The Importance of Reading Essay - 1130 Words

The Importance of Reading â€Å"Why do you read all the time?† A frequently asked question of my past and I still find it repeated even now as I have entered a higher class of the educated. Whenever posed with this blatant criticism of my preferred free time activity, I simply answer with â€Å"Why don’t you read all the time?† Of course I might sound like the biggest geek that ever walked the face of the earth, but the fact of the matter is that no matter what negative stereotype is attached to those who read, it has never stopped me from continuing to pursue my joy of literature. I am a firm believer in the power of a book and that the fact that the more well read you are the better chance you have of relating to entirely different groups of†¦show more content†¦Jane Austen is the main reason why I love to read and through her books I entered such a wonderful, long-dead, society of chivalry and protocol, where the characters feel so real and you only wish you could be Elizabet h Bennet falling for Mr. Darcy and becoming mistress of Pemberly. Not only is my love for British literature born from Shakespeare, but also from my love for history. I have been enamored with the past for as long as I can remember. History has shaped every aspect of our society today and is something to be reverenced and remembered. When I was nine years old my family moved from South Africa to the former Soviet Union, more specifically to a little country called Latvia. This might have been the best move to better ignite my passion for history as the country is ancient and so is its culture. I visited every ruin and castle I could in the four-year span I was there. And as a result my writing blossomed as my imagination and knowledge of the ancients expanded with the combination of my extensive reading. I remember when I was in fourth grade we had to write a short children’s book. At first the idea scared me and I had what I call baby writers block. I could not think of a good topic to write it on and for the first time in my young life I was at a loss for words and ideas. After communicating this to my teacher she simply gave me a look of â€Å" Well, what do you want me to do about it?† and went about herShow MoreRelatedReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading931 Words   |  4 Pagesthinking about all the things I could be doing besides reading. I understand the importance of reading, it helps me gain knowledge about the world, it opens my eyes to different perspectives, it improves my grades at school, it can be a topic of a conversation...the list goes on. I cannot find an adequate reason for not spending the time to do reading outside of the classroom, but for some reason, I have not been able to sit down and finish reading a book. I have tried to do so, but the unfinished booksRead MoreReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading903 Words   |  4 Pages Growing up with my parents, I found reading to be very fun but for religious purposes and newspaper about the incidents taking place in certain countries. Through my parents, reading started to seem like it can be beneficial if we want to know what is going on in the world and the rules and regulations of one’s religion. Although I was required to read many books for school, my parents reading habits made me feel as if I should copy them. My mom and dad would always read books or newspapers at aRead MoreImportance Of Reading1188 Words   |  5 Pages The Importance of Reading Growing up throughout the years it goes from teachers reading books to your class to books getting assigned to you to read independantly. Most of the books assigned would be so boring and pointless to read. Normally when I got assigned a book I would just read through it trying to comprehend some parts of it. I never tried to enjoy it or show an interest in the book. Reading to me was not something I ever enjoyed doing. I did not like reading for pleasure and for classRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading And Reading1045 Words   |  5 PagesReading is an activity we are constantly faced with from the moment we learn to do it basically, just like walking or sitting down. However, people learn to read in order to communicate, to express, and to project things that are hidden inside their own minds and they will not come out easily by just talking. One might need to think, deep enough, and find the words they were looking for. Afterward, it is up to the person to decide what to do with those words, of course, they want the words to beRead MoreReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading818 Words   |  4 Pages staring down at their laps. Me, on the other hand, would just sit there and stare at a wall, while humming to myself. I never understood why all of my classmates enjoyed reading books. Correction; I actually just did not understand what was wrong with me, and why I did not enjoy reading like all of the other kids did. Reading never sparked my interest due to many reasons, including; being distracted, being laughed at, and the books I was forced to read. I am perhaps the most easily distracted personRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading783 Words   |  4 PagesReading is a developmental process that must be nurtured—grades Pre-K through grade 3. In fact, according to research, by the end of the third grade, if students are still poor readers, he or she will most likely struggle to understand what is taught in later the grades—I can attest to this (Ramos Murphey, 2016). Growing up, reading has always been a challenge for me. Today, I consider myself to be a struggling reader. At times, I find myself saying the following: â€Å"I love words and to write; howeverRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading1193 Words   |  5 PagesI can’t lie, reading isn’t one of my favorite things to do, but reading is a way of life. As I get older i’m finally realizing why it was so important for me to learn how to read,being in high school has definitely been a challenge learning big word and also as you get older you are exposed to more and more bigger words. Reading is something I have not been the greatest in since I was a little kid,I remember being a 6th grader on a 4th grader reading level when we took star reading test. TakingRead MoreReading And Reading : The Importance Of Reading Books1019 Words   |  5 Pagesreached high school. I think my desire faded away because I went from reading books of my choice for enjoyment, to reading books my teachers chose for a letter grade. The same experience happened with my passion for writing as well, I enjoyed telling stories when I was younger but when I got into high school and I had to start writing about the books I didn’t even want to read, the fun in it faded. I never really picked up reading for enjoyment again, however I do still enjoy the stories books haveRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading Essay816 Words   |  4 Pages Reading is not just a fun and great pastime, it is a great way to make your mind explore the great unknown, pus h boundaries and survey what surrounds you. According to Josep Dalmau, MD, PhD, he did a study on life-span cognitive activity, neuropathology burden, and cognitive aging which reading helps your brain activate. With other proven facts that reading does help the brain to stay sharp and can even go as far as to say it can prevent Alzheimer’s its no wonder that I fight for the knowledgeRead MoreThe Importance of Reading and Writing655 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Reading and Writing Reading and writing are both important; you can’t have one without the other. They are skills that are increased constantly due to little things that most times are not noticed. Whether it is from a book to a poem, there will always be a way that it helps out your school performance. Reading and writing in general only helps absorb information, and enhance leisure or school related writing tasks. It has also made life itself so much easier because reading

Criticality and Creativity Free Essays

Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs or goals. Individualism promote the exercise of one’s goals and desires thus one values independence and self reliance while opposing external interference upon one’s own interests by society and institutions such as the Government. Liberty is the ability of individuals to have control over their own actions. We will write a custom essay sample on Criticality and Creativity or any similar topic only for you Order Now John Stuart Mill a philosopher, on his article Liberty under the chapter of Individuality as One of the element well-being has made an imperative that that human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without reserve. This is of beneficial consequences to the intellectual, and through that to the moral nature of man, unless this liberty is either conceded, or asserted in spite of prohibition. He recognized the difference between liberty as the freedom to act and liberty as the absence of coercion. Individuals should be given the chances to come up with opinions or ideas and be allowed to express them without been stopped. For example the Government should not refuse an individual to put into action their new ideas but should rather motivate them. It should not stop them because it thinks it can do better than them but should facilitate the idea by providing the necessities such as fund and freedom. Individuals can come up with opinions or ideas that may benefit them but at the same time impose a problem to others. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he/she must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in what concerns them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in things which concern himself, the same reasons which show that opinion should be free, prove also that he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost. When individuals are given the freedom to come up with new ideas and exploit them, it encourages them to want to come up with better ideas, learn from their experiences thus promoting their creativity and developing criticality in them. The human faculties of perception, judgment, discriminative feeling, mental activity, and even moral preference, are exercised only in making a choice. He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice. He gains no practice either in discerning or in desiring what is best. The mental and moral, like the muscular powers, are improved only by being used. The faculties are called into no exercise by doing a thing merely because others do it, no more than by believing a thing only because others believe it. If the grounds of an opinion are not conclusive to the person’s own reason, his reason cannot be strengthened, but is likely to be weakened, by him adopting it and if the inducements to an act are not affected by, or rights of others are not concerned, it is so much done towards rendering his feelings and character inert and torpid, instead of active and energetic. This is because originality is a valuable element in human affairs. There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, and point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct, and better taste and sense in human life. How to cite Criticality and Creativity, Papers

