Saturday, August 31, 2019

Hiv/Aids Dbq

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) are conditions in the human body that cause failure in the immune system leading to life threatening infections and tumors. HIV was first discovered 30 years ago on June 5th, 1981 in a group of young gay men. HIV began to spread through the entire population of people. Since then over 60 million people have been infected with HIV and more than 25 million have died form an AIDS related causes (www. emedicinehealth. com). HIV/AIDS is a big issue, because it’s affecting a large portion of today’s population. Creating a public health plan will help people who have HIV/AIDS, and ones at risk of being infected. With about 40,000 people becoming HIV positive each year, the financial costs for HIV/AIDS continue to increase (www. medicalnewstoday. com). Many individual are not covered by health insurance so they can’t afford the treatment needed(Document 3). For every HIV infection prevented, $355,000 is saved in the costs of providing lifelong HIV care and treatment (www. avert. org). Fundraising is a good way to raise money for HIV/AIDS. Having more HIV/AIDS walks throughout the United States, to raise money and make people aware of the effects it has on the population today would be a good way to raise money, and get people involved. Another good way to raise money would be to hold a telethon on nation television. Distributing flyers, postcards or door knob hangers will educate local residents about what they can do to help. This money will be used to help people with HIV/AIDS to pay for not only their medical bills and therapy, but their education as well. Most people who are putting themselves at risks of being infected with HIV/AIDS don’t know what it is, or how you can catch it. Some of the cancers and infections people can get from HIV/AIDS are Salmonellosis, Tuberculosis, and Lymphomas (Document 2). The low amount of publicity is one of the main reasons why people don’t know about HIV/AIDS. The first time there was ever publicity on this topic was on July 3, 1981 when New York Times published a news story on AIDS (timeline). There should be more advertisement informing people on how they can become infected, and how it is effecting people. Creating a campaign with eye-catching posters and billboards to be used as an educational platform is a good way to inform younger people. News articles posted online or in newspapers will help as well. An individual can become HIV positive by having sexual intercourse with an infected partner, injecting drugs using a needle that has been used by an HIV positive person, or a newborn can catch the virus form the mother during pregnancy, the birthing process, or through breastfeeding (Document 1). Most people don’t know how serious HIV/AIDS are, because they are not well educated on this topic. Every eight seconds someone dies from AIDS (A Closer Walk). Providing young people with basic AIDS education enables them to protect themselves from becoming infected. Peer education would be a great way to inform people on this topic. Peer education is when a group is given information by someone who is a member of the same community, and who has already been trained in the subject. It is proven that people are strongly influenced by the attitudes and actions of others their age. Testing is a very important part of HIV/AIDS. Most people continue to spread it because they don’t know they have it. In the United States, it is likely that 20% of HIV-positive individuals are unaware of their infection. ( www. emedicinehealth. com). It is impossible to tell if an individual is HIV positive just by looking at them (Document 5). The first HIV test licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration detects antibodies to HIV in 1985(timeline). Testing should be a mandatory thing for all sexually active people. When a yearly physical is performed, HIV/AIDS and other STD’s testing should be done. If someone doesn’t go to the doctor for a yearly physical, most places will test for HIV and AIDS for little or no cost, without knowing any personal information. It is important to get tested, so that the virus doesn’t get spread to anyone else. Of all the countries in the world, America is home to the largest number of people living with HIV (www. vert. org ). Tens of thousands of people are newly infected with HIV in America every year. Creating new ideas for fundraising, publicity, education, and testing, will help lower this number, because people will be aware of the effects HIV and AIDS can cause. Rabbi David Saperstein once said, â€Å"AIDS destroys families, decimates communities and, particularly in the poorest areas of the world, threatens to destabilize the social, cultural, and economic fabric of e ntire nations†¦ â€Å"

Friday, August 30, 2019

Information Technology Coursework Essay

Input – The Keyboard The keyboard is essentially based on the standard QWERTY keyboard used by typists. The main differences are the additions made by computer manufacturers. The first thing to notice is that the keyboard has three main sections. The first section is the main QWERTY keyboard, which has three extra keys. The most important of these extra keys is usually marked â€Å"ENTER† or â€Å"RETURN†. The enter key is on the right side of the keyboard and is used to tell the computer that you have finished typing and wish either to move to a fresh empty line or that you want the computer to carry out the typed instruction. The other two additional keys are the â€Å"ALT† and the â€Å"CONTROL† keys (â€Å"CTRL†). These act in the same way as the shift key on the typewriter and so allow normal keys to have a number of different effects. The second part of the keyboard is the FUNCTION keys. There are always at least ten and sometimes twelve of these labelled F1 to F10 or F12, which are grouped together on the left of the keyboard or along the top of it. They are used by programs like word processors or spreadsheets to give instructions to the computer. They do not normally produce an effect on the screen but can do in some programs. The third part of the keyboard is the numeric key pad. This is situated on the right of the keyboard and serves two functions. Firstly, to move the cursor and secondly to type numbers into the computer. The keys on the keypad usually contain the numbers 0 to 9, the decimal point and the mathematical symbols. The key marked â€Å"NUMLOCK† is used to tell the computer if the pad is used to enter numbers (NUMLOCK ON) or to move the cursor (NUMLOCK OFF). Input – The Mouse A mouse is a device, which can provide an alternative to the keyboard. The mouse itself has a small ball in its base which, when pulled across a smooth surface, moves a special â€Å"cursor† across the screen. This cursor can be used to draw or point and is especially effective in providing an easy to use interface for those who have difficulty with keyboards etc. Processing – The Central Processing Unit Inside the microcomputer is a tiny silicon chip called the Central Processing Unit or CPU: this can be regarded as the â€Å"brain† of the entire system. With the help of the computer’s internal memory it executes the instructions in a program by performing simple logical operations at very high speeds – typically an instruction will be performed in millionths of a second. The chip containing the Central Processing Unit or CPU is the place where the computer does its â€Å"thinking†. The CPU processes information by fetching a program instruction stored in the computer’s memory, executing the instruction and proceeding to the next step in the program. The CPU contains (1) a program counter that tells the CPU where it is in the program. (2) an instruction register that stores the current program instruction. (3) a control unit that decodes the contents of the instruction register. (4) data registers that store the small units of information the CPU is currently processing. (5) a memory address register that holds the address or memory location of the information in its data registers. (6) an Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) that actually performs each small step in the program, and (7) a status or flags register that reports on the work of the ALU. The size or power of a CPU is determined by the length of its registers: 8-bit processors wor k on information in 8-bit groups; 16-bit processors have registers that hold 16 bits and are twice as fast. 32-bit processors provide even more computing speed, and so on. Internal Memory – RAM and ROM Because the central processing unit only works on small pieces of information at a time, the computer needs a way to store information while it is not being processed. Two kinds of silicon chips serve as the computer’s internal memory. Random Access Memory or RAM chips store information temporarily, and the computer can write, read, and erase information on them. RAM chips are erased every time the computer is turned off, so Read Only Memory or ROM chips act as the computer’s permanent memory: they store the instructions the CPU needs when you first turn it on. External Memory – Disks and Disk Drives External memory devices like floppy disks, hard disks, and CD-ROMs store programs and data when the computer is turned off. When a disk is inserted into a disk drive, the computer can read information from it or write new information onto it. Only certain types of CD-ROM can have information written onto them. Output: The Printer Printers receive electrical codes from the computer and then print the corresponding letter or number on paper. The result is called hard copy. Plotters and some printers can even reproduce computer graphics on paper. Types of Printer Ink Jet Printers Ink jet printers work as their name suggests, by squirting jets of ink onto the paper through tiny nozzles. Ink-jets provide good quality output (on average 600 dots per inch) at reasonable speed and at relatively low cost. Laser Printers A laser printer is essentially a photocopier attached to the computer as an output device. Laser printers are capable of high quality output (around 720 dots per inch), at high speed. They can be bought from as little as around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100. Output – Monitors (Visual Display Units) Monitors (V.D.U.s) are the most frequently used output device. The display is transmitted from the computer to the surface of a cathode ray tube, which is rather like a television screen. Slim, flat screen monitors are also available. The display consists of very small phosphorescent dots combined in different patterns to form words, numbers, and pictures. Monitors vary in their resolution (clarity), more dots on the screen means a higher resolution but obviously costs more. The range of resolutions are CGA, EGA and the highest resolution VGA. Software – Computer Programs A program is simply a set of instructions, which the programmer wishes the computer to obey. The computer blindly obeys any instruction which it is given – it possess no abilities to determine whether an instruction (so long as it is framed correctly) is the correct instruction for any given situation. Programs tell the computer how to turn the input you provide into the output you want. A program is therefore a detailed set of instructions for performing a particular task. Because you cannot actually touch programs they have become known as â€Å"software†; this contrasts with the hardware of a computer system – monitors, chips, printers etc. – which you can touch! Software takes many forms – the computer system itself is co-ordinated by a special resident program called an operating system (you can read more about this program below), programs to carry out specific tasks for the user are termed â€Å"application programs†. Stock control, word processing, payroll and accounting functions are typical areas, which are serviced by application programs. Input/output Media – Mass Storage Floppy Disks A floppy disk is 3 1/2 inches square. Inside its protective case or sleeve, each floppy disc is a circle of flexible plastic whose surface is covered with magnetic oxide. When you use a disc for the first time, you must use a special program called an operating system to format the disk’s surface by creating circular tracks divided into pie-shaped sectors. A hole punched near the hub of the disk lets the computer know where the first sector is. A track on each disk stores a directory that tells the computer where to find what information. This means that it can go directly to the correct part of the disk instead of wading through all of its contents to find the information it wants. A typical floppy disk can store around 200 pages of typewritten text, depending on how tightly the information is packed. If pictures are stored on disk, they take up a lot of room. Care of Floppy Disks Information is stored on floppy disk by means of magnetism. The information stored on a disk can be lost if the magnetic surface of the disk is damaged. When handling a disk you must be careful not to bend it or touch the exposed portions. Moisture, extreme temperatures, and exposure to magnetic fields or equipment can also ruin disks. You should keep back-up copies of all important disks to insure that your data will not be lost if a disk is damaged. You can guard against the possibility of accidentally writing over and erasing important data and programs by moving the small write-protect notch on the side of the disk. When this notch is closed, a sensor inside the drive prevents the head from writing onto the disk. Hard Disks All modern PCs have hard disks, which can store vast amounts of information – this varies depending upon their size. Although they operate on the same basic principles as floppies, hard disks spin many times more quickly allowing the read/write head to pass only fractions of an inch over the disk’s surface. Hard disks are hermetically sealed in special chambers to prevent dust particles from ruining the disk’s surface. Disk Drives: Read/Write Heads To use a disk, you place it into a disk drive so that the circular hole in the centre of the disk fits into a cone in the drive. This cone spins the disk allowing all of its sectors to come under a window cut into the sleeve. As the disk spins around, a read / write head moves back and forth over the exposed portion of the disk. The head works like the head on a tape recorder. It reads information on the disk by translating its magnetic fields into electrical signals that are sent to the computer; information is written onto the disk when the head converts the electrical signals from the computer into magnetic fields on the disk’s surface. Operating Systems A computer is really a system of interconnected parts: a keyboard or input device; internal memory (RAM and ROM); a processor; disks and disk drives; output devices like a monitor and a printer; and, of course, software. A special kind of program called an operating system controls the flow of information between these different components. One of its most important jobs is to enable your hardware to understand the instructions of your software. When you buy a computer, you must be sure that its design or architecture is compatible with the operating system for which the software you want is written. The operating system manages the files on your disks and offers utilities such as formatting blank disks, listing the directory of files on a disk, as well as copying, renaming, and deleting files. Sometimes operating systems are permanently installed, but if the operating system is pre-packaged on a disk, its contents must either be loaded separately into the computer or written onto ev ery disk used, during the formatting process. Windows 95 and Windows 98 are the most common operating systems used today. Modems and Networks With the help of a modem, your computer can link up and communicate with other computers all over the world. The modem translates the computer’s language of ons and offs into tones of different frequencies, which are then transmitted across telephone lines. At the receiving end the process is reversed: a modem converts tone variations back into the computer’s digital code. Computer networks are systems of computers linked together in this way: they are used to send and receive electronic mail, and to allow small personal computers access to the vast data libraries of larger computers, via the Internet. COMPUTER APPLICATIONS Application Packages These are programs that actually perform the tasks that the user wishes to be done. The tasks are usually so complicated that several programs are required and these are collectively called a ‘suite’ of programs. Typical examples of applications are Stock Control, Databases, Order Processing, Word Processing, Airline Booking Systems, Spreadsheets, Viewdata Systems and Point of Sale Systems. Each package will now be discussed in turn, to give a general explanation of what they are, when they are used and for what purpose. Stock Control A stock control system keeps track of all the stock currently held by the company. The computer is informed through the till when each item is sold. It is then an easy matter to deduct the number sold from the current stock level to give a new stock level. If this level is below a re-order level which again is held by the computer, then the computer can automatically print a re-order letter to the supplier. The number of each item to be supplied is stored and when the supplier delivers, the number of items delivered is added to the amount in stock. Therefore the company, in theory, should never, through its own efforts, run out of any item of stock and should at all times know how much stock it has, in the warehouse, in storage at a retail outlet and on the shelves. Losses through theft are easily calculated through a manual shelf count, and corrective action to reduce losses can be implemented quickly. Database A database is a store of information made up of records. A record contains information relating to one person or one company and is made up of individual pieces of information called fields. For example, you may create your records having the following fields: company name, address, telephone number, credit limit, amount owed, payment due etc. When all the information has been entered the database may then be used by searching for particular information, called cross-referencing (e.g. to find out at the end of the month who the company owes money to and how much, in order to settle their accounts). New information can be fed in and the database is changed (updated) to include the new data, so that it is always up to date. Large databases are best used with static information (remains the same), with new records being added to the end. An example of this type is a Library with records on all the books in stock. The computer operated by the DVLA in Swansea (Driving Vehicle Licensing Authority) might be an example of a large database. Information relating to every motor vehicle in the U.K. is stored on computer and can be sorted or searched to find out, for example, who owns a particular car. Word Processing In word processing a computer behaves like a much enhanced form of typewriter. Facilities are provided for entering, manipulating, storing and retrieving blocks of text. This means that standard letters and lists of names and addresses can be generated separately and then letters to everyone on the list can be printed without retyping the document. The processor retrieves the letter and the first name and address, prints the letter, retrieves the next name and address, changes the information in the letter, prints the next letter and so on. Real-Time Systems An example of a real-time system is Airline Booking. This is a system which updates the data immediately it changes. All the terminals in all the booking offices are connected via a telephone line to a large computer in the head office of the company. This is so that information can be accessed immediately and be changed on confirmation of a booking immediately. For example, if you wanted to book a flight, you would feed details into the terminal about the flight, and back would come a message saying perhaps that only two seats remain on that flight. If you then take these seats by sending that information back, confirmation would take place and then no-one anywhere in the world would be able to book a seat on that particular flight (even if they tried to book only ten seconds after you). Spreadsheet A spreadsheet is a special application package, which allows the user to set up tables of information and add up rows and columns which make up the table. They are used mainly for displaying cash forecasts of companies, in the form of a table where all the figures are interconnected. Each intersection of a row and a column is called a ‘cell’. The cells are filled with figures and then changes can be made and the spreadsheet calculates all the related cells, alters and reprints them. Figures can be changed and the overall effect on the complete table can be seen immediately.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Development of the Instrument

