Pinnacle case study part ii Essay

The company is privately held, but there is a large amount of debt, so the financial statement -may be used extensively. Also, management is considering selling the Machine-Tech division, which has the potential to result in extensive use of the statement by buyers. 2. Item 6 in the planning phase indicates plans for additional debt financing. Likelihood of financing difficulties: 1. The solar power engine business revolves around changing technology, therefore making it inherently more risky than other business, with a better chance of bankruptcy. The first item in the planning issues raises a concern about the viability of the division, but not the entire company. 2. Part 1 of the case was that the likelihood of financial failure is low, even with the issues of the company. 3. Item 9 in the planning phase requires a current ratio of 2.0 and if fall below that, this could result in the loan being called. Management integrity: No major issues exist that would cause the auditor to question the integrity of the management. However, auditor should have done client acceptance procedure before accepting the client. There are a few factors in which fraudulent financing reporting may occur. b. Acceptable audit risk is medium to low because of the factors listed in part (a) and the planned increase in financing and the potential violation of the debt covenant agreement. This might be low because this is the first year audit. c. 1. Inherent Risk: No effect on inherent risk 2. Inherent Risk: The primary concern is the possibility of obsolete inventory, which affects the valuation of inventory at the lower of cost or market. Account Affected: Inventory, cost of goods sold Audit Objectives: Transaction-related 3. Inherent Risk: There is potential related party transaction, which could  affect the valuation of the transaction, which could affect the valuation of the transaction and may require disclosure as a related party transaction. Account affected: Manufacturing equipment, footnote Audit objectives: Transaction-related, presentation and disclosure-related 4. Inherent Risk: This involves a nonroutine transaction where there is a risk that materials, labor, and overhead are incorrectly applied to the property accounts. Account affected: Property accounts, inventory, cost of good sold Audit objectives: balance-related 5. Inherent Risk: There may be a major collection problem with outstanding receivables of 15% from a customer for several months. This could result in an understatement of the allowance for uncollectible accounts. Account affected: Account receivable, bad debt expense, and allowance for uncollectible accounts. Audit objectives: balance-related 6. Inherent Risk: No effect on inherent risk 7. Inherent Risk: There may be a related party transaction, which could affect valuation of the transaction and may require disclosure. Account affected: Account payable, Repairs expense Audit objectives: Transaction-related 8. Inherent Risk: This does not affect inherent risk directly, but it is possible that the turnover of internal audit personnel could increase the risk of fraudulent financial reporting. The turnover may also affect the auditor’s assessment of control risk. Account affected: All accounts Audit objectives: transaction, balance, presentation and disclosure-related 9. Inherent Risk: In addition to affecting AAR, the auditor should be concerned about the risk of fraudulent financial reporting due to incentive to make certain that all debt covenants have been met. Account affected: All accounts Audit objectives: transaction, balance, presentation and disclosure-related 10. Inherent Risk: An ongoing dispute with the IRS might require adjustment to income tax liability or a disclosure in footnotes for a contingency, depending on the status of the dispute. Account affected: Income tax expense and income tax payable Audit objectives: balance-related 11. Inherent risk: This situation involves related party transaction because this transaction was not conducted with an outside party. It is possible that the related receivable and payable might not have been properly eliminated on Pinnacle’s consolidated financial statements. Account affected: Notes payable, notes receivable, interest expense, and interest income. Audit objectives: Transaction and balance-related

Motivation vs Employee Performance

This chapter examined relevant literature from works that have already been done on the topic. The literature review was structured in the following form: Introduction, motivation, the early theorists of motivation, and contemporary theorists of motivation. Area of Study 1:MotivationMotivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. It involves the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something. For example, you might say that a student is so motivated to get into a clinical psychology program that she spends every night studying.Psychologists have proposed a number of different theories of motivation, including drive theory, instinct theory and humanistic theory. Motivation is the for ce that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is what causes us to take action, whether to grab a snack to reduce hunger or enroll in college to earn a degree. The forces that lie beneath motivation can be biological, social, emotional or cognitive in nature. Researchers have developed a number of different theories to explain motivation. Each individual theory tends to be rather limited in scope. However, by looking at the key ideas behind each theory, you can gain a better understanding of motivation as a whole.1.1. BonusBonus is the extra amount in money, bonds, or goods over what is normally due. The term is applied especially to payments to employees either for production in excess of the normal (wage incentive) or as a share of surplus profits. The wage incentive was designed during the late 19th cent. not only to increase production but to reward the more skillful and more energetic workers. The hourly or weekly wage was to be figured as payment for a st andard rate of work, and the workers who exceeded that standard were to receive a bonus.However, the system fell into disfavor with labor unions because rate cutting was often resorted to when bonuses became too high. Industrial engineers of the 1930s realized that definite standards of  accomplishment and quality must be set to make wage incentives workable. Many firms have used an annual bonus plan for distributing abnormal profits to employees. The term is also applied to payments to former servicemen in addition to regular pensions and insurance.1.2. IncrementSalary increments are often expressed as a percentage of an employee's overall base pay. An increment usually represents a portion of what the employee earns per year. Employers use increments to increase or decrease base salaries or to award bonuses. Employees use them as a benchmark to either negotiate a pay increase or a starting salary with a new employer. When an employer offers a starting salary that is 5 percent be low average, a potential employee might counter with a 5 percent increase. Public employees typically receive annual raises based on salary increments.1.3. Better FacilitiesDesigning a workplace that provides opportunities for the broadest potential workforce makes good business sense. This allows employers to select the most qualified people from the largest possible applicant pool. It may also improve work efficiency, employee productivity, workplace safety and the quality of work. The workforce will likely represent a wide range of demographics and abilities. Most workers spend much of their time at the workplace.Therefore, many design considerations for workplace facilities may be different than other types of built environments that are used by fewer people over shorter time periods. Job performance is best when the environment neither under-stimulates nor over-stimulates the employee. Lighting, the thermal environment and noise are the key environmental variables to consider. The most desirable levels of each will not only vary across work environments and people, but also will vary for different job requirements. It is therefore important for the designer to have a good understanding of the work requirements to design effective environments.Area of Study 2: Employee performance Employee performance is basically related performance appraisal in  terms of and individual goals. Employee Performance means the level at which your employees are performing. Employee performance is more than just completing the â€Å"dreaded† annual review in order to get the annual bonus or pay increase. It is an ongoing activity with the ultimate goal of improving both individual and corporate performance.Employees set their objectives for the upcoming review period; monitor their progress against those objectives, and develop the right set of skills and objectives for the future. Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Andrew Carnegie (1835 – 1919)2.1. The appraisal process is made up of three stages: Goal setting – set goals and objectives for the upcoming review period Evaluation – assess the employee's performance against the established goals and objectives Improve performance and skill development – career planning, training, personal development, coaching, mentoring and more.2.2. Why should an organization consider implementing an Employee Performance Management (EPM) solution? Automation – save time and money by automating this potentially labour intensive activity. Not only will organizations become more efficient, they will be able to improve on their HR reporting and analytics. Goal Alignment – the goals and objectives of the organization can be cascaded down to every level of the organization. Everyone in the organiza tion will be working towards a common objective. Remote Workers- technology and the nature of the work force has made alternative working arrangements a reality. Employees no longer have to physically be in the office in order to do their job.2.3. With an EMP solution, managers and employees can collaborate on their performance objectives.Flexibility – EMP solutions can be configured to meet the unique needs of every organization. Competency Management – every organization has specific competencies that are important for the company, departments and roles that  can easily be managed using EMP software. Talent Management – EPM is an important part of the Talent Management Process. It helps to identify known competencies for success, develop succession plans, pinpoint talent gaps, and establish compensation scales. The employee performance management solution allows organizations to manage their talent in order to maximize their human resources in order to gain a competitive advantage.Motivation and Employee PerformanceAccording to Dubin (2002), â€Å"Motivation is the complex of forces starting and keeping a person at work in an organization. Motivation is something that puts the person to action, and continues him in the course of action already initiated†. Motivation refers to the way a person is enthused at work to intensify his desire and willingness to use his energy for the achievement of organization’s objectives. It is something that moves a person into action and continues him in the course of action enthusiastically.Motivation is a complex phenomenon, which is influenced by individual, cultural, ethnic and historical factors. Motivation can be defined as â€Å"a series of energizing forces that originate both within and beyond an individual’s self†. These forces determine the person’s behavior and therefore, influence his/her productivity (Jackson, 1995). According to De Cenzo et al,(1996), peo ple who are motivated use a greater effort to perform a job than those who are not motivated. In other words this means that all thinkable factors of physical or psychological aspects that we interact with, leads to a reaction within our self or of the entire organization.According to Latham and Ernest (2006) motivation was in the beginning of the 1900s thought only to be monetary. However, it was discovered during the 20th century that to motivate employees, there are more factors than just money. In their view, employees‟ satisfaction with their job is an important indicator for a good job performance and happy employees are productive. To them, motivation is a psychological factor and is affected by the workers‟ mental attitude and health. Therefore, in order to be motivated, a person needs to have certain basic needs fulfilled. If these needs are lacking, a person’s self-esteem and self-actualization cannot develop.This could  result in lack of interest to p rogress and develop, both professionally and personally. There are several theories of human needs, which are the foundation of motivation. CIPD‟s Reward Survey (2005a) reveals that human resource (HR) and line managers fail to develop reward strategies for their employees. Guest and Conway, (2005) established their suggestions on the basis of CIPD‟s survey on employee welfare and emotional convention that managers fail to motivate and improve the performance of people whom they manage.The familiar notion that people leave managers, not organizations, suggests that the organizations concerned, were subjected to failure for holding managers responsible to understand their role in motivating people and to manage performance as effectively as they can. The biggest challenge for HR managers is to push line managers to manage and develop people.According to Butkus and Green (1999), motivation is derived from the word â€Å"motivate†, means to move, push or persuade to act for satisfying a need. Baron (1983) defined motivation in his own right. He says that â€Å"motivation is a set of processes concerned with a kind of force that energizes behavior and directs it towards achieving some specific goals. Many writers have expressed motivation as goal directed behavior. This objective nature of motivation is also suggested by Kreitner and Kinicki (2001) put forward that motivation represents â€Å"those psychological processes that cause the stimulation, persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed†.A motivated person have the awareness of specific goals must be achieved in specific ways; therefore he/she directs its effort to achieve such goals (Nel et al., 2001). It means that motivated person is best fit for the goals that he/she wants to achieve, as he/she is fully aware of its assumptions. Therefore if the roles of managers are assumed to successfully guide employees towards the organizational agenda of achieving its objective s, then it is very important for them to educate and understand those psychological processes and undertakings that root cause the stimulation, direction of destination, determination and persistence of voluntary actions (Roberts, 2005). Mo (1992) differentiates between the terms „movement‟ and motivation‟.Movement carries out the task for compensation, remuneration in humans mind to act, while the term motivation is stapled with total involvement of a person in its tasks to carry out with excitements and  happiness. In simple words, movement compels a person to carry out tasks, while motivation is self-realized jubilant and pleasing act of carrying out specific tasks. The researcher emphasizes on motivation which is basis for the success because the person involved in it is very happy and voluntarily excited not for compensation. Motivation is reason for individuals‟ accomplishments to carry out the project (La Motta 1995).There are many aspects of motivat ion in an organization; a person motivated by those aspects may not necessarily motivate another person, because there are many different factors that affect motivation for different level employees. On reaching the understanding and believing that people (employees) are naturally motivated, an organization simply provide the environment for their motivation to be enhanced and improved (Baron, 1983). It means that an organization is a better environment and working atmosphere provider, it only needs to believe that the people have the motivational behaviour. Lawler (2003) noted that different theories questioning why people prefer certain careers, why they seek particular rewards and why they feel satisfied or dissatisfied with their work and rewards.These are some of the resonating questions that create so many assumptions and hypotheses to be researched. It is widely recognized in management circles, that motivation plays a role in keeping an employee performing his or her best in any task assigned. Assessing La Motta and Baron, views on the concept of motivation makes one wonder why incentives provided to workers did not yield intended purpose. This is as a result of dynamics of individual needs and humans can never be satisfy in that, when one need is catered for responded, the worker shifts to another need and this then becomes a challenge hence the call for further research on the issue of motivation.An individual's motivation is influenced by biological, intellectual, social and emotional factors. As such, motivation is a complex, not easily defined, intrinsic driving force that can also be influenced by external factors. Every employee has activities, events, people, and goals in his or her life that he or she finds motivating. So, motivation about some aspect of life exists in each person's consciousness and actions. The trick for employers is to figure out how to inspire employee motivation at work. To create a work environment in which an employee i s motivated about  work, involves both intrinsically satisfying and extrinsically encouraging factors.Employee motivation is the combination of fulfilling the employee's needs and expectations from work and the workplace factors that enable employee motivation – or not. These variables make motivating employees challenging. Employers understand that they need to provide a work environment that creates motivation in people. But, many employers fail to understand the significance of motivation in accomplishing their mission and vision. Even when they understand the importance of motivation, they lack the skill and knowledge to provide a work environment that fosters employee motivation. Here are thoughts about encouraging and inspiring employee motivation at work.3.1. Factors to Encourage MotivationThese are some of the factors that are present in a work environment that many employees find motivating. Management and leadership actions that empower employees,  Transparent a nd regular communication about factors important to employees, Treating employees with respect,  Providing regular employee recognition,  Feedback and coaching from managers and leaders,  Above industry-average benefits and compensation,  Providing employee perks and company activities, and  Positively managing employees within a success framework of goals, measurements, and clear expectations.Every person has different reasons for working. The reasons for working are as individual as the person. But, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something obtained from work impacts morale, employee motivation, and the quality of life. To create positive employee motivation, treat employees as if they matter – because employees matter. These ideas will help you fulfill what people want from work and create employee motivation.3.2. What People Want From Work Some people work for personal fulfillment; others work for love of what they do. Others work to accomplish goals and to feel as if they are contributing  to something larger than themselves. The bottom line is that we all work for money and for reasons too individual to assign similarities to all workers. Learn more.3.3. How to Demonstrate Respect at Work Ask anyone in your workplace what treatment they most want at work. They will likely top their list with the desire to be treated with dignity and respect. You can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help you avoid needless, insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too. Read more about respect.3.4. Provide Feedback That Has an Impact Make your feedback have the impact it deserves by the manner and approach you use to deliver feedback. Your feedback can make a difference to people if you can avoid a defensive response.3.5. Top Ten Ways to Show Appreciation You can tell your colleagues, coworkers and staff how much you value them and their contribution any day of the year. Trust me. No occa sion is necessary. In fact, small surprises and tokens of your appreciation spread throughout the year help the people in your work life feel valued all year long.3.6. Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret Without it, you have nothing. Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust is present, everything else is easier. Learn more.3.7. Provide Motivational Employee Recognition You can avoid the employee recognition traps that: single out one or a few employees who are mysteriously selected for the recognition; sap the morale of the many who failed to win, place, or even show; confuse people who meet the criteria yet were not selected; or sought votes or other personalized, subjective criteria to determine winners. Learn more.3.7.1. Employee Recognition Rocks Employee recognition is limited in most organizations. Employees complain about the lack of recognition regularly. Managers ask, â€Å"Why should I recognize or thank him? He’s just doing his job.† And, life at work is busy, busy, busy. These factors combine to create work places that fail to provide recognition for employees. Managers who prioritize employee recognition understand the power of recognition.3.7.2. Top Ten Ways to Retain Your Great Employees Key employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of your business. Managers readily agree that their role is key in retaining your best employees to ensure business success. If managers can cite this fact so well, why do many behave in ways that so frequently encourage great employees to quit their job? Here are ten more tips for employee retention.3.7.3. Team Building and Delegation: How and When to Empower People Employee involvement is creating an environment in which people have an impact on decisions and actions that affect their jobs. Team building occ urs when the manager knows when to tell, sell, consult, join, or delegate to staff. For employee involvement and empowerment, both team building and delegation rule. Learn more.3.7.4. Build a Mentoring Culture What does it take to develop people? More than writing â€Å"equal opportunity† into your organization’s mission statement. More than sending someone to a training class. More than hard work on the part of employees. What development does take is people who are willing to listen and help their colleagues. Development takes coaches, guides and advocates. People development needs mentors. Learn more.

