Education Management Systems Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Education Management Systems - Personal Statement Example The task assigned is primarily to man the communication systems of the ground operations of the peacekeeping unit. This being a very critical job in any military operation and any slight error here could even disrupt the planned strategy of the operations. Further, being with diverse group of people from different countries, the operational effectiveness would heavily rely on our personal traits. Though initially I was a little doubtful on the success of my initiative, the skills acquired during the younger days when I had spent weeks with the convicts and addicts in an awareness initiative might have given the openness to associate with people with different culture, language, habit and style. Though these are the traits that have helped me to bring out the best in the field of my operation, I am also aware of a lot of missing virtues in me. Being away from home for considerable period of time, absence of emotional bond with the friends and relatives is the major lacuna in me. This has led to fewer friends back home and also at work. But being with the job that I like the most, these shortcomings seldom disturbs me at the moment.

Retail Inter-Disciplinary Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Retail Inter-Disciplinary Design - Essay Example Thus the retail specific solutions have become very essential to create a competitive edge over its rival players. The two major components that design of a retials business tore must focus are design of interiors and establishing a favorable environment for effective the visual communication (Retail Systems, n.d.) Thus a good retail unit must be able to create the synergy between technologies and solutions used in creation of functional space for the business and the business operations. Thus such units would be able to achieve optimal delivery of consumer service and increased margins in the business. Some of the specific interventions in the retail system designs are (i) Reliable and secure systems based on efficient automated systems and (ii) Solutions that are environmentally friendly and cost effective operations (Salvador, et al. , 2006). Every retail store need to address different aspects of design issues ranging from systems that ensure customer retention to the mechanisms that could effectively monitor the shop lifting. The most basic aspect in the maintaining a memorable shopping experience to the customers is by keeping the store and its surroundings neat and clean. Though it is the least expensive method in attracting and retaining the customers , it is found to be the most difficult thing to be undertaken. The ten most important parameters that need special attention are as follows Avoiding dirty bathrooms: Whether the bathrooms and restrooms in the retail stores are to general public or not it must be a mandatory procedure to keep these facilities neat and clean. Untidy Dressing Rooms The dressing rooms need to be given appropriate attention to keep the unattended or discarded articles like, hangers, tags or empty packs etc. away. This place need to be closely monitored especially after the customers have used the room. Music turning very loud. Music could create a positive mood during the shopping period. But very loud music could generate a negative impact and could even force the customers to have an early exit from the store. Improper signs and display board The display boards and sign if placed improperly or in illegible manner would cause ambiguity in the minds of the customers. These display items must be professionally designed and placed in such way to make the shopping activity more simple, effortless and enjoyable. Stained and slippery floors. The shopping activities too at times lead to severe accidents. If the floors are not kept tidy or if have any stains on them could lead to some accidents. The regular cleaning of the floor by sweeping, vacuum cleaning or mopping need to be regularly carried out. The stains portions of the floors, ceiling or any directly visible portions must be immediately attended and necessary action for its removal need to be carried out. Poor lighting facility : Ensuring proper illumination is one of the most essential requirement in ant retail store. Only good illumination could help to make the shopping process less stressful. Thus any burned out lights shall be replaced immediately and illumination shall be maintain. Presence of Offensive Odors : Even though some familiar smell of fertilizers used in the indoor gardens

Caregiver stress Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Caregiver stress - Research Paper Example The median age is 63 years and the mode is 76 years. The figure below shows the distribution of caregiver age in the sample. Patient Gender: Out of the valid sample of 348, 130 patients are male and 218 female. That is 37.4% of the sample is males and 62.6% females Caregiver Gender: Out of the valid sample of 348, 88 patients are male and 260 female. That is 25.3% of the sample is males and 74.7% females Ethnicity: White non-Hispanics are the largest group by ethnicity constituting 42.3% of the sample. Hispanic ethnicity is the second largest group constituting 32.5% of the sample and the rest are African Americans constituting the remaining 25.3% of the sample. Caregiver Education The average caregiver education is 13.1 years. The