The first subspace contains 8 items which captures leader's morally grounded principles at work such as: ‘When I take a managerial decision at work, I consider ethical repercussion of my decision† and â€Å"l take ethical rules seriously when supervise my subordinates in the organization†. Spiritual Depth which is the second subspace contains 8 items which captures leaders deeper self-awareness, deeper self-awareness, self fleeting at work such as â€Å"l believe incorporating spirituality into work makes a leader benevolent † and â€Å"l try to find a deeper sense of meaning in my leadership and work†.Positive Engagement which is the third subspace contains 8 items which captures leaders how leaders develop positive change in the organization through courage and hope such as â€Å"l persuade my team to dream big and think out of the box in the organization† and â€Å"l believe in my teammate's ability to produce positive results in the organi zation†.Community Responsiveness which is the fourth subspace contains items that futures leaders contribution to the society and community service such as â€Å"I actively associate myself in projects related to corporate social responsibility for the benefit of the community' and â€Å"l care about leaving a legacy for future generations†. METHODOLOGY Judgment Sampling is used to gather data for this study. The subject population was managers working in business and nonprofit organizations. First, pilot study was conducted with 30 managers to remove redundancies. The revised re-assessed survey was sent out for data collection.For Confirmatory factor analysis Honking (1995) proposed using a sample size of 200 but Honking (1995) also recommends using a sample of 1 50 for new scale development. For exploratory study, judgment sampling was used to collect the data. I tried to obtain responses from managers who have experience in leading people and who have diverse tenden cies towards benevolence. Judgment Sampling was used as it gives an insight in choosing the respondents, flexibility, convenience. Participants were reached by Professional email groups, Social networking sites, Professional contacts and references.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

A report on the foreign policy of the United States towards Russia Essay

A report on the foreign policy of the United States towards Russia - Essay Example Likewise, the need to analyze and improve Russo-American relations remains inevitable if global security, economic gains and political stability are to be realised in the West, Europe and the rest of the world. Brief history of the foreign relations of the US with Russia Russo-American relations started taking shape during World War I and II when the US and Russia fought alongside each other as Allied Powers, against Central Powers that had coalesced around the belligerent Germany. Prior to World War I and II, Russo-American relations had not taken a definitive shape, since America opted for the Doctrines of Non-Interference and Neutrality, wishing not to be drawn into the affairs and battles of Europe. The conclusion of World War II left the world with Russia and the US as two centers of power which were diametrically opposed to each other, on account of ideology. While Russia opted for socialism and communism as the way of politics and economics, America was committed to perpetuate democracy and capitalism throughout the world. This development sparked this Cold War which lasted from 1945 to 1990 (Brigham, 2010, 600). According to Butler (2011, 420), during this period, Russo-American relations were both belligerent and diplomatic. ... Zakaria (2012, 27) recounts that two decades after the fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s relations with America has been neither inimical nor friendlier. Despite the facing out of the Cold War confrontation, America and Russia have not nurtured sustainable bilateral cooperative relations. Russo-American relations only come to the fore when inevitable matters relating to climate change, international relations and nuclear nonproliferation need addressing (Nakajima, 2007, 450). Key Interests that the US has towards Russia Despite the US and Russia having well-known inimical relations especially at the height of the Cold War era, yet, these two countries harbour key interests in each other. Russo-American relations remain important in sustaining and effecting New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which was signed in 2010 and ratified in 2011. The main essence of START is to assuage the quantity of strategic missile launchers by half, and to ef fect new and more effective inspection regimes. Currently, both President Obama and Putin are committed to global security issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism, in spite of the prevailing differences over Iran’s nuclear program and the BMD program. According to Christopher (2006, 329), America continues to bank on Russia’s military support in Kyrgyzstan, Manas Transit Center, given that Russia is interested in Western and American victory in Afghanistan and the successful withdrawal of American troops therefrom. This form of military support is very sacrosanct since Manas Transit Center is the only American facility in Central Asia and is therefore key

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Health Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Economy - Essay Example (Fagnani, 1999). Principles Health economy plays an integral part in a country’s economy. The recent economic downturn has resulted in serious issues and one among them is the poor management of health economy. As the economic status of common people has gone through a tough phase, the government must help them in managing their medical expenses. This can be achieved by incorporating certain unique principles that would minimize their expenses. Insurance is one among the popular approaches that has been in use for many years. The main aim of insurance is to help the patients during surgeries or unexpected health problems. (Gruber, 2006). The insurance companies collect a minimum amount form the patients who enroll in their companies. This minimum premium amount is returned back to the investors during times of crisis. In this method, the investors are benefited since they receive the required amount of money when they are in need. This helps in the improvement of health econom y. Health financing agencies and organizations must be made compulsory in all the countries. This will ensure that the patients experience the entire benefit of the insurance scheme. (Kephart, 2007). Though this seems to be an efficient task, the amount of compensation is comparatively less. This leads to a situation where people do not get to experience the full benefits of the insurance policies. Most of the insurance policies include certain constraints that specify various restrictions. As these pre- conditions are not specified well in advance, it creates problem during the time of reimbursement. People find it difficult to manage with the amount provided by the insurance companies. Another option is to include discounting options in the medical bills. (Health Care, 2010)....   This essay discusses that the proposed evaluation method uses several concepts that enable the officials and the patients to have complete control over their medical expense. This also analyzes the medical expense incurred for a particular treatment. This enables the patient to be sure of the cost of each and every treatment. As the cost is known well in advance, the problem of huge medical bills is eradicated. Since the patients have an idea about the total cost of their treatment, they can easily pay back the money without much hassle.   Apart from this, the potential requirement of discount is more when compared to the other facilities. People are used to discounts and they prefer to get a certain amount at a discount from their medical bills. A clear analysis will help the hospital management and the concerned government to have a control over the health economy. In turn, will help them to maintain a stable facilitation that helps people.      Ã‚  Health economy is one that requires more attention when compared to the other ones in a country. Health intervention principles and policies lend a helping hand to the patients as well as the government in dealing with the increasing medical bills. The cost of implementing an evaluation method or a system depends on the hospital management and the concerned government. Even if the cost of implementing an evaluation system is more, the government must provide the necessary funds to implement them. This will certainly improve the existing situation and will help the patients at times of crisis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  

Expert advice on being a successful student Essay

Expert advice on being a successful student - Essay Example However, the university experience is not all about study and academics, it is also about finding a proper social fit with unique peers from many different cultures and social backgrounds. Being a successful student is about being able to successfully blend social, recreational, and study in a way that is rewarding, careful, and mature. To see the best ways to gain this necessary balance, I decided it would be wise to interview two experts that are quite familiar with the academic demands required at the University of Indianapolis and its many social systems. To find out this expert advice, I conducted interviews with Jessica Bramstedt, a senior biology student at the university and biology Professor Mary Gobbett. The results of the interview will discuss study habits, recreation, and how to balance free time at the university. The expert opinion about the university experience and social rewards at the University of Indianapolis will be compared and contrasted to determine the best advice available to be a successful student. Avoiding being overwhelmed is highly important for the student in a new environment. It is important to find out what qualities a student should have in the university. In relation to study, both Jessica Bramstedt and Professor Gobbett provided valuable information about the qualities a student should carry in the classroom. ... Both Jessica Bramstedt and Professor Gobbett found one of the most critical imperatives to be the creation of a time control system that allows for much time devoted to academics. This might include making personal schedules that show daily and weekly activities that allows the student to stick to homework completion timelines with ample time for study care. It was discovered that removing distractions was highly important. Both of the interview respondents identified that the student needed to maintain a great deal of study. These are periods where the student removes distractions from their environment and focuses on the course content in journals, textbooks and lecture materials. Jessica suggested that I would gain more success by reading the textbook chapters and making sure all assignments have been completed. Professor Gobbett, the expert in actual teaching, suggested that such study should involve a large focus on problem-solving in study habits. Clearly, the University of Ind ianapolis will require devotion and concentration toward study if the student wishes to become a success. To gain even more knowledge about study, I asked about success factors to help in study. In contrasting view, the interviewees had differing views about one key role of the learning portion of the university experience. Professor Gobbett suggested that a great deal of success would come from being interactive with the lecturer by asking many questions and to â€Å"pay attention to the hints provided by the professor† related to the quality and depth of what is being discussed to improve learning. Jessica Bramstedt seemed to see the learning process as being more self-managed, suggesting that there

Monday, August 26, 2019

Early American History - Abraham Lincoln Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Early American History - Abraham Lincoln - Essay Example The three-day bloodbath ended with a massive Confederate assault of Cemetery Ridge by Major General George Edward Pickett on the battle’s last day, July 3, 1863. Known as ‘Pickett’s Charge,’ the reckless action devastated the Confederate forces and caused General Robert E. Lee to offer his resignation. The enormous losses incurred by the Confederates at Gettysburg marked the beginning of the end for the South. The Union army won the battle but also incurred heavy losses causing Commander General George Meade to offer his resignation as well. While Lee was retained as commander of the South, Meade was replaced by an angered President Lincoln who appointed Ulysses S. Grant in Meade’s position. After the battle, the Southern troops limped back home while what remained of the Northern army stayed because of flooding in the area. At Gettysburg, many thousands of decomposing bodies littered the battlefield, many of which were buried in very shallow graves. According to a witness, â€Å"body parts stuck up here and there. Hogs rooted out the bodies and devoured them† (Wills, 1992 p. 21). To alleviate the gruesome situation, a national cemetery was planned so that the dead could be buried properly. The dedication of the cemetery was held before all the thousands of bodies could be buried, but it was hoped that a formal and somber ceremony would serve to change the horrific scene of butchery to a place of honor and one that displayed a more peaceful ambiance.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

