Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The pharmaceutical company Mylan is facing more po Essays - Biology

The pharmaceutical company Mylan is facing more po Essays - Biology The pharmaceutical company Mylan is facing more political pressure to confront the price hike of EpiPen after 20 US senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, sent an open letter on Tuesday to the company criticising its "exorbitantly expensive" price hikes. Reports emerged last week that the company had implemented a series of gradual price increases inflating the price of the drug from $56.64 to $317.82, a 461% increase in cost since Mylan acquired the rights to EpiPen in 2007. During that same time, Heather Bresch, chief executive officer of Mylan, saw her pay rise $2,453,456 to $18,931,068 , a 671% increase . Last week, she sold 100,200 of her shares in the company for more than $5m. EpiPen CEO hiked prices on two dozen products and got a 671% pay raise "The EpiPen auto-injector delivers a life-saving dose of epinephrine to patients suffering from anaphylaxis. Anaphylactic shock can lead to serious injury or death if untreated; thus, making sure the EpiPen is readily available for use is a critical part of life for millions of Americans living with severe allergies," the Democratic senators wrote in the eight-page letter addressed to Bresch. "The EpiPen, however, has become so exorbitantly expensive that access to this life-saving combination product is in jeopardy for many Americans. "Mylan's near monopoly on the epinephrine auto-injector market has allowed you to increase prices well beyond those that are justified by any increase in the costs of manufacturing the EpiPen," the senators wrote. The senators gave Bresch a deadline of 12 September to address seven multi-part questions about the company's "Savings Card" for customers with insurance, patient assistance program, school programs and plans to release a cheaper generic version of the EpiPen in several weeks. They were sceptical of the company's attempts to defuse the row, noting that the price of the planned generic "is still three times higher than the cost of the branded EpiPen in 2007". Democratic senators Tammy Baldwin, Richard Blumenthal, Barbara Boxer, Sherrod Brown, Joe Donnelly, Richard J Durbin, Al Franken, Heidi Heitkamp, Mazie K Hirono, Amy Klobuchar, Patrick Leahy, Edward Markey, Chris Murphy, Jack Reed, Brian Schatz, Jon Tester, Tom Udall and Sheldon Whitehouse also signed the letter. Last week, Hillary Clinton commented on the controversy, announcing a plan to reduce drug price increases . In it, the Democratic presidential nominee wrote that manufacturers "should be required to explain significant price increases, and prove that any additional costs are linked to additional patient benefits and better value". She called on Mylan to reduce the price "immediately". Other lawmakers have already written open letters to both Bresch, who is the the daughter of West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, and the Food and Drug Administration. Senators Susan Collins and Claire McCaskill sent a request for information to Bresch from the Committee on Aging. Iowa senator Chuck Grassley and others asked the FDA for suggestions on " alternatives to the EpiPen ". Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal sent his own letter in addition to the letter sent on Tuesday. "My office has been contacted by dozens of concerned Connecticut residents, families, and first responders who urgently require your life-saving product but fear that its skyrocketing price has put it out of reach," Blumenthal wrote last week. The Guardian has reached out to Mylan for comment. Genetically Modified Babies BERKELEY, Calif. AN advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration is set to begin two days of meetings tomorrow toconsider radical biological proceduresthat, if successful, would produce genetically modified human beings. This is a dangerous step. These techniques would change every cell in the bodies of children born as a result of their use, and these alterations would be passed down to future generations. The F.D.A. calls them mitochondrial manipulation technologies. The procedures involve removing the nuclear material either from the egg or embryo of a woman with inheritable mitochondrial disease and inserting it into a healthy egg or embryo of a donor whose own nuclear material has been discarded. Any offspring would carry genetic material from three people the nuclear DNA of the mother and father, and the mitochondrial DNA of the donor. Roughly 1,000 to 4,000 children born in the United States each year will develop

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Google N-gram Viewer

Google N-gram Viewer Google N-gram Viewer Google N-gram Viewer By Maeve Maddox I’ve just discovered an online time suck that is not only addictive to the language lover, but a source of writerly ideas. It’s the Google N-gram Viewer. N-grams are drawn from a text or speech corpus that shows how the frequency of a word or phrase changes over time. The corpus for the Google N-gram Viewer is a database of more than five million digitized books published between 1500 and 2008. The GNV holds an intrinsic interest for me because I write about language, but it is also of value to me as a writer of historical fiction. It’s a means of catching anachronistic vocabulary in a story set in the past. Another use of the GNV databasealso of value to writers- is to get a notion of changes in cultural values as reflected in published materials. In her article about the negative consequence of the modern worship of individualism, Emily Esfahani Smith uses the GNV to plot the decline of words and phrases associated with community, religious attitudes and responsibility to others. She observes that in the 1920s, words like give and benevolence began to decline, while words like get and acquisition began to climb. I did a search of my own on some words and phrases. The dreary vulgarities that appear so much on Facebook began to soar from the 1960s to the present. The phrase â€Å"do your duty† began a precipitous plunge in 1920. Think, The Great Gatsby. The Smith article refers to the theories of sociologist Emile Durkheim. He found a link between the cult of individualism and the social alienation that leads to unhappiness and suicide. According to Durkheim, cutting oneself off from traditional restraints and norms of behavior in quest of individual freedom results in depression and social decay. Ironically, the quest for self-empowerment leads to a sense of powerlessness. Are these ideas reflected in the GNV? They seem to be. The word empowerment flies straight up on the chart from 1980 to the present. The word powerlessness shows a pretty straight climb from 1960. The phrase, â€Å"I do not like anyone† climbs steeply from 1980. The phrase â€Å"not worth living† gathers speed in 1960. In addition to words and phrases, you can enter proper names and book titles, but entries containing more than five words will not work. Contractions won’t work either. Note: The word engram is a term used in neuropsychology. Engram: a memory-trace; a permanent and heritable physical change in the nerve tissue of the brain, posited to account for the existence of memory. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should Know50 Types of PropagandaMankind vs. Humankind

