towards the attainment of organizational objectives vary with the effectiveness of the human resource department (Bratton & Gold, 2012). The most appropriate way in which their productivity can be increased is through applying different employee motivation strategies. These include offering reasonable remunerations, bonuses and rewards (Hartnett et al., 2011). Employees at Fairuz can also be made more productive by standardizing all processes, procedures and policies in the organization to create a sense of order. This saves time and maximizes efficiency (Medeiros et al., 2012). Even though these can be achieved at Fairuz, they may be hampered by high employee turnover because Fairuz’s budget may not allow it to compete with larger companies in terms of employee salaries. Small restaurants are always faced with the risk of losing employees to larger organizations.Measuring performance through key performance indicatorsPerformance indicators that can be used by Fairuz to measure its performance, to establish flaws and make impr ovements, vary with the different departments. In regard to staff, the restaurant has to ensure that it has a sustainable wage cost (Sainaghi et al., 2013). This can be done hiring small but sufficient number of employees to cater for the 75 guests that the restaurant targets to serve. This will reduce the wage burden in the company and also make it possible to remunerate them well. Labour or wage costs can also be minimized by ensuring that employee turnover is minimized, given that it is nearly impossible to completely eliminate it, especially in restaurants. Costs that could be used in training new staff members monthly or weekly can then be directed to more productive activities in the organization (Choi et al., 2012). Other key performance indicators that can be used by Fairuz to determine its performance include seating efficiency, stock value, costs of food and profitability (Sainaghi et al., 2013).Using Technology to increase ProductivityMost of the companies in the services sector, which include restaurants, are fast adapting to the technological changes taking place in the industry to increase productivity and efficiency in service delivery (Tzeng & Chang, 2011). Fairuz can use technology in all its departments to achieve an increase in productivity. For instance, it can acquire modern ovens or stoves for its kitchen that can be used to prepare more of food in a shorter time and on less energy. This not only makes it possible for the company to cater for many customers, but also increases its efficiency (Sloan et al., 2009). Technology can also be used to ease communication among employees within the restaurant. In this case, one of the technological equipment that Fairuz should acquire is the kitchen display system. This system provides real-time updates and information about food orders that have been made by clients and also monitors the speed of service (Katsigris & Thomas, 2008). This is quite effective and time-saving than the traditional appro ach where servers had to take orders from clients then go to inform chefs in the kitchen. This consumes more time and is prone to human error. Whilst it is expected that technology will contribute towards an increase in efficiency and productivity, Fairuz has to consider that the initial costs to be incurred in setting up these technologies and training employees on how to use them is quite high. Therefore, an analysis needs to be done to establish the most ideal technologies to implement, which will assure it of a good return on investment (Allen, 2011).Improving qualityEven as Fairuz strategizes to improve its productivity, it is also vital for it to ensure that the quality of service is not compromised. Thus, this section explains approaches that the restaurant can use to increase the quality of provided to its clients.Ensuring employee competenceRestaurants have different departments that require different skills and competencies in executing their respective responsibilities. T hey can be classified into managers, chefs, servers and miscellaneous employees (O’Fallon & Rutherford, 2011). To ensure quality, Fairuz has to ensure that it hires employees that have the required qualifications and experience needed in delivering their required duties. In addition to this regular training sessions have to be organized to improve their competencies. If employees are competent, the chances of substandard service quality are greatly reduced (O’Fallon & Rutherford, 2011). The fact that the restaurant serves Lebanese food means that the majority of clients are Lebanese. Thus, the company needs to ensure that a section of its employees are familiar with the Lebanese culture, foods and other dimensions that may affect their service perception. Being a small restaurant that mainly targets the Lebanese population, it may be challenging to hire the best talent since people with skills in this industry often target to work for larger organizations (Jang & George, 2012). Therefore, Fairuz may be limited to selecting low-income