DARE Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DARE Program - Essay Example It has become an immediate hit with kids, schools, parents and the police. In the 1986 study of the National Institute of Justice, researcher William DeJong found positive results on the DARE program. Soon thereafter, the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Justice Department gave the program $140,000 to make it into a nationwide program and started training officers over the country to introduce the program in schools and deliver the curriculum. (Aue, p 25) The police officers received training for the facilitation of the program in schools. This benchmark has been carried out throughout the country and excellent reviews have been received by DARE officials. Support filtered up to Congress and politicians who stand against drugs and crime showed support to the program. Due to the huge amount of support DARE received, the National DARE Day was celebrated in 1989. In 1992, the funds increased to $10 million and the National DARE Day came thereafter. (Roleff, 2005) Name 3 The idea of h aving police officers to facilitate the program is a brilliant idea since students look of to authorities. The credibility of the program is instilled in the minds of the young kids that have been carried out for years. Although good reviews have been received by the program, there were a number of criticisms that were against the program.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Biography Of Francisco Goya Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biography Of Francisco Goya - Research Paper Example In 1763, Goya was awarded a prize in the Academy of San Fernado in Madrid. He did not win, but he met an artist by the name Francisco Bayeu. Bayeu influenced Goya’s formation, and participated in Fresco painting in the Church of Virgin Villa in Zaragoza (Connell 23). His career in painting, drawing, and engravings reflected much historically made upheavals and much influenced much the 19th to 20th century painters. The family moved to a place known as Saragossa, and here his father worked as a gilder. During his childhood stage, a person influenced him by the name Luzan who was just a local painter. In 1770, he went to Italy for his studies on art. He later returned to Saragossa in the year 1771 where he painted frescoes for the local Cathedral. The work, which he did at the Cathedral, was a decorative rococo tradition, which established much of Goya’s artistic reputation. In the year 1773, Francisco Goya married a woman by the name Josefa Bayeu, a sister of Saragossa a rtist by the name Francisco Bayeu. The couple had many children, but only one son by the name Xavier who managed to survive in to adult hood (Carr-Gomm 9). Francisco was a talented Spanish painter, printmaker and termed as one of the old masters in the painting industry. Francisco De Goya started his career at the age of about fourteen years of age, and his talent and ability quickly recognized. He tried his first luck by submitting some entries to a place referred as the Royal Academy of fine arts in the year 1773 and rejected in 1774. He then decided to leave his native country, left to Rome in the year 1771 and his talent recognized and managed to win a second place in the painting competition, and secured himself an employment opportunity in designing tapestries at the Royal Tapestries Factory. Here, he managed to complete 42 patterns, used in covering the walls of the newly built palaces around Madrid making him an immediate royal audience. In 1780 to 1782, he befriended the Pr ince of Spain where they spend two summers together with his family (Connell 27). He used this chance to show the prince his paintings and portraits hence expanding his own circle of royal patrons. An occasion was set to prove his own ability being give a salaried position to work as a court painter in 1786 and 1787 respectively; officially made the first court painter where he had a chance to paint for the noble family. He managed to be getting the chance to paint for the King’s family and the Spanish nobility at large. From the year, 1775 to 1792 Goya made several designs for the Royal Tapestry in Madrid. Francisco de Goya painted sixty-three cartoons for two palaces respectively. The illness affected his whole career as a painter hence withdrawn introspectively. He started painting some paints that were of low quality in his house at Quintal del Sordo. His earlier themes seen as merry festival changed abruptly to those of cartoons and depictions of war and corpses showing clearly that those moods mixed up (Carr-Gomm 11). His legacy inspired several operas, a piano suite, and a number of featured films. His masterpieces in the field of painting include â€Å"The Naked Maja† and the â€Å"Clothed Maja†. He also painted other charming portraits like â€Å"Senora Sabasa Garcia†. Francisco Goya portrayed the beginning of the 19th century realism. In the year, 1799 Goya published the â€Å"Caprichos† which was a combination of etchings satirizing human behavior and

Friday, August 23, 2019

The Relationship between Employee Commitment and Employee Engagement, Assignment

The Relationship between Employee Commitment and Employee Engagement, Employee Satisfaction - Assignment Example It also can be referred as creating a healthy work environment for the employees in order to motivate them. It will help the employees to connect with their work and job responsibilities (Storey, Wright and Ulrich, 2009, p.300). On the other hand, commitment can be defined as willingness to persevere in a course of reluctance and action to change plans. The employees devote their energy and time to fulfil their job responsibility as well as their personal, community, family and spiritual obligations. Employees, who are committed to their organizations and highly engaged in their job, provide effective competitive advantages to the organizations in terms of higher output. Uncommitted employees do not bother about workplace performance and outputs. On the other hand, the committed employees tend to provide their total effort to fulfil their personal career goals and job responsibility. Engagement of an employee cannot possible without effective commitment towards the organization and s eer hard work. Leaders or the managers of an organization play a vital role in employee engagement. It is important for a manager to provide value to the needs or satisfaction level of an employee in order to retrain employee commitment and employee engagement. Only a motivated employee can perform effectively in an organization. ... It will help an organization to achieve success (Mannelly, 2009, p.161). Committed employees are more engaged to their job and organization comparing to the uncommitted employees. Employee engagement, employer practices, work performance and business results are highly related to each other. It is the responsibility of the employers to motivate their employees to perform efficiently. Effective performance appraisal, incentive systems, career growth opportunities are the motivation and performance drivers for an employee in an organization. These aspects made an employee committed to their job. Committed employees provide their best performance in order to capitalize on the potential career opportunities. Therefore, it can be stated that, effective employee engagement can help an organization to increase its business productivity. Effective performance appraisal system increases the commitment level of an employee. It is evident that the global workplace behaviour is changing dramatic ally (Albrecht, 2010, p.67). Now-a-days, the customers are trying to achieve value added and high quality products and services. Therefore, the global organizations are trying to motivate their workforce in order to meet with the demand of the customers. The uncommitted employees cannot perform effectively due to lack of workplace motivation. As the skilled and motivated employees are the biggest assets of an organization, therefore it is responsibility of the organization to take care of their needs. Therefore, it can be concluded that committed employees are more engaged with their work and responsibilities than the uncommitted employees. Is it correct to say that Committed Employees are more satisfied than

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Sociology GCSE mass media notes Essay Example for Free