Thursday, November 21, 2019

War between China and Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

War between China and Japan - Essay Example The main countries, China and Japan, continue to stoke the embers of the war till today with China seething at the trauma and humiliation caused to her. Their relationship has not thawed even after an official apology offered by Junichiro Koizumi, former prime minister of Japan. (Jin Ni). The brutality of Japan, the power struggle in China during this period, and the resilience or annihilation with which the native Chinese faced it are all succinctly summarized in films like Devils on the Doorstep and The Last Emperor. During the time the war was being waged, China was a divided nation with warlords in different regions more keen on consolidating their own position and interests. Some of them even openly sided with the invading Japanese troops for political gains and military supremacy in the region. The National Revolutionary Army, successor to the erstwhile Kuomintang Army, founded by General Chiang Kai-shek succeeded in unifying the belligerent factions in 1928. However, it was weak motley whose only purpose was to repel the atrocious Japanese invaders. They had no real desire to defend the nation and only wanted to drive out the Japanese so that they could carry on with their bellicosity with their neighboring warlords afterwards. Moreover, the National Army had to contend with ominous threats from the communists. In fact, Chiang Kai-shek was aware the threat posed by the communists was even more dangerous than the conflict with Japan. The Red Army of the communists in China fought Japan as part of the National Revolutionary Army. However, the wily Mao Zedong was gingerly sowing seeds of power entrapment through coercive and overtly strong arm tactics. He got the large segment of the peasant population to his side by reducing taxes and other reforms. The preparations were afoot with both sides waiting for the final showdown after World War II to see who would emerge as winners. (MacGowan, J). 3. Outside powers China's meager weaponry consisted of the artillery and ammunition provided by Germany. Others like Russia, Britain and the USA joined in at the closing stages. They did not wish to get involved in a fight taking place thousands of miles away from their own shores at the cost of their own defense. Russia and Britain initially refused to get involved due to their own problems with the Axis powers. The USA was not keen on fighting a war in somebody else's land. 4. Films on the war Produced by Jiang Wen, Devils on the Doorstep highlights the horrors of the war with a brilliant mix of facts and humor. Set in the climes of a farming village, the film simmers and smolders with interactions between humble local farmers and the malevolent Japanese occupiers. The events, dialogues and interpretations between the simple residents and the no-nonsense predators are ensconced in the humor of an hapless interpreter caught between a suicidal Japanese captive and their ignoble bloodthirsty captors.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Effects of Globalization on the US Steel Producers Research Paper

Effects of Globalization on the US Steel Producers - Research Paper Example Globalization is an integrated term related to the people, industries and government policies of different nations. With the virtue of globalization, people today can share the new ideas, technologies, and techniques. These developed traits can further be implied by them into their own corporations with an aim of betterment. Therefore, globalization has a great impact on the culture, political system and economic development of any and every economy. Likewise, the US steel producers are also affected by globalization. For instance, the competition has increased in the international steel industry making it more challenging and complex. However, an industry can gain opportunities and incur threats simulataneuously due to the impct of globalization. The US steel industry is also fluctuated with many of the factors active in the global market. US steel industry is one of the major steel producing sectors in the inetrnational market. It chiefly produces iron-ore and coke for steel manufacturing. Worth mentioning, it achieved a net sales of 16,873 million doller in the year 2007 which was a steep rise when compared to the net sales amounting 15,715 million dollar in the year 2006. Besides producing steel, it is also involved in other business activities, such as developing transportaion via rail and barge operations (United States Steel Corporation, 2007). The integration of globalization with the US economy occurred rapidly which in turn affected the US steel industry quite strongly. Notably, the consequences raised by the integration of US steel industry with the global market were severe. For instance, the globalization provides the US consumers more choices and lower prices which increases the power of buyers at large. It also increases the employment rate in the global market (Plummer, 2006). As steel is chiefly produced in the US and in the South Korean industries, threre exists a wage restrain between the two economies. This illustrates the fact, that if the wages of the US steel industry is too high, then it will not be able to compete with South Korean steel suppliers and other economies as well. This would most probably lead the US steel producers to decline along with an increased constraint of unemployment. According to Plummer, hardly any other economy could compete with the US technology three decades ago. But presently s everal countries have advanced in technology as a result of globalization. This reveals the fact that the US economy requires to concentrate more on its competitive edge when compared with the international market. On the similar context, the imports and exports are also affected because of globalization which in turn influences the US based steel industry largely (Plummer, 2006). American Institute for International Steel, Inc’s study on The US Steel Market reveals that steel industry of the US has a record of profit gained from the exportation of steel in the global market. Higher prices of steel in global markets in comparison to that of the US steel industry has resulted in exports amounting approximately to 13 million tons. In this milieu, China, Europe and India are recognised as the major receivers of the US made steels (American Institute for International Steel, Inc, 2009). High freight rate and attractive prices in Turkey, Oman, Russia and Europe have

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Different Theories of Management Essay Example for Free

Different Theories of Management Essay Nowadays we have new implementing plans for management. The different theories of management are: classical, behavioral, quantitative and quality management theory, systematic and contingency management theory. The classical management theory focuses on finding the â€Å"one best way† to accomplish and manage task (p. 37,2008. W. Plunkett, R. Attner, G. Allen). The behavioral management theory recognizes employees as individuals with real human needs. It is very important for the manager to establish trusted relationships and value his/her employees. Successful leader will put his staff first. Good communication with employees- key to success! From my personal experience, I had bad first-level management in our department. The most important, I felt that, they are using employees as a machine in the factory, like in old days practices. There were no communication connection between workers and â€Å"the boss†. All they wanted to know your working schedule: â€Å"When are you coming to work or can you stay late today? â€Å" I could not work there for a long time. There was no teamwork feeling and very poor customer service. Now, I have a better place to work, where the leaders appreciate and value you. I definitely have closer relationship with management. Our manager has a good communication skills, she creates a warm, productive atmosphere. We solve problems together as a team. I am proud to say that we only get a positive feedback from our customers. The quantitative management theory uses mathematical tools to help plan, control and analyze nearly everything in an organization. Quality management process is leading to ability to meet the needs of the customers. Total quality comes from satisfied customers. The systems management theory powers that an organization comprises various parts that must perform tasks necessary for the survival and proper functioning of the system as a whole. Human resources management is a core of the organization, because those people responsible for interviewing people and checking their professional skills. The contingency management theory is based on the premise that manager’s preferred actions or approaches depend on the variables of the situations they face (p. 50,2008). Early Management Theories In the past, the old system required the boss to do everything. For example, to manage, planning, processing, thinking, finance and analyze budget. Frederick Taylor (1856-1915) The Father of Scientific Management. Scientific Management theory arose from the need to increase productivity in the U. S. A. especially, where skilled labor was in short supply at the beginning of the twentieth century. The only way to expand productivity was to raise the efficiency of workers. Taylor devised four principles for scientific management theory, which were: 1. The development of a true science of management, 2. The scientific selection and training of workers, 3.  Proper remuneration for fast and high-quality work 4. Equal division of work and responsibility between worker and manager Successful management requires an understanding of the fundamental concepts of effective management techniques and principles. In order to gain such insight, and manage effectively and efficiently, managers must develop an awareness of past management principles, models and theories. From the turn of the 20th Century, the need for a formal management theory was growing evident; organizations required a system to guide managers in an attempt to improve productivity and efficiency of workers. This urgency for a theory saw the development of six major management approaches, the focus of this essay will be on two of the classical management theories; the scientific management theory and the human relations movement. The contributions of both these theories will be examined, followed by an analysis of the similarities and differences that these two theories propose. The last point will see a discussion of the relevance that these two theories have in modern managerial practice.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Visitor and The Adventure of the Speckled Band as Short Stories :: sir Arthur Conan Doyle Roald Dahl Essays

