Category: Uncategorized

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Subject

Tutor

Institution

Against Death Penalty

Against Death Penalty

Death penalty has remained the moist controversial subject in the judicial system over the years. It refers to the execution or termination of a person’s life by the state; usually as a way of punishment to a capital offence like homicide, rape and kidnapping among others. There are heated debates regarding the legality or illegality of the subject of death penalty. This controversy has resulted to the formation of many pro and anti death penalty campaign groups around the world. It has also led to the birth of international organizations like the Amnesty International; a human rights organization which is strongly opposed to the death penalty in all cases without any exceptions. It is against the background of the perceived human rights violations by the death penalty that campaigns against the death penalty have taken centre stage.

Many anti death penalty campaigners argue that using death penalty as a punishment for capital crimes does not result to achieving the desired rehabilitation or corrective objectives of the judicial system although some argue that it is the right way of punishing capital crime, it does not achieve the much needed rehabilitative role since a dead person can neither be rehabilitated nor corrected. Death penalty has also been viewed by most individuals and organizations as degradation to the immense value accorded to human life. Some organizations like the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) have been working tirelessly to end the disturbing scenes of the state sanctioned deaths in the United States. In many circumstances, death penalty defendants who cannot afford the huge expenses needed for paying legal fees as well as appealing their cases are accorded unfair treatment by the courts. Research in the United States has proved that poor death roll defendants from pro death penalty counties demonstrated a higher chance of been executed. Doesn’t this suggest unfair treatment?

Death penalty especially when publicized has been shown to be an effort in futility as a deterrent to crime. In the case of the death penalty imposed for the Linberg kidnapping in the United States, it was discovered that kidnapping cases had significantly increased in the few years following the death penalty on the offenders. This proves that contrary to those who view death penalty as a way of deterring capital crime, it may instead encourage crime. In areas where death penalty is exercised, execution of innocent persons either due to insufficient investigations, or even due to lack of witnesses on the defendant’s side has been observed. This has resulted to abolishment of the death penalty by some states due to the public shame resulting from the supposed killing of innocent citizens as in the case of Rhode Island and Marine states. This demonstrates how death penalty has failed as a tool for fighting crime.

Some argue that the fear of the death penalty would make those intending to commit crime to refrain from the unlawful acts hence more crime would be prevented. However, history has otherwise proved that the rate of crime was more even when there were public and brutal executions of victims by stoning among other means. This provides support to the fact that the fear of death does not translate to reduction in crime rate; hence this should not be used as a justification to death penalty. Contrary to the common view of death penalty as a way of serving justice to the victims of capital crimes, research has pointed to vengeance as the main motive towards many pro death penalty campaigns. In Christianity, the bible denounces the idea of revenge as a way of exercising justice. Since many death penalties are driven by the spirit of vengeance, many arguments are in favor of abolishing death penalty as a means of punishing capital offenders. In conclusion, since research in most cases has shown death penalty to be a counter productive tool in fighting crime, alternative ways of punishing capital offenders should be explored instead of the controversial death penalty.

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Course

Tutor

Date

Against gun ownership

The issue of whether people should carry guns is a matter of great debate in the US and other developed countries. The issue of gun ownership is sensitive subject because it is seen as a factor that has a great impact on the national security of the citizens. American citizens feel safer when people are not allowed to carry guns. They therefore believe that other citizens should not be allowed to bear guns in campuses, market places, bars hospitals or restaurant. The prerequisite to regulate carrying of guns and the right to own them are not often mutually exclusive.

Today guns have perceived to be used in gang activity, for celebration, murder and hunting. “People are left wondering why a gun is necessary while you are drinking your morning coffee, in elementary school classrooms, in bars, or in the locker room of your local sports arena”(Schoolinmamma 1).Although it is perceived this way the US Gun Owners association argue that the usage of guns is and should be more for self-defence and not for other violent acts. While guns are seen as good weapons for self-defence not all individuals can handle guns. This is greatly determined by the particular individual’s responsibility in carrying and usage of the gun. Although the society has formulated and passed laws restricting the use of guns to its citizens, most citizens do not want to people to own guns.

The ownership of concealed weapons by household individual provides for safety for many citizens but at the same time increases chances of incidences of suicides and homicides. Strawberry clearly explains, “Certain individuals cannot handle a firearm safely, and some individuals choose to use firearms inappropriately. (Strawberry, “Gun control” 1) Although most people have been trained on the use of guns some irresponsible people may careless shoot other family members and cause injury and even death. Improper storage of these weapons of mass destruction, may lead to accidental injury by small children who have no knowledge of their use. Some people may own guns but have little knowledge of on their use therefore can cause most accidents. This explains why the US has the greatest number of gun-related homicides cases. Incidents of accidental shooting are on the rise due the careless use of firearms. Unintended shooting have increased due to many people being allowed to own guns. This may be facilitated by responsible adults by being afraid of some issues, intoxicated by drugs or by simply anger.

Specifically, many people who misuse guns have been found to do so under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. Since many people take alcohol, it is possible that the level of gun abuse would increase if everyone is allowed to own guns or if the laws relating to gun ownership are relaxed.

While many people look at the second amendment as the law that allowed gun ownership, they fail to understand the context under which it was enacted. At the time, the country had security issues after the civil wars that led to independence. There were many armed rebels who were not under any formal command. However today, many police officers are employed and security has been beefed. The threat posed to the citizens without guns is not as much as it was in 19th and 20th centuries.

Having much gun ownership freedom may lead to more problems, more so in schools. If the law is not tightened, many youth, such as college students will be armed and carry the guns to schools. This is because at 18, they will be of majority age and will be deemed adults. However, because of their erratic behaviours, emotional instability and carelessness, they pose greater security risk than safety to their colleagues and the general public. Because of gun ownership, students have suffered in their hands of their colleagues. Some have been raped, bullied and intimidated by their colleagues. With more liberalized gun ownership, such cases will be on the increase.

Sometimes the guns owned by people and can fall into wrong hands and cause accidents. Children can easily access these weapons easily especially when they are kept carelessly and a loaded weapon may cause a lot of destruction not only to them but also others when they fire. Mentally ill people may also access these weapons and cause some shooting which can either injure or kill people.

The use of guns by the society has made it possible for all type of people to own guns. From college students, farmers, teachers all people own different types of concealed weapons (guns). Due to the rise societal issues like cases of divorce, separations and other relationship issues the cases of suicides have been on the rise. Gun ownership has facilitated these suicidal cases. People who own these guns take advantage by easily taking their own lives using their own guns.

People in every place are prone to misunderstandings. In everyday life people tend to make mistakes to each other in every aspect of life be it a teacher to a student and vice versa, a student to a parent, a worker to his boss we all make mistakes. Misunderstandings could cause some people to be angry to others and develop hatred towards them. These people may be led to use violent to satisfy their rage. Some may resolve to even use gun to injure or kill others because of this. Whereas these people were lacking guns chances of committing such crimes could not have been there.

US government should restrict or completely prohibit the possession of guns by its private citizen because of many reasons. When these foreign or private citizens carry these guns especially in public places like markets and restaurants they intimidate the public. This makes the public be suspicious of these people and connecting them to an impending crime. They therefore go further and call the police and this may cause a waste of human resource especially the law enforcement. The act of these citizens carrying these guns also risks their lives from the rest of the public as it may be seen as an act of threat to the public. The public may be violent or frightened by these people. In this resolve when these private citizens are seen with their guns they are usually intimidated and told to explain their motives therefore get harassed.

Although responsible people especially adults are usually trusted to own and carry guns it makes it difficult for law enforcements units to distinguish these persons from real criminals. Police may find it difficult to distinguish between a real criminal and the person who is licensed to carry a gun.

When citizens are allowed to carry guns they tend to be violent at times. Short tempered people and those with ill minds tend to use guns inappropriately. Most of them especially the college students who have been allowed to carry guns tend to form small gangs with the aim of intimidating others. They may resolve to do robbery and other evil acts for example rape and bullying at the expense of possessing these weapons. Others who do game hunting may go further to do illegally hunting.

Criminals especially robbers tend to arm themselves if they learn their victims are armed. This usually increases the chances of these innocent citizens being attacked by these robbers. Armed ‘victims’ may signal offenders that there is need to use a strong force because of the need to overpower the victim.

Although there are many disadvantages of allowing citizens to possess guns, the aspect of protecting oneself from attacks is also paramount. Any citizen usually feels secure when he or she has a gun especially when he or she is alone.

