Hippa and Information Technology Essay

In this checkpoint I will be discussing certain questions that involve HIPPA and information technology. With technology growing every single day, there are questions that are always involved when dealing with medical record issues. One question would be what advantages could a standardized medical records database offer? What HIPPA issues could arise? And why do you believe technology in the medical records management industry is so far behind other industries? These are the questions I will be answering in this checkpoint. I will start off by talking about the advantages a medical records database could offer. The main advantage of a standardized medical records database would be the convenience. To be able to locate a file with the push of a button would make work for the staff a lot faster. With paper documents it could take hours for another physician or hospital to obtain the information they would need. Another advantage would be the time it would take for a person to travel to and from their physician office to obtain their records for another facility. What HIPPA issues could arise? The main issue when dealing with medical records being online would be their patient’s information staying safe. In these days too many people are able to access sites and databases that should be secure. With people being able to hack and steal identities, this is a major problem when it comes to HIPPA issues. Another issue that could arise would be a patient not signing the forms to allow information to be posted. If a patient does not sign their name, their information should not be put online or given to any other individual. Who do you believe technology in the medical records management industry is so far behind other industries? I believe that the medical record management industry is behind others is because of security. The information that this industry deals with is very sensitive and should be protected at all costs. There are several laws that are in place to insure the protection of the patients and if any of their information were to be leaked, the facility would be in a position for legal action.

Comp 2 Argumentive Essay

Argument Essay To be able to complete a family most couples have children after marriage. I believe that a child should complete a parent’s life. On the other hand I don’t believe that it is biblically right for homosexual couples to be able to adopt a child and raise that child. In the bible God created man and woman for a purpose. This purpose was to be able to reproduce the population and for one man to be in love and with one woman. I do not believe that in a homosexuality house hold that a child would be raised properly and normally like most children are able to be raised.I feel putting children in that environment is suggesting that homosexuality is okay and it truly isn’t when in terms of the bible. This sin was so important to God that he directly approached the subject in the bible saying it is a sin and that a man should be with a woman and a woman should be with a man. Being a huge supporter of the Christian faith because I am apart of that faith, I b elieve that being a homosexual is dishonorable and truly upsets God.On the other hand I am aware that not every heterosexual home in the world is a stable and a suitable home to raise a child in. In many homes in this world there are children that are beaten, raped, hungry, and also very poorly supported. In those terms and in those cases I do believe that it may be acceptable for a child that are in those conditions to be placed in a home where they will be loved and supported and be loved. I do also agree that a homosexual couple is very capable of loving and providing and taking care of a child.If the child is being beaten and unloved and raped and other extreme conditions I would be supportive and feel that it was okay for a child to be adopted into a homosexual home. I also feel that it is hard for the children that are being adopted to be able to accept what is going on and being able to know what is natural and taboo. Same-sex couples raising children must stand ready to prov e to the world they are a family, just one that happens to have two mothers or two fathers. For example I would like to share this one homosexual couple’s tory. This constant burden of proof is especially difficult for families like the Muzingos, who live in a state that doesn’t allow them to establish legal ties to each other. Michelle Muzingo was in the delivery room when her wife, Katrina, gave birth to each of their three children, who are now 7, 4 and 1. She cut their umbilical cords and was the first to hold the children, who call her â€Å"mommy. † Yet because they live in Ohio, a state that does not allow gay couples to adopt, she is unable to make that title official. We are always scanning the circle around us to see what we need to put in place to protect ourselves,† said Katrina, 37. A report released earlier this week illustrates just how vulnerable these couples and their children are, both legally and financially. After all, 30 states do not have laws that allow same-sex parents to either adopt, while six states restrict them or impose outright bans. Even families who live in states that recognize their relationships can run into trouble if they travel or move.And if something were to happen to a parent who was unable to adopt or otherwise establish legal ties, the child might be denied certain federal benefits something that children of most heterosexual parents receive automatically. When having a child normally, with one man getting one woman that is married pregnant, it can be an extremely rocky road. Also I believe that not every home is perfect and there are many problems within each family. But I just think that too many complications can come from homosexual couples adopting a child.

Windows 7 vs. Windows 8

Topic: Contrasting differences, resemblance and evaluation of two computer operating systems, Windows 7 and Windows 8. The release of Windows 8 has divided the online community in two contradictory groups. Some users appear to enjoy the new features and performance of the newest Windows operating system, while others recommend choosing its well-received predecessor Windows 7 (Mikoluk, 2013). The purpose of this essay is to examine some of the primary characteristics of these operating systems.These comprise of: user interface, essential built-in software components, system requirements and finally, performance of two systems based on various computer test results. This essay has been organised in the following way, firstly it looks at vital characteristics of operating system user interface, it continues by analysing essential built-in software components, then proceeds by highlighting system requirements and finally, it will outline the performance of two systems based on various co mputer test results.User interface is an outer layer and one of the key components of the operating ystem, which can be characterized and described by numerous aspects such as design strategy, start menu layout and touch screen functionality. Windows 7 keeps basic principles of conventional Windows interface building on â€Å"Aero† visual style features, such as subtle animations and translucent glass windows enabling a wide range of desktop personalisation possibilities (Bott et al. 2011). Incorporation of the Metro design language for Windows 8 introduces a completely new tile-based design strategy, which is radically different from traditional Windows representation ocusing on only what is needed † reducing to the essence and celebrating content. ‘ (Clayton, 2013). Windows 7 start menu keeps the familiar two-column layout with the Start button located in the left corner of the taskbar (Coward and Knittel, 2010).Whereas in Windows 8, the start menu is replaced w ith a Start screen, where well-known desktop icons have been substituted with large tiles and â€Å"Live† tiles displaying real-time information and is missing the Start button (Boyce and Tidrow, 2013). Moving to touch-screen characteristics, Windows 7 software operates with imited amount of touch gestures and its targets originally designed for a miniature arrow cursor are too small (Pogue, 2013).In contrast, Windows 8 is built with focus on touch input, featuring all the latest touch screen technology innovations and introducing an expanded number of available gestures as well as a touch-friendly interface with large targets (Cirque, 2012). and security applications. Internet Explorer 8 comes as a preinstalled attribute of Windows 7 exclusively for US customers featuring the familiar â€Å"Aero† visual style user interface with add-on browser extensions as well as integrated Web Search box and abbed browsing (Stanek, 2010).Windows 8, on the other hand, comes with lat est Internet Explorer 10 browser promoting the minimalistic Metro user interface, moving away from add-ons; counting on site developers to enrich the browsing experience for users by enabling feature detection technology (Boyce and Tidrow, 2013). Internet Explorer 10 Start screen includes web search box combined with address bar and also offers multitasking with tabs (Microsoft, 2013).Moving to Security Management, Windows 7 features include built-in Firewall network security system and Windows Defender spyware protection; however for the better defence it s advisable to additionally install Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus software (Bott et al. , 2011). In Windows 8, security is also maintained by Firewall and extended confguration of Windows Defender, which replaces Microsoft Security Essentials (Microsoft, 2013).When considering similarities, both operating systems have identical minimal hardware requirements, which enable the two to run on wide range of machines (Microsof t, 2013). At he Microsoft Worldwide conference 2011 in California Tami Reller underlined: In both of our Windows 8 previews, we talked about continuing on ith the important trend that we started with Windows 7, keeping system requirements either flat or reducing them over time.Windows 7 and Windows 8 software is compatible with computers consisting of: not less than 1 gigahertz processor or faster, at least 1 gigabyte of free RAM for 32-bit versions or minimum 2 gigabytes for 64-bit versions, a free hard disc space of 16 gigabytes for 32-bit systems or 20 gigabytes for 64-bit systems as well as Microsoft DirectX9 graphics card with WDDM driver (Egan, 2012). Turning to the criteria of performance, there are significant differences in the timings hat operating systems require for essential operations such as: booting up, shutting down, waking up from sleep mode and 3D graphics implementation.As stated by Walton (2012), Windows 8 continues to expand on the effectiveness of Windows 7, w hich has proven to be a fast and productive operating system, by showing a number of improvements compared to its precursor. Muchmore's test results (2012) revealed that the booting time for Windows 8 is significantly reduced by almost a half compared to Windows 7; 17 and 38 seconds correspondingly. He also reported that he shut down time showed similar improvements; the latest version of Windows took 10 seconds, while the older operating system was 2 seconds slower.According to Muhammad (2013), Windows 8 is also faster waking up from sleep mode with only 10 seconds required for this operation which is 3 seconds ahead of Windows 7. However, Windows 7 3D graphic performance was moderately faster, although both operating systems showed very similar results (Walton, 2012). differences in both operating systems. Firstly, the most obvious difference is that Windows 7 represents traditional Windows interface, while the most recent operating ystem promotes innovative Metro design strategy with large tiles instead of familiar icons.

