Why do people choose to take Complementary Medicines and Therapies Essay

Why do people choose to take Complementary Medicines and Therapies - Essay Example Here the emphses re rther different. While mny of the topics my seem fmilir from the policy driven gend-regultion, the evidence bse, use of CM by generl prctitioners (GPs), nurses nd others-they re treted in very different wy. ssumptions re chllenged; motives nd strtegies re explored. CM is first nd foremost exmined s topic worthy of study in its own right, s historiclly specific socil product. Phenomen re studied in their socil context. It is this sociologicl rther thn policy-driven strting point tht underpins this study. While the reserch covered herein my provide insights of prcticl benefits, tht is not usully its fundmentl purpose. I have to express my thankfulness to people who participated in my research. They were of great help as through the interviews I conducted it became possible to complete the research. I am also acknowledged to my professor, Mr INSERT THE NAME, who instructed me during composition of my thesis. Also I have to mention my wife/parents, who helped through writing and research. I feel honoured to know such great people and am happy that this topic is of such a broad interest. Complementry nd lterntive medicine (CM) is now mjor prt of the helthcre system in ll dvnced societies. It is lso common prt of discourse in medicine nd helthcre. This growth of interest hs only prtilly been mtched by cdemic study of it. Indeed, over recent yers there hs been n incresing recognition tht CM is essentilly under-reserched (House of Lords 2000). However, with this recognition hs come n incresing concentrtion on prticulr form of reserch-tht gered towrds the production of n evidence bse nd/or n immedite relevnce to policy nd prctice. There ws n extrordinry growth in the use of complementry nd lterntive therpies nd medicines (CM) in the ltter hlf of the twentieth century in Europe, ustrli, Cnd nd the US (Ernst 2000; Sks 2001; Wootton nd Sprber 2001). This pper sets out some of the explntions tht hve been presented to help understnd this extrordinry growth nd, wherever possible, exmines empiricl studies to evlute, modify or extend those explntions The globl extent of the growth nd the globl chnge in sttus nd nomenclture mens tht the reson for the chnges cn not be found by exmining specific country's helthcre systems. Nor cn it be found by exmining helth providers or even by looking t people who re sick. Sick people do turn to CM, but the dys when doctors could dismiss lterntive medicine s the lst refuge of the terminlly ill re long

Discussion# 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion# 11 - Assignment Example These functions help the hospital in the inclusion of the collected data. The data can be incorporated in every task and assembled for future reference. Patient records can be saved in a diary via IVRS. This makes consultations with the doctors highly effective (Leiner, Gaus & Haux, 2003). The IVRS system allows for the integration of data about the doctors and surgeons present and on duty in the hospital. This consecutively implies that patients are capable of accessing this data via an IVRS pre-recorded message through a phone call. The apparatus used in the hospital processes can be registered with an allocated numeric distinctiveness. This assists the staff to recognize the available drugs in the hospital. IVRS helps in the documentation of data, making it available to all (Leiner, Gaus & Haux, 2003). The data developed from this process is catalogued in an IVRS using the data outline reports. In conclusion, data storage is automatic in a computerized worksheet through the encoding of IVRS. The IVRS makes the input and organization of data in the hospital unproblematic, fault free and cannot be tampered with

A Light Emitting Diode Engineering Essay

A Light Emitting Diode Engineering Essay A Light-Emitting Diode in essence is a P-N junction solid-state semiconductor diode that emits light when a current is applied though the device.[1] By scientific definition, it is a solid-state device that controls current without the deficiency of having heated filaments. How does a LED work? White LEDs ordinarily need 3.6 Volts of Direct Current (DC) and use approximately 30 milliamps (mA) of current and has a power dissipation of approximately 100 milliwatts (mW). The positive power is connected to one side of the LED semiconductor through the anode and a whisker and the other side of the semiconductor is attached to the top of the anvil or the negative power lead (cathode). It is the chemical composition or makeup of the LED semiconductor that determines the color of the light that the LED produces as well as the intensity level. The epoxy resin enclosure allows most of the light to escape from the elements and protects the LED making it virtually indestructible. Furthermore, a light-emitting diode does not have any moving parts, which makes the device extremely resistant to damage due to vibration and shocks. These characteristics make it ideal for purposes that demand reliability and strength. LEDs therefore can be deemed invulnerable to catastrophic failure when operated within design parameters. Figure 1 shows a typical traditional indicator LED. Traditional indicator LEDs utilize a small LED semiconductor chip that is mounted on a reflector cup also known as the anvil, on a lead-frame (whisker).This whole configuration is encased in epoxy which also serves the purpose of a lens. LEDs have very high thermal resistance with upwards of 200K per Watt. LEDs are highly monochromatic, only emitting a single pure color in a narrow frequency range. The color emitted from an LED is identified by peak wavelength (lpk) which is measured in nanometers (nm). The peak wavelength is a function of the material that is used in the manufacturing of the semiconductor.[3] Most LEDs are produced using gallium-based crystals that differ in one or more additional materials such as phosphorous to produce distinct colors. Different LED chip technologies enable manufacturers to produce LEDs that emit light in a specific region of the visible light spectrum and replicate different intensity levels. Thus, one would vary the material used in the production of LEDs in order to obtain the desired results. The graph below depicts the variation in response time for the specific wavelength of light. Principle Mechanism The essential portion of the Light Emitting Diode is the semiconductor chip. Semiconductors can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic semiconductors are those in which the electrical behavior is based on the electronic structure inherent to the pure material.[5] When the electrical characteristics are dictated by impurity atoms, the semiconductor is said to be extrinsic.[6] See Appendix A for further information regarding the different materials and their characteristics. This chip is further divided into two parts or regions which are separated by a boundary called a junction. The p-region is dominated by positive electric charges (holes) and the n-region is dominated by negative electric charges (electrons). The junction serves as a barrier to the flow of the electrons between the p and the n-regions. This is somewhat similar to the role of the band-gap because it determines how much voltage is needed to be applied to the semiconductor chip before the current can flow and the electrons pass the junction into the p-region. In general, to achieve higher momentum states (with higher velocities), there must be an empty energy state into which the electron may be excited. (In other words, to achieve a net flow of electrons in one direction, some electrons must change their wave vectors thereby increasing their energy.) [8] Band-gaps determine how much energy is needed for the electron to jump from the valence band to the conduction band. As an electron in the conduction band recombines with a hole in the valence band, the electron makes a transition to a lower-lying energy state and releases energy in an amount equal to the band-gap energy. This energy is released in photons. Normally the energy heats the material. In an LED this energy goes into emitted infrared or visible light. If a large enough electric potential difference (voltage) is absent, across the anode and cathode, the junction serves as an electric potential barrier to the flow of electrons. When sufficient voltage is applied across the chip of the LED, the electron has enough driving force to move in one direction over the junction that separates the p-region and the n-region. The p-region (holes) is where the positive charge forms the majority of charges. (Implicitly, there are also negative charges but they are the minority).Vice versa for the n-region. The electrons from the n-region basically flow across the junction into the p-region. In the p-region, the electrons are attracted to the positive charges due the mutual Columbic forces of attraction between opposite charges of same magnitude. Thus recombination occurs. After every successful recombination, electric potential energy is transformed into electromagnetic energy. This releases a quantum electromagnetic energy that is emitted in the form of a photon of light with frequencies characteristic of the semiconductor that was used in the process. These photons have specific wavelengths thus specific colors according to the different materials used. Therefore, different compositions of the chemical elements used in the manufacturing of the semiconductor results in different colors emitted as well as different energies needed to light them. The electrical energy is in proportion to the voltage required to enable the electrons to flow across the p-n junction. Predominantly, LEDs emit light of a single color. Application There are various materials that are used in the manufacturing of Light Emitting Diodes. Most of the materials are gallium-based crystals and are used in high-brightness applications. Gallium is a minor metal noted by its low melting point of 29.8  °C, the name being derived from Gallia, the Latin for France, which was where it was discovered. [14] Among these include AlGaAs (Aluminum-Gallium-Arsenide), a semiconductor that typically generates the red spectrum, often used in signs, displays and electronic equipment. InGaAlP(Indium-Gallium-Aluminum-Phosphide) produces the yellow-green wavelength to red are often used in signs, auto interior as well as exterior, traffic signals and cellphones.