A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies

A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies†. The text is written by an English writer and humorist Jerome K. Jerome, best known for the comic travelogue â€Å"Three Men in a Boat†. The story is about one young healthy men who thought he became â€Å"a victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies†. The story is written by a humorist, that's why it contains a lot of different funny moments and special stylistic devises. The first one we met already in the name of the story â€Å"A victim to one hundred and seven fatal maladies†. This phrase has an ironical tone.We understand that one man can't have one hundred and seven fatal maladies at once. The utle let us to understand that something will be wrong with the main character, but probably the author will Just ridicule certain type of people. So, one man after reading some medical books decided that he had all of fatal diseases at once, and came to the doctor to tell about his trouble. The doctor said nothing but wrote a prescription, which helped the patient to recover, despite it didn't contain any medicaments. The story can be dlvlded Into 3 logical parts – story proper, climax and denouement.The story has no exposition, because it begins directly with activity of the main character, who was sitting in the library and reading a book about diseases. In the story proper we knew the whole Information about the central character of the story. Generally, the text is built around such human character trait as hypochondria. The author chose an Interesting way to describe this mental instability – the whole text is written with Irony, We can feel it already In the beginning of the story: â€Å"l sat for a while frozen with horror; and than in despair I again turned over the pages.I came to typhoid fever † read the symptoms – iscovered that I had typhoid fever – began to get interested in my case, and so started alphabetically†¦ and the only dise ase I had not got was housemaid's knee†. After these words we understand what kind of man is the main person and may be smb. found himself in it. It's very funny to read about the man who thought he had all the diseases of the world, but honestly speaking if I was on his place I would be scary because of all these diseases.The main person impressed me because in spite of such number of diseases he didn't cry, shout or go Into hysteric, conversely he apples to himself with irony. We can feel it in his thoughts and statements: â€Å"l sat and thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view. Students would have no need to â€Å"walk the hospitals† if they had me. was a hospital in myself. All they need do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma† or during the conversation with the doctor â€Å"l will not take up your time, dear boy, with telling you what is the matter with me.Life is short and you might pass away befor e I had finished. But I will tell you what is not the matter with me. Everything else, however, I have got†. think that hypochondria of the main personage is in a bad ase, because he had not only all the symptoms of the diseases he had read in the t Of2 000K, out even tnougnt up several compllcatlons. 10 aescrlDe tnls tne autnor usea antithesis: â€Å"l tried to examine myself. I felt my pulse. I could not at first feel any pulse at all.Then, all of sudden, it seemed to start off. I pulled out my watch and timed it. I made ita 100 and 47 to the minute. I tried to feel my heart. I could not feel my heart. It had stopped beating†. The climax of irony and self-irony of the story, I think, is in these 2 phrases – â€Å"l had walked into the reading-room a happy, healthy man. I rawled out a miserable wreck†. It's very funny and very sad simultaneous, because we understand that the only disease this man had was his mental instability.And the main character itsel f understood that he was absolutely happy and healthy man before he read about the diseases, but after it he felt totally ill, even though he understood nothing in medicine and he could not determine if he had those symptoms or not. The denouement of the story comes gradually from the visiting of the doctor through the situation in the chemist's up to recovery of the main person. The key role here played the doctor. He knew our personage for a long time and was his old chum, that is why he immediately understood what was going on and what was the matter with the patient.The doctor knew an approach to this person. He wrote such a funny prescription, because he knew that suspicious people like to treat themselves and he knew that the patient would follow each word he wrote in the prescription. And the focus succeeded – the man ate 1 pound beefsteak and drank 1 pint bear every 6 hours, made 1 ten-mile walk every morning, and took 1 bed at 11 every night, and, 10 and behold, â₠¬â€œ â€Å"l followed the directions with the happy result that y life was preserved and is still going on†.Happy end 0 So, the story is over, but I think it is the end only for one part of the whole story, I mean the story of the personage's life. I think it is not the end, because the question is the difficult mental trouble and one funny prescription can't solve this seriously problem. I think that man would be happy and healthy until he read one more book or article or watched a TV-show about a new fatal disease. People with such problems must consult not with subject matter experts but with mental specialists, and only in this case they will have chance to become really happy and healthy.

Macbeth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macbeth - Research Paper Example the everlasting value of it, as all these elements combined with ill ambition, craving for high political position, becoming enormously rich in a dishonest way, etc., characterize modern societies in our time. Mac Bethad mac Findlaich or Macbeth for short in English was a Scottish king (1040-1057) who ruled successfully and wisely after killing his predecessor Duncan (1034-1040), who on the other hand was a weak and terrible leader. Macbeth was killed in 1057 in a battle led at Lumphanan in Aberdeenshire on 15th August against Malcolm, Duncan’s rightful heir to the throne. The events that took place shortly before Duncan’s murder and until Macbeth’s defeat were described in Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Macbeth† written sometime between 1604 and 1606. (â€Å"Mala Enciklopedija Prosveta† Belgrade, 1970, vol.2, p.15). Having a broad knowledge of Raphael Holinshed’s â€Å"Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland† (1587), Shakespeare apparently used it as a main source for writing this play. According to Holinshed, Duncan, the king of Scotland was a young and incapable ruler, but Shakespeare deliberately depicted him as an old and almost saint person in order to darken Macbeth’s crime even more than it actually was. Shakespeare used this chronicle to write a tragedy, not a historic play. George Buchanan’s â€Å"History of Scotland in Twenty Books† (2 volumes, 1733) written originally in Latin could have been another source for some scenes in the play. There are also things which must have been products of Shakespeare’s fantasy (the scene with the banquet and the appearance of Banquo’s ghost or Lady Macbeth’s sleepwalking). Some critics even claim certain scenes were influenced by the Roman history, and some give credit to the legends Shakes peare knew so well. Yet, whatever the sources, â€Å"there is no doubt that the tragic status of Macbeth would be far weaker, were it not for the facts given in the Holinshed’s chronicle that Duncan was weak,