Econ 417 Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Econ 417 Assignment 3 - Essay Example The technological advancements are increasing day by day and the technology is becoming more and more efficient. This not only increases the efficiency of these machines but the costs of installation have also been reduced. The writer gives examples of advancements in internet, agricultural and health sectors. Later it is explained that the growth in technology is actually extremely good for economic growth. The new technology which comes in actually makes the older one obsolete and out of date. As a result, this ends up being a drawback, as new technology ends up replacing old technology. An excellent example of the history of light is mentioned here. From the campfire discovered thousands of years ago passing through candles and bulbs, today’s fluorescent lights are 143,000 times brighter than the campfires (Easterly 175). These dramatic advancements in technology have been visible over centuries and this has increased efficiency manifold. With the presence of technology the people should also have the incentive to use it. Technology without incentive may be useless and this has been seen on multiple occasions in history. The romans had the resources and the technology but they did not progress. Similarly the Chinese were the first to have access to a variety of technologies before the Europeans could even have imagined. However, they lacked an incentive for its usage and as a result the technologies remained stagnant for a long period of time before they were taken over by others. Another feature which is important along with technology is education. It has been witnessed that the productivity of workers in developed economies may be similar but their income levels may be different. A very significant reason behind this is that the different educational levels cause different levels of usage of the technology. The important factor for technological progress and for economic growth is the incentive to use these for the betterment. For the poorer countr ies the absence of technology can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. The disadvantage can be in a sense that the absence of experience of technology can result in a reversal of effect. This is because the workers will be semi-skilled or unskilled as far as the expertise is concerned. This is because they will be inexperienced in the handling of technology. They will not be able to handle the machinery and the return over the technology will be much lower than to the skilled workers of the developed nations. The advantage will be extremely essential for the developing or under-developed countries because the installation of the technology and its implementation will be extremely cost effective. The will directly have to install the technology and it will be much easier instead of upgrading the old technology or replacing it. Chapter 10 Summary This chapter begins with the examples of the incidents in the lives of three women. These women represent the poverty stricken people fr om the poorer nations of Zambia, India and Vietnam. The three families face similar situations where the death of a working person results in the isolation of the family where they are now dependent on others for survival. They are thrown into the poverty trap by the human disasters which cannot be controlled. The poor households find themselves very vulnerable to shocks such as human disasters. Such households do not have any collateral and in situations of shock they are

Discussion #5 Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion #5 Business Ethics - Essay Example ltinationals to comply with the laws governing business an operation in other countries since each of them has distinct regulations which apply to them. For instance, the multinationals need to know and accept to adhere with the laws governing importation, exportation, recruitment, employee welfare, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and environmental conservation. Failure to do so might expose them to lots of legal tussles which might in the long run, interfere with their success. On the other hand, it is my considered opinion that these multinationals should offer reasonable and fair salaries and wages to their employees. These can be determined by referring to the local and international labor laws, government policies on wage limits, demands from the trade unions, level of expertise and costs of living. The remunerations offered to each category of employee should be acceptable by all the involved stakeholders. This is the best way through which these multinationals can satisfy their workforce and appeal to the general public as they strive to accomplish their short and long-term

5 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 questions - Essay Example quilibrium† model for groups development in which a group’s progress is marked by two phases of stability—Phase I and Phase II—emphasized by abrupt changes at the project center point that occurs halfway to the deadline. There are number of factors that can positively or negatively affect cohesiveness; a few of these are number of employees, duration of time for task achievement and duration of time the group spent together, organization, external pressures, location and reputation of the group, closeness of supervision, and internal competitive behavior. For example large groups (with size more than 25 to 30 employees) may reduce the development of cohesiveness. The longer the duration for group development, the larger the cohesiveness. Outside pressures (of close supervision) could speed up development of cohesion. The higher the reputation, the more potential cohesiveness will evolve. Expressing the purpose in terms of specific goal increases the productivity over and above any performance benefits achieved through individual goal setting. A behavioral norm for high productivity and performance set over organizational norms qualifies high performing work groups. For example business revenues can be influenced by many factors such as market position, advertisement and price. Through advertisement a businessman express his purpose of increasing revenues and mostly advertisement increases the productivity (Daft & Marcic, 2010). Group would be most useful for this decision. Advantages of decision of a group include (1) More information and knowledge through the sharing of group member resources, (2) Number of increased commitment and acceptance to the decision, (3) Better apprehension of the decision. The time for a group to make a decision might how ever be longer. Given the uncertain and unstructured nature of this conclusion, a group would be more efficient. Advantages in a group decision-making situation are complete information and knowledge is

Auditing Ethics among Public Accountants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Auditing Ethics among Public Accountants - Essay Example However, auditing or attestation is the only professional service for which Auditors have a legal monopoly and the right to place restrictions on the form of practice. Professional associations are therefore unable to dictate the organizational forms through which auditing services, such as tax preparation and consulting, are provided. Â  In the past few years several publicly held "consolidators," including American Express and H&R Block, entered the public accounting market by acquiring the attestation practices of Auditor firms. Given that the performance of attestation engagements is restricted to traditional Auditor firms, the consolidators developed a variety of approaches that allow the Auditor firm and the financial services corporation to legally coexist subsequent to the consolidation of their practices. In cases like American Express, the employees of the Auditor firm work for the consolidator corporation, and the Auditor practice leases office space and employees from the corporation to perform attestation engagements. In other cases like H&R Block, the employees continue to work for the Auditor firm and are leased on an as-needed basis to the consolidator corporation. ... Â  Questions arise over issues such as appropriate compensation schemes for partners with dual employment status, potential financial relationships between the public corporation and audit clients of the Auditor firm, and whether independence requirements should be extended to non-Auditor supervisors of Auditor employees (ISB 2003). Because it can be argued that, in substance, public corporations are performing audit engagements, at a recent New York State Board of Regents Conference on the Professions, the public accounting profession was criticized for allowing audits to be performed through these types of organizational arrangements (Huefner 2000). Â  Previous discussions of the consolidation movement focus primarily on the implications of APS arrangements for auditor independence (Huefner 2004). This article suggests that corporate ownership poses additional threats to Auditor professionalism and ethics. For example, if consolidation places Auditors under the effective control of nonprofessional managers of publicly owned corporations, it may place greater emphasis on commercialism and profitability, in lieu of traditional professional values such as objectivity and integrity. As consolidators grow in size and influence, they may adopt strategies aimed at modifying accepted standards of performance in public accounting. Â  

Life Histories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Life Histories - Essay Example Hospice workers are actually regarded as the doorway to an end-of-life healthcare system in that includes all practitioner including the nurses, doctors, counselors and chaplains. This idea is mainly observed by the society because most of the patients in hospice organization include patients that are elderly, in comatose or in crucial near-death health condition. Thus, people usually believe that hospice cares are actually health system for people who do not have any more hope for betterment. However, on the contrary to the common belief, hospice care still gives patients hope and strength to struggle for survival and alleviate their adverse health conditions. For patients who are struggling old age and only enduring their last moments in life, other principles are being applied by hospice workers towards their health care system. Thus, hospice health care becomes an important aspect in general care-giving system because of its significance and value for patients who are in serious and critical health conditions. A counselor is mainly a part of the health care system that handles psychological evaluation and gives out support at the same time while aiding the health system of the patient. For a hospice counselor, supporting the patient in psychological and emotional aspects are very much important since it is expected that the patient is already going through tumultuous depression due to his or her health condition. To better understand the concepts of the principles used and applied by the hospice counselor, the writer interviewed Sandi Sunter, a hospice counselor in the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast for already twenty years. When asked the question "How would you describe the nature of your work" he kindly replied that, "dealing with patients in hospice homes is very much emotional and requires lots of patients and understanding." Regarding the principles in hospice healthcare, the writer asked "What are the common human change principles you are using in dealing with your patients in your hospice institutions" To answer this inquiry, Sunter replied that: "Most of the patient already started to give up on their health system thus further aggravating their medical condition. Counselor must be able to give these kinds of patient further psychological and emotional assistance by comforting them through psychosocial component. Some of them provide spiritual comforting others emotional support a nd most of them must always be available for their patients. These patients commonly face fears of losing and dying thus counselor must be present for their patient to rekindle their flame of hope to continue struggling through their health care medication and treatment." In addition, for other kinds of patients who are struggling through their old age with their remaining time of their life, other approaches must be used in dealing with them. According to Sunter, most of the patients in this class have already accepted the fact that their deaths are already impending thus they only wish to enjoy their remaining moments. This will be the point where counselor should come in. They must always assure that they wish of their patients must be met and be able to give their patients supports for them to enjoy their remaining time. Hospice health care is actually a major turning point in the life of their

Answer the question below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Answer the question below - Essay Example He rejects materialistic explanation of the mind. His view has a negative relationship to the theories of evolution as the philosophers believed the spirit as evolving from epiphenomenon or powers of living matter. Science fails to bring out dignity as it uses observation to designate and quantify the numerous manifestations of life at a particular time. It is impossible to the spirit (Fiorenza, Francis, and John 55-75). Through reflection, we can analyze the mind. It is through theology that we can explain Gods creation. The Catholic Church endorse the biblical hermeneutic that life is godly and conveyed by Jesus Christ. They approve the gospel as being true in trying to explain the origin of life (Fiorenza, Francis and John 95-105). They validate the bible as having satisfactory message in life as it regards life as having a revelation. However, they are not fast in condemning science unless it has a repercussion on salvation or