[ 15] InGaN (Indium-Gallium-Nitride) typically generates Blue, Green and white spectrums and are used most often in full color signs, cell-phones, auto interior, traffic signals.[16]. Furthermore, there is room for further improvement on the design of traffic lights. The visible light from the LEDs in a traffic light can further be modulated and encoded with information. Hence, it can be used for the broadcasting of audio messages or any traffic or road information. Essentially, all LED traffic lights can be used as communications devices. [17] InGaN LEDs too has been made the light source of choice for many diagnostic and photo-therapy applications from the Ultra-violet to the near Infrared. [18] Light-emitting diodes (LED) emit light in proportion to the forward current through the diode. Light Emitting Diodes are the cutting edge technology of lighting today. Generally, Light Emitting Diodes are categorized according to their performance. The performance of a LED is linked to a few primary characteristics of the LED itself which includes color, peak wavelength and intensity. As LEDs are highly monochromatic, LEDs are differentiated according to their peak wavelength. Peak wavelength is a function of the LED chip material. Although manufacturing process variations produce a standard deviation of  ±10nm, nevertheless, these variations are perceptible to the human eye because the 565nm to 600nm wavelength spectral region (yellow to amber) is where the sensitivity level of the human eye is at its peak. [19] See Appendix B for details on the different semiconductor types as well as characteristics of those semiconductors. The light output of a specific LED varies with the type of chip, encapsulation and efficiency of individual wafer lots. There may be other random variables that may affect the performance of the LED too. This typically is categorized into the nuisance variable factor and is taken into account as the error margin. Many LED manufacturers use different terms such as super-bright, and ultra-bright to describe LED intensity. However, such terminology is entirely subjective, as there really is no industry standard for LED brightness. Luminous intensity is roughly proportional to the amount of current (I) supplied to the LED. The greater the current, the higher the intensity.[20] Nevertheless, luminous intensity (Iv) does not represent the total light output from an LED. Both the luminous intensity and the spatial radiation pattern (viewing angle) must be taken into account. If two LEDs have the same luminous intensity value, the lamp with the larger viewing angle will have the higher total light output. Overall visibility can be enhanced by increasing the number of LED chips in the encapsulation, increasing the number of individual LEDs, as well as utilizing secondary optics to distribute light. To illustrate, consider similar red GaAlAs LED chip technology in four different configurations: In each individual case, the amount of visible light depends on the application of the LED as well as how the LED is being viewed. The single chip setup may be suitable for direct viewing in contrast with high ambient lighting. The 6-chip may be more suitable as a backlight to a switch or small legend, while the cluster or lensed LED design may best be used to illuminate a pilot light or larger lens. In this millennium, Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs are making major inroads into a lot of industries. In the past, filament bulbs like incandescent and halogen lamps dominated and were the main source of lighting. Today, in the automotive industry, we see cars with LEDs for taillights and instrument panels. Why the switch to the new technology? Among the reasons why include the longevity of the LED itself. It lasts on average 20,000 hours for a 15-Watt traffic light in comparison to 1000 hours for typical filament bulbs.[23] Generally, LEDs are designed to operate upwards of 100,000 hours. This greatly supercedes the standard incandescent bulb with an average lifespan of about 5000 hours.LEDs too are low voltage devices that respond almost instantaneously to changes in current (~10Mhz).[24] This would entail better safety for motorists on the road. Costs of maintenance of the vehicle would too decrease as replacements of the lighting fixtures need not be done as often. With such fast reponse times, LEDs used as an unbiased photodiode, exhibits a non-linear power dependent response that also can be used for sensitive detection and characterization of mode-locked femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses. [25] In the electronic industry, we have LEDs for lighting of almost everything. The ergonomic flat-panel computer screens otherwise known as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are also in essence miniature LED clusters. The introduction of LCDs marks another milestone in development in the hi-tech industry. Displays now can be made that use less power as well as emit much less radiation in comparison with the traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) display. According to Keith Robinson for Frost Sullivan, The light emitting diode (LED) market, especially the visible LED (VLED) market, is poised to experience explosive growth once economic conditions improve in North America. The most significant technology improvement that has taken place in the last 10 years for LEDs is the introduction of blue and blue-green LEDs. The nitride-based LEDs have opened new opportunities for manufacturers of lighting products, such as traffic signal manufacturers and outdoor signboard manufacturers. The increased use of the new colors in consumer products and automotive applications is expected to have a positive impact on the market. [26] Manufacturers have always been striving to replicate colors as accurately as possible. This is has always been the holy grail for the display industry. LEDs have made this a reality. Typical incandescent bulbs cannot replicate the vivid colors that can be reproduced using LEDs. LEDs give pure saturated colors with up to 130% more gamut compared to standard NTSC specifications.[27] Take the reproduction of white light. When light from all parts of the visible spectrum overlap one another, the additive mixture of colors appears white. However, the eye does not require a mixture of all the colors of the spectrum to perceive white light. Primary colors from the upper, middle, and lower parts of the spectrum (red, green, and blue), when combined, appear white. To achieve this combination with LEDs requires a sophisticated electro-optical design to control the blend and diffusion of colors. Variations in LED color and intensity further complicate this process. Presently, it is possible to produce white light with a single LED using a phosphor layer (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) on the surface of a blue (Gallium Nitride) chip.[28] Although this technology produces various hues, white LEDs may be appropriate to illuminate opaque lenses or backlight legends. However, using colored LEDs to illuminate similarly colored lenses produces better visibility and overall appearance in comparison with CRTs. Moreover, LEDs are not deficient in the reliability department. LEDs are solid state devices with no moving parts as well as no fragile glass or filaments. LEDs too use up to 90% less energy in comparison with conventional bulbs and lamps today.[29] Today a LED flashlight may last up to 200% longer with the same batteries used to operate conventional filament flashlights. [30] Furthermore, LEDs are environmental friendly because they contain no mercury and since they last longer (about 100,000 continuous hours of life); there will be less disposal waste in the environment. This in turn would result is less pollution and less wastage of our precious and limited resources. LEDs also form the foundation for applications in optical-fiber communication and diode lasers. They produce a narrow spectrum of coherent red or infrared light that can be well collimated. This characteristic of the light produced by LEDs has enabled engineers to manipulate the setup to enable data transfer. This has made it possible for continents to be linked via the internet. Information can be sent across the globe in a matter of fractions of a second and vast chunks of data can be transmitted without a hitch. With the improvement of infrastructure, the benefits extend also to the general populace. Before we had modems that used coaxial copper cables, today we have T1 to T3 connections which utilize fiber optics. Most institutions, organizations and companies that require the use of large bandwidths of data have such connections. Take for example, San Jose State University, it utilizes several T3 connections to the internet and has T1 connections locally across campus to alleviate data congestion. In this way, data is made readily available to those hungry for knowledge. Conclusion Light Emitting Diodes has such a profound impact on society. It affects our daily lives as well as activities. It is used in so many applications and so many places. With Light Emitting Diodes, so many significant improvements to already existing technology could be made. Historically the LED market has experienced signal digit growth of about 8.5 percent. The laser diode market has experienced double-digit growth in the past of approximately 30.0 percent and once economic conditions improve it is anticipated that the market will experience strong growth rates once again. [31] As this technology expands, so does our horizon and our conquest for the betterment of todays technology. Light Emitting Diodes truly is a great invention of the age.

