Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness

Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness Introduction Information technology is a general term that refers to any hardware or software that is used directly in the production process. It alters the process of production, storage, communication or dissemination of information (Aksoy and DeNardis 8). Information technology has become a major component in the organization’s production process. Its impact on the production process cannot, therefore, be overlooked.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Investing in Information Technology is expensive, and organizations need to be prepared to spend a lot of money. There have been arguments as to whether it is worth to invest heavily information technology. Concerns have been raised on the impact of information technology on organizational performance. Organizational performance is defined as the accumulated result of organizational activities (Daft and Marcic 9). This paper seeks to investigate the impact of information technology on the results of organizational processes or results of the organizational performance. Background Information technology enhances the communication process in an organization. This makes communication across the organization much more effective and accurate. As a result, high performance is achieved in an organization. Improving the communication process is a major step in ensuring that the organization makes accurate decisions. Another sector that has greatly changed as a result of information technology is the financial sector. The sector has experienced landmark changes such as automation of the financial systems. This ensures higher efficiency in the financial sector. The losses that are experienced as a result of using the manual system are also reduced. Information technology is also believed to have a major impact on the cost of production in an orga nization. It has resulted in a reduction of the number of employees in an organization. Introduction of machines and other software has made work easier. Therefore, organizations do not require a lot of people to do various tasks. For example, automation of the accounting system reduces the number of people who would be computing and recording entries. Reduction of manpower implies a reduction of the cost of production. Another way in which information technology has reduced the cost of production is making the process of production easier and more effective (Khosrowpour 21). The machines have also led to speeding up the process of production. As a result, an organization is able to save on time and money.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Information technology is believed to have an impact on the systems of an organization. However, it is important to analyze its impact in the organizational performance that can be measured by analyzing changes in companies’ income or profit. This research paper seeks to establish whether there is any change of a company’s performance as a result of embracing new technology. Literature Review Information technology and organizational performance have been of great interest to different researchers. There are a lot of research works that have been carried out to investigate the contribution of information technology in organizations. Though extensive research work has been carried out on this area only, little work has been done focusing on the impact of information technology on the organizational performance. With the world experiencing landmark changes in the information technology sector, it is important to understand the impact it has on organizational performance. Some of the notable research works that have been carried out in this area are discussed below. Impact Of Information Technology On Orga nizational Performance: An Analysis Of Quantitative Performance Indicators Of Pakistan’s Banking And Manufacturing Companies This research work was carried out by Muhammad Shaukat and Muhammad Zafarullah. The paper seeks to establish the impact of information technology on the banking and manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The paper not only seeks to establish the impact of information technology on the entire organization process but also seeks to analyze its impact on the overall performance. The researchers carried out an extensive research on 48 companies. 24 of the companies were from the manufacturing sectors, and 24 from the banking sector. In their research, they analyzed the impact both on the local and foreign firms. 12 of the banks interviewed were foreign banks, and 12 manufacturing firms were foreign. In the research, they used regression to analyze the data. The income of the organization was used as a parameter to measure any change in the performance which was realized after using new technology. The paper analyzed the total net income in comparison to the cost of IT employees (Shaukat and Zafarullah1-13). Results showed that there was a significant impact of information technology on all foreign banks in Pakistan. It was also clear that there was an increase in the number of IT employees in all foreign banks. There was also an overall increase in the total number of employees in the foreign banks. The research also found out that there was an increase in the local banks. The increase was as a result of adopting new technology. The regression results were positive, indicating that any increase in information technology investment resulted into an increase in the income of the bank.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Effectiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was also found out that there was a decrease in the number of employees in the local banks. However, it was established that the decrease was not a result of investment in IT, but due to privatization of banks that took place during the research period. The research showed that investing in information technology resulted into an increase in the income of all banks, both local and foreign (Shaukat and Zafarullah 1-13). The research also found out that investing in information technology had a great impact on the income of the local manufacturing companies. There is also a decrease in the number of employees because most of the companies outsourced IT experts from different companies. Investing in IT did not have a substantial impact on the income of foreign companies. Most of the companies investigated showed that IT did not have any positive impacts on the income of these companies. To sum up, information technology did not have an impact on all manufacturing companies. Some of the companies investigated recorded no change in income after investing in information technology. Thus, the research found out that information technology had a big impact on both the manufacturing and banking sector of Pakistan. Both sectors recorded a positive regression coefficient, indicating that investing in information technology has an impact on the income of the organization; hence the performance of the company. The Impact of Technology on Organizational Performance: Improvement in Productivity Is Due Not Only To Technology, But Also to how it is Integrated Into The Organization The research work was carried out by Yves Gagnon and Jocelyne Dragon. The research paper investigates the impact of technology on the organizational performance. The paper seeks to investigate the role of technology in the organizational performance, and whether information technology is enough to have a positive impact on an organization. The researchers found out that information technology had a big impact on organizational performance but it was i mportant to blend it with a good organizational structure. The paper outlines that information technology alone will have minimal impact on the performance of an organization, but once it has been combined with a good organizational structure, the results were admirable (Gagnon and Dragon 19-31). Information Technology and Business Value in Developing Economies The research work was carried out by Acklesh Prasad. The research was meant to find out the role of IT and how it contributes to business value. The paper investigated the contribution of IT in broader terms. The research paper covers the contribution of IT in the developing countries. The paper concentrated more on the intangible benefits of IT investments.Advertising Looking for research paper on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The research found out that