The Rate of Diffusion Essay Example for Free

The Rate of Diffusion Essay Abstract I found that this experiment gives me an understanding on how osmosis and  diffusion works. In its simplicity, it explains the process that our bodies (mainly cells)  use all the time. It also showed me that even with the temperature changing, it doesnt  drastically change the rate of diffusion. Introduction Diffusion is important in all living systems. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration (Purchon 1). Diffusion is the movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to low concentration (Biological 21). With this knowledge we tried to recreate diffusion for students to understand the process. The dialysis bags represented our selectively permeable membrane with the fluid inside it, sucrose. How much of the substance moves from the cup to the bag quickly depends on the temperature of the substance. The class used four different temperatures to measure the rate of diffusion. I thought that the rate of diffusion would increase as temperature increased because the more heat put into the process the quicker the molecules will move. The null hypothesis is that no matter what the temperature is the rate of diffusion will stay the same. Materials and Methods The materials used were a dialysis bag, string, pipet, beaker with water, 10% sucrose water, and a balance. The variables that we made standardized were the concentration of the solute, length of the dialysis bags, and time. Each group poured 10 milliliters of 10% sucrose into two 15 cm long dialysis bags and bent the end of the bags and tied them. Then the bags were immersed in water, dried, and measured. Next the bags were put into room temperature (about 20 °C), 60 ° C, 45 °C, or ice water (0 °C). Each group measured the bags three more times at 10 minute intervals drying them off each time. Once they finished, each group subtracted the final measurement from the initial to see how quickly the water diffused into or out of the bag. My partner and I did the experiment twice, once with ice water and the next in room temperature water. We had two dialysis bags for each of the two experiments that we did. The independent variable is ______________. The dependent variable is __________. Results The first two tables are the information that my partner and I got through our two experiments. The data from our experiments show that the rate of diffusion was faster with the room temperature water. The last table shows the classs data. The classs results show that the rate of diffusion occurs the fastest in room temperature water. Both my data and the rest of the classs data show that the rate of diffusion is fastest in room temperature water. The overall total weights of the dialysis bags immersed in room temperature water weighed the most which shows the rate of diffusion being the fastest in those experiments. Table 1 Graph 1: The Change in weight of the 2 diallysis bags of 10 ml of 10% sucrose left in ice water (2 °C). Time in minutes Weight of 1st bag in grams Weight of 2nd bag in grams 0 10.93 10.89 10 11.49 11.28 20 11.76 11.66 30 12.05 11.94 Total weight gained in each bag 1.12 1.05 Table Graph 2: The change in weight in the 2 dialysis bags of 10ml of 10% sucrose left in room temperature water (21 °C). Time in minutes Weight of 1st bag in grams Weight of 2nd bag in grams 0 10.92 10.92 10 11.56 11.45 20 12.08 11.90 30 12.56 12.35 Total weight gained in each bag 1.64 1.43 The change in weight in the 2 dialysis bags of 10ml of 10% sucrose left in room temperature water (21 °C). Table Graph 3: Each groups change in weight of each of the dialysis bags in the different types of water. 21-23 ° C Room Temperature 47-49 ° C 59-60 ° C 2 ° C ice water -1.77 .03 -0.30 .24 .16 .20 -0.38 .61 .34 .28 .06 .76 .35 .40 .16 .77 .42 .68 .56 .88 .76 .73 .75 .93 1.01 .89 .76 .96 1.05 2.06 .83 1.01 1.60 2.21 1.14 1.02 1.12 1.25 1.03 1.12 1.42 1.05 1.33 1.12 1.39 1.19 1.42 1.30 1.43 1.34 1.47 1.45 1.52 1.56 1.61 1.64 1.75 1.78 Total Average weight gain 1.05 overall 0.83 0.57 0.98 Each groups change in weight of each of the dialysis bags in the different types of water. Discussion The data seems to agree with me in the fact that the rate of diffusion was the quickest in the room temperature water. My partners and my experiments average was 1.085 grams with the ice water and 1.53 with the room temperature water. This shows that the rate of diffusion was faster in the room temperature water, but not by much; it only had 0.445 grams more than the bags that were in ice water. In the classs experiments, the bags in room temperature water only weighed 0.07 grams more than the bags in ice water. The bags in the 47-49 ° C range came as third fastest, leaving 59-60 ° C range dead last. They varied by 0.26 grams. Overall the rate of diffusion didnt make a huge jump in any certain temperature change in the water. It changed slightly, but not enough to make quite an impact on the process. This data also shows that there wasnt much change overall between room temperature water, ice water, and the 47-49 ° C water. The problem with this data is the class chart. It seems as though overall people messed up in very common ways. Some of the data were in the negative which probably means they either didnt tie the dialysis bag tight enough or poked a whole in the bag. Also, some people didnt have enough  time to complete the experiment at the correct interval time.

Importance of Accounting Information in Business Development

Importance of Accounting Information in Business Development Describe how accounting information helps shareholders and lenders to make decisions concerning the operations and performance of the entity. Accounting information can be used by shareholders and lenders to look at an entitys financial position and whether it is viable to invest or lend to the entity. If the performance of a company has been poor and there is no indication of this improving, a potential shareholder will not invest in the company as there is nothing to gain from the investment and a lender will not loan money to the company due to the risk of not seeing that money again. If however, the company is turning a profit, indicates that it will continue to do so in the future and has a great many assets, both shareholders and lenders will consider investing in the company in line with their personal interests. List five/six stakeholders of accounting information. Describe the information requirements for each one; for example, lenders would need information regarding the businesss ability to repay debt and service a loan. Stakeholder Information Requirements Banks Whether the company in its capacity can repay a loan should it decide to take one out. Employees Whether the company can support an employees lifestyle and longevity in the company. The employee may also seek opportunities in the company such as promotion Governments The about of tax the company should be paying and whether the company will pay any more tax in the future. Community Whether the company is an asset to the community, providing jobs and resources to other organisations within the community such as sponsorship. Consumers Whether the company is providing quality products or services and not cutting corners on the quality of the products. They may also like to see whether their favourite product will continue to be available. Suppliers Whether the company can fulfil the financial obligation of purchasing products from the supplier so the supplier itself can make a profit. Darby Davis is considering purchasing a sushi bar in the inner Brisbane suburb of Paddington. Outline the importance of a business plan for Darby and the type of accounting information she will require to assist her in making the decision. Business plans are important for new businesses as they provide the background and the purpose of the forthcoming business. In reference to the textbook, All business plans, whatever their structure, should cover the key issues of marketing, operations and finance[i]. Specifically, a business plan should include strategy including a background profile, marketing strategy, timeline of business implementation, financial backing and any other issues the business may have. How can the professional accounting bodies assist in standard setting? Accounting firms can assist companies in many ways with their accounting methodology. This can include identifying technical issues, educating members, students and accountants of the company. By doing this, the accounting firms can ensure that the rules enforced by the AASB (Australian Accounting Standards Board), IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) are being met with compliance. What is meant by business sustainability? Business sustainability is the act of preserving aspects of the business for the present and future. This can include social, environmental and financial aspects of the business. Outline the benefits for organisations in considering business sustainability. By complying with business sustainability, the business is not only benefiting themselves by making plans to preserve their company but also having an impact externally. This can include within the local community, where the business is providing jobs to people. Environmentally, where the business is applying green strategy to benefit the future of the planet. And as one last example, to the shareholders who have invested in the company. By accepting sustainable practices, the business will be able to pay dividends to those shareholders and those shareholders will continue to invest in the company. What are the three pillars of sustainability? The three pillars of sustainability are: Social (People), Environmental (Planet) and Economic (Profit). Outline the possible consequences for an entity that breaches its social contract. When a business breaches its social contract, the company risks being rejected or boycotted on a social level. Society has an impact on how the business conducts itself within the public, and when a company breaches that expectation they may see negative effects from members of the wider community consequently. Identify some social performance aspects on which entities report. Businesses may report on several social performance aspects. These can include: Ethical and Integral Performance Environmental Performance Community Participation and Sponsorship Community Employment Improvement of Stakeholder relations Illustrate with an example how sole traders and partners are taxed in Australia. What are the advantages or disadvantages compared to paying company tax? Sole traders and partnerships both have their tax assessed as their personal income, this is treated as tax out of their salaries. This means that they do not have to submit to formal reporting standards about their tax, but many use MYOB or Quicken to keep track of their accounts. A disadvantage of this is that the tax rate can be higher than that of a company. Currently the tax rate of a company is 30% and the personal rate can vary on how much they make annually. [i] Birt, Jacqueline, Keryn Chalmers, Suzanne Maloney, Albie Brooks, Judy Oliver. Accounting: Business Reporting for Decision Making, 6th Edition. John Wiley Sons Australia,, 08/2016. VitalBook file.

The Important Role of Skeletal Muscles in the Human Body Essay

Skeletal muscles play a huge role in the way our bodies function because without muscles, our bones would not properly be held together. Most of the body’s muscle tissue is skeletal muscle. It interacts with the skeleton to move body parts. It’s long, thin cells are called fibers and they have more than one nucleus. Their structure gives them a striped look. The muscles are considered voluntary, which means that the contractions can be controlled. A skeletal muscle contains bundles of muscle cells. Inside each cell are threadlike myofibrils, which are divided into sarcomeres, the unit of contraction. They are bundled together by connective tissue that extends past it to form tendons. A tendon is a strap of dense connective tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone. Tendons make joints more stable by keeping the adjoining bones appropriately aligned. The human body has more than six hundred skeletal muscles. One end of the muscle is called the origin, which stays relatively motionless during contractions. The other end is called the insertion. It is attached to a bone that moves mostly while contractions occur. When a skeletal muscle contracts, it pulls on the bone it’s attached to. Because skeletal muscle exerts force only when it contracts, a second muscle, a flexor, is needed to flex or bend the joint. Muscles attach very close to muscle joints, and are arranged in either pairs or groups. Some of the muscles work in reciprocal innervation, or opposition. That is, when one muscle stimulates, no signals are sent to the other group. Therefore, it does not contract. Other muscles work in a synergistic role. That is, it supports and the contraction adds force or helps stabilize another muscle. The body has two basi... ...aracter plays a boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who is sent to live at the Carrigmore Residential Home for the Disabled. He is only able to move his right hand, but befriends his roommate, who has cerebral palsy. In conclusion, the make up of our bodies relies on the health and stability of the muscular system, most importantly, our skeletal muscles. Without these muscles, our bodies would not be able to move and contract, which causes some of our everyday movements, such as flexing, and walking. Our bodies are actually more delicate than we are thought to believe. We were taught that our bodies are strong and that nothing can stop us. In reality, a single muscle can cause our entire body to diminish, proving the invalidity that our bodies are invincible. With that, we must learn to take care of our entire bodies, not just the outside, but the inside as well.

The California Gold Rush Essay -- essays research papers

The California Gold Rush   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The California Gold Rush of 1849 is one of the most interesting and exiting events of the United States. From the wild stories of men striking it big, to the heart wrenching tales of people losing everything, these are what make it so alluring. There are many aspects of the California Gold Rush; effects on California; individual stories of struggle; and effects on the United States as a young country looking for stability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  San Francisco was a small town of a few hundred people in 1840, but by 1850 it was a huge city whose economy was injected with gold money. This rapid growth and development was brought on by an accidental discovery by James Marshall. â€Å"I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold. The piece was about half the size and shape of a pea. Then I saw another.† Marshall had been working on a lumber mill for John Sutter, when he made his discovery. Early efforts were made in the beginning to keep the discovery quiet, but they soon failed, and lead way to one of the single largest migration of American’s across the continent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  California saw many changes very fast. Most of these play part in shaping it into what it is today. From Hollywood to San Francisco, today’s lifestyles in California have roots in the Gold Rush. Because the failure rate was so high, it became common to come out to California lookin...