Immigration To Canada Essay -- essays research papers

Immigration to Canada The first immigrants to the territory now constituting Canada were from Western Europe. The first great influx began early in the 19th century when large numbers of Europeans left their homelands to escape the economic distress resulting from the transformation of industry by the factory system and the concurrent shift from small-scale to large-scale farming. At the same time, wars, political oppression, and religious persecution caused a great many Europeans to seek freedom and security in Canada. The century following 1820 may be divided into three great periods of immigration to Canada. During the first period, from 1820 to 1860, most of the immigrants came from Great Britain, Ireland, and western Germany. In the second period, from 1860 to 1890, those countries continued to supply a majority of the immigrants; the Scandinavian nations provided a substantial minority. Thereafter the proportion of immigrants from northern and Western Europe declined rapidly. In the final period, from 1890 to 1910, fewer than one-third of the immigrants came from these regions. The majority of the immigrants were natives of southern and Eastern Europe, with nationals of Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Russia constituting more than half of the total. Until World War I, immigration had generally increased in volume annually. From 1905 to 1914 an average of more than a million aliens entered Canada every year. With the outbreak of war, the volume declined sharply, and the...

Organisational Devlopment: Levels of Diagnosis Essay

It is pointless conducting diagnosis at the individual level, because most issues can be addressed at the organization and group level. Discuss. Within modern business practices continual evolution is essential for long term organisational outcomes. With economic pressures, a growing demand for perceptibly social and environmental responsibility and an increasingly focus towards international and worldwide trade, modern organizations are confronted with an almost constant need for change (Waddell, Cummings and Worley, 2007). Thus it is important for leaders to have a sound understanding of change issues and theories (Waddell, 2002). Organisational development (OD) is described as a systematic application of behavioral science knowledge to the planned development and reinforcement of organizational structures, processes and strategies for improving organisational effectiveness (Waddell et al. , 2007). Diagnosis it an integral part of successful OD implementation and is performed on one or more levels including ‘individual’, ‘group’ and ‘organisational’ diagnosis. Thus for successful long term outcomes it is necessary to investigate the role of diagnosis within successful OD implementation, with a focus on ‘individual’ level diagnosis in contrast to both ‘group’ and ‘organisational’. Diagnosis within organisation development is described as an intervention that develops information about the various subsystems of an organisation as well as the patterns and processes that take part in an organisation (Beckhard, 1969). Similarly, Waddell et al. 2007) depict diagnosis as the process of understanding how the organisation is currently functioning, in order to successfully develop change intervention. Thus within modern firms this process develops insight for both the client and OD coordinator into the functioning and efficiency on individual, group and organisational levels. Aldefer and Brown (1975) suggest that the process of diagnosis also serves to motivate organisational members to engage in change. Nadler (1977) reinforces this, depicting that diagnosis provides employees or members with a direction for change. As such, diagnosis within OD has been described as the ‘key’ in developing successful interventions (Burton & Obel, 2004). As well the diagnostic process is referred to as collaborative between OD consultant and client (Stacey, 2007), in which the two parties work together to develop action plans for effective change process. Waddell et al. (2007) reinforces this suggesting that the values and ethics that underlie OD suggest that both change agents and organisational members should be involved in developing and implementing appropriate interventions. Organisations, when viewed as open systems can be diagnosed as three levels, including organisation, group and individual (Waddell et al. , (2007). The highest level is the organisational level and includes the design of the organisations structure, strategy and processes. The next level consists of groups or departments within the organisational structure, including group design and interaction devices. The lowest level of organisational diagnosis is the individual level, including job design and personnel characteristics. Todnem (2005) suggest organisational diagnosis can occur at all three levels or it may be limited to problems that occur at a single level. For example, if there was a problem with output resulting from a single job design there would be only need for individual level diagnosis. Similarly Coghlan (1994) illustrates that the key to effective diagnosis is to know what to look for at each level, as well as how the levels affect each other. Waddel et al. (2007) depict the organisational level of diagnosis as the broadest systems perspective that is typically taken in diagnostic activities. This level focuses on the organisation against inputs such as the general environment and industry structure to achieve outputs such as performance, efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction through strategy and organisational design. Todnem (2005) suggests that design components within this level can also include HRM, culture and technology. Similarly the general environment can include a vast amount of extraneous variables including social, technological, economical, ecological and political (Stahl, 1997). Thus this level provides a broad basis for diagnosis within the largest environment. As such this level of diagnosis is most crucial when designing or redesigning action plans focused around the organisation as a whole. These strategies may include organisational goals and objectives, mission or organisational policies. (Waddell et al. (2007). Modern organizations are developing action plans in order to change practices to incorporate environmental and social responsibility. These plans and interventions designed at achieving change include organisational wide strategies, such as redesigning business infrastructure as well as changing major mission values/goals and policies within those companies. An example of integrating effective organisatinoal diagnosis is RIO TINTO’s continual development and change towards more sustainable, environmentally responsible mining processes in order for long term outcomes (RIO TINTO, 2010). Through external forces or inputs they developed and integrated various interventions to remodel major sectors within the firm completely. Thus developing and maintaining successful strategic design requires effective organisational diagnosis. The next level of diagnosis is group, and can apply to both larger operating division of firms such as BHP Billiton, or to smaller departments within organisations (Waddell et al. , 2007). Coghlan (1994) depicts that division or larger groups within such multinational firms generally follow the same dimension and relational fits applicable to organisational level development. Inversely Waddell et al. (2007) suggest that small departments and groups behave differently from larger divisions or organisations and thus require a suitable diagnostic model to reflect those dimensions. As such, group level diagnosis consists of organisational design as an input, resulting in outputs of team effectiveness through design components such as task structure, group functioning, performance norms, group composition and goal clarity. Stahl (1997) describes group diagnosis as relative to a small number of people working face to face on a shared task or program. Laser (1995) suggests supportive organisational design is crucial for effective groups to operate. Harrison and Shirom (1999) reinforce this depicting that group structure and components are highly interrelated to organisational wide strategy and design. Goal clarity is a major design component within group level diagnosis, and refers to how well the group understands its objectives. Waddell et al. (2007) suggest that goals should be understood by all members, moderately challenging, measurable, and monitored and, have structure for providing feedback of achievement. An example may include group targets for sales teams. Stahl (1997) illustrates that goal clarity is of crucial importance to successful group outcomes. Coghlan (1994) reinforces this depicting that clear goals provide motivation and direction to group dynamics. Group level diagnosis is considered a more specific approach to an internalized problem than organisational diagnosis and can include problem solving groups built for a specific function (Stahl, 1997). However organisational and group levels remain highly interrelated through organisational design. The lowest level of diagnosis is the individual job or position. Waddel et al. (2007) suggest that organisations are made up of numerous groups and in turn, those groups are composed of several positions. Callan (1993) depicts individual diagnosis as highly specified and dynamic. Similarily Stahl (1997) described the individual level diagnosis as having a minimal effect on the organization as a whole. As the individual level focuses on a single job design it requires a new model of job-level diagnosis (Waddell et al. , 2007). The inputs within this level are organisational design, group design and personnel characteristics, and the resulting outputs aimed at achieving are individual effectiveness, through performance, job satisfaction and individual development. The design components utilized to transform the inputs within this model are skill variety, task identity, autonomy, task significance and feedback about results. Coghlan (1994) suggests that effective feedback mechanisms are crucial to continual intervention and employee development. Feedback refers to the degree to which employees are provided with clear information about performance and effectives of their activities (Waddell et al. , 2007). Such mechanisms could include both formal and informal methods such as casual on the spot feedback or yearly performance appraisals. Conversely Callan (1993) depicts task significance as a major influence on outcomes within the individual level, suggesting that the level to which the employee’s job impacts on other people’s lives has a powerful affect on resulted outcomes. Individual level changes and restructuring can result in higher outcomes of individual’s position through higher individual interest and personnel investment in their jobs (Waddell et al. , 2007). As well higher productivity on an individual level transfers to more successful organisational outcomes, and thus benefits both the workers and the firm. The importance of diagnosis on an individual level can be relatively debatable dependent on organisational type, infrastructure and individual job function (Mclean, 2005). Individual level diagnosis relies on organisational design, group design and personal characteristics for transference into outputs (Waddle et al. 2007). Thus this job level is highly interrelated and dependent on the effectiveness of the design components of both organisational and group level. Hence, effective intervention development within the first two levels of diagnosis would result in a large proportion of successful outputs on an individual level (Harrison and Shirom, 1999). Conversely personal characteristics can include dynamic and uncontrollable extraneous variables which may result in a varied output on the job level. (Burton & Obel, 2004). Thus in order to limit a varied result within output it may be necessary to conduct individual diagnosis of job design relevant to the specific problem or concern. As well Mclean (2005) emphasizes the importance of employee satisfaction in relation to staff turnover in order for long term development and organisational outcomes. Waddel et al. (2007) reinforce this depicting a ‘two sided’ relationship between employee satisfaction and interest and the consequential favorable outcomes for the firm. Cobb (1986) illustrates that redesigning individual level jobs can be crucial for successful outcomes within specified problems. As well Beer and Spector (1993) suggest that the success of OD interventions rely heavily on the accuracy of diagnosis within organisations. Thus for a higher probability of favorable outcomes for developed interventions it is necessary to conduct diagnosis over all three levels. Organisational development is a critical process for both short and long term outcomes within modern business practice. With growing economic, social and environmental pressure, there is a greater need for organisational change than ever before. Successful OD is heavily reliant on the effectiveness of diagnosis within an organisation in order to develop appropriate interventions to develop change within the firm. All three levels of diagnosis within OD are important to developing effective mechanisms for change. Organisational diagnosis is more responsive to external influences and direct pressure for both social and environmental concerns. However both group and individual levels are highly interrelated with the success of change interventions and in particular the development of productivity and efficiency to provide support against the economic strain. Individual level diagnosis is highly interrelated within the other levels and as such may not be necessary within some OD applications.