range is 20 years from a minimum 3 years to a maximum of 20 years of education. Household Income For the household income, the dataset was not complete and data labels were not set for all ordinal values. Of all the data points, only 170 had disappoints fo r which the ordinal values were described in the data set. For the available dataset details, the maximum frequency was observed for the 2000-2300 income group and greater than 2400 income group with a frequency of 31 data points each. Hypothesis test 1: Religious patients complain less about somatic illnesses In order to test this hypothesis, we can compare the means for total somatic illness complaints observed for the religious patients (any level of being religious – from somewhat religious to very religious) and for non-religious patents. The corresponding data in the sample would be the data for â€Å"Somatic Complaints Total† (SCT). Out of the sample of 349, 5 cases are excluded in the analysis. Two of these are excluded because there is no data available and the remaining three because the data for their religiousness is not rightly captured in the database. It is captured as 2.56, which is not related to any ordinal assignment of data. The following table summ arizes the mean SCT for different groups of patients based on their religiousness. We can see whether there is any difference in means of complaints by the different patients to ascertain whether religious people complain less or not. This can be done using 2 statistical tests: the two-sample t-test and the one way Anova test. Two-sample t-test where we group all the religious people as one and â€Å"not at all religious† people as the second group to see whether not at all religious people complain more. Also, we can now consider two groups of samples, one including people who are not at all religious and second of people who are religious, somewhat religious, or very religious. The table for means for these groups is as below. =2) is people who are religious. These notations are due to nature of data in the dataset. Now, we need to test whether the group of religious people complain less about somatic illness. Hypothesis testing by Two-sample t-test for independent variable s Let  µr denote the observed mean for religious group and  µn denote the mean for not at all religious group. So, our Null hypothesis:  µr =  µnr The sig. value, which is the p-value for the test is 0.578. This is too high compared to a 0.05 or 0.10 p-value which would have been for 95% confidence or 90% confidence level. So, we must reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis that religious people do NOT complain less abo

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Essay

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) - Essay Example Equally important, IT must deliver services that promote effectiveness in the use f information systems. (Thibodeau 16-16) A large part f the challenge is the fact that organizations continually implement new business processes, discard flawed ones, or extend and modify current practices. Business systems that automate and actuate these business processes are continually in flux. But that's only the beginning. IT managers are also haunted by the specter f rapid, unceasing, technological churn, especially when the option f not adopting the latest innovations might put them at a competitive disadvantage. Moreover, today's business systems, radically different from their less-sophisticated precursors, are extremely complex and highly networked, and must support a new breed f multicompany, business-to-business applications. Web services, commonly defined as Internet-based applications that perform some type f business task, add yet another twist. (McLaughlin 39-42) As either a supplier or user f Web services, system or service failure has the potential to damage brand equity, as well as customer (internal or external) and trading partner confidence. Ultimately, it falls to in-hou... Thankfully, there are techniques that can mitigate risk, reduce complexity, and lessen IT costs. To date, the best approach involves the use f some combination f industry standards and proven process models. The term "IT Service Management" encapsulates all f the standardized processes and best practices that can be systematically applied across the entire range f IT services and support functions, to deliver superior services, while reducing risks and effectively managing costs. The use f standards and process models, however, while necessary, is not sufficient for delivering critical business systems. Organizations must apply the various approaches in an architected and deliberate manner, based on practices that have proven themselves in the field time and again. Introduction to ITIL It has been long understood that the value f IT services to the enterprise is reduced if delivery is inadequate and costly, or if implementation puts the business at risk. It is equally well known that the ability to deliver high-quality, low-cost IT services is enhanced if those services are based on proven methodologies and best practices. (Steinberg 22-30) To that end, the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) is a U.K. government agency chartered with development f best practice advice and guidance on the use f information technology in service management and operations. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the CCTA surveyed the leading information technology companies from around the world to document and validate best practices in the disciplines f IT service management. The IT Infrastructure Library, more commonly known as ITIL, captures and codifies the