In conclusion the use and ownership of guns should be allowed only under restriction. Those given the opportunity to own should be held accountable of the acts using their guns. People who were assigned guns should be trained and advised on the use of these guns. While it’s a personal duty to guarantee one’s safety the government should also be responsible for the safety of every citizen whatever owns a gun or does not.

Works cited.

Anderson, Terry and Gardener, Thomas. Criminal Law. Cengage Learning,2011.

Ayoob, Massad. Gun digest book of concealed carry. Gun digests books,2012.

Crain, Ernest and Santos,Adolfo. Texas Politics Today. Cengage Learning,2009.

Eimer, Bruce. Armed-The Essential guide to concealed carry. Gun Digest books,2012.

Rowell,Lee. Survive a catastrophe in Surbia without firearms. Ebooklt publishers,2013.

Siegel, Larry. Criminology-The core. Cangage Learning,2008.

Evaluate a victim’s assistance program

Name

Institution

Evaluate a victim’s assistance program

Victim Assistance Program is run by the U. S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and aims at apprehending human traffickers and more so, providing assistance to victims of human trafficking (U. S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2011). Speaking to the program manager, it can be understood that it takes a lot to make it work due to the large numbers of victims and the complexities involved in dealing with trauma. The emigration victims have numerous experiences and challenges that make their situation complicated. This program strives to ensure that the concerns of the immigrants are addressed and that they are not oppress or used by unscrupulous employers or exploited sexually among others. Some of the activities the program takes part in are: filing court cases for victims, helping them all through the court proceedings, counseling victims and the families too, helping them overcome assault issues and also provide financial aid where the need arises.

Contrary to modern-day ways, slavery victims are pushed into prostitution, involuntary labor, labor and other inhumane activities. Limon (2010) reports that the victims have no option other than engaging in what they are forced to do. Such persons suffer under their employers and in most cases find themselves in helpless situations as they are without their passports and other important travel documents. People who have been victimized through human trafficking activities suffer and go through a lot of trouble at their work places. Their families too undergo a lot of difficulty knowing that their relatives are being tortured in some far away region of the world. Still some families have to contend with not knowing the whereabouts of their loved one, since the trafficker may lure victims and gat the outside their countries without the knowledge of their family members or friends. This assistance program serve to provide assistance to both the immediate victims of human trafficking and the families that are left in the dark about their loved ones. As the program facilitate reconciliation human trafficking victims with their family member in the home of mother countries.

The victim population in this case is mostly made up of the young persons, in the age bracket of 20- 45. This is the age bracket in which most persons are searching for employment, and could get to the point of desperation that pushes them into the arms of opportunistic employers (Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, 2012). There are also cases of children trafficking, who are then used as sex workers. This single occurrence produces multiple effects on the family, societal and national levels especially if the labor is exported in another region. The most prominent quality of the victim is vulnerability brought about by their poor economic statuses which bring about recidivism.

Recidivism refers to the recurrence of undesirable behavior in persons treated for it or who have once suffered from it (Office of Justice, 2012). In connection to this, it would refer to the returning of a former slave to the same situation due to desperation, in most cases. There are rare cases of recidivism in slavery due to the torture that they undergo; this is according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2007). Most have died and others scarred for life in their ‘workplaces’. Depending on what region of the world that one is enslaved, the types of crimes experienced vary. In the Arabic world, there are a lot of sexual offences committed against slaves. Such are a huge problem as they violate ones right and go against the codes of employment for whatever type of employment. Being overworked and poor pay are other common problems experienced.

There have been a number programs put in place to solve this problem, though most have failed. Due to the extremity of desperation to seek employment, it has been hard to fully eliminate this problem of recidivism. Attempts to enlighten the masses on the dangers of unclear ways of getting employed and what might happen when they return to places they have been rescued from have not been unsuccessful. Attempts by regional government to curb this problem have proved futile too.

The program adopted by the ICE has to some extent been a success due to the techniques employed for the program (ICE Victim’s Assistance Program, 2010). Persons working for or with this organization have numerous responsibilities towards service for the victims of human trafficking crime. There are victim advocates who work one-on-one with the victims and their families and offer counseling services. In the event that a person enslaved died while still away from home, the ICE has the duty to help the family with burial proceedings and also support the bereaved family until they are in a position to get on their feet, in the case where the deceased was the sole breadwinner of the family.

This Victim Assistance Program by the ICE has been largely effective and has been so due to the aid accorded to them by members of the public who alert them of any suspicious activities in their neighborhoods. Besides that, human rights activists have also contributed to this success. The activist have managed to get many people thinking of the rights of their fellow human beings and also manage to get people talking against exploitation whenever the see anything they consider exploitation or oppression. However, the organization is faced with quite a number of challenges. Owing to the fact that they have to offer financial assistance to victims, at times, provision may be an issue due to limited resources. For the organization, it at times proves to be cumbersome to go up against well organized underground groups. Lack of vast personnel for the team is an issue too, and as a result the organization has at times to rely on volunteer workers, which reduces the effectiveness of the services offered (ICE Victim’s Assistance Program, 2010).

Another limitation of the organization is that, it exposes the victims to attacks by former employers. In the event that a victim’s word or action causes losses to human trafficking a group, there is a risk that they will be in danger for bad mouthing an otherwise ‘reputable employment organization. This increases the issues that the ICE has to deal with, besides all the strain they already have endured.

The U. S Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency was created in 2003 through a merger of the investigative and interior enforcement elements of the U. S Customs Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service. It is the principal investigative arm of the U.S Department of Homeland Security and stands as the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Currently, it has a workforce of over 20,000 professionals in all its offices in the 50 states. It has also established offices in 47 foreign countries around the world.

This program initially started in the United States of America to serve victims of slavery in it area of jurisdiction has since spread out to offer this rare but essential service to affected persons. The organization has cooperated with persons from other parts of the work to carry out rescue missions to free enslaved persons. By this, a larger population has been served and humanitarian grounds have generally improved for all persons, especially those prone to exploitation due to desperation. This therefore increases the effectiveness of the program as it serves a wider population.

The population of persons served by this is a vague one, as anyone is prone to slavery activities, with the exception of the weak and the elderly. In some parts of the world, children are also captured for use as sex workers and household assistants. This is mostly for abandoned children, especially those living with caretakers who deem them as unnecessary burden, and hence sell them off as slaves. The strong-bodied persons are however at higher risk of being wanted for such activities as they have the capacity to serve and work effectively for long and under hard conditions.

The goals of this program are numerous and all are directed at rehabilitating victims of human trafficking and making their life better. It also aims at curbing further illegal activities on such and enlightening the public on how to tell if they were under a situation on being enslaved. Other roles of the ICE include: housing, healthcare, food and other basic needs on rescue. Victims are also entitled to legal assistance and case management aid when legal issues are involved (ICE Victim’s Assistance Program, 2010). In the event that legal proceedings take long, victims are to be allowed to rebuild their lives as they await legal decision to be made by getting job authorization and learning English or whatever language is used in the region they find themselves enslaved.

The length of the program is long tem as the problems it deals with are long term. It has permanent employees for that matter and at terms contracts temporary volunteers when there is an influx of cases to be handled. The delivery style for the organization is complex as it incorporates rescue services and needs police assistance. Other aspects of the program too adopt a one-on-one format as they assistance has to be felt by the victim and the family too. In the case that the ICE is not in a position to handle the case, it then connects the victim to another organization that can do that (U. S Department of Health and Human Services, 2011).

By any parameters used, the activities of the victim’s assistance program by the ICE have been largely successfully. It has helped a lot of victims rebuild their lives and those of their families too. Governments have done a lot in support of this programs and hence improving its services and its sphere of influence to other regions. There are improvements that can be taken to boost the activities of the ICE.

One of these could be widening its scope of influence in other parts of the world where such crimes are rampant. In many parts of Africa, there are high incidences of slavery that go unaddressed as the concerned governments have not put this as one their priorities. They also lack the capacity to handle the long term complications that follow in slavery rescue and rehabilitation missions. This calls for more investment in such programs so as to save lives and show progress in the world that we are living in today.