Engineering Sustainability

Question: Discuss about the Engineering Sustainability Hydroponics Farming Systems. Answer: Introduction The human population is ever-growing and so is the demand for food. Currently, about 40% of the total land is dedicated to produce food for the vast 7 billion human population. However, it is expected that the demand for food will jump by almost 70% by the year 2050. A pertinent question thereby arises as to where would this incremental production of food come from. One possible answer could be increasing the area under cultivation but there is very limited scope in this regard (Isaacson, 2015). Another response is by increasing the productivity of agriculture akin to the introduction of high yield varieties. However, in this regard, it is noteworthy that the yield increases in the last three to four decades has been achieved at substantial environmental costs (Gray, 2015). This is apparent from the rise in use of chemicals fertilizer, pesticides and weedicides which pose significant environmental hazards. Also, these varieties typically require assured supply of irrigation which is increasingly becoming a problem especially in the developing nations where there has been over-exploitation in this regard (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014). Clearly in wake of the lack of choices as is evident above, the most plausible course of action would be the clearing of forests to create more space for agriculture. However, this would adverse influence the delicate environmental balance which he have already disturbed to an extent. In this backdrop, an alternative farming technique known as hydroponics may provide the answer (Jensen, nd). Hydroponics refers to an innovative farming practice whereby plants are grown in nutrient rich water and not soil. As a result, hydroponics tends to open a vast block of land specially situated in deserts which are currently considered unfit for farming. Also, unlike soil borne farming, the environment in hydroponics can be scientifically controlled which results in higher yields and significantly lesser problems related to pest and weeds (Mims, 2016). Additionally, the quality (including nutritional value and appearance) of the produce can also be carefully controlled which resolves the problem of wastages whereby some of the produce does not sell due to appearance issues. Hydroponics is akin to growing plants under experimental conditions as the plants are grown in an inert media which tends to drive nutrients from the nutrient rich water which is fed to these plants. Thus, all the environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure, amount of sunlight and nutrient feed can be controlled which results in attainment of desired output. Besides, with the help of grow lights, hydroponics can be practised indoors also (Brechner Both, 2014). The current case study aims to critically analyse the advantages of hydroponics vis--vis traditional agriculture in the backdrop of sustainability factors. Besides, the case study would focus on highlighting the current practices related to this new farming technique and how it can potentially provide answers to the looming food problem we are expected to witness in the future. Objective The primary objective is to compare the hydroponic system of farming with the conventional farming in wake of the various sustainability factors and efficiency. Also, the report would draw on the performance of hydroponic farming system on the various sustainability factors. Further, on basis of this, the report would also deal on integration of hydroponic system with the existing farming system for securing the wider interests of the society in the long run. In order to draw a comparison between the efficiency of hydroponic farming with the conventional farming, it is imperative to compare the three key variables i.e. yield, consumption of water along with energy consumption. Barbosa et. al. (2015) through their research compared the above parameters related to the two given farming systems for lettuce and reached the following results. In terms of yield per unit area, the hydroponic farming was able to produce 11 times the yield of lettuce produced under conventional farming. Two reasons primary are responsible for this high yield. Firstly, hydroponic farming provides the flexibility of growing a given vegetable all year long even when the outside climate may not be conducive. In case of lettuce, through hydroponic systems, annually 12 crops may be produced. Secondly, due to strict environment control, the growth of the plants is faster and consistent. The water consumption per unit yield was also 12 times lower in hydroponics system as compared to conventional farming. This may be attributed to both a higher yield of crop and also lesser loss of water from transpiration. Besides, through the use of recirculating systems, the nutrient water is used efficiently thus providing only the requisite water. This is unlike the conventional farming systems where there is relatively higher wastage and transpiration loss ad less water is absorbed by the plants root (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014). With regards to energy consumption, clearly conventional farming was found to be more efficient. This is because the energy consumption in hydroponics system is about 82 times the energy consumed in the conventional farming. Higher energy needs of hydroponics arose because of greater use of artificial lighting to ensure that more crops annually are obtained. Also, there are heating and cooling related costs for providing the optimum temperature to the plants (Siegel, 2014). It is noteworthy that despite the higher energy requirements, hydroponics does provide a credible alternative to conventional farming. Further, the energy requirements can also be lesser in regions where there is ample sunshine or through the usage of solar powered hydroponics system (Nally, 2016). Besides, greenhouses may also be used to reduce the overall energy use and reduction of environment control. However, hydroponics may not be a suitable system for various cereal crops which constitute approximately 50% of the total crop production. This is because of the wafer thin margins in these crops which do not justify the high energy costs and setup costs associated with hydroponics (Isaacson, 2016). But for vegetables, hydroponics does provide an option which is being explored and it is likely that in the future, the production of vegetable hydroponically would grow (Brechner. Both, 2014). Besides, with the growing income levels, it is expected that demand for vegetables would be significantly higher than that of cereals. Hence, a major shift to hydroponic farming system would provide ample space for cultivation of the requisite cereal crops without harming the forests (Mims, 2016). Sustainability Factors With regards to sustainability of a given factor, it is imperative to critically analyse it from the standpoint of the following five factors. Social Impact It is estimated that the social impact of hydroponic systems would be quite profound especially for the marginal communities and the farmers in the third world countries. This is primarily because these people primarily engage themselves in growing of low value crops and are dependent on nature for farming. With the increasing incidence of extreme weather not only in Australia but also globally, it is essential that dependence of weather based agriculture needs to be reduced. Thus, these farmers and poor communities with the aid of the government and NGOs could grow hydroponic vegetables not only for their own consumption but for sale. Additionally, this could also provide livelihood to communities located in regions where physical conditions are not suitable for farming (Jensen, nd). Environmental Impact Conventional farming tends to dependent on extensive use of water which is being over exploited by farmers and is rapidly becoming a cause of concern. Besides, there is also usage of chemical pesticides and weedicides which lead to contamination of food products and also pose health hazard. Also, the discharge from fields is rich in various chemicals and thus causes water pollution that has adverse impact on marine life (Killebrew and Wolff, 2014),. Hydroponics on the other hand, limits the use of water and also recollects the excess water. Further, any waste water generated is either recycled or disposed after adequate treatment so that the harm to environment is minimised. It is apparent that in the long run, hydroponic based farming systems present a superior choice in terms of environmental sustainability (Kumar and Cho, 2014). Economic Viability- It is imperative that the alternative farming system while being environmentally and socially beneficial should be economical as well. From the discussion in previous section, it is apparent that on account of higher yields and quality obtained, this farming practice is economically viable. However, this practice is suitable primarily for high value crops mostly peppers, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale and other herbs (Siegel, 2016). The economic viability of hydroponic farming is also apparent from the fact that in 2015, the produce from this farming has already reached a figure of $ 15 billion globally (Mims, 2016). Also, in the future, it is expected that these systems would become more efficient and therefore the economic viability would improve thus resulting in greater varieties of crops grown using this technique (Gray, 2015). Capacity to Deliver In wake of our insatiable food requirements, hydroponic is apparently the future of farming. This is because it would allow those crops which cannot be grown hydroponically to occupy the hand currently under other crops. Also, hydroponic farming can be practiced in arid and semi-arid regions besides in places where climate or soil is not suitable for farming. Therefore, the incremental land requirements for hydroponics farming is not a problem as it does not involve clearing of precious little forests that still continue to remain. Also, through the usage of LED lights, it also offers the scope of indoor farming where all the parameters could be controlled just like in a laboratory. However, considering the low space requirements, even indoor farming is economically lucrative and sustainable (Isaacson, 2015). Adaptability One of the key sustainability factors for a given practice is the ability to adapt to changing environment. This is also apparent in conventional farming which through genetic engineering is coming up with new varieties that are more tolerant to extreme weather. However, hydroponics in this regard presents a more convenient and durable solution as it always presents the option to grow crops indoor through artificial lights and temperature management (Mims, 2016). Further, the space requirements in the regard are minimal since these can be grown vertically using specialised cabinets. This allow urban farmers to practice this on large scale so as to not feed themselves but produce surplus which can be marketed to recoup the initial investment (Siegel, 2016). From the above discussion, it is fair to conclude that hydroponics farming systems do provide a sustainable option to conventional farming even though this is limited to certain crops only. But going forward, it is expected that more developments would be made in these systems which would lower not only the set up costs but also the operating costs. This would essentially bring more varieties of crops under the ambit of this farming which clearly needs to complement the conventional farming going forward. Summary With the rising demand for food, the conventional farming methods are expected to come under pressure. As the availability of arable land is limited and also enhanced productivity is attained at tremendous environmental damage, a more sustainable and environmental friendly practice in the form of hydroponic farming is the need of hour. Hydroponic farming is essentially soilless farming with or without any medium. This may be practiced indoor, outdoors and also inside greenhouses. As a result, this farming system presents greater flexibility in terms of control of various physical factors. The net result is that hydroponic farming systems are more efficient to conventional farming methods both in terms of yield and lesser water consumption. However, this comes at the cost of higher energy requirements which imply that this system is essentially limited to vegetables which command a higher price as compared to cereals. Further, this innovative farming means is having a positive social impact especially for marginal communities as it provides a subsistence means. Also, since this system is less prone to pests and diseases, the usage of pesticides and weedicides is also reduced which is beneficial for the environment. Besides, this system is commercially viable and can prove to be a able support to conventional farming practices to ensure food security in the long run especially in wake of dynamic environment. References Barbosa, G.L., Gadelha, F.D., Kublik, N., Proctor, A., Reichelm, L., Weissinger, E., Wohlleb, G.M. and Halden, R. 2015, Comparison of Land, Water, and Energy Requirements of Lettuce Grown Using Hydroponicvs.Conventional Agricultural Methods, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), pp. 68796891. Brechner, M. Both, A.J. 2014,Cornell Controlled Environment Agriculture: Hydroponic Lettuce Handbook. [Online] Available from https://www.cornellcea.com/attachments/Cornell CEA Lettuce Handbook.pdf (Accessed January 30, 2017) Gray, K. 2015, HOW WE'LL GROW FOOD IN THE FUTURE, [Online] Available from https://www.popsci.com/farms-grow-up-thanks-to-technology (Accessed January 30, 2017) Isaacson, B. 2015, To feed Humankind, We need the farms of the Future Today, [Online] Available from https://europe.newsweek.com/feed-humankind-we-need-farms-future-today-335238?rm=eu (Accessed January 30, 2017) Jensen M.H. n.d., Deep flow hydroponicsPast, present and future. [Online] Available from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bbdb/7892e445cd8d1e25f0441a1e79e333a5d2f9.pdf(Accessed January 30, 2017) Killebrew, K. and Wolff, H. (2014), Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Technologies, [Online] Available from https://econ.washington.edu/files/2014/06/2010-Environmental-Impacts-of-Ag-Technologies.pdf (Accessed January 30, 2017) Kumar, R.R. and Cho, J.Y. 2014, Reuse of hydroponic waste solution, Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 21(16), pp. 9569-9577 Mims, C. 2016, Are Shipping Containers the Future of Farming?, [Online] Available from https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-shipping-containers-the-future-of-farming-1465393797 (Accessed January 30, 2017) Nally, B. 2016, Solar-Powered Hydroponics Could Be the Future of Agriculture, [Online] Available from https://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/35885-solar-powered-hydroponics-could-be-the-future-of-agriculture (Accessed January 30, 2017) Siegel, E. 2014, Dirt-Free Farming: Will Hydroponics (Finally) Take Off?, [Online] Available from https://modernfarmer.com/2013/06/dirt-free-farming-will-hydroponics-finally-take-off/ (Accessed January 30, 2017)

Macon Inc free essay sample

In the process of going from a non-project driven firm to a project-driven one, the greatest resistance might come from the executives including the board members, company owners and the vice president. The strong and rigid culture has been instilled in the company since 50 years and as a result, the presidents preaching fell on deaf ears. Authoritative support is necessary to execute such strategies and it seems that for Macon Inc. , that will be the most difficult one. Resistance will also surface among other groups like the line managers and engineers as there is a lack of accountability and cross-functional composition. The arrogant and accusing attitude of engineers towards the production group as well as vice presidents favoritism towards the mechanical department will be uprooted if excellent project management is executed, thereby they will resist the change. 2 What plan should be developed for achieving excellence in Project Management? The following systematic plan should be followed in order to achieve desirable results for project management: a A comprehensive list of current pit holes and improvement areas in Macon Inc. We will write a custom essay sample on Macon Inc or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page has to be compiled. For example a few of them could be: i Project Delays ii Customer Complaints iii Conflict within departments due to documentation iv Project failure due to uncontrolled scope This helps in recognizing the need for project management techniques implementation. a The second step will be to educate and convince the executive management including the board members and vice-president for the need of these techniques. Without executive support and acceptance, excellence in PM is impossible. b Next in line would be the line managers whose acceptance is critical due to changing functional roles leading to shared resources (employees) between line and project management. Without the cooperation of the line managers, employees will suffer from conflicts in dual-reporting standards. c After the acceptance of all stakeholders is achieved, actual growth begins and a project management methodology needs to be selected based on the major areas seeking improvement. A project tracking and monitoring system has to be in place for improved estimation of project life-cycle. d In the last step of maturity, continued training and refining is inevitable for good project management practices. Educational programs should be embedded as a part of employee and executive level training. e Excellence in PM goes beyond the maturity phase, where all the improvement areas have been addressed and the experience from mature PM combined with the deduced KPIs now allows the company to lead projects with a customer-focused approach. 3 How long will it take to achieve some degree of excellence? Implementing an efficient PM system requires some initial investment in developing the methodology and support systems for planning and scheduling. However, these costs will be offset by the additional benefits that it generates in term of efficiency and customer satisfaction. Only at this point, PM can be said to have benefited the company. This stage is called the maturity level where the processes and tools are in place to achieve successes in PM. With immediate support from the executive level, Macon Inc. could take close to 2 years to achieve a maturity phase. Built on the learnings and KPIs from the maturity phase, a degree of excellence follows. If PM practices are continued for each project along with correcting the realizations from each failure, a stage of excellence where there are almost all projects succeed, can take minimum 5 or more years. 4 Explain the potential risks to Macon if the customers experience with project management increases while Macons knowledge remains stagnant. If Macon does not adopt Project Management practices soon while the customers continue doing so, it might actually end up costing them a significant amount of clients, customers and hindering their bottom line. Some of the other implications are as follows: Losing Customers customers switch to those companies who have parallel Project Management processes as their own Decreased Profits Without Project Management, budget management will be poor and often resulting in cost overruns which lead to decreased profits An inability to cope with the Competition Schedule Delays leading to penalty payments or lost contract Inefficient Project Communications: Customers will actively seek one point of contact for all their queries but without Project Management, they may have unclear and changing communication channels

