The predictions of corporate failures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The predictions of corporate failures - Essay Example Corporate failures gained higher rates in last two decades. There are lots of factors that lead businesses to fail. Those factors attributed by different economists are high interest rates, heavy debt burdens and recession-squeezed profits. There are lots of industry-specific factors such as government regulation and the nature of operations, can results into to a firm’s financial failures. Studies have found that small, private and newly opened companies with poor cash flow planning and ineffective controlling systems are more exposed to financial crisis than the large and well-established firms. It is very important to have robust and reliable models that predict corporate failure accurately and promptly. It is very important for the management to take either preventive or corrective measure to secure the interest of all the stakeholders. This study would go to discuss about different models for preventing corporate failures and the study would assess the strengths and weakn esses of those models. Financial satiability is very important for any corporate house. Corporate houses are having lots of stakeholders attached with it. It is also an important duty of Government and Financial regulating authorities to keep a close look on the financial health of firm. There are lots of models are there to take preventive actions but it is very important to chose the right one for the right problem. Every model has its own strength and weaknesses. Identification of the proper model for the specific crisis is very important things to follow for any corporate house to avoid corporate failures. Failure of one firm can cause for a serious disaster for all those stake holders related with that firm. According to Beaver (1966), who used classification test to identify different financial ratios for corporate failure predictions. Author used 30 financial ratios and 79 pairs of companies for test

What could help solve poverty in Calcutta Essay

What could help solve poverty in Calcutta - Essay Example A few of the numerous people who come from different backgrounds and they are present in Calcutta include; Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. There are numerous languages that are spoken in Calcutta includes but not limited to; Tamil, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali. One of the biggest issue that Calcutta is facing is overcrowding. The main reason for this is the numerous activities that take place in Calcutta. In addition, there diversity of the people that are present in Calcutta is one of the reason that it has a high population density of 4.5 million people. Another reason for the over population of Calcutta is the Bangladesh conflict which took place in the 1970s which made refugees to settle in the northern and southern suburbs of the city. People move to Calcutta to take, coal, petroleum, manganese, jute, manganese and iron. This is because it is a major export centre of these products. Due to the large population, Calcutta has been having a big unemployment crisis since early 1950s. With the high population density and the equally high levels of poverty, Calcutta has a huge problem when it comes to housing (Banerji, 2007). It is estimated that more than a third of the city lives in places of severe poverty (slumdogs, 2015). In this place, the houses have poor ventilation, very limited sanitary conditions and very little open space. One of the main reason for the poverty is Calcutta is overcrowding. It is brought about when people are numerous and located in just one place (Phelan, 2015). This limits even the ability of the people to get ample space to live. There are numerous reason as to why people may be over populated in one place. As for Calcutta, the main reason for its overpopulation is the fact that numerous activities take place there (Weaver, 1985). The main industries that thrive in Calcutta include; transport industry, export industry, and manufacturing industries. In addition,

Labor Relations Essay Example for Free

Labor Relations Essay In reviewing information pertaining to labor unions, there is a plethora of information about unions in the transportation industry. One of the most widely known unions is the teamster unions, which deals with truckers. Labor unions and issues with automotive industry are often seen in the media. The newest transportation industry in American history is the airline industry. As the newest transportation industry that is still vital to American comfort, convenience, and commercial, the airline industry is ripe for workers to organize and demand a greater piece of the profits from operations. In this essay, an effort will be made to review this company in regards to labor relations. Company’s stance toward Labor Delta Airlines was founded by C. E. Woolman, an agriculture extension agent (Anthony, Kacmar, Perrewe, 2010). C. E Woolman was not a banker, venture capitalist or war pilot, as many of the competing airlines were. He didn’t have the aggressive military style that many of the other airline founders had. What C. E. Woolman instilled within the employees at all levels of the organization is that people matter and should be treated fairly and equitably. This philosophy led Delta Airlines to be the leader in customer service from the company’s inception through the many mergers over the years. Through the difficult financial times when other airlines were laying off employees and filing for bankruptcy, Delta continued to pay their people well and keep them employed. There was an exception during the Ronald Allen CEO era of 1987 thru 1997. Human relations took a significant down turn during his tenure as CEO, especially during 1993 and 1994, but Delta decided to part ways with Allen and began repairing those fragile relationships with its employees. Delta Airlines still focuses on the human relations factor and has been able to repair the relationship with its employees; they believe it is their key to success. Despite the corporate culture to take care of its employees, a number of Delta employee departments are unionizing. They feel as though that piece is not being distributed justly. Formulate a strategy for negotiating a labor agreement Human behavior dictates that there will be problems. As a company starts making money, there is always a desire by the employees to acquire more of the profit. On the other hand, management has a desire to retain as much of the profit to be provided to investors and to receive bonuses for their â€Å"supposedly† wise business practices. When one group wants more and another wants to retain, there will be conflict. And this is precisely what is happening at Delta Airline, as well as among many industries in the transportation arena. Employees, seeking to gain an upper hand threaten to strike; however, management must be willing to address the matter through negotiation. The Negotiation Process Fisher and Ury recommend conducting negotiations according to the process of principled negotiation. Their method has four main tenets: 1. Separate the people from the problem. The idea should be for both sides to work together to attack a problem, rather than attacking each other. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to overcome emotional responses and set aside egos. 2. Focus on interests rather than positions. The natural tendency in many negotiations—for example, dickering over the price to be paid for an antique—is for both sides to state a position and then move toward middle ground. Fisher and Ury warn against confusing peoples stated positions with their underlying interests, and claim that positions often tend to obscure what people truly hope to gain through negotiation. 3. Generate a variety of options before deciding what to do. The pressure involved in any type of negotiation tends to narrow peoples vision and inhibit their creativity, making it difficult to find optimal solutions to problems. Instead, Fisher and Ury suggest developing a wide range of possible solutions as part of the negotiating process. These possible solutions should attempt to advance shared interests and reconcile differences. 