The strategic plan by ICE for 2010-2014 is one that aims at improving its capacity and generally, all its services. It is a comprehensive plan that tries to lay out how ICE will effectively meets its responsibilities of criminal investigation. Some of the main priorities are protecting the border against illicit trade through smart and tough interior immigration enforcement. By this, the ICE will have been reached a point of actualization and can easily carry out its activities. In sum the ICE program seem to being about a relief to the victims of human trafficking and their families despite the numerous challenges the organization is facing and could use all the support it can get form volunteers and informers.

References

Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance (2012). Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking (CoNEHT). Retrieved on 27th April 27, 2012 from http://www.coloradocrimevictims.org/human_trafficking.html

ICE Victim’s Assistance Program (2010). Information for Victims of Human Trafficking. Retrieved on 27th April 2012 from http://www.ice.gov/about/overview/

Limon. L. (2010). National Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program FY 2012. Retrieved on 27th April 2012 from http://www.refugees.org/about-us/in-the-news/press-releases/national-human-trafficking.html

Office of Justice. (2012). Recidivism. Retrieved on 27th April 2012 from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=17

U. S Department of Health and Human Services (2011). Fact Sheet: Victim Assistance. Retrieved on 27th April 27, 2012 from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/about/victim_assist.html

U. S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2011). Assistance Program Helps Human Trafficking Victims. Retrieved on 27th April 2012 from http://blog.usa.gov/post/8344558132/assistance-program-helps-human-trafficking-victims

Operation Management

Name

Affiliation

Question 1

Items Previous Time Current Time

Customers 300 500

Training Cost 7000 10000

Employee Cost 10(6000)=60,000 8(6000)= 48,000

Total Expenses 67,000 98,000

Production Rate 12,333 19,600

a) Evaluate the productivity using quantitative analysis

Based on the production analysis above it is clear that the productivity increased from 12,333 to 19,600

b) Analyze the validity of your answer in a) by considering the various issues related to the productivity measurement.

This is considered because the productivity rate increased and that the number of employee reduced hence the reduction in cost of production. In addition, the number of customers increased by almost 80%. Despite the fact that the cost of training and that of the software existed it did not out way the increase in customer base which met increase in sale and revenue.

Question 2

Supplier A Supplier B Supplier C Supplier D

Research capability 10 7 6 6

Ease of cooperation 5 5 6 8

Cost of services 1 9 9 5

Quality of services 5 8 4 7

This will each be calculated by the assigned weight as below:

Supplier A Supplier B Supplier C Supplier D

Research capability 33.33 23.3 20 20

Ease of cooperation 25 25 30 40

Cost of services 5 45 45 25

Quality of services 16.6 40 13.33 23.3

Totals 79.9 133.3 108.33 108.33

Evaluate which supplier should be selected

Based on the above analysis of the suppliers it is clear that the best supplier to get from the above is supplier B. The supplier has higher score as compared to all the others based on the assigned weights offered to them.

Considering the strategy of the firm, would you change your selection in part a), why?

With respect to the differentiation strategy that the company is yet to adopt, it is clear that there is no other alternative supplier that will be selected as opposed to the one selected in a above. Supplier B is the one who can be able to work under differentiation strategy since quality of service they offer is outstanding and that they are also among those that are ease to corporate with.

Question 3

By using 2-sigma for the control limits, propose a tool to monitor future average timings of the process. (3 marks)

The best quality control limits is Pareto charts. This is because it offers the best analysis framework for the above proposed timing. The process is a long one as well as very complex hence it calls for an evaluated tool such as Pareto in order to get a reliable analysis.

b) Discuss if the process is in control. (1 mark)

The process is considered to be in control since it is able to indicate the most reliable timing for the assigned task.

c) Criticize the tool by discussing its shortcomings and how other tools can help. (2 marks)

However, the use of 2-sigma as an analysis tool has a lot to be considered. It has various shortcomings. One of the short coming is that it does not offer reliable risk deviations as compared to other quality tools. Therefore other tools are able to offer relevant error as well as risk variables that could be considered valuable for the study above.

Question 4

a) Discuss how the quality strategy will focus on increasing revenue versus reducing production costs

Once the company is able to beef up the quality of its products, there comes increase of sales hence the revenue of the company will definitely increase in order to meet the current needs and demands of the organization. On the other hand, the production costs of the company will also reduce because most of the client will get their products first hand and this will reduce the cost of transportation or distribution (Slack, Chambers & Johnston, 2010). Likewise, the production costs will be reduced as quality of the products will hinder the company from having recall of products. Thus, quality strategy is the right step towards the company’s success.

b) Provide examples on how the company can use 4 TQM tools to improve their quality

The first tool that the company can use it brainstorming. It is able to use the tool to increase quality as team members of be able to think creatively to get quality management solutions. The second is using of flowcharts; the company will be able to design flow chats to be able to monitor the production process hence make sure all the steps in the process meet its quality goals. The third is using focus groups in order to get the right preferences of the customers. The last is using Pie chats to get the right data analysis in order to compare current quality and other years.

c) Discuss their inspection strategy by considering their priority on where to inspect and purpose the inspection has

The inspection strategy is here to make sure that the products are able to meet the intended standards. This is done to have an end product that is quality preferred by the clients.

References

Slack, N., Chambers, S., & Johnston, R. (2010). Operations management. Pearson Education.

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Agarose Gel Electrophoresis of DNA

Introduction

Electrophoresis refers to a method used to separate and purify macromolecules, mostly nucleic acids and proteins, which differ in conformation, size, or charge. It is among the widely used techniques in molecular biology and biochemistry. Gel electrophoresis refers to the method of analysis and separation of macromolecules (proteins, RNA, and DNA) and their respective fragments, depending on their charge and size. Gel electrophoresis is applied in clinical chemistry to separate proteins by size and/or charge and in molecular biology and biochemistry to separate RNA and DNA fragments by length, separating proteins by charge, or estimating the size of RNA and DNA fragments. To separate nucleic acid molecules, an electric field is applied to move molecules with negative charges through an agarose matrix. The short molecules move fast hence migrating farther compared to the longer ones. This is due to the molecule’s ability to easily migrate via the pores of the gel. A charge separates proteins in agarose due to the pores of the gel being too large to sieve them (proteins). Gel electrophoresis is also used in the separation of nanoparticles (Colorado State University, 1).

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis of DNA in Context

Agarose is a polysaccharide which is extracted from seaweed. Typically it is used at 0.5% to 2% concentrations. A high agarose concentration makes the gel stiffer, and vice versa. Agarose gels are easy to prepare and non toxic. Agarose powder is simply mixed with a buffer solution then melted by heating, and then the gel is poured. Agarose gels have a low resolving power, but relatively a large separation range. DNA fragments from around 200 to 50,000 base pair can be separated by varying agarose concentration using electrophoretic techniques. Agarose gels are easily handled and cast than other matrices since the gel setting is not a chemical but a physical change with an easy recovery of samples (Colorado State University, 1).

Agarose gel electrophoresis is used in the separation of DNA fragments which range from 50 base pair up to several megabases by use of specialized apparatus. The agarose percentage in the gel determined the distance between DNA bands of a certain length. Majority of the agarose gels comprise of between 0.7% (a good resolution for large DNA fragments of 5–10kb) to 2% (a good resolution for 0.2–1kb DNA fragments) of agarose which is dissolved in a buffer of electrophoresis. Low percentage gels are extremely weak and can break when lifted. High percentage gels are mostly brittle and unevenly set. Agarose gels lack uniformity in pore size. However, they are optimum for electrophoresis of proteins which are larger than 200 kDa (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 1).

Agarose gel electrophoresis is so far the most effective method of separating varying sizes of DNA fragments with a range of 100 bp and 25 kb. Agarose is separated from the seaweed Gracilaria and genera Gelidium and contains repeated agarobiose (D- and L-galactose) units. Agarose polymers non-covalently associate during gelation to form a bundles network. The size of the pores determines the molecular sieving properties of a gel. To separate DNA, it is placed into pre-cast wells inside the gel and then a current is applied. The DNA molecules phosphate backbone is negatively charged, so when it is placed within an electric field, the DNA fragments migrate to the anode which is positively charged. Since DNAs mass/charge ratio is uniform, its molecules within an agarose gel are separated by size in a certain pattern such that the traveled distance is inversely proportional to its molecular weight log. The migration rate of a DNA molecule within a gel is determined by: DNA molecule size; concentration of agarose; DNA conformation; applied voltage; ethidium bromide presence; electrophoresis buffer; and agarose type. After the separation, DNA molecules are stained with an appropriate dye and therefore visible under ultra-violet light (U.S National Library of Medicine, 1).