Sociology GCSE mass media notes Essay New media – anything that uses new technology that usually involves some process of convergence e.g. phones as they can now access the internet. New media is likely to be digital, interactive and dispersed (not controlled by a single source of professionals). Democracy – rule by the people for the people Consumer society builds as it is cheaper and quicker for companies to advertise on the internet Exploits WC and MEG’s through news, stereotypes, folk devils and media ampflication Faster for many functions such as advertising and research etc Reinforces digital divide as the RC are more likely to posses new media The internet enables us to be democratic as it allows us to see and research information Increases social isolation as those without new media feel less ‘involved’. Allows us to have more knowledge and enhances us intellectually Higher risk of criminal behaviour happening e.g. fraud, illegal downloads and paedophiles of children’s websites Widens consumer choice Lack of regulation – many things go uncensored and undiscovered Infotainment – the replacing of news information by entertainment Enhances the power of the powerful, risking democracy as we only see information from the side of those in power Theoretical views Functionalist – media reinforces social order through the NV’s system Marxist – division of labour is kept as WC cannot become socially mobile due to poor access to information Feminist – dislike how women are portrayed; women that go against portrayal are seen as deviant Functionalist – socialises us with NV’s, gender roles etc Marxist – selective as it exploits the WC; it is always from the point of view of the RC and those in power Feminist dislike how women are portrayed; women that go against portrayal are seen as deviant Functionalist – no problem with it as it provides information Marxist – dislike as it benefits the RC and reinforces the digital divide Feminist – dislike as it present women in a derogatory way e.g. pornography The Press – privately owned media that primarily communicates the news; they are profitable organisations Broadcasting – lots is financed privately: PBS is not profit making, CSB is private and the BBC make profit through TV licenses with prices decided by the government. Media affect on behaviour The hyperdermic syringe model – The media has power over its audience: it can control and persuade people. The audience receives its daily injections of information from the media and this determines behaviour. It has an immediate effect o the audience as the media controls us. Evidence to support the HSM Lab experiments were conducted by Bandura Ross and Ross Liebert and Baron. Bandura: children who watched violence were more likely to hit the doll with a mallet. However, there were no other toys to play with and the children were aware this was wanted from them. Liebert and Baron: Children that watched violence were given the option to help or hurt someone when light came on, indicating a child in another room needed help with a game. Many clicked hurt, which sent an electric shock. However, lab experiments do not measure long term affects and we cannot isolate media as a variable. The uses and gratification model is used to argue against the HSM. The uses and gratification model – The media does not use us; we use the media. This theory is how the media is used to actively satisfy peoples needs based on their ability to exercise choice and control. Audiences actively seek media for specific gratifications and this theory deals with why media is chosen, what purpose media serves, and how media competes with other media sources to meet satisfaction. We retain information from the media based on five factors: Information e.g. wildlife programmes Personal Identity e.g. religious TV Personal relationships e.g. Jeremy Kyle Entertainment e.g. Big Brother Diversion/Escapism e.g. soaps The decoding approach – We use the media to support the values we already have, not give us new ones. McQuall suggests that the audiences are active decoders of the content of the media and have different interpretations in terms of: Selective retention – remembering certain information if it has significance to you Selective exposure – only exposing yourself to what you want or need; we’ll only watch things if they support our values Selective perception – we all understand parts of the media in different ways and use it in different ways The media has an immediate effect on the audience The media does not have an immediate effect on the audience Marxist – it has a negative immediate effect on the audience as they control us to have particular behaviour e.g. hierarchy Decoding approach – we expose ourselves to what we chose so only learn what we wish to learn Hyperdermic syringe model – the media controls our behaviour as we are given daily injections Selective retention – we only remember the information that means something to us Imitation – we copy what we see Selective exposure – we only expose ourselves to the media that interests us Functionalists believe values are learnt through the media Selective perception – we all interpret the media in different ways, so our behaviour is not immediately or directly affected in the same way Media can also be to blame for deviant and criminal behaviour: Media affects Explanation Imitation The audience are influenced by what they see to the extent that they copy the images and messages they are exposed to. Children in particular are prone to imitation and often engage in violent and inappropriate behaviour as a result. Sensitisation The audience hears and sees a lot of images in the media that makes them more aware of the consequences of the behaviour. They are less likely to engage in the behaviour and instead are likely to report to the police or intervene if the behaviour is witnessed. For example, child abuse reports went up due to coverage in soaps Desensitisation If an audience is exposed to violence in most of the media output, they begin to believe what they see is normal and are therefore no longer shocked by it in real life Cathartic effect Sex and violence in the media helps the audience to release inbuilt tensions and anxieties. By watching the behaviour there is no need to engage in it. Sex offenders are treated with pornography Disinhibition Violent and sexual images become so common that the audience no longer feels embarrassed or ashamed to behave in this way as they think it is normal Moral panic – the false worry about people and deviance/crime in society Deviance amplification model 1) A small group of people commit some act of deviance 2) The media pick up on the interesting story: a ‘problem group’ is identified 3) The media sensationalise the news to grab the attention of the audience 4) Causes of the deviant behaviour are simplified for easy explanation e.g. bad parenting 5) The group is labelled as folk devils and stereotyping occurs; other incidents of this deviant behaviour are made into news and it seems more common than it really is 6) A moral panic develops and the public’s concern is aroused at the real or imaginary ‘threat’ posed to society; the media campaign for action to be taken against the perceived threat 7) More social control – politicians, police and magistrates respond to public demands as shown in the media, and law-and-order campaigns are begun to stamp down on the deviants The impact of media on society today Primary socialisation – the first place to learn the norms and values of society; the family Secondary socialisation – other areas of your life in which the value system is reinforced or, in some cases, contradicted Functionalists believe the media is beneficial as it reinforces social order Marxists dislike the media as they reinforce the hierarchy of the RC over the WC and false class consciousness Feminists dislike the media as it reinforces gender roles and patriarchy What the media reinforces Through Gender roles Children’s programmes adverts Patriarchy Soaps music videos Political socialisation Debates the news Glamorisation of violence Soaps video games Hegemonic masculinity Competition between men soaps Stereotypes Soaps Global culture – when the culture of one community spreads worldwide through media and, globally, people are exposed to this culture. It is also known as media imperialism. Mass culture – the culture shared by the majority of society due to a general interest in certain things the media presents Media dominates family life; whereas before families were hardworking, hierarchical and communicative around the hearth, families today have their living rooms organised around the TV (the substitute hearth) and other media devices dominate leisure time. Identity – who you are as a person; this can be influenced by what we see in the media as, nowadays, people use the media to confirm and explore their identities. The media shapes our views on what we should be consuming and what we should be like. The media’s representation of age, gender ethnicity Children Rogers argues that children are presented as either angels or devils. The impact of this is that children are not held accountable for their actions if they are angles. However, it they are devils, they experience negative interaction as they are to blame. These stereotypes lead to labelling Youths The news amplifies stories on youths to make their devious and criminal behaviour appear more common. Teens become folk devils as they are all believed to be delinquent. Cohen says that the young as used as scape goats for society’s own issues and this can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Age As children are easily manipulated, gender stereotypes are reinforced through TV programmes. This is known as age patriarchy. Elderly Grumpy – conservative, stubborn and resistant to social change Mentally challenged – deteriorating health Dependent – burden on the younger generations as they are weak Elderly women – grey hair, old clothes; being different is being ‘mutton’ Men have higher status as world leaders, politicians etc We are an age denying society Ethnicity People are free to upload on the internet as they wish so racism can happen on the internet or dangerous cults can start online YouTube is not moderated so various videos can be uploaded Impact of media on society 1) Socialisation 2) Mass culture 3) Effects family life 4) Reinforces and causes stereotypes on age gender and ethnicity 5) Effects behaviour and can create violence – audience effect models 6) Politically socialises us Political socialisation – your learning of political values, beliefs and preferences Whipping system – when an MP is told they need to vote in favour of their party or they will no longer be a part of it Rebel MP’s – Mp’s that do not vote the way of their party Political spin (spin doctors) – write speeches with ‘sound bites’ that can be used as newspaper headlines Curtis and Mair (2008) believe that: The press has too much influence on how people vote Negative coverage of politicians and politics has discouraged people from voting If readership of newspapers declines then: Newspaper’s ability to influence the outcomes of general elections will also have declined Fewer people will be exposed to the press’ supposedly negative coverage of politics and politicians that discourages people from voting at all The media promote democracy The media restrict democracy Because the media in Britain are not controlled by the state, the risk of censorship by governments is reduced, and free speech is protected. Journalists are free to report as they wish – within legal limits The media reflect the conservative views of their wealthy owners. While journalists are often critical and expose wrongdoing, they will frequently avoid issues which might cost them their jobs by upsetting newspaper owners or TV station bases The wide variety of privately owned media means a range of opinions are considered and public debates take place. By criticizing the actions of governments, the mass media can play an important ‘watch-dog’ role and keep governments in touch with public opinion The variety of opinion presented is limited. Working-class political views – such as strikes – are rarely reported. The ideas and actions of the least powerful groups are the most likely to be excluded. Those who in some way present a challenge or threat to the existing way society is organised are presented as irresponsible or unreasonable extremists The media give an unbiased account of news. TV news has to be impartial News values, agenda-setting, norm-setting and other sources of bias mean only some issues are covered, and these are not presented in neutral ways. The media choose what to report and how to report it, and therefore provide a biased view of the world The media accurately reflect public opinions that already exist in society rather than creating new ones. People wouldn’t read newspapers or view TV and websites unless they were providing what their audiences wanted The media do not simply reflect public opinion, but actively form and manipulate it. People can only form opinions on the basis of the knowledge they have, and the media are primarily responsible for providing this knowledge. The owners of the mass media hold overwhelmingly conservative views, and their ownership gives them the power to defend their position by forming favourable public opinion Anyone can put his or her views onto the internet via blogs, social networking sites etc Only the rich have the resources necessary to publish and distribute a newspaper on a large scale, or to set up a television or radio station, and it is the wealthy that own and control the main means of electronic communication. The concentration of ownership of the mass media is a threat to democracy, as a small powerful group of media owners can control access to ideas, information and knowledge. Those who wish to put forward alternative views to that presented in the mass media may not be allowed access to the media b their owners, and will therefore be denied any real opportunity to persuade public opinion of their ideas Concentration of press ownership Functionalists take the pluralist approach and they believe that the media isn’t used by owners to control the audience but is available for secondary socialisation. Marxists take the conflict approach as they believe that the media is used by its owners to control the audience. Pluralist approach Conflict approach A range of interests exist in society and no single group dominates Society is based on conflicting interests between different groups Media represents a range of different interests within society e.g. Woman’s Weekly, The Pink Paper and the Financial times Owners of the media are part of a minority who use their power to influence opinions in their own best interests Newspapers only give the audience what they want to receive i.e. the Sun does not have much international news because readers of the Sun do not want to read it, not because Rupert Murdoch does not want them to know Press owners have intervened directly to control content e.g. Harry Evans was hired as editor of the Sunday Times and was then allegedly fired from his post by Rupert Murdoch as a result of Evans’ political policy If owners of the media tried to give us something we did not want, consumerism would decrease; this is known as consumer power and would cause a decrease in companies’ profit m argin The Big Six – the few companies that own a vast majority of the press and world media. This is problematic as these companies can promote their own political beliefs and values through everything they own, meaning we are exposed to the owners’ own beliefs and values. They have the power to influence our views and beliefs. Consequences of press ownership Political socialisation – influences us to believe certain things and therefore affects the voting pattern and behaviour Negative portrayal of MEG’s Support those in power and authority to reinforce capitalism Presentations of different groups within society – age, gender, ethnicity Ethnic presentations in the media Black populations are presented as criminals. Cottle (1994) believes that this representation effectively hides racism and, through the hyperdermic syringe model, they believe they are criminal and this leads to self-fulfilling prophecy Sociologists argue that people from the groups internalise – from the media – that their lives are restricted and so they live the lives shown to them by the media Agenda setting – the media can focus attention on some issues and ignore others. They don’t tell us what to think but what to think about. This can affect political views and voting habits. Those who decide what makes the news are called gatekeepers as they have the power to influence what we think about. Norm referencing – the media reinforces norms and values so we conform. Those who conform are viewed and shown in a positive light and those who don’t in a negative light. This causes us to label people, leading to stereotypes. The cameras are always from the point of view of those in authority, giving a very selective view on what is happening. Defining ‘New Values’ – News doesn’t happen; journalists make news and have a list of things that ‘make news’. These are news values and, the more that are satisfied, the better the news is. This affects our understanding of events. Profit motive – Media is about money; owners and companies get this from advertisers. The advertisers must be satisfied with what goes on the news and the media listen because they want the money. Laws – there are laws in place saying what the media can and can’t share, so laws have a large impact on what goes on the news and how the news is presented. Digital natives – have grown up in the digital world using new media to communicate; there is a digital divide between digital natives and novices. Digital novices – have been born into a generation that used old media to communicate and new media has been introduced within their lifetime, meaning they have to learn how to use it and have not grown up with it. The mass media and power Press ownership In Britain, press ownership is concentrated in a few hands; this could give some individuals in the media the ability to influence mass opinion. Some argue that, in order to keep democracy, press ownership should be spread between larger numbers of individuals. The pluralist approach to press ownership According to the pluralist approach, a range of views and interests exists in society and no single group dominates. This range of views is reflected in the wide variety of newspapers and magazines available, so all political viewpoints are represented within the various publications that consumers can choose to buy. The pluralist approach rejects the idea that press owners control content. Instead, it suggests that newspapers simply give people what they want to read as, companies that fail to do so, are unlikely to succeed in competitive market and are more likely to go bankrupt. So, this view states that consumers are the ones who influence content through their market power. The conflict approach to press ownership According to the conflict approach, press owners are in a strong position to put their own political views across. This is because, as owners, they are able to control content and they do so in favour of their own political and economic interests. Supporters of this approach point to several developments within the media to support their position. These include the increasing concentration of press ownership in the hands of a few companies and individuals and the emergence of multimedia (or cross-media) conglomerates (such as News Corporation) that operate on a global, rather than national, scale. As a result of such developments, much of what people read comes from a few multinational media empires. The exercise of power within the media The media have the power to select which issues are ignored and exploited. In doing so, they direct public discussion and therefore affect what people think about it. This could give the media influence over people’s political views and their voting behaviour. The news media also have power in relation to norm referencing; they are able to outline the acceptable boundaries of behaviour. The views and behaviour of some groups and organisations are presented positively, whilst others are presented negatively. Through nor referencing, positive images of some groups ad negative images of others are created, and this helps to shape public opinion. The internet and the distribution of power Some sociologists argue that digital technology will lead to a reduction in power and influence of media power as it allows everyone to produce media content, rather than just consume it. For this reason, the internet could help to safeguard democracy by spreading the power to communicate and to exert influence more widely among different individuals and groups. Because anyone can upload information, comment on information given, contact politicians etc, they can exert influence. They can also find out about pressure groups (such as Greenpeace) or issues such as global warming. In this way, the internet could empower people and provide them with more opportunities to participate in politics. Other approaches, however, question how far the internet has increased political participation and empowered people as most people use the internet for things like shopping rather than for political reasons. Critics also argue that ‘e-democracy’ requires expensive technology and funding to start up and maintain so not everyone can get involved. The press is free because The press isn’t free because Members of the public exercise control through our market power. We can easily switch newspapers if we are unhappy with what we read. Hence, the market controls content and the consumer is sovereign There has been an increasing concentration of press ownership in the hands of a few companies and individuals meaning smaller companies have been swallowed by media giants Owners cannot simply dictate content but have to give us what we want to buy Multimedia conglomerates operate on a global rather than a national scale so a small number of multinational companies now have interests in media across the globe There is freedom to set up new newspapers if existing ones do not meet market demands Multimedia conglomerates such as News Corporation have emerged as a result of other companies merging together The media is an ISA used to teach us the norms and values of a capitalist society. The media is controlling us.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Fahrenheit 451 Analysis Essay Example for Free

Fahrenheit 451 Analysis Essay The theme of Ray Bradburys classic Fahrenheit 451 can be viewed from several different angles. First and foremost, the book gives an anti-censorship message. Bradbury understood censorship to be a natural outcropping of an overly tolerant society. Yet, the protagonist Guy Montag is one of the few that is courageous enough to find out the truth for himself. This unexpected discovery on the corruption of society challenged traditional values, knowledge and beliefs. The personal freedom to the right of an individual having the freedom of expression when he utilizes the issue of censorship in Fahrenheit 451. In Bradburys novel, society has evolved to such an extreme that all literature is illegal to possess. Because of the trouble books may cause, they were banned altogether. For example, one group might think they had a really great idea and wrote it in a book, however, the other group might object to something that has been written, that means the book will have to be modified and therefore censorship begins. Soon, another group objects to something else in the book, and it is again edited, eventually the original product will be lost. Because of this presented danger, no longer can books be read, not only because they might offend someone, but because books raise questions for the people that the government cannot answer. The intellectual thinking that comes from knowledge can often be dangerous, yet, who would want to do that when they can take the easy route? â€Å"Ignorance is bliss† applies perfectly here. The government would rather rule the people orderly than have them start a revolution with knowledge. This philosophy, according to the book, completely ignores the benefits of knowledge. True, knowledge can cause disharmony because it causes people to ask â€Å"why†, but in many ways, knowledge of the past, which is recorded in books, can prevent mankind from making similar mistakes in the present and future. The society envisioned in Fahrenheit 451 is corrupted. As Captain Beatty explains, government control of peoples lives there was not a conspiracy of dictators, but a consensus of everyday people instead. The citizens are so weak-minded that they dont want to think for themselves and solve the troubling problems of the world. They don’t have much emotion, because they prefer pleasure over hurt. The only way they can do this is to not care. The parlor women, for example, cannot see past the surface. They are more interested in looks than reality; they are so shallow that they cannot see one’s true qualities. It is far easier to live a life of seclusion and a life where technology will provide you with all necessities. Yet more importantly, Fahrenheit 451 described the people in that society as anti-social. Clarisse, the only â€Å"normal† girl mentioned that people in that society doesn’t talk much, at all. They are â€Å"either shouting or dancing around like wild† (30), but the key point is, â€Å"people don’t talk about anything† (31), â€Å"they name a lot of cars or clothes or swimming pools mostly and say how swell!† (31) They do not quite live in the reality, only using abstract things to entertain themselves. â€Å"They all say the same things and nobody says anything different† (31) because in their eyes, technology and the government is always correct. This is very similar to our world today, almost everyone some kind of technology: television, computer, hand held devices. When we have a choice between technology or nature. It is almost certain that technology wins. We are on the computer three to four hours a day, doing work, checking email, social media, or just simply surfing the web. Our everyday life is technology; we depe nd on it so much that it is almost impossible to live without it. People in the novel are afraid of themselves, of what their minds are capable of doing. They fear the thought of knowing, which leads them to depend on others, such as technology and the government to think for them. The best example would be the protagonist Guy Montag. His entire view on life shifted as the book progressed. He was originally a normal fireman, but when he met his neighbor Clarisse McClennen, who was considered a misfit in the society, he began to see things differently. Instead of burning books because it’s useless information to the public, he now wants to share its knowledge with the whole world. Montag is at war with the society, he’s battling against the â€Å"common knowledge† and laws, trying to shine some light on the people. Thus, the book successfully advocates the idea that men should think for themselves, not let technology or any outside sources decide for them. Technology may provide you with joy, but to live life to the fullest, you have to try everything, and there are no substitute for the treasure you can find in books. It’s like Montag said, â€Å"I went around doing one thing and feeling another.† (131) as he reflects on all the trouble that he has gotten into because he has not been true to himself. Although this path might not be easy, it is necessary for any society that doesnt wish to repeat the mistakes of the past to earn knowledge. Our society today needs to realize that before it is too late.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Chronic Kidney Disease: Pathology and Biochemistry