Jerry Seinfeld :: essays research papers

Jerry Seinfield Sometimes a persons achievements can have an impact on an entire segment of an industry. In the book Jerry Seinfeld by Josh Levine this theory stands true. Jerry Seinfeld's brilliant comedy has had a tremendous impact on this segment of the entertainment industry. His clean comedy and detailed tactics have set a precedent for comedians to come. Jerry Seinfeld was voted the America's Best Male Comedian Club Performer in 1988 by a pole of night club regulars, even thought by then he had already moved up to the large concert halls and amphitheaters for most of his performances. Jerry used a form of comedy that no one had ever seen before. He was titled the clean comedian because he didn't to use profanity to make people laugh. Jerry said in one of his interviews, â€Å"My jokes are about clean subjects, and they're very thought out. Most comedians who use a lot of profanity- they' re using it for fast punchlines... I can put a joke together well enough that I don't need dirty words.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jerry has a role model for kids and comedians to follow. He started a new genre in comedy. Here's an example of Jerry's humor â€Å"Dogs are broke all their lives. You know why they have no money? No pockets. They see change on the street -there's nothing they can do about it†. â€Å"You go to the store to buy Grape Nuts. No grapes, no nuts. What's the story there.†. â€Å"If he's the best man why is the bride marrying the groom?† Jerry has not only contributed to his fellow comedians and the comedians to comes. He has made a difference in many peoples lives. For example, on Thursday night almost every one I know snuggles up in front of there television to watch Seinfeld, a sitcom staring Jerry Seinfeld. The next day you can hear them using dialogue from the show and laughing amongst themselves. It is as it his dialogue and situations he creates are being reenacted by everyone I know Jerry Seinfelds contribution is a great one.

How Far Were the Mistakes of Others Responsible for Mussolini Becoming Prime Minister in October 1922

Firstly, Italy’s government was deteriorating and so it was evident that communist Italy was a failure. Mussolini had led the Italian population to believe that he and his fascist party were their only hope into putting an end to the chaos in Rome, and re-establish order and bring about the once great Italy, just as Caesar had in the time of the great Romans. This was appealing to the Italian people, as the city or Rome seemed to have fallen into ruins, taking advantage of this, Mussolini had conveyed himself as their saviour.Fascist ideology stressed the importance of the heroic leader and strong government. This was in contrast to the weaknesses of Liberal Italy, characterised by the failure to provide strong and stable government and so Italian people found it easier to give praise to a person rather than a concept, and Fascism seemed to embody elements of both left and right wing policies. He used powerful slogans such as â€Å"Mussolini is always right, believe, obey, fi ght. † Secondly, propaganda played a huge part in the success of Mussolini.Mussolini would â€Å"re-write† history by including himself in historic moments or ‘erasing’ someone else as it suited him. There would constantly be a movie displaying how heroic he was, Mussolini was practically everywhere, from movies to propaganda posters, wherever he was shown he always made sure he looked his best. Thirdly, it may be argued that the Catholic church helped Mussolini secure the position of prime minister, the Catholic Church was in danger of losing all of its land in Rome, its claim to Vatican City was disputed.Mussolini offered the church a deal, he would recognize the Church's right to independence and their ownership of the entire Vatican City; give the church reparations within limits for land taken during the unification of Italy; and he would protect the church's position as the state religion of Italy. In return, the Vatican agreed to recognize Italy as a separate nation and Mussolini as the leader of Italy. This was known as the Lateran Treaty.This showed the Italian people that Mussolini was working with the church; this just reinforced the good image Mussolini already had. Finally, the king was also a contributing factor for Mussolini becoming Prime minister in 1922. Firstly the king refused to stop any strikes (in which there were many), in fear of civil war. Another mistake on the kings behalf, who refused to implement facta’s plan to ensure Rome’s safety/defend Rome from Fascist violence.

Parents in Great Expectations Essay

Examine how Dickens portrays the incompetence of parents Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a bildungsroman, which is primarily concerned about the literal and metaphorical metamorphosis of the central protagonist, Pip. However, Dickens main thrust is that of parenting through the utilization of Mrs. Joe Gargery and Miss Havisham to establish their injustices towards children. Miss Havisham from an affluent class abuses her privileges of being a parent by using Estella, her adopted daughter to attack the male gender. In contrast, Mrs. Joe Gargery is from a lower class, yet she too torments pip, but through physical and verbal means. Through Miss Havisham and Mrs. Joe, Dickens dam’s the ethical codes of the rich and the poor and moreover, conveys that the incompetence of parents that transcend economic boundaries. Contrastingly, Charles Dickens utilizes Mr. Joe Gargery as the leading embodiment of how parents should be offering Pip wisdom, but more importantly love and friendship. In the beginning, Dickens emphasizes the ill treatment of children in a low-class through the use of Mrs. Joe Gargery. Mrs.  Joe’s apron symbolizes her unwillingness to perform her expected role and acts as a reminder of the troubles Pip gives her: â€Å"†¦ I may truly say I’ve never had this apron of mine off, since born you were. It’s bad enough to be a blacksmith’s wife (and him a Gargery) without being your mother. â€Å"(Pg 7) Mrs. Joe makes Pip feel guilty by reminding him of her domestic slavery. Thus, Pip is left feeling like he warrants all the abuse Mrs. Joe inflicts upon him. Moreover the â€Å"coarse† apron, â€Å"stuck full of pins and needles,† reflects Mrs. Joe’s unapproachable and unloving nature. Also Through this Dickens’s mocks the traditional gender roles in the Victorian times, as Mrs. Joe is perceived to be more masculine. Other incidents of Mrs. Joe’s rough behavior towards Pip further highlights the injustices of children. Mrs. Joe’s â€Å"trenchant† way of preparing meals portrays her negative attitude towards Pip and Mr. Joe. The adjective â€Å"trenchant† implies a deliberate and hurtful action. â€Å"She jammed the loaf hard and fast against her bib – where it sometimes got a pin into it, and sometimes a needle, which we afterwards go into our mouths†. (pg 8) This is peculiar for a married woman, of a mature age to be acting in this way. In addition this again demolishes the stereotypical mother figure. Furthermore, Dickens depicts the incompetence of parents in a wealthy class through Miss Havisham’s exploitation of Estella to highlight the ill treatment of children. Miss Havisham wallows in self-pity because the person she loved left her alone, on her wedding day. Miss. Havisham never recovered or allowed herself to recover. Her bluntness and harshness was not coming from a rude old lady, but more from a lonely women trying to break free and escape. Miss Havisham surrounds herself in an environment that reflect her inner feelings: â€Å"†¦ The passages were dark†¦ † (p. 57) This can be seen as suppression; keeping her problems inside and letting them kill her slowly. How she damages herself harms Estella as well. Estella was raised in a controlled environment, and psychologically disturbed by Miss. Havisham. Miss. Havisham say’s she cannot love anymore because of her uncontrollable suspicion that everyone is out to hurt her; hence Estella will never experience love. By adopting Estella, it shows her longing for companion – however hides this by claiming it is only for training purposes to break all men’s hearts. Because of this Estella will never know what real love is. On the other hand, Dickens use of Mr. Joe exhibits elements of hope and contrastingly conveys the humanity of parents. Mr. Joe is not just a father figure to Pip, but as an â€Å"equal† too: â€Å"I always treated him as a large species of child and no more than my equal† This quotation exhibits the genuine love Pip has for Joe and their close relationship. Mr. Joe conveys an interest about Pip’s education: â€Å"I say, Pip, old chap! † cried Joe, opening his blue eyes wide, â€Å"what a scholar you are. An’t you? † (p. 42) Joe is proud of Pip and doesn’t want Pip to be uneducated like him. He treats Pip like his own, even though he is adopted. He admits in Chapter seven that the only reason he is staying with Mrs. Joe is solely because of Pip. Lastly, Joe’s acceptance of Pip back into his house again reinforces his father qualities. Through Joe, Pip realizes the importance of family and friendship. In addition appreciates his relationship with Joe. Ironically, Dickens had a life somewhat similar to that of Pip’s life. Dickens grew up in Kent and moved to London, like Pip. His mother made him work in a Blacking warehouse at age twelve due to his father’s financial dilemmas. This incident in his life trampled him psychologically. Through his experience, Dickens’s sympathizes for children and mocks the abuse of children in society as a whole. Dickens wrote strongly about people who ill-treated children through his novels, for example Oliver Twist. The underlying fact, in ‘Great Expectations’, is that parents lack sufficient love for the maintenance of emotional stability in their children.