Conagra Foods Essay

ConAgra Foods Inc. is one of the largest food companies in the United States operating in such segments as Consumer Foods (66%) and Commercial Foods (34%) which are divided into three significant business operations segments – agricultural products, packaged foods and refrigerated foods (Table 1). Table 1. Net sales (in millions USD) 20102009%increase/decrease Consumer Foods 8,002 7,979-%. Commercial Foods 4,077 4,447(8)% Total12,07912,426(3)% Source: Annual Report 2010 Consumer Foods The Consumer Foods segment includes branded, private label and customized food products, which are sold in various retail and foodservice channels. The products include a variety of categories, such as meals, entrees, condiments, sides, snacks, and desserts across frozen, refrigerated and shelf-stable temperature classes. The Company’s major brands include Alexia, ACT II, Banquet, Blue Bonnet, Chef Boyardee, DAVID, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip, Slim Jim, Snack Pack, Swiss Miss, Van Camp’s and Wesson. As of July 22, 2010, it had 39 domestic manufacturing facilities in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin. As of July 22, 2010, it also had four international manufacturing facilities in Canada and Mexico (one 50% owned) and one in Arroyo Dulce, Argentina. Commercial Foods The Commercial Foods segment supplies frozen potato, sweet potato and other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. The products are sold under brands, such as ConAgra Mills, Lamb Weston, and Spicetec Flavors & Seasoning. As of July 22, 2010, it had 41 domestic production facilities in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington; one international production facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and Qingdao, China; one manufacturing facility in Taber, Canada; one 50% owned manufacturing facility in each of Colorado, Minnesota, Washington and the United Kingdom; one 67% owned manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico, and three 50% owned manufacturing facilities in the Netherlands. Company is mainly engaged in operations in the United States which count for more than 90% of total income (Table 2). ConAgra Foods Inc. owns approximately 50 brands (Table 3). Table 2. Pre-tax income from continuing operations (in millions USD) 201020092008 United States1,040. 3872. 1631. 9 Foreign 66. 6 64. 3 69. 6 Total1,106. 9936. 4701. 5 Source: Annual Report 2010 Vision and mission The vision of the company set by current CEO Gary Rodkin is: â€Å"One company. One goal. Making the food you love. † It reflects the overall company’s strategy to make â€Å"food people want in their lives every day†. The mission is reflected in company’s profile: â€Å"Preparing great food, being a strong partner to our customers and thinking about all of the people who enjoy our food and the difference it makes in their lives fuels our passion: making the food you love. † Goals Like every public-held company listed on NYSE (ConAgra Foods Inc. has ticker CAG) ConAgra Foods Inc. aims to increase earnings per share. The goal of the company is to achieve long-term growth through supply chain productivity, operational efficiency, innovation, selling, marketing and sustainability of great brands . Increase in supply chain productivity and operational efficiency lets the company to reduce its manufacturing, finance, administrative, transportation costs. Innovation and marketing orientation enhances the business processes and expands profit margins. Figure 1. Formula for growth Source: Annual Report 2010 ConAgra Foods Inc.operates under three principles while achieving its strategic goal: simplicity, collaboration and accountability. Using their resources rationally, nourishing employees and creating positive image within the community are the objectives which lead the company to be â€Å"good for you, good for the community, good for the people† . Strategic priorities The company focuses on the following business product groups. In each strategic group ConAgra Foods Inc. possesses significant manufacturing and innovation capabilities. Figure 2. Strategic priorities. Source: Annual Report 2010 Strategy â€Å"ConAgra Foods is focused on growing sales, expanding profit margins, and improving returns on capital over time. To that end, the company has significantly changed its portfolio of businesses over a number of years, focusing on branded, value-added opportunities, while divesting commodity-based and lower-margin businesses. † Acquisitions Company was founded in 1919 as Nebraska Consolidated Mills and in 2000 changed its name to ConAgra Foods Inc. Acquisitions are the major part of ConAgra’s strategy. The company implemented horizontal and vertical integration strategy after sustaining solid background in flour-milling operations and feed and poultry segment. The time and the trends in the food industry were crucial to the strategic acquisitions of the company. In 1970-1980s when home and industrial refrigerators became available for the consumers and packing techniques developed , which meant that now meat and vegetables will not spoil, ConAgra entered the frozen foods market with the acquisition of Banquet Foods in 1980 and other companies in the meat and poultry segment (Armour Foods, Beatrice Foods, Hebrew National Foods, etc.). In 1980-1990s when the welfare of American citizens began to improve and people began to value time the food that was easy to cook (which means basically just heat and serve) was highly demanded and ConAgra’s strategic move was highly appreciated by the investors in the stock market. The stock price of CAG tripled from 10$ in 1990 to 30$ in 1998. The total amount of acquired brands approximated 30 by the year 2000 (Hunt’s, La Choy, Wesson, ACT II, Chef Boyardee, etc. ) and company changed its name to ConAgra Foods Inc.to reflect its growing role as a food products manufacturer rather than just the food ingredients supplier. In the beginning of the twenty first century and nowadays when the society became more concerned about their health ConAgra Foods Inc. implemented several strategic acquisitions of such companies as Alexia Foods Inc. (natural and organic foods company) in 2007, Elan Nutrition in 2010 and others. The purchases that company makes â€Å"†¦reflect [our] acquisition strategy—find businesses that are great fits and enable [us] to grow by filling a need within [our] portfolio or giving [us] an adjacent category expansion†¦. † Figure 3. The acquisitions strategy helped ConAgra Foods Inc. to: ConAgra Foods Inc. divests the businesses which are either too complex to integrate with the core businesses or did not achieve a profit margin greater than the benchmark margin rate. In 2009 the company sold Pemmican (beef jerky business), in 2008 it sold â€Å"Knott’s Berry Farm† operations and others. Mostly, the divestitures are low-margin (commodity-based) businesses. Marketing and distribution Almost every American household has a number of ConAgra Foods brand-named products in their refrigerators. The ability to acquire well-known and customer-loved brands had secured for ConAgra beneficial position. Some of the acquired brands such as Peter Pan and Chef Boyardee had longer history than ConAgra and were so much identifiable in the consumer market that it makes no sense to advance the brand of ConAgra. Even though the company has so many brands in their â€Å"arsenal† many people don’t know what ConAgra does. And many consumers don’t identify ConAgra as the owner of the brand-named products that they buy. ConAgra is aimed to the better understanding needs of their customers. The health-conscious consumers (whose number is growing) chose nutritious and low-fat food. For increasing nutrition in its products company launched the program on sodium reduction and positions itself as a â€Å"safe food manufacturer† . In 2008 the company launched the program online startmakingchoices. com for people who are concerned with the healthy way of life. The website has several tests and tips on how to keep your life healthier. Also company designs packaging with the full information to help consumers improve their diet. â€Å"Taste, health, nutrition, convenience, sustainability and, of course, value are just some of the issues American shoppers are now faced with every time they go to a supermarket – and they’re demanding to know more. † For the purpose of better serving its customers and help consumers with their choice ConAgra Foods Inc. launched â€Å"Food News Today† with Phil Lempert, a â€Å"leading consumer trend analyst and Supermarket Guru†. ConAgra Foods Inc. aimed to develop and improve their private labeling strategy. One of the most successful brands that company has, Healthy Choice, has retail sales of about 1 billion dollars. This label is licensed to other companies for use on their products. Company announced the Gold Store initiative in 2006, which focuses on driving growth by optimizing in-store conditions in three fundamental areas: distribution, shelving, and placement next to the companion products. As part of a plan ConAgra’s sales efforts are shifting from a strategy that relied heavily on short-term price discounts and couponing in order to push out sales volume to consumers to a strategy that relies more on ways to draw in consumers. The new strategy hopes to provide a more balanced mix of trade spending, consumer advertising, and product innovation than the company had in the past. Even though ConAgra Foods Inc. owns distribution and transportation businesses like J. M. Swank, most of company’s transportation equipment, distribution centers and storage facilities are being run by third parties. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and its affiliates, accounted for approximately 18% of consolidated net sales for fiscal 2010 . ConAgra combines hard data from retailers with its own qualitative research. â€Å"Gary Rodkin is on a quest to find what he calls â€Å"the big, singular insight that will drive behavior change. â€Å"†¦. He is using theories about buying habits–backed by $399 million a year in advertising, marketing and in-store promotions–to convince grocery stores to provide ample shelves for its 45 consumer brands†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  Leadership. Charles M. Harper The â€Å"wizard† Charles M. Harper who led the company from 1974 to 1993 is well-known for launching acquisitions strategy and founding Healthy Choice brand. During his tenure at ConAgra, the company expanded its business operations from flour-milling business to frozen foods, poultry, prepared seafood, fertilizers and the sales rose from $636 million in 1974 to $9 billion in 1987. The main reason for making decisions on acquisitions strategy were cyclical profits that company faced in agricultural segment. Mike Harper decided to diversify the company from basic products to packaged goods. His main priority was to acquire companies while they were in their down cycle and he restructured the companies and refocused their marketing strategies. He reintroduced the brands which were highly recognizable by consumers and refocused the product lines. In 1988 Harper boasted that ConAgra was probably the only food products company to â€Å"participate across the entire food chain. † In the early 1990s ConAgra expanded at a rate of about 3-5 acquisitions and joint ventures a year, becoming the leader in the frozen goods industry . During his tenure the P/E ratio of the company was at all times high which means: the price of stock was rising faster than the earnings per share or in other words, the investors were overoptimistic about the future of the company. (Figure 4) Figure 4. P/E ratio of ConAgra Foods Inc. Bruce Rhode In 1998 Bruce Rhode was named a CEO of ConAgra and his first steps were to reduce costs by large amount. He instituted â€Å"Operation Overdrive† restructuring program, closing several production plants and storage facilities and cutting the workforce by seven thousand employees. The estimated savings from â€Å"Operation Overdrive† were approximately $600 million a year . The other problem that Bruce Rhode faced was strong decentralization of the company. Some of the food-processing and meat-packing companies, which operated under one brand name of ConAgra, purchased the products from the competitors rather than other ConAgra’s branches. The same uncoordinated actions were in marketing when â€Å"representatives from several ConAgra divisions, all selling similar products, visited the same restaurants and groceries†. Bruce Rhode emphasized team-approach to solve these problems. At the beginning of 2000s many retail grocery stores would like to promote their own brands in foods processing and packaging segment and that was another problem for Bruce Rhode to solve. He concentrated on product development and marketing, working closely with grocery stores to create displays of ConAgra products. Bruce Rhode continued acquisitions strategy of his predecessors acquiring more brand names in packaged food segment (International Home Foods in 2000) to increase gross sales of the company and he divided company into ten principal operating units: ConAgra Foodservice Company; ConAgra Grocery Products Companies; ConAgra Frozen Prepared Foods; ConAgra Dairy Case Companies; ConAgra Refrigerated Prepared Foods; ConAgra Meat Companies; ConAgra Poultry Company; ConAgra Food Ingredients; United Agri Products Companies; ConAgra Trade Group. The early years of his tenure coincided with the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998 when the investors were cautious about the US domestic markets and the stock price fell significantly (Figure 4). Figure 4. Daily stock prices for ConAgra Foods, Inc. (CAG) since 1978 to 2010. Source: google. com/finance Gary Rodkin Gary Rodkin, the former CEO of PepsiCo Beverages and Foods of North America division, replaced Bruce Rhode as CEO of ConAgra Foods Inc. in 2005 and began reorganization trying to create one centralized consolidated company that consists of more than 500 subdivisions. As a result of refocusing its portfolio of businesses ConAgra Foods Inc. divested Butterball, Armour, Eckrich and others. Gary Rodkin, while continuing acquisitions strategy, transformed the company into a â€Å"more unified operating company† . With the changes of the new CEO many analysts were concerned that he would try to create ConAgra brand instead of coordinating many different brands. However, during his interview to SmartMoney (Wall Street Journal) in 2010 he said: â€Å"†¦. There is no product named ConAgra. So instead, we say, consumers make the brands relevant. We do need investors to better understand this company. But on the consumer side, we really don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze. † Performance Internal organization ConAgra Foods Inc. operates in a low-margin industry thus effectively managing its costs is the priority in achieving strategic competitiveness (Figure 6). Focusing on cost reduction the company could save 1. 1 billion USD through supply chain rationalization initiatives, the relocation of a divisional headquarters from Irvine, California to Naperville, Illinois, the centralization of shared services, salaried headcount reductions and other cost-reduction initiatives . Figure 6. Here’s how the $4. 19 you pay for a frozen dinner like one from Healthy Choice breaks down. ConAgra makes 55 cents. Source: Forbes. com . Shopping Cart Psychology by Helen Coster. 08. 19. 09 For the fiscal 2010 year ConAgra Foods Inc. announced net sales of 12,079 million USD with the operating profit of 1,652 USD (Table 4). Table 4. Financial Highlights for the fiscal 2010 year Source: Annual Report 2010 â€Å"†¦.. Heightened competition, weak demand and inflation hampered food processor ConAgra’s fiscal first quarter, leading it to cut its outlook, though the maker of Healthy Choice and Orville Redenbacher’s brand foods increased its dividend†¦.. † . The company also decreased its earnings per share outlook from 8-10% growth to 5-7%. External environment ConAgra Foods Inc. is focused on value-added brand companies and private labeling in the food industry where it competes with such giants as Kraft Foods, Heinz, Nestle, etc. â€Å"†¦.. We experience intense competition for sales of our principal products in our major markets. Our products compete with widely advertised, well-known, branded products, as well as private label and customized products. Some of our competitors are larger and have greater resources than we have. We compete primarily on the basis of quality, value, customer service, brand recognition, and brand loyalty†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. † From the next figure it can be inferred that even though ConAgra Foods, Inc. operates better than overall US industries, it still underperforms the leading companies in food sector. Figure 5. 10-year comparison of ConAgra Foods Inc. , S&P 500, S&P 500 Packaged Foods Index. Source: Annual Report 2010 In the Processed and Packaged Goods industry companies operate under very narrow margins (Figure 6) and for that reason severe price competition after the financial crisis influences heavily the profits of ConAgra Foods Inc. Also, the retailers implement backward integration strategy and take away profits from famous brand companies since the consumers are losing interest in the brand-named products. Even though the there are some good news about the industry that the consumers are very conscious about the money and they eat-out less than before the crisis the competition in the industry makes it difficult for analysts to predict bright future for the food companies. In the Figure we can see that the general projections for the industry are either â€Å"buy† or â€Å"hold† rather than â€Å"strong buy†. Figure 7. Analysts recommendation about the industry and ConAgra Foods Inc. Source: wikinvest. com Zacks Investment Research, November 24, 2010. Bibliographies 1. Amanda Quick, â€Å"Company profiles for students†, (Thomson Gale, 1999) 2. bigcharts. com 3. ConAgra Foods Inc. Annual Report 2010 4. ConAgra Foods Inc. Corporate Responsibility Report 2010 5. conagrafoods. com 6. forbes. com 7. google. com/finance 8. http://www. hbs. edu 9. referenceforbusiness. com 10. wikinvest. com 11. wsj. com.