Profession of Arms Essay Example for Free

Profession of Arms Essay Characterizing the Army as a profession is a widely debated issue. Some attest that the military employs a small cadre of professionals, yet this does not qualify the entire vocation as a profession. Others are not so kind and paint a picture of mindless robots simply following orders. The debate rages because it is fundamentally difficult to find an absolute definition for a profession. This troublesome task is further exasperated because the trust of the public ultimately certifies a profession. Nevertheless, the principle characteristic that remains constant to all professions is that they possess a guiding ethic that controls the effective application of their expertise. 1 The Army constitutes a profession because it possesses an ethical framework that is intrinsically present within the institution. As it relates to a professional ethic, all professions possess a code that governs the moral, ethical and legal activities of their members. For example, The American Medical Associations Code of Medical Ethics holds to the Oath of Hippocrates.2 This oath is Western civilization’s expression of the ideal conduct of a physician.3 Lawyers also take an oath of office that anchors them to the ethical practice of their craft. This code of ethics provides parameters for lawyers on how they should conduct their affairs and matters ranging from client confidentiality to conflict of interest.4 Similarly, all members of the United States Army swear or affirm an oath upon initial entry. The Oath of Enlistment or the Oath of Office marks the beginning of each Soldier’s military service and their commitment to a higher ethic. This oath is the bedrock of the Soldier’s moral and legal principles. The Army Values, the Soldier’s Creed and the Warrior Ethos exemplify the pinnacle of the Army’s organizational ethic. Some might argue that many organizations have a similar ethic, yet they are not a professio n. Why are athletic teams that incorporate and enforce team rules, not considered professions? Another issue concerning the Army professions ethical barometer stems from comments made by senior Army officials like General Maxwell Taylor, the fifth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. According to him, as long as a man performed his duty he  was fine. â€Å"For [GEN] Taylor, a good [S]oldier, even a good [O]fficer, could be a bad man.†5 What these dissentions fail to consider is that the Army, or any profession, does not singularly apply its ethic to the daily living of its members. Concerning the members of an athletic organization, it must be understood that one does not ethically hit, pass or throw a ball. Athletes do not apply ethical guidelines in the performances of their sports. Conversely, GEN Taylor fails to realize how private character affects the ability to command troops. One cannot compartmentalize the ethic of professionals into private and public sectors. Professionals apply their ethic to the application of their craft on behalf of the society they s erve. 6 Soldiers, like all members within a profession, must exercise their ethic in the execution of their work, not just in their private lives. Although, a universal criterion to qualify a particular vocation as a profession is difficult to quantify, the possession of a guiding ethic is common to all professional definitions. The Army is a profession because throughout its ranks it has continued to operate within the ethical framework it has set forth for itself. The Army, as a profession, demonstrates not only that it possesses ethical cannon, but is committed to operating by it. The Army Values, the Soldier’s Creed and the Warrior Ethos are the natural outpouring of these ethical cannon. Regardless of these facts, it remains unique to a profession that they cannot simply declare themselves a profession.7 The public reserves the right to determine so. Americans will only continue to regard the Army as a profession based on our effective and ethical application of landpower.8 Des pite many ethical failings, the American people recognize that the Army possesses the courage to hold its members ethically accountable and therefore legitimize itself as a profession of arms. Bibliography Pbs.org,. NOVA | The Hippocratic Oath Today. Last modified 2014. Accessed September 12, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/hippocratic-oath-today.html. Robinson, Paul. Ethics Training And Development In The Military. Ebook. 1st ed., 2007. Accessed September 11, 2014. http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/parameters/Articles/07spring/robinson.pdf. Training and Doctrine Command, â€Å"An Army White Paper: The Profession of Arms,† 8 December 2010, 2. http://www.benning.army.mil/armor/content/PDF/Profession%20of%20Arms%20White%20Paper%208%20Dec%2010.pdf U.S. Department of the Army. The Army Profession. Army Doctrine and Training Publications 1. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, June 13, 2013. Accessed September 11, 2014. http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adrp1.pdf. YourDictionary.com,. Code Of Ethics Examples. Last modified 2014. Accessed September 11, 2014. http://examples.yourdictionary.com/code-of-ethics-examples.html.