Chapter 9: Implementing Strategy Through Organizational Design

Organizational Design – The process through which managers select the combination of organizational structure and control systems that they believe will enable the company to create and sustain a competitive advantage. Coordinate and motivate employees To create valueand Obtain a competitive advantage Koontz and O’Donnell The Process School of Management Planning Organizing Staffing Directing Controlling Building blocks of organizational structure Differentiation Vertical – how much authority to delegate Horizontal – how to divide people Into functions and divisions Integration – coordinate people and functions To accomplish organizational goals and tasks Tall structure (7 – 10 levels) Flat structure (2 – 4 levels) Tall Structure Problems Coordination Information distortion Motivation Too many middle managers McKinsey Consulting Company Increased height of company organization structures Presidents Office President of each division Centralization or Decentralization (tending toward) Decentralization 1. Delegate decision making authority to middle and lower level managers 2. Adapt to local conditions. Promotes flexibility 3. Fewer managers needed Centralization 1. Facilitates coordination and planning 2. Decisions fit broad organizational objectives Management Policy – Guidelines for decision making are made at highest levels And passed down to lower levels Horizontal Differentiation – How to group tasks and activities to meet strategies Functional Structure – Grouping by expertise. Most U. S. firms have a functional structure Advantages Good place to learn Easy to control Effective and efficient Disadvantages Geographical diversion causes duplication of people and costs Communication problems Measurement problems Location problems Strategic problems Product Structure – Group by product line. Product Team structure Matrix Management Concurrent Design Methodology Cross-functional teams Geographic Structure Multidivisional Structure Self-contained product line or business unit (Operating responsibility) Corp headquarters staff. Financial Control. (Strategic Responsibility) Advantages of Multidivisional Structure Enhanced corporate financial control Strategic control Growth Internal efficiency Disadvantages of a Multidivisional Structure Establish Division-Corporate authority levels GM and Alfred Sloan Litton Industries Distortion of information Competition for resources Transfer pricing (GE example) Focus on short-term High operating costs All functions are in each division Integration and Organizational Control Forms in Integrating Mechanisms 1. Direct contact 2. Interdepartmental liaison roles 3. Temporary task forces – ad hoc committees 4. Permanent teams – standing committees 5. Integrating roles Differentiation and Integration The Nature of Organizational Control 1. Monitor 2. Evaluate 3. Compare actual to goals 4. Take corrective action Strategic Controls Financial controls Stock Sales Growth ROI Profit Output Controls Set Goals Measure output performance against goals Behavior Control – Rules and Procedures Common controls 1. Operating budgets 2. Standardization 3. Rules and procedures 4. Organizational Culture a. Values – beliefs and goals b. Norms – Expectations for behavior Culture and Strategic Leadership Walt Disney example

Main features of the five sector circular flow model Essay

The five-sector circular flow model represents an open economy like Australia’s, and demonstrates the important relationships between the different sectors in the Australian market economy. It is the last circular flow model because it does not have any assumptions that need to be left out such as governments and trade. The five parts of the model: households, firms, finance, Government and overseas sectors work collectively to form the economy. The inter-relationships between these sectors create market economic conditions that affect every Australian. The model of the economy demonstrates that it literally works as a flow or a cycle. It can the be further defined to include two flows, one, a flow of goods and services and the other, a flow of money. The flow diagram demonstrates that when one sector is at risk it puts economic market conditions in jeopardy because they are all reliant upon one another. The Australian Economy is open, which is its open to flows of goods, services and capital from overseas using different currencies (with fixed exchange rates). In the open economy income is used for consumption, savings, tax or spent on imports. The new feature in the five-sector model is the overseas sector that includes imports and exports – Trade. The same principles apply to this model as the imports are represented as spending, however the money goes out of the economy. Money spent on imports by households or firms reduce income spent in the economy and are therefore classified as ‘leakages’ from the model. Imports can be categorised as the consumption of goods and services from the rest of the World and they reduce income, expenditure, output and employment from the Australian market economy. Importing goods mean that fewer Australian resources are utilised and production falls. Thus, the level of income decreases and the flow of money becomes smaller. Eventually however the flow would return to equilibrium but at a lesser rate and the circular flow would have contracted. Furthermore, exports of goods and services generate income for exporters from overseas households or firms who pay for these exports. An Australian export is essentially a product or service that is produced here and sold to  another country generating income for Australian businesses. Exports are therefore a form of injection of income into the circular flow without using Australian resources to produce them. With both imports and exports taking place as the new addition to the five-sector economy the circular flow is again complete. All income is consumed, saved, taxed and now can be used to purchase imports. The economy is in equilibrium when income equals output equals expenditure or simply, Injections equal Leakages. The open economy will be in equilibrium when savings plus taxation plus imports equals investment plus Government spending plus exports. However, this does not mean that savings has to equal investment only that the total of S plus T plus M equals the total of I plus G plus X. However equilibrium is not necessarily a desirable or non-desirable thing. Being at equilibrium is fine or at the point where savings, tax and imports are less than investments, Government spending and exports where this will cause a boom or expansion in economic activity however, being the opposite of this will cause a recession or contraction in economic activity. On a chart this is represented when the supply and demand curves intersect at the point where supply and demand are equal. The price at which the number of products that businesses are willing to supply equals the amount of products that consumers are willing to buy at a specific point in time. Governments can stimulate or contract economic activity depending on the current state of the economy, world issues (including other economies around the world) and political matters. When the economy is at equilibrium they can choose to stimulate the economy by being at a point of budget deficit, which would increase spending, they can also do this by lowering taxes. If they want to reduce economic activity they can increase taxes, which may create political instability at the same time, or they can generate a point of budget surplus which would slow spending. Governments only have so much impact on the economy using this method. To have more influence and impact they produce some goods their self, they do this by owning large companies or shares in them such as Telstra and Australia Post which have a large amount of economic influence. Not only do these companies have a large  amount of monetary influence every Australian relies on atleast one of their companies/services everyday . The circular flow diagram can be used to analyse the position of the Australian economy. To do this you must first understand how the diagram works. The diagram flows in a cycle. Look at a point on the diagram and follow the arrows to see where it has come from and where it can go. Research economic current economic conditions in Australia and then see what affect this can have overall by looking at the sectors flowing to and away from it. Problems have an overall effect on every part of the circular flow model however, because if one thing goes wrong then it effects everything throughout the whole cycle until it returns to where it began. The five sector circular flow model is very useful is helping to easily understand the way an open economy such as Australia works. It is a complete model including all possible sectors leaving nothing to assume. On a more careful analysis it even becomes possible to workout ways of stimulating and suppressing the economy using assumptions and simple equations. This model is especially helpful to students seeking an easy way to understand the way an open economy functions and the different affect certain problems can bring about.

Implementing Management Changes in BMW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Implementing Management Changes in BMW - Essay Example Implementing Management Changes in BMW Abstract Change is inevitable in any organization to gain competitive advantage over others in the industry. Planning and implementing organizational changes is no easy task as re-engineering a company is a great challenge for its leaders. This research paper will explore the various stages of changes, leadership requirements and employee co-operation necessities required to make any major change in an organization a success. The German automobile doyen BMW is chosen as the platform of the research. The paper begins with a literature review available regarding organizational change. It continues to explain the challenges faced in BMW while implementing the strategies discussed practically. A research is done by collecting feedback from the employees on how effective they consider change management is. A conclusion which provides recommendation on change management is presented at the end. Introduction The ever increasing competition in the autom obile industry forces all the major brands to re-structure their marketing and management strategies to gain maximum profit. These changes started to occur in the early 1980's in companies like Ford and General Motors. The automobile industry then considered it as a survival strategy rather than a tool to gain competitive advantage (Shimokawa, 1994). Organizational change management started to gain widespread momentum after the recent economic downturn. Several companies like Ford followed the path of massive downsizing while a few companies like BMW which implemented organizational change in an effective way were able to maintain their profits without cutting down their manpower even during the grimmest times. They searched for new markets and introduced premium cars at a low cost, by establishing production houses in countries like China and India to control production costs. BMW is the only premium car maker to produce and market BMW 3-series and 5-series models in China locally. They have invested over 459 million Euros in a Chinese plant producing their MINI series cars which will be marketed in China alone. They have joined hands with Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd to do the same (Welch, 2004). Taking a closer look at their change management strategies will help other companies manage similar situations effectively. Purpose of the Study The study analyzes how BMW can use organizational change and management effectively to stay as a dominant force in the market and keep expanding constantly. It also highlights certain successful change management processes followed in BMW. Limitations of the study The research relies heavily upon various external data available in the internet and other related sources. The employees who took part in survey showed little understanding of the explained concept. The line managers and the upper management view organizational change as something inevitable that will be imposed during grim situations. They look back to switching to older methods of working rather than looking upon the concept of organizational change as a tool of growth. This attitude makes them contribute very little to research regarding organizational change. There is a general hostility prevailing among the employees regarding any change as they feel it hard to come out of their routine and adapt to new practices. Literature Review Automobile industry operates under immense pressure today. The business market has changed enormously after globalization due to very strong competition, amazing

The Arrangement of the Genes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Arrangement of the Genes - Essay Example The only thing keeping us safe from them is our immune system. Our innate immune system (e.g. skin, mucous membranes, sneezing, blinking, excretion of waste, etc.) is the first responder and is responsible for most of the pathogens we encounter everyday. For the uncommon pathogens, we rely on our adaptive immune system to quickly develop and combat new and rare pathogens that the innate immune system cannot handle. That aside, it also changes itself to be prepared for a repeated attack by the same organism. It is amazing to think about how many harmful organisms are repelled again and again by this system that continuously changes to keep us safe. Some of the key players in our adaptive immune system are our T cell antigen receptors (TCR). They are ‘highly variable antigen-recognition structures’1 whose job is to recognize antigens and activate the appropriate lymphocytes to combat them. Since the TCRs are antigen-MHC compound specific and insoluble at the same time, iso lating them was very difficult until scientists started using clonotypic monoclonal antibodies.2 With this method, they were able to determine that the TCRs were heterodimers of 2 sets of chain genes: the ?:? and the ?:? chains. The two have similar structures, but they detect different antigens. The ?:? is the most common (90-99%) while the ?:? is the minority (1-10%). 3 The former detects antigens presented with Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) while the latter doesn’t need MHC to detect certain antigens. The genetic structure of the TCR is similar to that of the immunoglobulins (Ig) in B cells. It is composed of Variable (V) and Constant (C) regions. The variable region contains Variable (V), Joining (J) and Diversity (D) segments depending on whether the chain is a light or heavy immunoglobulin (or an ? or ?, or a ? or ? chain for a TCR). In heavy immunoglobulin chains, VDJ gene segments join together randomly, while in the light chains (Lambda and Kappa), they only have V and J segments to join. Combinatorial association in B cells further increases variability by giving the ability to create ‘any one possible heavy chain and any one possible light chain’ in all individual B cells.4 Because of the large number of possible gene rearrangements, the structure of Ig or TCR genes is virtually unique for each B or T lymphocy te.5 Figure 1 T-cell receptor ?- and ?-chain gene rearrangement and expression6 Since T cells also have antigen receptors like the immunoglobulin, they also have a similar process of gene rearrangement and expression. In Figure 1, we can see an ?- and ?-chain rearranging and coming together to form a TCR. The ?-chain gene rearrangement is similar to the light chain because they do not have a D? to combine. The ?-chain is also similar to the heavy chain because it combines V?, D? and J? gene segments. The less common ?- and ?-chains are structurally similar to the TCR?- and ?-chains, but with a few changes. The ? chain is found inside the TCR? chain, between the V? and the J? gene segments. This arrangement causes a loss of ? chain whenever the TCR?-chain rearranges, since any segments in between V? and J? will be deleted. The ?-chain is similar to the TCR?-chain in that it has V, D, and J segments. The ?:? receptors are largely a mystery to scientists as of the moment.7 One of the f ew things determined to be true is the fact that they can detect non-classical major histocompatibility complex class I molecules T10 and T22.8 Combinatorial association further increases the variability, making it possible to have a unique genetic arrangement for every T cell receptor. Figure 2 The numbers of human T-cell receptor gene segments and the sources of T-cell