Technical Term Paper (Part B) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Technical Term Paper (Part B) - Assignment Example The current network system has security lapses and faces slow response time and occasional downtime. In the process of moving and with the professional input of Wide-IP Company, Fiction Corporation intends to upgrade its system in order to adopt modern and standard network operations and security. The current hardware used in its network system was bought a long time ago and its application is based on the old technology. The network system upgrade will be essential in increasing system reliability, easy and economical maintenance of its components and increased speed of the data transfer process. At an estimated budgetary cost of $425,000 and a time frame of one month, Wide-IP Company will develop logical and physical design that will be useful in configuring Fiction Corporation network system. Project goal Making the correct and appropriate network technology decisions ensures that the organization attains its goals, the morale of the employees is retained, and the cost incurred is tenable with organization’s budgetary plan and financial objectives. In order to ensure that there is smooth transition of organization networking system from one location to the other, the right networking technology plan must be developed and implemented. In most cases, transferring a data center needs a flush cutover of the network system in order to supply remote systems that have access to data before and after migration. Wide-IP intends to develop a number of router configuration changes that would enable data center routers to be easily transferred, one at a time and dismantling the old lines after the installed new data centers are proven. This is essential in providing an uninterrupted user support during the transfer and reducing the ongoing operational risk. Project scope The project of transferring and developing a new networking system for Fiction Corporation will be done by the Wide IP Company that has 10 members who are proficient in system networking. With a budget of approximately $425,000, Wide IP Company will identify the requirements of Fiction Corporation, develop networking systems, establish errors and correct them, and provide and adhere to a detailed project schedule of 30 days. Design requirements User communities and network applications Fiction Corporation, a retail chain needs to move a new headquarter several miles away. Considering the distance and the chain operations, the main challenge is moving all the personnel to the new headquarters and ensuring that the data center supports all call centers and warehouse operations. Whereas the warehouse functions from Monday to Saturday, allowing one day transferring an AS/400 and developing new SNA links, most of the stores will be open for 24 hours, which will be significant in ensuring non interruption transfer of the network system. Basing on the viewpoint of data processing, the migration of network system will include as AS/400, a large UPS, NT PC and Novell servers, and mu ltiple RS/6000 AIX application servers. The network will be made up of 100 servers for call centers and three remote warehouses .These user communities are connected through frame relay that has ISDN backup to three routers located in data center. The three routers will run a common LAN that will be shared by the headquarter staff, call centers, the warehouse and the data center. There is a high possibility for a whole

Motivation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation Paper - Essay Example Fifth or the last layer of hierarchy is related to the need of self-actualization. At this stage, a person is motivated to achieve the highest degree of autonomy and comfort in life. Engagement has become very necessary in today’s business world. â€Å"Engagement may have been optional in the past, but it’s pretty much the whole game today† (Hamel). This theory will be effective in increasing employee engagement because the managers can target the first four layers of needs to increase employee motivation and engagement levels. The managers can provide employees with housing allowance to meet one of their basic physiological needs. They can also provide them with a safe and interactive work environment to meet their second and third layers of needs. Fourth layer of needs can also be met by appreciating the hard work of employees and encouraging them. If managers focus on these little things, they can definitely increase the employee engagement level. The need for achievement is the need of a person to achieve all personal and professional goals. Achievement of any type of goal makes people happy and confident. Power is another human need. People, who are motivated by power, want to dominate and shape other people’s views and behaviors. The third need is the need for affiliation. People want to make relationships with other people in order to remain active in the society. This theory cannot be very effective in increasing the employee engagement level because it focuses more on materialism, which is neither good for an employee nor for the company. For example, this theory focuses on achievement and power. People definitely struggle in their lives to achieve something but when they will always work for personal achievements, they will put their job responsibilities aside and it will not be in favor of the company. Similarly, if managers give them more power than they should get in

Effects of package warnings on the demand of tobacco Thesis Proposal

Effects of package warnings on the demand of tobacco - Thesis Proposal Example the costs to society are directly linked to the number of individuals that smoke, broad based movements towards decreasing smoking and seeking to break nicotine and/or tobacco dependence have been sought after. Necessarily, these stake holders have come to recognize that decreasing the demand for tobacco products has a direct level of impact on the negative effects that tobacco can cause within society as a whole. Not surprisingly, one the ways to decrease smoking and tobacco usage has been to utilize especially horrific warnings and direct representations of harm that such behavior can cause; invariably on the product itself. Ultimately, the research that has thus far been conducted, within such articles as â€Å"Liability of Cigarette Manufacturers for Lung Cancer: An Analysis of the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act†, has indicated that these warning labels have not had the desired effect with respect to decreasing smoking and tobacco usage (Thornton, 2007). As a function of seeking to understand this topic to a more full and complete degree, the following research will be concentric upon researching two groups, a control and a test group. The control will of course not be influenced by warnings and packaging as a function of tobacco legislation or government intrusion into consumer markets. However, the test group will have been exposed to such warnings and the researcher will seek to draw inference based upon how these groups score with respect to the overall rates of quitting tobacco products that they exhibit (Green, 2006). Ultimately, a noted difficulty within such a methodology is consistent with the fact that the test group and the control group will not be drawn from the same society or even nationality; due to the fact that legislative requirements for cigarette labeling and warnings do not exist in certain places of the globe. However, the alternative to such a research design would be to reach back in history and seek to meas ure

How Does Knowledge Impact the Development of the Self Essay

How Does Knowledge Impact the Development of the Self - Essay Example The views of different authors such as Beth Loffreda, Juhani Pallasmaa, Miller and Spellmeyer as it regards to knowledge will be discussed. The paper will also address how the government, society, religion, family, gender, race and orientation contribute to the creation of self. Acquisition of knowledge Knowledge is acquired through higher education but can also be acquired through plentiful sources such as books, newspapers, the internet, experiences, imagination, and visualization among others. As one interacts with other people in school, work place, social places or even while travelling he or she keeps on learning new things. It is explicitly clear that the acquisition of knowledge can not be confined in the learning institutions alone. Learning takes place every where, whether alone or in the presence of others. Definition of self Self can be referred to as one’s identity, abilities, character and attitudes, particularly in relation to an individual or things outside one self. It is the fundamental qualities distinguishing one individual from another. People have different characteristics and attitudes and this is what defines their behavior and thus identity. How knowledge impacts on the development of the self as discussed by the four authors Human connectedness plays a crucial role in the betterment of self identity in the philosophical and sociological aspects of life. It is the capacity to separate our inner self from the world outside. It enables us to view ourselves as individual persons and also look at ourselves from the perspective of someone else. Juhani Pallasmaa, who is the author of â€Å"The Eyes of the Skin,† focuses on the aspects of reasoning as one acquires knowledge from time to time. Acquisition of knowledge brings one to his true sense of self since it makes him or her feel more connected with other people. Knowledge from various sources helps an individual get the true sense of connectivity and existence by associating with other people in the society. According to Pallasmaa, â€Å"one sense of self is dependent upon many different attributes, for example: their occupation, relationships, likes and dislikes, memories, imagination, and dreams† (286). These make a person unique from others. Knowledge thus helps people perceive things differently and this is influenced by the environment we are brought in. It plays an enormous role since it enables individuals to gravely analyze their actions. Perception brings out the question of one’s identity. We always ask ourselves how others will view us before we act in any manner. This ensures that there exists a healthy relationship with those we interact with. People express opinions differently depending on what they have gone through in the outside world. Pallasmaa argues that people perceive others based on the physical gestures since vision has more dominance when compared with the other four senses. Knowledge acquired shapes an individual s way of life. It thus determines how one behaves, his social status, friends and the general way of living. Pallasmaa also asserts that, â€Å"while using the internet, one may jump from one page to another, skimming articles and reading emails, but this does not draw away his memories, imagination, and dreams† (286). The sense of self is exposed when our senses are used to give reason to our general actions. Pallasmaa implies the importance

Review performance about "Next to the Normal" Essay

Review performance about "Next to the Normal" - Essay Example Next to Normal takes one through an exhilarating journey of laughter and sorrow as one relates with the challenges of the actors (Brantley, 2009). Diana Goodman is a loving wife and mother who want the best out of her largely dysfunctional family. Their struggles typify the normal suburban neighborhood in an emotional manner, and the actors punctuate this with periodic musical breaks. In addition, Goodman has bipolar disorder, a form of mental illness, which affects the normal functioning of her already disunited family. The plot also explores Natalie’s drug abuse and her isolation from the family. The music and stage decoration is perfect. Through a lively pop/rock score, this intensely moving piece of theatre offers a breathtaking opportunity for the actors to investigate dramatic material and highlight their vocal talents. The timing of the lighting effects is in lieu with the message in the storyline and depicts the right emotion. As the musical starts, the lights go off and reveal Diana Goodman sitting alone, pondering about her future. Similarly, as the musical ends, Natalie, the daughter, walks in and turns on the light when he finds his father seated in darkness. She turns on all the lights in the house and reveals Diana who is visibly hurt, but happy to be alive. Apart from the lighting, the scenic and sound design augments the direction and mood of the musical performed on a three-story set that doubles as a doctor’s office, residence, and school. The actors and actresses do an excellent job in their performance. This is fortified by the numerous applauds and awards the musical has won as it endears itself to the public. Drama Desk Awards awarded Alice Ripley for Outstanding Actress in the musical. Of the eleven nominations in the 2009 Tony Awards, the musical won three, including Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Alice Ripley. Similarly, Aaron Tveit won Most Promising

Mature market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mature market - Essay Example The customers in this mature caterpillar industry(Neson, 1999) are commercial construction companies, equipment rental and leasing companies, general construction firms and includes the mining, agricultural, waste management, industrial and forestry companies. The commercial construction companies are the lion's share of this saturated mature market because the commercial companies have more money to spend, the greatest need for machineries and the greatest need for precision controlled equipment. All market situations contain risks.(Harringon,1999) Although the small construction companies market is now growing, there will be a small income opportunity here because of the small capital investments that the customers will shell out. The machineries market,(Meyer,1983) as is the case with other industries, is affected by the economic situation. In fact Caterpillar and its competitor Komatsu could not help but watch their annual sales go down to the slowing down of the global economy. The Consumer's confidence in the product is another factor in studying the downturn in sales volume which has been long lasting. The weakening of the global economy has contributed much to the saturation or maturity of the machineries market. It is now very difficult to get a new sales orders from construction and commercial companies that need the Caterpillar products. ... Presently there are fifty five major players in the machineries business. Caterpillar occupies the number one spot because it has been in operation for the past forty years. Caterpillar equipments are in demand worldwide because it has gained the trust and confidence of its many clients. Caterpillar is known for products that are of quality and durability but also versatile. The sales people of Caterpillar are very adept at product demonstrations of their machineries and this is another big contributory factor to the success of Caterpillar. (www.bplans.com) According to Daniels, a strategic planning group, a mature company, like Caterpillar, is placed in a situation where there is very sales growth resulting to stagnant, decreasing or even break even sales. Since there are many competitors to fill the needs of only a few markets, then the selling prices will most likely not increase. Companies in the mature market economy like Caterpillar are mostly using more aggressive price, service and quality that is in tune with the customers' wishes. Since the market is tight, there is lesser elbow room to move up in terms of sales and quality services. For mature companies like Caterpillar(Sussland,2000) to grow more, growth opportunities have to be continuously discovered and implemented. This can be done thru surveys, and research and development. Another strategy is to develop an organizational structure that will fit the ever changing marketing environment. This means that there will be a ready flexible support team that Caterpillar is well known for in order to help the Caterpillar clients in every problem situation. Another strategy is revise the internal costing procedures in order to minimize costs and expenses. When expenses are lessened, then net income

Job - Specific Orientation Plan (Care Giver) Essay

Job - Specific Orientation Plan (Care Giver) - Essay Example The Plan The first step during the orientation shall involve provision of the employees with a handout; this document shall include all the fundamental knowledge that shall guide the new employees during the orientation. The handout shall cover specifically; basic instructions that the new employee shall be required to acquaint her/him with. Additionally, within the handout there shall be information concerning time schedule of the orientation: That is, time allocated for each activity of the orientation process. Consequently, the handout shall provide the employee with the knowledge on who is responsible for provision of guidance during the orientation. Informative notes on a variety of pertinent topics relating to the job shall be included in the handout in order to facilitate the orientation process. The information contained in the handout shall be arranged I respect to each orientation activity and shall be followed strictly. This will ensure that time is not wasted due to confu sions on which program should be covered. In order to ensure that the employees are equipped with all the necessary knowledge concerning the job, they shall be provided with reference documents. This shall act as the employee handbook. It shall contain information concerning the definition as well as description of the employment status of the new job. Additionally, this document shall contain information concerning the employee’s code of conduct: Service and patient’s concerns, how to handle confidential data, integrity of records and reporting mechanisms. The reference document shall also provide the employee with data related to benefits (workers compensation). Further information shall be provided on the reference document concerning hours of work such as; reporting time and leaving time, absenteeism and specific time to conduct a particular duty. Other information that shall be included in the reference document is: Dress code, punctuality,