How to Write an Extended Essay

How to Write an Extended Essay How to Write an Extended Essay In the following article we will give you some valuable advice on how to write a good extended essay. We will offer you just some useful tips and simple information here. The extended essay is actually a mini-diploma work which IB students have to write, besides several other papers. It has the same goals, basic structure, and context like the diploma theses which college students prepare. You must do your own piece of research, although it is usually stated that the extended essay does not constitute any type of research. In all cases, you conduct your investigation according to the criteria stipulated by the academic community: clear thesis, strong arguments and evidential support, comprehensible and concise work, loyalty to the facts, work with sources, and last but not least, fruitful collaboration with the assigned supervisor. The extended essay may be focused on a topic derived from every possible field of science, culture, and arts, so you should accommodate your work accordingly. For example, a work in the field of natural sciences may require conducting experiments; on the other hand, in the field of Philosophy you should work with philosophical theories. However, you must demonstrate some definite skills and competences. Writing an extended essay – important tips Define your topic You can choose your topic from a list. Try to narrow it down in order to be easier for you to set forth the main thesis. Wider topics are more difficult to be justified. Try to focus your efforts on a particular place, time, concept, or case. Preliminary research Find some sources on the topic and after that modify your topic and thesis accordingly. Work with academic literature, and be critical to the information available on the internet. You can search in Google Scholar or Google Books. Now you can write a draft of the extended essay. Structure The structure of your essay is strictly set according to the academic standards. You should write several parts: a title page, an abstract, body text, a conclusion, a bibliography, and (not necessary) appendice/s. You may use footnotes or endnotes, and also it would be good to prepare a glossary of the terms used (not necessary). The length should not exceed 4,000 words (without the abstract, the bibliography, the endnotes/footnotes and the appendices). Style You have to employ an academic reference style, for instance APA, MLA or Chicago/Turabian style (depending on the field of research). Try to write clearly and to be accurate in using definite terms (that means, you should be familiar with the terms you use). If you are not sure what a term means, don’t use it (replace it with a synonym). The same can be said about quotations: quote only short sentences or passages which you understand and can integrate into the text easily. Be careful: quotes should not exceed 10-15 % of the body text. Otherwise, the examiner would think you do not have anything important to say. Be loyal to the facts That means, never refer to the facts which are not well-proven, or that may support a theory contrary to your thesis. Check your sources. How can you do it? You should simply search for some criticism about the authors you refer to. Then you will be able to discern between the real scientist or researcher, and the pseudo-researcher. Be critical! The supervisor Your supervisor will review your work; he/she will give you some advice on the sources and information you should use. They will also check the draft of your essay and will recommend a way to improve it. Your supervisor is not the one who has to write the extended essay for you. Don’t expect it from them! The interview Although it is not an obligation, but still, it is recommended to have an interview with your supervisor. They will ask you some questions related to the text. The main goal is to check your knowledge in the field as well the authenticity of the work (to check for plagiarism). The extended essay is your first real test of the system of education. It operates as a â€Å"bridge† between the high school and tertiary education. By passing this exam, you will have more opportunities to find a good college.

Proposal for Board of Director essays

Proposal for Board of Director essays Are company has done well for the short time that we have been here, but it is now time to take the next step forward. We need to ask your self how can we make your work productivity quicker and more efficient. With this, I looked at the internal properties in our company and found that we cannot move ahead without an upgrade of our computer systems. One example of why we need this is that last year when we were out bided for the lucrative State Government contracts. Our board of directors wanted to know why? Because our competitors internal systems (Computers) out performed ours two to one. I have researched and figured cost of which way we need to go. Let me just say to make more money we need to spend more money with in the company. We have seventy-five employees, which is divided into two work groups. One, which focuses on statistical software and the other which, focuses on financial services. With these two group you have to have a computer that is able to store a lot of information, process this information, and be able to output with power and speed. I have looked at just buying certain parts and getting a in house person to put it together. This seemed like it would cost less because we would by in bulk. The problem with this is that it would cost us almost fifteen thousand in shipping alone. For the in-house labor of making these 75 computers is going to be about twelve thousand dollars. This does not include warranty and installation into the office. Another problem is the period to when we could have it up and running. It would take one month for all parts to come in then another three to four month before installation is completed. Then installation in the office and group session so every person can learn how to use the new system. We are looking at almost a half year before this is even going to get to the office, and another two weeks for installation. ...

Caribbean History

History of the Caribbean I. Note on Historical Methodology: The traditional method of historical research includes chronologically ordered processes. For example, the history of the New World or in particular the history of the Caribbean seems to have started in 1492 when Columbus mistakenly landed on Hispanola. Shortly after the discovery of the New World, colonialism appeared in North and South America in Europe. A summary version of Europe's influence in the New World over the past decades is a general historical record of the early Caribbean history. The concept of slavery, colonialism, race is an indelible aspect of the history of the Caribbean. In order to understand the current political, social, economic and cultural climate of the Caribbean, we must critically study and understand the influence of slavery in the modern Caribbean society. The model and complexity of the modern Caribbean society is closely related to the colonial planting system. And it welcomes the arrival of the largest immigrants in history. The history of contemporary America actually starts with the modern history of the Caribbean Sea. Beginning in the late 15th century when the Europeans entered the so-called New World, the Caribbean played the most important role in the development of events that would then shake the foundation of the whole world. The African, European and Caribbean indigenous gatherings are one of the most interesting and important aspects of world history. In this area, people can feel the worst aspect of inhumanity, which is in line with the story of human spiritual survival and victory. The history of the Caribbean is like a drama, it is a continuous legend of various wars, conquer various kinds, and most important is to resist. Caribbean is basically a series of short stories including several selected characters, covering the six hundred years of Caribbean history. CARIBBEAN combines facts and fiction, fusing unparalleled Michelle fashion style, from conflic t between peaceful Arawaks and thirsty Caribbean to the rapid development of contemporary Miami and the Cuban community . On this tour, readers will introduce Sir Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, Horatio Nelson, blood-hungry Victor Hughes, Heroes Toussaint Rouver Toure, Thomas Carlyle, and Fidel Kas. Throwing, others. Mixed with these historical figures represents countless men and women who created modern heaven such as British, Spanish, French naval officers and generals, sugar producers, colonial officers, slaves, etc. It is a fictitious character. , Its descendants, and various ethnic groups that contribute to the unique genetic mixing of the area

Environmental Effects of Plastic Water Bottles Essay

Environmental Effects of Plastic Water Bottles - Essay Example Research shows that approximately 18 million barrels of oil are used every year to manufacture plastic bottles in the US. It is also estimated that almost 3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide are generated from the production process. Other studies indicate that approximately 3 billion of plastic bottles are disposed of in the landfill. Less than 15% of the plastic bottles are recycled. As a result, the disposal cost for plastic waste is estimated at $100 million inclusive of the transport, collection, and litter removal cost.According to Dobkin, & Weigand, recycling of plastic bottles will ensure that the funds used for disposal are directed to more pressing issues such as the maintenance of public water infrastructure.Despite the availability of recycling infrastructures for plastic bottles, according to Hopewell, Dvorak, & Kosior, (2009), 85% of the plastic water bottles still end up in the landfills. Approximately 20 billion plastic bottles are disposed of in the landfills. Ea ch plastic bottle takes up over 500 years to decompose. The landfills are not only filled with plastic bottles, Li, et al., suggests that over 20 billion glass bottles that never decomposes also end up in the landfills. The chemical compounds used to manufacture the plastic bottles can have devastating effects on the human health. Studies show that plastic bottles used by most households are commonly made from polycarbonate compound. The compounds are usually released in the liquid stored in the container.