Chronic Kidney Disease: Pathology and Biochemistry The kidneys are a pair of organs that function to removing metabolic wastes like urea, carbon dioxide, salts, and chemicals from the blood and excreting these wastes as urine. Kidneys also regulate the concentration of body fluids and electrolyte concentrations, arterial pressure, secretion/excretion of hormones and acid-base balance of body fluids (Guyton Hall, 2005). The main functional filtering unit of the kidney is the nephron. At least 800 thousand nephrons are in one kidney. The initial filtering unit in the nephron is the glomerulus, and the filtrates coming from the glomerulus are formed into urine as it passes the other components in the nephron. Diseases in the kidney cause a significant number of deaths and disabilities worldwide (Coresh, et al., 2007). Acute renal failure is manifested by the kidneys abruptly stopping, although the chance exists that the kidneys could recover, while in chronic kidney disease there is a progressive decline in the function of the nephrons. More specifically, chronic kidney disease is defined as damaged or decreased kidney function measured by a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) for a period or three or more months (Levey, et al., 2003). Initial damage to the nephron results in compensatory responses of the remaining nephrons allowing for the continuation of clearance of blood solutes. The compensatory action of the nephrons during early damage is thought to be a major cause of renal damage, because during compensation the glomerular capillary pressure is increased so much that damages are incurred leading to lesions in the glomeruli (Arora Verelli, 2010). Chronic kidney disea se is also caused by hypertension, diabetes, disorders in blood vessels and glomeruli, infections, immune system disorders, congenital disorders, and urinary tract obstructions (Guyton Hall, 2005). Clinical symptoms for chronic kidney disease are not evident until the number of functional nephrons decreases by 70-75% (Guyton Hall, 2005). The progressive deterioration in kidney function could ultimately lead to end-stage renal disease where the patient must undergo dialysis to remove wastes from the blood, or transplanted with a new kidney. Chronic kidney disease has 5 stages based on the GFR (National Kidney Foundation, 2002). Patients with the stage 1-3 of the disease do not show symptoms. At stage 4-5 electrolyte balance and endocrine disorders become evident. It is believed that the uremic disorders observed at stage 5 are due to the accumulation of toxins (Arora Verelli, 2010). Increased retention of potassium (hyperkalemia) occurs due to inability of the kidneys to excrete potassium. Metabolic acidosis results from the inability of the kidneys to produce enough ammonia necessary to react with the endogenous acid and produce ammonium. Phosphates, sulphates, and other organic anions accumulate, causing large anion gaps. Metabolic acidosis increases protein degradation and amino acid oxidation, and reduces albumin synthesis, resulting in protein-energy malnutrition, decreased body mass, and increased muscle weakness. Acidosis also interferes with Vitamin D metabolism and mineral imbalance resulting in renal osteodys trophy or renal bone disease. Renal bone disease can be averted with timely dietary measures and medications like phosphate binders and calcitriol (Renal Resource Center, 2007). Skeletal and extraskeletal complications result from the progression of renal bone disease. In chronic kidney disease, renal bone disease is categorized into four general types: (1) low turnover disease or defective mineralization; (2) high turnover bone disease brought about by high levels of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels; (3) beta-2-microglobulin associated bone disease; and (4) mixture of the 3 diseases (Arora Verelli, 2010). Diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease is diagnosed by laboratory tests on urine and serum. Serum creatinine as an estimate of glomerular filtration rate, albumin-creatinine ratio in the urine, and examination of urine sediment and dipstick test for erythrocytes and leukocytes are recommended (Levey, et al., 2003). Image analysis by ultrasound can be performed for patients with symptoms of stones, infection, obstruction of the urinary tract and having a family medical history of polycystic kidney disease. Serum electrolytes should be measured on patients who are hypertensive, diabetic, and those who have been exposed to drug toxicity. Other tests include urinary concentration or dilution, and acidification for selected patients who present symptoms of polyuria, metabolic acidosis, metabolic alkalosis, hypo- and hyperkalemia (very high levels of potassium). Kidney function is assessed by analyzing serum creatinine along with a blood urea nitrogen test (Lab Tests Online, 2009). Creatinine clearance is an indication of the efficiency of the kidneys in filtering small molecules out of the blood. A traditional and principal marker of kidney damage is persistent or recurring proteinuria (Kean Eknoyan, 1999). Proteins are large molecules, and therefore they cannot pass the membranes of the glomeruli into the urine. Glomeruli, being negatively charged, also repel proteins. Size and charge barriers do not allow the passage of proteins into urine, unless the glomeruli are damaged (Proteinuria and microalbuminuria, 2007). Proteins can be measured using reagent strip tests for point of care detection and laboratory tests, including immunoassays (Carter, Tomson, Stevens, Lamb, 2006). When the protein level is more than 3500 milligrams, extensive glomeruli damage has already occurred. An albumin (or protein)-creatinine ratio higher than 30 mg albumin/g creatinine, is abnormal since the cut-off points are greater than 17 mg/g in males and more than 25 mg/g in females (Warram, Gearin, Laffel, Krolewski, 1996; (Jacobs, Murtaugh, Steffes, Yu, Roseman, Goetz, 2002). Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is currently the best test for detecting kidney disorders. GFR is estimated using a formula that uses serum creatinine value, and gender, age and weight of individual. The GFR has been recommended to be the main criterion in classifying kidney disease. Five stages of chronic kidney diseases have been identified based on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (National Kidney Foundation, 2002). Kidney damage has been proposed with normal or increased GFR of > 90 mL/min per 1.73 m2, while kidneys have already failed when the GFR greatly decreased at Indications of chronic kidney disease are varied and diverse. Increase or decrease in levels of important electrolytes phosphate, potassium and calcium. Other indications are metabolic acidosis, pericarditis, malnutrition, neuropathies and cardiovascular complications (Shlipak, et al., 2005; Tonelli, et al., 2006). The treatment of chronic kidney disease depends on the stage of the disease and should focus on several important factors (Arora Verelli, 2010). The primary objective is to delay and halt the progression of the disease by treating the known underlying condition (e.g. hypertension, diabetes). Systolic blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and glycemic levels must be controlled, and use of angiotensin receptor blockers is recommended. Pathologic symptoms should be treated as follows: anemia with erythropoietin; high phosphate levels with dietary means for binding and restricting phosphate binders; low calcium levels with supplements and hyperparathyroidism with vitamin D analogs or calcitriol (Arora Verelli, 2010). For uremic manifestations, dialysis and transplantation are recommended depending on the stage of the diseases, and the indications. Timely planning for renal transplantation is also necessary in order to prepare the patient. Reflection on module Chronic kidney disease is prevalent worldwide, with millions of people affected. The review conducted here shows that the disease has been well characterized with respect to the point-of- care and clinical tests for diagnosis. Chronic kidney disease affects the accumulation of ions in the blood therefore leading to a multitude of adverse conditions. The US National Kidney Foundation has spearheaded efforts to standardize and systematize the different stages, diagnostic approaches and treatment modalities. Apparently, chronic kidney disease results from other disorders. Therefore it can be prevented and corrected by first preventing and curing the underlying cause. This makes the nature of the disease complicated, and solutions are also complex. What is clear is that kidney disease is mostly a result of lifestyle, since most underlying causes like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hyperlipidemia are mostly due to lifestyles. A limitation in the publications that were reviewed was the lack of clear recommendations on how the onset of chronic kidney disease can be prevented, and what specific medications can lead to repair of the glomeruli and the nephrons after damage has occurred. Clearly, a patient with chronic kidney disease is saddled with the knowledge that a complete cure is not possible; and it only takes a matter of time for one to have the end-stage renal disease. The challenge for the medical community is to come up with a clear preventive strategy against kidney disease, and to have other long-term options aside from dialysis or organ transplantation.

Colonial America Essay -- essays research papers

Religious Freedom in colonial America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Religion was a very important part of everyday life in colonial America. Sometimes people were not allowed to question what they were taught, and if they did so they were punished accordingly. Before 1700 some colonies had more religious freedom then others. While others colonies only allowed religious freedom to a select group, others allowed religious freedom to all different kinds of religions. In the overall there was quite a bit of religious freedom in colonial America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First there is the colony or Rhode Island, which was started by a man, named Roger Williams in (1636). It did not become an official colony until (1644) when it then received a charter from Parliament. Williams welcomed every one; he guaranteed religious freedom to everyone even the Catholics and the Jews. Williams also granted religious freedom to the Quakers, even though his own views were very different from those of the Quakers. This was truly the most democratic of all of the colonies. Williams did not demand mandatory attendance at services, or oaths regarding religious beliefs. Rhode Island was truly the first example of religious tolerance and freedom of opportunity. Second there is the colony or Pennsylvania (1681). Pennsylvania was founded by an English man named William Penn. At first, Pennsylvania guaranteed religious freedom to all residents of the colony. Later on however, London started givi...

Monday, August 19, 2019

Diabetes :: essays research papers

Diabetes, a disease associated with serious complications and premature death, is known as a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production and/or insulin action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most that do not know much about the disease would suspect there was only one type when there are 3 forms of diabetes. Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes are the three most common cases the most diabetes patients are diagnosed with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Type 1 diabetes, which is usually known for striking children and young adults, develops when the body’s immune system destroys Pancreatic Beta cells. Pancreatic Beta cells are the only cells that regulate blood glucose. Patients with this type of diabetes usually need several insulin injections a day or and insulin pump to maintain or survive. Family history, Autoimmune disease, where the body mistakenly attacks the insulin producing cells, and environmental factors are risks factors of type 1 diabetes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, Type 2, which is the most common, accounts for 90-95% of all diagnosed cases. It begins with resistance to insulin. This is when cell do not use insulin properly. Risks of type 2 is anyone age 45 or older, obesity, family history of diabetes, diabetes during pregnancy, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and being of the Native American, Hispanic/ Latino American, Asian, or Pacific Islander race.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Last, Gestational diabetes, which is a form of glucose intolerance that is diagnosed with some women at pregnancy. It requires treatment to help normalize maternal blood glucose levels. These treatments are given to avoid complications in the infant during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is most common in African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Indian American Women, Obese women, and is common in family history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People with diabetes can follow many steps to control the disease and lower the risks of complications while living with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studies have shown medications to successful in preventing diabetes. Metformin is a common treatment drug to control all types of diabetes.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Technical Writing and Test Prep: An Examination of Technical Writing in

Developed in the 1950s as a response to an increased interest in post-secondary education due to the G.I. Bill, the American College Testing Program, known today as ACT, was a non- profit, tax-exempt organization which provided standardized testing services meant to â€Å"help students make better decisions about which colleges to attend and which programs to study, and provide information helpful to colleges both in the process of admitting students and in ensuring their success after enrollment† (â€Å"ACT.org†). Historically, the ACT has played an integral role in the developing the realms of education and the workforce, and it continues to support both education and workforce development in the 21st century. In 2002, the ACT organization announced a new corporate structure, comprised of â€Å"two divisions: Education and Workforce Development. The new governance structure consists of a 14-member Board of Directors, and the expanded advising structure retains the A CT State Organizations but now also includes two distinct Advisory Boards, one for each of the new divisions† (â€Å"ACT.org†) calling into question the company’s â€Å"non-profit† title. Adorning a corporate title, however, suggests that the role of the ACT organization and its purpose of standardized testing persist as an economic enterprise whose sole purpose is to create revenue. The ACT organization relies heavily on economic and technical developments that help sustain productivity and reliability of a product. In the case of the non-profit, tax exempt entity of ACT, standardized testing is big business as â€Å"every year Americans spend millions on the tests they are required to write in order to be evaluated for admission into undergraduate and graduate programs, and many millions mor... ...valuation of a text designed by, marketed by, and sold by ACT Incorporated. Ultimately, connecting the history of ACT testing, the creation of a test preparation study guide distributed by a non-profit â€Å"corporate† entity, and a qualitative study of technical design is undoubtedly a challenge. However, the findings of such research will potentially challenge or strengthen notions about the validity of both standardized test and test prep materials with respect to technical writing. Works Cited Works Cited "ACT: The First Fifty Years, 1959-2009." ACT.org. Act, Inc., 2009. Web. 1 Oct 2010. . Carter, Chris. The Case Against Standardized Tests. 6 Oct. 2009. testcritic.homestead.com. 23 Sep. 2010 .