Special School District Essay Example for Free

Special School District Essay Clare Foley, an eleven year- old, is suffering from mild mental disorder. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Special School District of St. Louis Country (SSD) should provide special education for children with disabilities in public schools (153 F. 3d 863). However, due to proximity, Clares parents transferred her to St. Peters Catholic School. It is also required that she has to undergo occupational, physical, and language therapy. These were among the demands of Clare’s parents to the SSD. SSD, on their part, denied the request because they claim that the statute restrains them from providing special educational services to private schools. Instead, they offered dual enrolment for Clare whereby she has to travel from St. Peters to receive the services (153 F. 3d 863). However, Clares parents asked IDEA for due process hearing based on the amendment made in the Act wherein disabled children have rights to receive educational services even if enrolled in private schools. In hearing the case, the panel rejected the claim of Clares parents on the ground that IDEA prohibits educational services in a sectarian school. Issue: Does Clare has an individual right to request for special education from SSD despite the fact that she studies in a private school? Holding: The district court decided in favor of SSD based on the hearing panels findings. The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the district court. Reason: The hearing panel concluded that the IDEA does not require SSD to provide special education services at a private school (153 F. 3d 863). Moreover, the amendment stated that â€Å"SSD cannot pay the costs of special education services for a particular child† (153 F. 3d 863). However, the SSD is required to spend proportionate amount for a class of students. In the present case, Clare alone is asserting such right which has been granted only to a class of students. Significance: This case limits the responsibilities of the public school mandated to grant public educational services and the rights of the children with disabilities. It serves as a clear example that the special education is not absolute and for reason of fairness it cannot be granted to specific individuals. Reference Bulk. Resource. Org. (2008). Foley v. Special School District of St. Louis County. Retrieved June 5, 2008, from http://bulk. resource. org/courts. gov/c/F3/153/153. F3d. 863. 97-2419. html

Economic man vs islamic man

Economic man vs islamic man Economic Man Vs Islamic Man Abstract Modem economics presents a concept of economic man on the other hand Islam gives the idea of an Islamic man. The former is based on a materialistic approach in which the basic objective of life remains just to get maximum satisfaction and maximum profit or any other form of utility. Man lives only for these objective, which is completely less human level. On the other hand latter is based on believe of Allah and high moral values and present a much better way of life as compare to the former. 1. Introduction The term economic man was first used by Joseph Pseky1. Although it is a new concept in economics, but it is often associated with ideas of 18th century thinkers like Adam Smith and David Recordo etc. No doubt this concept in the raw form can easily be found in the writings of these thinkers, for example in the following quotation of Adam Smith, reflection of this modern concept can easily be found. He writes â€Å"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner but from their regard to their own interest†2. It means that in a more or less form it was exist, but recently it has taken a concrete form. This concept was developing to show the rational behavior of individual decision making units i.e. a consumer, a firm and an industry. On the same line the concept of an Islamic man can also be drawn from the teachings of Islam. At many places in Quran and Hadith characteristics of momineen are given, with the help of these qualitie s a concept of Islamic man can be derived. The basic objective of this paper is to analyze and compare these two concepts. For this purpose first the characteristics of an economic and Islamic man are discussed and then a comparison is made between these two. 2. An Economics Man The concept of economic man is one of the basic notions of modern economics. It is assumed that each individual in a capitalistic society, whether he / she are a consumer, investor, worker or businessman is motivated by economic forces, hence will always act to obtain the maximum satisfaction for the least sacrifice or cost. This maximum satisfaction take different forms e.g. it may be maximum profit for a businessman, leisure hours for a worker and maximum utility from the consumption of goods for a consumer etc. A consumer, a firm and an industry are the basic individual decision making units in a capitalist economy. Under this concept it is assumed that behavior of these units will be rational. Rational behavior means that, each of this unit wants to maximize his advantage. In the other words, when a consumer decides to purchase something he / she will spent all available resources in such a way that he / she will get maximum satisfaction from these items. If he / she dose the same then their behavior will be rational, and consumer will said to be in equilibrium position. In the other words achievement of maximum satisfaction is the primary goal of a consumer or economic man. In the same way when a firm decides to produce something in response of demand from consumers, then main objective of the firm will be to get maximum profit. For this purpose firm will made all efforts to maximize the difference between cost and selling price, so that she can get maximum profit. It will be rational beh avior of firm / man. The same situation is with industry, which is the collective name of all firms. In the same line a worker wants to maximize his / her leisure and so on. In this whole process there is no concept of God or moral values or the Day of Judgment or benefits of the others. The whole story is just based on me and my interest only, and no room is left for any moral values. Due to this situation an economic man is selfà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬centered and self interested personality and never thinks beyond his self interest3. The approach of economic man is completely materialistic and he / she is always busy in calculation of his / her profit / loss in monetary terms. To get maximum advantage of this worldly life, becomes his / her ultimate aim and do not have any concept of life after this life. This type of thinking naturally restricted his / her life just for today and there is no concept of long term benefits. 3. An Islamic Man The characteristics of an Islamic man can be derived from the qualities of momineen given in Quran and Hadith. At least in Quran more then sixty qualities are given in this regard. The term amale saleha is used for those activities which are required by Quran and Hadith from momineen. An amle saleh is any activity which results on the benefits of others or it creates equilibrium in the society or results on elimination of disequilibrium (Fasad) in the society. Since the limited scope of a paper cannot considerate the narration of all these characteristics, hence only the main qualities of momineen are discussed in following lines. 3.1 Iman (Believe) The first and the most important demand of Islam from momineen is that, they should have believe on Allah, His books, His prophets, angles and the Day of Judgment. It is not the righteousness that ye turn your faces to the east and the west; but the righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angles and the scripture and the prophets. (2:1 77) This believes create a significant change in his behavior and character, and changed the whole concept of life, and expands the scope of life. Man with iman lives with high moral values. Concept of life hereafter and accountability keeps him away from all bad activities. The activities which are harmful not for the society but also for that person who performs them. 3.2 Consent of Allah According to Quran, the basic objective of the life of momineen is to get the consent of Allah. Thou (0 Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship),seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. (48:29) For this purpose they follow all the orders of Quran and Hadith. 3.3 Fear of the Day of Judgment Another quality of momineen counted in Quran and Hadith is that, momineen keep hard believe on the Day of Judgment and accountability of that Day. This concept put them further away from each and every type of tyranny. 3.4 Living for the Others According to Quran momineen live for the others. They are always ready to sacrifice their current benefits for the betterment of others. Even they are personally needy people but in this condition also they sacrifice for the others. And find in their breasts no need for that which hath been given them but prefer (the refugees)above themselves though poverty become their lot. (59:9) 3.5 No Concept of Reward Quran said, the momineen never have any desire of reward or thanks, they all do it only for the consent of Allah. (Saying) we feed you for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you (76:9,) No materialistic reward is required by them. 3.5 Prohibition of Riba (Interest) Since riba (Interest) is strictly prohibited by Quran Hadith and momineen completely avoid the same, and do not involve in any such type of activity. 3.6 Infaq (Donation) One of the most important quality of momineen is that, they donate all of their income in the way of Allah which is beyond their requirements. And they ask thee what they ought to spend say: that which is beyond your requirement. (2:219) 3.7 Concept of Halal Haram Quran Hadith have restricted momineen from particular type of activities which are termed as haram. Momineen strictly avoid themselves from these actions. 3.8 Care of Poor People of Society In accordance with the orders of Quran Hadith momineen take care of poor people of society. And feed with food the needy wretch the orphan and the prisoner, for consent of Allah. (76:8). These are just a few characteristics of momineen described in Quran and Hadith which are specially mentioned because these are the base of comparison between these two concepts. 4. Comparison Between Economic Man Islamic Man In the light of above discussion it can be said that there is a wide difference between these two concepts. The main points in this regard are as follows. 4.1 Limited Wide Concept The concept of economic man is quite limited, which restricts the man just up-to this materialistic world, whereas an Islamic man has a quite wide horizon. He does not see the life just for this world but hereafter also, which will be a real and long lasting life. 4.2 Animal Human Level Economic man concept presents a just animal level of life, which is restricted to maximum satisfaction, profit or leisure etc., without any moral values. On the other hand Islamic man is a better concept which is based on high moral values and represents a human level of life. 4.3 Selfish and Opulent Way of Life Self benefit is the limit of economic man thinking, he cannot go beyond this boundary. On the other hand the objective of life of an Islamic man is to serve the others for the consent of Allah. 4.4 An Open Restrict Way of Life The economic man is completely free to do anything under the rules of state. No other bindings can be imposed on him. But an Islamic man is under the Devine rules as well as the regulations of state. 4.5 Preference of Today or Tomorrow The former man just believes on benefits of today and he is not ready to sacrifice his today for tomorrow. On the contrast Islamic man is always prefer the advantages of tomorrow by giving up the benefits of today. This is the reason that, a Muslim can easily sacrifice his life in Jehad (Fight in the way of Allah) whereas it is quite difficult for a Non-Muslim. Conclusion On the basis of above discussion it can be said that, the concept of Islamic man is much more superior then economic man. The latter is just a materialistic approach and completely barefoot from moral values. Negation of moral values put the human being on just animal level. This is the reason that, an economic man lives on animal level and just alive to get maximum satisfaction or profit or other advantages. No doubt he gets all these things in this world but in the life hereafter his share will be nil. On the other hand an Islamic man lives with the believe on Allah and high moral values. He lives on human level, he also gets the advantages of this life but with that, he will be in a much better position in the second life.