there was a great impact of IT investment and it resulted into great benefits that contributed to business value. The paper found out that there were so many intangible benefits that resulted from IT investment. The research concludes that investment in IT contributes to intangible benefits and improves organizational value (Prasad 1-11). Information Technology and Organizational Performance: An Integrative Model of IT Business Value The research work was carried out by Nigel Melville, who is an associate professor of information systems. The research paper seeks to establish the interrelationship between information technology and organizational performance (Melville 1-11). The research indicated that information technology plays an important role in an organization. However, there are other factors, such as organization’s resources and macro economic environment, which determine the impact of IT on the organization (Melville 1-11). Research Findi ngs The research was carried out to investigate the impact of information technology on organization performance. The findings are based on secondary data, which was collected from the company’s website. Impact of Technology on British American Tobacco British American Tobacco is one of the largest companies in the Tobacco industry, producing more than 50 brands of tobacco. The company employs approximately 55,000 people, and serves more than 55 markets. Handling the company’s data was tiresome and involved a lot of work. The company adopted new technology, which revolutionized its operations. The company had a problem with its database, which spilled all over the world. Microsoft proposed a strategy that allowed to cut down the replication task from 400,000 to 22,000. This increased the performance of the company because of having well managed data (Cisco 1-11). The company has also employed the use of DSS application in sales and marketing. The DSS model helps in sal es forecasting, pricing, advertising and promotional campaigns. The company has also implemented the model for use in customer relationship management. The model helps in assessing the behavior of customers, such as customer’s patterns, customer’s rejection criteria, and assessing a potential customer. The operating system has helped to improve the company’s marketing program (Cisco 1-11). The company has also adopted the use of information technology in its finance and accounting system. Currently, the company uses electronic data system to manage the company’s finances. This has automated the process, therefore, the operations run effectively. The data system helps the company’s manager in coming up with a mini budget as well as developing a short term strategic plan. The human resource of the company manages data for more than 55000 workers. The department has also implemented a new information technology that manages all labor related issues su ch as labor contracts costs. The system helps to monitor the workers performance. The company’s managers are also able to compute the range and other statistical operations of the workers salaries. The information system provides up to date information on the workers profiles and performance. Impact of Information Technology on Barclays Bank Barclays bank is the seventh largest group in Europe. The company seeks to be among the world’s top five banks through implementation of new technology. The company manages over 115,000 employees in over 50 countries. The bank has embraced the use of technology in its operations, hence making it one of the best banks globally. Barclays bank was the first bank to develop an ATM system in its operations. This helped the bank to serve its customers efficiently and quickly. The machines helped to reduce the number of queues in the bank. Investing in new technology led to an increase in the number of customers because of the increased e fficiency of the bank. The bank also developed the Barclay’s card that made banking convenient (British American Tobacco 1-6). Barclays bank developed an E-banking program with the aim to increase the number of internet sales by forty percent. This made the banks web page more attractive, which led to an increase in the number of customers. The web page also increased customer satisfaction. The number of web customers increased, hence making it a good investment (British American Tobacco 1-6). Investing in information technology was a worthwhile venture for Barclays bank. The improvement of the company’s information technology led to the increase in the number of web customers. This led to an increase in the company’s revenue. Discussion Major progress has been made in the information technology sector. Different organizations have not been left behind in the use of information technology systems in their operations. The use of technology has had both positive a nd negative impacts on organizations. From the research findings, it is clear that investing in information technology is a worthwhile venture. From the analysis of British American Tobacco Company, the results indicate that information technology had a major impact on the company’s performance. Automation of the operation system in the company resulted in the increased efficiency, hence increasing sales. Automation of the financial system of the company improved the efficiency of the finance department. This reduced the cases of losses that were previously recorded. Use of the current financial system reduced the number of employees in the department. Therefore, the cost of production was reduced. The company has also embraced the use of technology in managing their human resource. This has improved efficiency of operation as the managers can track the activities of their workers. The use of human resource operating system has also improved managers work because they are abl e to monitor the effectiveness of each worker and the level of training. Barclays bank has also invested heavily in the information technology sector. This has helped to improve its efficiency and has made banking effective. The use of ATM has reduced the cases of queues in the banks. It also takes customers less time to withdraw their money. Therefore, the process is effective. E-banking has also increased the number of web customers. Bank clients can bank and access other banking services through the internet. This has resulted in the increase of the company’s revenue because of the increase in the number of customers. Conclusion Information technology is an important component in any organization. It helps in making organizations operations more effective. Investing in information technology sector for any company is expensive, but the benefits obtained outnumber the costs. Organizations should seek to invest in this sector because this will reduce the cost of production a nd improve the company’s performance. Aksoy, Pelin, and L. DeNardis. Information Technology in Theory, Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print. British American Tobacco. Information systems of British America Tobacco in  Bangladesh, n. d. web. 29 Aug. 2012. https://scribd.com/doc/34433897/British-American-Tobacco Cisco. Strategic E-Banking Refresh Prepares Barclays Bank for Next-Generation Web  Technologies and Explosive Growth, n. d. web. 29 Aug. 2012. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about.html Daft, Richard, and D. Marcic. Understanding Management, Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Gagnon, Yves-C and Dragon, Jocelyne. â€Å"The impact of technology on organizational performance†. The Journal of Public Sector Management. Vol. 28, No. 1 (19-31). Informaworld. Web. Khosrowpour, Mehdi. Information Technology Management and Organizational  Innovations: Proceedings of the 1996 Information Resources Association International Conference, New York: Idea Group Inc, 1996. Print. Melville, Nigel, Kraemar Kenneth and Gurbaxani Vijay. Information Technology and  Organizational Performance: An Integrative Model of IT Business Value, California: University of California, 2004. Print. Prasad, Acklesh. Information technology and business value in developing economies:  A study of intangible benefits of information technology in Fiji. California: University of California, 2008. Print. Shaukat, Muhammad, and M. Zafarullah. â€Å"Impact of Information Technology on Organizational Performance: An analysis of Quantitative Performance Indicators of Pakistan’s Banking and Manufacturing Companies European.† Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences 16.1 (2009): 1- 13. Web.