PROPOSITION 218 Essays - Property Taxes, Politics Of California

PROPOSITION 218 Essays - Property Taxes, Politics Of California PROPOSITION 218 Introduction California voters have spoken again. On November 6, they passed (56%) Proposition 218, marking the continued fiscal conservatism of the state's electorate and their frustration with what has been characterized as the arrogance and inefficiency of government. (SF Chronicle Staff, SF Chronicle: 11/6/96). As Bob Therrien of Ventura stated in his letter to the LA Times "Prop 13 and Prop 218 are the direct result of taxpayer abuse by our elected officials. Its time for government to do some serious soul-searching as to its duties, including the right of the people to have minimum intrusive government." (Therrien, LA Times, 10/13/96). There are two primary political impacts of Prop 218. The first is to take the power to levy taxes and assessments out of the hands of local government and put it into the hands of the general populace, and the second is to strengthen the control of the State government over local affairs. In essence, combined with Prop 13, local government officials have been told by its citizenry - here's a level of taxes, fees, charges and assessments you can collect from us without asking our permission for more. Mechanically, this is somewhat debilitating because getting voter approval is a slow and, often, expensive process. The schedule of elections does not allow for a rapid enough response to deal with the speed of today's demands. A case in point has already occurred in the City of Inglewood where the City has pulled back its offer to help finance a sports arena because Prop 218 knocked out taxes needed to support this effort and it would not be able to go before its voters until April 1997. This has given the City of Los Angeles "a leg up in getting a new sports facility at its downtown Convention Center" and may cause Inglewood to lose both the Lakers and the Kings, which would result in a significant negative financial impact. (Belgum & Merl, LA Times: 11/8/96).! In another example, the City of South Pasadena decided to cancel a special election for a utility tax which was scheduled in December and would have cost $25,000. (LA Times Staff, LA Times: 9/20/96). The LA Times, in a post-election article raised an interesting point when it said " the legislature and the governor must come to terms with the huge new burdens put on local governments... Sacramento, now flush with revenues, should help solve the problem by restoring property tax revenues to local government." (LA Times Staff, LA Times: 11/7/96). Although a potential short-term solution, it does give the State government an additional level of control of local government action (the other golden rule - he who has the gold rules) and, in effect, directly contradicts one of the intents of Prop 218's sponsors of putting more control in the hands of the local citizenry. It is my opinion that Prop 218 is another aspect of a developing trend toward a realignment of American society away from a representative democracy toward a desire for a general democracy (whether or not this will really work is another matter altogether). It is part of the citizenry's way of saying to both elected and appointed government officials that government has lost its trust. Background In 1978, the California electorate passed Prop 13 which set property taxes at a maximum rate of 1% of the property's assessed value and limited annual assessment increases to 2% until the property is sold, at which time the assessment adjusts to sales price, or there is construction or improvements to the property. Prop 13 also requires approval of two-thirds of the Legislature to raise state taxes and two-thirds of the local voters to raise special taxes. Since the passage of Prop 13, local government and the State Legislature have devised a number of ways to finance their operations. These have included increasing the use of assessments from capital specific to revenue general, expanding the use of Community Facilities Districts to charge "fees" citywide, and charging user type fees and taxes (i.e. - utility, hotel occupancy). Although challenged a number of times in court, California courts have, generally, upheld these practices. According to lawyers at O'Melveny & Myers (a major California law firm which represents many local governments), after a

A Book Review of Philip Dicks Blade Runner

This paper analyzes the novel Blade Runner, through the authors intent and history. This paper examines the novel, `Blade Runner,` through two important questions, what is the authors message and what is the historical importance of this novel? The paper gives a background to the science-fiction plot and the central theme of the book, human identity. It further focuses on the central character, Rick Deckard, and his role central to that theme. The work centers around the question of what it means to be human. San Francisco Police bounty hunter Rick Deckard tracks down renegade androids who have escaped from colony worlds and retires them. The catch is that these androids are so human-like in appearance that no one can tell from looking at them whether they are real (i.e. human) or not and so that Deckard has to determine what they are before he can know whether or not to kill them. He has, in other words, to be able to look into their souls, into their hearts.

Auditor Independence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Auditor Independence - Essay Example Each time such news grabs headlines questions are raised about the expected role of auditors to be the whistle blowers on first whiff of material fraud or manipulation and if they had compromised their role by losing their independence. Investigation into reasons for Enron failure in particular revealed that its auditors had colluded with the management in weaving a web of complex financial transactions creatively to help window dress the dwindling fortunes and losses in return for hefty non audit fee. The firm was found guilty and indicted which brought about break up of one of the five largest audit firms of the world namely Arthur Anderson. Now there are only four big audit firms in the world namely, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) Deloitte & Touch, KPMG and Ernst & Young, popularly known as the big four. Recently another big four firm namely Price Waterhouse Coopers' name has been dragged into another scandal of global proportions i.e., "Satyam", the software company based in India. This company had overstated its revenues for a number of years and falsified accounts to show nonexistent bank deposits. Once again the role of Auditors was reviewed and it is primarily concluded that the auditors had accommodated the management in creating the charade. The auditors responsible for signing the reports are behind bars for criminal conduct in rendering services. In Australia too there have been cases of failed entities like HIH Ltd and Harris Scarfe were both placed into administration in the 2001/2002 financial year and subsequent investigation revealed irregularities in the financial statements of both. Around the same time, the Australian companies One-Tel, Impulse Airlines, Ansett and Pasminco also collapsed, seemingly without warning, suggesting a deficiency in the corporate governance practices of these companies (Walker et al, 2008, p. 9). Just like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) of USA, CLERP 9 (Corporate Law and Economic Reform Program was enacted in response to public outcry over the seemingly expensive presence of auditors without commensurate accountability towards their functions to be discharged in an objective and honest manner. Thus a "conflict of interest" situation must be avoided by auditors. A formal enactment only strengthens and structures the conduct expected of auditors as a matter of best practice while discharging their duties. Explanatory Memorandum to CLERP 9 (4.19) states that the inclusion of an objective standard in the general auditor independence requirement is critical for enforcement purposes because objectivity, being a state of mind, is not, except in unusual circumstances, subject to direct proof. The difficulties associated with identifying a compromise of independence are also inherent in the nature of the audit process. Accordingly, the perception of auditor independence, as demonstrated by external facts and circumstances, under an objective standard takes on great importance. Main impact on audit function as a result of this legislation is summarised below: Partner rotation in all public interest entities with different partners namely engagement partner, the individual responsible for the engagement quality control review and other audit partners on the engagement team who are responsible for key decisions or

Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan - Essay Example The essay "Analysis of the Poem Kubla Khan" presents the analysis of the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Coleridge, one of the widely analyzed poems in history due to its deep, captivating nature and a manner with which it helps in the portrayal of an unconscious mind. The poem describes a place called Xanadu where Kubla Khan resides. The excitement of the narrator about the river (Alph) is seen in the second stanza, where the narrator tells of the canyon through which the river flows. Nevertheless, the romance of the river is exhibited with the narrator making the river a haunted, spooky place where one could find â€Å"a woman wailing for her demon lover.† The poet goes ahead to describe how the river leaps and strikes the canyons, by exploding into noisy fountains initially and then sinks to the underground caves where it is marred with silence. The romance brought about by the imaginative language of the poet concerning the river is interrupted by the narrator focusing again o n Kubla Khan. He describes Kubla Khan, who is listening to the noise created by the river, and thinks about war, as a message the noise transcends. The smooth, beautiful and colorful rhythm of the landscape as painted by the narrator is interrupted in the fourth stanza by the narrator telling about another vision where a woman was playing an instrument and singing. The memory of the song sang by the woman fills the narrator with longing, and the narrator imagines himself singing his own song and using the song to create a vision of Xanadu.

Chap 2 Homework Essay Example for Free

Chap 2 Homework Essay 1. Performance, Reliability and responsiveness, Serviceability, and Aesthetics are all significant dimensions of quality in fast food restaurants. First of all, the performance and serviceability of a fast food restaurant is very important because like the name states â€Å"fast food† is exactly that†¦ fast! So in order for it to be considered a fast food establishment it if very important to keep up the flow of traffic in and out of the drive thru and the dining room in a timely and efficient manner without compromising the quality of the food. The second thing is to provide reliability and responsive services for a fast food restaurant such as customer service. If customer service is poor and the food isn’t prepared properly or your orders keep getting messed up then by their bad experience word of mouth will spread and it could drive people away from the establishment and they will begin searching for other places to eat. The last form of quality I believe a fast food restaurant should have is Aesthetics or the way the restaurant looks and smells. For example, we went to Golden Corral a long time ago and it literally smelled like feces. It made eating there hard to do because it stunk so badly. Come to find out they had a sewer leak and had to get it repaired but my family and I stopped going there for quite a long time until it was fixed. It is very important that the facility is clean without debris and trash around it and that even the inside facility is kept up with clean bathrooms, tables wiped and floors mopped. In order to exceed my expectations I would expect to run thru the drive thru and hear a happy or courteous person over the speaker that’s not rushing me to make a decision, acknowledgment when I pay and prompt service when I reach the food window. I would also expect that my food be prepared like I asked and that there be condiments or utensils necessary for me to eat or drink my food in the bag. 2. One way that productivity could have been improved is when Jon (the cashier) needed more batteries for his headset, he could have asked someone else or his manager in the kitchen to obtain them for him so that he could have remained at the window with the customer to receive his payment. Therefore, none of the confusion with the other orders would have happened. 3. Employees Materials Needed Services Provided Jon (Cashier) Batteries for headset Took customer order, and accepted payment Supervisor None Corrected order error on computer Mary/third employee Napkins Handed customer order and napkins List of Improvements: Jon could have asked for assistance in obtaining the batteries for his headset to prevent any confusion with the orders and remained at the window with his customer. The Supervisor should have acknowledged the customer and asked how the customers’ service was and if there was anything he could do for the customer for any inconvenience. Mary should have paid more attention to the customer at her window and his needs, therefore he wouldn’t have had to ask twice for napkins.

Coral Reefs Essay -- Ecology Environment Environmental Essays

Coral Reefs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coral reefs are one of the oldest types of living systems on earth, and certainly one of the most spectacular (Goreau, 1987). They are massive underwater structures formed by the limestone skeletons of tiny invertebrate animals. Reefs house a greater diversity of body forms, chemistry, and animal phyla (thirty-two compared to the eight that inhabit the most biodiversity ecosystems on land). Phyla comprise the second largest category of living things, after kingdoms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coral animals begin life as free-floating larvae, but settle on the sea floor in sedentary colonies. The term "coral" applies both to these animals and to their skeletons, particularly the skeletons of stone-like corals (Discover 1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many different organisms, including mollusks, sponges, and worms, help shape reefs, but hard corals and various algae are the major architects. In effect, the corals build limestone, because their skeletons are made of Calcium Carbonate. The skeletons deposited by these corals and other organisms accumulate, along with sand and other debris, to form the backbone of the reef. Over tens of thousands of years, chemical and mechanical changes turn the reef into true rock (Alstyne and Paul, 1988).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The body of a coral animal consists of a polyp, which is the living portion of the coral. A polyp is a hollow, cylindrical structure attached at one end to a surface, the other end is a mouth surrounded by tentacles, which gather food and can sting prey to paralyze it. Polyps live in colonies, which grow from 1 to 7 inches, depending on the species. Coral polyps are classified as animals. Microscopic algae live within the animal tissues in a symbiotic relationship. The algae turn sunlight into carbon and sugars, which are then available to the polyp. In turn the polyp filters particles out of the water and excretes waste (nitrogen and phosphorus) that becomes available to the symbiotic algae. It's this very tight nutrient recycling within the coral itself that allows these corals to live in very low nutrient waters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are three kinds of reefs: atolls, barrier reefs, and fringing reefs. Atolls are formed out in the middle of the ocean by volcanic subsidence, while fringing and barrier reefs form near continents. Florida contains both of these kinds of reefs, not as far offshore as Australia's Great Barrier Reef, b... ...al life. Another way that corral growth is controlled is by the weather. All of these are natural occurrences. This should not be confused with human use and disruption which does major harm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fourth and final principle of sustainability is that biodiversity must be maintained. This is where we are playing a devastating role to the survival to the reefs. Through human waste and consumption time will only tell if they will survive. I hope that by reading this paper someday we can make a difference. Works Cited: â€Å"Coral Color.† November 1997. Discover Magazine-Current Clips. P10 Cousteau, J. Y. 1985. The Ocean World. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, NY, pp. 174-175. Goreau, Thomas. August 1987. â€Å"Coral and Coral Parks.† Scientific American. V113:34-36 Luoma, Jon R. Nov. 1996. â€Å"Reef Madness† Audubon. V98: n6. P24(3). Richmond, R. H. 1993. â€Å"Coral Reefs: Present problems and Future Concerns Resulting form Anthropogenic Disturbance.† American Zoologist. V33: P524-536. Van Alstyne, K. L. and V. J. Paul. 1988. â€Å"The Role of Secondary Metabolites in Marine Ecological Interactions.† Proceedings of the 6th International Coral Reef Symposium, Australia, Vol. 1.