Conclusion

The adoption of agarose gel electrophoresis has revolutionized DNA separation. Before to the adoption, DNA used to be separated by the use of sucrose density gradient centrifugation. This only gave approximations by size. By adopting agarose gel electrophoresis, scientists are able to understand the mechanisms behind the separation of DNA fragments within a gel matrix. The DNA molecule conformation helps them to determine the mobility via a gel matrix. With the identification of an appropriate concentration for the agarose solution; preparation of an the agarose gel for electrophoresis; setting up the power supply and apparatus; selecting the appropriate voltage to separate DNA fragments; and using ethidium bromide to allow for DNA bands visualization, scientists are able to determine the different sizes of the separated DNA fragments.

Works Cited

Colorado State University. “Agarose Gel Electrophoresis of DNA.” Colostate.edu. 15 Jan. 2000. Web. 05 April. 2013.

Colorado State University. “Principles of Gel Electrophoresis.” Colostate.edu. 15 Jan. 2000. Web. 05 April. 2013.

National Center for Biotechnology Information. “Agarose gel electrophoresis for the separation of DNA fragments.” Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 20 April. 2012. Web. 05 April. 2013.

U.S National Library of Medicine. “Agarose gel electrophoresis for the separation of DNA fragments.” Nlm.nih.gov. 20 April. 2012. Web. 05 April. 2013.

AGD Case Study Analysis

Introduction

A strategy lies in the identification process of a business’ objectives and the laying down of a clear and feasible plan of accomplishing the set goals. As such, the strategies laid down by the management of a company are highly dependent on the achievements the stakeholders want. Aceitera General Deheza (AGD) is a company founded in 1948 by an Argentinian known as Adria´n Urquı´a. The goals of Adria´n Urquı´a were clear and he strived to keep them afloat through the application of various business strategies. At first, the company begun as a small oil factory specialising in the indigenous industry, but as time passed by, circumstance and opportunities forced various changes in the business. The aim of Adria´n was to set up shop in the countryside and specialise in oil production and supply. Thus, his goals were clear and he worked diligently to attain them through various strategies. The following brief will be an elaborate report detailing means that AGD used in its growth from its inception to its successful years in the 21st century. The scope of the details will range from the business models applied in AGD to the theories and concepts related to strategic management. To increase the depth of the information in the details, the brief will explore different literature sources to add on to the analysis (Twarowska & Kąkol, 2013). The brief will also contain a detailed proposal of an international expansion strategy and the focus will be on product-market combinations, which will include market entry strategies.

Key Business Models Used by AGD

During the inception of the company, Adria´n saw it fit to specialize in the production of oil and his model was the basic strategic management. Upon the creation of the company, Adria´n ventured into a strategy that encompassed identification of opportunities and explored them with a goal of maximizing the profits. He sought to have an increased volume of production with an aim of cutting costs. In turn, the reduced costs led to increased margins, which was among the initial goals of the company. A basic strategic management model of doing business entails coining of the objectives, formulating a feasible means of attaining the goals, projecting sales, increasing the production volume and monitoring the progress. Once everything is running, the management keeps close tabs on the areas to improve in order to achieve the set goals. In the case of AGD, the company’s goals included dominating the oil industry and with time, it resolved to increase its production volumes. To achieve an increased volume of production and balance the economies of scale, Adria´n indulged high-levelled technology. In turn, logistics was optimized and production was kept as high as possible. The increased use of technology led to high volume production in the company, which was essential in the increment of margins through reduced costs. All these endeavours occurred prior to the year 1968 when the company hit a hurdle that saw its closure, but was brought back to the market later. Several factors led to its downfall, but the main players were a global increase in oilseed prices and the company’s failure in establishing a business strategy that would stand several commercial tests (Hoeffler & Keller, 2003).

At first, AGD had to restructure and formulate a new strategy that would increase its chances of acquiring increased sales. The strategy was to coin a feasible strategy before the other companies in the same industry. The target was the retail market where AGD aimed at increasing supply by using brands. Bringing new brands in the market is a feasible strategy used by several companies, both new and old. It creates opportunities to penetrate the market in an influential way. Other benefits of introducing a new brand in the retail section of an industry include enhancing the product’s recognition in the market. Based on various logistics such as packaging and advertisement, companies target to increase the chances of selling as many products as possible. Brand loyalty is yet another target aimed at by several companies and it is achieved when the product meets the demands of many clients. The target is for clients to attain a product that they would like to be associated with in their homes and other places. At this point, marketing is the key to getting the products recognized by the targeted customers. Once the niche has been identified, the company should aim at looking for the best outlets for the products. For example, supermarkets and other huge companies on the retail level are quite a preferable point of dispensing the products (Aspara, Lamberg, Laukia & Tikkanen, 2010).

Prior to 1985, and after AGD had reopened and resumed operations, it had restructured the strategy. Firstly, it improved the technology in the production process and manufactured its products in a unique way. Sequentially, the company specialised in selling bulk products that were produced using state-of-the-art technology. The essence was to capture many customers from both local and international scopes. Consequently, by 1985, AGD was a 100% focusing on international clients through exports. By this period, the only business AGD was indulging in was bulk production, which targeted international clients only (Harnish, 2010).

Concepts in Strategic Management

The period ranging from 1985 and 1999 involved uncertain economic shifts in Argentina, which highly affected the companies’ operations. At that point, different companies had to adjust their functionalities. AGD was among the first companies to take a step in adjusting their ways of operating in Argentina. In turn, this gave the company an edge over others and was soon a leading exporter of edible oils in Argentina. To escape the uncertainty of the Argentinian economy, AGD beefed up its logistics chains. The aim was to achieve cost-effectiveness in its operations in the country and around the globe.

Being a company operating on an international level, AGD had to strengthen its logistics chains. Specialising in exporting edible oils by selling bulk products to various markets in the world requires strong and functional chains of supply. As such, AGD had to have an effective channel of supplying the bulk goods around the globe. There are several merits associated with strong logistics chains. Several factors are bound to affect the supply chains, especially for companies involved in exporting goods. In this case, AGD was highly involved in exporting edible oils, which means that it was highly affected by various factors. Risk and compliance are two great factors affecting exporting companies (Moen, Bolstad, Pedersen & Bakås, 2010). The risk of sending goods over several miles away is high because of the uncertainties that exist in the transit routes. For example, shipping can be delayed or the quality compromised during the transportation process (Wang, Walker & Redmond, 2007). Therefore, the companies have to formulate means to get their goods to the customers in good shape, which guarantees acceptance by the customers. The demand on an international level is high and quality has to be maintained for a company to achieve success in the market. As such, the companies involved in exporting goods need to mind their customers’ demands. Competition is high on the international platform and companies need to identify clients, comprehend their needs and satisfy them. As much as the global market is vast, it is required for companies to comply with the rules set to control the functionality of each international company. The cultural differences and varying market logistics can be the root of problems for companies striving to comply with the varying specifics. The bigger the market, the larger the variations and compliance requirements that companies need to follow. At the same time, they need to watch their moves to ensure that they do not compromise their quality and supply quantity.

As aforementioned, companies operating on a global scale do it with the help of different chains of supply. Therefore, the management has to establish a supply chain execution convergence strategy aimed at helping the company achieve its goals. Orchestrating and synchronizing the involved processes of delivering the goods from the production plants to the global clients. The basic processes involved include transportation and warehousing after production. All the processes are to be executed meticulously to maintain quality and quantity of all the goods produced. A company should also recognize the need to keep everything running as per the stakeholders’ expectations. Converging and operating all the supply chain logistics is essential in keeping the management in harmony with the market demands. Cost-effectiveness is essential in a company because several organisations aim at increasing revenues and margins. Controlling the entire organisation’s supply chain logistics offers the opportunity to avoid cases of unwanted costs and wastage (Cheng, 2011).

In 1995, AGD pointed out at an area of concern that aimed at revolutionising the management of the company. The company took the initiative to check into its governance structure with the aim of improving it. A company’s governance is the engine propelling it to success and it has to be adjusted accordingly to keep its plan afloat. The management is the main source of decisions made in a company. As such, the management has to be properly structured to handle the leadership role in the company in an essential way. The main functionality of the company’s management team is to delegate authority in the establishment. The management is formed with the aim of leading the company (Oh & Contractor, 2013. The leaders are expected to make crucial decisions aimed at steering the company to success. Therefore, the formation of the management team is crucial and is often composed of directors who are the pioneers of the company. On the contrary, the company have its founders as stakeholders and employee directors. Thus, the board of directors leads the company and makes every crucial decision pertaining to the functionality of all the sectors in the establishment.