Emperor Hirohito of Japan

Emperor Hirohito of Japan Hirohito, also known as the Emperor Showa, was Japans longest-serving emperor (r. 1926 - 1989).   He ruled the country for just over sixty-two extremely tumultuous years, including the build-up to World War II, the war era, post-war reconstruction, and Japans economic miracle.   Hirohito remains an extremely controversial figure; as the leader of the Empire of Japan during its violently expansionist phase, many observers considered him a war criminal.   Who was Japans 124th emperor? Early Life Hirohito was born on April 29, 1901, in Tokyo, and was given the name Prince Michi.   He was the first son of the Crown Prince Yoshihito, later Emperor Taisho, and Crown Princess Sadako (Empress Teimei).   At the age of just two months, the infant prince was sent away to be raised by Count Kawamura Sumiyoshis household.   The count passed away three years later, and the little prince and a younger brother returned to Tokyo. When the prince was eleven years old, his grandfather, Emperor Meiji, died and the boys father became the Emperor Taisho.   The boy now became the heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne and was commissioned into the army and the navy.   His father was not healthy and proved a weak emperor compared with the illustrious Meiji Emperor. Hirohito went to a school for children of the elites from 1908 to 1914, and the went into special training as the crown prince from 1914 to 1921.   With his formal education completed, the Crown Prince became the first in Japanese history to tour Europe, spending six months exploring Great Britain, Italy, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.   This experience had a powerful effect on the 20-year-old Hirohitos worldview, and he often preferred western food and clothing afterward.   When Hirohito returned home, he was named as Regent of Japan on November 25, 1921. His father was incapacitated by neurological problems, and could no longer rule the country.   During Hirohitos regency, a number of key events took place including the Four-Power Treaty with the US, Britain, and France; the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923; the Toranomon Incident, in which a communist agent tried to assassinate Hirohito; and the extension of voting privileges to all men 25 and older.   Hirohito also married the imperial princess Nagako in 1924; they would have seven children together. Emperor Hirohito On December 25, 1926, Hirohito took the throne following his fathers death.   His reign was declared the Showa era, meaning Enlightened Peace- this would turn out to be a wildly inaccurate name.   According to Japanese tradition, the emperor was a direct descendant of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and thus was a deity rather than an ordinary human being.   Hirohitos early reign was extremely turbulent.   Japans economy fell into crisis even before the Great Depression hit, and the military assumed greater and greater power.   On January 9, 1932, a Korean independence activist threw a hand grenade at the emperor and nearly killed him in the Sakuradamon Incident. The prime minister was assassinated the same year, and an attempted military coup followed in 1936.   The coup participants murdered a number of top government and Army leaders, prompting Hirohito to demand that the Army crush the rebellion. Internationally, this was also a chaotic time.   Japan invaded and seized Manchuria in 1931, and used the pretext of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937 to invade China proper.   This marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War.   Hirohito did not lead the charge in to China, and was concerned that the Soviet Union might oppose the move, but did offer suggestions about how to carry out the campaign. World War II Although in the aftermath of the war, Emperor Hirohito was depicted as a hapless pawn of the Japanese militarists, unable to stop the march into full-scale war, in fact he was a more active participant.   For example, he personally authorized the use of chemical weapons against the Chinese, and also gave informed consent prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.   However, he was very concerned (and rightly so) that Japan would over-extend itself in trying to seize essentially all of East and Southeast Asia in the planned Southern Expansion. Once the war was underway, Hirohito required that the military brief him regularly, and worked with Prime Minister Tojo to coordinate Japans efforts.   This degree of involvement from an emperor was unprecedented in Japanese history.   As the Imperial Japanese armed forces swept through the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 1942, Hirohito was thrilled with their success.   When the tide began to turn at the Battle of Midway, the emperor pressed the military to find a different route of advance. Japans media still reported every battle as a great victory, but the public began to suspect that the war was actually not going well.   The US began devastating air raids against Japans cities in 1944, and all pretext of imminent victory was lost.  Ã‚   Hirohito issued an imperial order in late June of 1944 to the people of Saipan, encouraging Japanese civilians there to commit suicide rather than surrendering to the Americans.   Over 1,000 of them followed this order, jumping from cliffs during the final days of the Battle of Saipan. During the early months of 1945, Hirohito still held out hope for a grand victory in World War II.   He arranged private audiences with senior government and military officials, almost all of whom advised continuing the war.   Even after Germany surrendered in May of 1945, the Imperial Council decided to continue to fight.   However, when the US dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, Hirohito announced to the cabinet and the imperial family that he was going to surrender, so long as the surrender terms did not compromise his position as the ruler of Japan. On August 15, 1945, Hirohito made a radio address announcing Japans surrender.   It was the first time that ordinary people had ever heard their emperors voice; he used intricate, formal language unfamiliar to most commoners, however.   Upon hearing of his decision, fanatical militarists immediately tried to stage a coup and seized the Imperial Palace, but Hirohito ordered the uprising quelled immediately. Aftermath of the War According to the Meiji Constitution, the emperor is in full control of the military.   On those grounds, many observers in 1945 and since have argued that Hirohito should have been tried for the war crimes committed by Japanese forces during World War II.   In addition, Hirohito personally authorized the use of chemical weapons during the Battle of Wuhan in October of 1938, among other violations of international law. However, the US was afraid that die-hard militarists would turn to guerrilla war if the emperor was deposed and put on trial.   The American occupation government decided to that it needed Hirohito.   Meanwhile, Hirohitos three younger brothers pressed him to abdicate and allow one of them to serve as regent until Hirohitos eldest son, Akihito, came of age.   However, US General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan, nixed that idea.   The Americans even worked to make sure that other defendants in the war crimes trials would down-play the emperors role in wartime decision making, in their testimony. Hirohito did have to make one large concession, however.   He had to explicitly repudiate his own divine status; this renunciation of divinity did not have much effect within Japan, but was widely reported overseas. Later Reign For more than forty years after the war, Emperor Hirohito carried out the duties of a constitutional monarch.   He made public appearances, met with foreign leaders in Tokyo and abroad, and conducted research on marine biology in a special laboratory in the Imperial Palace.   He published a number of scientific papers, mostly on new species within the class Hydrozoa.   In 1978 Hirohito also instituted an official boycott of the Yasukuni Shrine, because Class A war criminals had been enshrined there. On January 7, 1989, Emperor Hirohito died of duodenal cancer.   He had been ill for more than two years, but the public was not informed of his condition until after his death.   Hirohito was succeeded by his eldest son, Prince Akihito.