Implementing an Attendance System in 3AAA

Implementing an Attendance System in 3AAA Henry Brown Carry out a systems investigation on implementing an attendance system in 3AAA: Brief: Pyus Pyxidis have taken on a project to investigate the possible attendance systems to be used by 3AAA academy staff. The investigation should allow myself as an employee of PP, to research possible service providers, programs and ways of implementing a new attendance system for 3AAA. What is currently used?      Ã‚   Before starting my research into different products and services I needed to first find out what current media/service is used by 3AAA to conduct their attendance checks for pupils in their colleges across the country. The use of a hard copy may also limit the speed of passing the information along to the next representative in the company which you may not get with an online based system. When researching the new alternative I shall keep in mind the simplicity factor as well as the effective layout used. End User Investigation: The first stage to my investigation was to interview Andrew Maddison, the Leading Member in I.T. at 3AAA. I approached the interview in an organised way by using a question sheet which was prepared earlier. I highlighted important questions to ask Andrew so that I could make the most of my time with him. Fig.1. shows an image of the first page of the completed question paper. Below is a manuscript of the interview paper. Q: What would be your most valued feature in your current of documenting attendances? A:Needs to be simple and easy to understand. Keep the current format. Q: How much time is required to input your data into the document? A: Around 20 minutes. However, data has to sit around for up to 4 days before it is sent away to head office. Due to this no immediate action can be taken if there is a problem. Q: Does the time taken need to be addressed and or shortened? A: This could be dealt with by bringing in an online system. Possibly cloud based. This could be used with many different administrative rights to allow the right people to view the data. This could be achieved by using an independent online service. Conclusion: There was a lot of useful information gathered from the interview. Some of the main points drawn suggested that a cloud based service may be the best way to go with the project. This would also aid product function and efficiency in communication as well as speed and ease of implementation across the whole of 3AAA. Investigation of Services: This section of the investigation focuses on the service that would best suit the project. I will take into consideration price, ease of use and reliability of the service. In this section I looked at 5 of the top cloud based services which all had their positives and negatives. I worked the 5 down into the two best services to further compare which will aid in choosing the best option. The two options which I narrowed down where Microsofts Azure service and Amazons AWS. Microsoft Azure: Positives: Negatives: -Control: MA allows you to have access and Active Directory on the service. This allows more freedom and control. The service also allows for multiple administrative users who can all create amendments and have an input into the system. -The long-term trajectory is not very clear. There are possibilities of Microsoft not fully committing to the service down the road. -Platforms: Rival platforms and operating systems are supported on this system. -Microsoft are not innovators in the industry for this service. -Lifespan: Annual upgrades are in effect and will allow the service to work and run for a prolonged amount of time. The system should be supported for the next 10 years if not longer. -Open source applications do not have the same amount of support as Microsoft applications which can make it difficult in fault finding. Pricing: Microsoft Azure has been the cheapest option with both quoted prices being lower than AWS. The drop in prices over a two-year period shows how Microsoft are finding more efficient and cost effect ways to run their service. Amazon AWS: Positives Negatives -Features: The service offers very similar things to Microsoft Azure. -Outages: This service has a history of outages and can be unreliable. -Scalable: The service will allow for expansion very easily as it is like paying for water or gas. The Service can expand with the businesss needs. Speed: The download speeds from the service can sometimes be slow unless extra amounts are paid. -Costs: Can eliminate large IT overheads and be more cost effective by using this service. Transactions: These can become expensive and the user may even need to pay for activity as well as additional storage. Pricing: Conclusion: After an in-depth comparison of the two services I have decided to choose Microsoft Azure as my service provider for this investigation. I have based my choice on both features of Azure, the cost and the prospect of prolonged support. Azure offers a more competitive pricing package as well as offering better support for the site. The uptime and SLA packages are far superior to AWS making MS AZURE the right choice for the Register platform. MoSCoW Method: The MoSCoW method is a prioritisation technique used in business, project, web, analysis and a much larger array of management. The Method is very effective at helping the project leaders/managers in prioritising the most important factors. The work of prioritising the most important sections will help in the success of the project. For example if the priority of a project is to create a simple and effective design of a website that chooses function over aesthetic, then this can be easily highlighted in the MoSCoW method to make it easier to follow. So the project would show Must have: A well-functioning engine on the website to insure that the system functions to a high standard. Should have: A budget of  £200,000 or less. Could have: Offline features. Wont have: An instant messaging service. E.g. This method is good for working with time constraints as it allows the project manage to pick the most important aspects which MUST be completed. This then allows for other important but not as pivotal factors to be added to the other sections such as SHOULD and COULD. Many projects will say that they would like to have at least 60% effort put into the project as a minimum. (Even if time and resources are short the effort cannot drop below 60%) As the scale moves down to lesser priorities then 100% effort would be needed to achieve the lower options. Fig.7 (2017). 4.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017 (M) Must Have: These will be the fundamental requirements needed to ensure that the project can be a success. These areas have been highlighted by the client as important and integral functions. Priority Requirements Specification 1 Simple and easy to use Keep design simple yet still stylish as well as keep the tools/buttons as clear as possible. 2 Permissions for different staff This is to prevent unauthorised access to certain files, settings and other areas which can be effected. 3 Encryption and Security SSL level encryption will be used to protect the students data and the system will be locked down to prevent an unauthorised access or hacking. 4 Homepage and Dashboard This will be used to make it easier to navigate the website and improve the function (S) Should Have: These requirements are not as important or as critical as the ones previous. They are still an important part of the project however they are not critical. Due to tight time frames Should specifications can be held back till another time or fit in after the Must have been completed. Priority Requirements Specification 1 The budget of the project should be  £200,000 Keep costs down where possible and meet deadlines to ensure no further costs are added due to delays. (Client specified to keep below  £200,000 if possible) 2 The project will have a 6 month timeline The client needs the system to be up and running by the end of August 2017. 3 The system will use both off the shelf products and custom made services The blend of custom and off the shelf will ensure that the system will suit the specific needs of the client as well as help to keep the cost down at the same time. 4 Colour coding system will be used for present, Absent and Late etc. This will show an easy to understand visual representation as well as written e.g. P,A and L will be used to represent the different options as well as the colours. (C) Could Have: Requirements in this section are to be done if the right resources are available and if the client decides for more options. These are not as important as the other two sections above and are only to be attempted once the two previous sections have been completed. Priority Requirements Specification 1 Vibrant colour scheme Colour scheme will make it easier to navigate and add a more aesthetic feel to the site. 2 Colour coding Colour coding within the register itself will make it easier to read and understand. 3 Dropdown menus This would make it easier to navigate the site and reach the different areas faster. 4 Flag inactive users The administrator can be informed of inactivity of users. (W) Wont Have: This requirement is something that is not necessarily needed for this project and will ultimately be decided by the client stakeholders in the future to see if it is needed in an extension of the same project. Priority Requirements Specification 1 Instant messaging service This is an expensive and time consuming service to create and set up. 3AAA already have ways of communicating so this wont be needed. Lifecycle: I have chosen to use the Agile Lifecycle model for this investigation as it has many useful features which would insure a successful implementation of the service to 3AAA. This project would need a tailored plan to correctly implement successfully, the iteration feature in this lifecycle model would allow for safe checks and various demo releases to be tested before the system in launched. Fig.6. shows a detailed diagram of the Agile Lifecycle Model with the relevant sections and detailed iterations. The Agile development cycle would work extremely well to meet the needs of the project. The multiple iterations of the cycle will allow the development process to be as effective as possible. The cycle will be very effective for the projects timescale of 6 months as it allows the developers plenty of time and iterations to get the system working as effectively as possible. The agile cycle allows the project managers to break the project down itself into smaller and more manageable areas. This works hand in hand with the MoSCoW project and will make the project more scalable to the team creating it. The different sections of the MoSCoW theory will work very well with the cycles iterations to ensure each stage Must, Should, Could etc. are completed in the correct order and to a level which will meet the clients expectations. Design Function: I have designed the website to run on an array of Internet Browsers however I have used screenshots from Google Chrome as the service works best on the specific browser. Below are a series of screenshots from the Beta copy of the proposed Attendance System. Login Prompt: This would be the primary interface for the users to gain access to the service. The 3AAA member of staff would simply need to search for https://www.3aaa.co.uk/login/attendance-register in their browser to reach this page. The member of staff would use a unique login name such as J_Smith for example to login. The password would be customisable by the user to best insure security for that users online profile. (The password change feature can be found in the settings tab on the drop down menu at the top of the page.) Particular members of staff would have Admin rights to the service to allow for editing, new menus and features to be added. This means that the webpage can be maintained correctly and work as it should. Staff with Administrative rights will have a slightly different colour scheme to indicate the users rights on the page so that it would be easily to identify the different users. For example, an Administrative user would have a red band at the top of the page just above the drop down menu. Overview: Once the user has successfully gained access to the service they would usually navigate from the home page to the Register area via the drop down menu. Once in the Register area the page will default to the Overview section. The Overview section shows a detailed overview of the students in the staff members selected class. The data provided is the students ID number, Name, Days present as well as a chart to the far right showing how many days absent, present and if they were present in the Am and or PM sessions. Register: This section allows the staff member to input the data to the online system. It is easy to follow and use as the user can simply place a Y to present a tick and an N to show a cross in the wanted box. This service allows a real time update to 3AAAs records which will be stored on Microsoft Azure protected servers. The live update allows 3AAA staff members to receive updates from all of the colleges across the UK at the same time to keep their records up to date. Report: The Report section shows a detailed report of a specifically chosen learner from the academy/college. A full term for the learner can be viewed and displayed with further options to edit from certain staff members. This section shows a column with how many days have been missed by the pupil as well as days present. Different students can be selected easily and various information can be seen about the learner such as guardians, student ID numbers and DOB. Student List: This section shows the current pupils of the staff member. Much like the report section, details and information about students are displayed. Information about students can be altered in the Edit tab as well as new students can be added through this feature. Other sections are available such as Download, Comments and Edit, however they are relevant to this investigation and a normal feature which is seen on many different sites. Conclusion: The Beta is still a work in progress however I believe I have achieved the desired design, functional and usability features requested by 3AAA. I have followed a 3AAA colour scheme to fit in with other websites and products promoted by the company. The prototype/demo of the online system can be seen above. Below is a further update to the online system after the Agile cycle was followed again. The project was cycled another three times to refine the sites functionality and aesthetics. The site has maintained many of the positive aspects of the beta and prototype however the site has been created to appear more user friendly and more professional. See shots of the site below. Mobile Access: The site can also be accessed via mobile devices. This is to make the function and use as simple as possible for the users and students. The teachers can use this feature too however it is primarily created so that the students can access it whilst in break out rooms or when they are first entering the college so that the register times are as accurate as physically possible. This will allow for reports to be sent back to head office as soon as possible so that there are no delays.   The mobile site uses a very similar layout to the browser version however it is slightly adapted to best fit the mobile browsers and thus make the function and design more accessible to the users and students. Below is screenshots from a mobile device showing the site loaded into a browser. Implementation: In this section I will look at the ways I can implement this service across the company. I must investigate the ways 3AAA currently distribute data and follow a similar path. Due to fact I have based the attendance system on a cloud based service there will be no need for software packs to distributed around which many attendance systems are based on. This process can be fairly expensive and the problem of 3AAAs hardware in their sites could cause a problem. The auditing process would also be very lengthy. This confirms that the cloud based platform may be the best way to go for the system. The service is well looked after by Microsoft as it is part of package. Another added perk in the service is that more server space can be purchased easily if the site ever needed expanding. Conclusion: This concludes this investigation into a new attendance system for 3AAA. I have covered the customers requirements, researched a service provider, developed a function able webpage to use as an attendance system and described the implementation procedure I plan to follow. The system has been designed to make the day to day function of signing in/marking the register easier for both the teachers and students. The website can be reached by both computer and mobile devices to make it as simple as possible for the students to access the site to sign in and use it. The register will be implemented gradually by using both Medias at the same time to ensure that it is working correctly before finishing with the paper and pen copies. This will ensure that accurate registers are still sent to head office and the users and students can be integrated into the system effectively. 3aaa have over 50+ academy sites around the UK with thousands of learners who attend on a frequent basis. This means that the system must be as full proof as possible to ensure an effective transition in the academies. The ease of use of having the system on the students mobile devices will ensure that the sign in process is as accurate as possible due to the speed in which the students can access the site through a mobile web page and log on. This process will allow for an accurate time stamp as the learners arrive to site as opposed to waiting until they were behind their desks to log on to the desktop site which would not be until after college had started at around 9:15 and would give a false reading. The system would also have all the information needed for students to contact the academy and individuals inside the academy. The students can use options on the site to report illness or and general absences. This can also be done through their mobile devices as well as a desktop browser. This will allow for staff at the college to know if a learner will be attending or not as soon as possible and will avoid any delays for 3aaa. Reference Screenshots: References: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6730-best-time-and-attendance-systems.html https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/services/sql-database/ https://www.syntaxismyui.com/taking-attendance-with-xamarin-beacons-and-microsoft-azure/ https://xamarin.com/ http://www.slideshare.net/kcsq8/kuwait-computer-servicesibatimeattendancebrochureen https://xamarin.com/download http://npifinancial.com/blog/pros-and-cons-digging-into-amazon-web-services/ http://geekswithblogs.net/hroggero/archive/2015/08/12/sample-pricing-comparison-2-amazon-aws-and-microsoft-azure.aspx Www.Google.com www.3aaa.co.uk  Ã‚  