Once a company has been formed and its objective established, it is the duty of the management to formulate feasible policies. Following the formulation of the policies, it is the management’s duty to work and control every individual in the company. Among the main agendas of management is to implement the policies accordingly and ensure that everyone in the company is working towards its goals. Managing employees through essential sectors in the organisation such as the human resource is the work of the management. Additionally, the management ensures accountability in the company for the essence of success. By the time Adriana died, in 1996, he had passed on valuable knowledge and management tips to his successors that continued to work for AGD in a positive way.

During the 1990s, AGD developed a feasible strategy in its business that led to its decreased costs in its operations. It adopted a plan by the name origination, which was highly concerned with the production process. AGD specialised solely in the production and retailing of edible oil on an international platform. Its main concern was acquiring the seeds, their transportation and crushing process. Prior to the changes in the strategy, AGD was dependent on intermediaries who supplied the company with the raw materials. The supply by intermediaries was a source of the problems associated with the closure of the company in 1968. Hence, in the 1990s, the directors were adamant to seek a change of the source of the edible oil seeds. To sustain the company’s demands, the management decided to extend its chain of supplies on the production side. It set up several grain collection stations and purchase points around Argentina. The aim was to acquire the raw material from the farmers instead of relying on the intermediaries. This strategy was a way of evading market price shifts since the company had plenty of supplies of the raw material (Hatum, 2011).

To enhance the logistics chain, AGD integrated a transport mode aimed at easing the transfer of both the raw material and products. The integration process involved indulging AGD into a partnership with other companies to take over more than 4000 kilometres of railway in Argentina. To add to its transport channel, AGD acquired a port meant to make supply easy. The enhanced transport system in the logistics chain of AGD opened up opportunities for other businesses. It helped AGD establish a purchase and export cereal business that saw its revenues escalate and network enhanced all over the world. In the course of increasing revenue and growing the company, AGD also established an Agro-product Department that dealt with agrochemicals and seeds. It was at that point that AGD started using another strategy in its operations, diversification.

AGD was a grown company by 1996 and it required a change in the structure because of the diversity it was experiencing. Prior to the change, the company’s directors were still the top managers. Business and support units were set up in the company to help in running the company. In this new structure, the company delegated responsibilities to everyone in the organisation. Managers within the lower levels of the business structure had more authority than prior times, which meant that directors were relieved of some duties. Restructuring a company is a huge step and it is meant to change the way things are done in the establishment. The normal way of executing duties in a company can distract the organisation and restrain it from exploring better options. However, when a company restructures its operations, it is bound to increase the chances of better performance in its industry. For example, giving lower level managers more power makes the decision making an easier process. As such, the decisions are made at a faster rate, which enhance operations because the support staff members need not wait for directive of the top managers.

In order to facilitate the restructuring process of AGD, a new human resource department was formed whose main job was to implement the changes. At first, it was not an easy process to accomplish, but as time passed, the new HRM managed to convince every manager in the company to adopt a new structure. In turn, this separated the board from direct management of the company and supervisors were scrapped from the system. The move intended to create a chance for the managers to interact with the subordinate members of the company. Following the death of the founder in 1996, the company had made tremendous structural changes. Separating the board from some of the company’s responsibilities gave the top most management the chance to divide the remaining duties. For example, one of the members was entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the purchasing unit of the company. In turn, delegating major duties to the board members made operations easy to accomplish in the company. It is clear that AGD began its operations as a simple factory producing edible oil, but by 2001, it had undergone several transformations. By the year 2000, Argentina was facing an economic crisis that saw several companies suffer. However, AGD’s diversification in its operations gave it the tools to evade some of the detrimental effects of the economy degradation. For instance, specialising in the export business helped AGD evade tax retentions from the government for products sold in the local market in bulk (Vermeulen, 2001).

An International Expansion Strategy

Based on the AGD analysis, it is essential for a company to formulate a viable strategy. In the case of the intention to expand business and operations to the international grounds, a company needs to identify a feasible plan to follow. The following is a probable expansion strategy that can see to it that a company extends its operations from local to international markets. The initial step involves coming up with a rationale behind the expansion of an already existing business. Some of the targets a company can choose to attain through the expansion strategy include increasing both the revenue and margins. Overcoming competition from the industry is yet another reason why a company may decide to venture into the international arena.

An existing business already has on-going production strategies and their products are known. Once they decide to venture into the international market, they should have a clear marketing strategy. It is essential to have a feasible way of netting clients in addition to determining ways of meeting their demands. An international market is quite a difficult platform to operate on and companies venturing into it should have an entry strategy. Indeed, marketing is necessary for increasing the popularity of the products. At this point, the company decides to the strategy to use to acquire a market for its products. A company can market its products and provide an outlet for them through several channels. It all depends on the company’s management and the decisions they make.

Joint ventures are a channel through which a company can use to operate in the international market. Under this venture, the company enters a partnership with another establishment, preferably in another country. Once the two or more companies agree to work together, they often result to the formation of another company. Export and import are the main channels to get the goods from the main company to other countries. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire the most appropriate and risk free routes for exporting the goods. Strategic alliances can also open up a way for a company to venture into the international market. Coming up with the new products and extensively, marketing them is the next step the company needs to take. At this point, it establishes clear networks in the global market as a way of growing the product brands. Sustaining the products in the international market is the next step required of the company, which is done in several ways (Zheka, n.d). For instance, a company can choose to expand the existing brands by producing better ones that suit different regional customers. Therefore, it is conclusive that a company needs to identify a niche for its products, establish a feasible channel to use and a way of sustaining brands in the market.

References

Twarowska, K. & Kąkol, M., 2013. International business strategy – reasons and forms of expansion into foreign markets [Online] (updated 21 Jun. 2013) Available at: <http://www.toknowpress.net/ISBN/978-961-6914-02-4/papers/ML13-349.pdf> [Accessed 28 Apr. 2014].

Harnish, V., 2010. 5 strategies for global expansion markets [Online] (updated 14 Jul. 2010) Available at: <http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/13/smallbusiness/strategies_global_expansion.fortune/> [Accessed 28 Apr. 2014].

Hoeffler, S. & Keller, K. L., 2003. The marketing advantages of strong brands [Online] (updated 20 Jan. 2010) Available at: <http://www.iseg.utl.pt/aula/cad1196/2003_Hoeffler_Keller_MktAdvantagesStrongBrands_JBM_10-6.pdf> [Accessed 28 Apr. 2014].

Aspara, J., Lamberg, J., Laukia, A. & Tikkanen, H., 2010. Strategic management of business model transformation: lessons From Nokia. Journal of Management Decision, 49(4) pp. 622 – 647.

Wang, C., Walker, E. & Redmond, J., 2007. Explaining the lack of strategic planning in SMES: The importance of owner motivation. International Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 12(1) pp. 1-16.

Cheng, G., 2011. Market expansion and grand strategy of rising powers. The Chinese Journal of International Politics, 4 pp. 405–446.

Oh, C. H. & Contractor, F., 2013. A regional perspective on multinational expansion strategies: reconsidering the three-stage paradigm. British Journal of Management. 25 pp. S42–S59.

Moen, Ø., Bolstad, A., Pedersen, V. & Bakås, O., 2010. International market expansion strategies for high-tech firms: Examining the importance of different partner selection criteria when forming strategic alliances. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(1) pp. 20-30.

Hatum, A., 2011. The transformation process of AGD, Argentina. Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 1 (1) pp. 1-12.

Vermeulen, F., 2001. Controlling international expansion. Business Strategy Review, 12(3) pp. 29-36.

Zheka, V., n.d. The impact of corporate governance practices on dynamic adjustment of capital structure of companies in Ukraine. Economic Education and Research Consortium, 8 (74) pp. 3-33.

Evaluating Childhood Experiences and Resiliency

Name of Student

Name of Institution

Evaluating Childhood Experiences and Resiliency

As a child, one is bound to go through traumatic events in life. Children and adolescents are the most affected in this regard. The American Psychological Association (2008) noted that a huge number of children and adolescents become exposed to traumatic life events. These include physical abuse, sexual abuse, community, school and domestic violence, motor vehicle accidents, medical trauma, war experiences, suicides, acts of terrorism, and other traumatic losses. Cumulatively, these events have serious negative effects on the mental health of children and adolescents.