people who may not be quite competent and provide them with on-job training to improve their competence. This approach can mainly be applicable for selecting employees in positions that do not require special skills, like waiters.Utilizing quality measurement toolsIt is quite vital for organizations to ensure that they have an ideal framework that they can use to gauge their quality of service. This involves benchmarking the companyâ₠¬â„¢s current progress, identifying the problems that might exist, predicting future outcomes and using key quality indicators that are applicable in the restaurant business to establish their position in terms service quality (Barnes, 2003 ). For Fairuz restaurant, measuring service quality should be done by comparing customer expectations and their perception of service. Whereas all restaurants work to meet or exceed customer expectations, there are several factors that may limit their capabilities to attain this objective. It is thus vital for Fairuz to collect regular client feedback to enable it establish any flaws that may exist in its service delivery and make the necessary changes (Grigoroudis & Siskos, 2009). One of the most convenient ways that Fairuz can do this is through requesting waiters and receptionists to ask guests whether the meals met their expectations. The company also needs to link its website to a third-party review website like Tripadvisor, which will be vital in monitoring any customer feedback any time a review about the restaurant is made. Other approaches that can be used to do this include sending follow-up emails to clients and engaging more with clients over social media avenues. Positive feedback is an indicator of good service, while negative feedback indicates that the service offered is substandard and appropriate measures need to be taken to improve. One challenge that can be associated with this approach is that some clients’ views may be biased or in some cases, clients may provide conflicting feedback.Making comparisons with competitors in the marketPerception of services at Fairuz is relative to clients’ perceptions of services in other neigh bouring restaurants. In this regard, Fairuz will only be the preferred choice if its service quality is considered to be netter than that of its competitors (Grigoroudis & Siskos, 2009). To obtain a competitive edge over other restaurants, Fairuz has to ensure that it utilizes customer feedback so as to align its services with the customer preferences. Due to the fact that customer tastes and preferences are prone to regular change, Fairuz also needs to carry out regular customer research by collection of customer feedback to decide on what changes it should consider making (Barnes, 2003). Through tertiary monitoring websites or by visiting its competitors’ social media sites, Fairuz can be able to identify the core strengths and weaknesses of its competitors. These will be instrumental in ensuring that makes its services better than those of its competitors (Kalluri & Kodali, 2013). However, whereas it is assumed that Fairuz is only in competition with restaurants of its lev el, there could be other bigger restaurants with unmatched capabilities that may be targeting the same clients. This poses a great threat to Fairuz.Using Technology to Improve Service QualityService quality in restaurants can be improved through incorporating several technological solutions. Whereas food is a major part or determinant of customer satisfaction, the whole experience of customers in the restaurant is also dependent on several factors (Tzeng & Chang, 2011). For instance, Fairoz can ease the process of making reservations by providing an option for it on its website. In addition, free Wi-Fi can be provided in the restaurant for clients who are interested in surfing the internet when having a meal at the restaurant. Technology can also be used in the collection of customer feedback, which is vital in improving the service quality at Fairuz. The most appropriate cost-effective approach that is relevant to the present-day customer is social media sites like Facebook and Twi tter (Tuten & Solomon, 2012). Fairuz has to consider subscribing and increasing its activity on social media to monitor customer feedback. Point of Sale (POS) systems are also ideal feedback collection systems for restaurants. Though the mentioned technologies improve the service experience of customers and can also be used by the company to improve its service production, there are certain disadvantages that may arise. For instance free Wi-Fi might expose some clients to internet threats, especially those who may be unaware of how to secure their information when online (Cheema & Papatla, 2010). Conclusion Service quality and service productivity are both vital for service based companies, which include restaurants. Therefore, as companies strive to increase their productivity, it is also necessary for them to ensure that service quality is also improved, and vice versa. This proposal has provided suggestions of approaches that can