Technology good or bad Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology good or bad - Research Paper Example Many new gadgets in the telecommunication industry, service industry as well s manufacturing are finding their away to the market each day, all determined to change our lives in one way or another. These changes in our lives are what we rate the advancement of technology. While it was not possible to use a phone device to make video class a few years ago, today, it is possible to do more than that and include teleconferencing. Technology has surely brought a new life to the global world. However, many have never thought about the impacts of technology to the negative and are only interested with the positive sides. The truth is that technology has created a much worse world than it used to be few years ago. An article in the CIO Enterprise Magazine by Gunasegaram (1999) elaborated that one thing that has affected the corporate world is the advent of the new technology. According to this report while several years back people could concentrate on their work and production was expandin g rapidly, currently employees can sit the whole day watching movies, chatting in social networks or reviewing irrelevant material over the internet during working hours. A survey carried out in there years to determine the effects of computers in the corporate world revealed that it has taken mangers another burden to devise ways of surveillance and tracking computers and network usage to ensure that employees do not visit unnecessary sites during production hours. Though the measures have been somehow successful, the report indicates that still 83% of companies involved in this research required more monitoring and even had to warn employees of the consequences if caught in such activities (Gunasegaram (1999). Though computers have been acquired by firms to enhance productivity and make work easier and faster, employees have turned them to tools of lazing around. A company has to undergo extra costs in designing software that have to guard the same employees against visiting the p rohibited sites in the work place. This is one of the challenges of technology in the corporate world. Education is another area that has experienced many challenges as a result of technological developments. Though the use of information systems eliminates the geographical and communication barriers, this has been at a high cost in the education sector. Students and young minds cannot differentiate between the real and virtue realities as a result of the technological gadgets. The result has been that the student fraternity has been confused in emulating virtual superstars whom they are in most cases obsessed with, in the expense of their studies (Hutchby and Ellis, 14). Movies that have become a daily encounter in the lives of children have resulted to a loss of generation that cannot differentiate reality with the virtual content that are shown in movies. Though there has been some kind of innovation as a result of this (Hutchby and Ellis, 13), many students have ended up living confused lives and obsessed with movies and other virtual images that are readily available overt the internet. This has downgraded the level of education in schools. Technology has reduced the education in schools to cyber theatrics, and has lost meaning of schooling as originally designed to be. In the earlier years, teachers were supposed to guide students through in class and develop a higher rapport in understanding their students. Currently, many schools are

Translation arabic -english Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Translation arabic -english - Dissertation Example Since children are the most innocent stratum of society, and are considered to be the future builders of their nation as well, special care is given while producing literature for them for the adequate socialisation and brought up of the innocent minds. Although hundreds of thousands of books, journals and novelettes are available in the market, material of which is generally based upon local tales, fiction and moral stories, yet the parents and teachers look for inclusion of foreign literature in the studies meant for children, so that the young minds can obtain familiarity with the literature has been being produced at global scale. It is important for children to be exposed to different cultures from a young age and to have their world knowledge broadened by stories and characters from all over the world. (Sas, 2010:2) Translated children’s literature is able to break down barriers of geography, language and race and that learning about other cultures is an enriching experi ence that opens up new horizons and stimulates new ideas†. (Hallford, 2005: 4) Since children are not in a position to study themselves the material written in a foreign language, the services of proficient and professional translators are hired to translate the foreign study material in simple and comprehensible native language.

A Comparison of Pericles' Speech and that of Martin Luther King Junior Essay

A Comparison of Pericles' Speech and that of Martin Luther King Junior - Essay Example It is evident from the study that the speech made by Pericles at a funeral in 431 BC is one of the greatest speeches that have ever been made in human history. During this time, long speeches were specifically meant to encourage warriors who were going to the battlefield. The speeches could also be used to encourage families left behind when their sons, husbands or fathers went to war. Among the Greeks, there were burial ceremonies where speech would be made to appreciate the deceased for his or her contributions society. Pericles’s speech was one of them. The two speeches compare closely in terms of the level of emotion they raise. Pericles started his speech in a casual manner by informing the gathering about the importance of speech, as well as how it came into existence. However, he went ahead to explain that the ceremony was established by their ancestors. Like the speech made by Martin Luther King, Pericles acknowledged the role played by ancestors in deliberation of Gre ece. â€Å"I shall begin with our ancestors †¦they dwelt in the country without break†¦Ã¢â‚¬  . This section evoked the past deeds of the previous generations that Pericles believed should be emulated by the current generation. This is very similar to what Martin Luther used in his speech. He said, â€Å"When the architects of this country†¦ they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This approach of delivering speech has proven to very effective as far as unity is concerned. Pericles was telling the gathering that their ancestors never gave up the fight to protect the country and therefore the current generation was to follow their footsteps. Similarly, Martin Luther reminded all Americans, both blacks and whites, of the fact that when ancestors were fighting for freedom, they did so as a single unit while perceiving each other as brothers. The same should apply in the current American society. Both speeches share a great deal in sentence structure. Pericles said: â€Å"And yet if with habits not of labor but of ease, and courage not of art but of nature, we are still willing to encounter danger†¦ Yet, of course, the doer of the favor is the firmer friend of the two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rusten 45) This sentence structure compares closely with that used in the speech â€Å"I Have a Dream.† Martin Luther said, â€Å"†¦ knowing that somehow this situation can and will change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Echols 14). From the two speeches, it is evident that the current American society and other democracies across the world borrowed much from the Athenian ideals. They realized the importance of using the power of speech to make people take

How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits Essay - 6

How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits of this to a company Support your answer with examples - Essay Example esponsibility of motivation because a certain percentage argues that it is the responsibility of the employee to motivate him or herself while others argue that an employer is responsible for motivating the employees (Dell 1993). Hence, employees’ motivation is crucial for any kind of organisation. Lack of motivation can be detrimental to an organisation as it would lead to decrease in production, morale and customers. Diverse theories have emerged to show different motivation strategies that are necessary in organisations (Daft 2011). At times, individuals reach a point in their working lives when the level of motivation reduces especially due to personality that has a major contribution on the attitudes they have in their working places. In such cases, managers and supervisors have no control over personal attitudes, but can be able to handle those that ignite employee into losing their motivation for instance poor payment and poor working condition. Conversely, numerous factors cause employees to lack motivation especially when working in an environment that is not bored and lacking the necessary trust for the management. In addition, the fact that employees are not given chances to learn new skills and grow within an organisation are great contributors to lack of motivation. According to Lauby 2005, motivation of employees requires time as most of the employees are not motivated in the same ways. In essence, employee motivation depends on the priorities that they have in life. Once the managers understand the values of employees then rewarding becomes simpler. Of importance to note is that, motivation depends with individuals, values, and motivation factors of managers may be different from those of employees. Moreover, money is one of the most powerful tools in employee motivation. Consequently, this had not been the case as most organisations are said to underpay their employees when the employees have greatly contributed to the welfare of the

Understaffed Nursing Problems in Hospitals Research Proposal

Understaffed Nursing Problems in Hospitals - Research Proposal Example It is noticeable that the nursing shortage has become a global issue that has put patients care at higher risk and residents are complaining of poor care. It has been found that some nursing homes are highly understaffed that have endangered the lives of patients (Ellis & Hartley, 2004). Thousands of nurses are needed in nursing homes to address the health issues of patients who need assistance to recover from chronic diseases. But, they are losing hope and facing more health complexities due to the shortage of nursing staff. Some evidence-based major complexities that emerge from lack of nurses' assistance include hypertension, catheterized patients, urinary infections, poor feeding resulting in malnutrition, dehydration and most prominently decrease in the participation rate of patients in healthy activities (Siela, 2009). Nursing staff is responsible for taking care of patients during medicines intake or meal time and their absence lead patients to more complex health conditions. †¢ Problem and Problem Statement: Present literature over closely related issues shows that no study has contributed to highlight the factors, which are responsible for causing understaffed nursing problems in hospitals. †¢ The significance of the Problem: Lack of identification of responsible factors is a crucial issue and its solution can lead to resolving problems of the understaffed nursing sector. This problem has significant importance as it will help practitioners and researchers recognize the areas, which need proper attention and modification to provide standard healthcare services to the patients. Additionally, a research-based study covering an important issue related to understaffed nursing department might also contribute to open the gate and beneficial opportunities for those individuals, who seek to build up the career in the field of nursing.  A study conducted by Buerhaus, Donelan & Ulrich in 2005 aimed to find out the rate and impact of registered nurse s in the hospitals.