Issues in Human Resource Strategies That Improve Organizational Performance Essay Example for Free

Issues in Human Resource Strategies That Improve Organizational Performance Essay A rapidly changing economic environment, characterized by such phenomena as the globalization, and deregulation of markets, changing customer and investor demands, and ever increasing product market competition, has become the norm for most organization. To compete, they must continually improve their performance by reducing costs; innovating products and processes; improving quality, productivity, and speed to market; and more importantly by improving their individual performance within the organization. In order to do this, a set of distinctive human resource strategies, defined as internally consistent bundles of human resource practices (Dyer Reeves, 1995), is clearly essential. Sparrow and Marchington (1998) suggested that HR practices are the most advanced, the most sophisticated, and the most efficient basis for organizing and for obtaining high performance from employees since it seeks to strategically integrate the interests of an organization and its employees. In addition, a number of studies have also indicated that there is a positive relationship between effective HR strategies and organizational performance. Specifically, it is suggested that HR practices can improve organizational and operational performance when matched with quality manufacturing strategies (Stone, 2002). Nevertheless, despite the positive relationship found between HR practices and firm performance, there are a number of issues and questions surrounding them. One problem in relating HRM and performance is the lack of theoretical background; resulting in both terms remain ambiguous concepts. Other questions arise in relation with the link between HR strategies and performance are the inconsistent findings in regards to what constitutes a high performance HR strategy (Becker Gerhart, 1996; Cooke, 2001) and the problems with HRM and performance measurements (Guest et al. , 2003). The aim of this essay is to outline and explain the issues in developing human resource strategies that improve organizational performance. Specifically, the essay shall begin with presenting the issue of theoretical background of the concept of HRM and organizational performance. Subsequently, it shall discuss the issue about diversified strategies used to improve performance, and the problems in measuring HRM and performance. ?HRM and Organizational Performance: The Lack of Theoretical Background Guest (1997) pointed out that to improve our understanding of the impact of HRM on performance; we need a theory about HRM, a theory about performance, and a theory about how they are linked. Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of debates amongst leading researchers and practitioners about the concept and contributions of HRM practice in managing employees in overall organizational objectives (Loosemore, Dainty Lingard, 2003; Analoui, 1998; Sparrow Marchington, 1998). McCarthy and Stone (1986) argued that the concept of HRM is ambiguous and that its contribution to organizational performance remains unclear and is not well understood. In addition, Sparrow and Marchington (1998) pointed out that rather than adding value to the business through its strategic integration with managerial objectives, HRM can remain a disappointingly mechanistic function. Similarly, there is no universal theory about performance (Guest, 1997). It was proposed that the meaning of performance involves two dimensions; the types of criteria and the weight of each. Organizations have different interpretations of performance according to the sector of their industries. Service providers, for example, might consider customer satisfaction as their top performance indicator, while manufacturers might view inventory level as an important criterion to measure their performance level. In addition, some organizations put financial results on top of their performance indicator list and employee’s job satisfaction at the bottom, but others may view this in the opposite position. As a result, it is hard, if not impossible, to define the concept of performance that applicable for all organizations. The impact of HR practices on firm performance is without a doubt an important topic in the fields of human resource management, industrial relations, and industrial and organizational psychology (Huselid, 1995; Jones Wright, 1992). This literature, although largely conceptual, concludes that HR practices can help to create a source of sustained competitive advantage, especially when they are aligned with a firm’s competitive strategy (Jackson Schuler, 