Book report: sula Essay

Sula is a novel written by Toni Morrison about uncertainty. The novel embarks into the ideas of good and evil and how these two can sometimes become similar. The novel looks into the unsolved mysteries of human emotions and relationships. In the end, the author ultimately concludes that social conventions are insufficient as a basis in living one’s life and that there are far more significant matters to life than these. The novel (Sula, 2002) looks at the many different ways in which people employ to make their lives more meaningful by defying easy answers, signifying the ambiguity, beauty and terror of life, in its triumphs and horrors. The novel has been written by Morrison (2002) from the philosophical nature while having her personal insights or experiences fill some of the novel’s pages. She managed to show both good and evil and that two women can actually become one by presenting the lives of two friends who are the main protagonists. The novel revolves around Bottom which is a mostly black community in Ohio, located in the hills above the community of Medallion. The novel tells about the special friendship of Nel and Sula who come from varying levels. Nel is a product of a family that believes profoundly in social conventions. She comes from a stable home. Nel is unsure of the conservative life her mother, Helene, wants for her. Nel’s doubts become more pronounced when she meets her grandmother Rochelle, a former prostitute and the only unconventional woman in her family line. Meanwhile, Sula’s family is different from that of Nel. Sula lives with her grandmother, Eva and her mother, Hannah, who are being viewed by the people as eccentric and loose. Their house serves as a home for three informally adopted boys all named Dewey and a perpetual number of borders. Sula and Nel may be different but they become attached with each other during their adolescent years until a traumatic accident changed all that. Sula accidentally dropped a boy named Chicken Little in a river and drowned when she losses her grip to the boy as he swung him around her hands. The two never told anyone about the accident having no intention of harming the boy. Soon, they simply grew apart. Eventually, Nel married and settled into the conventional role of wife and mother. Sula, on the other hand, took a different path and lived a life of independence and total disdain for social conventions. When she left her community, Sula had many affairs with men, some of whom were white. When she found others doing the same routine, she easily got bored and went back to the Bottom and to her friend Nel after 10 years. Because of her past, the town regarded Sula as an epitome of evil because of her obvious disregard of social conventions. Sula will soon develop an affair with her friend’s husband Jude who later abandoned Nel. This led to the breakup of the friendship of the two characters. Sula’s evilness somehow improved the lives of people in the community by providing them the motivation to live harmoniously with one another. Sula and Nel renewed their friendship before the former died. The novel is filled with a string of colorful characters in the persons of the following. Cecile is Helene’s strict and religious grandmother. She raised Helene since birth and made her marry Wiley Wright who happens to be her grand nephew. Nel, meanwhile, is the daughter of Helene, who developed an intense friendship with Sula in her adolescent years Nel marries Jude in the novel and was later abandoned by him. The other characters are Chicken Little who is a neighborhood boy who Sula accidentally dropped into the river and drowned when Sula swung him around by his hands. The Deweys are Eva’s three adopted children she all named Dewey. The three looked different from each other but people somehow saw them looked alike. The Deweys did not grow into full adult size. Old Willy Fields is another character in the novel who is an elderly in the local hospital. Mr. Finley is a resident of the Bottom who choked to death from a chicken bone soon after Sula returned to the community. Jude Greene is Nel’s husband and works as a waiter in the Hotel Medallion. Ajax is the oldest from seven siblings who had lovers fighting over him Ajax’s only true loves were his mother, a conjure woman and airplanes. He had a distinct way of instilling the most ordinary words with power. BoyBoy peach was Eva’s husband who abandoned her when the three children were still small. Eva worked so hard to keep her family away from hunger. She later became the energetic matriarch over a busy household, which included Hannah, Sula, Ralph, Tar Baby, the Deweys, among others. Hannah Peace is Eva’s oldest child. She moved back in with her mother after her husband, Rekus, died when their daughter, Sula, was three years old. Like her mother, Hannah loves â€Å"maleness. † She has frequent, brief affairs with the men who take her fancy. Many women resent her, but they don’t hate her. Men don’t gossip about her because she is a kind and generous woman. They often defend her against the harsh words of their wives. Pearl is Eva’s second child who married at the tender age of 14 and moved to Flint, Michigan. Ralph, nicknamed Plum, is Eva’s youngest and best-loved child who fought in the First World War and returned home with disturbing memories and an addiction to heroin. Rekus was Hannah’s husband and Sula’s father who died when Sula was only three years old. The novel is an interesting read. Anyone can easily relate with the characters presented. Good and evil may seem different, but like Morrison (2002) emphasized, the two may also appear similar. We can look at it at the way we view life. The evil actually teaches us to be string individuals and they pose as challenges for us to take. Without them, we may not be able to achieve the ultimate goodness. Work Cited: Toni Morrison, Sula. Plume; Oprah edition (April 5, 2002)

Bismark and the Unification of Germany Essay

1. a. The reference made here to ‘our national development won in 1866’ is an allusion to the additional power Prussia gained after its â€Å"Seven Week’s War† with Austria in 1866, which changed the balance of power in the German states, making Prussia, in stead of the now-defeated Austria, the leader of the Germanic countries. b. The â€Å"heredetary Prince of Hohenzollern† is actually the prince from the Prussian royal family chosen by the Spanish to be their leader. France had complained, and sent an ambassador to the Prussian king to get his assurance that the prince would forever renounce the Spanish throne. The king refused, and wrote a telegram to Bismarck telling him of this. This telegram (though modified here) is the one published in Germany by Bismarck in order to gain public support for a war on France. 2. The source of the telegram had been Ems, where the Prussian King was taking a leave of absence. The king sent this telegram to Bismarck to inform him of the turn of events pertaining to the French ambassador. The ambassador had wanted the king to agree that he would bind himself â€Å"for all future time never again to give his consent if the Hohenzollerns should renew their candidature†1, meaning that the king would agree to never again let any person from the Prussian royal family take power in Spain. 3. Prussia was â€Å"compelled† to go to war with France in the sense that Prussian nationalists and the public demanded it, as an upholding of Prussian honor. If Prussia did not go to war with France, it would seem as if it was afraid of her and her (Prussia’s) respect among other countries, and her own people, would be diminished. What Bismarck fundamentally means is that Prussia had to uphold her honor in the face of French insults. 4. Doc. B, that is to say the excerpt from Bismarck’s memoirs, shows us that Bismarck is above all skilled at justifying himself: he very well tells us that Prussia was â€Å"compelled† to go to war France, whereas any logical deduction would dictate it was not so. However, he also shows himself to be a master politician, taking into account among other things public opinion, and being able to both manipulate it and recognize its importance. We also are shown that he is not at all shy about using deception and propaganda to achieve his aims: it was the omissions from the Ems telegram, when it was sent to be published, which made a public furor and gave Bismarck, and Napoleon III, the public backing for war. Of his aims, more is clear: it is apparent, especially if one knows the context in which this event takes place, that Bismarck wants to expand Prussian control and power, by reducing those of others. He had already done this with Austria, and now again he wanted to prove Prussia’s power against France. 5. a. This comic, or caricature as it might be called, is a very interesting doorway to comprehending Bismarck’s philosophy. In it, he is pictured in the process of breaking eggs, and saying to the kitchen maid (who could be taken to be the King of Prussia) â€Å"you can’t make omelets without breaking eggs†. This can be taken to mean that Bismarck is saying that in order to make something good (or better), one has to unavoidably destroy other things. Taken like this, it would seem that he is saying that in order to make Prussia greater, one inevitably ruffles some feathers. b. The usefulness of these documents is severely limited: the first is a caricature, a drawing, so maybe the artist compressed the message he wanted to give, so that it would go with the image, thereby destroying some of its authenticity. However, this ‘compression’ thereby allows a very large amount of information to be presented in a format comprehensible by a very large body of people (drawings). The second document (B) is somewhat different: it is an excerpt from Bismarck’s memoirs. The problem with this format is that Bismarck perchance was not totally forthcoming in these writings, knowing they would become public. Also, written by Bismarck, they would tend to show only one (the Prussian) side of the story. However, the memoir gives us also a rare insight into the thoughts of one of history’s greatest men. Sources As a general guide for context, the following source(s) were used: * Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) Online Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001 – Article(s): â€Å"Bismarck, Prince Otto Eduard Leopold von† (c)Microsoft Corp. 1997-2000 (c) All rights reserved 1 From Reflections and Reminiscences, Otto von Bismarck. This is a quote from the telegram as it was published, in its modified form, in Germany.

Ancestry and Family Tree of President Ronald Reagan

Ancestry and Family Tree of President Ronald Reagan A well-loved Hollywood actor, Ronald Reagan appeared in over 50 feature films. In 1966, he was elected as governor of California and, in 1980, he became the 40th president of the United States (1981-1989) Born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Wilson Reagan was the second son of John (Jack) Reagan and Nelle Wilson. He was the great-grandson, on his fathers side, of Irish immigrants who came to America through Canada in the 1940s. His mother was of Scottish and English ancestry. Learn about his other family members using this family tree, which is presented by generation. First Generation 1. Ronald Wilson REAGAN was born on 6 Feb 1911 in Tampico, Illinois and died on 5 Jun 2004. He is buried on the grounds of the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, Ventura Co., CA. In 1950, Ronald Reagan married actress Sarah Jane Mayfield (stage name Jane Wyman). They had two girls- Maureen Elizabeth born in 1941 and Christine who died at birth in 1947. In 1945 they adopted a baby boy named Michael. Jane and Ronald divorced in 1948 and, on 4 March 1952 Ronald Reagan married another actress, Nancy Davis (born 6 July 1921). Named Anne Francis Robbins at birth, Nancy took the surname Davis when her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, adopted her in 1935. Nancy and Ronald had two children- Patricia Ann (Patti) in 1952 and Ronald Prescott in 1958. Second Generation (Parents) 2. John Edward (Jack) REAGAN was born on 13 Jul 1883 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. He died on 18 May 1941 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA. 3. Nelle Clyde WILSON was born on 24 Jul 1883 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. She died on 25 Jul 1962 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles Co., CA. John Edward (Jack) REAGAN and Nelle Clyde WILSON were married on 8 Nov 1904 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL and had the following children: i. John Neil REAGAN was born on 16 Sep 1909 in Tampico, Illinois.1 ii. Ronald Wilson REAGAN Third Generation (Grandparents) 4. John Michael REAGAN1,2 was born on 29 May 1854 in Peckham, Kent, England. He died of tuberculosis on 10 Mar 1889 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. 5. Jennie CUSICK1 was born about 1854 in Dixon, Lee Co., IL. She died of tuberculosis on 19 Nov 1886 in Whiteside Co., IL. John Michael REAGAN and Jennie CUSICK were married on 27 Feb 1878 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL3 and had the following children: i. Catherine (Katy) REAGAN1 was born in Jul 1879 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL.1ii. William REAGAN was born on 10 Jan 1881 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. He died on 19 Sep 1925 in Dixon, Lee Co., IL.2 iii. John Edward (Jack) REAGANiv. Anna REAGAN was born on 14 May 1885 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. 6. Thomas WILSON4,5 was born on 28 Apr 1844 in Clyde, Whiteside Co., IL. He died on 12 Dec 1909 in Whiteside Co., IL. 7. Mary Ann ELSEY4,5 was born on 28 Dec 1843 in Epson, Surrey, England. She died on 6 Oct 1900 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL. Thomas WILSON and Mary Ann ELSEY were married on 25 Jan 1866 in Morrison, Whiteside Co., IL and had the following children: i. Emily WILSON4,5 was born on 12 Nov 1867 in Clyde, Whiteside Co., Illinois.ii. John WILSON4,5 was born on 9 Oct 1869 in Clyde, Whiteside Co., Illinois. He died on 21 Jun 1942 in Clinton, Iowa.iii. Jennie WILSON5 was born on 16 Jun 1872 in Illinois. She died on 8 Mar 1920.iv. Alexander Thomas WILSON5 was born on 30 Mar 1874 in Illinois. He died on 26 Apr 1962.v. George O. WILSON5 was born on 2 Mar 1876 in Illinois. He died on 3 Apr 1951 in Clinton, Iowa.vi. Mary Lavinia WILSON5 was born on 6 Apr 1879 in Illinois. She died on 6 Sep 1951 in Fulton, Whiteside Co., IL.3 vii. Nelle Clyde WILSON