be used to improve service production and service quality at Fauruz, a small scale Lebanese restaurant that is based in London. The suggestions that have been presented include effective human resource management approaches, utilization of quality and production measurement approaches, and incorporating technology in the restaurant’s operations. Though these recommendations have a high potential of increasing service quality and productivity, some of the limitations associated with them have also been provided. Whereas this proposal has provided suggestions for Fairuz, they can also be applicable to other companies in the industry. References Allen, K.R., 2011. Launching New Ventures: An Entrepreneurial Approach. Mason: Cengage Learining. Assaf, A.G., Deery, M. & Jago, L., 2011. Evaluating the performance and scale characteristics of the Australian restaurant industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 35(4), pp.419-36. Barnes, J.G., 2003. Establishing Meaningful Customer relationships: Why some Companies and Brands Mean More to the Customers. Managing Service Quality, 13(3), pp.178-86. Bratton, J. & Gold, J., 2012. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (5th edition). London: Palgrave. Cheema, A. & Papatla, P., 2010. Relative importance of online versus offline information for Internet purchases: Product category and Internet experience effects. Journal of Business Research, 63(9), pp.979-85. Choi, S., Cheong, K.K. & Feinberg, R.A., 2012. Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers. Managing Service Quality, 22(5), pp.492-516. Fairuz, 2014. About Us. [Online] Available at: http://www.fairuz.uk.com/pages/about_us.htm [Accessed 29 April 2014]. Grigoroudis, E. & Siskos, Y., 2009. Customer Satisfaction Evaluation: Methods for Measuring and Implementing Service Quality. London: Springer. Hartnett, H.P. et al., 2011. Employers’ perceptions of the benefits of workplace accommodations: Reasons to hire, retain and promote people with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 34(1), pp.17-23. Jang, J. & George, R.T., 2012. Understanding the influence of polychronicity on job satisfaction and turnover intention: A study of non-supervisory hotel employees. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(2), pp.588-95. Kalluri, V. & Kodali, R., 2013. Benchmarking the Quality Function Deployment Models. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 20(6), pp.6-13. Katsigris, C. & Thomas, ?., 2008. Design and Equipment for Restaurants and Foodservice. New Jersy: John Wiley & Sons. Medeiros, C.O., Cavalli, S.B. & da Costa Proenca, R.P., 2012. Human resources administration processes in commercial restaurants and food safety: The actions of administrators. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), pp.667-74. O’Fallon, M.J. & Rutherford, ?.G., 2011. Hotel Management and Operations. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Sainaghi, R., Phillips, P. & Corti, V., 2013. Measuring hotel performance: Using a balanced scorecard perspectives’ approach. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 34, pp.150-59. Sloan, P., Legrand, ?. & Chen, ?.S., 2009. Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry. New Jersey: Routledge. Tuten, T.L. & Solomon, M.R., 2012. Social Media Marketing. New York: Prentice Hall. Tzeng, G.H. & Chang, H.F., 2011. Applying importance-performance analysis as a service quality measure in food service industry. Journal of technology management & innovation, 6(3), pp.106-15.

Rebecca and the Short Story the Tell-Tale Heart Convey Gothic Themes Essay

The Gothic genre is a style of film and literature that expresses themes of madness, death, darkness, romance and obsession. Although Rebecca and The Tell- Tale Heart are fitted to the Gothic genre, the composers have conveyed similar themes in different ways. Obsession in Rebecca is that of Mrs Danvers, who is obsessed to the point it drives her mad. She would do anything to bring Rebecca back. Whereas in Poe’s short story the narrator is so obsessed with the eye of an old man he would do anything, including commit murder to get rid of it. Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Rebecca is a psychological thriller that uses cinematic techniques such as pathetic fallacy, characterization, motifs and lighting to convey gothic themes of madness and obsession. In contrast, Edgar Allen Poe’s short story The Tell- Tale Heart uses literary techniques such as narration and figurative language to successfully convey these same themes. While both composers convey Gothic themes of madness and obsession they communicate each with different techniques. Also the characters that they have created are portrayed as dealing with madness and obsession very differently. In the film Rebecca, the different characters Max and Mrs Danvers are used to explore the Gothic theme of madness. Hitchcock manipulates the frame in key scenes, by making Max’s body language suggest his nervousness, worry, anger and the need to ease himself. Max goes on to acknowledge, â€Å"Perhaps