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Application of Balanced Scorecard

A Case Study: Application of the Balanced Scorecard in Higher Education by Andrea Mae Rollins A dissertation submitted to the faculty of San Diego State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Educational Leadership June 28, 2011 iii Copyright  © 2011 by Andrea Mae Rollins v DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my brother Jason, from as early as I can remember he has always been proud of his little sister and her accomplishments; his pride, his love, and his support will forever be cherished and means more than he will ever know, and To my grandmother Dollie, who sacrificed so much in order to provide for me the life I needed; she taught me to be kind and generous and to ask for help when needed, but most importantly she taught me anything is possible, and To my dear friends, who give me more credit than I deserve and love me unconditionally; I am extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful group of amazing women in my life, and To Fred, who never gave up on me; his confidence in my abilities gave me the strength to push through all obstacles and make it to the finish line. v ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the application of the Balanced Scorecard as a management tool within the External and Business Affairs (EBA) unit at University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Specially, the study sought to examine how the Balanced Scorecard was communicated throughout the organization, how the data are used within the organization, and how the data are used for decision making, paying particular attention to the four perspectives of UCSD’s EBA’s personalized Balanced Scorecard.These four perspectives are financial/stakeholder, internal processes, innovation and learning, and the customer. This descriptive case study, a review of program records, a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews with EBA employees utilizing the constant comparative method and descriptive statistics, identified four l essons learned: the truly informed employees are at the top of the organization and they find value in the Balanced Scorecard, most employees are unaware of availability and usefulness of the Balanced Scorecard data, even an unbalanced Scorecard improves business operations and the annual performance evaluation process is an opportunity to reinforce the Balanced Scorecard. The study includes three recommendations for EBA.The recommendations are EBA leadership needs to communicate the Balanced Scorecard process, outcomes, and application with greater clarity to all employees in the organization; there needs to be an institutional plan for sustainability of the Balanced Scorecard to ensure it transcends the current people and environment; and the Balanced Scorecard process within EBA must be flexible for future organizational evolution. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIS T OF TABLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIST OF FIGURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Background: The Balanced Scorecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Site of the Case Study: University of California, San Diego. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . External and Business Affairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Problem Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Definition of Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Significance of Thi s Study.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purpose Statement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theoretical Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Limitations of the Study.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delimitations of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Role of the Researcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organization of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 2—REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roles and Expectations of Higher Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Higher Education in California. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v x xi xii 1 1 4 6 9 10 11 12 12 14 14 15 15 15 17 17 19 vii Reengineering Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Performance Funding.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accreditation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organizational Structure and Management Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Quality Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Malcolm Baldrige Award Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Balanced Scorecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Balanced Scorecard and Higher Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organizational Change and the Case Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 3—METHODOLOGY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Research Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Participants.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Collection and Analysis.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interviews.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Program Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ethical Principles Based on Human Subjects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Role of the Researcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 22 24 28* 28 29 30 33 34 36 37 37 38 38 40 41 42 44 45 46 47 47 48 viii Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 4—FINDINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Participant Profiles.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interviews.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Source of Findings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Program Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interviews.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Historical Perspective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lessons Learned.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recent Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interview Themes.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Tool With Many Names.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Communication Is an Individual Choice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An Unbalanced Balanced Scorecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Impact Is Personal.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Visionaries Can Be Found at All Leve ls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER 5—DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lessons Learned.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 48 50 51 51 54 56 56 57 60 61 61 63 64 64 65 66 69 72 74 77 78 79 ix Informed Employee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Availability and Usefulness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unbalanced Scorecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Performance Evaluation Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Theoretical Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Communicate With Clarity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sustainability Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flexibility.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Future Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Process Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Balanced Scorecard Implementation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Balanced Scorecard Components.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traditional Academic Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Quantitative Outcome Measures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . REFERENCES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDICES A. Vice Chancellor—External and Business Affairs Organization Chart.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B. Balanced Scorecard Example.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 86 88 92 95 97 98 99 100 102 102 103 103 104 104 105 106 112 113 LIST OF TABLES PAGE Table 1. External and Business Affairs’ Personalized Balanced Scorecard. . . . . . . . Table 2. Unit Affiliation of Survey Participants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table 3. Years of Service of Survey Participants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table 4. Position of Survey Participants.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table 5. Interview Participants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Table 6. Survey Responses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 52 53 54 56 58 i LIST OF FIGURES PAGE Figure 1. The Balanced Scorecard visual created by Kaplan and Norton.. . . . . . . . . 3 xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation committee for their support and patience in the completion of this study. Thank you to Dr. Fred McFarlane for always making time to hear me. There were many excuses used, but you never seemed frustrated or disappointed but rather your continued support kept me motivated and committed. Thank you to Dr. Shaila Mulholland for continuously pushing me a bit further and your continued support while doing so. Thank you to Dr. Mark Tucker for your careful review of this work and your sound advice and guidance.I would a lso like to thank Dr. Angela Song and the UCSD community. Dr. Song, throughout this entire process, if felt as though I had a partner in you. Your generosity in terms of sharing your time and knowledge meant a lot and was a significant contributor to my success. To the UCSD community, thank you for your honesty and openness. Lastly, I want to thank my friends and family. Thank you for always believing in me. Your encouragement and support helped make this possible. A final thanks goes to Bailey and Hershey for their unconditional love, especially in those moments when I had little time and attention for them; they rode this wave with me. CHAPTER 1—INTRODUCTION Steven Covey is quoted as saying, â€Å"People and their managers are working so hard to be sure things are done right, that they hardly have time to decide if they are doing the right things† (Rohm, 2002, p. 1). Managing an organization is a balancing act. This balancing act requires the organization and all its members to ensure the development of good business strategies that allow for efficient operations and practices. The Balanced Scorecard is a performance management tool that assists the organization in finding its balance (Rohm, 2002). According to Kaplan and Norton (2007), â€Å"The balanced Scorecard supplemented traditional financial measures with criteria that measured performance from three additional perspectives—those of customers, internal business, and learning and growth† (p. 2).This case study examines the application of The Balanced Scorecard in External and Business Affairs (EBA) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Specifically, it looks at the personalized Balanced Scorecard that UCSD developed for their implementation. Background: The Balanced Scorecard The Balanced Scorecard, developed in 1992, provides organizations with an opportunity to measure more than financial performance indicators. Kaplan and Norton (1992) developed the Balanced Scorecard so that â€Å"managers should not have to choose between financial and operational measures† (p. 71). The development of the balanced scorecard was in response to a changing and more competitive environment where executives felt traditional measures of financial performance were not sufficient.The Balanced Scorecard was designed as a model for measuring several dimensions of 2 performance. The model provided managers with a format that allowed them the opportunity to incorporate additional perspectives beyond financial performance measures. By using this model, organizations are able to complement their financial measures with additional nonfinancial performance measures for the purpose of planning future growth and creating an organization with more collaborative leadership (Kaplan & Norton, 2007). Kaplan and Norton (1992) completed a yearlong research project that was comprised of 12 companies that they described as being at the leading edge of performance manage ment.The result of this yearlong research project is the Balanced Scorecard, which is an assessment tool comprised of a set of measures that go beyond the traditional measures of financial criteria to include measures that are inclusive of both financial and operational indicators. The Balanced Scorecard â€Å"provides answers to four basic questions: 1) How do customers see us? 2) What must we excel at? 3) Can we continue to improve and create value? and 4) How do we look to shareholders? † (Kaplan & Norton, 1992, p. 72). Kaplan and Norton argue that by giving managers the answers to these four basic questions, they will have multiple measures to judge the performance of their organization, but will not be overloaded by a large number of measures. Additionally, the variety of measures requires the financial and operational leaders to work together.The Balanced Scorecard serves as an easy tool for determining whether the success in one area occurs to the detriment of another, as well as identifying if success in one area is associated with strong performance in another area (Kaplan & Norton, 1992). By considering the four perspectives altogether, the Balanced Scorecard indicates when a process that serves a benefit to your customers may in fact hinder the 3 organization from the innovation and learning perspectives. Figure 1 is a visual of the tool Kaplan and Norton created to describe the Balanced Scorecard. Figure 1. The Balanced Scorecard visual created by Kaplan and Norton. Adapted from â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard: Measures That Drive Performance,† by R. S. Kaplan & D. P.Norton, January-February 1992, Harvard Business Review, p. 72. The tool provides the four questions of the Balanced Scorecard in relationship to one another and links the questions to the perspective to which they are responding. Additionally, the Balanced Scorecard provides the format for tracking the data, which they break up into goals and measures. The four perspectives are: Financial, Internal Business, Innovation and Learning, and Customer (Kaplan & Norton, 1992). These four questions are the foundation of the Balanced Scorecard. Goal setting and tracking 4 measures help to make the Balanced Scorecard a successful performance measurement tool for organizations.Site of the Case Study: University of California, San Diego In recognition of its â€Å"innovative approach to cutting costs, solving problems, and increasing efficiency† (UCSD, 2003, para. 1) the University of California, San Diego was inducted into the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame in 2003 (External and Business Affairs [EBA], 2011b). Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton founded the Palladium Group (2010), a global organization that provides, among other services, consulting in strategy and performance management. The Palladium Group developed the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame, which honors organizations that have achieved performance excellence through the use of the Balanced Scorecard.There is a formal application process, and the selection criteria requires an organization to have implemented the Balanced Scorecard methodology, have completed a breakthrough in performance results for at least 24 months, and have provided a testimonial that the organization’s success is, at least in part, due to the Kaplan-Norton approach. In 2010, there were more than 130 current Hall of Fame Members. Members included domestic and international organizations. They were presented in the following industry groups: consumer, education and nonprofits, energy and utilities, financials, government, healthcare, materials and industrials, and telecommunications and information technologies (The Palladium Group, 2010). In 2003, UCSD was the first university to be added to the Hall of Fame.The recognition came 10 years after adopting the performance management system in 1993. There are only two other universities that have been inducted into the 5 Hall of Fame. These two universities are the University of Leeds located in the United Kingdom and the International Islamic University of Malaysia. University of California, San Diego, one of the 10 campuses in California’s University of California system, was founded in 1960. University of California, San Diego is highly regarded nationwide as both an outstanding institution of higher learning and as a top tier research institution. In the 2011 â€Å"America’s Best Colleges Guidebook,† issued by U. S.News and World Report (as cited in UCSD, 2010a), UCSD was ranked as the 7th best public university in the nation. In 2010, there were five Nobel Prize winners among UCSD’s faculty body (UCSD, 2010a). University of California, San Diego has significant ties to the local community, specifically related to the amount of jobs it provides for members of the local community. University of California, San Diego is the third largest employer in San Diego County, employing nearly 26,000 em ployees. Its faculty and alumni have contributed to at least 193 start-up companies in the San Diego community. The impact of the research at UCSD extends throughout California, which notes that â€Å"UC San Diego contributes more than $7. billion in direct and indirect spending and personal income each year to the California economy and generates 39,400 jobs, based on an independent study conducted by CBRE Consulting released in† 2008† (UCSD, 2010a, para. 7). The work of the students, faculty, researchers and alumni has a local, state, and national influence and a global reach. The campus consists of six undergraduate colleges, five academic divisions and five graduate and professional schools. In the fall of 2010, the total campus enrollment was 29,899 students. The annual revenues for UCSD are approximately $2. 6 billion with 22% of the revenues 6 coming from federally funded research and 11. 