Revenge in the Contemporary Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revenge in the Contemporary Society - Assignment Example Shakespeare presents two pieces of artwork of Titus and Titus Andronicus who appears as a sordid tale of bloodthirsty revenge in political turmoil. The pieces of work present a turbulent scenario characterized by massive blood flows and unthinkable brutality. In the process of affecting the revenge, countless murders are reported, rape and terrible actions of fierce mutilation. Generally, the characters in both pieces of work of Titus Andronicus are the Romans and the vital captives that found their way to the Roman Empire after the ten-year war with the Goths. This integrated the Goth’s queen, Tamara, and her family members who were the painful bearers of the cold brutal murders, hence, creating the theme of revenge (Shakespeare 232). Shakespeare presents this theme as a plot in one of his earlier works which do not appear to be popular as the pieces of work are viewed as excessively violent which, in my opinion, appear to be the best setting for the theme. The story is quite powerful and juicy as moving though is not that dynamic as one may wish a player to be. Titus Andronicus is a Roman general, who is in charge of a leadership position in the army that fights the Goths and defeats them in cruel and bloody war. Before the war is finished Titus wants to execute the son of the queen of Goths, Tamara, who pleads for the mercy for her son as it is normally said that the pain of childbirth should be enquired from the mother. Titus though defies the pleas of the mother and goes ahead to kill Tamara’s son anyway (Shakespeare 157). After the bloody killing of Tamara’s sons by Titus, the queen swears to revenge on Titus’ kingdom and initiates a total bloodbath.  

Shell Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shell Canada - Essay Example The company specializes in the production and sale of a number of products including natural gas, crude oil, solvents, diesel fuels, gas, ethane, butane, asphalts, propane, lubricating oils, greases, sulphur, gasoline and natural gas liquids, just to name but a few. Shell also provides a number of services which include refining, marketing, and transporting petroleum products (Shell Canada Limited, 2007). Value chain Shell’s value chain refers to all the activities that take place in the company with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction while managing cost of production effectively. In this regard, Shell has three key value chain components, including fuel supply, customer support, and maintenance. As such, once the petroleum products have been produced, Shell ensures that they are transported to the customers efficiently and timely. In addition, the company has an efficient customer support team whose mandate is to ensure that customer’s demands are met. The maintenance component of Shell’s value chain is concerned with ensuring that the plant and transport facilities are in good condition to enhance the production and supply of products to the customers (Shell Canada Limited, 2007). Competitors Shell Canada operates in a very competitive business environment. In fact, most of its strategies are aimed at ensuring that it competes favorably with other players in the industry. Currently, Shell Canada has three major competitors, which include Imperial Oil Limited, Suncor Energy Inc., and Canadian Natural Resources Limited. This company poses the greatest threat to Shell Canada in the oil industry (Shell Canada Limited, 2007). ... ive strategy The management of Shell Canada understands that, for the company to gain competitive advantage of its main rivals, it must improve the quality of product and service delivery to its customers. In this regard, the company focuses on the production of quality petroleum products that suit the needs of its customers. The company has also focused on the delivery of best customer service by establishing a customer support department that handles all customer queries and problems. In addition, the company intends to have a wide outreach by exploring and producing petroleum products in other countries. This will help increase its customer base, thereby according it a competitive advantage over its rivals. Further, the company is in the process of designing the most modern technology that will enable it conduct deep-sea exploration as a means of moving ahead of its competitors. At the same time, Shell intends to adopt a technology that will enable the company produces petroleum i n an environmental friendly manner. The company believes that reducing environmental pollution will enable it explore several markets without resistance from the governments and the locals (Shell Canada Limited, 2007). Q#2. The world has experienced rapid technological advancements over the past few decades. The new technological have had a huge impact in most business operations. In fact, no single company can compete favorably in the present business environment without the integration of technology. The same applies to Shell Canada, whose competitiveness depends on how well it introduces and uses technology. Currently, Shell can benefit significantly by introducing a number of technologies in its business operations. ERP Firstly, the implementation of ERP technology can be of huge

Motivation an Design Issues in the Creation of an Integrated Health Essay

Motivation an Design Issues in the Creation of an Integrated Health Delivery System - Essay Example a check is also kept on which way it will be more productive for the country to have it modified. There are two major system operating these days managed care system and integrated health care system. Health maintenance organization is an example of the first one and physician hospital integrated delivery system is an example of the second one. Now different research studies have shown that both these systems have their importance at different levels and they have been viewed as inevitable, desirable, and even compatible (Author, 1993., shortell, 1996). At some places these two systems have been merged together and have been said to be managing care and integrating the delivery of the care which is still acceptable to most of the management coordinators. Now in order to be more precise we describe integrated health care system in a bit more detail. This is a system in which health is taken as one unit rather than considering it as heart a different unit, brain a different one and sto mach even a different one. While treating heart the rest of the body has to be taken into consideration and then according to the needs, treatment and expected outcome has to be taken into account. â€Å"In the last two decades there has been a significant emergence of multi- hospital networks (MHNs) in the health sectors of all industrialized countries. Such networks seem to represent an organizational choice, which provides interesting opportunities to cope with cost and quality issues stressing the health field†. (Lega, F. 2005). Having integration in health care system is good for consolidating the system, having a good control on the disease process itself and bringing out more financial benefits out of it for a country. Consolidation is defined as any transaction that involves delegating the key decision-making rights of two or more

Australian Constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Australian Constitution - Essay Example Justice M.D. Kirby (1997) succinctly highlights the difficulties in this manner: "I have elsewhere tried to point out that the Australian Constitution can be viewed as reflecting a struggle, which is still ongoing, between British and United States elements captured in its text." (The Honourable Justice M D Kirby AC CMG, 1997) "In 1992 in Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth the High Court struck down the Political Broadcasts and Political Disclosures Act 1991 (Cth) which restricted political advertising on the electronic media during Federal, State, Territory and local elections. In doing so, it recognized that the Australian Constitution contains an implied freedom to discuss political matters. This freedom was primarily derived from sections 7 and 24 of the Constitution, which respectively provide that the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives 'shall be ... directly chosen by the people'. As federal laws passed under section 51 of the Constitution are passed 'subject to this Constitution', such laws are invalid if they infringe the implied freedom" (William, George (b); 1996-97). The reason for the High Court decision was clear. The 'implied freedom' took precedence over Political Broadcasts and Political Disclosures Act 1991. Or, the 'implied freedom' was implicitly clear while the written law was irrelevant. The Australian constitution does not guarantee freedom of speech. However, the court ruled in favor of Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd quoting 'implied freedom'. The learned judge ruled on the merits of the case. Had he ruled on the basis of the written constitution, he would have ruled otherwise (William, George (b); 1996-97). The constitution is a powerful document. It is the overriding and supreme determinant. However, sometimes there are verdicts that appear to have little to do with the constitution. At times, they also appear to run counter to the constitution. Nonetheless, the judges are in better position to provide the ruling. The ruling reinforces what many believe that the Australian constitution is a little more than a legal document. In other words, the Australian constitution must be taken with a pinch of salt. Does this also mean that this constitution is inconsistent and has inadequacies No responsible judge will be expected to make such sweeping remarks. However, there could be a silent consensus on what the constitution ought to be (Justice and the Rule of Law). Disputes arise that demand a constitutional resolution. These disputes are handled by legal specialists and settled in the courts. But from time to time, controversies occur, drawing the country's attention to its constitution. These raise major national questions about whether acts of government or parliament, decisions or actions of officials are constitutional, that is, whether they are authorized by the ultimate source of law and power in Australia (Justice and the

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Report - Essay Example The high level of mechanization at the plant is evidence that the plant produces vehicles in large numbers. The sell of this vehicles make them firm play a major role in the global economy. The firm also employs a large labor force which contributes to the global economy. In reference to its cleanliness, the plant is very sparkling clean and everything is put in place so as to enhance the work inside the company. Mistake cannot be tolerated since accidents are bound to happen which may prove to be very fatal. The company does not build similar plants in the United States. The question to this would be why this plant located in Brazil other than the U.S and the answer would be that the plant is generally more automated than those compared to the U.S, they are flexible than any other plant. The main unique factor about the company’s relation and location to suppliers would be that of bankruptcy. Visteon which was part of the unit of the Ford group used to be second in world supply. The company has a diverse range of suppliers who supply a range of services and goods. It has programs on diversity of suppliers so as to achieve its ultimate success. In reference to time and technique, the company was designed so as to avoid time wastage and hence duplicate the work output by the workers. This was very helpful and it made the company grow. Ford has a no definite number of suppliers reason being that the suppliers are diverse and also wide spread. In refrence to Visteaon 2009 revenue, the company in 2004 had a sale of about $18.7 and 70,000 employees. In the year 2009 it was delisted from the stock exchange after it’s the companies shares had dropped significantly. $1.2 billion in profits were made in the year 2010 by the supplier group. Ford was sold some assemblies and components. The first is ford wheel hub assembly. The second is the Atlanta assembly. Finally is the explorer black light assembly.