4. Base the result on objective criteria. No one will be happy with the result of a negotiation if they feel that they have been taken advantage of. The solution is to find and apply some fair standard to the problem in order to guarantee a mutually beneficial result. Fisher and Urys principles provide a good overall guide for the actual negotiation process. In his book, Nierenberg offered a number of other tips and strategies that may be effective in promoting successful negotiations. For example, it may be helpful to ask questions in order to form a better understanding of the needs and interests of the other side. The questions must be phrased diplomatically and timed correctly in order to avoid an antagonistic response. The idea is to gain information and uncover basic assumptions without immediately taking positions. Nierenberg stressed the importance of listening carefully to the other sides responses, as well as studying their facial expressions and body language, in order to gain quality information. Nierenberg noted that good negotiators will employ a variety of means to accomplish their objectives. Small business owners should be aware of some of the more common strategies and techniques that they may see others apply or may wish to apply themselves. One common strategy is forbearance, or patience pays, which covers any sort of wait or delay in negotiations. If one side wishes to confer in private, or adjourn briefly, they are employing a strategy of forbearance. Another common strategy is to present a fait accompli, or come to a final offer and leave it up to the other side to decide whether to accept it. In a simple example, a small business owner may scratch out one provision in a contract that he or she finds unacceptable, then sign it and send it back. The other party to the contract then must decide whether to accept the revised agreement. Nierenberg warns that this strategy can be risky, and encourages those who employ it to carefully appraise the consequences first. Another possible negotiating strategy is reversal, which involves taking a position that seems opposed to the original one. Similarly, feinting involves apparently moving in one direction in order to ivert attention from the true goal. For example, a negotiator may give in on a point that is not very important in order to make the real objective more attainable. Another strategy involves setting limits on the negotiation, whether with regards to time, the people involved, or other factors. It is also possible to change the participation in the negotiation if it seems to be at an impasse. For example, a neutral third party may be enlisted to help, or one or two people from each side may be sent off to continue the negotiation separately. It may also be helpful to break down the problem into small pieces and tackle them one by one. Another strategy might be to trade sides for a short time and try to view the situation from each others perspective. All of these techniques may be applied either to gain advantage or to push forward a negotiation that has apparently reached an impasse. Analyze the principle economic and administrative issues The airline industry is a fast growing sector demonstrating a very strong growth rate. It is associated with a number of social and economic benefits and is a growing contributor to the global inventory (Whitelegg, 2000). Business cycles have a wide reaching impact on the airline industry; during recession, air travel was considered a luxury and therefore spending is cut which leads to reduced prices. The industry creates its impact not just by providing direct employment, but also through the creation of opportunities throughout the travel and hospitality sector of the economy. Jobs in hotels, resorts, restaurants and car rental agencies are all impacted by the airline industry (Global Airline Industry Program, 2011). The airline industry itself is a major economic force, both in terms of its own operations and its impacts on related industries such as aircraft manufacturing and tourism. There are few industries that create the amount and intensity of attention that airlines receive, not only among its participants but from government policy makers and the media as well. The crucial issues on the table vary depending on whether the person is in management or is a worker. For management, the key to retain as much money as possible, while for the workers the goal is to obtain more of the profit. Thus, in management, the argument would be made to show how much money is used to provide employee insurances and benefits, reinvest in equipment and aircraft, general property and liability. On top of that, investors must be repaid. For the employee or worker, this is a stressful environment where the employee needs to be compensated for his work-related stress. Employee paid benefits continues to decrease, and the employee is forced to pay a disproportionate share. Thus, the employee needs more money just to live at a sustainable level. Recommend policies and procedures to administer a labor contract and resolve disputes. It is of utmost importance to resolve conflict expeditiously and justly for all parties involved. Thus, I would recommend the following policies as a means to resolve disputes: When a team oversteps the mark of healthy difference of opinion, resolving conflict requires respect and patience. The human experience of conflict involves our emotions, perceptions, and actions; we experience it on all three levels, and we need to address all three levels to resolve it. We must replace the negative experiences with positive ones. Acknowledge the conflict – The conflict has to be acknowledged before it can be managed and resolved. The tendency is for people to ignore the first signs of conflict, perhaps as it seems trivial, or is difficult to differentiate from the normal, healthy debate that teams can thrive on. If you are concerned about the conflict in your team, discuss it with other members. Once the team recognizes the issue, it can start the process of resolution. †¢ Discuss the impact – As a team, discuss the impact the conflict is having on team dynamics and performance. Agree to a cooperative process – Everyone involved must agree to cooperate in to resolve the conflict. This means putting the team first, and may involve setting aside your opinion or ideas for the time being. If someone wants to win more than he or she wants to resolve the conflict, you may find yourself at a stalemate. †¢ Agree to communicate – The most important thing throughout the resolution process is for everyone to keep communications open. The people involved need to talk about the issue and discuss their strong feelings. Active listening is essential here because to move on you eed to really understand where the other person is coming from. Determine the most likely interest dispute and determine how you could leverage economic pressure to help resolve that dispute. â€Å"There is no way to overstate the role â€Å"leverage† plays when it comes to achieving favorable settlements. Leverage is defined as: â€Å"positional advantage; the power to act effectively; strategic advantage†. Stated more simply, your leverage is whatever power you have† (Cory, 2011). Leverage is usually more about situational advantage than objective strength or power. For example, a single individual or small business may have few resources relative to a large corporation but still have situational advantage by virtue of being able to compel the larger corporation to appear and answer in a favorable venue. Likewise even when there is a legitimate claim which could result in a significant loss to the defendant, if the plaintiff does not have the resources or the fortitude to stay the course, then the defendant has the situational advantage by virtue of being able to delay and wait the plaintiff out. Leverage can be real or imagined. Your actual leverage at any point in time is based only on the other side’s perception of your leverage (which can obviously differ significantly from the actual facts). There are obviously situations where you have an information advantage, such as when you know about a weakness in your case that is not yet known by the other side. In such a situation you will, perhaps only briefly, appear to have more leverage than you actually do. Likewise, you can be at an information disadvantage such as when you mistakenly think that the other side has a stronger case than they actually do. There are also situations where you mistakenly think that your case is stronger than it actually is which occurs when for one reason or another you don’t have all the facts, or when the facts have not been accurately relayed to you. But regardless of your actual leverage, if there is no fear on the other side, you have little if any effective leverage (Cory, 2011).