1995; Wright McMahan, 1992, both as cited in Huselid, 1995). Specifically, a large majority of published studies found an association between HR practices and firm performance, regardless of whether they are cross-sectional or longitudinal, whether conducted at establishment or company level, whether based on strong performance data or subjective estimates, whatever sector they are based on, whatever operational definition of HRM is used, and wherever they are conducted (Guest et al. , 2003). Nevertheless, despite the positive thrust of most empirical findings, Wood and de Menezes (1998, as cited in Guest et al. 2003) failed to find consistent associations between HRM and performance. Furthermore, Wood (1999) has also argued that the relationship between HRM and performance is relatively weak. One possible explanation lies in the various contingency factors, other than HR activities, that might contribute to organizational performance such as organizational culture (Kotter Heskett, 1992; Van der Post et al. , 1998), business strategy (Richard Brown Johnson, 1999), and political considerations (Ferris et al. 1998). ?Improvement Strategies: Is There One Best Way? Much of the research on the link between HRM and firm performance has looked at single HR practice such as compensation or selection, while others attempted to look on the impact of combining different HR practices to improve firm performance (Becker Gerhart, 1996). Pfeffer (1998, as cited in Tyson, 1997), for instance, put forward a seven-principle best practice which he believed is universally applicable. The seven best practice HRM elements include; employment security, selective hiring, self managed teams, high compensation contingent on organizational performance, extensive training, reduction of status difference, and information sharing. Theoretically, bundling several HR practices should produce greater performance effects than any of the individual human practices (Dyer Reeves, 1995). However, in reality, there is no single standardized bundle of HR strategies that is universally applicable for all organizations. Each firm might require different bundles of HR strategies to improve its organizational performance.

Denture Adhesives in Prosthodontics- An Overview

Denture Adhesives in Prosthodontics- An Overview Dr Ranjith Kumar P, MDS; Dr Shajahan PA,MDS ; Dr Jyothis Mathew, MDS ABSTRACT Denture adhesives are used by an endless number of denture wearers and also by the dentists who fabricate them. Prescribing denture adhesives has been viewed by many prosthodontists as a means of compensating for deficiencies in clinical and technical procedures. Denture adhesives increase retention and thereby improve chewing ability, reduce wobble, improve comfort and confidence and reduce amount of food particles collecting under the dentures. Moreover, they undoubtedly provide the patients an increased sense of security and satisfaction. However, patients should use denture adhesives only on the advice of their dentists. INTRODUCTION Though their usage dates back to the late 18th century, they were first mentioned in dental literature in the 19th century. Earlier adhesives, formulated by mixing vegetable gums absorbed moisture from the saliva and swelled to a mucilaginous substrate that adhered to the mucosa of the mouth and the denture. Kapur’s 1 study in 1967 on 26 denture wearers, concluded that denture adhesives increased denture retention, thereby improving denture wearers’ incisive ability. Stafford and Russell, 2 using radio telemetry, measured the change in pressure, at the denture base-mucosa interface, with and without adhesives and found that denture adhesives allowed greater total occlusal pressure. The denture adhesives improved denture retention and stability (Tarbet et al 3), and found that patients perceived improved chewing ability, confidence and comfort, reduced wobble and collection of food particles under denture. Chew et al 4 determined the effectiveness of denture adhesive in improving the retention and stability of the complete maxillary denture in vivo using Kinseography. Abdelmelak and Michael 5 suggested that the denture adhesives acts as a cushion under complete denture; reducing the transmission of pressure and friction to the underlying mucosa. COMPOSITION The major constituents of denture adhesives can be broadly divided into three groups.6 Group 1 (Adhesive agents): Tragacanth, acacia, pectin, gelatin, methyl-cellulose, hydroxyl-methyl cellulose, Karaya Gum, sodium carboxyl-methyl cellulose and synthetic polymers (polyethylene oxide, acrylamides, acetic and polyvinyl). Group 2 (Anti-microbial agents) Sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, hexachlorophene