5% coming from the State of California (UCSD, 2010a).The Washington Monthly is a different ranking guide that ranks higher education organizations on an annual basis on their contribution to the public good. The categories for the college guide and rankings for the award are Social Mobility—recruiting and graduating low income students; Research—producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs; and Service—encouraging students to give something back to their country. In 2010, UCSD ranked number one on the Washington Monthly list. Washington Monthly explains their rankings are unlike U. S. News and World Reports and other guides because they do not look at what colleges can do for the individual but rather what the colleges do for the country (â€Å"College Guide,† 2010).External and Business Affairs The mission of UCSD focuses primarily on education and research. The leadership structure of the university is divided into seven vice chancellor areas. Three of the vice chancellor areas hold academic appointments and directly serve the education and research mission of UCSD. The other four vice chancellor areas serve this mission, as well, but in more of a peripheral role. The External and Business Affairs (EBA) vice chancellor area serves the university by providing leadership and management for the business and administrative functions. Despite the fact that UCSD is recognized by the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame, only EBA has implemented the Balanced Scorecard.The overall mission of EBA is â€Å"raising financial support for UCSD’s research, teaching and patient care, while delivering superior service to our stakeholders in a responsive and cost-effective manner† (EBA, 2011a, para. 1). The organizational units in the EBA 7 include Administrative Computing and Telecommunications, Human Resources, Business and Fiscal Services, Housing, Dining and Hospitality Services, Alumni Affairs, University and Health Sciences Development, and the UCSD Foundation and Advancement Services. A full description of the organizational unit is found in Appendix A. Currently, Steven W. Relyea serves as the Vice Chancellor for EBA.Through his leadership, UCSD’s EBA adopted the Balanced Scorecard in 1993. When honored as a member of the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame in 2003, UCSD had saved more than $6 million since the Balanced Scorecard was adopted. Mr. Relyea is quoted as saying: The Balanced Scorecard process provides UCSD with a roadmap which indicates where it should focus its energies, priorities, and resources in providing administrative services for UCSD. During difficult budgetary times, this approach is indispensable. While some may have viewed an approach such as the Balanced Scorecard as optional in the past, many will find it a key to survival in this era of shrinking funds. (UCSD, 2003, para. ) Stemming from the basic four questions outlined by Kaplan and Norton (1992) in the Balanced Scorecard (i. e. , â€Å"1) How do customers see us? 2) What must we excel at? 3) Can we continue to improve and create value? and 4) How do we look to shareholders? † [p. 72]), UCSD created four perspectives for the focus of their Balanced Scorecard tool. The four perspectives of UCSD’s Balanced Scorecard focus on: the financial/stakeholder, the internal processes, innovation and learning, and the customer. These four perspectives link to Kaplan and Norton’s questions as follows: the financial/stakeholder perspective responds to Kaplan and Norton’s question number four; the internal process perspective responds to question number two; the innovation and learning perspective responds to question number three; and the customer perspective responds to question number one. University of California, San Diego prides itself on being a strategic, forward-thinking organization. University of California, San Diego’s EBA kept this framework as their foundation when personalizing the four perspectives and outlining their foci for the implementati on and application of the Balanced Scorecard. External and Business Affairs values these four perspectives (see Table 1) as tools and provides the organization with the following foci to further define the perspectives.Table 1 External and Business Affairs’ Personalized Balanced Scorecard Perspective Financial/Stakeholder Internal Process Innovation and Learning Customer Focus Looking Backwards Process Performance Employee Satisfaction and Wellness Customer Satisfaction University of California, San Diego has described their benefits from the Balanced Scorecard as the ability to align customer priorities with business priorities, the ability to track progress over time, the method for the evaluation of process changes, the method for identification of opportunities for initiatives and partnerships, the source for accountability to constituents, and the source for the development of action plans and setting strategic direction. University of California, San Diego as an institu tion benefits by the application of the Balanced Scorecard within EBA. Despite EBA being the only vice chancellor area that has implemented and applied the Balanced Scorecard, the benefits extend through all areas of the institution given that the services EBA provides to faculty and staff extends throughout the entire institution. Problem Statement In tight fiscal times, challenges and expectations increase for higher education organizations. The concept of a higher education organization running more like a corporation serves as a basis for criticism of the organization. In tight fiscal times, critics are extremely outspoken about the business of higher education. They challenge everything from the manner in which higher education organizations are organized and their funding decisions, to their staffing choices.Higher education organizations are viewed as a key component in overcoming tight fiscal times, therefore providing hope for the nation. However, their resources do not inc rease while their expectations by the students and other customers do increase over time. Higher education organizations face external pressures to adapt and manage change by utilizing market and business strategies. The financing of higher education organizations is cyclical. Therefore, tight fiscal times are either on the horizon or currently present for most publically supported higher education organizations. Alexander (2000) described this issue when discussing the concept of higher education accountability.He stated that â€Å"a new economic motivation is driving states to redefine relationships by pressuring organizations to become more accountable, more efficient, and more productive in the use of publicly generated resources† (p. 411). A related perspective is provided by Kotler and Murphy (1981), who wrote about tight fiscal times in higher education in the 1980s. Almost 30 years later their arguments are still very relevant given the cyclical nature of the 10 finan cing of higher education. They viewed the economic condition as a motivator, rather than seeing only setbacks and challenges. They looked at the economic condition as an opportunity to strategically move the organization forward. When fiscal times are tight, they see opportunities for higher education organizations.From their perspective, tight fiscal times are opportunities for planning and strategizing about the organization’s future. If the higher education organization can look introspectively and begin to analyze their current situation rather than focusing simply on daily operations, they can look to the future and find new opportunities (Kotler & Murphy, 1981). Presently higher education organizations face dilemmas of accountability. They are challenged to operate more strategically and are tasked with finding greater process efficiencies. Green (2003) argued that traditional approaches for managing higher education organizations are no longer relevant. Organizations n eed to reengineer themselves to be relevant in today’s society.Higher education organizations must identify, explore, and implement strategies that can assist them in responding to these new expectations. In 1993, when EBA implemented the Balanced Scorecard, it was partially in response to tight fiscal times and increased federal regulations. Consistent with Green’s argument, EBA was looking for a way to reengineer their organization in order to respond to the challenges of disappearing resources and increased regulation while finding a way to be strategic and accountable. Definition of Terms The following terms were used in this study. 1. Balanced Scorecard refers to the performance management tool developed by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton in 1992. 11 2.Balanced Scorecard foci refer to the foci established at UCSD in conjunction with their personalized Balanced Scorecard perspectives. 3. Balanced Scorecard perspectives refer to the personalized Balanced Scorec ard at UCSD. 4. External Business and Affairs (EBA) refers to the vice chancellor unit at UCSD that has implemented the Balanced Scorecard. 5. Higher Education organizations refer to public and private nonprofit 2-year colleges and public and private nonprofit 4-year universities. 6. University of California, San Diego (UCSD) refers to the study site for this case study. 7. Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the accrediting commission for Senior Colleges and Universities in the Western Region of the United States.Significance of This Study In light of the current and future expectations, higher education organizations require examples of successful implementation and adaptation of management strategies that address the need to become more productive, accountable and efficient. The Balanced Scorecard, which utilizes measures beyond financial performance, is a tool that can assist higher education organizations to become more efficient and accountable. This case stu dy took an in-depth look at the application of the Balanced Scorecard in units within the EBA vice chancellor area at UCSD. The results of the case study will provide other higher education organizations with a detailed view of how the Balanced Scorecard is communicated throughout the units, examples of what type of data elements are 12 tracked, and how these data elements are used for decision making.This detailed view of the Balanced Scorecard application will be useful for higher education administrators who are both internal and external to UCSD. For current UCSD administrators, this study provided them with a new view of the Balanced Scorecard. For external higher education administrators, this study will provide them with another model for doing business. This detailed view will provide them with examples of how one higher education organization has applied their Balanced Scorecard and impacted its performance. Purpose Statement This case study examined the application of the Balanced Scorecard as a management tool, and explored how the Balanced Scorecard and UCSD’s EBA personalized perspectives/foci were communicated throughout the organization.The results identified the data elements that the Balanced Scorecard tracks and described how the data were used for decision making. This case study paid particular attention to the four perspectives of UCSD’s EBA which were personalized for their application. These four perspectives are financial/stakeholder, internal processes, innovation and learning, and the customer. Theoretical Framework This study was informed by Bolman and Deal’s Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership. Bolman and Deal, in 2008, the fifth release of work that was first published in 1984, provide a four-frame model that views â€Å"organizations as factories, families, jungles, and temples† (p. vii).The four frames are the structural frame, the human resource frame, the political frame, and th e symbolic frame. A frame, 13 as defined by Bolman and Deal, is a mental model. It is â€Å"a set of ideas and assumptions that you carry in your head to help you understand and negotiate a particular territory† (p. 11). Frames are necessary so individuals within organizations can quickly create a mental model of their current situation so they know how to appropriately navigate the situation. Bolman and Deal explain that although it is key to have mental models (i. e. , frames in order to negotiate day to day situations), it is also important for individuals to have the ability to break frames; they call this â€Å"reframing. They argue that learning to apply all four frames creates a deeper appreciation and understanding of the organization. Bolman and Deal (2008) outline the frames with the following descriptions. The structural frame or the â€Å"factory† emphasizes organizational architecture and the formal roles and relationships in an organization. The â€Å"s tructure† of an organization is found in an organization’s organizational charts, the linear or vertical relationships that have been defined and provided to employees. The human resources frame or the â€Å"family† emphasizes relationships, particularly interpersonal relationships. The human resource frame is concerned with the individual in the organization, their feelings and their needs.The political frame or the â€Å"jungle† refers to the political nature of an organization including the struggles of power, competition, and coalition building, as well as including the much needed negotiation and consensus building. The symbolic frame or â€Å"temples† refers to the â€Å"informal culture† of the organization. The symbolic frame emphasizes symbols and rituals within an organization. In the context of the case study, it was important for the researcher to have an understanding of organizational theory. These four frames were selected by t he researcher to guide her research design and methodology and to provide her lens for gathering and analyzing data due to the fact that the four frame 14 model provided by Bolman and Deal are inclusive of the entire organization.The theory they have been working on since 1984 provided an appropriate context to study the Balanced Scorecard at UCSD; it describes the organization in four competing and complementary frames, similar to the concept of the Balanced Scorecard. Research Questions In order to understand the application and management of the Balanced Scorecard in UCSD’s EBA, the following questions were answered through this case study: 1. How are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard communicated in the EBA? 2. How are the data from the Balanced Scorecard used within the organization of the EBA? 3. What impact does the Balanced Scorecard have on decision making in the EBA?Limitations of the Study A limitation of this study is that all higher education organi zations operate in a very distinct and unique manner. It may be difficult for some higher education organizations to find connections to this case study given the differences in mission, size, operations, and organizational structures of their institution when compared to UCSD. A second limitation is that since EBA is primarily a financial and administration unit within a high education organization, their processes and applications may not work for nonfinancial units. 15 Delimitations of the Study A delimitation of this study was the study site. The researcher selected UCSD based on proximity and familiarity.Within UCSD, the EBA is the only vice chancellor area that has adopted Balanced Scorecard. The other six vice chancellor areas have not adopted the Balanced Scorecard. Another delimitation of the study was that the researcher focused only on the Balanced Scorecard performance management tool rather than other performance management tools which are utilized at UCSD in the other vice chancellor areas. Role of the Researcher The researcher is currently a Director at UCSD in the Health Sciences Vice Chancellor area. The Health Sciences’ organizational unit has not adopted the Balanced Scorecard as a management tool; however, the researcher works with offices on a regular basis that have adopted the Balanced Scorecard.The researcher was invested in this case study because she wanted to gain a greater understanding of how the Balanced Scorecard has been implemented and how this can be modeled throughout UCSD and other higher education organizations nationwide. Even though she is an employee at UCSD, she attempted to be unbiased and fair. Organization of the Study This research study is organized in five chapters. Chapter 1 includes an introduction to the study, the purpose statement, the significance of this study, research questions, definition of terms, the limitations and delimitations of the study, and the role of the researcher. Chapter 2 includes a review of the literature and research on the Balanced Scorecard and its role in higher education. Chapter 3 includes a discussion of 16 the methodology that was used in the study.Chapter 4 includes the results and analysis that emerged from the study. Finally, Chapter 5 includes a summary of the study and lessons learned and recommendations based on the findings. 17 CHAPTER 2—REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The roles and expectations of higher education organizations have significantly changed in the last decade. Higher education organizations are expected to provide a multitude of services in addition to providing the highest quality education for their students. Higher education organizations are expected to serve as a significant contributor to the nation’s economic state. They are expected to contribute to their communities via the students they educate.The students should transition quickly into productive workers in society as both skilled and knowledge workers. They a re expected to contribute via technology advances and business start ups that emerge from academic research. Stemming from the academic research, they are expected to contribute via innovations that lead to new products, services, and new collaboration with industry (Berdahl, 2009; Douglass, 2010a; Gumport & Sporn, 1999; Serrano-Valarde, 2010). Role and Expectations of Higher Education The new roles of the higher education organizations and the expectations placed on them have stemmed from societal expectations, public polices, and technological innovations.Higher education organizations are seen as a spark that once ignited can create vast benefits for society. This new role and the expectations of higher education organizations have created a need for university leaders to become increasingly accountable and to develop organizational structures that can support and fulfill current and future expectations. Higher education organizations are now being assessed on their ability to pr oblem solve, their ability to provide a high quality product in a low cost environment, their ability to continue to maintain a level of access despite budget cuts, and to produce graduates as knowledgeable and skilled workers in a reasonable 18 timeframe.The demands upon higher education organizations require them to become more strategic in nature, and to explore discussions of restructuring, resource management, and quality assurance. Despite the new expectations, higher education organizations are not expected to receive additional funding or secure new funding streams. Rather, the reality is their operating budgets will continue to decrease (Gumport & Sporn, 1999). As an example, it was reported in January 2011 that higher education organizations in California should expect budget cuts of approximately $1. 