Comparative International Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparative International Accounting - Essay Example ntal bodies to determine what taxes a business must pay; and occasionally by customers to determine the price to be paid when contracts call for cost-based payments. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2007) The aim of this paper is to critically compare and contrast the accounting methods, structure and regulation in Canada with the UK including a critical and detail analysis of both current issues and academic literature surveyed relevant to the country. To begin we will talk briefly about the evolution of Accounting in both countries. According to Baylin et al (1996), Accounting standard setting in Canada has undergone a number of significant structural adjustments since the late 19th century. Following Canada’s emergence from its colonial status and due to the establishment of new trading partners, there was a change in the demand for accounting and the accounting standard setting process in Canada (Baylin et al, 1996). There have also been changes in the source of authority for standard setting, the range of interests were formally included in the standard setting process and changes in relative influence of technical versus political concerns. Canada continues to have one of the few private standard-setting processes in the world. (Baylin et al, 1996). No central source of accounting standards existed in Canada before 18646. Accounting standards were governed by common law. For example, the Dominium Insolvent Act was introduced in 1864 and was the first legislation to recognise the need for the regulation of accounting and the quality of financial information. (Baylin et al, 1996). Following this act, Canada witnessed the first real appearance of public accountants to act as â€Å"Official Assignees† for the handling of the affairs of estates, which were bankrupt. Foreign influences, government, and the internal needs of the early accounting firms drove the accounting profession, which was still at its infancy. (Baylin et al, 1996). As a result, the legal

Of Mice and Men Chapter Summary Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Chapter Summary Essay Chapter One Two itinerant workers, George and Lennie, are introduced. They rest in a small clearing by the Salinas River, on their way to a nearby ranch where they expect to sign on for work. They have hurriedly left the last ranch, following an incident involving Lennie in Weed. Lennie pleads with George to tell him over and over again about their dream ranch, where Lennie’s main task will be to tend the rabbits. Lennie’s Aunt Clara, whom he refers to as â€Å"that Lady†, is briefly introduced to the novel, as is Lennie’s love of petting mice. Key Points: †¢ Introduction of George and Lennie – character descriptions (p.19-20) †¢ We first hear about the American Dream (p. 31-33) †¢ First hints of what happened in Weed (p.24, 29) Chapter Two The next day George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and go to the bunk house, where they meet most of the other main characters in the novel: Candy, an old â€Å"swamper† with only one hand; Curley, the boss’s son; the boss, who is suspicious that George will not let Lennie speak for himself; Curley’s â€Å"purty† young wife, who flirts with the other men; Slim, the top ranch hand who is respected by all the other ranch hands; and Carlson, another of the established hands. Slim is friendly towards George and Lennie. His bitch dog has recently given birth to pups and begs George to ask him if he will give one to Lennie as a pet. Key Points: †¢ Introduction of the other characters (and mention of Crooks, the stable buck) – character descriptions are throughout the chapter †¢ We can begin to see the hierarchy on the ranch – introduction of Curley (p.46-48) – introduction of Slim (p.55-57) CONTRAST †¢ Introduction of Curley’s wife – important for the theme of sexist attitudes towards women? (p.53-54) Chapter Three George reveals to Slim the real reason why he and Lennie travel together. Slim realises that Lennie has the mentality of a child. George tells Slim about the supposed rape in Weed involving Lennie. Carlson bullies Candy into allowing him to shoot his ageing, smelly, rheumatic dog. George, at Lennie’s insistence, describes to him again their dream farm, and Candy who is listening in, also becomes enchanted by the idea. Curley starts a fight with Lennie and at George’s command Lennie eventually unleashes his strength and crushes Curley’s hand with ease. Slim persuades Curley that to avoid further humiliation, it would be in his best interests to pretend that his hand got caught in a machine. Key Points: †¢ Further character development of George and Lennie – reader gets more of an insight into their past together – George’s â€Å"confession† of how he used to treat Lennie ( p.65-66) †¢ Shooting of Candy’s dog – a forewarning of what is to happen to Lennie? Because the relationship between Candy and his dog could be seen as similar to George and Lennie’s. (p.70-72†¦74-76) †¢ George and Lennie realise their dream could become a reality, as Candy gets involved, and the three realise they could save the money together (p.83-89) Chapter Four All the men go into town on Saturday night except Lennie, Candy and Crooks. Crooks reluctantly allows Lennie into his room where they talk and Crooks taunts Lennie that George may not return, leaving Lennie on his own. Lennie begins to panic at this thought and Crooks is forced to apologise in an attempt to calm Lennie down. Candy joins them and he and Lennie let slip to Crooks their intention to buy a farm. They are interrupted by Curley’s wife, who is looking for company. Candy and Crooks resent her presence and when Crooks orders her out of his room, she attacks him verbally, using her superior social status as a white woman. Key Points †¢ Proper meeting of Crooks’ character – insight into life as a coloured man in 1930’s America and the hardships he has suffered. (p. 98-105) †¢ Character development of Curley’s wife – a sense of vulnerability is revealed about her as she describes how her life could have been if she wasn’t married to Curley – the grim reality of life is shown when she attacks the three men when they tell her to leave. (p.109-115) Chapter Five Most of the men are outside the barn playing at throwing horseshoes. Only Lennie is in the barn, where he has just accidentally killed his pup by stroking it too hard. Curley’s wife comes in and starts to flirt with Lennie who confesses to her his liking for stroking nice things. She invites him to stroke her long, soft hair, but as his stroking becomes harder, she panics; the harder her strokes the more she panics and in the end, Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. He half buries her body in the hay and runs off. Candy discovers Curley’s wife’s body and informs the rest of the men. Curley is furious and decides to seek revenge, organising a man-hunt to pursue and kill Lennie. Slim suggests that Curley stay with his wife, but Curley shows his true feelings for her as he is more concerned about getting revenge on Lennie that grieving for the loss of his wife. Reluctantly, George joins the hunt. Key Points: †¢ Further development of Lennie – a violent side to him which was always present is shown in the extreme, although it is made clear that Lennie meant no harm – killing the pup (p. 121) killing of Curley’s Wife (p. 127-128) †¢ CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Curley’s Wife’s dream to become an actress, how her dream never worked out (p.124-125) – in death she appears more vulnerable and innocent, and the most positive way in which Curley’s wife is portrayed throughout the novel is in death – (p.129) †¢ Character development of Candy – the importance of the dream to him in particular is shown (p. 132) †¢ Curley’s lack of love for his wife even when she has been killed – all he thinks about is revenge (p.133, 135) Chapter Six George meets up with Lennie at the clearing where he had instructed Lennie to go in the event of any trouble. Lennie is panicking and George attempts to calm him down by telling him once again about their dream ranch. George distracts Lennie’s attention and shoots him in the back of the head with Carlson’s Luger pistol which he had stolen from the bunk house. The other men come running to where George and Lennie were on hearing the gun shot. When Carlson asks George how he killed Lennie, George replies tiredly â€Å"I just done it†. Slim kindly tells George he â€Å"hadda† kill Lennie, and the two go for a drink. The novel ends: â€Å"Curley and Carlson looked after them. And Carlson said, â€Å"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?† Key Points: †¢ The novel ends where it began – by the Salinas River with George and Lennie by the brush †¢ CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT of Lennie – for the first time, the reader gets an insight into Lennie’s mind as he hallucinates, whereas before throughout the novel Lennie appears simplistic and not much feeling is shown. (?) †¢ Lennie’s death – like Candy’s dog, but George does it himself – Candy wishes he had killed his dog himself. †¢ Bond formed between Slim and George, which, like George and Lennie’s bond, seems unusual and strange to the other men – Carlson, who perhaps has never known such a close bond between itinerant workers, says â€Å"Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?† – He will never understand the close bond Slim and George now share.