Cindy Sherman Artist Biography

Cindy Sherman Artist Biography No other artist has ever made as extended or complex career of presenting herself to the camera as has Cindy Sherman. Yet, while all of her photographs are taken of Cindy Sherman, it is impossible to class call her works self-portraits. She has transformed and staged herself into as unnamed actresses in undefined B movies, make-believe television characters, pretend porn stars, undifferentiated young women in ambivalent emotional states, fashion mannequins, monsters form fairly tales and those which she has created, bodies with deformities, and numbers of grotesqueries. Her work as been praised and embraced by both feminist political groups and apolitical mainstream art. Essentially, Shermans photography is part of the culture and investigation of sexual and racial identity within the visual arts since the 1970s. It has been said that, The bulk of her workà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has been constructed as a theater of femininity as it is formed and informed by mass culture (her) pictures insist on the aporia of feminine identity tout court, represented in her pictures as a potentially limitless range of masquerades, roles, projections (Sobieszek 229). Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Cindy Sherman grew up in suburban Huntington Beach on Long Island, the youngest of five children and had a regular American childhood. She was very self-involved, found of costumes, and given to spending hours at the mirror, playing with makeup (Schjeldahl 7). Cindy Sherman attended the state University College at Buffalo, New York, where she first started to create art in the medium of painting. During her college years, she painted self-portraits and realistic copies of images that she saw in photographs and magazines. Yet, she became less, and less interested in painting and became increasingly interested in conceptual, minimal, performance, body art, and film alternatives (Sherman 5). Shermans very first introductory photography class in college was a complete failure for she had difficulties with the technological aspects of making a print. After her disastrous first attempt in photography, Sherman discovered Contemporary Art, which had a profound and lasting effect on the rest of her artistic career (Thames and Hudson 1). Shermans first assignment in her photography class was to photograph something which gave her a problem, thus, Sherman chose to photograph her self naked. While this was difficult, she learned that having an idea was the most important factor in creating her art, not so much the technique that she used. While she was talented at copying with pencils and paints, this artistic method would not allow Sherman to express herself personally. But with a camera, Sherman could use her body as a tool (Sills 64). The young artist became fascinated by the way any image at all, simply being presented, activates a mysterious charge-neither subjective nor objective, but of both (Schjeldahl 7). In college, Sherman became active in the local avant-garde scene, the liveliest of two decades, and especially in Hallwalls, an artist-run alternative exhibition space (Heller 223). In 1975, while still attending college, Cindy She rman created her first series of five photographs entitled, Untitled A-E. Within these first photographs, Sherman attempts to alter her face with makeup and hats, attempting to take on different personas, such as a little girl in Untitled D, and a clown in Untitled A (Thames and Hudson 2). This first series is Shermans first attempt of documenting transformation. The Curator Linda Cathcart, saw the pictures at Hallwalls and put them at the Albright Knox Art Gallery (Heller 225). Because Sherman had such vivid imagination and became fascinated with self-transformation, Sherman often bought vintage clothes and accessories from thrift stores, which helped her to form and create different characters. So it just grew and grew until I was buying and collecting more and more of these things, and suddenly the characters came together just because I had so much of the detritus from them (Thames and Hudson 2 ). Sherman went even as far as wearing the costumes and dressing as different charact ers to gallery openings and events in Buffalo. She wore these costumes because she wanted to see how far she how transformed she could look (Haller 225). Yet, Sherman never considered dressing up for performance purposes because she was not maintaining a character but simply getting dressed up to go out (Thames and Hudson 2). Cindy Sherman began her famous series of Untitled Film Series at the end of 1977. The small black and white photographs are of Sherman impersonating female character types from old B grade movies, which speak to a generation of baby boomer women who had grown up absorbing these glamorous images ay home on their televisions, taking such portrayals as cues for their future (Thames and Hudson 1). Upon graduation of college in 1977, Cindy Sherman and her fellow student Robert Longo moved to Manhattan, New York together. She continued with her interest in role-playing and dressing up as different characters, and began to photograph herself in these different guises among different locations such as her apartment Untitled Film Still #10, in the Southwest in Untitled Film Still #43, and in Long Island in Untitled Film Still # 9. Shermans manipulation of lighting, makeup, and dress make it difficult to believe that all of the characters represented were indeed the same person (Heller 225). A ll of the portraits are of her but none of the works are in any way a self-portrait of Sherman. They are portraits of an identity that Sherman shares with every female who thinks of her life in the way of a cheap movie. For this reason alone, is why her work has been looked at for special by feminist who hold the view that women do not hold theories, but tell stories. In the stills it is important to get a deep and true understanding that her use of photography is more integral to the performance then a photographic record of what took place. (Danto 10-11). Each of the stills is about the girl in trouble, but in the aggregate they touch the myth we each carry out of childhood, of danger, love, and security that defines the human condition. Desire mixed with nostalgia fuels the allure of the Untitled Film Stills-desire for the woman depicted as well as desire to be that woman, during that time (Thames and Hudson 4). Sherman said that the last thing she wanted her pictures to have was emotion. The still only provided a framework through which her deeper artistic impulses found expression (Danto 9). She was most interested in what a character was like when they were