4 billion for fiscal year 2011-2012 (Keller, 2011). Higher education organizations are increasingly challenged to meet these new expectations, given the current budget situat ion and the forecast of a bleak financial future.It is the opinion of many that 2011 and future years may be equally as troubling financially as the recent reductions higher education organizations have faced (Atkinson, 2009; Douglass, 2010a, 2010b). According to Douglass (2010b), the demand for higher education and societal gains from higher education organizations go up during economic downturns. There is an important relationship between the need to educate students and provide support for academic research and the funding available during times of economic downturn. Douglas (2010b) argues, â€Å"Education funding and enrollment capacity may be as important as any other policy level to cope with the economic downturn† (p. 2).Additional or continual budget cuts simply provide further limitations on the higher education organization’s ability to meet these new expectations. The current budget cuts will have a significant impact on graduation rates and future worker sh ortages. Douglass (2010b) continues his argument, speaking specifically about the state of affairs of higher education in California by stating, â€Å"[It is] undergoing a possibly 19 significant redefinition, driven solely by severe budget cuts and without a long-term strategic plan† (p. 9). Higher Education in California Focusing on the state of affairs of higher education in California, Douglass (2010a) describes the near collapse of the system.The near collapse has been brought on by the state’s fiscal weakness and therefore a lack of funding to its three-tiered structure, the University of California System, the California State University System, and the California Community College System. Public support for student funding has plummeted in California and, despite the continued growth of applicants, the three-tiered system is unable to accommodate qualified students. In addition to their capacity issues, California is challenged by its inability to graduate stud ents, which continues to add to the worker shortage in the state. Many students in California are displaced and looking to nonprofit (i. e. , National University) and for-profit universities (i. e. , the University of Phoenix and Argosy University) to fill the void left by the state-supported three-tiered system.The number of displaced students is predicted to continue to grow given that the population in California will increase exponentially in the next 40 years. The U. S. Census Bureau (2010) cites the current population in California at 36,961,664. It is projected to reach 60 million by 2050 (California Department of Finance, 2007; Douglass, 2010a; U. S. Census Bureau, 2010). Douglass (2010c) describes the for-profit universities as providing a lesser quality product. It may be more accessible, but it often comes with a larger cost and a decreased level of quality. The movement to for-profit universities as a result of lack of access is not unique to California or the United Sta tes.Douglass (2010c) describes this phenomenon as the â€Å"Brazilian Effect. † The Brazilian 20 Effect is â€Å"when public education cannot keep pace with the growing public demand for access and programs. For-profits rush to fill that gap, and become a much larger provider† (Douglass, 2010c, p. 5). The Brazilian Effect is usually more prevalent in developing nations—nations that consist of large areas of high poverty rates, low high school graduation rates, and limited access to higher education. The research indicates this is more prevalent in countries such as Brazil, Korea, and Poland. California presently is experiencing these same qualities seen in developing nations.Douglass (2010c) argues the Brazilian Effect is presently being seen in California. In a response to California’s near collapse, Douglass (2010b) argues for a smart growth plan. This smart growth plan â€Å"seek[s] clear goals such as degree attainment rates, with an appropriate rest ructuring of higher education, containment of costs for taxpayers and students, and a seriously revised funding model† (Douglass, 2010b, p. 18). Of concern for California’s three-tiered system is its lack of management, vision, and planning for the future. It is this lack of a strategic plan that Douglass referred to that opens the door for extensive criticism surrounding the management of higher education organizations.The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) serves as the accreditation body for higher education organizations in the state of California and other western states and territories. The chief goals of the senior commission of WASC, which serves as the accrediting body for 161 institutions in California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Basin, are the promotion of institutional engagement in issues of educational effectiveness and student learning, the development of a culture of evidence that informs decision making, and the fostering of an active inter change among public and independent institutions (WASC, n. d. a). Under these goals, WASC can support higher 21 education organizations in their development of â€Å"smart growth plans† if they choose such a plan during the assessment of the organization.The WASC describes their purpose as assessing academic quality, educational effectiveness and institutional structures, processes, and resources (WASC, n. d. b). However, it does not appear this has translated to successful management and leadership in higher education organizations in California. Reengineering Education As a result of the new expectations for higher education organizations, attempts have begun to occur to reengineer higher education organizations to achieve closer alignment with market principles and management strategies, which have proven successful in the private sector. Green (2003) suggested that supporters of this â€Å"reengineering† movement include leaders from educational administration, sta te governments, and the business world.He argued that â€Å"traditional approaches to higher education organizations and management are increasingly out of step with demographic trends, technological innovations, and the accelerating pace of change found in other sectors of society† (p. 196). Green labeled most higher education organizations as â€Å"bureaucratic† based on their organizational structure of being rigid, hierarchal, and inflexible. Kotler and Murphy (1981), who wrote on the topic 30 years ago, also depicted higher education organizations in a similar fashion. They described higher education organizations as being â€Å"characterized by a high concentration of professionals and usually a significant amount of organizational inflexibility† (p. 472). Kotler and Murphy also acknowledged that management strategies in higher education organizations do not parallel the processes in a business setting.Keeling, Underhile, and Wall (2007) discussed the silo nature of higher education organizations. They suggested the silos are 22 due to a primarily vertical organizational structure, where members of the organization are often competing amongst themselves for scarce resources. Green (2003) provided an alternate option to a â€Å"bureaucracy,† that being â€Å"adhocracy. † An â€Å"adhocracy,† a term popularized by Alvin Toffler in 1970 (as cited in Travica, 1999), is a flexible organization, which operates collaboratively with cross-functional teams and matrix management. An adhocracy represents an organizational structure of the future; not many examples of true adhocracies exist.Performance Funding Another option being explored by some is the concept of performance funding. Performance funding is the mechanism of being paid based on the higher education organization’s accomplishments. Alexander (2000) explained that â€Å"this transformation has resulted from the realization that to strengthen their compe titive positioning, states and nations must increase their involvement in the development of human capital and research through higher education† (p. 412). Consistent with the increased expectations of higher education organizations, there has also been a change in the interaction between higher education organizations and the government.Governments are seeking a greater level of production from higher education organizations, as well as an increased level of accountability and efficiency in the organization’s use of public funds. Similar to societal expectations, the government’s expectation of higher education organizations has increased in terms of the organization’s return on its investment. The government expects expanded access and enrollment growth and is continuing to seek out new ways to measure productivity and efficiency in higher education organizations. Performance based funding has seen its largest increase in the last decade. In 2000, three- quarters of 23 the states linked a portion of the state funding for higher education to performance measures.Higher education organizations continue to find themselves responsible to new state-mandated measures which require tracking and reporting of those measures (Petrides, McClelland, & Nodine, 2004). Liefner (2003) wrote about performance funding. He suggested that performance funding should be defined at the organization level. Governments should allow higher education organizations the ability to manage their organization on an individual basis and define goals based on the historical and culturally accepted framework of the organization versus being forced by an external body. Petrides and colleagues (2004) concurred with Liefner. Their research suggested responses to external mandates are not necessarily drivers of performance.External mandates are becoming more and more prominent in higher education funding provided by the federal government. Field (2010) explained, in an a rticle in The Chronicle of Higher Education, that President Obama, more than his predecessors, is demanding results in exchange for funding. She explains that some administrators have seen this as meddling in their academic affairs. She states, â€Å"Not surprisingly, the plans met with skepticism from colleges. Some community-college leaders worried that benchmarking could shift the balance of power from state and local governing boards to Washington, setting the stage for federal meddling in curricula† (para. 18).Advocates, however, are praising him for increased accountability and assessment. The article concludes by explaining that higher education organizations will need to make the case for the funding they receive. This could be viewed as another form of performance funding; but regardless how you label it, this requires higher education organizations to have an infrastructure that supports data gathering and metrics in order to be able to respond to the 24 requirement s from the federal government to obtain funding that is required to run their organization. Accreditation A historically accepted manner to evaluate the quality of higher education organizations is accreditation.Accreditation is defined by the federal government as: Recognition that an institution maintains standards requisite for its graduates to gain admission to other reputable institutions of higher learning or to achieve credentials for professional practice. The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. (U. S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, n. d. , para. 1) The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA, 2003) described accreditation as â€Å"a process of external quality review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities and educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement† (p. 4).In the United States, there are multiple bodies of accreditation for higher education organizations. Accreditation is regional, national, and specialized to individual disciplines. The definitions provided by the federal government and the CHEA speak specifically of quality. Quality within higher education organizations, however, has as many definitions as the number of people you ask. From the accreditator’s perspective, quality focuses more on the educational product delivered to the student rather than providing a direct linkage to the new expectations higher education organizations are facing. Specifically, the WASC, Senior Commission identifies four standards for accreditation.These are Standard I: Defining Institutional Purposes and Ensuring 25 Educational Objectives; Standard II: Achieving Educational Objectives Through Core Functions; Standard III: Developing and Applying Resources and Organizational Structures to Ensure Sustainability; and Standard IV: Creating an Organization Committed to Learnin g and Improvement (WASC, n. d. c). Within each standard, there are references to leadership, vision, and strategic planning. However, none of the standards clearly articulates these new expectations, let alone the evaluation requirements to determine whether or not higher education organizations are meeting these expectations.The lack of focus provided by accreditation bodies on these new expectations, higher education organizations’ role in contributing to the nation’s economic state perpetuates the systematic issues higher education organizations face with little accountability, inefficient practices, and insufficient leadership. Higher education organizations, in order to maintain appropriate accreditation, are required to meet the WASC defined standards. If accountability, efficiency, and strategic leadership was clearly defined and articulated in terms of the new expectations of higher education organizations by WASC, then we would see an increased number of highe r education organizations with these strengths.As indicated by the literature, the current state of higher education in America, as we looked specifically at California, is volatile. The current budget state, the societal expectations, the lack of resources and bureaucratic organizational structures show higher education to be at a state of necessary change. Higher education organizations continue to cling to organizational systems and structure that have served them in the past, but these systems and structures are unstable and lack the forward-thinking, strategic 26 leadership that is necessary for higher education organizations to survive, let alone thrive and evolve into organizations that can be successful today and into the future.Organizational Structure and Management Tools Despite the trend for accreditation to focus on program outcomes, quality is not explored in terms of higher education’s role in the nation’s economic state either via the student’s p roductivity in the workforce or via academic research. Given this notion that accreditation is not providing higher education organizations with a checklist for evaluation, organizations are forced to find ways to manage this internally. In order to meet the new expectations, higher education organizations must examine their organizational structure and management strategies to restructure, change, and implement management tools that will allow them to evaluate how well they are responding to the new expectations.Keeling and colleagues (2007) discuss higher education organizations in the following manner: The organization of institutions of higher education has been seen as operating with ambiguous purposes in vertically oriented structures that are only loosely connected. The rationale for this ambiguity is twofold: (1) to allow for creative thinking, and (2) to respect and even encourage the autonomy of different disciplines. But ambiguity of purpose and vertical organization are at odds with thinking and expectations in an era of accountability and assessment, in which cross-institutional, or horizontal, reporting and measurement of institutional performance are highly regarded and increasingly demanded. (p. 22) 27 Keeling and colleagues’ argument was consistent with the new expectations of higher education organizations.The current structure of higher education organizations no longer fit in this era of accountability, efficiency, and productivity. Serrano-Valarde (2010) provided a similar argument, when she discussed the role of management consultants in higher education organizations. She described the new expectation of higher education as a shift that occurred in the mid-1990s. The shift, she explained, was a â€Å"shift in the perception of responsibility to society . . . to [provide] a locus for individual development, transmission of civic values and basic research . . . to became directly accountable for the nation’s economic well-be ing† (p. 126). Serrano-Valarde discussed the role of management consultants in the academic culture within higher education organizations.Prior to the shift of perception that Serrano-Valarde wrote of in 2010, Kotler and Murphy (1981) discussed the need for higher education leaders who had the strategic vision to serve as change agents. More than 30 years prior to Serrano-Valarde describing the need for management consultants, Kotler and Murphy argued â€Å"few leaders are able and willing to focus systematically on change; they are largely taken up in today’s operations and results† (pp. 470-471). This inability to lead change in higher education organizations still exists 30 years later, and Serrano-Valarde explained that this has created a need for management consultants who, once inserted in the organization, can serve as the change agents that most higher education organizations are lacking. Management consultants, regardless of the cause or their presence, open the door for higher education organizations to explore and implement strategies similar to business. The exploration of these strategies is necessary as a response to the new expectations of higher education organizations: the need for greater accountability, 28 efficiency, and productivity. Gumport and Sporn (1999) described opportunities within higher education organizations, which allow for the injection of management strategies, the opportunities for â€Å"quality expectations [which] focus on public accountability, student learning, faculty productivity and performance, program effectiveness, and institutional evaluation† (p. 11).They acknowledged, however, that management strategies primarily benefit the administrative structures and processes within higher education organizations. They argued that over time the strategies may reach and therefore benefit the academic side of the organization, as well. Common management strategies explored in higher education organi zations include Total Quality Management (TQM), the Baldrige Program Award, and the Balanced Scorecard. Total Quality Management Total Quality Management provides higher education organizations an opportunity to improve quality, increase performance, and decrease cost by utilizing the mechanisms of continuous improvement and cultural change throughout the organization (Chaffee & Sherr, 1992).According to Lozier and Teeter (1996), the early adopters of TQM, in the mid 1980s, were largely community and technical colleges; the training component of their missions fit nicely with the principles of TQM. Lozier and Teeter explain, in order for higher education organizations to appropriately implement TQM, they need to first define quality as it relates to their organization. Secondly, the need to define their mission and vision and lastly implement processes which allow for continuous improvement. Total Quality Management relies on a total transformation of the organization, which is ofte n difficult for higher education organizations which do not 9 operate in the pure top-down model like much of the corporate world where TQM has shown to be most successful. The Malcolm Baldrige Award Framework The award, which is a government program initially developed for industry, was converted into an award for education organizations in 1999. The Malcolm Baldrige Award evaluates organizations on seven categories including Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer Focus, Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management, Workforce Focus, Operations Focus and Results (Karathanos & Karathanos, 2005). Since 2001, the recipients of the Baldrige award have been mixed between K-12 schools and higher education organizations.The award recipients have been recognized for their improvement of academi