Visitor and The Adventure of the Speckled Band as Short Stories The two texts ' Visitor ' and ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' are typical of a short story genre because they both use ambiguous titles and short stories with very few characters and settings. The effect of this is an intense, exciting story which are unpredictable. The titls in both ' Visitor ' and ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' are ambiguous and typical of a short story genre. Take ' Visitor ' by example, the word visitor could mean many different things such as friends, relatives, planned visit, unexpected visit or anything like that. So the reader is easily misled into thinking that the story is about those sort of things however we know that this is not the case with a short story genre. Again with ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' the reader is again misled into thinking the title means something else. The word ' band ' could mean anything from a hair band, a group or a gang, musical to a ring. But as in ' Visitor ' the title is actually sending the reader way out with that title. So overall the titles are getting the audience asking questions about what is going to happen and creates an open mind to the reader. The openings are both typical to that of a short story genre as they lauch the reader straight into the story almost assuming that the reader already knows the characters and settings as though it were a soap opera. The opening to ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' is descriptive with unanswered questions. " wide spread rumours ", this quotation gets the reader guessing as to what the rumours are. The openings are also sometimes very unsure. " Not again, not to soon!", this is very unsure and nervous start to the story. Both stories have an opening which is typical of a short story genre as they are both unsure and confusing. The characters in ' Visitor ' and ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' are unsure with no real background information leaving the reader with little to go on. The author portrays the characters to be widely known and famous. This saves the author time aswell as making the story more intense. The author also has to consider working in his/hers limits and having the characters like this would save much time for them. With ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' the reader is expected to know who some of the characters are.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Groups and Teams Essay