Self evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self evaluation - Essay Example Basically, the welfare encourages poverty and crime eradication (Shavell, 2009). In addition, it also helps people to realize some basic needs and rights that they would not achieve without the same. Consequently, each world state should adapt welfare programs. 4. What are some of the proofs supporting your position? Have you counted in your survey outcomes? In accordance with my survey, poverty in most states reduces after they uphold welfare programs. Experimental proofs suggest that taxes significantly decrease poverty in most republics whose welfare states generally constitute no less than 25 percent of GDP (Nathan, 2000). Following the introduction of welfare programs, the ultimate poverty level in the Netherlands dropped from 22.1 to 9.3 percent and from 15.2 to 4.3 percent in Germany among other similar situations (Shavell, 2009). Besides, welfare offers a minimum state of wellbeing to citizens through health services, subsidies, housing and monetary payments among others. For instance, The Great Depression presented overwhelming impacts in virtually all countries. Tax revenue, Personal income and prices plunged, whereas international trade dropped by 50%. On the other hand, studies have always revealed that the minor socioeconomic class participates in more felonious activities than the rich. Most criminals are always impoverished characters who live in disordered settlements. In addition, they always lack the social backing as well as economic resources that are definitely available for the well-to-do families in the society. Consequently, since welfare reduces poverty as discussed above, it is also evident that it definitely decreases the level of crime. However, this does not necessarily imply that it totally eradicates criminal activities. 5. Place your stand and proof through the scientific techniques. Are there any phases in which your stand and proof do

Writing about poetry and song lyrics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writing about poetry and song lyrics - Essay Example who holds a special place among this group, and his work is marked by three main emotions- â€Å"politics, nature and love.†(Natasa Bakic Miric) He has often been called the most lyrical of English poets, and his work is marked by the reformist zeal which had encircled the globe, all of which fired his visionary and idealist leanings. In his works can be seen the natural movement from an idealism which creates the feeling of love for humanity, a belief in beauty and the consequent freedom of humanity. The lyrical quality of the poem can be attributed to its arrangement which consists of 105 lines, arranged in 21 stanzas of five lines each. The first four lines are set in trochaic tri-meter while the fifth is in iambic hexameter. All the stanzas have the rhyme scheme ABABB. This poem came about, in the words of his wife Mary Shelley, when they â€Å"heard the caroling of the skylark, which inspired one of his most beautiful poems" (Shelley The Pursuit - Page 599) To the poet, the skylark is a metaphor for the ability to transcend the worldliness which surrounds us, and live with the idealism which all human beings dream of. In the opening of the poem, Shelly addresses the skylark as a â€Å"Blithe spirit† instead of referring to it as a bird because the sweet strains of its singing seems to come from the Heavens. Shelly proves his point through the following phrase -"profuse strains of unpremeditated art." (Stanza 1- line 4) The poet compares the flight of the bird stating that it looked â€Å"like a cloud of fire† (Stanza 2 – line 3) as it soared higher and higher into the blue sky comparing its flight to something that is so joyful that even though it cannot be seen from afar, yet we are able to hear its â€Å"shrill delight.’ (Stanza 4 – line 5) Shelly is one poet who is capable of creating vivid pictures in the minds eye of his audiences inducing a sense of oneness to the bird. He goes on to explain the bird’s descent from the clouds comparing it to

The Perception of Power Essay Example for Free

The Perception of Power Essay The idea of power is at times quite confusing.   Pinpointing an exact human quality or possession and labelling it ‘power’ is impossible, and to understand this key element in social dynamics we must look more deeply into our own lives and the lives of those around us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Power dynamics are fluid, changing, and dependent on the specific situation. Each person in a conflict has some degree of power, though one party may have more compared to the other, and the power can shift during a conflict† (Barrosse, 2007, p. 104). According to Interpersonal Conflict power is a factor in every human relationship, and it plays a role in all that we do. Every situation is made of people, and each of those people has a certain amount of power – the amounts and the dynamics between the people will inevitably play out in either a show of conflict or of conformity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barrosse also describes power as a kind of currency which can be traded around, used to achieve goals and also rendered useless in ‘foreign’ situations. â€Å"Just as money depends on the context in which it is to be spent, your power currencies depend on how much your particular resources are valued by the other persons in a relationship context† (Barrosse, 2007, p.106). Therefore, power is not solely inherit in an individual, but actually has only a relative existence. While most of us tend to perceive power as a trait that comes out of a person’s own character, it really only exists if that person is in a social group that understands and accepts that individual’s apparent power.   If taken away from his or her usual social group, a normally powerful person can be left with no influence and suffer a complete power loss. Essentially, one does not wield power outside of normal social context.   â€Å"Power depends on having currencies that other peopled need† (Barrosse, 2007, 106).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The reason for this is simple; if you continue to think of power in terms of currency as Barrosse suggests (2007, p.106), and social groups as different countries, then you can see how powerful people experience difficulties when functioning outside their normal realm of social relationships.   What one group of people might value very highly in a person (thus giving them power) may not carry over to another group. For example, a powerful person in one group may be that way because he or she cooks very good Thai food for friends.   If that person were to associate with a new group of people who are not interested in dinner parties, or who eat only fast food, then that key to power is lost.   It’s all about key â€Å"resource control† (Barrosse, 2007, 107).   Power is all completely relative to the social group within which one lives his or her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conflict arises during a power shift.   When one or more people in a group decide to change their relative ranking, trouble can follow.   Barrosse says the key to conflict resolution lies in understanding that â€Å"each person firmly believes that the other person has more power† (2007, p.110). For people within a power struggle, it can be difficult to accept the fact that no one person might be right or wrong; the conflict is simply about the need for perceived power.   So how do we avoid conflict based on this simple, unavoidable power struggle?   â€Å"Because each person in the conflict believes that he or she is in the low-power position, the conflict escalates† (Barrosse, 2007, p.110).   So the key to eluding conflict is â€Å"clarifying the currencies available to you and to other parties† (Barrosse, 2007, p.9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The perception of power is much more straightforward than we usually realise.   At the root, power is solely based on social dynamics – whichever people have the most to offer their peers (opportunities, belonging, success) will be the most powerful in a group. Reference: Barrosse, E. (Ed). (2007). Interpersonal Conflict. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.

The Holocaust: Number The Stars :: essays research papers

The Holocaust   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The title of my book is Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and it is a historical fiction. My book was about a jewish girl named Ellen that stays with her best friend's family the Johansens to avoid being caught by the nazis and relocated along with her family. I selected this book because it was by Lois Lowry and I read other books by her so I thought that this book would be good. I also chose this book because it was a Newberry award winner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Annemarie Johansen is the main character in the story, she is a ten year old girl that lives with her parents and sister at their home. She first appears at the beginning of the book racing her friend down a copenhagen street and throughout it and at the end. I liked her because she is strong when she needs to be, and is a friend when she needs to be. Annemarie was willing to save her friend by risking her and her life. Ellen Rosen was also one of the main characters in the story she is a nine year old girl living with her parents. Ellen appears in the story at the beginning also. Ellen a jew, who is Annemarie's friend is forced to hide with Annemaries family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My book takes place during the german occupation of Denmark in 1943. It is in Copenhagen during the fall weather.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Germans are relocating all the jews in Denmark and Ellen and her family find out that they will be relocated. Annemarie's family assumes responsibility for Ellen Rosen, Annemarie's best friend, when ellen's family flees for their safety. Annemarie and her parents take her jewish friend Ellen in to hide with their family. Ellen is almost caught when soldiers come to the house asking questions about the daughter's identity but she is still kept a secret. Ellen is taken to Annemaries uncle's house where they are able to escape to Sweden by hiding in a hidden compartment of a boat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Ellen and Annes family are hiding from the nazis to prevent them from being relocated. The diary of Anne Frank takes place in Amsterdam, Holland and my book both takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1943. Ellen pretends to be part of her friends family in hiding but in annes diary she and her family and friends are in hiding together in an attic.