I am mad†. This declaration sums up the theory that something bothers Max, and that it is obviously taking a toll on him. Hitchcock depicts the sincere and loyal personality of Max as hiding something which changes his personality and domineering status. This is used to explore the gothic theme of madness and the effects that it has on Max. However, Mrs Danvers’ obsession leads her to commit acts of madness. Towards the end of the film Mrs Danvers burns down the mansion while she is still inside, inevitably killing herself in an attempt to bring justice to the long dead Rebecca. The final scene of the burning mansion and the screaming Mrs Danvers is symbolic of her madness, which was dangerous and not dissimilar from satanic worship. Poe’s The Tell- Tale Heart, also explores the gothic theme of madness. By writing in first person, Poe makes the story very narrow, as it fits only the narrator’s thoughts and reasoning. The narrator repeatedly claims he is not mad and that it is not madness that drives him, but instead it is the right thing to do. But he continues to question, â€Å"How then, am I mad? † Although there is only one point of view throughout the story, the narrator seems to talk to readers. He tries to persuade readers who are essentially his conscience that he is sane. Rather than convincing readers that he is sane, he verifies that he is indeed mad. By writing in first person, it is easy to understand what is going through the narrator’s mind. He emphasizes his madness and denial. Towards the end of the story the narrator behaves as if he is haunted and guilty, â€Å"I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer†. He begins to imagine things that aren’t really there and reaches the point at which he can no longer hide his secret. Hence he is essentially confessing in the hope of freeing his conscience. Poe’s character is one who denies madness, whereas Hitchcock’s character embraces the idea. In addition, both Hitchcock and Poe successfully convey the Gothic theme of obsession. Hitchcock develops the menacing and lingering Mrs Danvers as a conniving character with an unnatural adoration for Rebecca. This is made apparent when Mrs De Winter catches Mrs Danvers in the room of Rebecca. The room has been kept to the precise orders of the late Rebecca. Mrs Danvers admiringly recounts all Rebecca had requested, â€Å"I kept her furs in here†¦ Put it against your face. It’s soft isn’t it? You can feel it can’t you? The scent is still fresh isn’t it? † The relationship between Mrs Danvers and the late Rebecca quickly escalates to become one that transgresses the normal. Mrs Danvers continues to hold onto the obsessive relationship and twisted love she shared with Rebecca. Mrs Danvers still longs for Rebecca who is no longer alive. The tone and language that Mrs Danvers uses when speaking to Mrs De Winter is short and proper. She seems to deliberately want to make Mrs De Winter feel uneasy with herself and incomparable to Rebecca. Even though Rebecca is dead, she is an increasingly large figure throughout the film. Her power is not drawn physically, but from the relationship she had with Mrs Danvers and the loyalty Mrs Danvers has for her. With the presence of Mrs Danvers, and the motif of her ‘R’ embroidery, there is a heavy feeling of Rebecca still being alive and never going away. The obsession that Mrs Danvers has for Rebecca may not be one of violence and hate, but it is still menacing, off-putting and frightening, right up to the end. The obsession in Poe’s short story and Hitchcock’s film both end similarly. The main character from The Tell- Tale Heart has an unhealthy obsession just like Mrs Danvers, â€Å"It haunted me day and night†¦ I think it was the eye! Yes it was this! † After ridding himself of the eye, a motif on the narrator’s obsession which is similar to the motif of Rebecca, his obsession has only shifted to concealing the crime he has committed. The narrator focuses all his power and attention to an eye, which causes him much annoyance, and an unbearable need to destroy it. His obsession with the eye and how it makes him feel, leads him to agree with himself in that it must be stopped. It is as if his obsession clouds his judgment of what is right and wrong. Even though Poe conveys the old man as how the narrator sees him, a reader can interpret the true nemesis as being the narrator. Poe conveys the narrator’s obsession by emphasizing every thought that has crossed his mind and how he spends much time and energy, taking care to deal with his obsession and fear. Eventually Poe’s character like Max also tries to conceal his crime but ends with a guilty confession. In conclusion, the key characters of Rebecca and The Tell- Tale Heart all portray the Gothic themes of madness and obsession. Each character plays a different role; Mrs Danvers is drawn up as a conniving madwoman who meets her deserved death. In contrast, Poe’s character is mad from the beginning as a result of an unhealthy obsession. He meets his own end voluntarily as he confesses his guilt.