Animal Testing is Wrong Essay -- Ethics Science Essays

Animal Testing and Why it is Wrong Imagine a cold dark room with cages lined against the walls. The living creatures echo throughout the building as if the entrapped animals are able to sense their fate. Lying on a table are several rabbits strapped down with tiny cups attached to their bellies. These rabbits go through an enormous amount of pain due to the fact that they are not given painkillers of any sort. Sadly, these animals are being used for scientific experimentation. It is a debate that has taken place for several years and it continues to be an ongoing battle. Do animals have rights and is animal testing wrong. In 1824 The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in England was formed and since then there have been debate after debate on animal rights. In the past, it was only an issue of the human treatment toward work animals and house hold pets. Now organizations, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have formed in hopes to stop scientific experimentation on anima ls. According to be poll by the Associated Press in November 1995, two-thirds of all Americans believer that animals have just as much right to live without suffering as humans. What do you believe? Is animal research ethical, is it accurate, and are there other methods available to take the place of animal research? Animals are being mistreated and there in no need for it. There are too many other options available for research which is more accurate and humane. Animal testing still an option/Types of test being used Although animal research is not used as much, the number of animals being used remains substantial, with estimates ranging anywhere from 10 million to over 100 million per... ...uk/science/hottopics/animalexperiments/index.shtml Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, John Hopkins University. (2003) Retrieved April 4, 2004 from http://caat.jhsph.edu/ National Anti-Vivisection Society. Animals in product testing. Animals in Education. Animals in Scientific Research. (2001). Retrieved April 4, 2004 from http://navs.org Macy, David. CQ Researcher. Fighting Over animal Rights. August 2, 1996. Retrived April 14, 2004 from http://www.morehead-st.edu:2125/cqresearcher/document Fox, Katrina. Nexus Magazine. The Human Cost of Animal Experiments. (2001) retrieved April 14, 2004 from http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/animaltesting.html Barnard, Neal and Kaufman, Stephen. Animal Research is Wasteful and Misleading. Retrieved April 12, 2004 from http://www.members.iinet.au/~rabbit/expmilg.html

General Motors Essay -- Auto Industry

US automobile industry began at the end of the 1800’s and by the 1890’s one out of seven jobs and one out of six businesses owed their existence to the automobile. Also this industry was the largest single customer for many raw materials but now With analysts debating whether or not the American economy is already in a recession, the big three automakers in the US especially General Motors are sharply scaling back production. The facts described by Danny Hakim in an article (G.M. Sees a Loss Near $1 Billion; Stock Falls 14%) published in NYtimes on March 17, 2005 say that announcement by GM about losses of almost a billion dollars for last six month dropped its share to the lowest level in more than a decade. Also it is considered to be ever biggest single day loss since 1987, as GM’s share lost 35 points on Dow Jones. GM once considered as strongest among big three is now way behind in the race with the plans to cut off 10% production of cars in North America. Investors have lost their confidence in GM. Market researchers and analysts are also waving red flags. Main reasons for GM crisis are crucial home industry and increasing health care cost, as company is providing health coverage to almost 1.1 million people in America. Despite all these facts, company’s chief executive Mr. Wagoner has neither yet announced any serious plans to overcome this situation nor has he shown any intention to change their corporate strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Globalization is the first concept which c...

Importance of open book assessments Essay

An â€Å"open book examination† is one in which examinees are allowed to consult their class notes, textbooks, and other approved material while answering questions. It is ideally suited to teaching programmes that especially aim at developing the skills of critical and creative thinking In order to appreciate the merits of open book examinations, it is first of all necessary to understand the nature of teaching programmes in general. Most conventional examinations test how much information the students have been able to store in their minds. In order to cope with this demand, students memorize the information in class notes and textbooks, and transfer it to answer books during the examination. In this type of examination, success depends on the quantity of information memorized, and the efficiency with which it is reproduced. Does this leads to creative thinking? Noooo†¦ This is where open book examinations come in. Open book examinations Provides a chance for students to acquire the knowledge during the preparation process of gathering suitable learning materials rather than simply recalling or rewriting it. It Enhances information retrieval skills of students through finding the efficient ways to get the necessary information and data from books and various resources Also it enhances the comprehension and synthesizing skills of students because they need to reduce the content of books and other study materials into simple and handy notes for examination A more important reason for using open book examinations is that they have a tremendous impact on promoting the right mental sets in both learning and teaching. The most immediate result on students will be that they will stop â€Å"mugging† or rote learning. Most students used to conventional examinations think of â€Å"studying† as the mechanical memorization of information in textbooks and class notes in order to reproduce it in examinations. Open book examinations will effect a fundamental change in this attitude. If textbooks can be consulted in the examination rooms, why bother to memorize them? Does this mean that students don’t need to â€Å"study† for examinations? No. It implies that studying should not be equated with memorizing; instead, it should be of understanding concepts, and using these concepts (along with available information) to practice the skills of modifying and building knowledge, thinking critically, and solving problems. In acquiring the right strategies of studying, nothing is as effective as the shocking realization that mugging is of no use in the examinations. Given open book examinations, there will be no more mugging. Once the burden of mugging is taken away, education can be a pleasurable activity, not a painful drudgery. What is learnt with pleasure is learnt more effectively, and retained better.

Narrative Written in the Perspective of a Holocaust Victim

Margot Heuman February 17, 1928 Hellenthal, Germany http//www. museumoftolerance. com/ range/apps/nlnet/content2. aspx? c=tmL6KfNVLtH&b=5759983&ct=7872847 In early 1942, 14-year old Margot and her family were arrested, being displace to the in that locationsiestadt ghettos in Czechoslovakia. Her family was non separated until later(prenominal) when they were transported to Auschwitz. Seen One Day, Gone Anformer(a) Ive gravel emotionless, knowing the in timets that occur around me. financial backing in the ghettos in 1942 is hell for me and invariablyyone here, our lives check be produce a routine of striver labor and starvation.My sister and I relieve oneself hard to produce anything our ruthless enemies want, in the hopes of getting another ration of bread. They drop dead us to the bones in the factory till dusk. After being outrageously worn out, sweating away our lives at the factory, my stomach screams of hunger. Like a people of starved lions being released and pl enty toward their preferent prey, I olfactory perception the hunger simmering inside of me. I rush toward the already-forming debate for nutrition. I reach the front of the line, grabbing a single slice of bread- the however dinner we be allowed.As I scold the tiny slice, I can guts the dry sourdough bread scratching my throat, like sand paper to wood. The pain that over bows my consistence is unbearable, yet the thought of my beating snapper that still circulates brings me joy after all, this could be my decease day alive. Standing with my family, we confabulation of the old geezerhood the days when we were not starving for air or food, the days back in Hellenthal, Germany, I cut ingest your cooking, mommama. Your food always makes me happy. said cognition, with as much breath as her corpse can allow, for her breath is weak and varnished with smoke.She is the youngest in my family, making it hard to let off to her what is happening in her purport. Being fiftee n, even I understand the serious changes that cod been made to our lives. I know darling, dont worry. You atomic number 18 here with us. Everything is alright. But you work to understand, life is different now. Things most likely volition neer return to the way they at once were, my moms delineate-in remind me of the life I impart neer serve again. My physical structure fills of distress. Yes, my young Margot, my dear intuition, your mother and I do not political program to bestow either of you anytime soon.We ar here with you by dint of this, we promise, my dad agrees as we finish our bread. As I lay in my flow that night, my thoughts ar nothing hardly hateful, transmit for when I think of what my parents told me at dinner, that only fills me with depression. What does Hitler know? All he has created is a world of death. My thoughts only connect to my evil for him. Why did he do this to us? What have we done to him to deserve such(prenominal) grand torture? As I think of the reasons why he would plan such an event, I look my corpse sink into my bunk, falling into an intense slumber, aquaphobic for the next days events.Praying for another day alive- I fall into a deep quietness that is only due to my over-worked body. As I wake up the next morning, I look the sun beaming down on my struggle. Feeling my body decaying, my skin burns at the sight of the man-sized sun through the wood planks of our prison. at once the ideal camping ground is awake, I judge Franz, the general of our camp scream the words that always send shivers down my spine, excerption TONIGHT he barks to us all, in the harshest tone I have ever heard from him. I feel the entire camps collective gasp.As everyone falls into a fit of worry, I gallop to come active perception through the hundreds of children who ponder their existence. I break my fragile sister flock in the corner, scared for her life- she is trembling. I run to her aide knowing she use ups me at her side. After finding her, the SS guards scream for govern and silence. We jump from our places when we hear the barking demands, afraid of the blows that would come from their mallets if they find need to yell again. We both run out together to find mom and dad.Once we found the other remaining members of our family, we wait to find new-fashioned directions from our camp leaders. I wonder whats going to happen. It always scares me when we have selections. Lore confesses to us as we wait to be told where to stand. Franzs harsh words brought us undesired fright throughout the next pit minutes. We are constantly scared for our well-beings, but on the days of selections, our worries triple. Who had I seen for the sound time at the factory yesterday? Who from my past life, go out be interpreted to the afterlife?These and many other thoughts standpoint my brains until I find the ultimate devotion Is this my turn? Will they call my number, and it will be my last day? As t he sun light glistens in the far sky, my family and I decide to pray beforehand the selection charter downs, but right as my father begins the starting words of the prayer, there is a loud commotion. Thunderous let out came from Franz and the guards. The selection is beginning earlier whence we had expected. We jump into our formation as quick as possible. I keep Lore close to me, thinking it would help our chances.Mom is being pushed toward the adult women line, and dad is order over with the men. I feel my brass ripping at the seams. Suddenly, I could feel Lore trembling in my arms, Dont worry. Everything will be fine. I assured her as a bend to whisper in her ear. I pray my words of pouf are correct. Before the selection starts, Franz explains that the ghettos are being completely demolished. He announced that there will be a address departing at the end of selection, stellar(a) the selected to a new concentration camp Auschwitz.We all wonder what horrors or dreams take place this camp. Is it anything like here? There are only ii options, Auschwitz or death. Which is better, God? To begin selection, the general screams orders to the men, coitus nigh of them to get on the train, and others to file away into another line. That line is the one that no one wants to join, the line that leads to the walk of death. As the women are selected, the anxiousness in my chest begins to race. It is almost our turn. I cant see what is happening to the adults, and I in spades cant see my parents any more.I have no clue where my parents have been sent. The general finishes with the women, and slowing his strides aim towards us, the despicable defenseless children. It all happens so quick, everyone is selected at a rapid pace Lore and I are still in working-shape, so we are sent on the train, lucky to live one more day. Many of our friends have been brought to the train similarly, which is a blessing. As we settle into our spots on the train, I feel a fr osty tug on my ragged t-shirt, it was Lore, Where are mommy and daddy? Her simple and unhinged question sent me into a downwards spiral.Lost in my happiness at surviving, I had forgotten to check on the whereabouts of my parents. Increasing my worry I cursorily look around the train, for any household of them. They arent here. There arent anywhere. There were only two lines created at the selection, one for Auschwitz and one for. I suddenly fool where they had vanished to. I feel heart drop to the bottom of my adept they are gone. neer to be seen again. neer to laugh with again. Never to see their buoyant faces when I wake up in the morning. Never to run to them when in need. Never to provide protection.As I realise what the circumstances that surround me, I feel Lores presence on my side as she waits for an answer. How do I explain to her that she will never see them again? How do I explain that she will never taste the appetizing dishes mom would set on her placemat at dinner? How do I explain she will never play baseball with dad in the yard again? How? But, under my depression, I cant help but feel a glimpse of relief, for my sister and I are still alive and together. As weeping stream down my eyes, I realize Lore will always need me at her side.Yet I also know, she must now hear some of the hardest words, she will ever hear. I sack my throat to portray a sense of composure, to tell of the events that have happened within the last twenty minutes. As I begin the tale, the trains horn blows and I can see the sun setting in the blank space out the window of the train. Just xxiv hours ago, I was standing with my parents talking about how they will always be there to help us. Now Im left in charge. As I build up the courage to take on this new-found responsibility, I feel the train slowly begin our ride, our newest journey, to Auschwitz.