I happened to be a victim of traumatic life events. The family, in which I was raised, was marred by domestic violence. My father was a drunkard and often caused chaos after his drinking sprees. He beat us badly each time he returned home and got mad over small mistakes. I sustained wounds each day, which slowed down my academic performance. My concentration in class and other activities were adversely affected because I could only think of the next beatings. Moreover, the pain from the beatings and wounds could hardly allow me pay attention to what I was doing. In short, I was mentally tortured, but knew very little on how to go about it since my parents and those around me were never concerned.

Accordingly, it is safe to argue that children and adolescents, that are mentally healthy, have an array of protective measures around them (Malchiodi & Perry, 2008). As established by research, almost every child and adolescent experiences traumatic life events. However, the manner in which the problem is attended to distinguishes between mentally healthy and unhealthy children and adolescents. In my case, education efforts by school counselors helped me cope with the situation. The counselors taught extensively about reactions to trauma, and how these can help me and those around me, including my parents, fellow students, and community. Such teachings helped me avoid possible traumatic events. For instance, I always stayed away from my father’s presence until he had calmed down or slept. In addition, I avoided the mistakes that drove my father mad at me. I also opened up to my teachers, who called my parents for dialogue on the matter.

References

American Psychological Association (2008). Children and trauma: Update for Mental Health

Professionals. Retrieved from  HYPERLINK “http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/update.pdf” t “_blank” http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/update.pdf

Malchiodi, C. A. & Perry, B. (2008). Creative interventions with traumatized children, First

Edition. New York: The Guilford Press

Evaluating contemporary views of leadership paper

A review of the commonalities and disparities between the contemporary views of leadership

The analytical matrix focuses on the description of some of the commonalities as well as disparities that emanate from six contemporary leadership views as outlined in Wren’s text. The leadership models in consideration from the text are inclusive of the Leaders-member exchange model (LMX) model, the In-group model, Charisma, mentor, Hersey and Blanchard model and leadership substitutes. From the paper, it is possible to identify that all the articles support the fact that in the Leaders-member exchange (LMX) model, leaders in an organization should be able to involve their subordinates in making some of the crucial decisions in the organization (Wren, 1995). The consideration of involving subordinates in some of the decision-making processes within the organization has an influence on the relationship between them and the leaders, which is a consideration that is likely to have an effect on the performance of the organization. Other models that exhibit commonalities are inclusive of the promotion on mentorship in some of the leadership schedules as well as the leadership substitutes.

Some of the models that exhibit disparities as indicated by the different authors are inclusive of charisma, the in-group model and the Hersey and Blanchard model. The different authors focus on different aspects of the models, which are likely to have an influence on the overall success or failure of leadership in an organization (Wren, 1995). The charismatic model emphasizes on the personal attributes of leaders, which are attributes that are likely to be dissimilar. The Hersey and Blanchard model also emphasizes on the ability of the leaders to mould their followers, and the likelihood is that leaders will exhibit different mannerisms in the quest of molding their followers. On the other hand, the in-group model emphasizes on the relational disposition of the leaders with their subordinates. There are different views on the same, considering the fact that the leaders should find a suitable way of dealing with task coordination between their followers (Wren, 1995).

Criterion to evaluate contemporary leadership theories

Leadership views in the contemporary world are always viewed depending on how people understand it especially when it comes to the basic leadership components. Leadership views play a vital role in determining or influencing how contemporary leadership theories are evaluated. Alternatively, there are various ways and criterion to evaluate leadership views in the contemporary world. Understanding leadership theories which underpins the current leadership practices remains invaluable for any leader in the contemporary world. This specific context reviews contemporary leadership models, views and theories that emphasize some of the recent conceptualizations including complexity leadership aspects, distributed leadership and global leadership.

As part of the criterions to evaluate leadership views in the contemporary world, there are various leadership perspectives, which are important in this case. Some of the perspectives include the theoretical perspectives, the conflicting perspectives and the alternative perspectives. The theoretical perspectives are categorized in four fold typologies, which are mostly based on some of the assumptions that dominate when it comes to contemporary leadership. The focus in this case is the appropriate set of leadership characters. Secondly, the focus will be on the universally appropriate behavioral styles. Thirdly, the focus depends on the situational contingent traits in leadership while the forth aspect will focus on the situational contingent behavioral style (Wren,1995).

Conclusions from the critical evaluation

From the evaluation of the contemporary leadership views, it is possible to insinuate that leaders should be able to employ clinical judgment and reasoning in the determination of some of the leadership orientations applicable in their position in an organization. As exhibited by the commonalities and disparities between the contemporary leadership views, an important factor to consider would be the creation of a suitable environment that will ensure good relations between leaders and their subordinates. This consideration follows the servant leadership view, which involves the philosophy of setting practices that enriches the relationships between individuals in the organization (Spears, 2001).

It is also evident from the evaluation regarding criterion to evaluate leadership theories in the contemporary world that in as much as leadership views is an important aspect when it comes to leadership, it generally vary depending on how people understand it especially when it comes to the basic leadership components. Alternatively, leadership views play a vital role in determining or influencing how contemporary leadership theories are evaluated. Alternatively, the three perspectives thus the theoretical perspectives, the conflicting perspectives and the alternative perspectives play a vital role during leadership evaluation. The assumptions, which dominate various aspects in the contemporary leadership also remains a key aspect during leadership evaluation and in this case, where the theoretical perspectives come in handy. With all these aspects in mind, the paper remains of great significance especially to contemporary leadership. Alternatively, the paper allows the identification of various articles, which support the fact Leaders-member exchange (LMX) model, and organizational leadership should always involve subordinates in making important decisions in the organization.

References

Spears, L. C. (2001). Focus on Leadership: Servant-Leadership for the Twenty-First Century. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Wren, J. T. (1995). The leader’s companion: Insights on leadership through the ages. New York: The Free Press.

Name:

Institution:

Course Name:

Instructor:

Age of Anxiety in Europe caused by the Great War

At a time of war, those involved normally have great expectations on the happenings and results. This is usually based on optimism. However, after the war, there are normally resounding effects on the physical especially mental as well as economic effects that at times do not wear off (5-10). The Great War that took place between 1914 and 1918 was made popular and even termed as blessed from the thoughts of the non violent artists as they thought it would take part quickly and gloriously. This was caused by so much innocence that the writers finally view as unnecessary.

However, it turned out to be the cause of bitterness in Europe against the expectations of many especially those who fought. As most writers and filmmakers currently portray the events of the war, it created an age of anxiety in Europe. This includes Paul Valery who describes the civilization in Europe and European mind in his book “the Crisis of The Mind” where he indicates one of the effects as crisis. This he writes besides his being sure of Europe’s greatness where he refers to it as “the elect portion of the terrestrial globe, the pearl of the sphere, the brain of the vast body.

In his statement that people have realized their immortality he indicates how the Europeans viewed the war wrongly. Therefore they did not associate themselves with countries like Nineveh and Babylon that had experienced a similar fate and perceived them as vague (2). The age of anxiety is indicated from his relation of civilization to the fragility of life. He indicates this by the replacement of glory and honor with sorrow, cruelty and pity. The restlessness and uncertainty associated with anxiety is used in the civilization of the mind to prove this. In addition they are not sure of what will be born and harbor a fear concerning the future as a result of the destruction caused by the war (15-20). Although with vague hopes, their fears are more than the hopes they have for the future. This signifies the continuous doubt they have. These feelings are present consequent to the passage by the people through a series of great events followed by terrible times.

According to Valery the decline of Europe had begun long before the beginning of the war due to the fragility of civilization. This happened as it had reached the end of modernism (10) caused by lack of living and thinking systems hence the mind’s disorder. The lack of free coexistence present in all sophisticated minds, with dissimilar and contradictory ideas and principles of life and learning are all indicated as causes of the anxiety.

The decline in Europe’s politics became a weakness and contributed greatly to the characteristics. In addition to inequality of European predominance caused by the export of knowledge and applied science most people were forced to succumb to the anxiety created (25-30).

Other writers such as Erich Maria Remarque give way to this idea as well with the relation of life to death from the realization created by the war in a similar way to Valerie.