completely emotionless (Sherman 8). These black and white photographs were purposely grainy because Sherman wanted them to look like cheap publicity shots. While, Sherman takes most of her own photographs using a remote shutter-release, some of her pictures are also taken by her family and friends. This Untitled Film Series was first exhibited in 1995, in the Hirshborn Museum of Washington D.C. In each of the photographs, Sherman is depicted alone, As a familiar but unidentifiable film heroine in an appropriate setting (Thames and Hudson 2). Some of the many characters depicted are of a perky B-movie librarian in Untitled Film Still #13; a voluptuous lower-class women from an Italian neo-realist film in Untitled Film still #35; and a young secretary in the city Untitled Film Still # 21 (Thames and Hud son 2). In terms of the untitled film still #35 and Untitled Film still #15, both depict Sherman as a seductress, Sherman says To pick a character like that was about my own ambivalence about sexuality-growing up with the woman role models that I had, and a lot of them in films, that were like that character, and yet you were supposed to be a good girl (Thames and Hudson 2). Sherman encourages the viewers participation in constructing their own narratives of her Untitled Film Still #10, Untitled Film Still # 14, and Untitled Film Still #65 (Thames and Hudson 3) Sherman created sixty-nine photographs in total, presenting her works in an array of types. According to Judith Williamson, force upon the viewers that elision of image and identity which women experience all the timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Thames and Hudson 3). Cindy Shermans Untitled Film Stills are also seen as related to feminist performance work of the 1970s by artists such as Adrian Piper and Eleanor Antin. Sherman is also noted as being heavily influenced by these artists. The Untitled Film Series are not only photographic records of performance but performative accounts of filmic images (Thames and Hudson 4). Sherman ended her sixty-nine photograph scenes in 1980, when she began to realize that she was duplicating previously used characters, clichà ©s, and stereotypes. Cindy Shermans next series or collection of photographs was her first working color called the Rear Screen Projections, which exude the artifice of a television show. With her increasing desire to work at home, Sherman created her photographs in front of a projected screen, which she projected slides of outdoor and indoor scenes. Viewing the photographs one can obviously tell that the background is fake. The very realistic and sometimes quite closely cropped images of Sherman contrast with the blurry and substantial settings, heightening the artifice of the entire scene (Thames and Hudson 5). Her second series concentrates on the 1960s and 1970s rather then the 1950s depicted in the Untitled Film Series. Rather then female victims, the Rear Screen Projections depict women who are confident and independent, usually youthful, middle-class women in the real world. The characters of the Rear Screen Projections are best identified as being counterparts of women in the media of the 1970s s uch as Mary Richards character in The Mary Tyler Moore television series (Thames and Hudson 5). In 1981, after creating a portfolio of images for an issue of Artforum, Sherman became inspired by the magazines horizontal format and produced a series of works that refer to the photo spreads in photographic magazines. This is said to be Shermans first mature work. These large photographs are in color, are cropped and close-up with each image depicting a young woman looking off to the side with a vacant and vulnerable look. She keeps background details to a minimum allowing the attention to be drawn to the figure. Shermans horizontals suggest a profound transgression against form. Within these pictures have there is no coherent point of view (Sobieszek, 25). When Sherman showed this series, she was criticized by some for having created women that reaffirm sexist stereotypes, therefore Artforum rejecting this series. Critics have found Untitled #93 as the most suggestive of all her works. This photograph shows a woman with messy hair and smudged makeup in bed covering her eyes, whil e looking toward the light that shines in her eyes. Although Sherman has stated that She was imagining someone who had just come home in the early morning from being out partying all night, and the sun wakes her shortly after she has gone to bed (Thames and Hudson 6). Critics on the other hand have read this photograph as a rape portrayal. Misreading of the centerfolds became very common because people tried to create stories from them, discovering hidden meanings where none were present (Schjeldahl 9). Much like her earlier works, the centerfolds mimic and repeat mass media modes. In the Pink Robe series, Sherman uses herself once again to imitate the stance of porno models, choosing to pose only in a pink chenille bathrobe. This series conveys a state of loveless intimacy, intimacy without understanding or personal tenderness (Schjeldahl 10). In this series, Sherman responds to the criticism of the centerfold series, and switches to a vertical format in order to do away with the vulnerability of the characters. Yet, the Pink Robe Series is just a continuation of the Centerfold series because Sherman thinks of these images as depiction of the porno model during breaks between posing for nude shots (Thames and Hudson 7). Sherman sits in front of the camera deciding to appear as un-sexy and without makeup or wigs, staring directly toward the viewer. Many critics interpret this series as the real Cindy and most revealing of all of her photographs (Thames and Hudson 7). Sherman has produced four groups of works that quote from fashion photography. In Shermans fashion series, she reminds the viewer that that fashion allows us to create and display a wide range of appearances as if we each possessed a wide range of identities (Sobieszek, 253). Her first fashion series was commissioned in 1983 for a spread in Interview magazine. Provided with designer clothes such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Sherman undoubtedly provided an antithesis of a glamour ads. The models look silly but utterly delighted in their high fashion frocks. Her second commissioned fashion photographs are even more bizarre from the previous works, with the models looking dejected in Untitled #137, exaggeratedly wrinkled in Untitled #132, and even homicidal in Untitled #138. It appears inevitable that Sherman would be drawn to fashion spreads because fashion is yet another means of masquerade for women, and ads for clothing promise to convert the buyer into a more perfect version of herself ( Thames and Hudson 8). Like all advertisements, fashion photographs manufacture a desire in a woman that could never be filled. Sherman uses her fashion photographs to undermine the desirability of such images by emphasizing their manipulating nature (Thames and Hudson 8). In the fairy tales and monster series, Sherman reminds us of the monsters from childhood memories and may be suggesting through these photographs that everyone harbors a secret, repressed self that can shift form and shape at will (Sobieszek, 253). The undercurrent turned, rather startling in the 1980s into a torrent of gore and rage when she switched to using a larger format and often lurid colors, and to concocting increasingly horrific and surreal images (Kimmelman 142). These images represent a time in her career when her images truly become strange and surreal. These photographs are unusual not only because of their horrific images, but also because a viewer is unaccustomed to seeing such stories represented in photographs. The strangest scene appears in Untitled #150, In which an androgyn with a huge, extended tongue fills the foreground, and tiny figures stand in the landscape behind it, making it seem like a giant among Lilliputians (Thames and Hudson 9). Shermans Fairy Tales do not depict a specific example, but evoke a narrative form. By the early 1990s Sherman had tired of creating these shocking images turning to art history for inspiration. The result was a series of photographic portraits of her returning as the model, transformed by her usual false noses, bosoms, into both male and female figures as painted by various old masters of Western painting (Heller 225). Even when Sherman was creating history portraits she worked out of books, with reproduction, she says that Its the aspect of photography that I appreciate, conceptually: the idea that images can be reproduced and seen anytime, anywhere, by anyone ( Kimmelman 145). Just like all the rest of her works, the history paintings do not depict a particular painting but depicts types for the history genre. Sherman creates the most memorable and humorous pictures of women. Often spoofing the awkward depictions of the female anatomy of the Old Masters paintings. Understanding how ridiculous these history paintings are helps the viewer understand that Sherman is mocking the Western canon and its depiction of royalty and religious figures (Thames and Hudson 12). Shermans next career move was to a raunchy pornographic depiction of individuals called the Sex Pictures. Using mannequins and body parts form medical catalogues, she constructs hybrid dolls. Rather then showing the dolls having sex, Sherman proudly shows the sex. Sherman created these works in response to the controversy over the National Endowment for the arts ands the debates over the constitute obscenity in the arts. Typically, pornography portrays sex as anonymous, but in Shermans series she depicts sex as ridiculous (Thames and Hudson 14). It Shermans work, the notion of self is completely abandoned, replaced by the concept of multiplicity, dissociation, and fluidity. Yet, her portraits do not appear as performances only unstable representations in ambiguous non-narratives making brief appearances, caught in a moment of ambivalent emotional expression (Sobieszek, 253). Much of her work is clearly meant to be ambiguous. Her pictures have been interpreted as feminist indictments of gender stereotyping, but Sherman insists that she is not political (Heller 226). References Danto, Arthur C. Cindy Sherman: Untitled Film Stills. New York: Rizzoli, 1990.. Heller, Nancy G. Women Artists and Illustrated History. New York: Abbeville Press, 1987. Kimmelman, Michael. Portraits. New York: Random House, 1998. Schjeldahl, Peter. Cindy Sherman. New York: Pantheon Books, 1984. Sherman, Cindy. The complete Untitled Film Stills. New York: The museum Of Modern Art, 2003. Sills, Leslie. In Real Life: Six Women Photographers. New York: Holiday House, 2000. Sobieszek, Robert A. Photography and The Human Soul 1850-2000. Los Angles: MIT Press and Los Angles County Museum of Art, 1999 Thames and Hudson. Cindy Sherman Retrospective. Chicago: Museum of Contemporary Art, 1998.

Enviornmental Catastrophes :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people throughout the world deal with environmental destruction. Whether it is natural or man created, both end in sudden calamities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An example of a natural catastrophe is the 1997 Red River Flood in Grand Forks, North Dakota. One of the unique aspects of the Red River is that it flows North and empties into the lake Winnepeg in Canada. However, since temperature tends to get colder the farther north you get, ice-jamming is often a concern of the Red River during the spring season. The National Weather Service began putting out warnings as early as February that a flood due to the spring melt was likely to occur. Due to Grand Forks harsh winter that consisted of a cruel blizzard, the amount of snow melts exceeded. In an effort to prevent the flood, the North Dakota National Guard dumped sand on the river in hopes to use the suns’ thermal energy to speed up the thawing and eliminate the ice-jams. Unable to control the excessive water the flood of the century began. On April 18, 1997, the Red River’s water level was at 52.19 ft high and had risen at a rate of an inch each hour follo wing. The flood began to take out areas of the city one by one, and people with what little possessions the could grab had to evacuate immediately. After six days of flooding the river finally began to recede and people were allowed to return. The amount of filth left behind from the flood was incredible. Much of the property had been destroyed and basically everything else had been contaminated by the water. Everything that was washed out by the water turned into trash and many had to start all over again. The post-flood clean up that was taken to the dump totaled 224 million ton, which is usually nine months of garbage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An example of a man-created catastrophe is the Tragedy of the World Trade Centers. September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America had a big effect on New York City environment, and the political and emotional landscapes of the United States. This will be remembered as one of the most shocking days in American history. Armed terrorists hijacked four passenger jets and used them as weapons against the U.S.. The attacks destroyed the World Trade Center, damaged the Pentagon and killed three thousand people. The cleanup was a very emotional and strenuous effort by fire fighters, policeman and many volunteers.

Baque-Manalang Dental Clinic Online Reservation Essay

Introduction The use of online services nowadays becomes more necessary in the various fields. It is because of the advantage and useful effects to many people when it comes to online reservation because our society is facing rapid growths of need, availability and development of different commercial web-based application. The online reservation services differ from the traditional mode in the capacity to provide services regardless of temporal and spatial constraints. They are also different from traditional interpersonal services that are delivered face-to-face. It allows persons to employ Information Technology without being tied to a single location. This technology enables users to access the site at any time in any location. A suitable use of the online reservation services and wireless technology allows new application, management and reservation for dental clinic via online services. The objective of online reservation is to reduce the effort and the time for the customers to set appointm ent and to receive services and improved the reservation validation efficiency. Background of the study Baque-Manalang Clinic is a dental clinic located at Hilario St., Ligtasan, Tarlac, Tarlac. It is owned by Dr. Eillen B. Manalang, DMD, established since 1992. The said clinic is operated by one dentist, two dental assistants, one dental photographer, four front desk staff, and one dental technician. It offers teeth maintenance, enhancement techniques and cosmetic dentistry services. The clinic’s operating hours is 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturdays. Daily they are accommodating an estimated 15 to 20 patients from Tarlac and nearby provinces. Despite its popularity, the said clinic is still using traditional reservation system. Statement of the Objective Despite its popularity, the said dental clinic is still using traditional reservation system which is time consuming and prone to problems like long waiting line and crowded queue. So in line with it, the following objectives are enumerated to cognate the problems. Specifically, it aims to accomplish the following: 1. To design and develop an online reservation system that aims to strengthen the weakness found in existing traditional reservation system. 2. To validate the developed system in terms of: 3.1. Effectiveness and efficiency 3.2. User friendliness 3.3. Security of data 3. To determine the proposed system feasible through Cost Benefits Analysis. Scope of the Study The scope of this study will focus on the patients, who will use the system to make the appointment via online service. The prototype can be used by the staff and dentist to manage the appointment for the dental clinic via online system for those who would like to set an appointment anytime, anywhere. This study is mainly focused on providing a website for Baque – Manalang Dental Clinic. The said website includes: * Online reservation or scheduling exclusively for registered patients. * Clinic information – address, site map, profile of dentist, etc. * List and price of services offered and the time allotted for services to be consumed. * Services-directory where the patients can view the information about the preferred service to take. * Information and tips on how to prevent dental problems. Delimitations The proponents limit this study for Baque – Manalang Dental Clinic only. Only current patients with previous transactions are given with accounts for the online reservation system. Only trained personnel can conduct the site maintenance of the proposed system. Significance of the Study This study is viewed to be valuable to following: Clinic. The proposed system will simplify and automate the clinic task inline with reservation to provide the clients with better service. Dentist and Staff. The proposed system will help the dentist easily identify the patients as scheduled online. Patients. The proposed system will help patients reduce their waiting time and provide them assurance to be accommodated as scheduled online. Definition of Terms In order to provide an adequate channel of communication between the researcher and the readers, the following terms arranged alphabetically and defined conceptually. Access. Access is to obtain entry to a particular program; with records and network entry procedure. Computer. Machine that performs a wide variety of activities with reliability, accuracy, speed and tasks, such as mathematical calculations or electronic communication, under a control of a set of instructions called a program. Internet. A means of connecting a computer to any other computer anywhere in the world via dedicated routers and server. Online. Activated and ready for operation; capable of communicating with or being controlled by a computer. Prototype. An original, full-scale, and usually working model of a new product or new version on an existing product. System. Any collection of component elements that work together to perform a task. Website. The file of information located on a server connected to World Wide Web (WWW). It includes text, photographs, illustrations and video, music and computer programs. It also often include links to other sites in the form of hypertext, highlighted or colored text that the user can click on with their mouse, instructing their computer to jump to the new site. Reservation System. A system that involves the process of reserving and booking of appointments on a specific date and time. CHAPTER 2 Review of related Literature and Studies This chapter presents a review of conceptual literature which is supported by studies relevant to this study. The review of literature focuses on online reservation for Baque-Dental Clinic. Related Literature Foreign Eric Richard (2012) .Consumers these days almost expects an online presence from a company or business. In fact, they may look past businesses that are not online or consider another provider. Convenience is a big factor in an individual’s decision-making process, and not offering customers what they want can put a business at a big disadvantage, especially if their  competitors offer this benefit. Convenience plays a big role in our â€Å"24-7† world. Many people simply do not have the time to pick up a phone during business hours to book an appointment. Some would much rather go online and schedule it when it’s most convenient for them. Online scheduling software makes it easy to accomplish this. Once a business sets up its scheduler, it can then add a button or link on its Web site for customers to access its online scheduler. Once on the scheduler page, customers typically can view and select available appointment or reservation times and dates, as well as other information such as services and specific staff members. Depending on internal preferences set by the business operator, the scheduler may also require the customer to register to use the service. Even businesses without a Web site can implement online scheduling into their operations. Once a business creates an account and scheduler, the service will issue it a URL link. In essence, the scheduler itself is a Web site. Entering this link in a Web browser will take a user directly to the scheduling application. Businesses can simply provide this link to customers. Eric Richard (2012) .For many service oriented business, accurate and timely reservations are necessity to ensure proper service and a positive customer experience. From tour operators and boat rental providers to managers of athletic fields and facilities, these groups must have a proven reservation system in place, not only for internal scheduling processes, but also for the convenience of their customers. Traditional reservation procedures often come up short in both regards. And it’s for these reasons that many business, organizations and individuals are incorporating online reservation systems into their operations. Booking and managing customer reservations, although a vital component of many service-based groups is generally viewed as time-consuming and tedious. The traditional manner of scheduling reservations doesn’t help refute this statement: It usually involves booking reservation over the phone and by e-mail, then recording and managing the dates, times, services and customer contact information in separate appointment books, files, spreadsheets or folders. Not only does this method require a considerable amount of staff time, it also does not give customers the ability to book their reservations when it’s most convenient for them. Many individuals simply do not have the time to call in a reservations or appointment during normal business hours. This can lead to two different scenarios: The person  can either book the reservation online (if the service provider offers this option), or he or she can leave a voice message, in which case the provider must take the time to follow up with the individual (and possibly engage in a game of â€Å"phone-tag† until a specific reservation time is agree upon). Most will agree that the former is the more appealing of these two schemes. An online reservation system is generally the best option for these service-providers to automate and improve their booking processes. Commonly referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud-computing applications, this technology is accessible through any Internet connection and typically does not require any installations, downloads or expensive hardware. SaaS is software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a Web-based service. Software as a Service allow organizations to access business functionality at a cost typically less than paying for licensed applications since SaaS pricing is based on a monthly fee. Also, because the software is hosted remotely, users don’t need to invest in additional hardware. Software as a Service removes the need for organization to handle the installation, set up and often daily upkeep and maintenance. Software as a service may also be referred to a simply hosted application. Both the service provider and its customers access is in the same manner as any Web page. Like online data storage and document uploads applications, online reservation systems are securely housed online and not confined to an individual computer terminal or network. This characteristic not only makes it possible for customers to book reservations online, it also give service providers and their staff the ability to access their reservation calendar and customer details from any Internet connection, a valuable benefit for those individuals who must have access to this information from outside their office. Booking customer reservations with a pen and paper appointment book simply doesn’t cut it in today’s busy, 24-7 world. Technology has caught up with all office procedures, including booking processes, and service providers that tap into these online reservation systems can expect a significant improvement in their overall operations. And on top of that, they’ll have more satisfied customers. Local Alice Adams (2011).Kabayan Hotel Cubao has recently integrated a reservation  system in its website for a more efficient online booking. Through this technology, travellers worldwide save time and effort in reserving accommodations as the user-friendly booking engine makes the whole process a simple and effortless activity. Online hotel reservations are becoming popular method for booking hotel rooms, and Kabayan Hotel Cubao takes this opportunity to ensure fast reservations for guests from different parts of the world. This easy-to-use system, powered by DirectWithHotels, is now fully functioning at its website, http://www.kabayanhotel.com.ph/cubao.php. With this, guest only have to go through a very short booking process to be entitled of a comfortable stay at this budget hotel. Upon clicking the â€Å"Reserve Now † button, visitors can immediately select arrival and departure dates, navigate their way to their preferred guestrooms, and view the inclusive amenities and room rates. And after paying a 10% deposit, which is certified by Trust wave and secured by VeriSign, they instantly receive confirmation directly from the hotel via e-mail. With just a few clicks of the mouse, guests are guaranteed to experience amazing ease and warm Filipino hospitality at this budget hotel in Quezon City, Philippines. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation (2012). BooktoEat.ph now offers the opportunity to book restaurants online, in real-time just like booking in a hotel or an airline. The days of waiting hours for a restaurant to open, call back, respond to an e-mail or a telephone message will soon be over. A real-time reservation completely automates the reservation process. When making a reservation using BookToEat.ph the reservation is instantly confirmed in the restaurant’s Electronic Reservation System. This is the same Reservation System that used by the restaurant to manage all of its bookings so it automatically checks for real-time availability. The difference between BookToEat.ph and most other restaurant reservation services that we are genuinely â€Å"real-time† so no more busy signals, waiting until the restaurant opens or waiting hours for an e-mail response. BookToEat.ph now allows you to book your favourite restaurants on online in real-time just like booking in a hotel or an airline. The soon introduction of real-time bookings into Philippines presents a significant development for the restaurant industry. The concept has been hugely successful in the USA and UK markets, and in 2008 over 36 million bookings were made online in real-time. Related studies The application of modern information technology dominated so far by the use of internet websites and online reservation systems, gives competitive advance to other with same establishment. However the potential competitive advantage can be transformed into real advantage if only the websites have proper design. As a result, the advocator conducted research on the facts related to the system that might be helpful to its development. Foreign StormSource (2002).An online reservation system has booked over 50 million appointments and reservations since its launch in 2002. Over 4,000 businesses throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries rely on the software for such tasks as online reservation system of customer services, booking rooms, facilities and equipment, accepting online payments, sending reminders, and e-marketing. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based technology firm specializing in the development of online appointment software for a wide variety of applications and industries. Geared primarily toward small businesses such as doctors’ offices, spas, health clubs and massage therapists, users of Appointment-Plus also include Fortune 500 companies; colleges and universities; healthcare agencies and facilities; federal and local government; and freight and delivery services. Scharl, Wà ¶ber and Bauer (2003).Evaluate the effectiveness of hotel websites. Authors identify personal, system and media factors that contribute to hotel website adoption. In the system factors group, that is more controllable by the hotel management compared to personal and media factors, they identify the perceived utility of the product, speed of the system, intelligence, layout, services, navigation, interactivity, reliability of the system. Michael Pearce (2012). The online program at ksoutdoors.com – click on â€Å"reservations† – is part of the Reserve America system, which is used by about 20 states and 30 private groups to help customers reserve camping spots. Reservations for Kansas parks also can be made by calling 620-672-5911. The new system gets money into state park coffers quicker, and also saves time that the state park staff would have spent handling the money. Those are huge benefits for the department, which is constantly battling budget and staffing issues. Lanterman said it also allows the department to better study the demographics of its users. Adjustments can  then be made to make sure the public is best served. Wilson State Park is getting the most online reservations; Cheney and El Dorado State Parks are about tied for second place. Lanterman said usually no more than about half of the camping spots can be reserved online. The rest are first-come, first-served, as they have been for years. She said a few campers have been frustrated to arrive at a park and see their favourite site empty but reserved by another camper. Park managers, though, say support for the reservation system is strong and growing. â€Å"People like that they can go online, reserve the site they want, and when they show up it’s ready,† said Ryan Stucky, Cheney State Park manager. â€Å"Most are figuring out the system and that it’s more convenient for them.