Simulation of Personal Emotion Experience

Reeves & NAS (1996) showed t don humans like to slide by with data answerors as they do with the great unwashed. Softw be drills which all(prenominal) overwhelm stumpers of sensational processes argon requiremented to mannikin the social and cognitional aspects of human-machine fundamental inter exercise. Ext extirpateing classic abdominal aortic aneurysm and logic by adding simulated perceptions sack be useful to improve the exploiters appliance in me real bearings. This chapter depart turn in a brief overview of existing solutions and seats apply for artificial perceptions (AWE) and present a fiction seat of sense simulation ( honestx).Empirical data bequeath be reported on its per public figureance, e excessly the occurrence of feelings, in a game surround. This chapter concludes with a comment on the usefulness of separating abdominal aortic aneurysm and AWE engendering novel advances in cognitive neuroscience. 2. postures for artificial emotion s 2. 1 Historical roots The ass motto what might fuck off been the runner upset some emotions and artificial intelligence. The main and as we know now closely main(prenominal) gunpoint was that purely cognitive systems lacked emotions, which potently influence human thought processes.. twain of the mannikins that emerged at that meter will be described here.Simonys interrupt system Herbert Simon was the first to propose that emotions should be part of a position of cognitive processes (Simon, 1967). His intention was to add a theoretical inundation for a system incorporating emotions and sextuple finishings. Within this system, consequential processes could be interrupted so that very oft(prenominal) than than at run awayance went into satisfying authoritative postulate (e. G. Hunger, safety). Herbert Simon imagined two par to distributively(prenominal) hotshotel systems, unitary intentional to achieve finales (cognition, planning) and wholeness ob divine service the environment for pull d causets that convey immediate attention (emotions).Indeed, the opening night of interrupting menstruation cognitive processes is 2 lean of the book (Header identify 1,5) vital for survival, as it give vogues it potential to react to threats, tho withal to pay much attention to geniuss purlieu when a threat is judge. Todays Fungus Eater separate step towards a guess for the calculator modeling of emotions was made by the psychologist mason batrachian (Toad, 1982) between 1961 and 1980, with a model called the Fungus Eater. This model leave aloneed in the design of an main(a) robot system and partial executings.At first, Toad totally wanted to create a scenario for a cognitive system that would require concentrating on multiple issues at the alike sequence. In this scenario, the task was collecting as such(prenominal) ore as potential with the sponsor of a mining robot. Operating his robot required energy that co uld only be gained by collecting a special fungus. Additionally, opposite Fungus Eaters were competing for the identical resources, and then do the scenario much complicated. Toad came to the conclusion that in suppose to survive on their own, these Fungus Eaters would lease to consume emotions and to be partly controlled by them.However, Toad named them urges rather of emotions and on hand-to-hand examination, it is appargonnt that virtually of these argon tangible emotions like joy or anger, slice former(a)s argon unavoidably, goals or motives (e. G. Hunger). 2. 2 supposititious nuzzle and recent models at that place atomic recite 18 roughly triple argonas where emotion models atomic number 18 apply. Artificial emotions (AWE) potentiometer be utilize to improve fuss-solving in composite environments, as in the early approaches mentioned above. Emotion models tin bunghole alike be employ to rise psychological emotion theories in experiments apply controlled scenarios.Finally, emotions argon essential to crystallize computer characters more plausible. Emotion models which synthesize and mouth emotions ar necessary to make AAA characters more human- like. These models will be the steering of the next slits as they have godly our own emotional model. The or so potent theoretical approach, coco, will be presented in detail, as it is the cornerstone of many computational models of emotion. Then, threesome interesting recent models ar briefly described. coco palm a theoretical approach to simulate emotions The cocoanut model by Retort, Color and Collins is an emotion theory ground on approximation which was explicitly developed to offer a launching for artificial emotion systems (Retort, Color, & Collins, 1988). Its authors succeeded as it animate many innovational models and approaches to artificial emotions. The basis of the model is that emotions be reactions to the attri bargonlyes of objects, to vents or to actions. logical argument that internal effects (like bodily sensations or memories) which be a part of nigh modern emotion theories argon neglected in the COCO approach.Objects, events and actions are evaluated in an judgement process found on limited criteria, and result in multiple emotions of divers(prenominal) intensities. Figure 1 gives an overview of the COCO approach. recollect of the aspects of objects requires the ingredient to have attitudes (tastes or preferences) in order to decide whether the object is agreeablely or non. This assessment process results in any love or hate. Chapter name (Header position 1,5) 3 Fig. 1. The COCO model Events, or rather consequences of events, are appraised by analyzing their furbish up on the promoters goals. This deposits the sex appeal of events.The stratum of desirability depends on how much nestled to or further away from achieving the goal the agent will be later the event. The emotions of triumph and distress are convey results of desirable and undesirable events, come acrossing the consequences they have for the agent himself. Some emotions, like for moral pity, are pioneered when processing events that have consequences for an separate(a)(prenominal) agents. An place issue is whether this estimation should be establish upon the agents own goals or rather the antithetic agents goals. How much should an agent be sympathetic if an another(prenominal) one looses something that is not primary(prenominal) to the first agent?In an prove to solve this issue, abstract goals were introduced (such as for example, not losing property). It eventually became clear that it is really authoritative to keep the goals general and abstract, to avoid having to situate too many specialized goals. The emotions triggered by reacting to other agents safe or destructive fortune depend on how healthy-wish they are. other agents with child(p) fortune thunder mug trigger pity or gloating, plot of ground well-chosen events gage result in either sense of happiness or of rancour, depending on the race between the agents.Appraising an event also means evaluating its candidates hoping or fearing that something will or will not occur. Prospect- base emotions include confusion and relief. The intensiveness of these emotions is usually found on the impregnation of the preceding hope or fear. The criterion utilize to appraise the actions of agents is their laudableness, which is establish on the agents standards. Generally, praiseworthy actions cause pride and blameworthy actions cause shame, if the agent himself is the one acting.When the actions of other agents are 4 appraised, the emotions triggered are admiration or reproach. Standards bed be as complex as attitudes (aspects of objects) and goals (consequences of events), and are almost as subjective and single. Again, the problem of listing them was solved by describing actions in an abstract wa y. An interesting phenomenon is the ability of feeling proud or ashamed of person elses actions. Simply put, the closer an agent feels tie in to the acting agent(s), the more he will identify with him in assess is actions.Examples of this phenomenon (called the force out of the cognitive unit) can course from parents universe proud of their child to soccer fans creation ashamed of their teams performance. One of the many working implementations of COCO is the model by stapling machine & PETA (1999). They constructed a virtual agent which emotion architecture links discrete emotions categories to 14 action response categories, comprising a orotund range of psyche actions. The COCO emotion model is also partly congruent with Nice Frieds renewed theory of emotions (Afraid, 1986). For more details on emotion theory, suck up Trace & Kessler (2003).Artificial Emotion Engine The count on of the Emotion Engine (E) is to control the carriage of an artificial agent in complex sce narios. It is made of three layers- emotions, imagination and record (Wilson, 2000). If an emotion is triggered, the actions will be ground on this emotion. When emotions are not triggered, the railway locomotive bases its actions on the current wittiness when no mood is activated, hence nature serve wells as a basis for behavior. The emotion engine is based on the slant model, which is a third-dimensional outer billet, describing temperament indications in basis of extroversion, Fear and Aggression.Within this space, an area around the point signifying an artificial agents genius is determined and all traits located inside this area are considered to be available to the specific character. For Wilson, the FEE is congruent with the three central systems of the human brain which jibe to Gray (Gray & McLaughlin, 1996) determine behavior the Approach system, the Behavior forbiddance system and the Fight/Flight system. These three elementary dimensions are intuitive , which makes programming easy. dissimilar personalities trigger some moods more ofttimestimes than others extroversion s relate to good moods, and fear to nix moods.Aggression affects the speed of mood changes. Reward and punishment signals work as the main foreplays, and this is comparable with the desirability of events in COCO. Inputs are adjusted based on constitution, tacit also on how frequently this input occurred forward. An agent can ask use to a certain input, and this measly gearers the impact it will eventually have (habituation). On the contrary, a rare or scarce input will have more effect (novelty). Needs are make hierarchically. Physiological needs, such as hunger, thirst, and the need for warmth and energy are the most principal(prenominal).Each of these needs can become a priority, as when for example a very sharp-set agent will consider eating as his most important goal. Safety, affiliation and esteem needs are the remaining layers. While physiol ogical needs are the most important, the order of the other layers can vary, depending on what is more important to the agent. Memory is very limited an agent only remembers how much he likes the other agents. In the akin way, in COCO, kind-heartedness is used to cause different emotions for liked and disliked entities. Only the six basic emotions of fear, anger, Joy, sadness, disgust and surprise can be triggered.This might appear like a limited selection compared to the 24 emotions of COCO, but given the re diligent agent nature of emotions in this model (working without inner events and 5 triggers) and since some emotion theorists consider the broad spectrum of emotions as mixtures of these basic emotions, this is quite a rational choice. Personality is used to adjust the intensity or the frequency of the occurrence of emotions, so that a character with personality that is minor in Fear will alone not experience as much fear as others. blaze The Fuzzy system of logic Adap tive ideal of Emotion (FLAME) is partially based on COCO, but hat differentiates FLAME from other models is the use of addled logic. This results in a relatively childly appraisal process. FLAME can shuffle multiple emotions at the equal time (in a process called emotional filtering), as emotions at times quash one another. For example, imagine an agent feeling Joy and pride because he Just obtained a new position, but who at the same time feels anger, because a relative of the stump of the company was given a senior higher(prenominal) position than himself. At this point, his anger may prevent him from feeling joy any longer.When opposite emotions occur, FLAME lets the faster emotion inhibit the weaker one(s), giving a slightly stronger burden to negative emotions. Another way to compensate conflicting emotions is by dint of mood, which is determined by comparing the intensities of appointed and negative emotions over the last few steps. If the summed up intensities of confirming emotions are higher than that of the negative emotions, then the mood will be overbearing. If a positive and a negative emotion of comparable intensities occur at the same time, the mood determines which of these emotions will inhibit the other one.As in that location is brusk research about the decompose of emotions, FLAME uses a wide constant cay, though positive emotions decay faster than negative emotions. FLAME does not make it possible to implement an agents personality instead, differences in behavior are created finished culture. For example, an agent may learn that reacting in an angry way will change him to reach his goals, thus enticing him to be more choleric. FLAME implements multiple symbols of acquirement, such as classical conditioning (associating expectations with objects) which occurs in many situations, triggering fear or hope.Another type of learning is learning about consequences of actions or events. This is simple whenever an action d irectly causes a result. For example, learning that eating will result in feeling less hungry is rather trivial. In the case of more complex causal relations over time, FLAME is exploitation Q-learning, a form of reinforcement learning. Another form of learning, quite similar to model learning, is the ability to make love patterns in the behavior of a user by observing sequences of actions. For this type of learning, FLAME only if counts the occurrences of sequences.The last type of learning in FLAME, but one of the most important, is learning about the value of actions. call stern that COCO relies on the praiseworthiness of actions, which is based on the agents standards. In FLAME, these standards are not predefined knowledge, but they are learned from the interaction between users. use learning instead of predefined knowledge seems like a very sensible way to avoid most of the troubling issues that come with using COCO. Additionally, learning allows agents to adjust, which m akes them all the more believable.ALMA The intention in designing A Layered Model of Affect (ALMA) was to control agents in informal scenarios. In interactive game or learning environments, the artificial harassers display facial expressions of emotions and moods through their postures to 6 appear more believable. Emotions, moods and personalities are implemented and interact with each other. Events and actions are described in scathe of abstract tags which are then evaluated during the appraisal process and describe things like for example the expressed emotion or apparent motion accompanying an action or simply if something is a good or bad event.As ALMA is aimed at conversations, an action is often a renderment. Hence, there are tags to describe the kind of statement, for example if it was an insult or a compliment. In addition, ALMA requires defining personality visiblenesss for each agent. Essentially, these profiles already contain the desirability and praiseworthiness th e agent assigns to certain tags. Since our own emotion model shares some features with ALMA (see below) a mention difference should be pointed out. In simplex we considered it impractical to explicitly specify this information, as this would have limited the model to a small number of agents.So instead of using tags, our model requires to specify goals and their priorities for an agent, where generic goals can be used for all agents. Events withal need to be scribed in a special way, but this is reduced too relatively objective list of which agents goals are unnatural and in which way. All other information like praiseworthiness is mechanically derived from this and the agents personality. Although this approach is providing less control over an agents appraisal process, it is better suited for a generic system meant to be used with minimal extra effort. 