Cited Works

Valery, P. The Crisis in the Mind. 1919. HYPERLINK “http://www.historyguide.org/europe/valery.html.

Accessed 27 April 2011″ http://www.historyguide.org/europe/valery.html.

Accessed 27 April 2011.: par. 1-30

AgeCare Case study

Name

Course

Professor

Date

Section A – Analysis using Rich Pictures

This section is a representation of information from the entire case study and use examples from the case study.

Draw a rich picture for the complete AgeCare environment.

3209925295275 Service centers

Service centers

57150295275 AgeCare

AgeCare

Symbol Key

3209925421005Projects

Projects

57150421005 Government, Businesses and charity organization

Government, Businesses and charity organization

320992581915Workers and Volunteers

Workers and Volunteers

5715081915Individual donors

Individual donors

57150321945Management

Management

3209925274320Clients

Clients

Description and justification of the process I followed to arrive at my final picture

A2.1 Identification of the key actors in the environment

The rich picture is based on the key factors identified from the cases study. I base the identification of the main factors on CATOWE system of analyzing organization. CATOWE stands for. In examining an organization the CATOWE system is significant for expressing a problem by demystifying all the situational and permanent factors involved. In this regard I consider CATOWE a description of the human activities and situation involve tin the AgeCare environment. CATOWE is an acronym standing for Customer, Actor, Transformation, World view and Environment. This is a body of five factors that make up of an organization such as AgeCare. The elements identified using CATOWE are listed bellow

Customer

The customers are the beneficiaries of the activities of the organization. The main beneficiaries are the elderly people whose needs are the main inspiration for the existence. Supermarket the support the program could also pass for customer since the elderly people supported by the program purchase their good thus boosting their revenue.

Actors

Actors are the individual behind the running of the program. Indentify actors was as easy as indentifying the customers. The actors in this program the employees, both permanent employees and the volunteers who offer service at their convenience. The other actors are the fanciers such social service and supermarkets which fund the activities such as paying for the good bough by the elderly, fueling their vehicle and financing management operations among others.

Transformation

Transformation on the other hand is a process of change. The transformation in Agacare environment is a change in its operation model. The management of the organization is inefficient, poor record keeping, poor accountability, lack of proper coordination between departments, disagreements and the need to embrace information technology.

World View

AgeCare is based on a world view that there is need to provide the elderly people with the necessary or basic service to enable them to have a fulfilling life.

Environment

The AgeCare environment is characterized by numerous projects targeting various aspects of the aged in the society. The environment is customers who are the elderly people served by the projects, and actors who are the people involved in the financing and implementation of the projects.

A2.2 What led you to choose the key issues and areas of conflict affecting the environment that you have included in your diagram?

The choice of the key issues and areas of conflict affecting the AgeCare environment included in the diagram we chosen because of their central role in the presenting a summary of what AgeCare is all about. My aim was to symbolically present what AgeCare stands for, its activities and the people and organizations involved the activities of AgeCare. The diagram further represents the served in a symbolic manner. The choice was base on my belief that picture can be used as symbols to represent or develop a concrete meaning for perceive realities. To understand my perspective one must first agree that picture are symbols of reality and what take place in every organization is symbolic. All situation, factors and process are having indisputable symbolic values. The perception of these values is like reading a script of information concerning the organization.

Base on these views, I made the selection of the issues depicted in the picture to give observers a summery description of the relationships between player, actors, customers and processes in the AgeCare environment. Observers can gain knowledge on the organization structure of AgeCare by simply studying the picture.

A2.3.The main focus of the environment shown in your picture

In general, the main focus of the environment shown in the picture is the stakeholder and organization component of the AgeCare environment. To a specific level, the picture depicts the organization processes initiated by the stakeholders through the organization structure of the firm. An organization exists due to its strake holder and their activities. The stakeholders therefore, make an organization what it is by being responsible for it performance and dictating its services. This picture show AgeCare stakeholders, their organization structure, interactions and processes involved in delivering the service the organization was designed to deliver.

A2.4Where does the control of systems, data and processing lie in the environment as shown in your picture?

Control systems, data and processing lie in almost every aspect of the environment shown in the picture. Every process involved in value delivery by the organization. However, most of the control lies in the management which can be considered senior of executive management.

The senior management in the organization is the source of all the activities conducted by the organization. The executives initiate the activities and projects the organization undertakes. They design these programs and allocate resources for the realization of the programs goals. It is the executive officers that hire all employees including volunteers.

The executive office also monitors the activities of the sub center that are dispersed in other regions in the south of England. It coordinates the finances and labor allocated to his centers. It hold the centers accountable for the resources the receive form the executive office.

There is also a sphere of control from the financiers who donate most of the funds for various projects. These donors normally insist getting copies of reports indicating how project funds were utilized. Accountability is the main quality that the financiers insist one. Many financiers shy away from funding future programs when they notice discrepancies or fail to get proper accountability.

Section B – Requirements Analysis using Use Case modelling

The Green Drive project has been selected for the pilot project on the introduction of Information Technology systems in the AgeCare organisation. All the information about the Green Drive has been provided in by the AgeCare case stud in Appendix A. In this section I am going to analyse the Greed Drive project using Use Case Modelling. Use cases are scenarios which describe the channels by which an actor achieve a specific goal. In this regard, a use case model will consist of all the actors and use cases involved in realization of a common objective.

Draw a use case diagram for the system clearly identifying the actors involved.

B1.1A primary scenario for each use of the system

Scenario 1

Driver (actor) → System →Authentication → Access → Results (Duty plan, designate route and stops, bus assigned)

Scenario 2

Doris (Actor) → System → Authentication → Access →Results (Time bus returned, problems experienced, amount of fuel refills, receipt number)

Client → System→ Authentication → Access →Results (route of the day, time of collection, time of return)

B1.2A secondary scenario for each use of the system

Driver (actor) → System →Authentication failure→ Access denied →suggestion/redirection

Scenario 2

Doris (Actor) → System → Authentication failure→ Access denied →suggestion/redirection Scenario 3

Client → System→ Authentication failure→ Access denied →suggestion/redirection

Describe and justify the process that you followed to arrive at the final use case diagram. In describing this process, answer the following four questions:

B2.1.Why did you choose the actors you did and why are they key to the system?

I chose the actors in the use case model above because they are the main cause of action and activities engage in to realize the objectives of the project. Total of six actors are in this process. These include Clare Graham, Doris Smith, Drivers, the clients, social services, and supermarket. The contribution by each of the above actors leads to realization of shopping trips for the elderly people on the areas served by the project.

B2.2Choose one scenario. How did you identify the key activities to include in it?

There are several scenarios in the GreenDrive project which consists of several activities. I am going to explore the drivers handling of the bus, which is one of the scenarios involved in the shopping trips. According to the case study the drivers are mostly volunteers and may drive the bus of a whole day or part of the day. A driver reports to work in the morning, picks a key from the office and signs for a bus and takes off driving to the day’s designated route picking the elderly on the way. He then takes the elderly to the supermarkets where they conduct their shopping. After they have conducted their shopping the driver drive’s back through the same route dropping the elderly one by one at their designated alighting stations or points. In case of a problem along the way the driver calls to report what is going on to Doris who responds to emergencies. At the end of his/her shift the driver returns the vehicle to projects premises, returns the key and sign to indicate s/he has returned back the vehicle. On Friday, the last drive refuels the fuel tank using money already allocated by Doris. In this scenario, the driver is the main actor and the activates involve are reporting to duty, picking the key and signing for the vehicle, driving the vehicle, picking the elderly at designated points, taking the elderly to the supermarkets, dropping them off at designated points, reporting any problem encountered on the journey, refueling the vehicle, retuning the vehicle and the key and singing for the return.

B2.3How did you identify alternative uses to produce the secondary scenarios?

In use case modelling, alternative uses emerge as a product of failure in the main cases. The yare a created by alternative paths to the main parts use by the basic use case. For instance, in driver scenario above, if the sequence of activities is unable to take the usual designated course, the new course pursued is an alternative and the resultant use case an alternative case. An example, if a driver who has signed up for a vehicle is unable to return the vehicle leaves it to anther driver for an new shift, and the new driver return and signs for the return of the vehicle and the key, it is a diversion from the normal sequence of activities. Also only the driver who drives on Friday fuel the vehicle therefore, the sequence that involves refueling the bus is an alternative case.

B2.4You will have needed to make some assumptions about the system. In real life what questions would you have asked to get the necessary information? Who would you have asked?