HRD 350 ch #2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HRD 350 ch #2 - Assignment Example The Trade unions have the mandate of conducting strikes against the employers. Strike is considered to be the last option, but when negotiations reaches impasse, strike is taken to be the only bargaining instrument for the workers. The trade unions are divided into industrial and craft unions. Craft union is composed of employees that perform a specific trade like printers, carpenters, and plumbers. In US, the craft unions are represented by various national organisations. In 1930s, various AFL unions that seek a national organization of workers came up with the Committee for Industrial Organization. The CIO organised all the industrial workers working with rubber plants, steel, and automobile. The Membership in trade unions has been on the descending trend since 1950. This has led to a decline in the number of employees found in the mmmanufacturing sector. In 1995, the union membership comprised of 15% of the work force. This is compared with 34.7% that was in 1954 (Harrod,

Abraham Lincoln-6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abraham Lincoln-6 - Essay Example As a wartime president, Abraham served as the principal commander of armies (Dirck 20). This entitled him to the obligation of deciding and implementing war policies. For instance, Lincoln devised the union plan that required armies to liaise towards defeating the opponent. Lincoln also established strategies that guided the militia. This ensured that they operated in unison because of observation of regulations. In addition, Abraham defeated armies that failed to conform to the union. This became possible by mobilizing union armies that would defeat the Confederate counterparts (Dirck 20). Therefore, the adoption of strategy enabled armies to fight with corporation. He thus ascertained that the North region outdid the war dealings in the southern hemisphere. Lincoln possessed powers over the armies and outplayed orders concerning military executions. During wartime, Abraham ascertained that Republican Party displayed compactness. This explicates that Lincoln displayed equal treatments to all the fronts and culminated to members feeling that the party favored their existence. He also involved efforts of recruiting blacks into the army to ensure fairness. This depicted equality stated in the charter that regulated states. However, his ideology of recruiting blacks faced protest from democrats plus republicans. This draws explications from issues of race and information that Whites encompassed a superior ranking compared to African Americans. Therefore, Lincoln strategized his military role under the Republican alliance. In addition to war, Abraham entails depictions of an enthusiastic anti-slave campaigner. He pioneered in counteracting slavery by introducing an emancipation policy (Myers 726). The policy meant that those owning enslaved people to free them. This measure aimed at giving liberty to enslaved men. Therefore, Abraham urged the freeing of slaves and forced those refuting the order to comply. This culminated to slaves enjoying the freedom like

Abuse of adult learning disability in residential homes Essay

Abuse of adult learning disability in residential homes - Essay Example The term Learning disability is used to address those people who function at an intellectual level which is considerably lower that that of the average people in the community (Thomas and Woods, 2003, p. 11). Learning disabilities is the general phrase that is used to refer to a varied group of disorders marked by considerable difficulties in the acquirement and use of listening, verbal communication, reading, writing, interpretation, or mathematical abilities. These disorders are inherent to the individual, supposed to be owing to central nervous system dysfunction, and may crop up across the life span. Difficulties in self-regulatory actions, social awareness, and social relations may take place along with learning disabilities, however, these by themselves do not form a learning disability. While learning disabilities may transpire in tandem with other handicapping disorders such as sensory damage, mental retardation, social and emotive disorders or with environmental influences ( like cultural differences, inadequate or inappropriate instruction, psychogenic issues), it is however not the consequence of those conditions or effects. Simply stated, learning disability is a broader expression that encompasses a wide and varied group of syndromes relating to information processing, together with disorders in one or more of the necessary processes involved in comprehending or making use of spoken or written language (Corley and Taymans, 2002, p. 45-46). Adults with learning disabilities are liable to experience problems that considerably affect their academic accomplishments and their lives. Learning disability is often synonymously used with Intellectual Disability (Thomas and Woods, 2003, p. 18). Adults having learning difficulties need a variety of skills and capabilities to deal with their disabilities in edification, training and employment situations. Appropriate assessment is considered as the first step for applying any other strategies and

Smile and the World Smiles Back at You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smile and the World Smiles Back at You - Essay Example According to Grandey, Fisk, Matilla, Jansen, and Sideman (2005a), it is particularly important to appear both competent and likeable in making a good impression. Any part of the body can be used in nonverbal communication. However, one part, the face, is the most expressive. Various parts of the face and how they are used are strong ways of communicating: eye contact, frowning, dropping one's jaw, pouting, crying, smiling, and more. Though each of these topics can be a paper in and of themselves, it is the last - smiling - that will be the focus of this paper, specifically its role in retail sales. The paper will look at two factors: 1) Whether the salesperson smiled at a new customer as a function of whether the salespersons' previous customer interaction resulted in a sale or not and, 2) Whether the different conditions (smile/no-smile) led to a visibly different response (positive/engaged or negative/distanced) from the new customer. Further detail on the research hypotheses will be presented at the end of this section. There is a lot of literature on nonverbal communication and smiling. ... Duchenne smiles use specific muscles around the cheeks and the eyes, and raise the cheeks. Some authors refer to these as a "felt" or "authentic" smiles, and they are consistently preferred by observers to the non-Duchenne smile as reported by Ekman, 1992; Ekman & Friesen, 1982; and Frank, Ekman, & Friesen, 1993 (as cited in Grandey et al. 2005a). This division, while valuable for some research, also makes comparing research studies difficult as not all studies detail the "type" of smile of the person being observed. In addition, not all researchers are knowledgeable in the differences between the two types and how to assess if a subject (i.e. observed salesperson during field study) exhibited one or the other. However, given the many references to the two types of smiles, it is important to discuss the two types here. Swinyard (2003) completed a complex, multi-hypotheses study on the effect of salesperson mood, shopper behavior, and customer service looking at two store types (department store, discount store). He did not, however, articulate how "mood" was shown in the study, thus introducing complications, such as whether a smile (seemingly evidence of a good mood) was Duchenne or non-Duchenne, and the possible impact that might have had. Expectedly, he found that "store salespeople in a good mood will provide better customer service than those in a bad mood." This may seem to be a statement of the obvious, but "better customer service" is a hallmark of successful companies, particularly as he cited, Nordstrom. "Better customer service" does not always have to be complicated, it can be a genuine smile and a warm greeting. Hall and Horgan (2003) substantiate the