How does Bennett present different teaching styles in ‘The History Boys’?

Bennett presents three contrasting teaching styles in the History Boys through the characters of Hector, Mrs Lintott, and Irwin. All three of the characters have their own unique attitude towards the boys' impending Oxbridge examinations, putting the boys in the difficult position of having to keep a reasonable balance between teaching and learning styles whilst making every effort to maintain the good-humoured relationships they have with each of their teachers, as well as striving to achieve well in their examinations. Whilst Hector brands the boys' Oxbridge aspirations as ‘silliness', he has a dedication and love for knowledge which he imparts during his lessons, and generally, to his students. While on the subject of General Studies, he quotes ‘All knowledge is precious whether or not it serves the slightest human use', which encapsulates, in one phrase, how highly he values any kind of knowledge as well as how he tries to teach the boys. It shows that Hector sees knowledge as precious- he has an unconventional kind of teaching style which he sees as vital to the boys' education of life in general, and of particular importance is that the boys are aware of this. As Timms says, ‘Mr. Hector's stuff's not meant for the exam, sir. It's to make us more rounded human beings. ‘ when the boys are questioned by Irwin on Hector's teaching style. Furthermore, Hector believes in giving the boys the ability to defy the education they have been given- ‘You give them an education. I give them the wherewithal to resist it' he says, in conversation with factual Mrs. Lintott. Hector's teaching style is lively and compassionate, teaching the boys to love what they do. In contrast, Irwin, who is hired to prepare the boys for their exams, is totally centered on exam techniques. When reflecting on the essays he has just marked, he remarks that the other boys and girls who ‘have been to Rome and Venice, Florence and Perugia' will ‘know when they come to do an essay like this on the Church on the eve of the Reformation that some silly nonsense on the foreskins of Christ will come in handy. And doing so he advises the boys to make their essays controversial so they stand out, regardless of what is true or what is considered correct or disciplined- in fact, Irwin approaches History in a rebellious and oppositional way to spark questioning. Iriwn's bold stance on education is summed up when he says that ‘truth is no more at issue in an examination that thirst at a wine-tasting or fashion at a strip tease'- yet again reinforcing the idea that if the boys want to get in to Oxford and Cambridge, they need to make their essays contentious and different rather than ‘Dull. Read also History Quizzes Dull. Abysmally Dull. ‘ His idea that ‘silly nonsense' will catch the examiner's eye comes into conflict with Hector's teaching style and the ‘token' of Hector's trust when Irwin finds out that the boys have acquired countless ‘gobbets' from Hector's lessons that he believes would be useful for the exams- ‘Don't tell me that's useless knowledge', he says, pointing out that any piece of knowledge or quote or ‘gobbet' could help them get through their exams. Hector's compassionate teaching is at complete odds with Irwin's edgy style, and even though he disagrees wholeheartedly with the way Irwin approaches learning- ‘call them what you like, but do not call them ‘gobbets'- he is willing to help Irwin do his job- ‘However, if you think it will help, I will speak to them. ‘ Mrs Lintott, the boys' history teacher, has a very factual and straightforward approach to teaching which sees the boys through their A levels- ‘Their A levels are very good. And that is thanks to you, Dorothy. She is more concerned with facts than anything else, and her belief is that ‘Plainly stated and properly organised facts need no presentation, surely. ‘ But the headmaster of the school is looking for something different, rather like Irwin- ‘Think charm. Think polish. Think Renaissance Man. ‘ Mrs Lintott is frustrated by the need for ‘presentation' and the fact that the dons fall for the tactics employed by people like Irwin, however, and compares it to ‘A sprig of parsley, you mean? Or an umbrella in the cocktail? outlining her dry, sarcastic, cynical humour, and showing her disrespect for jazzing up facts to be acknowledged and noticed, as Irwin does. As Rudge puts it, when speaking to Mrs Lintott about Irwin, ‘You've force-fed us the facts; now we're in the process of running around acquiring flavour. ‘ In conclusion, Bennett presents three different teaching styles in the play by showing the audience not just the teachers' lessons but by giving the audience an idea of what the teachers' personalities and outlooks on life are, showing that teaching and learning involve so much more than exam res ults.