Many organizations require their employees to work in teams but offer them no specific training. Research who offers such training in South Africa and what it aims to achieve. Use at least 3 sources and explain what they offer.[15] Planning and competency is deciding the tasks that need to be done, determining how to do them, allocating resources to those tasks, and then monitoring progress to ensure that they are done. The three sources which offer team building in South Africa are High Africa, Dream Team Catalyst and Movers and Shakers. These three sources aim to improve communication, co-operation, leadership skills and motivation. High Africa which is situated in Worcester, Cape Town. They offer corporate team building activities, packed with activities to increase confidence and trust within a group as well as a venue for conferences to be held. Participants learn to work in a group and improve communication and co-operation. These can be improved through a variety of stimulating activities that participants are involved in. All the activities that are done at High Africa ensure that participants have to communicate and depend on each other in order to succeed in the activity. As companies started demanding more value and measureable results the team building organisation, Dream Team Catalyst saw an opportunity to meet these companies demands and partnered up with Catalyst Global and Hercules Trophy to ensure that they are able to offer their clients the best team building solutions available worldwide. The approach of Dream Team is to offer structured interventions that address specific needs and achieve measurable outcomes as well as high energy events that will simply delight and astound even the most jaded participants. DreamTeam believes it is all about the people, the facilitators and participants. Their events have a unique style. Teambuilding Events, Conferences, Training Programmes, Incentives, Celebrations & Fun Days all take on a fresh look and feel when we are involved. Movers and Shakers have more than 15 years experience in organizational development teambuilding interventions and the training arena. Their motivational activities & exercises and team building programs & events make an unbelievable difference to your company or organization. Movers and Shakers are the international non-stop shop based in South Africa for motivation and team building. They are passionate about raising people to new heights in performance and motivation through our team building events, motivational activities and corporate team building exercises. A company relies immensely on people, they should be focused on continuously grown and empowered, and have the appropriate team building strategies in order for them to excel. The key function of any leader is to rise up other leaders. Any teambuilding ideas have to be effective, different and stimulating. 2) There is a trend to introduce teams into the workplace. Explain why this is the case. Describe the skills required in individuals to be effective in teams. Do you think all jobs should be designed around teams? [10] Strategic action competency is, understanding the overall mission and values of the company and ensuring that your actions and those of the people you manage are aligned with the company’s mission and values. It is a key managerial skill for top level and middle level management. A managerial competency in general is a set of knowledge, skills and behaviors that allows a manager to perform his duties effectively and at low costs. Strategic action competency is one of six core competencies necessary to be a good manager. The other five are communication competency, planning and administration competency, teamwork competency, multicultural competency and self-management competency. Teams have become increasingly popular in the workplace. A team-oriented organisational structure means companies rely on small work groups or teams to manage various products or tasks. Work teams offer some benefits because of the cooperation of several employees, but challenges also exist when work teams replace more individualized work. Some of the few things which team work encourage are better solutions and betterproduction. Better solutions are the main reason why companies opt for team work. Team work also results in better quality work and a more thorough and more creative solutions to problems or situations. People in a group that are from different backgrounds and perspectives working together, they tend to derive the best solution possible. Team members working together enhance benefits of the best solution by continuing to work together to enact it. Better production – along with better quality, well-managed workplace teams often produce more results as well. Members in a team can hold each other accountable and drive each other to more efficient work. By setting individual goals to go along with team goals, the employees within work teams can create some friendly competition and use the peer-pressure influence to keep each other motivated to reach goals. Effective team members need the following basic skills: * Communication and Negotiation – Team members need the ability to state ideas or questions clearly, listen to others attentively, and to resolve disagreements in a non-confrontational manner. * Analytic and Creative Skills – Team members need to evaluate information and propose creative solutions. * Organisation – The team needs to be able to track and complete all its tasks on time. Tensions can often arise if deadlines are missed * Listening – Employees need to listen to each other’s ideas. * Questioning – Employees need to ask each other questions, to ensure clear lines of communication. * Persuading – Employees will try convincing each other which alternative to choose. * Respecting – Employees will respect each other’s opinions. * Helping – The employees will help each other n work as a team. * Sharing – Employees need to share their ideas with each other, in order to choose the best idea. * Participating – Employees need to participate in activities and discussions. Jobs should be designed around teams because groups are the ideal building blocking for an organisation. There are at least six reasons for designing all jobs around groups. First, small groups are good for people. They can satisfy social needs and they can provide support for employees in times of stress and crisis. Second, groups are good problem solving tools. They are better than individuals at creativity and innovation. Third, in a wide variety of decision situations, groups make better decisions than individuals do. Fourth, groups are very effective tools for implementation Groups gain commitment from their members so that group decisions are likely to be successfully carried out. Fifth, groups can control and discipline individual members in ways that are often extremely difficult. Group norms are powerful control devices. Sixth, groups are a means by which large organisations can fend off many of the negative effects of increased size. Groups help to prevent communication lines from growing too long, the hierarchy from growing too steep, and the individual from getting lost in the crowd. 3) Think about whether you prefer to work on a problem or task individually or as part of a team. Motivate your preferences by appealing to your personality and character. Describe the experience (if any) you should now obtain to develop your teamwork competency and have evidence to convince potential employees that you have developed this competency. [10] I would say I do prefer to work in a team, as the team can always solve problems more efficiently and effectively than working individually. My personality is suitable to be part of a team, as my leadership qualities can be enforced and I can also take part in discussions and feel free to give my opinion when it is needed. A team needed committed team members who are able to work through any challenge and is still able to think logically. It important to not give up even if the group might be struggling or not communicating and it is important to be committed to every task that the team has to execute. My ability to work well with people will give me edge when working in a group, I will be able to listen to their opinions and also give my opinion. A high tolerance level will be of a benefit to the group as there are many group members from different backgrounds and personalities working together, personality clashes happen often in teams and members need to tolerate each other’s personalities and work with people from different backgrounds. I have had many opportunities to work in a team, which all were not pleasant. When working with team members you not familiar with it could be more difficult to get to know them and find common ground. Starting on the project and discussing ideas could be difficult because personalities would start to show and team members have to learn to tolerate each other’spersonalities. Team work can also be very pleasant, working with team members you familiar with can make an immense difference to the outcome of the project. As team members have previously worked together it would be easier for everyone to work together and execute the project. Team members gain team work competency if they worked in a number of teams. Team work competency would be creativity, communication, negotiating skills, helping each other, sharing and listening. Working in a number of teams I would say I have acquired those skills, and I would be able to work in most teams. I also believe that every project needs to be consulted with another person in order to achieve the best results. The team leader needs to consult with his team and gather information, their ideas and point of view of the project. I would have to say that team work is more efficiently and effectively than individual work. Team work allows you to be more creative and it can achieve better results than working on your own. 4) Explain how your teamwork competency is likely to effect employee’s evaluations of your candidacy for a job irrespective of where you work. Visit http://www.pmforum.org. Using the site as a starting point, explore the resources available to project managers. If you were to become a professional project manager, how could you use the resource available to improve your ability to manage a global virtual project management team? List the steps that you could take to prepare for serving as a leader of a virtual global project. [15] Global Awareness Competency is when an organisation carries out its managerial work by drawing on humans, financial, information and material resources from multiple countries. My teamwork competency will affect the employer’s evaluation by looking at he wants from the employee. If he wants someone that will be able to work in a group and is able to work with others then a teamwork competency will be in my favour. Your team competency will greatly affect the type of job you will have to do, if you work well in teams you will be working in teams a lot. If the organisation only works in teams, it makes you a good candidate. Your team competency can also lead to many other positions. Employers value an employee that is motivated, innovative and creative, they must also be able to lead and work well with others. Good communication skills are also a very important skill to have when your employer evaluates you as a candid, it will allow work to run smoothly and the lines of communication will always be open. The ability to listen to others and take instruction is key factors to working in a team, you have to listen to everyone’s ideas and be able to understand what they want you to do when you given a task. Guidelines which apply to virtual work teams: * Whenever possible, use a variety of communication technologies * Pay attention to the quality of the communication transmission keep the team as small as possible – preferably no more than seven to eight people * To the extent possible, take similarities and differences in time zones into account when assembling the team * Encourage the team members to discuss cultural differences * Be sure that someone is responsible for facilitating the communication process * Encourage team members to interact one on one, without feeling obligated to copy every email message to the entire team * Train team members to match their choice of technology to their task * Hold an initial face to face meeting to discuss the team’s purpose and clarify the roles and responsibilities of each team member * Whenever possible, individual team members should visit each other * Schedule periodic face to face meetings Managing Global Virtual Teams is a one of a kind, action-based programme that will show you how to manage geographically scattered and culturally diverse teams and achieve maximum results. Through the use of simulations, frameworks, video-taped exercises, and group coaching you will develop the ability to design and manage a global team in a way that encourages collaboration, improves intra- team communication, builds cohesion and leverages your team’s cultural diversity. Every employee must have work team competency, it will give them that edge when employers evaluate them. It also makes working in a group so much easier and great communication skills are an important aspect. 5) In your small group of two members that did this assignment, what were your experiences? Using the model of teamwork functioning, analyze what helped you and what hindered you in doing this assignment. Identify what you need to do differently next time. [15] We expected this assignment to go smoothly, and we would be working well together. This assignment would be very lengthy and we had to meet a lot. We expected each other to do what we were supposed to do and meet the due date. We both worked well together and executed the assignment as planned. The model of work team functioning is a general model of team functioning. The four key components are the external support system, team design, internal team processes and criteria for assessing team’s effectiveness. These four components work interrelated, and considered they provide a full understanding of how well a particular work team functions. The model helps identify work team problems, key contingency factors and provides guidance to managers interested in assessing whether a work team is achieving all of the various outcomes that are possible. 6) External context 7) Societal culture Organisational culture Organisation design Human resources management system 8) Effectiveness criteria * Team * Individual Internal process * Stages of team development * Feelings * Norms Team design * Team size * Team proximity 9) 10) External system The external system comprises outside organisational conditions and an influence exists before and after the team is formed. These influences may consist of societal and organisational culture, organisational design, and the human resources management system. Culture The societal culture in which the work team operates is one of the major external factors. All team members have different cultures and the team needs to be able to work with all the team members and they need to work well together. In collective cultures people are very comfortable working in teams. Organisational design Organisational design also directly influences the formation and functioning of the work team. A lot of the work our group did was from own, on our own time, which could either be a good or bad thing, as there was no one to watch over them. The work also had to be done at different locations where the group was able to meet up for a meeting or to discuss the progress of the assignment. The amount of work the each of us had to do was more than a bigger group, because of this we had to allow for extra time and had to do majority of the work on our own time. Human resources management system Organisations have quickly recognised that practices designed to enhance individual performance can be detrimental to teamwork and have established that new performance management systems are needed. Team based organisations may also change their basic procedures used to assign people to jobs. Some self management work teams have to make their own decisions, in this case employees must be trained to make valid human resources decisions and adhere to legal constraints. In our group there were no major decisions that had to be made, as group worked very well together and there was no member that we needed to take action against. Team design The design choices involved in creating a team are numerous. Factors that need to be taken into consideration are team duration, team goals, and team membership. Two additional design choices are time size and team location. Team size As the number of team members increases, the internal decision making process changes. We are only two in a group so the workload would be more and we would have to make decisions that would the suite a group with two members. If we had another group member our workload would be less and our decisions would have been different. The size of a also affect the quality of work a team produces, the optimal amount of members per group is 12 depending on the task at hand. It is known that smaller groups always seem to outdo the bigger groups. Members in larger groups have difficulty communicating directly to each other, as in a smaller group there is more face to face interaction. As a result of this smaller groups have less trouble with getting their message across and there are less communication barriers or miscommunication. If the task at hand is one that needs creativity and innovation it is best that the team is smaller, this allows for not too many opinions getting in the way and clear thinking can take place. Team location (team proximity) Team proximity refers to the location of a team’s members. Two aspects of proximity are relevant when designing a team are the team’s proximity to other work teams and the members of the organisation, and team members proximity to each other. When many teams are working on a single project, team members benefit from being near to each other. This helps team members if they need advice on a specific area and it allows for the competition to be tighter among the members. Members from different teams can meet and discuss their developments with each other. Problem solving occurs when it is readily needed; members can ask each other for ideas, tips, or hints on a specific problem. We worked very closely with the other groups and consulted with them regularly, this allowed us to ensure that we on the right track with the project. Is also helped to clear any, misunderstandings were dealt with immediately and we also got to hear how other groups went about doing their project. Virtual work teams A virtual work team is simply one that meets and does its tasks without everyone being physically present in the same place or at the same time. Virtual work teams can be functional, problem solving, multidisciplinary or self managing. New communications are allowing virtual workplaces to extend the reach of organisations fare beyond their traditional physical and cultural barriers. Our team has become a virtual work team at times where we cannot physically be at the same place at the same time. Technology helped us to finish our project when we acted at a virtual work team. We could learn a lot from this project and how to deal with a team, the project did however meet our expectations but the leadership could have been better. On our next project we will have to make a few changes in the way we went about doing the assignments. We would have to assign work to the team members more effectively, have regular meetings and, motivate each other to meet deadlines. 6) How was the level of communication of your group members? Were instructions clearly given and understood? Was there any form of miscommunication between you and your group members and your lecturer? Were individual tasks given and completed on time? [10] Communication is a very important aspect of a team, good communication is the key to your team members working well together and projects getting the results your hopes you would achieve. Our level of communication in the group was very good, we understood what we had to do and all work was executed as per planned. If there were any problems that needed to be handled they were dealt with, without delay, team members gave their opinion on certain issues and everyone had a fair chance to say what they wanted to, if something was not understood it was brought to the team members attention and questions were asked if team members were not clear about instructions. Each team member was given work that needed to be completed and when the work was assigned to them, they were given clear instruction on what needs to be done. Team members made sure that there was no miscommunication amongst each other. The lecturer thoroughly explained the assignment which was easy enough for all team members to understand. Work was assigned to each team member and they were given a deadline, not all deadlines were met as we still had to do last minute finalising. The project was done at a later date than expected and it put back the whole schedule. Team members who did not meet the deadline, were given a final deadline that had to be met, which was the final cut off date. In the end the project met the overall due date and the team worked well together. Our team worked very well together there were no communication problems and everyone completed their tasks. The lines of communication were always open which made it a very pleasant team to work with and the assignment was executed successful. * SECTION B 1) What are the advantages and disadvantages of organizing employees into work teams? Explain these advantages and disadvantages. [9] It is proven that performing a task in teams can achieve outcomes that could not be achieved by the same number of individuals working in isolation. There is that sense of support from your team members which encourage others to work more effectively and efficiently. The reason for organizations’ having employees work in teams are as follows: * To improve on-time delivery of results * To improve customer-employee relations * To assist improvement on products and services * Essential for career and management-employee growth * Improve understanding of the organization * Reduce costs and improve efficiency * Improve quality * Increase the commitment, ownership and motivation of employee The advantages of working in teams are as follows: * Creativity increases – Each individual has their own knowledge, personal attributes and skill. By using these different traits of each individual team member, more ideas for a task can be generated; making more solutions available for better results. * Speed – Team work allows a task to be completed quicker and more effectively as well as efficiently; work can move forward in parallel with the ultimate goal being achieved much faster than the task being done by one individual. As the saying goes â€Å"many hands, make light work†. * Effect on worker morale – Being able to work in a team allows for a close relationship between individuals, increasing good relationships in the working environment. It also helps people’s self-esteem, having the knowledge that they contributed towards the task and achieving self-satisfaction. * Effect on individual and shared responsibility – All team members should always feel obliged to deliver to their best ability. Each member knows that they have a responsibility for a specific task and that the team depends on them to deliver work of good quality. * Self-awareness to reach full potential – Your profile is developed and gives you a better understanding of the strengths you can contribute to a team. * Balance – Each member may have a specific area in which they excel and by utilizing these strengths, the team will be able to cover the key team role functions, the team will remain effective and there will be no friction of role duplication. * Increased productivity * Improved service * Shared vision – There is a common goal, so team members will thrive in achieving it. It keeps everyone moving forward. The disadvantages thereof are: * Struggling with teams – Some people prefer working in teams while others loathe even the thought of it. If your team members rebel in respecting your authority or any effort to form cooperative working units, team work will not be an effective solution for your organization. Therefore, it is important to assess your employees’ feelings towards teamwork before dividing them into teams. * Decrease in creativity – The â€Å"Group Think† tendency may occur. If one team member voices their opinion, while the other has another opinion in mind but opts to go with the majority of the other members to avoid conflict or tension. Novel ideas could be missed out on. * Free-riding – This is a very frequent term not only used in primary or tertiary education but it occurs in organizations as well. Team member refuse to be productive, flying under the radar to avoid work. This also leads to a decrease in productivity within the entire team. * Conflict may develop – In most teams, there are likely to be dominating overbearing or reluctant participants, resulting in disagreements between members therefore it is vital to monitor the performance of teams. * Present evaluation and reward challenges – It is rather difficult to assess the team effort of each individual group member therefore workers are usually asked to complete group member evaluations which assesses each member’s helpfulness and productivity in the task being completed. Though this method is not as reliable, as some members may demote others for reasons which are not related to the task. 2) Describe the stages of group development. Which stage is the most crucial? [15] The development of work teams is illustrated below: This development of work teams model shows the maturity on the vertical axis ranging from low to high, also known as ineffective and inefficient, versus the continuum of time together on the horizontal axis ranging from start (first encounter) to end (adjournment). There is no specific time period in which a team progresses from stage one to the following. The team can be discontinued at any time by the authority that created it, however the speed of team development reflects the team’s deadlines. If there is a deadline for a task, the team will feel more pressure to perform, setting aside their personal differences and working together in order to complete that task. This model also shows how a team can move back to a previous stage if the possibility of the team’s end arises – this is called recycling. This may result from a loss in members, rotations, promotions or retirements, thus the repetition of the previous stage to be surpassed once again. There are 5 stages, namely: * The Forming Stage: This stage focuses on orientation of the team’s goals and procedures as each team member is anxious about what each member is supposed to do while others may be excited. During this stage team members are usually positive and polite, some concerned about who will dominate team discussions; others may feel intimidated and not participate as freely as the others. This stage is fairly short and may only last until after the first meeting or discussion. Leadership roles need to be discussed and getting acquainted with fellow member will facilitate team development. If team members still feel uncomfortable within the group, team-building exercises would be recommended to ease the tension and establish a comfort zone, allowing the team to progress to the next stage. * The Storming Stage: Competitiveness and strained behaviours begin to emerge during this phase. This stage may involve resistance and impatience if progress is not made with a task; the authority of one team member may be challenged as others jockey for their position. As a leader, they have to take the pressure that their team members are under into consideration; they may even be uncomfortable with the approach being used for the task. A few members will even begin to force an agenda without regard for the needs of other members, or isolate themselves from group discussions. During this stage, conflict may arise but it is the group’s duty to resolve it through conflict resolutions. This is the stage where many teams fail. * The Norming Stage: Team members become positive about the team as well as the position of the team leader during this stage – where a hierarchy is established. Others may show leadership in other areas while respecting the leader’s authority. The mindset during this stage is â€Å"We are in this together, like it or not. Let’s make the most of it.† A sense of belonging and commitment starts to develop within the group; members communicating freely, cooperating, and accepting mutual respect. Rules of behaviour are enforced by team members and one will notice how towards the end of this stage, there is a sense of enjoyment about being involved. At the end of this stage the oneness syndrome may emerge, which results in needed task-related conflict not being optimally resolved, in turn causing the quality or quantity of performance to slip. * The Performing Stage: Hard work leads directly to progress towards the shared vision of the team’s goal but some teams never reach their full potential, regardless of how long they have been together. By this stage, team members have usually come to trust and accept one another, where diversity, opinions and viewpoints are encouraged and supported; making room for â€Å"wild† ideas without the feeling of being inferior to others. Feedback and listening adds to the team members being focused on and reinforce a sense of clear and shared goals. Leadership can also be shifted from member to member depending on the problem which needs to be resolved. The team now accepts each other’s differences and disagreements and works on them cooperatively and willingly, where internal politics is avoided when trying to solve an important issue. The following characteristics will lead to a high level of team performance: * Energy is spent on completing tasks and building interpersonal ties * Developing procedures for making decisions (including leadership) * Trust and openness among one another * Ask and offer help from one another * Sense of belonging and freedom within the team * Accept and deal with conflict * Members know how to assess and deal with their own functioning If one or more of these characteristics are absent, the team will be likely to prevail ineffective. The forming stage of any team is important as the team members get to acquaint them therein, exchange personal information with others and it is also an opportunity to observe how each member works individually and how they respond to pressure. The most crucial stage of Tuckman’s stages of development however, is the storming stage as it is necessary for the growth of the team. For team members who are averse to conflict may find this stage unpleasant, contentious and painful. Tolerance is a must and should be emphasized, because without it the team will fail. This phase can be destructive to the team and lower motivation if things get out of control and some teams do not even pass this stage. * The Adjournment Stage: Teams usually assembled for a long period of time, go through the adjournment stage. This stage involves the termination of task behaviours and disengaging from work relationships. A planned conclusion usually includes recognition for participation, achievement and an opportunity for team members to say their farewells. This can also create some apprehension. The termination of a team is a regressive movement from giving up control to the team to giving up inclusion in the team. It focuses on wrapping up activities and can happen at any time as it is not planned and could even be abrupt. However, change in members could result in recycling instead of adjournment. The most crucial stage of group development is the storming stage. Most people understand this stage as thestage where conflict arises and how to avoid it. Conflict is impossible to avoid but team members should handle and channel that conflict into effective individual and team development. The approach to conflict is crucial in successful team building and it would be advisable to enlighten the team about everyone not always going to agree all the time – it is normal, necessary and part of team development. During this stage, most members will rebel and even leave the team due to these misunderstandings and this is the mostly likely stage that most teams to do not progress through. 3) Raj Kashdish describes his workplace as â€Å"friendly, just great. All the people get along together, and we play bowls and action cricket after work†. Quality records show that Kashdish’s team produces high-quality results but the team’s cost are high and the output of work is low. Is this an effective work team? Explain your response. [10] There are specific criteria called effectiveness criteria which measures the outcomes achieved by team members and the team as a whole. Some teams may be effective in some aspects but ineffective in others. If a team takes longer than expected to make a decision, on speed and cost criteria, they may seem ineffective but if the decision is creative and achieves customer satisfaction the team will regarded as effective. This can be an effective work team with regard to individual effectiveness as relationships between individuals are heightened due to Kashdish’s team doing other activities other than work together; but it could also be regarded as team building. Their decisions and work are costly in terms of speed but effective in terms of customer satisfaction. Even though this team produces high-quality results, their costs and outputs are still low. They are not effective in terms of team effectiveness but more so individual effectiveness. 4) What are the primary differences between functional work teams and multi-disciplinary jn work teams? Outline these differences. [8] * Functional Work Teams – This type of team includes members from a single department, such as marketing, finance or human resources, who in cooperation solve issues pertaining to their area of expertise and responsibility. Their goals could be to minimize costs or to ensure continuous supplies. For goals to be achieved, team members need to constantly coordinate activities, sharing information on price changes and products. * Multi-disciplinary Work Teams – Depending on its goals or tasks, this type of work team can be temporary or permanent and consists of 5 to 30 employees from various functional areas and organizational levels with the same goal-oriented tasks, such as designing and introducing process reforms and technology. For example, your team consists of a civil engineer, an architect, a mechanical engineer and a quantity surveyor for the planning of the construction of a pump house on a major irrigation scheme. A caesarean section to deliver a baby also requires a multi-disciplinary team. A product development team will exist for the period of time which is required for the product to be brought to the market, varying from months to years. For example, Microsoft brings together multi-disciplinary teams consisting of experts with a variety of knowledge and backgrounds to generate ideas, which may include representatives from marketing and eventual end-users in order for the products to appeal to the customers. This type of work team provides competitive advantages such as speed aand creativity, if properly formed and managed. 5) What are the differences between problem-solving work teams and self-managing work teams? Describe these differences. [10] * Problem-solving Work Teams – This type of work team is usually made up of 5 to 20 employees, all from different areas of a department who consider how something would or can be done better. A meeting would take place for one or two hours every week on a continuous basis for discussion of ways which can improve quality, safety, productivity, morale – or they might meet intensively for the first week or so and disband thereafter. There are two forms of problem-solving work teams, namely: Task forces and quality circles. Task forces are the most common type of this work team. For example, a marketing group conducting a feasibility study of a product. A quality circle is a team which meets regularly to identify and analyze the different types of workplace problems and propose solutions. * Self-managing Work Teams – It consists of 5-15 employees who work together on a daily basis to make an entire product or render an entire service. They may all be from a single functional area, but more so they are multi-disciplinary. Various managerial tasks are performed by these teams such as rotating job tasks and assignments, ordering materials or deciding on team leadership. To sum things up, what needs to be done and how to do it are decided by them. They are sometimes called high performance teams as they are composed of highly skilled individuals fully capable of accomplishing major tasks, such as an emergency trauma unit. These individuals submerge their egos and fully commit to the team and its goals. 6) You have an opportunity to take a job as new team leader in an organization. Before you accept the offer, you want to assess whether the organization is likely to provide a supportive environment for the team. What are the questions you would ask about the organization to determine whether the environment is supportive? [15] * Can you tell me about the executive’s management style? * Can you describe the work environment in the workplace? * What do you consider to be your organization’s strengths and weaknesses? * What is the state of the equipment being used within the workplace? * What is the particular ambience the employees exude when at work? * Is there any prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination in the workplace? * If any, what are your conflict resolutions which are used when there is conflict between employees? * Are the organization’s supervisors and managers equipped with leadership and diversity training? * Is the working environment safe? * What are the incentives being offered to the employees, if there are any? * Are there processes and procedures used for violations of the employment acts? * Do employees have access to rich information and resources? * Are there appropriate procedures for safety, operation and security?