The questions I would have asked to several questions in order to come up with the necessary information for the creation the use cases modeling are and people I would have asked are;

Driver

The drivers undertake the bulk of the activities involved in taking the elderly for shopping to the supermarkets and their questions would target their main line of activities;

What are the activities you under take when you are on duty?

How are your activities coordinated?

Which activities do you conduct occasional when on duty?

Do you feel that some activities are unnecessary? If yes which one do you consider unnecessary?

Do you feel the some new activities should be included? If yes which activities would like added?

Clare Graham

What activities do you engage in daily on behalf of GreenDrive?

What difficulties do you encounter with record keeping?

What do you believe are the best solutions to the problems you experience with record keeping?

What are your expectations of the new management information system underway?

Doris

What activities do you engage in daily on behalf of GreedDrive?

What difficulties do you experience in your daily routine?

What record keeping challenges do experience?

What solutions would you suggest to these challenges?

What are your expectations of the new management information system underway?

Supermarkets

What role do you play in Greeddrive project?

What challenges do you encounter in participating in the project?

What solutions would you suggest for these challenges?

What are your expectations of the project?

What are your expectations of the new information system underway?

The elder people

What is services do you derive from the GreenDrive project?

What challenges do you experience from the project?

What service would your want change, improved or included?

What are you expectation of the new management information system underway?

Social service

What role do you play in Greeddrive project?

What challenges do you encounter in participating in the project?

What solutions would you suggest for these challenges?

What are your expectations of the project?

What are your expectations of the new information system underway?

Section C – Critical Analysis

In this section, will discus how the analytical tools, rich picture and use case modelling have yielded useful information about the AgeCare organisation. The tools, both in A and B above have yielded adequate information to determine the minimum requirement to be met by the new system in order to enhance efficiency in the organisations service delivery activates.

C1. How these tools complement each other when carrying out a requirements analysis exercise

No single can be effective in analysing program to determine the inefficiency and look for opportunities for improvement. The result s of each technique would be undermined by the limitation of the technique. Using several techniques to conduct an analysis of the same program or object on the other hand enhance the accuracy of the accuracy of the analysis.

Using rich picture and use case modelling to determine the weaknesses of AgeCare organisation and programs and opportunities for improvement conferred the analysis the advantages of both techniques and reduces the effect of the shortcoming of each of the approach on the final results.

The use of rich picture had several benefits to the analysis. First, the rich picture helped map the entire organisation of the AgeCare environment is a simple symbolic outlook that enables easy conceptualisation of the actors, customers and processes involved in realising the objective of eh organisation.

Second, by mapping the entire stakeholder and the processes that take place in the AgeCare environment, the rich picture helped to draw the relationships and interactions between process and activities in the organisation environment.

Through observation of the outlook of the organisational environment and the understanding of the interaction between processes it is easier for one to determine the system requirement for AgeCare charity organisation.

The shortcoming of the rich picture analyses had little impact on the overall analysis of AgeCare management systems requirements due to the complementary effects of the use case modelling analysis.

The benefits Use case modelling conferred to this analysis can not be overstated. The main benefit I enjoyed while using the use cases modelling approach to understand the current state of AgeCare and its organisational need is the ease of managing complex issues. With use cases, I was able to focus on a single issue at a time. For instance, I would focus on a single actor and his/her line of contribution the entire process of service delivery. I was also able to isolate different use cases and examine then in exclusion of the rest of the other use cases. Use cases are based on a very simple principle that main reason for existence of a system is service to its uses. Based on this notion, I was able to examine how each set of activities lead to service delivery, and how each set interacted with other sets of activities.

Each use case presented a different in which the system is to be used to when it is complete. This gave me an opportunity to understand that those in charge like Clare and Doris will have different uses from the drivers who execute most of the activities, the supermarkets and social services that finance project and the elderly people who are the main beneficiaries or clients. In its entirety as case modelling, the approach helped me understand what can go wrong and understand the need for alternative course of activities. Certainly understanding the possible outcomes of all scenarios before designing the system serves to enhance the development process and reduce the need to make numerous alterations in the future.

Another benefit that I enjoyed while working with use cases was provision of a base for groundwork necessary to identify the requirements, documentation, and user needs; a body of information that can be used to enrich the development of new system.

Last the use cases enhanced the process of envisioning how the desired management information system would look like. With use case it was easier to imagine the design of the outcome before starting to define and design a new system. In this regard I found User cases to be proactive in facilitating development of a management information system for AgeCare, starting with the pilot project of GreenDrive.

In a nutshell, using use case modelling was like using a malty stakeholder approach to solving problems. This is because each use case involves a different actor.

However, all is not rosy while using use case modelling analysis approach. In my analysis I encounter various shortcoming of the approach whose negative effects were neutralised by the use of rich pictures. The shortcomings I hand to content with are; the approach only enabled me to focus on the needs and users experience with little regard to usability of the new system, second drawing the relationships among the various use cases was challenging.

C2. Incorporation of different cultural and world views into the model

Culture and world views are very influential in developing a management system such as a management information system. The cultural and world view factors that influence this analyses are enshrined in the nature of management, the management should be conducted centrally on specific duties designated to other bodies such as the centres of specific projects. This management approach is bureaucratic in nature. In the case study centralised management had been encouraged by the financial director Jayne Harrison, but Rodriguez he colleague discourages it. In my analysis, bureaucracy is evident in the rich picture where by it is the management that receives funds, recruits volunteer and employee, initiates projects, finances centers which intern oversee the projects.

Another culture that has been espoused clearly in the study and in the analysis is the culture or organisation and division of labour. Responsibilities are properly share and in the GreenDrive project thus enhancing service delivery. GreenDrive further encourage the culture of proper record keeping and accountability through the way it conducts is activist. Problems experience by drivers are recorded, purchases of fuel are also properly recoded. Doris maintains a spread sheet record that always leaves the finance department smiling.

C 3. Selecting data and information that was important for building the proposed system

I based my selection of the data necessary for construction of a new system on the current realities experienced by the employees and volunteers at AgeCare charity organization an observation of their current processes and complaint the employees have about the system are a clear indication that change us needed. Identification of the shortcoming of the system was very much easy. The case study provides the background information about the organization which paints a clear picture of the conditions at age care. Second, information of what is missing in the organization is generated through interviews with the employees of the organization. The employees air dissatisfaction with the working condition for sometime. This dissatisfaction and other direct communication on what the employees directly pointed to be lacking alongside study provide useful indispensable data on the important component of necessary for the new system. The most critical systems for proper performance of an organization which must be incorporated by the new system are financial information system and records keeping and management system.

I landed on the financial system because of the compelling by the management staff complaints about the organization’s financial system. Jayne Harrison, the AgeCare financial director is on record stating the need for a new financial system. He states, “…we need to sort our finance system first, before we start worrying about the information each of the projects holds” (Case Study). Finances are a critical component of projects and if mange poorly the success of the project can be seriously undermined. For instance Rodriguez, the Center manager at Basingstoke notes that in the prior to the interview the administration had accidently allocate extra £2000 to his center instead of Portsmouth center. This is clearly an indication that the finical systems are terrible. Financial management is left at the hand of individual projects and is this wasteful. The new system should enhance centralized movement of finance to enhance efficiency.

The filing and record keeping system also need to be streamlined to ensure that everything that take place is accurately recorded and filed. AgeCare centers mostly relay on had copy or paper documentation. A few centers like Basingstoke headed by Jose Rodriguez have rudimentary MS Excel database that are used to store information electronically. However, Rodriguez note that staff member normally have a problem filling the spreadsheets and sometime mix up data. Collecting information about projects and centers is also problematic according to Christos Papadimitriou, the Information quality officer a centralized database the can be feed information by members of staff through the internet is necessary to simplify his work. Such a system would also synchronize the way all centers present their data.

Other then the interview with senior employees at the organization the minutes of the Facilitate Workshop Development Meeting of AgeCare management information system directly state what the organization need. From the minute I deduce the main features that are necessary for the new system (which are similar to those espoused through interviews). They are accuracy in data collection, timely data collection, standard format of data collection, production of important process management reports, expandability, accessibility, map resource use, develop a common interface for all centers, provide a diary system, allow importation of existing information, and facilitate information sharing.

In a nutshell, the identification process for the necessary component of the proposed system involved reading and abstracting the case study.

Reference

The AgeCare Case Study