The Duties Of A Social Worker Social Work Essay

The Duties Of A Social Worker Social Work Essay The beginnings of community care date back the Griffiths Report in 1988, particular Community Care: Agenda for Action and the government White Paper Caring for People. (Guthrie; 2011) The papers emphasised choice, independence and involvement service users and carers. A series of shifting strategies and priorities developed such as; move from institutionalisation to promote independent living within community, from service led to needs led provision. (Petch; 2008) In 1990, the NHS and Community Care Act (NHSCCA1990) was introduced that draws attention to the term care in the community which for many service providers opened door to market of services, leading to privatisation and managerialism. (Ferguson Woodward; 2009) Although community care was introduced by the NHSCCA1990, this operated in Scotland to amend the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (SW(S)A1968). The addition of section S12(a) into the SW(S)A1968 created a duty to assess the needs of the individual who may require serv ices. Potentially the statutory legislation that could be used in the case of Mrs. Sheerer are; Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, (MH(CT)(S)A2003), Adults with Incapacity Act 2000 (AWI(S)A2000), mentioned above SW(S)A1968 amended under section 13(za) and Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (ASP(S)A2007). (Mackay; 2008) It seems to be very unlikely to use MH(CT)(S)A2003 because there are no clear evidence that Mrs. Sheerer suffer a mental disorder, defines as; a mental illness, personality disorder or learning disability which is caused or manifested S328(1) of MH(CT)(S)A2003. She also based on information provided, does not appear to put herself or others on significant risk and her decision making is not obviously impaired. It is worth noting that the act is very controversial due to impact of stigma, coercion and breaching of human rights. The AWI(S)A2000 could be used on the grounds that Mrs. Sheerer is deemed to lack capacity to make decision in relation to her future care needs, S1(6) of AWI(S)A2000 states incapable means incapable of making decision and this seems to be relevant to the case. It is important to note based on legislation that if Mrs. Sheerer is unable to make decision in some areas, she is likely to take decisions in others. In Scottish law, there must be clear evidence that a person lack of capacity before any action will be permitted. (Scottish Government; 2008) However, in England and Wales the same rule is statutory, the adult must be assumed to have capacity unless proven otherwise as stated in S1 of Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA2005). It may be questioned if Mrs. Sheerer actually lack of capacity, based on single SMART test in hospital condition. Hospital could exacerbate confusion, as a result of unfamiliarity, lack of sleep, medication or pain. When intervening in Mrs. Sheerer live, the princ iples defines in S1 of AWI(S)A2000 must be taken into account such as; intervention will benefit the adult and will be least restrictive option in relation to the freedom of Mrs Sheerer. Account shall be taken of the present and past wishes and feeling of service user and the views of other relevant people. It is worth noting that principle three only requires views are taken into account but it does not mean they are given effect to. The principle four of the AWI(S)A2000, to promote the participation in decision making, is slightly different in England and Wales, where decisions being taken in the best interest of and adults according to S1(5) of MCA2005. It is important to check if Mrs. Sheerer did not take advantage of the options such as; negotiorum gestio, which allow the authorised person to act on the behalf of an incapable adult, attorneys or guardians to take decision on behalf of an adult. An attorney is appointed by the person before lost of capacity, at the presence of t he solicitor whereas, a guardian is appointed by the sheriff court. (Guthrie; 2011) Application for a guardianship order when Mrs. Sheerer is in hospital ready to discharge, could cause unnecessary process known as delayed discharge code 51X. (Scottish Government, 2010) The delays in guardianship order could be caused, by difficulties in obtaining legal aid by relatives. If social worker felt the delay in discharge result in negative consequences for Mrs. Sheerer, it would be considered taking over the guardianship application. To apply a guardian Mrs. Sheerer according to S57 of AWI(S)A2000 must be incapable and it must be likely that incapacity will continue. Therefore, the application for the guardian could be irrelevant in a situation of Mrs. Sheerer because there are no evidences of continuity of incapacity and the current state can only be temporary. If Mrs. Sheerer was not able to make decision, only for a short period of time, regarding her welfare or finance, where decision had to be made quickly, a social worker of behalf of local authority has duty to apply for an intervention order under S53 of AWI(S)A2000. Potentially AWI(S)A2000 could be used to imposed care at home or residential care to Mrs. Sheerer. Assuming that Mrs. Sheerer does not have appointees and lack of capacity to make decision about future care needs, it would has to be considered if the application for an order under the AWI(S)A2000 is necessary or alternatively use the power of the SW(S)A1968 amended under section 13(za). This section, give social worker a power to provide community care services that has been assessed as needed to Mrs. Sheerer due to incapability to consent receiving such services. In accordance with S13(za) of SW(S)A1968 Mrs. Sheerer could be move to care home or agree with proposed care intervention. Before using any of those two acts, the issues to discuss are; adoption of principles, deprivation of liberty, assessment of needs and risk as well as financial arrangements. The last but not least legal option to consider is ASP(S)A2007, the act refers to the law that concerns not only protection but providing support to promote independence and welfare of service user. Mrs. Sheerer meets two condition of the act to be applied such as; she is at risk and may need protection of well-being, due to her lack of capacity, poor nutrition as well as risk of falls. The ASP(S)A2007 gives social worker working on behalf of local authority duty to investigate and assess Mrs. Sheerer. Most of assessments are undertaken on a voluntary basis but the act gives power to assess without consent of service user and is known as the first of three protection orders. (Mackay: 2008a) The act also established a duty to cooperate between agencies and creates multi-disciplinary Adults Protection Committees to implement, monitor and support the work. One could envisage that the use of ASP(S)A2007 seems to be the most appropriate option because is the less restrictive according to Mackay (2008) pyramid of statutory intervention. What is more, the act itself does not stigmatise, the least breach human right or freedom. It will give social worker time to get know and build better relationship with Mrs. Sheers. Consequently, it will result in having more information and better picture of situation. When using ASP(S)A2007 one assume Mrs. Sheerers situation could be caused by experiencing some difficulties in her life or even suffer distress such as bereavement, lost or abuse. The intervention in Mrs. Sheerer live will depend on many factors to be discussed; service users opinion, adaptability of house to current needs, the condition of house and accessibility, opinions of other professional and relatives. One might expect that Mrs Sheerer, regardless of age but due to femur fracture will require intense home care services or adaptatio n of the house such as; raised toilet seat, grab or lifting handles, community alarm, hospital bed or others. The application of the above will be possible under S13(za) of SW(S)1968 envisaging that Mrs. Sheerer expresses consent to such services to be provided. Social worker has duty to assess the needs of Mrs. Sheerer under ASP(S)2007 but the consent to provide services is needed to use S13(za) of SW(S)A1968. Otherwise, social worker could take action under AWIA(S)2000. The principles of these acts required to take the view of Mrs. Sheerer and carers if involved, into account when deciding what services to provide, this is also in accordance with Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 (CCH(S)A2002) amended under S12(a) of the SW(S)A1968. It is worth pointing out that Mrs. Sheerer was nutritionally compromise but had home care services and limited family intervention. This raises the questions of why it was not noticed, how adequate is the result of SMART test in hospital co nditions and how this had affected Mrs. Sheerer. There are a lot of speculations and factors to consider but taking into account the limited information that were given and assuming social worker investigates this case for the first time, it seems be discriminative to use other legislation. One must remember that legislative context of intervention, mainly, is driven by the relationship between social worker and service user, which is a core element to success intervention in social work. It is an important source of information to understand the reality behind the situation and how best to help. Wilson et al. (2008: p.7) referring to relationship-based practice called it the medium through which social worker can engage with and intervene in the complexity of internal and external world of service user. This part of the essay examines responsibilities, rights and role of people involved. The legislation gives the social worker acting on behalf of local authority a general responsibility to promote well being, to minimise the effect of intervention and give an adult the opportunity to lead as normal live as possible. Local authority is responsible for assessing needs for community care services, arranging and providing these services as well as cooperation with other professionals such as; occupational therapist, housing officers, GPs. This is according to the integration agenda between health and social care services. (Age Scotland, 2011) Social worker has statutory duties underpinned not only by the law but also professional codes and values. Expectation of social work profession is presented in code of ethics issued by British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and code of practice represented by Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). Social work values grew on the idea of respect for the equality, worth and dignity of all people. Human rights and social justice are at the heart of social work intervention. The five principles indicates by BASW (2012) regarding human rights are; to promote and respect well being, support people to make own choices and decisions, promote involvement, participation and empowerment of people using services, treating each person as a whole to recognise all aspects of service users life, identifying and developing strengths. While, code of practice (SSSC; 2007) requires; to protect the right and promote the interest of service user, maintain the trust and confidence, promote independ ence while protecting from harm and danger, respect the rights of service user. The Scottish Parliament and public authorities are required to uphold the European Convention of Human Rights, incorporated into the UK law through Human Rights Act 1998. (Johns; 2008) It can be in some cases that the law can breach human rights. Therefore, in relation to Mrs. Sheerer social worker most of all has to respect, Mrs. Sheerers right to liberty and security, the article five established three conditions to be met before it will be breached such as certified mental disorder within significant degree and persistency. Article eight states that Mrs. Sheerer has the right to privacy, family life, home and correspondence. (Johns, 2008) She also has the right to access a solicitor or advocacy included under S6 of ASP(S)A2007. The role of social worker will be to ensure Mrs. Sheerer understand legal processes and if she is aware of her rights. The legislation framework is complex, consequently; information given must make sense and be understandable for service user, the role of social worker is to take time to explain and answer questions. Social worker must use appropriate and effective method of communication and skills to understand and to be understood. The aim is to support Mrs. Sheerer to make informed choices as far as possible. Social worker must ensure that Mrs. Sheerers views are heard and she understands a situation. There are six core roles of social worker such as; case worker, advocate, partner, assessor of risk and needs, care manger, agent of social control. The above roles are affected by changes in wider social context, welfare policy and ideology like for example demographic changes, communications technologies, consumerism etc. (Scottish Government; 2005) Social worker role is to work together with Mrs. Sheerer to assist her to address personal issues, provide information and advocacy. Provide services to meet the needs of service user and not to try to fix Mrs. Sheerer to services available. This part of the essay attempts to show the prospects of anti-discrimination, participation and empowerment in social work. Social worker is obligated by law, values and ethics to support and work with service user in anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory way. Knowledge and understanding of professional codes such as; BASW and SSSC is crucial in being aware of anti-discriminatory practice in social work by defining rights and responsibilities. The anti-discriminatory trends in social work values and practice are deeply rooted in radical social work that aims to work towards a society based on equality, justice and involvement. According to the maxim popularised by Marx from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. (Doel; 2012, p. 27) Social justice is still a basic value in social work practice. Dalrymple and Burke (2006) refer to emancipator issues that driven contemporary social work such as social justice, empowerment, partnership and minimal intervention. Participation is a key element in the development of anti-discriminatory practice. Wilson (2008) refers to involvement of service user in social work practice based on partnership and empowerment. The term partnership is used to refer to practice, based on working with service users, towards together agreed goals, rather than doing things for them. (Thomson, 2011) Dalrymple and Burke (2006) defined partnership as process of information sharing and involvement in decision-making. Taking the above into account social worker have to involve Mrs. Sheerer in the process of decision making and intervention such as defining needs, decide how best to help, implementing, agreeing and evaluating. Empowerment is not simply a matter of facilitating or enabling. It also involves taking account of the disadvantage and oppression that are so characteristic of the service user day to day experiences. (Thompson, 2008) Work in anti-discriminatory way means to see Mrs. Sheerer within her wide social c ontext include environmental, societal and cultural factors such as race, gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability and so on. The last section of the essay assesses social policy that inform legislative context of this case. It is seems to be clear that social worker needs to work in integration with other professionals within all aspects of assessment and intervention process. The legislation defines responsibilities in social work but social policies outline a plan of action, a set of rules that guide practice. The first significant policy in terms of promoting partnership working across health, housing and social care is Joint Future 2000. This is a unique partnership between the Scottish Executive, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) and NHS Scotland that focus on to improve joint working through financing join services, management and resources. A key component of Joint Future has been development of Single Shared Assessment (SSA) that aims to shorten and improve flow of information between professionals and agencies, avoid duplication, provide faster access to support with less bureaucracy. (Age Scotland, 2012) The policy Changing Lives 2006 has concerned on anti-discrimination, to do not look at service user in the context of vulnerability but to focus on strength and building true relationship. The aim set out through report were promoting participation; taking a whole-person approach; understanding each individual in the context of family and community. (Scottish Government; 2006) The another policy that seems to be important in relation to scenario, with the assumption of that Mrs Sheerer is an older person because the policy aims mainly to older people, is All our Future. It supports older people to stay at home as long as possible by providing free personal care, telecare development programme, care and repair, travel scheme; free bus travel etc.. (Scottish Executive; 2007) It is noteworthy that Mrs. Sheerer may be entitled to free personal care that was introduced by the Sutherland report and statutory implemented through the CCH(S)A2002. (Guthrie; 2011) In Scotland every person over 60 years is entitled to free personal care in other cases it will depend on needs, priority and categories of risk. The policy Reshaping Care for Older People (SCSWIS; 2011) focuses on the 3Rs rehabilitation, re-ablement and recovery to optimise the independence of people at home. The reablement is a new service, initially aims at people coming out of hospital. In Glasgow it i s a partnership between Social Work Services, Cordia, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. If Mrs. Sheerer lives in the area, she will be provided with services up to six weeks, the reablement aims to build confidence by helping to regain the skills to do what Mrs. Sheerer can and want to do for herself at home.(Glasgow City Council: 2011) Recent consultation on integration agenda sets out proposal to inform and modify the way that the NHS and Local Authorities collaborate, and work in partnership with the third and independent sectors. This includes integrated budget and joint accountability. The proposal extends the services provision to all adults and not only older people, so the speculations regarding the age of Mrs. Sheerer would not be needed. The Integration of Adult Health and Social Care Bill plans to create Health and Social Care Partnerships, which will replace Community Health Partnerships and will be the joint and equal responsibility of Health Boards and Local Authorities. (Scottish Government; 2012) Ineffective partnership between health and social services is a real dilemma of contemporary social work practice. On the one hand, the problem is finance and the eternal question; who are going to pay for services? On the other, the issue of finding appropriate resources that will meet the needs of Mrs. She erer, both processes are time consuming. Consequently, Mrs. Sheerer can be detained in hospital longer that necessary that can affect her emotional and physical condition, which usually will deteriorate. Other issues are; blocked bed and retained the flow of a new patient. One strongly believe that new integration agenda of health and social care such as one budget and consolidated partnership will make a difference in new social services. The new social policies and legislation present a wide range of possible options and choices such as; personalised services and self-directed support. It this week government has been discussing the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill (SDS Bill) that has been passed stage three on 28th of November 2012. (Scottish Parliament, 2012) What that means for social work today is a shift from service led to outcome led provision, The Talking Points: Personal Outcomes Approach promoted by the Joint Improvement Team will change the process of assessment of needs that now will be more focus on targets. Based on SDS Bill social worker will have a duty to offer; direct payment to Mrs. Sheerer in order that she will arrange her support; can make arrangement for services that have been chosen by Mrs. Sheerer or can select appropriate support and make arrangement. (IRISS; 2012) One could seriously question if Mrs. Sheerer will have skills and knowledge to manage these variety of options such as; possibility to employ own carers or buy own services, if she have not done before. It seems to be clear that the role of social worker will have change form procedural care management towards support and brokerage. To sum up, contemporary social work practice drifting away from paternalism to seeing service users as experts of own life an illustration of this is work in partnerships, service user involvement or SDS. There is no doubt that relationship between social worker and Mrs. Sheer is a key in the process of intervention. It is significant to talk to and listen to service user. The more time spend, the more social worker will understand Mrs. Sheerer within wider social context. One must remember that when intervening in someones life taking no action is an action, otherwise the option of minimal intervention or less restrictive option must be put in place.