How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits Essay - 6

How can a manager motivate a workforce and what are the major benefits of this to a company Support your answer with examples - Essay Example esponsibility of motivation because a certain percentage argues that it is the responsibility of the employee to motivate him or herself while others argue that an employer is responsible for motivating the employees (Dell 1993). Hence, employees’ motivation is crucial for any kind of organisation. Lack of motivation can be detrimental to an organisation as it would lead to decrease in production, morale and customers. Diverse theories have emerged to show different motivation strategies that are necessary in organisations (Daft 2011). At times, individuals reach a point in their working lives when the level of motivation reduces especially due to personality that has a major contribution on the attitudes they have in their working places. In such cases, managers and supervisors have no control over personal attitudes, but can be able to handle those that ignite employee into losing their motivation for instance poor payment and poor working condition. Conversely, numerous factors cause employees to lack motivation especially when working in an environment that is not bored and lacking the necessary trust for the management. In addition, the fact that employees are not given chances to learn new skills and grow within an organisation are great contributors to lack of motivation. According to Lauby 2005, motivation of employees requires time as most of the employees are not motivated in the same ways. In essence, employee motivation depends on the priorities that they have in life. Once the managers understand the values of employees then rewarding becomes simpler. Of importance to note is that, motivation depends with individuals, values, and motivation factors of managers may be different from those of employees. Moreover, money is one of the most powerful tools in employee motivation. Consequently, this had not been the case as most organisations are said to underpay their employees when the employees have greatly contributed to the welfare of the

Evaluation of Shylock as a Tragic Hero Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Shylock as a Tragic Hero Essay We Are Witnesses: Five Diaries of Teenagers Who Died in the Holocaust by Jacob Boas Rescue: The Story of How Gentiles Saved Jews in the Holocaust by Milton Meltzer Hiding to Survive: Stories of Jewish Children Rescued from the Holocaust by Maxine B. Rosenberg Parts of the Book Report: Title Page Actual Book Report Contents of Book Report: 1. Discuss the setting of the book. 2. Give a summary of the book by discussing the real persons/peoples life/lives. 3. Discuss the character/persons traits and support them with examples from the book. 4. Discuss the theme the message of the book and some interesting facts you learned from this book. 5. Give your opinion of the book. Include the answers to the following: *How would you rate the book? Why? *What part of the book affected you and in what way? *Do you think the book gave an honest account of the personOs life? *Do you admire any of the people in the book? Why? Book Report: Fiction Kriss War by Carol Matas Lisas War by Carol Matas Parts of the Book Report: Title Page Actual Book Report Contents of Book Report: 1. Discuss the setting of the book. 2. Give a summary of the book by discussing the real persons life. 3. Discuss the main characters traits and support them with examples from the book. 4. Discuss the theme the message of the book. 5. Give your opinion of the book. Include the answers to the following: *How would you rate the book? Why? *What part of the book affected you and in what way? *Do you think the book gave an honest account of a persons life during the Holocaust? Hint: Follow guide sheets for book report for the four elements of a book; there is one more thing added this time your opinion.

An Analysis Of Nespressos Strategy

An Analysis Of Nespressos Strategy Since 1970, Nestlà © has been endeavoring to search for a brand-new method in order to meet the rapidly growing demands of the gourmet specialty coffee. After an effort of many years development and preparation, the Nespresso System was founded in 1986 along with a lot of patents. After that, Nespresso gradually grew to represent a unique coffee concept designed to enable anyone to create the perfect cup of espresso. The irreplaceable Nespresso â€Å"trilogy â€Å"unites the worlds highest quality Grand Crcoffees with smart and stylish machines and exclusive, personalized services. Table 1: Impressive continuous growth 2000 2009 2010 Turnover in CHF 210million 2.77billion 3.20billion Cups per minute 868 10,000 12,300 Coffee Systems MS%(Units) 6% 19.5% 20% Global Club Community 600,000 8million 10million Global Boutique Network 1 191 223 Nespresso Employees* 331 4,500 5,500 *70% in direct contact with Nespresso customers In 2010, Nespresso reached sales of more than CHF 3 billion with a growth above 20% compared to the year of 2009. 12,300 cups of coffee were consumed every minute. Additionally, Nespresso keeps doing well in generating its leading market share in coffee machines to about 20%. Moreover, the number of the Nespresso Club Members has been increased by over 20% to 10 million. In order to deliver and retain its exclusive personalized services, 1000 more employees were recruited by the company; more than 70% of the 5,500 staffs are facing the customers in direct contact. In 2010, Nespresso started a series of expansion, with 32 more new boutiques opened in Brussels, Miami, Shanghai and Sydney, from Europe to Asia; so far Nespresso has 223 boutiques in total all over the world. Consequently, 63% of the markets are occupied by the Europe, and the rest is divided into Americas and Asia. Winning Strategy Nespresso is becoming a global player and always wants to be outstanding of the competitors. In order to enhance their competitive advantages as well as building on their core competences, Nespresso has been working on the strategy for the past two decades. As a result, thanks to the creation and perseverance of the formula, the company is now as a pioneer and one of the fastest growing operating units of the Nestlà © Group. There are six crucial factors attributes to the success story of Nespresso, these include: Unsurpassed coffee quality and coffee specialists. The company has its own unique sourcing of finest coffee around the world. For many years, the Nespresso coffee experts have been exploring the world in search of the best coffees from the best producer countries, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Togo, Kenya and so forth. According to their findings, only the top one to two percent of the worlds green coffee crop meets the Nespressos high quality standards. At the same time, the company makes every effort to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with the local farmers who produce these precious beans. Table 2: Nespresso Quality+ Aroma Profile Unstoppable drive for innovation distinctive design Nestlà © is always in pursuit of the perfect products with the creative ideas. From the perfectly portioned Grand Crcoffee, the advanced coffee machine to the creation of the Nespresso Club, the company is obsessed about innovative and distinctive minds, compulsive about the fine details and passionate about the combination of high technology and avant-garde design. To date, the brand owns more than 1,700 patents. Passionate global brand community with direct consumer relations Nespresso is expanding their network over the globe. Currently, according to the companys annual report, the statistic shows that more than fifty percent of all new Nespresso Club Members first experience the brand through existing members. Update to the year of 2010, the total number of Nespresso Club Members worldwide has increased sharply from 600,000 in 2001 to more than 10 million, with an incredible amount of 2 million new members added in 2009 alone. Inspiration, iconic global brand The involvement of George Clooney makes Nespresso become the most charming and attractive coffee brand overnight. The slogan can be seen everywhere: Nespresso, what else? It seems that, for true coffee lovers, perfect coffee is not just an indulgence, it is a lifestyle. That is the main idea Nespresso trying to convey to their loyal clients. As a result, Nespresso has become the first global roast and ground coffee brand, moreover, since 2008 it is among the top 20 risers in brand value ranking. Exclusive route-to-market Table 3: Nespressos Sales in% by channel Internet 50% Customers Relation Centre 20% Boutique 30% Nespresso has the biggest shop window: www.nespresso.com. It is recorded that everyday seven millions visits in 2009 with an average time spent of 6 minutes. Consumers can purchase coffee, machines and accessories through the internet without any difficulties in terms of payment or customer service. In addition, the existing 223 boutiques are now possible for all the fans to go and enjoy the perfect espresso. Holistic approach to Sustainable QualityTM development The remarkable â€Å"Creating Shared Value† is the the Nestle Group key principle and obviously Nespresso is a loyal supporter. To further development, Nespresso carries out the strategy of Ecolaboration. The Nespresso EcolaborationTM aims to improve the sustainability performance of the Nespresso value chain. Under this circumstance, Nespresso brings their partners, stakeholders and also the coffee producers (local farmers) together to achieve a goal of the perfect fusion of: highest quality beans, economic viability, and respect the environment. There are three commitments the Nespresso is trying to achieve by the year of 2013: Source 80% of the coffee from Nespresso AAA Sustainable QualityTM Program certified by Rainforest Alliance (achieved 60% in 2010 already) Triple the ability to recycle the used capsules to 75% (achieved 60% in 2010 already) Reduce the CO2 footprint per cup by 20% (between 2009 and 2013) Conclusion Looking to the future, there are still many growing issues waiting for Nespresso to face with. For the moment, the strategy leader team needs to concern about five key issues: How to attract new customers (â€Å"away-from-home† V.S home consumption); Whether to introduce lower-cost system, compare to the current competitors; How to wider the market and then serve; Whether to invest in non-coffee market, diversify the products; How to gain an advantage over a competitor.

Chelsea Green Publishing Company: An Overview :: Essays Papers

Chelsea Green Publishing Company: An Overview Book publishing enjoys a certain social prestige—it can be both moderately profitable and extremely rewarding in psychological benefits. The odds that a publishing entrepreneur will succeed at this business seem to be related to the degree of care and thought given to planning and the sometimes-tricky balancing act of effective management. Sustainability is a balance of economy and ecology. That is, how we satisfy human needs and still preserve what we have in nature. Examples of this are the forest industry and energy. We must find ways to harvest a forest without destroying the forest. Similarly, we must find practical alternatives to energy sources, such as solar and wind power, so that we don't harm the atmosphere and deplete natural resources. The following is an account of Chelsea Green Publishing Company, a small publishing business that has successfully found its niche, while at the same time has made (and continues to make) the world a bit more sustainable. In 1985, Ian Baldwin and his wife Margo founded Chelsea Green Publishing Company in their house located near Chelsea, Vermont's green. It was in the middle of the Reagan era—not an especially favorable time to start a publishing company that even remotely highlighted environmental issues. In fact, the books that the Baldwins published then didn't really have a unifying theme, they were simply "nice" books that were well written, finely edited and beautifully produced. Earlier in his life, Ian spent five years as an editor at Holt, Rinehart, Winston before leaving to join the Institute for World Policy, a non-profit organization with a mission to organize intellectuals from around the world in a quest for world peace. He later worked as a consultant for the Environmental Defense Fund on a project to convince Pacific Gas and Electric Company that through conservation, co-generation, and the use of renewable resources, the utility could avoid building new nuclear or coal power plants. In 1984 the Baldwins' neighbor, gardening writer Eliot Coleman, shared with them a story that Helen Nearing had given him years earlier. The author of the fictional piece was Jean Giono, and the title was The Man Who Planted Hope and Grew Happiness, which first appeared in Vogue in 1954. It was a tale of a shepherd who singlehandedly reforested thousands of acres in war-ravaged Europe.