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Security Services Administration and Management

Security Services Administration and Management The historical development of private security in the United States has changed drastically over the centuries. The need for private security has grown as well. There are many gaps and areas for intrusion within the current public law enforcement system, almost mandating the necessity for private security. As the need and expectations for the private security grows, so will the qualifications for these positions. Understanding the history of the industry development creates a way to learn from the past, and make necessary changes for the future.Private security is the backbone of the American culture, and will continually evolve to prevent and protect society from any type of potential harm. In past times, the private security industry was utilized as a means of backup to public law enforcement in resourcefulness and manpower. History dating back to the 1800’s shows that the police departments were few and far between and found t o be commonly corrupt which created the necessity for private security. The people of these times had to utilize vigilante justice to enact some type of law enforcement.There was a need and a demand for private security. It was not until 1851 that the first national private security and investigation service was established by Allen Pinkerton (Ortmeier, 2012). After this, many individuals implemented other forms of security. For example, in 1853 August Pope had the first burglar alarm patented, and in 1858, Edwin Holmes produced the first central station burglar alarm (Ortmeier, 2012). Also, in 1958, Washington Brinks designed the first armored carriage for safe transportation of valuables. In 1899 SWAT was formed under the private sector classification.In 1909, William Burns created an international detective agency (Ortmeier, 2012). Essentially these private agencies have been around as long as the public agencies in the United States. In today’s society, these private secu rity agencies are essential for the protection and survival of businesses, individuals, and even government sectors. History has shown with the implementation of a new form of private security comes new threats against them. Private security does not mean just being a mall cop; there are thousands of private agencies in use today.There are certain factors that lead to the need to implement a significant growth within private security. This can be dated all the way back to the pre-Civil War era where the lack of public police was evident and resulted in the private industry to suffer a large monetary loss. In today’s society, this threat has grown to a new extreme. After the horrific events that transpired during 9/11, it became apparent that the United States needed to make changes to prevent terrorism from happening on its soil again. Technology crimes are at an all time high; this creates a potentially greater need for global security.What started with a handful of private security options has grown into a significant number of agencies. â€Å"Private security is becoming a more significant force in public security and safety. 678,160 workers employed in private security compared with only 580,428 in public law enforcement. Private security in this country would continue to grow, increasing at a faster pace than public law enforcement. It is clear based on statistics, that private security in this country is larger than public police agencies and will play a more important role in crime prevention and security in the future† (Clede, 1993).This need will continue to grow because public law enforcement’s numbers will always be regulated, and essentially there will never be enough manpower to meet the demands associated with it. As private security continues to grow, it continues to move toward professionalism. As the need grows so do the expectations. â€Å"Today private security is moving toward a new professionalism. In defining the des ired professionalism, most authorities often cite the need for a code of ethics and for credentials including education and training, experience, and membership in a professional society† (Fischer & Green, 2004).Public law enforcement employees are put through excessive training to be able to adequately do their job and serve the public. They are not just handed a gun and a badge and told to protect the public. There are so many things that can go on when it comes to crime and corruption that individuals have to learn how to personally think and react properly when in a situation. This can be even more essential in many of the different private security areas. Colleges offer four-year training programs to aid in preparing that individual for their position in the private security industry.There are also certification programs that ensure that training is given properly for the agency’s employees. Previously, the typical security guard was undertrained, underpaid, and un regulated. If there were no noticeable breaches, these guards would have to interact without any type of supervision. However, when events transpired, the company had to address the ill preparation given in providing this private security to whatever company they were protecting. Another factor that is changing the professionalism in private security is the demands associated with the position.There are many different private security agencies that deal with technology and specifications. This is an industry that virtually changes on a daily basis. The only way that these private security employees can successfully do their job is to have the proper education, training, and continual instructional feedback. The national security, financial industry, and personal privacy of the United States could potentially fall victim to a threat if these private security agencies are not fully capable of providing the necessary protection.In today’s society, security professionals should t ake a special interest in the history of the industry’s development. Part of the improvement is dependent upon knowing what has and has not been successful in the past. History has a way of repeating itself, sometimes in different variations, but the outcome is similar. For private security professionals they need to know specifics regarding the history and progression within their individual agency. It could also be beneficial to gain the same knowledge on similar agencies as well.The history of a private security agency can also create a way for potential improvements. Employees can see the progression and understand that they are a vital part of the future. The changes that protected them yesterday will most likely be obsolete tomorrow. This necessity for advancement will allow them to see the equation that got them to their modern day practices and keep private security agents one step ahead of what they are trying to defend against. History is an important part of any pr ofessional’s development; this is even truer when it comes to private security and its ability to protect and enforce.Private security is the backbone of the American culture, and will continually evolve to prevent and protect society from any type of potential harm. Over the past couple centuries this concept has gone from nonexistent to a dominate necessity for America’s overall wellbeing. The private security industry has grown to be so significant because of the overwhelming corruption and dishonesty that is plaguing society. As the needs change so will the expectations, education, and requirements for the employees to effectively be able to facilitate the security demands.Private security agencies will continue to go with the demands to fill in the gaps that are left with the public law enforcement divisions and provide a much needed security that would not have been there otherwise. References Clede, B. (1993). Security officer's manual. Minocqua, WI: Lakeland Pu b. Fischer, R. J. , & Green, G. (2004). Introduction to security. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Ortmeier, P. J. (2012). Introduction to security: Operations and management (4th ed. ). Boston: Pearson.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