The Evil Iago of Shakespeares Othello Essay -- GCSE English Literatur

"How shall I murder him, Iago?" This one line, spoken by Othello, in Shakespeare's play of the same name speaks volumes of the evil and deceitful nature of the character being spoken to, Iago. The ability to turn a noble, self controlled, respected man such as Othello into a raving, murderous lunatic can only be had by an evil man such as Iago. Iago is conniving, vengeful, vain, ruinous, dishonest, egotistical and paranoid. This makes him one of the most evil men in all of literature. The first of many examples of Iago's villainy occurs in scene one of act one. His vain ego has been hurt. Othello has chosen a "bookish theoric" to be his lieutenant instead of Iago. Iago has this to say of Othello's choice: Forsooth, a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine, A fellow almost dammed in a fair wife, That never set a squadron in the field Nor the division of a battle knows More than a spinster--unless the bookish theoric, Wherein the togaed consuls can propose As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had th' election; And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds Christianed and heathen, must be beleed and calmed By debitor and creditor. This countercaster, He, in good time, must his lieutenant be, And I--God bless the mark!--his Moorship's ancient. This position is one Iago expected, not only because of his seniority in battle, but also because of his seniority with Othello himself. Iago clearly shows his vengefulness when he tells Roderigo: â€Å"Call up her father.Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight...†&n... ...bolical plan. He has traded "wife for wife" as Othello has smothered, albeit regretfully, Desdemona. When discovered by Emilia, Othello confesses, saying it was Iago that persuaded him to murder her. Emilia tells Othello too late of the lies told by her husband and she dies at the hands of Iago for her confession. Iago's lies have come to a crescendo and Othello realizes he has been deceived. Othello then commits suicide and we find, in this case, in order for love to conquer all, evil must triumph. As is the case oftentimes in real life, there is no happy ending. Iago is, for the literary world, evil incarnate. He lies and deceives with half-truths, to achieve his revenge, causing distrust and ultimately murder and suicide. This makes Iago one of the most evil, but most memorable characters, if not in all of literature, at least in all of Shakespeare.