Students Academic Performance in High School

Students Academic Performance in High School Even though a different set of constraints and challenges in education has been faced worldwide, educational development has been actively promoted by means of adapting to rapid global changes (Peretz, 2009). Ensuring quality of education is one of the six Education For All goals agreed by over 160 governments during the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000; almost every country around the world has committed to enhancing education quality in an effort to achieve the goals of EFA by 2015. Governments seek to offer students an education that equips them with skills, knowledge, and wider perspectives so that students can participate in the social, economic and political lives of their nations (UNESCO, 2009). The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has prioritized educational sector as a key area for national development: capacity building and human resources development is one of the key strategies of the Rectangular Strategy in the third term of the national assembly (RGC, 2004). Cambodian education system is divided into four levels: pre-school education, primary education, secondary education (lower and upper) and higher education. Students from the age of three to five years old are allowed to enroll in pre-school education. To get basic education, students have to at least spend six years of primary education and three years of lower secondary education. After graduating from lower secondary education, students are provided options to continue to upper secondary education or enter secondary -level vocational training programs provided by the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MOLVT). Students can also have chances to pursue their studies in university or vocational training a fter completing upper secondary education (UNESCO, 2008). The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has emphasized education quality at all levels basic, secondary and higher education because it can produce the well-educated and skilled students in order to meet the needs and requirement of the growing labor market. Education at upper secondary level is the foundation for higher education. After upper secondary school, students should have capacity to continue their studies at higher education or to specialize their studies (MoEYS, 2004). To achieve this goal, students are provided options to select the program of study: sciences and social studies. Additionally, students are required to study at least ten subjects which are compulsory to complete upper secondary education. To completely graduate from upper secondary school, students are assessed based on the scores earned at Grade 12, the final grade of upper secondary education, and the score of the national examination (UNESCO, 2008). 1.2 Problem Statement The achievement of high school students has been a great concern to educators, parents, and government. Even though measures have been taken to improve the quality of education, a large proportion of high school students perform poorly in the classroom (P. Pal, personal communication, October 10, 2010). Furthermore, some students are likely to play truant or miss their class very often. As identified in UNESCO National Education Support Strategy, the cost burden, the need for the students to work and a lack of understanding the importance of formal schooling are some of the reasons behind the low grade 12 completion rate (UNESCO, 2010). 1.3 Research Objectives There has been little qualitative research conducted on perceptions of students and teachers towards the factors influencing the students academic performance in high school in Cambodia. Therefore, the intent of this study is to identify those factors influencing students academic performance in high school. Investigation into the factors that might influence students academic performance in high schools may contribute to enhancing students learning abilities in upper secondary education as well as helping them to pursue their higher education easily. 1.4 Research Questions This study aims to answer the following research questions: How do teachers and students perceive factors influencing students academic performance? What are the differences in perceptions between teachers and students toward factors contributing to students academic performance? 1.5 Significance of Study This study is particularly significant for two main reasons. First, it will increase understanding of and contribute to the literature on students academic performance in high school in Cambodia. Second, it is hoped that the findings of this study will contribute to helping all stakeholders, namely, parents, teachers, school communities, and central agents to strengthen efficiency and quality of education in upper secondary education. 1.6 Definition of Concept Page, Thomas, and Marshall (as cited in Ogunbanjo, 2001) defined school performance as an action of a person or group when given a learning task. In education, performance refers to achievement in carrying out of a task, assignment or course. Academic performance is the level of success determined by grade point average at the end of the semester (Lamsis, 2010). Thus, in this study, academic performance is generally taken to mean students ability and achievement in the school work as measured by tests results, performance or behaviour during lessons, grades and reports. 1.7 Proposed Chapter This research study is organized in five chapters. Chapter one will consist of introduction dealing with background information of the study, problem statement, research objectives, research questions, significance of the study. The past literature, which was conducted in different settings around the world, will be examined in chapter two. Next, the research methodology will discuss in detail the participants, method, instruments, tools, data collection, data analysis, ethical consideration and limitation of the study in Chapter three. In Chapter four, finding and discussion will be identified. Finally, conclusion and recommendation will also be discussed in chapter five. CHAPTER 2 Literature Review Factors which influence students performance have been identified as including classroom management, quality of teaching staff, family social-economic status, lack of teaching facilities, inadequate student discipline, lack of student commitment, emotional problems, curriculum contents, learning situation, inadequate teacher instruction, and not enough parental involvement (Asikhia, 2010; Legotlo et al., 2002 ; Nguyen Griffin, 2010). In the study by Asikhia (2010), the focus of the investigation was on the perception of students and teachers on the causes of poor academic performance among secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria. The results of teachers perception indicated that teachers teaching qualifications and students background had a smaller effect on the students poor performance but teachers methods of teaching influence poor academic achievement. Students, on the other hand, thought that teachers qualifications and students home environment influenced their poor performance in school while teachers method of teaching and learning materials did not. In the study of factors influencing poor performance of grade 12 learners in two high schools in Limpo province in South Africa, Rammalas study (2009) discovered that parents low-level of education, high unemployment rate, child-headed family, unpredictable home environment, emotional problems, lack of facilities, unavailable learner support materials, lack of discipline, redeployment of education, unfamiliarity of new curriculum influenced students performance in the classroom. In a similar research study conducted in Nepal, Subedi (2003) demonstrated the factors influencing high school student achievement. This study simply aimed to investigate the effect of resources and class size on student performance. The research revealed that the availability and use of resources had a significant effect on student performance. Class size also caused negative effect to student achievement. In a research article by Legotlo et al. (2002), the focus of investigation was on perceptions of stakeholders towards causes of poor performance in grade 12 National Examinations in a province in South Africa. The results in this study revealed that inadequate resources, lack of discipline and poor morale, problems concerning the implementation of government policy, and lack of parental involvement were major causes of poor student performance. In a research study by Ogunbanjo (2001), the focus of the investigation was on the factors influencing the academic performance of underachieving learners in a South African secondary school with an inhibitive learning climate. In order to get in-dept understanding of underachieving students learning performance, a qualitative method was applied. The findings of this study identified the factors as influencing the academic performance of underachieving learners: negative attitude of learners towards their school work, negative attitudes of teachers towards learners and inflexible teaching methods by teachers, lack of parental supervision, undisciplined behavior in class, learner absenteeism, insufficient learner support material, non-encouragement from parents for learners to study, excessive home chore, demotivation and low moral towards teaching as a career, overcrowding classrooms, lack of support from the department and school administration, lack of facilities and resources, lac k of parental involvement, inadequate funding of schools, lack of parental supervision, peer pressure, lack of parental guidance and supervision, learners lack of discipline, indiscipline by learners, illiteracy among parents, and poor insight of learners about the value of education. Taken together, the results, of course, indicate that overcrowded classes, lack of facilities and resources, inflexible teaching method, and lack of parental involvement are supposed to be the fundamental factors which negatively influence the students academic performance in high schools. CHAPTER 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Research Design Qualitative researchers share in the understandings and perceptions of others and explore how people structure and give meaning to their daily lives (Berg, 2009). In a qualitative research, a case study design is used to significantly focus on one phenomenon, which the researcher selects to understand deeply regardless of the number of sites or participants for the study (Mcmillain Schumacher, 2001). Since this study mainly aims to identify key factors that students and teachers perceive as influencing academic performance in a high school, the case study approach will be employed in this study. 3.2 Participant and Sample The target participants in this study will be teachers and students in a high school in Kandal province. I will contact the school principal initially to propose my study and receive the approval before proceeding and contacting potential participants. A purposive sampling method will be employed in this study because I aim to explore in detail participants reasons for performing poorly in their studies. The sample of this study will consist of 4 students and 2 teachers from high school in question. Both male and female participants will be selected. The teachers sample will be the class teachers who regularly facilitate any activities in classroom while 11th-grade students will be chosen in this study. The students sample will include students who learn with the selected teachers. 3.3 Data Collection Unlike a quantitative method, a qualitative data gathering procedures often involve spending a lot of time in the natural setting under study or with the research participants collecting relevant information unobtrusively (Gay, Mills Airasian, 2009). Choosing data collection strategies is a process of deciding among available alternatives for collection and corroboration of data and of modifying ones decisions to capture the reality of the phenomena (McMillan Schumacher, 2001). As the purpose of this study is to gain in-depth understanding of the factors contributing to students academic performance, participant observation, semi-structured interviews and informal conversation will be carried out to collect the data. The interviews will consist of open-ended questions and will be tape-recorded (see Appendix below for the details). Individual face to face interview and informal conversation will be used for teachers and students. I will make an appointment with the participants and inform them about the reasons of conducting this study, and request for their consent to participate in my study, before carrying out interviews. The participants will be provided options to select convenient time and comfortable place for the interviews in order to ensure full cooperation and trust. I will bring a tape recorder on scheduled interviews, and with the participants permission, record the interviews which will be expected to take around 1 to 2 hours and occur in the school campus or outside the school. Interview questions will follow a general list of topics. The purpose of these interviews is to allow those involved in a school to describe in detail their perceptions and experiences. In addition to these i nterviews, I will carry on informal conversations with participants at the beginning or end of the meeting to gain more specific concepts and experiences about the influencing factors on students academic performance. Participant observation will be also employed to collect data. The emphasis during observation is on understanding the natural environment as lived by participants without manipulating (Gay, Mills Airasian, 2009). After getting permission from school principal, I will visit the school for two weeks and significantly observe what goes on in classroom and during recess periods. The observation checklist will mainly focus on time management, environment in the classroom, teaching method, and behavioral patterns of students. Each observation will take around 45 minutes. Additionally, field notes will be written at the end of each observation describing in detail the setting and activities during the lessons. To assure the accuracy and details of these notes, I will spend several hours for recording notes after leaving the field. Official documents of the school such as students attendance record, and yearly academic report will be taken with permission of the school principal, teachers and students. 3.4 Data Analysis Data analysis is begun from the initial interaction with participants and continued that interaction and analysis throughout the whole study (Gay, Mills Airasian, 2009). As data are collected from the participants, I will examine and reexamine the data in search of themes and patterns in the data. Also, prior data and newer data will be continually compared to reduce less useful data. After gathering the data from the field setting, I will listen to the tape recordings, transcribe the interview tapes and analyze the participants responses. I will organize and prepare all data into different types of information depending on the sources of information. In addition, I will read through all data collected carefully to obtain general idea of information. Coding process will be used to organize information into categories or themes. Then these themes will be chronologically sorted into table display in order to discuss interconnected themes. Finally, I will make interpretation of themes. 3.5 Ethical Consideration Before starting the data collection, I will ask the permission and approval from school principal, teachers and students for observation or tape-recorded interviews. I will explain the study objective verbally and in writing to participants and tell them truthfully that their involvement is voluntary. I will fully explain any potential benefits to school principal, teachers, and students as a result of my study. Additionally, the participants will be informed of all data collection devices and activities. If at any point during the course of the interview the participants decide they no longer desire to continue, they will feel free to simply stop the interview. To avoid any harm to the participants, their names and school will be held in strictest confidence and will never be attached to any data or report that may result from this research. I will treat the participants with respect and give the participants pseudonyms. Personal identifiers will not be included in the research repo rt released to the public in order to avoid the identification of participants. The participants will be told that their responses will be kept confidential and that no one known to them will have access to the information provided and no one can link the analyze to their names. Also, verbatim transcriptions and written interpretations and reports will be made available to the participants. 3.6 Limitation of the Study This proposal has some specific limitations. First, the researcher will only conduct this study in a high school in a province in order to identify influencing factors on students academic performance. Second, since the study will be conducted in a small number of students and teachers in a high school in Cambodia, so the results will not generalize the factors influencing students academic achievement in all high schools nationwide. Third, the purpose of this research is not to provide broad generalizations, but to provide an in-depth analysis of factors influencing students academic performance in high schools. Finally, some activities, events and information which occur at specific period of the school calendar will not be captured during a short period of visit by the researcher.