Illegal Drug Control

Those questions are addressed in this report which reviews drug ppolicy and results in Australia. In 1998, United Nations Member States met in a Special Session of the General Assembly and agreed to take tougher action to reduce both the illicit supply of, and the demand for, drugs before 2008. Australia has taken that pledge seriously. In 1998 it introduced a â€Å"Tough on Drugs Strategy† that aims to reduce drug supply, trafficking, and demand as well as the harm caused by drugs. This Strategy seems to be working: drug use levels have dropped significantly. Indeed, the turn around has been dramatic.To improve global efforts to contain the threat posed by drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) seeks to increase the body of knowledge available to ppolicy makers. That includes collecting success stories. If Australia continues to build on its recent progress, it too could become a success story and provide inspiration and valuable lessons for other countri es. This report, following a ssimilar UNODC study of Sweden’s drug ppolicy (2006), aims to contribute to a growing body of evidence that will help countries bring their drug problems under control.Antonio Maria Costa Executive Director United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 3 In response to increases in drug abuse in the 1990’s Australia implemented a vigilant drug control strategy. As this report makes clear, drug control has long been a priority of recent Governments and effective changes in recent years were due to pro-active, empirically-based drug control strategy, and a well developed system of services at the state and local levels. This report analyses the developments and changes in Australia’s drug policies over the last decades and their impact.Australia implemented a rather repressive drug control ppolicy from the beginning of the 20th century. This worked well until the 1970s. Australia shifted to harm-reduction approaches as of the mid 1980s, wit h a sthrong emphasis on prevention and treatment. This helped Australia to avoid a large-scale injecting drug use (IDU) related HIV/AIDS epidemic. In contrast to alcohol and tobacco where Australia achieved remarkable demand reduction through prevention activities, drug abuse continued rising and reached alarming levels by 1998.In 1998 Australia introduced a National Illicit Drugs Strategy â€Å"Tough on Drugs† which strengthened the supply control aspects without weakening demand-side interventions or giving up harm-reduction approaches. In the case of heroin, the strategy focused clearly on a reduction of supply. There followed higher heroin prices, lower heroin purity and ultimately substantially lower levels of heroin consumption. Drug related deaths declined, as well as drug related crime.WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES THE CLEAREST INDICATION OF A DRUG ADDICTION?Answer at this question at  https://donemyessay.com/unit-5-review/Use of other drugs also declined, both am ong the general population and among secondary school sstudents- mainly due to improved prevention and treatment activities and more funds made available by the authorities to drug control in general. The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) incorporated many of the leading drug experts of the country and strengthened calls for higher budgets in the fight against the drug problem. Australia's drug ppolicy has been based on a broad ppolicy mix of supply reduction, demand reduction and harm minimisation policies. In addition, Australia has made commendable efforts at advancing the knowledge base for policy making. The country has consistently conducted in-depth research and evaluations of its various strategies and programmes – subsequently adjusting them according to efficacy. This concentration on empirically-based ppolicy formulation continues to demonstrate positive results. The drug ppolicy was largely bi-partisan in nature as the States as well as the federal Gover nment participated in its formulation and implementation (Until recently, the individual States were governed by different political parties than federal Australia). A new Australian Government, elected in late 2007, is yet to leave its mark on domestic drug strategies.