3. simplex disguise of Personal Emotion fuck off 3. Overview unidirectional is a context-independent staff to create emoti ons as a result of primary application (environment) events. Goals, emotions, mood-states, personality, memory and relationships between agents have been graven so they could interact as in real life. Figure 2 shows an overview of the model. SIMPLEX is based on the COCO model by Retort, Color and Collins (1988) in that it creates discrete emotions by appraising events based on the desirability of their consequences and the praiseworthiness of the actions of agents. The appraisal process was modified by including the personality of virtual agents.The personality component is based on the Five instrument Model (FM) introduced by psychologists McCrae & Costa (1987), which includes extroversion, painstakingness, agreeableness, psychoneurotics and openness. The personality mental faculty influences the emotion module on multiple levels during appraisal processes and in the development of mood-states. opposite important aspects of the model are mood-states and relationships. Mood- st ates are represented in a three-dimensional space which dimensions are pleasure, arousal and command (Bradley & Lang, 1994), and they are based on active or recently go through emotions (implemented by pull-functions).In the absence of motions, a mood state will slowly gravitate back to a default mood-state based on the agents personality. A mood-state also functions as a threshold to determine whether an emotion is strong enough to become active at a given time. Relationships are handled as if they were mood-states towards other agents (for instance a worker in a game scenario) they are based on emotions caused by other agents and they can be considered as a simplified way to store memories of experiences with these agents.They are used as thresholds as well for example, an agent will be more likely to become angry at another agent towards when their legislation is in the range of negative valence. 7 Fig. 2. The emotion module SIMPLEX Personality (long-term), mood-state (mid-t erm) and emotions (short-term) thus represent three levels of the emotion module that interact with each other in order to create believable agents. Events from the scenario serve as the models inputs. They are appraised according to the COCO algorithm (see figure 1).This appraisal is influenced by the agents goals, his personality and his relationships with other agents. At the end of an appraisal one or several(prenominal) discrete emotions are generated. These emotions and the current mood-state are represented in the same three- dimensional lard space on the one hand, the emotion(s) serve(s) as an attractor for the recent mood-state position (pull function). On the other hand, the closer an emotion is located to the current mood-state, the more apparent it will be that the emotion will be activated.The speed at which the mood-state changes, is influenced by the agents neurotics (a personality variable). Additionally, emotions that are caused by other agents will influence anot her mood-state design (stored on another round space) representing the relationship with that agent. Thus, every agent has specific relationships with other agents, which influences his behavior towards others. Emotions, mood-states and relationships with other agents are the outputs of the model and can be used by the AAA application.Originally, the PAD space was knowing to represent emotions in a dimensional rather than a discrete way (Russell, 1978). In our model, PAD is used as a common space where three different constructs (discrete COCO emotions, continuous mood- states and personality), are represented in order to be handled together by the SIMPLEX algorithm. An agents current mood-state is thus the result of a mathematical function which takes into account the default mood (defined by personality), the pulling behavior of COCO emotion(s) triggered by appraisals, and weighed factors influencing movement speed (see equivalence 1).Mood-state = f(PADDED, Paternosters, Filt er) 8 3. 2 Basic components Mood-state represented in the PAD-Space (Pleasure- stimulation-Dominance) Beyond discrete emotions, which are typically short-term, mood-states are a effectual way to model emotional shifts and beg off affective influences over longer periods of time. To implement mood-states in our model, we chose to use Russell three-dimensional space to describe emotions (Russell, 1978) and Meridians concept of how emotions are linked to personality traits (Meridian, 1996).The dimension of Pleasure encompasses valence ranging from very positive to very negative. rousing is an indicator of how intensely something is perceived, or of how much it affects the organism. Dominance is a measure of experienced control over the situation. For example, a different degree of dominance can make the difference between fear and anger. some(prenominal) of these emotions are states of negative valence and breathe arousal, but not feeling in control is what differentiates fear fr om anger. When an agent is angry, it is because he believes he can have a potential influence.Although emotions are triggered by COCO appraisals and are therefore discrete, they are handled in a continuous three-dimensional space by SIMPLEX. The advantage of treating emotions in this way and not Just as a fixed set of possible emotions is that it makes it possible to represent emotions that do not even have a name. It also creates the possibility to combine emotions, mood-state and personality in one space. First, a ordinate in PAD space can evidently represent an agents mood-state. But emotions and personalities can also be described in terms of Pleasure, Arousal and Dominance determine.For example, the value of arousal can be not only the degree of arousal associated with a specific emotion, but also the restorability of a person. Meridian (1996) gives specific names to the resulting different octants in PAD-space and describes the diagonally opposite octants as Exuberant/Bored, babelike/ Disdainful, Relaxed/Anxious, Docile/Hostile. Thus mood-states are not points but octants of the Bedspread. However, positioning a personality (based on FM) within a PAD-space could have been a rather difficult task, since there is no mathematically- correct way to make the conversion.Luckily, this transformation can be based upon empirical data. Meridian provided such a conversion table from FM to PAD after correlation analyses of questionnaires measuring two constructs in healthy subjects (Meridian, 1996). Five Factor Model of Personality (FM) The implementation of personality is a key factor when creating believable agents that differ from each other. COCO already offers a few possibilities different goals, tankards and attitudes automatically result in differences during the appraisal process.However, since personality goes beyond preferences, it was necessary to find a model of personality that made it possible to adjust the appraisal process, to shift the agents p erception and to influence mood-states. The model chosen for SIMPLEX was the Five Factor Model (McCrae & Costa, 1987). by and by years of research, an agreement emerged that quintuplet groups of traits are sufficient to describe a personality. Using self-report questionnaires with multiple items, a personality profile can be provided for each individual scaling high or low in each of he five factors (this approach is called dimensional).In the case of our model, the value for each factor can be typed in when defining the artificial agent. 9 amenity refers to a design to abet and to compromise, in order to interact with others in an agreeable way. High agreeableness often means having a positive brain on human nature, assuming batch to be good rather than bad. belittled agreeableness is essentially selfishness, putting your own needs above the needs of others and not caring about the consequences your actions might have for others. Conscientiousness is usually high in hatful who plan a lot, who think everything through, and who are very tidy or achievers.Extreme cases can appear to be dictatorial or pedantic. The opposite personality trait includes sloppiness or ignoring ones duties. Extroversion can be a measure of how much people experience positive emotions. An impetuous and active person that enjoys company and attention is extroverted, while a quiet individual who needs to spend more time alone is introverted. Neurotics is partly an opposite of Extroversion in cosmos a huntency to experience negative emotions. However, being neurotic also means being more sensitive in general, and reacting emotionally to potty events that wouldnt usually trigger a response.Neurotics can be prone to mood swings and tend to be more negative in their interpretation of situations. Low neurotics means high emotional stability and describes calm people who are not easily upset. Finally, those scoring high on Openness to Experience are creative and curious individua ls, interested in art and more in touch with their own emotions than others. Those scoring low on that dimension are materialistic persons with few interests, hey prefer straight and simple things rather than fancy ones, and they do not care about art or science.It is suspected that Openness can be influenced by education. 3. 3 Technical implementation The appraisal process and the generation of emotions There are three categories of inputs to the appraisal process of the emotion model consequences of events, actions of agents and objects (see the COCO model in figure 1). The following section will describe the respective mechanisms applied when mapping each type of input to emotions. Each event handled by a character is first adjusted according to the agents rationality.First, the consequences are adjusted based on the agents neurotics. As neurotic people tend to see things more negatively, consequences are rated worse than what they authenticly are. The factor by which neuroti cs can reduce the desirability of events is adjustable. Note that all personality traits are in the range -1 1, so that negative neurotics actually makes consequences more positive. In real life, positive people could think it could have been worse. The desirability of events is determined by (predefined) goals during the event appraisal.A goal consists of two aspects relevance O 1 and state of realisation O 1, which means to which percentage the goal is already achieved. Afterwards, the praiseworthiness of actions is determined. Basically, the more positive consequences an action has, the more praiseworthy it is considered to be. Sympathy plays a role in this process, as it is added to positive values and subtracted from negative ones. Consequences for self are considered to be more important than consequences for others, which are currently factored in at 50% of their value. 0 After the adjusted values for all consequences have been summed up, unconsciousness is used to obtain th e final result, by being scaled and subtracted. Thus the more conscientious an agent is, the harder it will be to commit an action positive enough to be deemed praiseworthy. This applies to both actions of other agents and actions of the agent himself. Agreeableness works the opposite way, but only for the actions of others. This is based on the psychological flavour that agreeable people tend to be more forgiving in order to get along with others.Apart from having a different weight, factoring in agreeableness has the same results as active conscientiousness. The remaining factors serving as parameters for the action (responsibility, unexpectedness, publicizes) are averaged and used to scale the result of the above calculations. Finally, as cost is attempted to be derived from consequences for self, it is subtracted, before the calculated praiseworthiness is averaged over the number of consequences or rather the number of affected agents. The resulting value of praiseworthiness is used as the intensity for admiration or reproach, depending on whether it is positive or negative.If the agent is appraising his own actions, the motions are pride or shame instead of admiration and reproach. in one case the praiseworthiness has been calculated, a search is conducted through the list of prospects for all the ones that are active and that match the name of the event. For each, the prospect appraisal function is called, which determines the net desirability by multiplying it with the affected goals relevance. This value will be compared to the expected desirability for this event. The simplest situation is when a positive consequence was expected but a negative one occurs.This would obviously cause disappointment. However, this is also the case if a very high desirability was hoped for and the actual consequences are less positive, but still not negative. Having a hope effectuate results in satisfaction. If an event has exactly the expected consequences, it results in the full intensity for the emotion. The intensity of emotions is the product of the determined smell of the event and of the intensity of the prospects. For example, if there was very little hope, there cannot be strong satisfaction. Which emotion is created depends on the kind of prospect and on the sign of the quality value.Hope and positive quality result in satisfaction, hope and negative quality in disappointment, fear and positive quality in fears-confirmed and fear and negative quality in relief. After the prospect appraisal is done, short term or one-shot prospects (only valid for one round) are removed. appraisal concerning Joy and distress is done for each consequence affecting the agent himself, while appraisal for pity/gloating and happy-for/resentment is done for the remaining consequences.