A Book Review Of Jesus And The Gospels Religion Essay Example

A Book Review Of Jesus And The Gospels Religion Essay Example A Book Review Of Jesus And The Gospels Religion Essay A Book Review Of Jesus And The Gospels Religion Essay The writer Craig Blomberg is a good known evangelical bookman, a distinguished Professor of the New Testament at Denver Seminary. He holds his doctorate grade from Aberdeen University in Scotland. He is besides the writer of over 12 books. Some of his books are Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Interpreting the fables and so on. Craig Bloomberg chief intent of the book is to assist bookmans and curates to intensify their scriptural roots on the Gospels, most particularly theological pupils who need to be taught of how to believe theologically and to be able to analyze the existent jobs of life from scriptural positions. Book content Harmonizing to the writer, the cardinal narrative about the Gospels is on the birth, life, decease and Resurrection of Jesus. In order to understand Christianity as a faith, one needs to cognize the historical background narrative around it. And the narrative is all about Jesus life, birth, decease and Resurrection put together by four different writers in the New Testament. The writer did an intensive work by giving the narrative background to events that occurred before the New Testament. The period between the last one-fourth of the eighth century BC to the first century AD is the inter testametal period about 400yrs. He gives an overview on the status of the clip, covering the political, spiritual and socio economical province of the Judaic state and its environ. The writer s primary beginning of mention to political development in Israel was the 20 volume work of Josephus s Judaic antiquities on the history of the Judaic people and other aggregations from Apocrypha and Pseudepig rapha. The writer relates how exile of the people of Israel to Babylon affects the worship in Israel. How it leads to the rise of the temple, the beginning of the unwritten jurisprudence, the spiritual group sects ; the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essences and the Zealots. In the 2nd portion of the book, the writer explains the tools that are used by bookmans to assist in understanding how the four Gospels came to be. He used historical unfavorable judgment to clear up historical background and actual unfavorable judgments excessively compare and associate the differences between the three synoptic Gospels known as the synoptic jobs and the 4th Gospel. In the 3rd portion of the book, the writer discussed the influence of the Grecian linguistic communication all over the Roman Empire for concern, commercialism and relation with military and political governments. After suppressing Greece, Rome adopted most of the Grecian Gods by giving the Gods Latin names. Emperors from Augustus to Nero encourages traditional myths by edifice temples for them and as a consequence of this, there was rise in philosophical thought such as the stolidity, Platonism, dualism, Gnosticism, cynicism and agnosticism. But to the Jews, Judaism was the faith and order of the twenty -four hours and to stay a member of a community, a Judaic adult male must maintain the dietetic Torahs, detecting the Sabbath and Circumcision. The writer explains the factor that affects scriptural dating in the New Testament. He pointed to the Judaic and Roman calendar which started at different times of the twelvemonth doing fluctuation of a twelvemonth in one way or another for many day of the months. Judaic imposts of numbering a twenty-four hours from sundown to sundown and new Moon visual aspects which is capable to weather status, in taking a day of the month. He claims that the division of calendar into BC and AD is Christian innovation doing the day of the months of Jesus birth, the length of his ministry, day of the month and clip of his decease and Resurrection to be unsure. The last three parts of the book by the writer Introduced the four Gospels, gives a study of Jesus birth, explains the span of His ministry, from Galilee as presented by the writer of Matthew, Mark and Luke, His Judean ministry put together by John the beloved in his Gospel. He said the Gospel of John was about Jesus private ministry while the three other Gospel was about Jesus public ministry. He gave a brief historical background behind each of the writers of the Gospel, fortunes that warrant their credence into the canon of Bible and prevalent conditions responsible for each. Matthew was written for Judaic trusters showing Jesus as Messiah, Mark was written to the Romans showing Jesus as retainer of God. Luke was written by a non Judaic writer, a heathen convert called Luke who wrote to the Greek ( LK 1:3, Act 1:1 ) , and nowadayss Jesus as human and authored the book of Acts. The book of John was written last, harmonizing to the writer it was written to all trusters, showing Jesu s as the Son of God. The concluding histories of Jesus life harmonizing to the writer starts on Thursday dark cumulative to His strong belief, decease, and Resurrection. Harmonizing to the writer, it is hard to build or give a graphic history of all the events that took topographic point in the life of Jesus Christ in full inside informations. Evaluation This book is one of the series of book written by Craig Blomberg. The writer, and from his wealth of experience, offers insight into the life of Jesus Christ by giving the historical background around the scriptural events in the New Testament. The writer s deepness in the survey of the Gospels was due to his experience as a lector in theological school. The book was good structured and suited for academic survey, arranged in a manner that makes interesting, consecutive and explanatory doing it easy to read for everybody. The writer s manner of authorship was progressive. He starts is narrative by utilizing historical illustration as a tool to discourse the contents presented by each of the gospel author. The writer s usage of other stuffs for the book is applaudable, utilizing it with his ain account to clear century s incorrect reading of the four Gospels of the New Testament. Decision The book answered a batch of inquiry on trusters mind as touching Jesus, who is the cardinal subject of Christianity. It besides clears uncertainty on differences and attack usage by each of the gospel author. I strongly recommend the book for theological pupil and every instructor of the Gospel.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Wetware

Wetware Wetware Wetware By Maeve Maddox Computer-age coinages don’t usually strike me as â€Å"creepy,† but this one does. Formed on the model of software and hardware, wetware begins to soar into prominence on the Ngram Viewer in 1979. Both the OED and Merriam-Webster provide definitions of this new term. OED wetware noun: Chemical materials organized so as to perform arithmetic or logical operations; brain substance, as having this ability. M-W wetware noun: The human brain or a human being considered especially with respect to human logical and computational capabilities. Apparently the invention and continuing development of artificial intelligence (AI) has created the need for a retronym for human. In I, Robot, written between 1940 and 1950, Asimov referred to the brain of a robot as a â€Å"positronic brain.† In the dystopia of Terminator (1984), an intelligent computer is called â€Å"Neural Net CPU.† In the 2015 film Ex Machina, a substance made of a gel that causes artificial neural connections to form is called wetware. Here are examples of the usage of wetware I found on the Web: [Marleen Stikker] was director of multimedia art festival Zomerfestijn Amsterdam in 1990 and 1991 and organiser of the Wetware Conference (on hardware, software and physical interaction). Integrated IT Wetware/Software Solutions [headline on site of company offering digital services] Many, many teams just abandon this impossible wetware task and use each solution in isolation. [This is a consultant’s website. In the context, wetware seems to mean the aspect of online selling that involves human beings called â€Å"web customers† and â€Å"mobile customers† who are part of the â€Å"wetware task.†] The term wetware in its turn is spawning new meanings for the adjective wet. Dean Koontz uses (and defines) the expression wet intelligence in the following exchange between characters who are examining an alien creature: Linked up, maybe these hundreds of millions of nanocomputers functioned as this creatures brain or at least as the largest part of its brain, assuming there was also some wet intelligence in it. Wet intelligence? Biological brain matter. At first I thought that the term wet signature had a similar meaning, but several readers have informed me that the wetness of this term refers to ink and not to gray matter. For example: DocuSign is capable of keeping the entire transaction in the cloud. There are, however, rare occasions when a wet signature is necessary. Related post: What’s a Retronym? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:5 Uses of InfinitivesWhat is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?50 Tips on How to Write Good

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The main components Kuwaiti society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The main components Kuwaiti society - Essay Example r, increased need for labour with economic expansion and reconstruction after the Iraqi invasion drew new labour from Asia, after which immigrants made up at least a third of Kuwait’s population increase. The Bedouin is another component of Kuwaiti society, such as the Mutair, the Awazim, and the Ajman, who are well represented in the Kuwaiti assembly and cabinet (p.596). They continue to retain their tribal values despite increased urbanization and integration. Traditionally perceived as government allies, Bedouins been granted welfare benefits and citizenship, although latter developments have seen some sections become critical of government. Another component is made up of the Shiites from KSA, Bahrain, and Iran that makes up a substantial minority and whose resistance to Iraqi invasion despite religious affiliations improved their standing in Kuwaiti society (p.597). Another component, the Bidun, never attained formal citizenship documents, thus is referred to as stateless. Their fate is still not settled and attempts to gain citizenships have been repressed by the government. Merchants also play role in society and, although their political role was undermined by the discovery of oil, their economic role is still significant in financial institutions and Kuwaiti privatization efforts (p.598). Finally, Islamists are an increasingly powerful component force in Kuwaiti society, despite the manifest Sunni-Shiite religious divide. From this discussion, it is evident that the Islamist component has the biggest role to play in Kuwait’s political future. This trend was started by co-option into government to fight the nationalist threat in the assembly, as well as the increasingly prominent role of the Bedouin. It continued with the capture of 36% of representative seats in the assembly in 1999 (p.599). Despite Sunni/Shiite division on the basis of tactics and priorities, their unity in attempting to change certain aspects of Kuwait’s society means that this