Puntuacin de TOEFL para ingresar a universidad

Puntuacin de TOEFL para ingresar a universidad   Las universidades de los Estados Unidos piden a los estudiantes internacionales cuyo idioma materno no es el inglà ©s que demuestren sus conocimientos de ese idioma mediante un examen. Generalmente, los estudiantes toman, principalmente, el TOEFL. Si se necesita una visa de estudiante la opcià ³n ms comà ºn es la F-1, pero no es la à ºnica. Por ejemplo, mexicanos y canadienses que conservan su residencia en sus paà ­ses e ingresan a Estados Unidos a estudiar en una institucià ³n cercana a la frontera podrà ­an optar a una F-3. Pero,  ¿quà © puntuacià ³n garantiza ser admitido? No hay una respuesta à ºnica a la pregunta de quà © nota se necesita para ingresar a un college de los Estados Unidos, pero en là ­neas generales puede decirse que: Hay muchas universidades, incluso muy prestigiosas como Harvard, Princeton y Stanford (entre las 10 mejores), que no piden un nà ºmero concreto en el TOEFL. Y Stanford ni siquiera pide que se tome, si bien lo considera muy recomendable. Estas universidades miran al conjunto de la aplicacià ³n y si estiman que el conocimiento de inglà ©s es suficiente, admiten al estudiante sin considerar un nà ºmero concreto de puntuacià ³n (pero no nos engaà ±emos, va a ser alto).En el formato IBT se considera que un puntaje inferior a 61 reducirà ­a la admisià ³n a un nà ºmero pequeà ±o de universidades o a Community Colleges.La nota mxima en el IBT es de 120 puntos.Si el examen se toma en el formato de papel, PBT por sus siglas en inglà ©s, la nota mxima que se puede sacar es de 677 puntos. Con un 600 se podrà ­a entrar en las mejores universidades, si bien colleges sà ³lidos admiten estudiantes internacionales con notas de 550. Por el contrario, una puntuacià ³n  inferior a 450 pr cticamente harà ­a imposible estudiar en EEUU a nivel de licenciatura o posgrado. El examen escrito, que se conoce en inglà ©s por sus siglas de TWE, se reporta separadamente. La puntuacià ³n  va desde un 0 hasta un 6, de nota mxima.A veces los colleges y universidades distinguen entre puntuacià ³n mà ­nima y media (average). Si ese es el caso, intenta acercarte lo mximo que puedas a esta à ºltima. Puntuaciones que piden en las principales universidades de Estados Unidos Alabama Samford University: 90Tuskegee University: 69. Promedio: 80 Arizona Arizona State University: 61Embry-Riddle Aeronautical: 79 Arkansas Arkansas State University: 61. Promedio: 83 California Academy of Couture Art: 61Art Center C. of Design: 80. Promedio: 91CALUMS: 45California Polytechnic: 80California State - CSUCI: 61California State - Dominguez Hills: 61California State - Fresno: 61. Promedio: 70California State - Fullerton: 61California State - Long Beach: 61California State - Los Angeles: 61California State - Monterrey: 61California State - Northridge: 61California State - Sacramento: 64Califonia State - San Bernardino: 61California State - S. Chico: 61California State - San Marcos: 61California State - Polytechnic: 70. Promedio: 88CALTECH:  Esta universidad, una de  las mejores a nivel mundial para  Ingenierà ­a,  no pide un mà ­nimo de TOEFL, pero insiste en que no sea malo.Champman University: 80. Promedio: 98Claremont McKenna: 100Harvey Mudd College: 100Mills College: 80. Promedio: 97Pepperdine University: 80. Promedio: 93Pomona College: 100San Diego State: 80San Jose State University: 61Santa Clara University: 90Stanford: no pide una nota mà ­nima. Pero es de las universidades que sà ³lo acepta el TOELF como examen para probar los conocimientos de inglà ©s. Es decir, no admite IELTS ni tampoco el PTE Academics. Scripps College: 100Southern California University: no pide un mà ­nimo, pero hay que enviar los resultados del TOELF o de exmenes similares como  el IELTS. Sirven para determinar el nivel de inglà ©s  y tambià ©n para decidir si los estudiantes admitidos deben tomar un examen inicial al iniciar sus estudios.University of California -  Berkeley:  80University of California - Davis: 80University of California - Merced: 83University of California - Riverside: 80University of California - Santa Barbara: 80University of California - UCLA: 83University of California - Irvine: 80University of California - Santa Cruz: 83University of California - San Diego: 83 Washington University of Washington - Bothell: 92University of Washington - Tacoma: 83Washington State University: 79 Carolina del Norte Duke University: 100North Carolina State: 80University of North Carolina, en Chapel Hill: 100. Promedio: 109Wake Forest University: 100 Carolina del Sur Davidson College: 100. Promedio: 102The Citadel: 79 (militar) Connecticut Fairfield University: 80. Promedio: 101Yale University: 100 Rhode Island Brown University: 100 Florida Bethune - Cookman University: 80Embry - Riddle Aeronautical: 79. Promedio: 96Embry - Riddle Daytona:79Florida Atlantic University: 80. Promedio: 100Florida College: 79Florida Gulf Coast University: 79Florida Southern College: 79Florida State University: 80Florida Tech: 79New College of Florida: 83. Promedio: 107University of Central Florida: 80University of Miami: 80. Promedio: 99Warner University: 61. Promedio: 102 Georgia Emory University: 100Oxford College of Emory University: 100 Colorado Colorado School of Mines: 79. Promedio: 85Colorado State University: 79. Promedio: 84Colorado State - Pueblo: 61. Promedio: 75Johnson Wales - Denver: 80. Promedio: 90University of Colorado - Colorado Springs: 80.  Promedio: 91 Illinois Blessing - Rieman Nursing: 80DePaul University: 80Illinois Institute of Technology: 80Illinois Wesleyan: 80. Promedio: 96Illinois State University: 82Loyola University - Chicago: 79. Promedio: 94Monmouth College: 79. Promedio: 100Northwestern University: 100University of Chicago: 104University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign: 79 Indiana Indiana State: 61Indiana University - Bloomington: 79Indiana University East: 79Indiana University - Kokomo: 61Indiana University - Northwest: 79Indiana University - South Bend: 71Indiana University - South East: 75Indiana Purdue - Indianapolis: 61Indiana Purdue - Fort Wayne: 79. Promedio: 92Purdue University: 79Purdue University - North Central: 79University of Notre Dame: 100. Promedio: 111 Tennessee Vanderbilt University: 100 Nuevo Hampshire Dartmouth College: 100 Maryland Johns Hopkins University: 100 Washington D.C. Georgetown University: establece un abanico que va desde los 90 a los 100 Massachusetts Boston University: 100. Promedio: 106Brandeis: 100. Promedio: 105Harvard no establece mà ­nimoM.I.T.: 90. Promedio: 109Smith College: 90Tufts University: 100. Promedio: 110University of Massachusetts - Amherst: 80 Michigan University of Michigan - Ann Arbor: 88 Nueva York Columbia University: 100Cooper Union: 100. Promedio: 115Cornell University: 100Culinary Institute of America: 80CUNY - Baruch College: 80CUNY - City College: 61New York University (NYU): 100Sarah Lawrence College: 100 Nueva Jersey Princeton:  no pide un nà ºmero de puntuacià ³n especà ­fico, pero sà ­ que hay que rendir el examen. Adems, si la puntuacià ³n en la  parte oral del examen  es inferior a 26 habr que tomar otro examen al llegar a la universidad y tomar clases de inglà ©s como segundo idioma.Rutgers - New Brunswick: 79 Ohio Oberlin College: 100. Promedio: 108 Oregà ³n Reed College: 100. Promedio: 110 Pennsylvania Carnegie Mellon University: 102. Promedio: 110Dickinson College: 89. Promedio: 102Bryn Mawr College: 100 Promedio: 106Bucknell University: 100. Promedio 103Temple University: 79University of Pennsylvania: 112University of Pittsburgh: 100 Texas Rice University: 100University of Texas - Austin: 79 Virginia College of William and Mary: 100Washington and Lee University: 105 Experiencias en USA para mejorar el inglà ©s y obtener una mejor puntuacià ³n Si la calificacià ³n no es suficientemente alta y se desea mejorar una opcià ³n es participar en un programa de intercambio J-1 por unos meses para practicar asà ­ el idioma inglà ©s. Por ejemplo trabajar  de monitor de campamento  de verano. Consideraciones generales a la hora de tomar el TOEFL Tomar el examen lleva unas cuatro horas.El estudiante recibe por internet las notas de su examen a las dos semanas de haberlo tomado. Y tambià ©n las universidades a las que previamente se ha indicado que se deben enviar los resultados.Una vez que ve los resultados, el estudiante puede solicitar que se envà ­en las notas a ms colleges o universidades.La prueba del TOEFL puede tomarse tantas veces como se desee hasta obtener el resultado buscado. La puntuacià ³n sà ³lo es vlida por dos aà ±os. Otros exmenes para probar los conocimientos del inglà ©s El IELTS es tambià ©n un test muy popular entre los estudiantes cuyo idioma materno no es el inglà ©s. En todo caso hay que tener en cuenta que à ©ste es un examen de Cambridge. El IELTS es el examen que suelen pedir las autoridades australianas y las canadienses para conceder la visa de estudiante. Pero tambià ©n es admitido por prcticamente todas las universidades de los Estados Unidos. Una importante excepcià ³n, por ejemplo, es Stanford, en California. En todo caso lo fundamental es enterarse bien de quà © examen, si el TOEFL  o el IELTS es el admitido por la universidad en la que se desea estudiar. Y si aceptan los resultados de cualquiera, tomar el que mejor se ajuste a las caracterà ­sticas del estudiante. Lo cierto es que hay quien lo hace bien en el TOEFL y mal en el IELTS, y viceversa. Puedes encontrar ms informacià ³n sobre las diferencias entre estos dos tests en este artà ­culo sobre los 8 documentos que necesitas para presentar un aplicacià ³n completa para ser admitido en una universidad americana. Informacià ³n sobre ayuda financiera que te puede interesar Los estudiantes internacionales no pueden acceder a las ayudas federales que el gobierno federal brinda a ciudadanos y residentes. Pero sà ­ pueden tener acceso a becas, como el caso de estas  13 universidades de à ©lite con beca total (o casi) a estudiantes admitidos  o estas  25 becas para estudiantes internacionales. Adems, hay situaciones especiales que deben explorarse, como las becas  para deportistas. Y, finalmente, considerar la posibilidad de solicitar crà ©ditos  para estudiar en EEUU El sistema universitario americano Antes de solicitar admisià ³n en una universidad es importante conocer elementos bsicos de quà © se necesita y cules son las mejores instituciones. Por ejemplo, es bsico saber cà ³mo  obtener la validacià ³n de estudios realizados en tu paà ­s para estudiar en EEUU.   Tambià ©n es importante conocer cules son las mejores universidades. Estudiar es muy caro y debe evitarse cursar estudios es instituciones de pà ©sima reputacià ³n. Esta es la lista de las famosas  universidades de la Ivy League. Son excelentes y con un gran reconocimiento. Evidentemente, no son las à ºnicas que enseà ±an excelencia  acadà ©mica y proveen de excelentes contactos.