and ethanol. Group 3 (Other agents) Plasticizers, wetting agents and flavouring agents such as oil of wintergreen, oil of peppermint, etc. Mechanism of Action Denture adhesives are supplied as paste, powder or cream. As the Adhesive powders absorb water, they swell to many times their original volume and the resulting anions are attracted to cations in the mucous membrane proteins. Sticky saliva thus formed increases the viscosity of the adhesive, thereby increasing the denture retention.7 Newer adhesive materials provide stronger bio-adhesive and cohesive forces. Free carboxyl groups formed by the hydration of adhesive such as methyl cellulose, hydroxyl methyl cellulose, sodium carboxyl-methyl cellulose or poly methyl vinyl-ether maleic anhydride (PVM-MA), etc. form electrovalent bonds that produce stickiness or bio adhesion. The increased viscosity of the adhesive creams result in their lateral spread excluding air and saliva thereby increasing the retention 8. Requirements of an ideal Denture Adhesive 9 Available as gels, creams and powders. Nontoxic, non-irritant, and biocompatible with the oral mucosa. It should have a neutral odour and taste. Easy application and removal from the tissue surface of the denture. Discourage microbial growth. Adhesiveness should be retained for 12-16 hrs. Increase the comfort, retention and stability of the denture Mode of application: Any residual adhesive should be removed from the tissue-bearing surface of the denture . The denture bearing tissues are wiped clean of any food debris. Wet dentures before application of adhesive. Small amounts of adhesive is applied to the tissue-bearing surface of denture. In the maxillary denture -Anterior alveolar ridge, the center of hard palate and posterior palatal seal region . In the mandibular denture apply to the sulcus of denture over the crest of the ridge extending from the anterior region sulcus to the distal extension. Denture should be seated and held in place firmly by hand pressure for 5-10 seconds. Gauze is used to remove excess adhesive . Patient is advised to close into centric occlusion several times to spread the adhesive as a thin even layer. Indications. Recording jaw relations and denture try in should be done using stable and retentive bases. The use of denture adhesive can stabilize the trail denture bases which show inadequate retention and stability due to various reasons. Use of adhesive will improve the accuracy of the denture try-in, and also decrease the patient apprehension about the fit of the final prosthesis. Use of adhesives in patients with compromised denture bearing areas adds to their confidence thereby increasing the ability to adapt to the new prosthesis. Immediate denture get loosened soon due to soft tissue healing and bony resorption requiring relining, rebasing, or a new denture fabrication. A soft liner used to augment the retention; comfort and function during the interim period are aided by the use of a denture adhesive. Reduced clinical findings of ulcers, tissue irritation, compression, and inflammation of the oral mucosa of denture wearers were seen with concomitant use of adhesives. Xerostomia in denture wearers either drug or radiotherapy induced can be alleviated with the use of denture adhesives. Stabilization of dentures in patients with hormonal changes and neuromuscular disorders such as myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, etc., can be achieved with denture adhesives. Prosthesis to rehabilitate gross maxillofacial defects requires denture adhesives for retention. Denture adhesives are valuable adjuncts to the retention of radiation carriers or radiation protection prostheses. Usage of minimal amounts of adhesives provides high profile patients like attorneys, executives, speakers, etc. with psychological security in social situations. Contraindications Allergies to denture adhesives or any of its components. Gross inadequacies in retention and function. Excessive bone resorption and soft tissue shrinkage leading to loss of vertical dimension. Adhesives should not be used to retain fractured dentures or dentures with missing flange or with sectional fractures. Patients with inability to maintain proper hygiene of the denture should avoid use of denture adhesive. Conclusions Denture adhesives, when used properly are safe and beneficial to the patient in increasing retention and stability, enhanced comfort, improved function, and in providing psychological satisfaction. They should not be used as an aid to compensate for denture deficiencies even though adhesives enhance denture performance. Patients should not use denture adhesives inadvertently without proper guidance and instructions from the dentists.