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence (BI) is a set of theories, methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information for business purposes. BI can handle large amounts of information to help identify and develop new opportunities. (https://enterprisetechnologyconsultant.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/what-is-business-intelligence-bi/) Today, Business Intelligence is one of the most important issues in business firms such as business analysis because business intelligence plays an active role in companies' decision making processes. Every day, in companies, from the smallest unit to the largest one, numerous decisions are made in each department. The fastest way to make these decisions is to increase the size of the company from day to day. In other words, most companies use Business Intelligence to access and reach the information necessary to increase their profits further and succeed in their strategies, to store that information, and to store and analyze the stored information.In the past years, companies have been decided on the data obtained by data mining, but technology is getting more and more day by day and the data that we have are continuing to increase. Social media is one of the biggest share of data increase and emerging technology. Every day, every second through channels in social media, people produce and share countless content, such as videos, pictures, music and short stories. ‘We are Social' is a digital report about Internet use in the world for 2017 as it is every year. According to this report, in 2007, 3,773 billion people are using the internet all over the world. ( https://wearesocial.com/special-reports/digital-in-2017-global-overview) According to the research done, the worldwide data is increased by 50% every 3 years. Companies are having difficulty in preparing reports, processing and analyzing using raw data in such large data collection. In a fast-developing world, companies are demanding faster and more accurate decisions in a competitive environment, and to be able to adapt to change. Therefore, in order for the raw data to be useful information, there was a need for a method to adapt to new technologies and developments, with the exception of old methods, so that Business Intelligence emerged.With the increasing popularity of business intelligence, many professions have formed such as process analysis, process design, business management and data mining. These professions have differences according to the sectors, so the business intelligence system — must be prepared in a comprehensive and good way. In order to be able to prepare and apply in a good way;It is easy and fast to adapt according to the needs and each sector.It serves all departments in companies.Must have appropriate data models.Users should be able to report on their request at the appropriate time.Business Intelligence ApplicationsBusiness intelligence applications include business analytics, reporting, querying, decision support systems, forecasting and olap. In a competitive environment, each sector adds value and gives advantages to the company.Independent research firm Gartner publishes a list of market assessments each year in order to answer the most common business intelligence application by making assessments based on various criteria in the field of business intelligence and divides the list into four main segments. According to this, the most common and market leader is business intelligence applications; According to Gartner, leading business intelligence platform providers include: IBM, Oracle, SAP, SAS, Microstrategy, QlikTech, Information Builders. (http://tr.intellium.com.tr/kurumsal-performans-yonetimi/is-zekasi-nedir-ne-ise-yarar-en-yaygin-is-zekasi-uygulamalari-nelerdir/)For business intelligence applications; Need is determined Analyze: First, the decision-making styles of the companies are analyzed. The information that allows them to make quick decisions should pay attention. Also, how to present the information, such as a definable table or report.Technical solutions and architectural designs are madData warehouse is designed and data is managedAnalyzes are made on the data and the necessary reports are takenIt builds infrastructure and performs studies for large data.Useful InfoConversion ProcessDataData is raw data that can be quantified, classified and counted with the most general definition. In order for the information to be transformed into information, it is first collected and classified from media such as social media and newspapers. Once classified, the edited and processed data is transformed into useful information. For example, a list is created based on the employees' surnames and is stored for later use.InformationTransaction processing creates information. When information occurs, unnecessary information is set up. As a result of this arrangement unnecessary information is being taken, companies' decision making processes progress more quickly. At the same time information is the answer to questions such as who, where, when, how, what, how many. Information has a much richer content. Besides, there are processes such as formatting and editing in the information, while the data has a scattered structure. For example, a table can be created that analyzes the list sorted by employees' surnames and includes only the number of employees, genders, or ages. At this point, the average age of the employees of the company will be revealed, and here we will turn it into information.KnowledgeInformation wisely transformed with analysis, experimentation and interpretation. The concept of information is a more complex concept than data and informationKnowledge is information that is more specific, specialized, and interpreted than the information that comes from personal knowledge and experience with resources from information accumulation. (135) Knowledge must have a targeted, detailed and easily understandable format. How to answer the question. As a result, if it is desired that the information is useful, it must be communicated to the right person in the right place at the right time. If information is desired to be useful, that information must be related to the desired subject, correct, timely, incomplete, and accessible.WisdomWisdom is to act according to information and needs. Data, information and information are the results we have achieved at the end of the completed process. These results can be decided by making logical evaluations. It is the stage of discovering wisdom. Business Intelligence A Seminar Report on BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Prepared by: Guided By: Arpan Solanki Prof. Yagnik A. Rathod 100410107063 Assistant professor TY C. E SVIT-VASAD Certificate Date: /11/12 This is to certify that Mr.Arpan Solanki ID No: 10- CEG-66En No. 100410107063 of programme Computer Engineering [Third Year,5th Semester] has satisfactorily completed his term work in course Seminar [150705] for the term ending in November,2012. Staff in-charge: Head of Department: Mr Yagnik A. Rathod Mrs Bijal Talati Asst. Professor HOD Computer EngineeringComputer Engineering C. E. DepartmentC. E. Department SARDAR VALLABHBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY VASAD-388306, GUJARAT–INDIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTEvery work owes its success to many people. Likewise, the successful completion of our Project Report could not have been possible without the co-ordination and support of our college SVIT. I am thankful to Mrs Bijal Talati (HOD of CE department) for his constant inspiration and valuable guidance which helped us to complete the Project satisfactorily. His inspirational remarks from time to time enabled us to complete the report in stipulated time period. He provides us needed help and facilities for carrying out test for our program.I am thankful to Mr Yagnik Rathod for constantly inspiring us and providing us required details and help on regular intervals, which helped us to reach our goal on time. I am also thankful to the whole Computer Department for their unbounded cooperation and support. ABSTRACT Business intelligence (BI) refers to computer-based techniques used in spotting, digging-out, and analyzing business data, such as sales revenue by products and/or departments, or by associated costs and incomes.BI technologies provide historical, current, and predictive views of business operations. Common functions of business intelligence technologies are reporting, online analytical processing, analytics, data mining, business performance management, benchmarking, text mining, and predictive analytics. Business intelligence aims to support better business decision-making. Thus a BI system can be called a decision support system (DSS).Though the term business intelligence is sometimes used as a synonym for competitive intelligence, because they both support decision making, BI uses technologies, processes, and applications to analyze mostly internal, structured data and business processes while competitive intelligence gathers, analyzes and disseminates information with a topical focus on company competitors. INDEX CONTENTS PAGE NO. 1.Defination†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 2. History†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 3. Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3 4. Business Intelligence Tools†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Fig 4. Architecture Of BI†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5. Success Factor Of Implemention†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 5. 1 Business Sponsership†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 5. 2 Business Needs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 5. 3 Amount and Quality Of Availabel Data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 6. User Aspect†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7. Market Place†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 7. 1 Industry-Specific†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 8. Semi-structured or Unstructured data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 8. 1 Semi-structured vs Unstructured data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 8. 2 Problems With Semi-structured or Unstructured data†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 8. The Use Of Matadata†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 9. Uses and Examples BI†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 9. 1 Which Type Of Company Use It?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 9. 2 Examples Of BI†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 10. Benifits and Disadvantages†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 10. Benifits†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 10. 2 Disadvantages†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16 11. Future†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 12. Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 19 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 1. DEFINATION Business intelligence (BI) is the ability of an organization to collect, maintain, and organize knowledge. This produces large amounts of information that can help develop new opportunities. Identifying these opportunities, and implementing an effective strategy, can provide a competitive market advantage and long-term stability. [ The goal of modern business intelligence deployments is to support better business decision-making. Thus a BI system can be called decesion support system(DSS).Though the term business intelligence is sometimes a synonym for competative intelegence(because they both support decision making), BI uses technologies, processes, and applications to analyze mostly internal, structured data and business processes while competitive intelligence gathers, analyzes and disseminates information with a topical focus on company competitors. If understood broadly, business intelligence can include the s ubset of competitive intelligence. BI is broad category of applications, which include the activities of †¢ decision support systems query and reporting †¢ online analytical processing (OLAP) †¢ statistical analysis, forecasting, and data mining. 2. HISTORY In a 1958 article, IBM researcher Hans peter luhn used the term business intelligence. He defined intelligence as: â€Å"the ability to apprehend the interrelationships of presented facts in such a way as to guide action towards a desired goal. † Business intelligence as it is understood today is said to have evolved from the decision support systems that began in the 1960s and developed throughout the mid-1980s.DSS originated in the computer-aided models created to assist with decesion making and planning. From DSS, data warehouses, Executive information system, OLAP and business intelligence came into focus beginning in the late 80s. In 1989, Howard Dresner proposed â€Å"business intelligence† as a n umbrella term to describe â€Å"concepts and methods to improve business decision making by using fact-based support systems. † It was not until the late 1990s that this usage was widespread. 3. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AND DATA WAREHOUSING Often BI applications use data gathered from a data ware house or data mart.However, not all data warehouses are used for business intelligence, nor do all business intelligence applications require a data warehouse. To distinguish between the concepts of business intelligence and data warehouses, Research often defines business intelligence in one of two ways: Using a broad defination: â€Å"Business Intelligence is a set of methodologies, processes, architectures, and technologies that transform raw data into meaningful and useful information used to enable more effective strategic, tactical, and operational insights and decision-making. When using this definition, business intelligence also includes technologies such as data integration , data quality, data warehousing, master data management, text and content analytics, and many others that the market sometimes lumps into the information management segment. Therefore, Forrester refers to data preparation and data usage as two separate, but closely linked segments of the business intelligence architectural stack. Forrester defines the latter, narrower business intelligence market as, â€Å"†¦ referring to just the top layers of the BI architectural stack such as reporting, analytics and dashbord. 4. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TOOLS Operational Data Source: Business Intelligence system collects data from various sources including operation database, ERP, legacy apps, external database and etc. ETL tools (Extract, Transform, Load) are used to pull data from source database, transform the data so that it is compatible with the data warehouse and then load it into data warehouse. A Data Warehouse is a â€Å"Subject-Oriented, Integrated, Time-Variant, Nonvolatile coll ection of data in support of decision making†.Data Warehouses tend to have these distinguishing features: (1) Use a subject oriented dimensional data model; (2) Contain publishable data from potentially multiple sources and; (3) Contain integrated reporting tools. A data mart is a repository of data gathered from operational data and other sources that is designed to serve a particular community of knowledge workers. The data may derive from an enterprise-wide database or data warehouse or be more specialized. A data mart is a repository of data gathered from operational data and other sources that is designed to serve a particular community of knowledge workers.The data may derive from an enterprise-wide database or data warehouse or be more specialized. Literally, On-Line Analytical Processing. Designates a category of applications and technologies that allow the collection, storage, manipulation and reproduction of multidimensional data, with the goal of analysis. * A pivot table is a great reporting tool that allows for â€Å"slicing and dicing† data. * REPORT: It gives brief report about output Business Intelligence ETL tools Data Warehouse Marketing Data Mart Finance Data Mart Distribution Data Mart BI OLAP ReportsPivot Table Data gethered FIG 4. ARCHITECTURE OF BI 5. SUCCESS FACTOR OF IMPLEMENTATION Before implementing a BI solution, it is worth taking different factors into consideration before proceeding. According to Kimball et al. , these are the three critical areas that you need to assess within your organization before getting ready to do a BI project: 1. The level of commitment and sponsorship of the project from senior management 2. The level of business need for creating a BI implementation 3. The amount and quality of business data available . 1: BUSINESS SPONSERSHIP The commitment and sponsorship of senior management is according to Kimball et al. , the most important criteria for assessment. This is because having strong manage ment backing helps overcome shortcomings elsewhere in the project. However, as Kimball et al. state: â€Å"even the most elegantly designed DW/BI system cannot overcome a lack of business [management] sponsorship†. It is important that management personnel who participate in the project have a vision and an idea of the benefits and drawbacks of implementing a BI system.The best business sponsor should have organizational clout and should be well connected within the organization. It is ideal that the business sponsor is demanding but also able to be realistic and supportive if the implementation runs into delays or drawbacks. The management sponsor also needs to be able to assume accountability and to take responsibility for failures and setbacks on the project. Support from multiple members of the management ensures the project does not fail if one person leaves the steering group.However, having many managers work together on the project can also mean that there are several different interests that attempt to pull the project in different directions, such as if different departments want to put more emphasis on their usage. This issue can be countered by an early and specific analysis of the business areas that benefit the most from the implementation. All stakeholders in project should participate in this analysis in order for them to feel ownership of the project and to find common ground.Another management problem that should be encountered before start of implementation is if the business sponsor is overly aggressive. If the management individual gets carried away by the possibilities of using BI and starts wanting the DW or BI implementation to include several different sets of data that were not included in the original planning phase. However, since extra implementations of extra data may add many months to the original plan, it's wise to make sure the person from management is aware of his actions. 5. 2: BUSINESS NEEDSBecause of the close rela tionship with senior management, another critical thing that must be assessed before the project begins is whether or not there is a business need and whether there is a clear business benefit by doing the implementation. [15] The needs and benefits of the implementation are sometimes driven by competition and the need to gain an advantage in the market. Another reason for a business-driven approach to implementation of BI is the acquisition of other organizations that enlarge the original organization it can sometimes be beneficial to implement DW or BI in order to create more oversight.Companies that implement BI are often large, multinational organizations with diverse subsidiaries. A well-designed BI solution provides a consolidated view of key business data not available anywhere else in the organization, giving management visibility and control over measures that otherwise would not exist. 5. 3: AMOUNT AND QUALITY OF AVAILABLE DATA Without good data, it does not matter how goo d the management sponsorship or business-driven motivation is. Without proper data, or with too little quality data, any BI implementation fails. Before implementation it is a ood idea to do data profiling. This analysis identifies the â€Å"content, consistency and structure †of the data. This should be done as early as possible in the process and if the analysis shows that data is lacking, put the project on the shelf temporarily while the IT department figures out how to properly collect data. When planning for business data and business intelligence requirements, it is always advisable to consider specific scenarios that apply to a particular organization, and then select the business intelligence features best suited for the scenario.Often, scenarios revolve around distinct business processes, each built on one or more data sources. These sources are used by features that present that data as information to knowledge workers, who subsequently act on that information. The business needs of the organization for each business process adopted correspond to the essential steps of business intelligence. These essential steps of business intelligence includes but not limited to: 1. Go through business data sources in order to collect needed data 2.Convert business data to information and present appropriately 3. Query and analyze data 4. Act on those data collected 6. USER ASPECT Some considerations must be made in order to successfully integrate the usage of business intelligence systems in a company. Ultimately the BI system must be accepted and utilized by the users in order for it to add value to the organization. If the usability of the system is poor, the users may become frustrated and spend a considerable amount of time figuring out how to use the system or may not be able to really use the system.If the system does not add value to the users? mission, they simply don't use it. To increase user acceptance of a BI system, it can be advisable to con sult business users at an early stage of the DW/BI lifecycle, for example at the requirements gathering phase. This can provide an insight into the business process and what the users need from the BI system. There are several methods for gathering this information, such as questionnaires and interview sessions. When gathering the requirements from the business users, the localIT department should also be consulted in order to determine to which degree it is possible to fulfill the business's needs based on the available data. Taking on a user-centered approach throughout the design and development stage may further increase the chance of rapid user adoption of the BI system. Besides focusing on the user experience offered by the BI applications, it may also possibly motivate the users to utilize the system by adding an element of competition. Kimball suggests implementing a function on the business intellegence website where reports on system usage can be found.By doing so, manager s can see how well their departments are doing and compare themselves to others and this may spur them to encourage their staff to utilize the BI system even more. In a 2007 article, H. J. Watson gives an example of how the competitive element can act as an incentive. ] Watson describes how a large call centre implemented performance dashboards for all call agents, with monthly incentive bonuses tied to performance metrics. Also, agents could compare their performance to other team members. The implementation of this type of performance measurement and competition significantly improved agent performance.BI chances of success can be improved by involving senior management to help make BI a part of the organizational culture, and by providing the users with necessary tools, training, and support. Training encourages more people to use the BI application. Providing user support is necessary to maintain the BI system and resolve user problems. User support can be incorporated in many w ays, for example by creating a website. The website should contain great content and tools for finding the necessary information. Furthermore, helpdesk support can be used. The help desk can be manned by power users or the DW/BI project team. . MARKET PLACE There are a number of business intelligence vendors, often categorized into the remaining independent â€Å"pure-play† vendors and consolidated â€Å"megavendors† that have entered the market through a recent trend of acquisitions in the BI industry. Some companies adopting BI software decide to pick and choose from different product offerings (best-of-breed) rather than purchase one comprehensive integrated solution (full-service). 7. 1:INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC Specific considerations for business intelligence systems have to be taken in some sectors such as government, banking, hospitality, hotel chain.The information collected by banking institutions and analyzed with BI software must be protected from some groups or in dividuals, while being fully available to other groups or individuals. Therefore BI solutions must be sensitive to those needs and be flexible enough to adapt to new regulations and changes to existing law. 8. SEMI-STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED DATA Businesses create a huge amount of valuable information in the form of e-mails, memos, notes from call-centers, news, user groups, chats, reports, web-pages, presentations, image-files, video-files, and marketing material and news.According to Merrill Lynch, more than 85% of all business information exists in these forms. These information types are called either semi-structured or unstructured data. However, organizations often only use these documents once. The management of semi-structured data is recognized as a major unsolved problem in the information technology industry. According to projections from Gartner (2003), white collar workers spend anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of their time searching, finding and assessing unstructured d ata.BI uses both structured and unstructured data, but the former is easy to search, and the latter contains a large quantity of the information needed for analysis and decision making. Because of the difficulty of properly searching, finding and assessing unstructured or semi-structured data, organizations may not draw upon these vast reservoirs of information, which could influence a particular decision, task or project. This can ultimately lead to poorly informed decision making.Therefore, when designing a business intelligence/DW-solution, the specific problems associated with semi-structured and unstructured data must be accommodated for as well as those for the structured data 8. 1: SEMI-STRUCTURED VS UNSTRUCTURED DATA Unstructured and semi-structured data have different meanings depending on their context. In the context of relational database systems, unstructured data cannot be stored in predictably ordered colums and rows. One type of unstructured data is typically stored in a BLOB(binary large object), a catch-all data type available in most relation database management systems.Unstructured data may also refer to irregularly or randomly repeated column patterns that vary from row to row within each file or document. Many of these data types, however, like e-mails, word processing text files, PPTs, image-files, and video-files conform to a standard that offers the possibility of metadata. Metadata can include information such as author and time of creation, and this can be stored in a relational database. Therefore it may be more accurate to talk about this as semi-structured documents or data, but no specific consensus seems to have been reached.Unstructured data can also simply be the knowledge that business users have about future business trends. Business forecasting naturally aligns with the BI system because business users think of their business in aggregate terms. Capturing the business knowledge that may only exist in the minds of business u sers provides some of the most important data points for a complete BI solution. 8. 2: PROBLEMS WITH SEMI-STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED DATA There are several challenges to developing BI with semi-structured data. According to Inmon ; Nesavich, some of those are: 1.Physically accessing unstructured textual data – unstructured data is stored in a huge variety of formats. 2. Terminology– Among researchers and analysts, there is a need to develop a standardized terminology. 3. Volume of data – As stated earlier, up to 85% of all data exists as semi-structured data. Couple that with the need for word-to-word and semantic analysis. 4. Searchability of unstructured textual data – A simple search on some data, e. g. apple, results in links where there is a reference to that precise search term. (Inmon ; Nesavich, 2008)[25] gives an example: â€Å"a search is made on the term felony.In a simple search, the term felony is used, and everywhere there is a reference to felony, a hit to an unstructured document is made. But a simple search is crude. It does not find references to crime, arson, murder, embezzlement, vehicular homicide, and such, even though these crimes are types of felonies. † 8. 3: THE USE OF MATADATA To solve problems with searchability and assessment of data, it is necessary to know something about the content. This can be done by adding context through the use of metedataMany systems already capture some metadata (e. g. filename, author, size, etc. , but more useful would be metadata about the actual content – e. g. summaries, topics, people or companies mentioned. Two technologies designed for generating metadata about content are automatic catagorision and information extraction. 9. USES AND EXAMPLES OF BI 9. 1 WHICH TYPE OF COMPANY USE IT? * Hotel/restaurant chain. They use for prediction of menu,from that they know that which dishes customer wants regularly or ocasanaly,they know that which restaurant not work ing properly and which in lost so they will close that and they know that which restaurant in profit so they expand it. Food chain/Retail stores They use BI tool for better market place. they use it for better supply chain management and efficient transportation and warehousing. By this tool authority knows about stocks in warehouse, which product have good response at which shop so provide a better stock their. they know about various product stock by just clicking away not to check for it. Wall mart, Relience fresh use business intelligence. For better profit and selling. 9. 2 EXAMPLES OF BI : 1 . Microsoft business intelligence 2. pantaho 3. oracle business intelligence 10.BENIFITS AND DISADVANTAGES 10. 1 BENIFITS 1. Continuous improvement of design making capabilities used to increase revenue ; reduce cost 2. Better tools for knowledge worker 3. Leverage the amount of captured transactions ; operation data 4. Multidimensional analysis 5. Ad-hoc status reporting ; what-if scenari os 6. Intuitive user interface 7. Customer behavior 8. Sales force analysis 9. Market ; customer penetration 10. Product ; service life cycle analysis 11. Budgeting ; planning 12. Business performance 13. Customer click stream information 4. Integration of traditional business ; e-business 15. HR performance evaluation 16. Compression analysis 17. Workforce planning ; optimization 10. 2 DISADVANTAGES : 1. Cost 2. Pilling of historical data 3. Complexity 4. Limited use 11. FUTURE A 2009 Gartner paper predicted these developments in the business intelligence market: * Because of lack of information, processes, and tools, through 2012, more than 35 percent of the top 5,000 global companies regularly fail to make insightful decisions about significant changes in their business and markets. By 2012, business units will control at least 40 percent of the total budget for business intelligence. * By 2012, one-third of analytic applications applied to business processes will be delivered th rough coarse graind application mashups. A 2009 Information Management special report predicted the top BI trends: â€Å"cloud computing, social networking, data visulization, mobili BI, predictive analitic, cloud compiting and multitouch. † Other business intelligence trends include the following: