Enjoying Life

Study Questions on Eveline for Yud Bet Five test Thursday, December 26, 2002 Some of the questions below are the ones that will appear on your exam, so study them well. (NOTE: you will NOT be allowed to have the text in front of you during the test, so make sure that you study beforehand! ) 1. Why didn’t Eveline go with Frank? Was it a rational decision or more of an emotional response? What do you think about her decision? What do you think the writer thinks about her decision? 2.Where in the story is Eveline compared to an animal? Why does the writer compare her to an animal? 3. After reading Eveline, what impression do you get of James Joyce’s attitude towards the Catholic Church? Find evidence in the story to prove this. 4. Discuss the motif of dust which pervades the story. What does the dust symbolize? 5. There are two points of view present in this story: that of Eveline herself and that of the narrator. How can we differentiate in the story between these two poi nts of view?What is the purpose of having these two points of view? 6. Describe Eveline’s state of mind at the port. What descriptions indicate this most clearly? 7. a. Fill in the following table: |Contrasting Symbols and Images Between | |Eveline’s life and Frank’s life | |Eveline’s life |Frank’s life | |a. ust |a. | |b. Margaret Mary Alacoque |b. | |c. |c. the open sea | |d. |d. â€Å"awfully fond of music and sang a little | |e. |e. face of bronze | |f. â€Å"her head was leaned against the window curtain† |f. | b. Based on these symbols, what can we say that Eveline’s life represents? c. Frank’s life?

Qualitative Data Methods in Researching Organizational Commitment Essay

This paper discusses methods that generate qualitative data which entails a place in researching organizational commitment. A thorough review of the qualitative data methods rooted in certain research philosophies are presented with an explanation of why these are so important in the research of organizational commitment. A research is defined as a human activity based on intellectual investigation and its objective has the aim to discover, interpret, and revise human knowledge on the different aspects of the world (Fox, 2000, p. 237). A research philosophy is as an idea about the way data about an event should be able to be collected, evaluated and used. In the Western tradition of science, there are two major research philosophies that are known. The major research philosophies are the positivist or the scientific approach and the interpretivist which is also known as the non-scientific approch (Straub, Gefen, & Boudreau, 2004). Positivism Positivism is defined as a philosophy that is able to state that the only authentic knowledge is the scientific knowledge. Positivism is a research philosophy wherein its objectives which are based on a qualitative approach are aimed to depict and investigate an in depth phenomena as further discussed by Straub, Gefen, and Boudreau (2004). The positivist view is shared by naturalists who are skilled people believing in scientific progress. Thus, gaining knowledge can be acquired through observation and experimentation. Positivists are those who believed that reality is constant and established. Reality is also observed and can be explained from an objective point of view. Positivists often argue that the phenomena being studied should be an isolated. Indeed, observations in the study of the phenomena should be repeatable. The repetition of the observations in the study of a phenomenon is often associated with the manipulation of reality. There are variations in the manipulation of reality and the variations only come from a single variable. According to Hirschheim (1985), the single variable is able to form relationships and this is also a way to recognize the regularities of the social world. Predictions are derived basing from the realities that were already observed and clarified. Collingwood (1994) specified that historians of the positivism approach had been following and adopting the methods of science which is really a characteristic of the positivist approach. The positivist historians and philosophers are being able to observe things and simplify the laws by using the induction method. The inductive reasoning is used in science and scientific method. The historical positivists are upholding the thought that the mind is not necessarily different from nature. Moreover, they have maintained that natural processes are just as the same with the processes of history. Like the idea of Hirschheim (1985), the positivist historians also believed that empathy and pure instinct were regarded as unscientific and were dismissed. Collingwood further explained that empirical ideas are those ideas which can easily generate with his own eyes, therefore, are regarded as facts that are right away given in just pure observation with no experimental basis (Collingwood, 1994). Hence, qualitative data is basically of the positivist nature which is the kind of approach that is dominant in research on the topic. Interpretivism In epistemology, interpretivism is defined as the view that all knowledge is a matter of interpretation (Hirschheim, 1985). Reality is only understood in the context of interpretivism if it is based on a subjective interpretation and intervention. Natural environment is involved and is a major part of their study of a phenomenon. The interpretivists believe that there are many interpretations that exist in their studies of the phenomena. Despite of the presence of the many interpretations, interpretivists are being able to maintain that many interpretations are part of their scientific knowledge which they continually pursue. However, interpretivism is generally regarded as linked with non-scientific approach. Therefore, the methods that generate qualitative data are not of the interpretivist nature. Research Strategy A research strategy is characterized as a plan of action that normally gives direction to the efforts done by a researcher (Trauth, 2001). Research strategy is that which allow or facilitate the conduction of a research which will be systematically done and not haphazardly done. Qualitative research methods are obtaining recognition beyond the conventional social sciences and these have turned out to be essential means in a broader methodology to applied research since they present useful insights into the points of view of study population (Myers, 1997, p. 241). The eminent input of qualitative study is the culturally precise and contextually rich information it generates. Examples of qualitative researches will be further discussed in the subsequent statements. As stated by Gummesson (2000), accomplishment considered on this basis has an influence, in line, on the cost-effectiveness, usefulness of involvements, major interests of project administrators and financial support groups. Qualitative research is a kind of systematic study. In most cases, scientific study is made up of an exploration that searches for answers to an inquiry, analytically makes use of a predefined series of processes in gathering facts, and constructs results that are appropriate beyond the direct limitations of the research. Qualitative study shares these attributes. Moreover, it seeks to recognize a specified study predicament or subject matter from the outlook of the laypeople it comprises. Qualitative research is principally valuable in getting hold of certain data concerning the ethics, views, and activities of specific populace. The strong point of qualitative study is its capability to supply intricate textual imagery of how populations come across a particular research concern. The research strategies which are dominant in the study are the use of surveys and ethnography. A researcher is being able to gather data about the practices, situations, and point of views of different people through these strategies. The researcher can use the questionnaires for gathering data. Interviews can also be used. Existing relationships present in the surveys done were generated with the use of quantitative and analytical techniques. Through these techniques, several inferences about the practices, situations or point of views of different people will be obtained. The use of surveys by a researcher is typically related to the field and laboratory experiments but the data needed are gathered outside the laboratory or near the real life situation of the world (Krueger & Casey, 1994). One of the weaknesses of the use of surveys as a qualitative data method is that the researcher always find a difficult time in analyzing the results of the survey done. The reason why is that insights and ideas of people are difficult to measure. In this scenario, several biases are being committed by the researcher. One of the biases is the self-selecting nature of the people being interviewed. Another source of bias is the time during when the survey is done. The researcher is also a source of bias since he will be the one to choose which survey design he is going to use. Another research strategy is the use of ethnography. Ethnography is classified as a type of research wherein the focus is on the context of sociology. This is done through a closer observation of the phenomenon of involved in sociology and culture. A researcher of ethnography or ethnographer is paying attention on the community. The community is the place for him to focus and select informants. The informants should be able to know the different ideas regarding the activities done in the particular community. A chain sampling is used by the ethnographer to address the issues concerning the answers of the informants (Flyvbjerg, 2006). The use of the chain sampling is to saturate the informants in the observed areas of investigation. Clarifications of the issues given by previous informants are obtained by using the multiple interviews done by some informants. The purpose of the multiple interviews is to obtain a deeper response from the informants regarding the investigation of issues done in the community. The process of multiple interviews also is able to give the ethnographer a revealed cultural understanding of the subject being investigated in the community. Thus, the collective data gathered in the community by the responses of the community is more important than the subjective data (Fetterman, 1998). The method involve in ethnography is initiated with the selection of a culture to be studied. Literature review of the selected culture is done. Variables of interest which are perceived to be significant and important by the members of the community are being identified by the ethnographer. After the first step, the ethnographer is then ready to absorb the cultural activities of the community as well as the idea present in the culture. This is termed as the â€Å"cultural immersion† (Yin, 2003). The ethnographer is now being able to process the data for analysis and for the development of theory to happen. Several theories may be gathered from observation in the cultural Researches regarding ethnography can last for months or for years. s stated earlier, the ethnographer is being able to use of the informants and as he progress on the cultural immersion, he had already chosen the informants which will he use to facilitate his data gathering. After data gathering, immersion of the ethnographer, however, he must be careful not to do theoretical prejudice. Instead, theory must be based on the gathered perspective that was generated from the answers of the informants (Gold, 1997). For validation purposes, the ethnographer could go back to the community and ask questions to his informants for other reactions of issues related to the subject of investigation and study. To further realize the research techniques, it is important for the researcher to take into account the facts regarding qualitative and quantitative study approaches. Research techniques comprising quantitative information were founded and developed in the natural sciences. Techniques established in the quantitative study systems currently take in the utilization of experiments, both in laboratory and field work, and formal and numerical schemes. On the other hand, research processes relating to qualitative information were being instituted by the social sciences. Examples from research that has been done are the following. Qualitative research methods are obtaining recognition beyond the conventional social sciences, predominantly in public health and worldwide advancement study. As discussed by Gersten (2001), such methods of obtaining information are vital in the plan of thorough solutions to communal health dilemma in emergent nations, as scientists, doctors, pharmaceutical businesses, and humanitarian organizations have arrived to identify that biomedical solutions are just limited treatments. Additionally, a qualitative research on whether and how populations set out of deprivation may, for instance, integrate comprehensive accounts of the policies employed and problems stumbled upon by the underprivileged in their efforts to â€Å"move up† the economic hierarchy, conceivably by evaluating citizens who are deprived to distinctive levels or in various means in different locations. This investigation would therefore extend an integrated structure or outline to illustrate how the most relevant variables were correlated to one another (Mack et al. , 2005). The purpose the whole time would be to keep a record of how past and framework-specific procedures affect both the societal configurations and personal or group performance in and through which poverty is came upon, repeated, opposed, and prevailed over. Examining poverty and other concerns are inclined to be in support of technical skill, which may or may not incorporate a positive reception of the context of a range of circumstances, as qualitative methods and open-ended answers incline the balance of control and proficiency away from the researcher toward respondents and the public (Dudwick et al. 2006). The link between qualitative research methods and commitment is that organizations basically involve themselves in research in connection with their prospect goal which is development or to develop. The researcher’s drive and inspiration to conduct a qualitative research is generated from the fact that the only distinction of humans from the natural world is that humans are able to use the language to say and express what they wanted to tell. Qualitative researches are always being the researches opposed by the quantitative research. Some scientists who opposed the use of qualitative research are those who do not understand that qualitative research is a way for other researchers to examine what people think and believe about the issues that concerns the community and the culture which is present in each of the communities. It was argued and debated by Kaplan and Maxwell (1994, p. 45) that study being done in the phenomenon of the social and cultural context of the people in the community where they live is being lost when textual data from researches are being able to be quantified for further analysis. Conclusion In the above discussion on the different research philosophies, methods, approaches and strategies, a qualitative research is able to be done in a more systematic way. Choosing what method or strategy to be used in a research will solely depend on the perspective of the researcher. The researcher must be able to realize the subject of study before choosing which of the methods, philosophies and strategies of research to be used. The methods that are now acceptable include ethnography, case studies and action researches. Data are considered qualitative when it was generated from observations from fieldwork as well as interviews and questionnaires. Data that were derived from texts and documents and from the researcher-observer reactions, feelings and ideas are also valid data to be used as qualitative data. Each of the research philosophies, strategies, methods and approaches has their limitations for use. They are being able to use by a researcher because the researcher have understood all the advantages and limitations of that the research philosophy, strategy, approach and method that may bring success or failure to the research being done. There are qualities and characteristics that the researcher should be able to consider in order for him to choose the appropriate methods of research he is going to use. Moreover, the success of the research also depends in how the researcher is being able to weigh the appropriateness of a topic or the subject to be studied in relation to the methods that will be used. The methods that generate qualitative data have indeed a place in researching organizational commitment since qualitative data methods are important in characterizing issues which are not taken into account by quantitative data methods. Organizational commitment involves the objectivity of studies being done which are needed to attain the organization’s goals. In particular cases, qualitative methods have certainly comparative advantage over quantitative methods, since descriptive analysis may be omitted in the quantitative approaches. These qualitative methods are highly applicable in conducting studies pertaining to the aforementioned examples. Qualitative techniques both regard and integrate practical expertise into the study of progress achievements and failures. Such techniques are necessary for analyzing complicated matters of causality, course of action, and context. Open-ended inquiring and focus group deliberations are actually intended to give permission to respondents to recognize and communicate their main interests and concerns which are emancipated from researchers’ limitations and hypotheses. In contrast, quantitative methods are, in the usual course of events, less useful in comprehending context and process. As has been perceived all through this paper, qualitative research enhances the consistency and authenticity of presented quantitative tools, while creating its own distinguishing empirical contributions to strategy and venture plan. Generally, the link between qualitative research methods and commitment is that organizations involve themselves in research in connection with their prospect goal which is development or to develop.

Intersect Benchmark Swot Analysis Paper

Intersect Benchmark SWOT Analysis Paper Karen M Lane MMPBL/520 Transformational Leadership September 26, 2011 Steve Williams Small business owners and organizations fight for survival is becoming a part of everyday conversations, headline news, journey topics, and radio talk. Businesses around the world are trying to avoid the graveyard for businesses. This is a place where unsuccessful businesses rest after consumers closes their wallets and corporate revenue plunge beyond repair.The fight for survival is real and the challenges faced have the potential to bring a finish to a once good ideal. Strategic planning is a necessary tool for an organization or small business to know where the company is headed and what means the plan will get the organization there. This plan may consist of looking at the organization’s strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). This paper will benchmark two well know companies while using a SWOT analysis to compare and contrast leaders hip and change management. SWOT analysis is the foundation for building a strategic plan. SWOT analysis identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threads an organization is facing. The advantage of completing a SWOT analysis is the gathered information that may be used to empower the organization through building on the strengths, identifying and overcoming weaknesses, using opportunities for advancement, and the ability to properly manage and minimize external threats† (McNamara, 2011). The two companies of choice is Southwest Airlines andCompany History and SWOT Analysis Southwest Airlines â€Å"In 1966 a group of Texas investors founded a company called Air Southwest Co. later becoming incorporated as Southwest Airline Co. in 1967. Southwest has become the largest domestic airline in the United States by the amount of passengers carried. Southwest Airlines has been in business for over 43 years as a successful airline, but their success has not been without a cost Southwest devised a plan to eliminate in-flight meals, aggage transfer, and other traditional frill to ensure lower cost. This helped Southwest Airlines create a new form of transportation by competing against the automobile industry for travel (International Directory of Company Histories,  2005). Southwest added a new twist to the airline and transportation industry that caused its competitors to step out of their comfort zone. Over the next several years Southwest Airlines grew larger through the waging of price wars from their competitors. In 2000 Southwest revenues were 6. billion and became known for their â€Å"Taking Care of Business† slogan. Southwest relinquish corporate perks to continue to supply their customers with cheaper fares. Southwest’s much success was soon followed by 9/11 terrorist attacks. â€Å"In the mist of 9/11 Southwest’s competitors experienced thousands of workers being laid off, lost billions of dollars, and headed for pr otection from the bankruptcy courts, but Southwest continued to profit† (International Directory of Company Histories, 2005). A couple of known causes were airlines faced extremely high oil prices like never before, drastic security measures had to be taken to prevent something like this from happening again, and customers once more turned to use other forms of transportation. The loss of confidence that customers and the airlines suffered from the 9/11 hijackings cause a fear throughout the world† (Jay,  199-2011). This fear forced Southwest Airlines to make the necessary changes needed to overcome the present storm. Southwest plan of attached stemmed from employee morale.Whereas other airlines were folding under pressure resulting in employee layoffs, Southwest secured the future of their employees through union negotiations and committing to a no lay-off policy. The airline strong commitment to their employees raised company morale for the stakeholders. This secured the readiness of employees in the area of change. This also was a direct reflection in Southwest’s ability in the area of transitional and transactional leadership. Strengths In the area of strengths Southwest Airlines has exceled at servant leadership by placing the needs of every employee in front of their own.The Southwest leadership team demonstrated their capability to properly manage and apply their strategic planning knowledge in a never foreseen occurrence. Through consideration Southwest has gained mutual respect and the necessary by-in from stakeholders to apply the new vision and direction of the organization. Leader-member relations are at its peak within the organization and can be contributed to the loyalty and the support shown through situation control. Leaders at this point may use the power of persuasion to gain the by-in from employees for the new organizational direction. WeaknessOver staffing and cost is a major factor for Southwest’s current situ ation for the sake of commitment inability to control external factors, and a higher level of knowledge needed for advancing. Opportunities Southwest has an opportunity to reevaluate task structure, implement new procedures to apply to the latest learned knowledge, explore new methods, develop and properly train employees, build better work relations, implementation of employee involved decision making programs, learn about the newest technology for growth purposes, regain customer confidence, and develop leadership behaviors while expecting greater outcomes.Threats Southwest may experience a loss of morale over a period of time, advancing new and current competitors because of a lack of funding for the latest and greatest technology, turn-over in employee and leadership, permanent loss of employee confidence. Continental Airlines â€Å"Continental Airlines was founded in 1967. Continental pride themselves for acquiring simple goals: having high quality product every day f service, getting customers where they want to go on time with their baggage while leaving customers with a service of excellence recognized globally for being consistent† (International Directory of Company Histories, 2003). Continental Airline based on 2001 post 9/11 terrorist attacks was the fifth largest airline. The airline carries passengers, mail, and cargo throughout the world. Continental is connected to 200 airports worldwide. This amazing portfolio did not come without a cost. In the 1980s Continental found themselves being labeled as the poster child for having bad employee relationships and management turnover because of a hostile corporate raider. This bad combination cost the company one decade of declining sales and financial loss. In 1995 Continental experienced a turn around. A plan was put into place to renegotiate Continental’s debt, persuaded Boeing to defer delivery of any planes on order, and arranges concessions from aircraft lessors.High ranking official was also fired and replaced with new high rating staff† (International Directory of Company Histories, 2003). As years passed Continental experienced a long overdue financial break then 9/11 happened and caused a downside in their profits. â€Å"Immediately, after 9/11 terrorist attacks Continental laid-off 20% of their workforce, which totals 12,000 employees. Most of those employees returned to work within a year but morale was definitely affected by the airline’s current situation.Continental’s high ranking official Bethune did not take this situation lying down; he lobbied for the government to provide an industry-wide bailout. A fourth quarter loss of $149 million left the airline $95 million in the red for the year. The airline made a conscience decision to park 61 of its jets and 23 turboprops as business returned to normal for the airlines. In an effort to regain the trust and confidence of the stakeholders, shareholders, and financial capital Continent al formed an alliance with Delta, and Northwest.A ten-year code-shared agreement allowed customers to share frequently flier miles between the three airlines. This alliance shared 36% of shared domestic traffic† (International Directory of Company Histories, 2003). Strengths Continental has demonstrated their ability as leaders to make a tuff decision in times of crisis, regain customer trust after 911, strategize for better solutions, regained employee trust through the rehiring process, and setting an example for employees to follow.Ultimately, Continental leadership also displayed a servant leadership style that was able to transform the organization from on level to the next. Weakness Continental took what may be perceived as taking the easy way out by laying off employees instead of applying a workable strategic plan that could have benefited both parties. Through employee lay-offs the morale within the organization is at its all-time low and stress level are at a high wh ich, could lead to harmful situations. This has caused leader-member relations to diminish.The leaders demonstrated their inability to trust the workers to help within the organization’s crisis. Opportunities Continental has an opportunity to redevelop a new strategic plan, build stakeholders relationships, recommit to leader-member relations, reestablish their position of power, build the leaders within the organization, use positive reinforcements to regain trust, educate employees in the area of stress, opportunity to correct troubled areas create alternative strategies for possible resistance to change, and redefine and create a new vision for the organization.Other opportunities that Continental may have is greater work commitments once the storm has passed, hiring highly qualified employees, decrease or expand the span of control for building a stronger organization, and target elements of change. Threats The recent decision to lay off employees has sparked a fear withi n the organization that could possible led to heavy turnover, financial ruin due to the fear of flying, market changes and technological advancement for competitors, mergers and acquisition to regain loss, recession, and conflicts.In comparison Southwest, Continental, and Intersect has demonstrated situation control through their immediate work environment on every level. Although, each has also demonstrated a different leadership style the main focus to save the organization and secure the future was the first priority of the leaders. Each organization has also revealed their position of power through the necessary decisions made by the leaders and their ability to brainstorm to come up with the best possible solution for the organization’s future.Each organization was also able to pin point their weakness for future corrections to be made. Although the leadership style may differ each leader has demonstrated leadership skills that have earned the trust of their employee in the area of growth. Each organization also has a good repetition which preceded their current situation. In contrast Southwest has gained the by-in from employees through a more trusting type of leadership style whereas, Continental and Intersect has used their position of power to cause employee layoffs or to spark fear into current employees.Southwest lessen the chance of harmful threats in the area of employee stress whereas, Continental and Intersect decision has raised the level of stress and possibility threats. In conclusion, each organization has its pro and cons that maybe intertwined to created better future business decisions. The current use of a SWOT analysis has the potential to gather information while empowering each organization for future success. | | Strengths| Weaknesses| Opportunities| Threads| Intersect| Knowledgeable workers, Confident leadersAbility to share the vision of the organization with others. Proper staffing for the advancement of the new direction. Void of a backup plan for this type of disasterResistance to changeAbility to control stress levels within the organization. High turn-over ratesCustomer dissatisfactionRestructuring neededDefining of goals and new alignment. | Regain customer confidenceOpportunity to brainstorm for the best possible solution for their current situationEstablish long-term goalsBuild charismatic leadership style vs. using force or power for persuasion.Expansion of knowledge base for growth purposesOpportunity for goal setting| Loss of confidence and decrease of ProfitabilityNew Entrants Market changes| Southwest Airlines| Southwest exceled in the area of being servant leaders when the organization put the needs of their employees first by refusing to layoff employee. The union negotiations demonstrated the organization’s ability to dominate internal forces for change through job satisfaction by working with the union and not taking advantage of a stressful situation.Southwest through Charismat ic leadership transformed their work environment through goals, values,needs, beliefs, and aspirations. Leader-member relations are at its peak within the organization and can be contributed to the loyalty and the support shown through situation control. | Void of a backup plan for this type of disasterOver staffing and cost is a major factor for Southwest’s current situation for the sake of commitment inability to control external factors, and a higher level of knowledge needed for advancing. Regain customer confidenceOpportunity to brainstorm for the best possible solution for their current situationEstablish long-term goalsExpansion of knowledge base for growth purposes| Market changesLoss of confidence and decrease of ProfitabilityNew Entrants Over staffing and cost is a major factor for Southwest’s current situation for the sake of commitment inability to control external factors, and a higher level of knowledge needed for advancing. Continental Airlines| Continen tal has demonstrated their ability as leaders to make a tuff decision in a times of crisis, regain customer trust after 911, strategize for better solutions, regained employee trust through the rehiring process, and setting an example for employees to follow. | Inability to save a loss of job and secure the future of those workers.Establish employee trust and confidenceVoid of a back-up plan for this type of disaster| Regain customer confidenceOpportunity to brainstorm for the best possible solution for their current situationEstablish long-term goalsExpansion of knowledge base for growth purposesRedevelop a new strategic planbuild stakeholders relationships, recommit to leader-member relations, reestablish their osition of power, build the leaders within the organization, use positive reinforcements to regain trust, educate employees in the area of stress, opportunity to correct troubled areas create alternative strategies for possible resistance to change, and redefine and create a new vision for the organization. hiring highly qualified employees, decrease or expand the span of control for building a stronger organization, and target elements of change. Market changesLoss of confidence and decrease of ProfitabilityNew Entrants heavy turnover, financial ruin due to the fear of flying, market changes and technological advancement for competitors, mergers and acquisition to regain loss, recession, and conflicts. | References McNamara, C. (2011). Free Management Library. Retrieved from http://managementhelp. org/strategicplanning/basics. tm#anchor1434082 International Directory of Company Histories. (2005). FundingUniverse. Retrieved from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/AirTran-Holdings-Inc-Company-History. html International Directory of Company Histories. (2003). FundingUniverse. Retrieved from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/Continental-Airlines-Inc-Company-History. html

Importance of Management Information Systems Assignment

Importance of Management Information Systems - Assignment Example I agree with the author’s claims about Management Information Systems (MIS) being the most important class a student can take in an undergraduate business class. This is so because it is all about how people whether as an individual entity, a group or even the whole organization can use the set systems and technology to make decisions for the benefit of the whole organization. The good thing about this is that it encourages uniform decision making and hence no extreme decisions that may affect productivity and sustainability of the organization negatively can take place.   The author mentions that the greatest advantage of an MIS is the fact that it can be utilized in any department in the organization whether   in marketing, accounting and finance, manufacturing, human resource department, in the social application or even in other general departments (Gupta 255). This is true and I agree with it because MIS has a set of systems it proposes organizations or groups to use and once they are engaged, they can be able to pinpoint out the areas the company or group needs to improve on and which ones are already perfect. This can happen in any department as long as the records kept are correct and updated. I however disagree with the author’s assertions that an MIS system is not as effective when utilized by an individual entity as it is when utilized by a group of people or the whole organization (Gupta 356). I disagree because MIS has already set systems in place and hence anyone with good knowledge of how to utilize them can gain meaningful results similar to what an organization or a group of people get.   

My definition of Art Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My definition of Art - Article Example This definition is diverse to incorporate all aspects that are attributable to art, and theories in meaning of art. The definition identifies functional perspectives of art’s construct whose basis is objectives and skills for generating desirable experiences among a target audience (Sceunemann 188) and identifies with Tolstoy’s perspective of art as an initiative that emanates from â€Å"sexual desire and propensity to play† and generate pleasure to an audience (39). My definition also values procedural aspects of art that focuses on the approach to developing a product. This perspective focuses on steps towards the functionalist perspective and is therefore more comprehensive. Historically reflective concepts of art that seeks to preserve culture and to communicate history together with manifestation concepts that may be derived from the other theoretical aspects of art is evident in my definition. Manifestations can be achieved through constructed â€Å"lines, colors, movements, sounds or words† (Tolstoy 39). My definition therefore is informed and is therefore acceptable to diversified opinions on

Individual project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual project - Research Paper Example Differences also affect the reach to social resources, decision making, and performance potential due to lack of opportunities for a particular group. Power and authority also gets the impact from diversity issues in the workplace resulting in gaps in rewards that affect the outcomes. Human resource management plays a strategic role in the success of a firm. There are a number of issues and situations that a human resource handles in day-to-day functions. Other than maintaining the ethical standards and concepts, a human resource manager is responsible to manage workplace diversity in the organization for the strategic benefit of the firm. Challenges of workplace diversity can be met by motivating workforce via gain-sharing and executive information system via planning, organizing, and managing the human resources. Dimensions of workplace diversity relate but are not limited to age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience (Dr. Chan, 2010). In the book, Beyond Race and Gender, R. Roosevelt Thomas defines managing diversity as "a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees" (Lindenberger & Stolz-Loike, 2010). Workforce diversity impacts organizational outcomes. According to DiTomaso et al. (2007), interest in the concept of workforce diversity was a way to identify the sudden changes in social set up that impacted the organizations widely. Although these changes in society were not abrupt but the cultural and demographic diversity impacted the workplace environment greatly. The structural dealing among groups affects the results in the short and long term. The concept has been discussed much with regard to dissemination of service in the workgroups or organizations although sufficient research has

INFORMATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION Essay

INFORMATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION - Essay Example However, each unit works towards a single mission or vision of the organization in general. In this regard, the system approach to organization structure and management is superior to the general system theory. This is explained by the fact that synergy of the production of the different subsystems of the larger system enable an organization to effectively and efficiently achieve its objectives. Caro, Guevara and Aguayo (2003, p. 298) point out that the application of information system within an organization is congruent with the system approach of organization management and design. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) allows organizations to integrate the subsystems or units of an organization so that they work towards a common goal regardless of the uniqueness of their individual functionalities. Human resource is the most significant entity of a system or organization. As a result, the development of an information system by the IT professionals must involve human capital. This es say is a critical analysis, evaluation and discussion of the need for collaboration of HR with IT professionals in the adoption and implementation of an information system. The essay covers issues related to organizational preparedness in the implementation of an information system, the significance of all the stakeholders of the system, system approach and management approaches of the systems. It is through Enterprise Resource (ERP) planning that the achievement of an information system which integrates all units of an organization as a system is made possible. Bocij, et al., (2003) say that Porter’s Model which describes the implications of external forces on a system clearly demonstrates the significance of suppliers, buyers, new entrants, competition and substitution in an information system. Therefore it is argued that during the process of ERP, the design of an information system must give due consideration of the impact that the external factors and stakeholders have o n the success of an information system implementation. According to Elliot (2004), design of an information system must take into consideration of its suitability in meeting the objectives of the organization and the needs of the human resource, and the stakeholders of the organization such as suppliers and distributors. Moreover, the design of an information system must also be considerate of the competition so that its implementation gives the organization a competitive edge against the competition. Caro, Guevara and Aguayo (2003, p. 298) point out that the components of an information system illustrate the importance of integration of the designers or the system and the users. Information systems are composed of hardware, software, people, policies, procedures and data. Hardware and software represent the computing systems within the information system including business application software. The people within the information system are the individuals who use the information sys tem or users, the IT personnel and the administrators or managers of the system. Barros (2005) adds that the users of an information system include the human resource, suppliers, distributors and even agents of an organization. Procedures and policies are the guidelines and standards of the system which provide the appropriate approaches of implementing the information system. The data within any information system is composed of the statistics or quantitative data within the databases of the system which is usually synthesized into usable information. Dalcher and Brodie (2007) argue that for the implementation of an information system to be successful, all of its components must work in unison. This means that the componen

Literary Analysis of The Girls in Their Summer Dresses Essay

Literary Analysis of The Girls in Their Summer Dresses - Essay Example The argument that ensues shows that this is not the first time they argued over the same thing. This story depicts how communication, respect, and compromise is necessary in order to save a relationship. Character Analysis Michael Loomis, the husband, is a static character. He is a superficial man who has a roving eye and a blatant lack of respect for his wife. He is insensitive, yet he seems to enjoy the humorous exchanges he has with his wife. Unfortunately, he is a static character because despite the several emotional argument and emotional appeals made by his wife, he remains unmoved and unchanged. He seems to be concerned about what his wife feels, but until the end, he fails to really realize what his wife needs from him. Similar to Michael, Frances is also a static character. She is attractive but insecure. She obviously loves her husband and tries hard to make him laugh and have good times with him. However, she lacks courage to tell her husband to stop what he is doing. She fails to realize that she is actually allowing her feelings to be ignored because she always tries to give way. In the end, readers would realize that this same scene will repeat over and over in the couple's lives since there is no character change in either of them. Conflict The external conflict is simple: Michael and Frances do not see eye to eye regarding their marriage and their role to each other. Frances wants to get her husband's attention, while Michael seems to be bent on giving it to other women. Their internal conflict is more complex than the external one. Frances tries to understand how it is with men in order to iron out her relationship with her husband: â€Å"Some men're like that, I tell myself, they have to see what they're missing† (Shaw). On the other hand, Michael does not feel too happy with how this is affecting his wife: â€Å"...that Michael felt terribly sorry for her† (Shaw). They both try to fight their with themselves in order to please the other yet the external or more superficial desires win. Furthermore, what adds to this conflict is the refusal of the two involved individuals to resolve the issues between them by deep communication. Instead, they choose to ignore it, which causes the same issue to come up over and over again. Setting The story is set with vivid descriptions of New York and the women that stroll along its streets. This is an important detail in the story since it greatly provides the readers with a clear picture of what Michael and Frances see. Setting the story in a fast-paced city makes the scene a comfortable backdrop for an arguing couple. Furthermore, 5th Avenue Manhattan is a famous place filled with museums, fine dining restaurants, and boutiques, which makes the description of the beautiful, crisp, chic women so believable. It contributes to the conflict in the story because being in a big city as New York exposes the husband and wife to the major concern they have in their marriage --- Michael's roving eyes as he meets the types of women he has always wanted to have. Story Point of View The story is told in a limited third person point of view. The narrative is seen mainly through Michael's eyes, because his thoughts are more profoundly discussed compared to Frances'. Readers get to understand Frances' thoughts merely through her reactions to Michael. This is effective in keeping the story in a limited perspective, where it gives more

GENETICS ASSISGNMENT (GENOGRAM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GENETICS ASSISGNMENT (GENOGRAM) - Essay Example Below is a three-generation genogram showing age, death, marriage, illness, abuses, and divorce status of the family. Genes, made of DNA bases, are the blueprint of inheritance (Skirton et al., 2005). Each individual has thousands of genes, with each individual inheriting a replica of the gene from their parents. The organization of genes is along string-like edifices called chromosomes and each individual receives 2-sets of 23 chromosomes one from their father and one from their mother (Tranin & Jenkins, 2003). Apparently, John has inherited the alcoholic habit from his father and Lois has inherited asthma from her father who had it as a recessive trait that developed from Lois’ paternal grandmother. A comprehensive DNA screening can be done to ascertain the exact level of alcoholism in John and maneuver on techniques of circumventing further alcoholism in the family (Jenkins & Lea, 2005). Additionally, John, Lois, and Rick can be subjected to patient education program where John will be taught on how to avoid alcohol, Lois on how to handle her asthmatic condition, and Rick on how to avoid becoming alcoholic or ascertain whether he is likely to be alcoholic in the future. John and Lois should learn on how to manage their situations rather than blaming their families for their medical conditions. However, it is ostensible that if the second generation (father in particular) had been subjected into programs that would enable them to effectively handle his conditions, the risks of asthma and alcoholism would have significantly been reduced in the third generation. Additionally, genetic testing for innate genetic variants should be performed to determine genetic risks for the third generations (Rick, Lois and John) progeny, diagnose the symptoms in John and Lois, and shed light on the appropriate treatment for John and Lois’s condition. Gene products, DNA, or chromosomes

Fairy Tale Gone Wrong - Snow White Essay Example for Free

Fairy Tale Gone Wrong Snow White Essay Most parents have, or will, tell their child a bedtime story that they may have heard when they were younger. These stories, otherwise known as fairy tales, are thought to be nothing but a mere story to entertain, but what if these fairy tales had an underlying meaning of their own? Fairy tales have been around for more than thousands of years and are passed on frequently from one person to another. Today, most are seen as harmless stories that were made up to entertain children; however, it seems that these fairy tales may actually hold meanings that are larger than the average child can grasp. Many have heard the well-known story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; yet, few have read the gruesome, original version by The Brothers Grimm. Disney’s child-friendly version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was written with the intention of making a successful animated movie for entertainment purposes, while the Brothers Grimm version tells a story in a more shocking and brutal manner. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a story that, when created by The Brothers Grimm, was actually made to entertain adults. As these stories became more and more popular people began to change the stories so that they were suitable for younger children to hear. One person who was exceptionally superior at changing fairy tales was the notable Walt Disney. He took Snow White and made it into his first full-length, animated motion-picture. But Disney wasn’t focused on portraying the original version but rather a loosely based version that would make a successful film, or in other views make him more money. While the two version are immensely different, the newer version does mimic the original in several ways. The fairy tale is still about Snow White being a beautiful young girl who is envied because of her beauty by her wicked stepmother, the Queen. Snow White’s stepmother orders the huntsman to take Snow White out into the woods and kill her, but he is unable to commit the act and lets her runs away. While Snow White is off in the woods she finds a small cottage that her newly-made animal friends help her clean. Later she find out that this small home belongs to seven dwarfs. Then the Queen finds out that Snow White is still alive in the woods and sets off to kill Snow White herself. The wicked stepmother soon finds Snow White, kills her and later is reawakened from the dead by a handsome prince. Then later, the Queen dies and Snow White â€Å"lives happily ever after†. Therefore, the basic outline is kept the same as the original, but Disney changes what seem like minor details that actually have a larger impact. Although it may not seem like monumental to many, the changes that Disney made in his version actually changed the meaning of The Brothers Grimm version entirely. For example, in the original version Snow White is thought to be around seven years old, with the number seven having a symbolic meaning, â€Å"referring to traditional superstitions about number† (Stringham). Whereas Disney changes her age losing the many different connections and also the foreshadowing that the number has. Snow White’s real mother is never mentioned by Disney, but holds an important part because when her real mother pricks her finger and the three drops of blood fall into the snow, it foreshadows the Queens three attempts at killing Snow White. In Disney’s version, he only shows the Queens last attempt at killing Snow White instead of all three attempts made in the original along with that attempt being simplified. Disney also changes the orders that are given by the Queen to the Hunstman. Originally the Queen ordered him to bring back the liver and lungs, symbolically meaning â€Å"the one containing the most blood, [ the liver ] was regarded as the darkest . . . the liver represented the darkest passions, particularly the bloody, smokey ones of wrath, jealousy, and greed which drive en to action. Thus the liver meant the impulsive attachment to life† (qtd. in Stringham). In the movie version, the Queen simply asks for the Hunstman to bring back her heart. Another aspesct that is greatly changed is how Disney represents the Seven Dwarfs. Walt Disney actually gives the dwarfs names and personalities and makes them seem like they are thankful that Snow White is there to help them when really the dwarfs were originally not helpers at all. They were portrayed as beings that only wanted Snow White there for her work, to clean, cook and do all the house chores. And finally, to make the film acceptable for children, Disney takes away the sexual meanings in almost every aspect of the story. As stated by John M. Ellis, writer of One Fairy Story Too Many: The Brothers Grimm and Their Tales, this is certainly a provocative story, and Disney eliminates it completely (qtd in Writers and Collections of Fairy Tales 85). These are a few examples of how different the film and the original have turned out to be. Disney clearly altered the story for the sole purpose of grabbing children’s attention and inevitably, for the money. It is nothing new that when something is said or written someone in the future will change things from the original and then someone else will continue to change the new version and so on. When stories are changed the meanings and symbolism also changes, inevitably changing the story as a whole. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a fairy tale that was taken by Walt Disney and changed for entertainment and seemingly money purposes, which resulted in losing the original meaning behind the story. Although Disney was successful with his version of Snow White, he has taken a story with hidden meaning and given it barely any.

Prevention Strategies for Escherichia Coli

Prevention Strategies for Escherichia Coli a) As the snack food is made from meat, there are four types of bacteria that will possibly contaminate it which are Escherichia.coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus,and Listeria monocytogenes (FSIS, 2015). Escherichia.coli is a bacterial that is usually present in the intestines of humans and animals. Although, most of them are harmless as they play an important role in the intestinal tract of a healthy individual. However, there are a few of them that are pathogenic as they can result in diarrhea and can be transmitted through the contact of human or animalfaeces. Altogether, there are sixpathotypes that are linked with diarrhea which are as follows Shiga toxin-producing   Escherichia.coli (STEC), Enterotoxigenic Escherichia.coli (ETEC), Enteropathogenic Escherichia.coli (EPEC), Enteroaggregative Escherichia.coli (EAEC), Enteroinvasive Escherichia.coli (EIEC), Diffusely adherent  Escherichia.coli   (DAEC) (CDC, 2015). However, the Escherichia.coliO157 strain, which is classified under Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia.coli (STEC), is considered the most harmful as it causes bloody diarrhea, kidney failure and can result indeath (Anon., 2015). It infects its host by producing large amounts of Shiga toxins that damages the intestinal lining severely to cause Hemorrhagic Colitis or otherwise known as bloody diarrhea. It can also cause Hemolytic uremic syndrome which results in kidney injury (Koo, 2014). Salmonellais a common bacterial that usually cause food poisoning which targets the stomach and intestines. It is normally present in meat, eggs, unprocessed milk and poultry (Bech, 2014). The symptoms are diarrhea, nausea, fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting which usually last for 4 to 7 days. The incubation period is between 12 and 72 hours upon infection (England, 2014). However, one must consume Salmonella contaminated food in order to cause infection (FSIS, 2015). Staphylococcus aureusis a common bacteria found on the skin, nasal passages, throats and hair of healthy individuals.Staphylococcalfood contamination can occur when a person who is infected with the bacteria handles the steakwithout proper sanitary handling procedures. Other possible sources of meat contamination of Staphylococcus aureus can also take place such as the surfaces and equipment that the meat is prepared on (Anon., 2015). Staphylococcal food poisoning happens when an individual ingest the enterotoxins that are produced in the contaminated meat, often due to the improper heating up of the meat to kill off most of the bacteria (USFDA, 2014). Listeria monocytogenesis a bacterium that is usually found in soil, water, uncooked and processed meat, cooked or processed food, smoked salmon, vegetables and dairy products (CDC, 2013). Ingestion of food contaminated with this bacterium can cause Listeriosis which is a serious infection (CDC, 2013). AlthoughListeria monocytogenescan be killed by proper cooking, the bacteria can still contaminate the cooked meat due to physical hazards such as poor food handling practices and sanitation (FSIS, 2015). Another potential food safety hazard that I have identify is the use of herbs and spices to marinate the steak. Herbs come from plants and spices are from seeds, bark or roots of plants (Ward, 2010). Because they are from plants, which contains spore-producing bacteria, this indicates that the bacteria spores is capable of further contaminating raw meat which is in contact with soil and vegetative origin.This would introduce additional microbiological hazards such as Bacillus spp. and spore forming organisms which are able to survive the drying process and continue to germinate to produce toxins. During the process of handling with this dried snack food, there should be a food safety management system such as The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This system is used worldwide by all food businessesto identify and control microbiology activity as well as physical and chemical hazards that might be present during production. It consists of seven principles that govern and maintain food hygiene procedures (ASQ Food, 2014). Therefore, I would advise her to take note of the possible food safety hazards that have been mentioned and the procedures of manufacturing this dried snack food has to be in compliance to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. b) There are several information that I would like to know as to assist the businesswoman in preparing the dried snack food safely for consumers. The following are the information required: Where was the meat from? Normally, the cattle are raised till maturity in a farm where they are given formulated food. During cattle raising, the cattle are injected with antibiotics to prevent diseases. In order to slaughter the cattle legally, a withdrawal period is needed from the time the antibiotics is given. This is to give sufficient amount of time for the antibiotic residues to be released from the cattle. The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would conduct sample testing for antibiotic residues upon slaughtering. Results have shown that the percentages of residue violations are very low and there are no traceable antibiotic residues present in the tissues of the cattle (FSA, 2015). There are several factors that have to be taken into consideration such as the conditions of the farms that the cattle are living and the food that they consume. For example, improper drainage of faeces, design of feeders and drinkers can contribute to the accumulation of bacterial contamination in the farm which leads to the dirty cattle. The cattle are then infected with diseases such as pneumonia, coccidiosis and salmonellosis. Thus, it is important to have a healthy livestock of cattle to avoid all these problems. There are two factors that can contribute to the contamination of meat production chain such as direct and indirect contact of contamination. Direct contact can occur when bacteria that are present on the skin of the cattle such as excrement and mud which can contaminate the meat during the slaughtering process. Whereas, indirect contact could occur when the hands, tools and equipment that are used to slaughter the cattle contains bacteria which will then infect the meat (FSA, 2002). How was the uncooked meat handled? For proper handling of raw beef, place them in a sealed disposable plastic bag. You can either freeze it at -17.8 °C so as to keep it longer (about 6 to 12 months)or refrigerate at 4.4 °C but have to consume it within 3 to 5 days (Safety, 2015). The reason why the meat is to be kept at cold temperatures is because this is to inhibit bacterial growth. Time, temperature and conditions of marinating and cooking the meat? First, the raw steak is marinated with herbs and spices which will introduce additional microbial hazard such asspore forming bacteria to the meat. Thus, for safe marinating procedures, do not marinate at room temperature as most bacteria are able to grow quickly. Instead, marinate the meat in a cold environment so as to avoid entering the danger zone, which is between 4 °C and 60 °C. For beef steak, the approximate time taken to marinate would be 2 to 4 hours (Stradley, 2014). For safe cooking of steak, cook them at a minimum internal temperature of 62.8 °C for about 4 5 minutes per side and allow the meat to rest for at least 3 minutes before eating. This is done to kill off most of the bacteria that might be present on the meat. However, do not cook the steak partially as this does not destroy most of the bacteria and might multiply (USDA, 2015). Time and temperature of the drying process? I would suggest drying the marinated steak strips using an oven at 75 °C as there is a constant circulation of dry air and heat source. The temperature is important in drying this snack food because gentle heatingwill not be sufficient as this does not ensure that any bacteria that might still be present on the meat prior to cooking are killed (USDA, 2015). For example, bacteria such as Bacillus flavother musT  have a maximum temperature cardinal value of 72 °C and if the meat is cooked to the temperature of 60 °C, the bacteria will still be able to survive (Todar, 2008 2012). Thus, they will continue to multiply in numbers and colonize the meat. Storage of final dried meat product? How long is the meat product stored? Always ensure to store dried meat in a vacuum packaging as this will minimize oxygen levels which inhibit the growth of aerobic bacteria. It also helps to reduce the oxidation of the meat which will result in meat spoilage. These will extent the shelf life of the snack food (Anon., 2012). A sealed dried meat product can be stored to a period of 12 months. However, if the dried meat product is made from home, then it can only be kept for about 1 to 2 months (USDA, 2013). Is water activity taken into consideration? Water is a requirement for bacteria growth, thus, it must be removed so as to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. It can be reduced by the drying process and the addition of salt to preserve the meat. How the salt works is that it would absorb all the water on the meat by the process called osmosis (Martin R. Adams and Maurice O. Moss, 2008). Are there hygiene practices done in the preparation of the dried snack food? To prevent cross-contamination, good hygiene practices and procedures are required in regards to handling the snack food. Food handlers should always wash their hands thoroughly with surfactants such as soap before and after handling with meat products. Always clean and disinfect all utensils, equipment and work surfaces before the preparation of the meat product. And do not mix raw and cooked food. Instead, incorporate the use of separate working and storage areas of raw, cooked and dried meat products (FSA, 2015). c) I would suggest the use of aerobic plate count and immunomagnetic separation to test the presence of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia.coli O157 In aerobic plate count, dilutions of the food sample are carried out and are then plated onto agar plates which contain suitable growth nutrients to favor the growth of microorganisms. The plates are then incubated at temperatures that bacteria can grow. After the incubation period, the total numbers of bacterial colonies arecounted; therefore, the total number of viable cells can be estimated (Hayes, 1995). Thelevels of Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) are used as a guidance to determine if the food product is safe for consumption (Agency, 2009). For example, if the Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) levels of bacteria have exceeded the expected level, the product cannot be consumed. For Salmonella spp., the infectious dose is normally 105 organisms, which is quite a big number. Whereas, as for Escherichia.coli O157, the infectious dose isless than 50 organisms (Inc., 2004). For Escherichia.coli O157 and Salmonella, Immunomagnetic separation is used as the â€Å"gold standard† to detect and isolate the bacteria as it is specific and sensitive. Then targeted organism is then isolated which will undergo serotyping for characterization (Inc, 2004). According to the guidelines for the microbiological safety of ready-to-eat foods, they are to be cooked and processed properly, especially with the addition of herbs and spices. It also includes bacteria that can possibly be from the source of poor hygiene. Lastly, tests on ready-to-eat foods are required so that food products which are not in compliance with the microbiological food safety criteria can be identified to protect public health (Agency, 2009). References Agency, H. P., 2009. Guidelines for Assessing the Microbiological Safety of Ready-to-Eat Foods Placed on the Market. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/363146/Guidelines_for_assessing_the_microbiological_safety_of_ready-to-eat_foods_on_the_market.pdf Anon., 2012. Vacuum Packaging of Food Products. [Online] Available at: http://modifiedatmospherepackaging.com/modified-atmosphere-packaging-resources/vacuum-packaging Anon., 2015. E. coli. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/ecoli/ [Accessed 12 May 2015]. Anon., 2015. Food Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/bacteriaviruses/staphylococcus/ [Accessed 12 May 2015]. ASQ Food, D. a. C. D., 2014. The Certified HACCP Auditor Handbook. 3rd ed. Wisconsin: American Society for Quality. Bech, C., 2014. Salmonella and food poisoning. [Online] Available at: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/salmonella.htm [Accessed 3 February 2014]. CDC, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/sources.html [Accessed 10 January 2013]. CDC, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/definition.html [Accessed 2 January 2013]. CDC, C. f. D. C. a. P., 2015. E.coli (Escherichia coli). [Online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html [Accessed 16 April 2015]. England, P. H., 2014. Salmonella: guidance, data and analysis. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/salmonella-guidance-data-and-analysis [Accessed 7 June 2014]. FSA, F. S. A., 2002. Red Meat Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/multimedia/pdfs/publication/redmeatsafety.pdf [Accessed March 2004]. FSA, F. S. A., 2015. Cleaner cattle and sheep. [Online] Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/farmingfood/cleaner-animals/cleaner-cattle-sheep FSA, F. S. A., 2015. Food hygiene for businesses. [Online] Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/food-hygiene FSIS, 2015. United States Department of Agriculture. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index [Accessed 24 March 2015]. FSIS, F. S. a. I. S., 2015. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index [Accessed 24 March 2015]. FSIS, F. S. a. I. S., 2015. United States Department of Agriculture. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index [Accessed 24 March 2015]. Hayes, P. R., 1995. Food Microbiology and Hygiene. In: 2nd ed. London: Chapman Hall, p. 189. Inc., T. A. S. f. M., 2004. Microbiology Australia. In: D. P. Bishop, ed. Qualitative vs quantitative microbiology. 3rd ed. Melbourne: Cambridge Publishing, p. 11. Inc, T. A. S. f. M., 2004. Microbiology Australia. In: D. P. Bishop, ed. Qualitative vs quantitative microbiology. 3rd ed. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge Publishing, p. 20. Koo, I., 2014. Bloody Diarrhea, or Hemorrhagic Colitis, Caused by E. coli O157:H7. [Online] Available at: http://infectiousdiseases.about.com/od/diseasesbyname/a/E_coli_O157H7.htm [Accessed 30 April 2014]. Martin R. Adams and Maurice O. Moss, 2008. Food Microbiology. 3rd ed. Guildford: The Royal Society of Chemistry. Safety, F., 2015. Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html [Accessed 12 May 2015]. Stradley, L., 2014. Marinating Meat Guidelines Marinating 101. [Online] Available at: http://whatscookingamerica.net/MarinatingSafely.htm Todar, K., 2008 2012. Nutrition and Growth of Bacteria. [Online] Available at: http://textbookofbacteriology.net/nutgro_5.html USDA, U. S. D. o. A., 2013. Jerky and Food Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index [Accessed 6 August 2013]. USDA, U. S. D. o. A., 2015. Beef from Farm to Table. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/beef-from-farm-to-table/ct_index USDA, U. S. D. o. A., 2015. Jerky and Food Safety. [Online] Available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/jerky-and-food-safety/ct_index USFDA, U. F. a. D. A., 2014. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [Online] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/CausesOfIllnessBadBugBook/ucm070015.htm [Accessed 16 December 2014]. Ward, E. M., 2010. Spices Herbs Health Benefits and Adding Spices To Foods. [Online] Available at: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/spices-and-herbs-health-benefits [Accessed 5 August 2010].

Perceptions of health, disability, illness and behaviour

Perceptions of health, disability, illness and behaviour PERCEPTIONS OF HEALTH, DISABILITY, ILLNESS AND BEHAVIOUR How health and social care users relate to the concepts of impairment and challenging behaviours Users of health and social care are usually in need of social care depending on the nature and intensity of their illness. Disabled individuals like Mr. Holland Park are why the importance of the underlying relationships between health, disability and illnesses must be understood and further develop strategies that will ensure better quality of life for him and other users alike. Severe medical conditions can result in limited access to proper healthcare; even as many in the general public have the misconception about how healthcare is received by individuals with disabilities. Recent laws and policies by the government like the Disability Discrimination Act, which covers all community health care services and hospitals compels service providers to make specific adjustments to healthcare practices, and also to ascertain the practicality of these adjustments is directed towards users with specific needs as is the case with Mr. Holland Park. Impact of past and present policies and legislations on available healthcare services Mr. Holland Park is currently a member of a family that cares for him for very much hence it is typical for other members of his family to worry about his wellbeing in any care home he lives in. In the past, legislations and social policies are developed in general terms that encompasses every health and social sector with policies affecting the general public and everyone residing within the United Kingdom. However, changes that been made over the years to suit specific aspects of the community, and precise laws are developed and others redefined to guarantee that every individual regardless of their medical condition, race, social class, religion or ethnicity receives the best care available. Mr. Holland Park is over a certain age and may be worried about being subjected to any kind of abuse or neglect due to his health. This is because the society may sometimes be unwelcoming to behaviours exhibited by individuals with certain illness, as some exhibit behaviours that may view as strange and unusual. This is why the legislations are defined in such a way that people, especially workers of care homes must abandon the general negative perceptions about disabled users, and commit only to the provision of suitable and adequate health care services to such individuals. The family of Mr. Holland Park will have nothing to worry about as every kind of misconception about any kind of illness will be overlooked and the best care made available for him in this care home or whichever one as the policies are well monitored and regular unannounced checks are done to certify adherence to these legislations. The promotion and protection of disability rights has been improved majorly in the United Kingdom, making the United Kingdom a pioneer in liaison of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Policies and Legislation in recent years Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA 1995), it is a violation of law to discriminate against disabled people in areas of including provision of services, employment, goods or facilities. Hence making it an obligation for service providers to ensure sensible modifications are made to engage disabled individuals in using their services. Consequent modifications were made via derivative legislations like Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 through principal legislation like the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. These acts made provision for a Disability Equality Duty making it a responsibility for public authorities to take passive roles in the promotion of fairness in treatment of disabled people. The Human Rights Act 1998 calls for the need for every public authority to operate in a way which is attuned with the rights put in place in the European Convention on Human Rights. Should public authorities fall short, affected individuals and their families are permitted to seek a judicial remedy. Public authorities include central social and health care homes, National Health Service (NHS) and their trusts, Government, and most providers of public services. In recent times, there is a more direct approach to the UK anti-discrimination legislation via the Equality Act 2010 which annulled and replaced the DDA in Great Britain alone. This Act not only encompasses the protection of disabled individuals from any kind of segregation, but also applied modifications to certain responsibilities of the public authorities regarding the participation of disabled individuals in policy decisions. The Equality 2025 was created in 2006 as a government has a themed goal ‘Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People’ with a year 2025 target for disabled individual living in Britain to the treated as equal members of the society and have full access to develop their quality of life. It is particularly designed to assist disabled people attain independent living by moving gradually towards individual budgets that will bring together various services they will be entitled to and giving them various choices over diverse support from either direct provision of services and/or money. HOW HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS Available care needs for Mr. Holland Park Mr. Holland Park being an elderly man in the early stages of dementia and additional visual and hearing disabilities means he will be needing special attention as his behaviours might sometimes be queer, and at other serious times sporadic and violent. The care home will be focused on providing assistance that will uphold his independence and therefore enable his stability whilst receiving dependable services that will suit his individual needs. Provision of audio-visual equipment will assist Mr. Holland Park to make the best of his little sight. This will be after a proper assessment has been carried out by professionals to determine the seriousness of his blindness. As he is also hearing impaired, it will be best to make sure that he moves around the care home safely by having rotational care staff check on his whereabouts on a regular basis and a log kept to this effect. Also, he will need to participate in regular activities to keep him in good spirit. Being partially deaf-blind can be challenging for Mr. Holland Park as he may sometimes feel less capable, it is the duty of our care home to ensure that he feels less challenged by engaging him in peer group activities that involves other service users. This way, he feels more active and energetic and he can take his mind off any heavy thought of being a burden to others. The most important factor to providing the best care services to Mr. Holland Park is that the care staffs will never regard his challenging behaviours as a form of challenge, but will work towards providing him with a comfortable lifestyle by ensuring his hygiene is well taken care of. Also, his laundry will be done for him and meals and drinks will be prepared as he wants it on a timely basis and he will have a variety of menu of choose from. Should he be entitled to any benefits, we will make it our duty to assist him in claiming these benefits for him and the family and provide any necessary references or letters to state that he is under our care. Available local services to support Mr. Holland Park and his family Disabled individuals like Mr. Holland Park with dementia care are eligible for Special Rehabilitation Services that are provided by Disability Service Teams via direct referrals from health care providers. He and his family will benefit from this service as it will help to develop his independence and quality of life. A register for blind and partially blind are kept by the local authority, for provision of further assistance with the Eye Care Trust, and Mr. Holland Park is entitled to receive subsidised and mostly free consultation and treatment, and extra support should he choose to register. The Alzheimer’s Society is an organisation that assists individuals with dementia (as is the case with Mr. Holland Park) and is supported by the National Health Service (NHS) and Community Care 1990, to assess his needs and provide certain services as required. His family will benefit from subsequent aids and care that will not affect their budget heavily. Powers of Attorney It is possible sometime in the future when Mr. Holland Park’s symptoms become very serious and he is unable to decide on his finances or medical treatment. It is best to make arrangements for this by drawing up different Lasting Powers of Attorney- the first to take care of financial decisions and the other to handle health and welfare decisions. Mr. Holland Park will need to appoint a trusted member of the family to act on his behalf should his disability get to this extent. You can find out more information about this, you can call AGE UK or Carers Direct. APPROACHES AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS Intervention strategies for Mr. Holland Park who is the early stages of dementia focuses primarily on tackling the cognitive symptoms that can lead to erratic behaviours. The effectiveness of these interventions will help to enhance his individual functioning and reduce stress, depression or agitation which is common in individuals experiencing disability. The best therapy applied to Mr. Holland Park and other service users alike was to promote his independence and this boosted his confidence and willingness not just to survive but to live an active daily life and make the best of his body. The promotion of independence will delay or change the later stages of dementia which is usually much harder to manage. Independence in Mr. Holland Park was encouraged by engaging him in reasonable activities up to any level he can tolerate. Also, a balance of maintained for him across personal care and productive leisure, while monitoring his tolerance level. Potential impact of emerging developments on service users with specific needs It is critical to access the needs and strengths of service users with specific needs to determine the effectiveness of interventions implemented. The best strategies are accessed through initial stages and the environment was considered to determine the continuity and they include: Effective communication: Communication strategies applied involved using non-verbal cues and language and sentence structure to integrate high level of individual comprehension and enhanced sensory abilities. Effective communication is essential to the provision of high value health and social care. Without it there cannot be a significant coordination amongst service users and carers. Poor communication is frequently a considerable causative reason for complaint against Health and Social Care organisations and is the basis of numerous depressing user experiences. Involvement of individuals with challenging behaviours and their carers in the planning, delivery and monitoring of services ascertains that the care and support received meets their desires and objectives. Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Skills Training: ADL involved accessing users’ abilities, impairments and task performance to understand the psychological factors inhibiting their capabilities. Skills training are carefully assessed during activities that focus on empowering users to independently carry out ADL tasks. During the programmes, users are required to complete individual tasks with minimal assistance. Minimal assistance provided include: visual gestures, facial expressions, physical direction and partial physical assistance. The potential impact of the development of these strategies is the provision of vital support to effective improvement in health of service users, especially disabled users. There is improved strength through empowerment of independence and mobility and increased endurance levels. Also the physical performance of the users is improved significantly. Another essential benefit of these support systems is the maintenance of functional capabilities of users with physical or communication impairments. STRATEGIES FOR COPING WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIOURS Concepts of challenging behaviours The relationship that exists between challenging behaviours is mostly viewed as a disorder of some form. There is no such thing as an analytical meaning for challenging behaviour but it can be categorized in various forms including psychological disorder, learning disability, mental illness and many others. A functional disorder of some form generalises the concept of challenging behaviours but will never fully define it. Challenging behaviour is an expressive concept, which is mainly socially created, and its definition is dependent on changes in social norms and provision of service cross geological areas. The expression itself carries no analytical meaning, and no presumption about the aetiology of the behaviour is made. Challenging behaviour may not relate to psychiatric disorder, but can also be a major or resultant symptom of it. Challenging behaviour is a moderately objective phrase that has apparent phenomenon. However, this is not the case with most mental illnesses, many of which depends on self-report by the individual for proper analysis. The need of an established expression in individuals with challenging behaviours has caused problems concerning suitable expressions. Different terms like: ‘mental disorder’, ‘mental illness’, ‘emotional distress’ have been utilised inter-changeably e.g. ‘mental illness’. Potential impact of challenging behaviours on health and social care organisations Managing the potential impact of challenging behaviours does not lie on one organisation, but rather a collective responsibility of every member of the health and social care system. That is how much impact the challenging behaviours of individuals have affected the health and social sector. This is because different people exhibit various disorders at diverse stages and severity ; hence the effective reason why organisations must work much harder to ensure that every individual is well taken care of regardless of his or her disability. Organisations have been made to build larger and more effective workforce and research on increased skills and improved knowledge have been carried out. Cost impact The continuing occurrence of challenging behaviours in various individuals has had its impact on cost as the weekly care ranges from over  £200 to as much as  £1600 depending on the severity. In other words, the care services offer to individuals is relative to the features of the care settings and the cost implication. It will always cost more to take care of people with severe challenging behaviours and the greater levels implying that organisations will need to increase their budget on regular basis to adapt to new fiscal year. Eventually, these cost implications will mean that larger facilities must be built and the weekly expenses are likely to increase over the years. Strategies for working with challenging behaviours Managing challenging behaviours involves intervention strategies that must recognise and take note of individual’s past and present experiences and must also maintain a standard environment. One of the things that must be noted is that it is inappropriate to label any service user with the term ‘challenging behaviours’ as this is very derogatory and changed the perspective they are related with. Also, the mindset with which they feel about how they fit into the environment is changed should they get used to this label. Intervention strategies Depending on how serious the behavioural problem is, intervention strategies are in different categories: Biological intervention: This deals with analysis of the causes of the particular behaviour. This will mostly require professional assistance in order to source and prescribe proper medication and treatment. Social intervention: This elemental intervention involves encouraging communities to involve disabled people in social activities so as to make them feel welcomed within the society. Counselling: This is usually an intervention suitable for individuals with moderate disability. The counselling will involve different behavioural methods like anger-management and relaxation therapy, for possible effect. There is no clear indication as to whether direct or indirect counselling methods will work with individuals that show high level of challenging behaviours like aggression. Psychotherapy: For over 50 years, psychotherapy has been in practice as a form of management and treatment for people experiencing challenging behaviours. The effectiveness may sometimes vary depending on the level of aggression displayed by the person. There is a surprisingly long history of psychotherapy with Cognitive therapies: This kind of therapy is suitable for people whose behaviours are based on personal experiences. The therapist works on improving the behaviour of the individual by changing his/her insight and perception of life. SELF EVALUATION

Londons Tree Nursery- QM problem :: essays research papers

LONDON’S TREE NURSERY Model Problem Solving   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  London’s Nursery is a business that grows and sells evergreen trees. Here lately London’s has been looking into purchasing some new land in order to be able to grow some additional trees. This new land purchase will just be intended for the production of Colorado Blue Spruce trees and Concolor Fir trees. The London’s are looking at a section of land that is ten acres big. Before London’s decides to buy this land they want to know the amount of profits that they will be able to make off the land with the two different types of trees. They also want to know how many of each type of tree they will be able to plant on this section of land.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The model that will be used to determine the best option for London’s will be an Integer Programming Model and this model will be a total integer model. The reason why I selected to use a total integer model is because of the fact that you can not technically grow or sell only part of a tree. The issue of the amount of land can be divided out into fractions of land, but when objects such as these are being dealt with, fractions are not going to be able to properly give you a precise answer. When you use a total integer model, all of the decisions variables are required to have integer solution values. So, instead of coming up with an answer that might say you should produce 125.4 Colorado trees and 136.8 Concolor trees, your answer will not require any guessing or rounding down to try to determine the results. With a total integer model, your answer will be exact and it won’t require taking any chances. The new trees that London’s plan on growing on their new land have different requirements. The Colorado Blue Spruce requires about five square feet of room, and the Concolor Fir tree normally needs around seven square feet of room to properly grow and be maintained. The two trees also require different amounts of labor time in maintaining them. During the time that the nursery will have the trees a Colorado tree needs 1.5 hours of labor, but since the Concolor tree is more of an easy adapting tree they only need 1 hour(s) of labor a week. The London’s Tree Nursery has an extra 300 hours that they plan on using for these trees.

Use of Repetition, Word Choice, and Imagery in Neuromancer :: Neuromancer Essays

Use of Repetition, Word Choice, and Imagery in Neuromancer While reading "Neuromancer", one may become extremely baffled if he or she cannot interpret the terminology used or the framework in which the book is written. Hence, the use of the formalistic approach is necessary in order for the reader to actually understand the concepts trying to be declared by Gibson. Through the formalistic approach one can begin to see that Gibson uses repetition, and specific word choice to set the tone for the novel, and imagery to relate the content of the book to the lives of his readers. Gibson chooses words to aid the reader in imagining the "dystopia" of the Freeside, a place where the main portion of the book takes place: "For Case, who'd lived for the bodiless exultation of cyberspace, it was the Fall" (6). "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel" (3). Gibson describes Freeside as if it is one of the worst places to go. Katie Cooper also describes the dystopia portrayed in this book as well. Gibson also uses words out of the science fiction terminology such as "jack-in and flatline" to encourage the reader to feel as though he or she is actually in the mist of cyberspace. Even the title of the novel depicts a certain characteristic of the book: "'Neuromancer,' the boy said, slitting long gray eyes'The lane of the land of the dead. Where you are, my friend Neuro from the nerves, the silver paths. Romancer" (243). Through Gibson's use of specific words he creates a constantly depressing mood and he allows the reader in many ways to visualize cyberspace themselves. William Gibson is able to project a clear-cut conception of human communication and exactly how we interact with one another through imagery. He symbolizes this relationship through the use of the two Artificial Intelligence's (AI), Wintermute and Neuromancer. In the book, the AIs live completely different contexts than the other characters such as Case, Molly, or Linda. "No. I saw her death coming. In the patterns you sometimes imagined you could detect... My methods are far more subtle than Wintermute'. I brought her here. Into myself" (259). Neuromancer, one of the AI's, uses Case's close friend, Linda, to try and deceive Case into staying on the beach. Hence, the AI's speak through old friends of the characters to communicate with them.

Dante and Machiavelli

Dante and Machiavelli define opposite sides of the Renaissance in several ways. Certainly the former believes that God will reveal all and call people to account for their behavior, while the latter gives every sign of believing in no God and supposing that scrupulous behavior only makes one a target for ruthless exploitation. This difference in the two could be expressed in terms of religious faith—but they could also be said to have differing views of human nature. Try to get to the heart of the distinction. Why is Machiavelli’s sense of right and wrong so opposed to Dante’s? Written two hundred years apart, The Inferno by Dante and The Prince by Machiavelli both contain examples of society during the late middle ages and also the beginning of the Renaissance. While not contemporaries, both men held similar cynical views towards human nature, but opposing views on social structure. Dante believed that those with power were all destined to become corrupt while Machiavelli wrote that authority is necessary in order to maintain structure within the population. The Inferno, written as the first of three movements of The Divine Comedy, tells of one man’s journey into Hell with the help of Roman poet Virgil. As the two men journey through the nine circles of hell, Dante, or the Pilgrim, sees the souls of men and women and either feels pity or hatred, but most of all feels a sense of vengeance. In Dante’s hell, the punishment fits the crime. The lustful are forced to walk naked beside those of the opposite sex, the slothful are forced to reside at the bottom of the river Styx, and the soothsayers are forced to perpetually look back by having their necks twisted around. The Inferno is essentially a social commentary, exposing society’s true evils. In the eighth circle, simple fraud, were the simonists; those priests, popes, and bishops who, instead of revealing the glory of God, used their power to gain monetary wealth and fame. Their punishment is being buried head first, the soles of their feet on fire. The Pilgrim sees Pope Nicholas III who asks him if he is Boniface, â€Å"Is that you here already upright? † By including these popes in hell, Dante made clear his views on the leadership of the church and believed that the church had no control or right to control secular and civil matters. Dante also shows which sins he sees as the worst of sins, putting betrayers in the lowest circle of hell. Dante mploys some common sense while discussing hell, putting obvious sinners in the lower circles and prone to harsher punishments, but he also puts the not-so obvious sinners in hell. Even though one may think he is doing the right thing, all motives are evaluated upon judgment and even a trace of selfishness or greed may threaten one’s chance in heaven. This is why Dante’s hell is rife with politicians and leaders. Although they may have the community’s best interests at heart, politicians become obsessed with fame and glory, often forgetting that they are representatives of the people. In The Prince, Machiavelli explains what a good and successful prince should be like. He advocates a strong, cutthroat authority figure and encourages the winning of power by any means necessary. The main theme in The Prince is that mob rule is dangerous, for people know only what is good for themselves and not what is good for the whole. The common people, in Machiavelli’s view, â€Å"are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours†. He believes that these commoners should be ruled absolutely, yet compassionately, in order to suppress any challenge to ruling power. The only founded political dissent should come from the nobles and even then, all should be done so as not to fester thoughts of revolution. While it seems as though Machiavelli was a power-hungry despot, The Prince was merely a reaction to what he saw as a necessary evil. Machiavelli was actually a strong supporter of the republic in which the people, the very people he describes as being uneducated and self-centered in his book, ruled over themselves. In The Prince, he does give the common people credit, saying that, if a prince upsets them, they can take severe and dangerous action. â€Å"[The] best fortress that exists is to avoid being hated by the people† (XX, 70). Machiavelli understood that no matter how much power a prince may have, he is always at the risk of losing it whether it be at the hands of the people or the hands of another prince. Also, because he was first a supporter of republic, he understood the need for certain â€Å"checks† to be put in place to safeguard against revolution and lack of popular support. Machiavelli argues that, unless a prince’s subjects hate him, they will love him and follow him through any trouble that may beset the principality. In general, Machiavelli believes that a leader should be a true leader and rally the people behind his cause, even if that means killing off dissenters for the good of the whole. Although, upon first reading, The Prince seems to tell the tale of dictatorship and totalitarianism, it is much closer to modern democracy than some would like to believe and still is applicable to modern governments. Representing two different ages and two (supposedly) different world views, The Inferno and The Prince are quite similar in that both see humanity as somewhat of an evil and ungrateful status. They differ, however, by their view of what should be done about the human condition. Dante believed that what is done in this life will be punished accordingly in the next life, and there is little to be done, for even the unbelievers are subject to God’s will by being trapped in limbo. Machiavelli, on the other hand, didn’t believe in the afterlife and so thought that life should be lived here on earth and sin will be forgiven at death. This way, men can be free to strive for and obtain that which makes them happy, for the pious are buried just like the unbelievers. Ironically, The Prince is more optimistic than The Inferno, for Machiavelli stresses that, despite actions done on earth, all will be forgotten, for sin dies with the body.