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay -- Social Responsibility Essays

Business organizations regularly run into demands from various stakeholders groups when conducting day-to-day business. These demands are generated from employees, customers, suppliers, community groups, governments, and shareholders. Thus, according to Goodpaster, any person or group of people that can shape or can be shaped by attainment of the objectives by an organization is considered a stakeholder. Most business organizations recognize and understand their responsibilities to these groups and endeavor to honor and fulfill them. These responsibilities are often communicated to the public by a statement of principles or beliefs. For many business organizations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an essential and integral part of their business. Thus, this paper discusses the two CSR views: the classical view and the stakeholder view. Furthermore, I believe that the stakeholder view has brought ethical concerns to the forefront of businesses, and an argument shall be made that businesses would improve both socially and economically if CSR, guided by God’s love, was integrated into their strategic planning. The classical view of CSR is a prominent ideology which business organizations are seen merely as profit-driven organizations. Simply put, businesses work for the sole purpose of making a profit. Thus, this profit motive is the sufficient and unique social identifier that separates a business organization from other institutions in society. These business organizations have a limited, yet essential role in society. Social concerns are considered important, but businesses, in the classical view, are focused solely on the economic activities and are judged accordingly. By having a limited role in society (i.e.,... ...oncerns to the forefront of businesses. In this paper I have suggested that business can improve both socially and economically by incorporating and integrating a CSR program, guided by God’s love, into their strategic planning. Strategic planning of CSR creates a mutual beneficial relationship between a community and a business organization. The community wins by having a business that is sensitive to their needs and responsive to their concerns, and the business wins by developing competitive advantage in the market that leads to long-term profitability. A business needs to incorporate God’s love when developing CSR policies in order to maintain the trust and the integrity of the relationship with the community. With solid strategic planning coupled with CSR, businesses can set the direction that provides the greatest benefit to themselves and communities.

Bin-IT User Guide

Introduction: The software on this CD provides a system to make wage slips and employee information leaflets for your employees at the Bin-IT workplace. This is a bespoke software which is tailor made for your use. There are on screen instructions for installing your software but this user guide will provide more information with in-detail instructions, troubleshooting help and a glossary. Instructions: Basic instructions to run the software: 1. Specify which folders you want to save the spreadsheet, wage slip and leaflet. Click the â€Å"Run† button which will automatically save the spreadsheet and both documents to your computer. 2. Once you have saved the files to your computer locate your spreadsheet. This will be the spreadsheet you use to calculate the wages of various employees in your Bin-IT company. The columns you'll want to change regularly are from G to M where the actual hours. You can also change the wages or job position if people are given promotions or something similar. 3. You will notice that when you enter a value out of the range in the hours worked (outside of the parameters 0 to 12) then an error message will appear telling you that you have entered an incorrect value. This is validation – this stops you from making typing errors when entering in data. 4. You can change the validation rules by selecting the values you wish to change by selecting the field you wish to change, going to Data > Validation and then changing the parameters accordingly. 5. Now the spreadsheet functions are sorted – we can move onto the mail merge functions. Mail merge allows you to automatically take the data from the spreadsheet and use it to make a wage slip and/or employee information leaflet. This software comes with the files already linked to each other therefore you don't need to actually link the spreadsheet with the other documents. 6. Open up the Pay Slip word document. Go to tools > letters and mailing > Mail Merge. This will open up the mail merge wizard. 7. What will be shown to you is a mail merge wizard showing you which spreadsheet is selected to be merged with the word document. You can edit the recipient list and change who you wish the Mail Merge to apply to. 8. Click Next twice to skip to Step 5 of 6 and there you can preview all your print outs for the pay slips. 9. Click Next again and you are on Step 6 of 6, print. Click print and choose which ones you which to print, or just leave it on All and click OK. Before printing – if there was anything you wanted to change on a one-time-basis with any of the employees' wage slips then you can click edit individual letters and change a specific thing for a specific wage slip. 10. When doing Mail Merge for the leaflets just do exactly the same thing but on Microsoft Publisher Troubleshooting * As stated in the instructions, you may receive an error message when trying to enter in data in some cells on the spreadsheet. This is because a validation rule has been set on the specific cell(s). Step 4 explains how to change the validation rules if they do not meet the criteria of some of your employees. * On Step 7, you may have a problem with the Microsoft Word document not being properly linked to the spreadsheet with your data in. In the event that this occurs, click ‘Select a different list'. From this use Explorer to find the spreadsheet file in the location you saved it, select it and then choose Sheet 1. Glossary Mail merge – Mail merge is a software function describing the production of multiple (and potentially large numbers of) documents from a single template form and a structured data source. This helps to create personalized letters and pre-addressed envelopes or mailing labels for mass mailings Data validation – In computer science, data validation is the process of ensuring that a program operates on clean, correct and useful data. It uses routines, often called â€Å"validation rules† or â€Å"check routines†, that check for correctness, meaningfulness, and security of data that are input to the system. Validation Rule – A Validation rule is a criterion used in the process of data validation, carried out after the data has been encoded onto an input medium and involves a data vet or validation program. Evaluation of User Guide I have tested my user guide by providing my system to others with no other instructions apart from the ones on the user guide. I asked whether there was anything missing or anything else that may help. One common criticism I got is that I didn't have any kind of contact information in case the User Guide did not provide enough information. I also got advice to specify a little more in the contents of what is actually on each page. I have taken on these criticisms and have created a re-evaluated User Guide, starting on the next page: Bin-IT System User Guide Contents: (Page) 1. Introduction – What is this software? 2. Instructions – Spreadsheet settings and functions 3. Instructions (continued) – Mail merge (Making the wage slip) 4. Troubleshooting & Glossary of Technical Terms 5. Contact Details – Phone, Fax & Email Introduction: The software on this CD provides a system to make wage slips and employee information leaflets for your employees at the Bin-IT workplace. This is a bespoke software which is tailor made for your use. There are on screen instructions for installing your software but this user guide will provide more information with in-detail instructions, troubleshooting help and a glossary. Instructions: Basic instructions to run the software: 1. Specify which folders you want to save the spreadsheet, wage slip and leaflet. Click the â€Å"Run† button which will automatically save the spreadsheet and both documents to your computer. 2. Once you have saved the files to your computer locate your spreadsheet. This will be the spreadsheet you use to calculate the wages of various employees in your Bin-IT company. The columns you'll want to change regularly are from G to M where the actual hours. You can also change the wages or job position if people are given promotions or something similar. 3. You will notice that when you enter a value out of the range in the hours worked (outside of the parameters 0 to 12) then an error message will appear telling you that you have entered an incorrect value. This is validation – this stops you from making typing errors when entering in data. 4. You can change the validation rules by selecting the values you wish to change by selecting the field you wish to change, going to Data > Validation and then changing the parameters accordingly. 5. Now the spreadsheet functions are sorted – we can move onto the mail merge functions. Mail merge allows you to automatically take the data from the spreadsheet and use it to make a wage slip and/or employee information leaflet. This software comes with the files already linked to each other therefore you don't need to actually link the spreadsheet with the other documents. 6. Open up the Pay Slip word document. Go to tools > letters and mailing > Mail Merge. This will open up the mail merge wizard. 7. What will be shown to you is a mail merge wizard showing you which spreadsheet is selected to be merged with the word document. You can edit the recipient list and change who you wish the Mail Merge to apply to. 8. Click Next twice to skip to Step 5 of 6 and there you can preview all your print outs for the pay slips. 9. Click Next again and you are on Step 6 of 6, print. Click print and choose which ones you which to print, or just leave it on All and click OK. Before printing – if there was anything you wanted to change on a one-time-basis with any of the employees' wage slips then you can click edit individual letters and change a specific thing for a specific wage slip. 10. When doing Mail Merge for the leaflets just do exactly the same thing but on Microsoft Publisher Troubleshooting * As stated in the instructions, you may receive an error message when trying to enter in data in some cells on the spreadsheet. This is because a validation rule has been set on the specific cell(s). Step 4 explains how to change the validation rules if they do not meet the criteria of some of your employees. * On Step 7, you may have a problem with the Microsoft Word document not being properly linked to the spreadsheet with your data in. In the event that this occurs, click ‘Select a different list'. From this use Explorer to find the spreadsheet file in the location you saved it, select it and then choose Sheet 1. Glossary Mail merge – Mail merge is a software function describing the production of multiple (and potentially large numbers of) documents from a single template form and a structured data source. This helps to create personalized letters and pre-addressed envelopes or mailing labels for mass mailings Data validation – In computer science, data validation is the process of ensuring that a program operates on clean, correct and useful data. It uses routines, often called â€Å"validation rules† or â€Å"check routines†, that check for correctness, meaningfulness, and security of data that are input to the system. Validation Rule – A Validation rule is a criterion used in the process of data validation, carried out after the data has been encoded onto an input medium and involves a data vet or validation program.