Jam and Jamb Commonly Confused Words

Jam and Jamb Commonly Confused Words The words jam and jamb are homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings) but are commonly confused words. As both a noun and a verb, jam has several different definitions. As shown below, the less-common noun jamb is usually used in a more technical sense. As a noun, jam refers to a jelly made from fruit and sugar, a difficult situation, an instance of becoming trapped or stuck, or a group of people or objects that are crowded together. As a verb, jam means to squeeze tightly into a space, shove something into position, become stuck, or form a crowd. The noun jamb usually refers to a vertical piece on either side of a framed opening, as for a door, window, or fireplace. Examples We spread the jam on chunks of delicious fresh bread, and the mellifluous elixir made me feel as if I were eating the smell of roses. (Celia Lyttelton, The Scent Trail. New American Library, 2007)Youre so transparent. Youre trying to use me for a shovel to dig yourself out of a jam. (Raymond Chandler, The Little Sister, 1949)As often as not in a jam session- at least in the context of swing, if not in bebop- the musicians were improvising in response to an audience as much as to one another. (John Fass Morton, Backstory in Blue: Ellington at Newport 56. Rutgers University Press, 2008)He tried to jam the gun back into the holster, but with its silencer, it didnt quite fit. (Robin Cook, Blindsight. G.P. Putnams Sons, 1992)I followed his advice and wedged the iron between the door and the jamb and leaned into it. A chunk of wood splintered off the jamb and some metal stripping pulled away. (Janet Evanovich, High Five. St. Martins Press, 1999) Usage Notes The upright pillars on which a door is hung we call a jamb. If you catch your finger between the door and this pillar, we do not say you jamb your finger but you jam your finger. The b has fallen away, although the latter word owes its existence to the former. (Mont Follick, The Case for Spelling Reform. Manchester University Press, 1965)A jam can be a static or slow-moving collection of objects or people. You normally get a traffic jam at rush hour, a jam of people when the sales open, or a jam-packed spare room when you are paranoid about throwing anything away. Jam is also a sticky substance composed of fruit and sugar that is often smeared on bread to make a sandwich. This usage came into being in the mid-eighteenth century. A jam session is an improvised performance by a group of jazz musicians, a usage that dates from the 1920s. If you jam on the brakes of your car, you stop very abruptly. A jamb is the leg of an animal represented on a coat of arms, the leg piece from a suit o f armor, each of the side posts of a door, a bed of clay or stone running across a mineral vein or seam, and a projecting columnar part of a wall. (David Rothwell, Dictionary of Homonyms. Wordsworth, 2007) Practice (a) Jamie had bought something called a baby bungee, an apparatus that gripped on to the _____ of a door and allowed the child to bounce up and down on a strong elastic rope. (Alexander McCall Smith, The Lost Art of Gratitude. Knopf Canada, 2009)(b) Conway could get himself into a _____ by saying too much, while Bozemans problem is usually that he doesnt say nearly enough. (Gary Rivlin, The Godfather of Silicon Valley. Random House, 2001)(c) The day of his sixth birthday, Mother baked a cake, a special one with raspberry _____ dripping down the sides. (Margaret Peterson Haddix, Among the Hidden. Simon Schuster, 1998) (d) It had taken three tries before she managed to _____ the key into her lock.(Margaret Coel, The Perfect Suspect. Berkley, 2011) Answers (a) Jamie had bought something called a baby bungee, an apparatus that gripped on to the  jamb  of a door and allowed the child to bounce up and down on a strong elastic rope. (Alexander McCall Smith,  The Lost Art of Gratitude. Knopf Canada, 2009)(b) Conway could get himself into a  jam  by saying too much, while Bozemans problem is usually that he doesnt say nearly enough. (Gary Rivlin,  The Godfather of Silicon Valley. Random House, 2001)(c) The day of his sixth birthday, Mother baked a cake, a special one with raspberry  jam  dripping down the sides. (Margaret Peterson Haddix,  Among the Hidden. Simon Schuster, 1998) (d) It had taken three tries before she managed to  jam  the key into her lock.(Margaret Coel,  The Perfect Suspect. Berkley, 2011)

Quality & Standards Written Report 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quality & Standards Written Report 1 - Essay Example This is also supposed to be an appraisal report for the appropriateness of the quality assurance system at Strathclyde and suggest possible amendments for future implementation. Quality assurance is an integral part of all public institutions and organisations for a very long time (Combat, 2006). Quality assurance as an institutional practice entails the act of â€Å"verifying or determining whether products or services meet or exceed customer expectations† (Kietzman, 2011). Within the fire and rescue service, the general framework that regulates the operation of organisations, which is the Fire and Rescue National Framework Document (2010, p. 21) outlines quality assurance as a two-dimension approach, which involves the practice of evaluating an organisation’s efforts and inputs in tackling a particular fire and rescue operation as well as monitoring progress reports for growth of the organisation. At Strathclyde Fire, there is a whole strategic plan in place to ensure that this aims are achieved. Specifically, the organisation has an internal quality assurance team that is a whole department of its own in the organisation. The department is made up of deputy heads of all substantive departments. It is also includes the accounts and procurement executives. After each rescue event, the following take place among the quality assurance department Both the Fire and Rescue National Framework document and the Integrated Risk Management Plan (2007-2010) outline procedure for undertaking rescue operations among fire and rescue organisations in the United Kingdom. The evaluation on validity and benefits of quality assurance strategy as explained above shall therefore be done with these two documents as reference point. The first requirement is the institution of quality assurance system in each organisation (IRMP 2007 to 2010, p.66). As far as this concerned,