† Local Studies â€Å"An online inquiry and reservation system with virtual tour for La Maja Rica Hotel and Restaurant Tarlac City† a thesis conducted by Duenias, Kathleen Joy J., Ilagan, Keneth D. and Tolenceda, Niccolo Andrei P. AMA Computer College Tarlac City (March 2010), allows management for their hotel and restaurant to be more organized in terms of reservation, inquiry and customer avail of the available services and inquire for the details even without personal appearances which they can spare time, money and efforts. The Thesis entitled â€Å"Online Cagayan Valley Economic Zone Authority Information System† by Anwar Saludsong (April 2002), discuss the advantage of web-based application to allow user acquire information through online that is accessible through any internet. â€Å"Luisita Gold And Country Club Online Reservation† a Study conducted by Rina Lyn C. Burgos and Rowena S. Cortez at AMA Computer College Tarlac City (Aug 2005) discuss the capabilities of the internet and modern application to update users about the advantage and reliability of features of an online reservation system.A real-time reservation that completely automates the reservation process and reduce the effort and the time consume of customer. Theoretical Framework The proponents proposed system is a program that has a set of elements that work together to understand some objective that will help the Baque- Manalang Dental Clinic with regards to their manual reservation. One of the problems in most clinics nowadays is how to accommodate and serve  as many patients as possible, where patients do not need to go to the clinic for appointment scheduling. An online reservation system is generally the best option for these service-providers to automate and improve their booking processes. Not only that, this will also avoid patients not to experience a longer waiting time. Online reservations also assure the availability of schedule as these are shown online and security of information is provided. The literature has its similarity to the proponents propose system in the sense of both project utilize the internet function such as the availability of date and time which is one of the features that the proponents included in the study. The proponents are looking forward that the propose system will improve the manual reservation of the Baque- Manalang Dental Clinic. Conceptual Framework Below is the research paradigm which states the input data that will process to produce an output. Research, works, books, interviews, publication, net-surfing and studies are the researches mean gathering and compiling information and data that can help in the investigation improvement and development of the system

Reflective analysis of my leadership approach Essay

â€Å"†¦..beyond the horizon of time is a changed world, very different from today’s world. Some people see beyond that horizon and into the future. They believe that dreams can become reality. They open our eyes and lift our spirits. They build trust and strengthen our relationships. They stand firm against the wind of resistance and give us the courage to continue the quest; we call these people leaders† (Kouzes and Posner, 1995). For a number of us leadership can be described as quality – even though we know it when we see it but it is quiet difficult to define or describe. In this respect, Kouzes and Posner (1995) aptly capture what I think about when I was asked to describe a leader and leadership. In the course of my education and career, I have come across some touch points that shaped my opinions and influenced my general perspectives regarding the roles of leaders and leadership. Fundamentally, I have been able to experience my various roles as a le ader who articulates and puts into words into action to develop vision for a future that inspires others to join. It is within this context that my perspectives on leadership have been developed. My thoughts on concepts of leadership are an amalgam of what I have was taught in Leadership in Healthcare Module, what I have read, what I have experienced as an individual, and the lessons that I have picked up along the way. Due to complex nature of leadership especially regarding the number of theories that have been suggested by scholars, it is important that not only leaders, but also people who aspire be leaders develop their own personal philosophy leadership. This could be achievable by engaging in reflective exercise. I have come to realise that some fundamental principles have sharpened my opinions and also driven my beliefs and perception about leadership as an ongoing process, rather than a destination or an achievement. Frequently, I also know that additional learning, unlearning and relearning (through books read on the subject of inquiry, or book read out of mere curiosity) have supplemented the theorizing process of leadership, and fall short of being consistent with grounded theory methodology in which a review of academic literature often occurs following initial data and prior to formation of theory (McGhee et al., 2007). Therefore, this essay will adopt the model of ground theory, starting from the scratch, a collection of my personal  observations, beliefs and experience regarding the concept of leadership approach. Reflective analysis of my leadership approach is based on three principles: (1) Maintaining a steady focus on mission and vision; (2) risk taking and (3) empowering peopl e. Starting with maintaining a steady focus on mission and vision, I have been able to learn that one of the greatest challenges that a leader can face is staying on mission of the organization. People, the led, need to know the direction they are heading to, and to know the expectation of the leader regarding the organizational vision and mission. Maintaining a consistent focus on the organization’s vision and mission is a key attribute required for leadership and it is a critical task for a leader. The leader starts its task by clearly defining the vision of the organization then keeping it alive. The leader is also responsible for achieving such vision; the buck stops at his table and must therefore communicate such both within and outside of the organization. In this regard, the leader serves as a bridge between the organization and its environment. Beyond just communicating the organization’s vision, the leader must be a source of inspiration in order to the vision and to develop a positive mental attitude and belief that it can be achieved. Covey (2012) refers to this attitude as principle-centred leadership. This is a key attribute, especially, in light of the dynamic environment in operation today. This is an attitude I have adopted over and over again in the course of my leadership role. Risk taking; this is an embodiment of 2nd principle of my personal philosophy of leadership. Like my first principle of maintenance focus on vision and mission of the organization, I consider this as another critical factor that distinguishes leaders from their followers. The rar e courage of risk-taking, to step out in front, to test water, to be a pathfinder has been long considered as an attribute that sets the leader apart from the followers and rest of the organization. According to Kouzes and Posner (1995), leaders must take a role of â€Å"pioneers.† They should develop courage to venture the horizon’s edge and report back about what is seen. Leaders take calculated risks for the sake of the vision and mission of the organization. I have done this in a couple of times and I have succeeded. I agree that some leaders are more comfortable in taking risk than others; and it is noteworthy to realise that there are different degrees of risk associated with the decisions to be taken by leaders. Over  the years, I have learnt that it is better to take a calculated risk. And I agree with school of thoughts that believe that people who are â€Å"risk averse† are not fit to be leaders. Empowerment of others: The third principle of my leadership philosophy, the final portion of my analysis, relates to the role of leaders in empowering others. Empowerment entails conveying the mission and vision in such a way that other people in the organization can make use of their initiative to make decisions on their own. This also involves some amount of boldness, confidence and risk-taking. While I was Senior Carer in a Care Home, I always encourage my colleagues to come up with, at least, two initiatives to move the association forward at each meeting day. According to Senge (2012), a certain limit of error in an organization is acceptable as long as such error provides an opportunity for people to learn and also lends credence to empowering others while carrying out the organiza tion’s mission and goals. I agree with Senge, 110%. In conclusion, I have been able to present reflective analysis of my role as a leader in various capacities I have served before. I draw my experience from past and ongoing learning processes and experience, and I have developed a set of personal leadership philosophy which are maintaining a steady focus on mission and vision, risk-taking and empowering people. I hope I will be able to develop myself further in preparation of leadership role I will engage in the future. References Covey, S. (2012). Principle-centered leadership. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Kouzes, J. M. and Posner, B. Z. (1995). The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Senge, P. M. (2012). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York, NY: Doubleday/Currency