The cybernetic model of organization

This paper provides a conceptual approach to solve problems of governance, management, and leadership in an academic institution in order to improve on; accountability, student enrollment, and cost reduction. An institution should develop a new approach to governance, management and leadership that is based upon a cybernetic model (Birnbaum, 1991).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The cybernetic model of organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The cybernetic model approach is important because it suggests how other subsystems in an institution function simultaneously, in all types of colleges and universities, to enhance a self correcting institution. The self correcting process of an institution focus on a control structure that is defined in terms of a signaling mechanism to monitor acceptable changes that can enhance fundamental changes within an institution. There are four main models of insti tutional governance that are crucial in the evolving literature of higher education. These models include; the institution as a bureaucracy, a collegial system, a political system, and an organized anarchy. These models assist in the analysis of an organizational structure of an institution. Organizations are composed of three levels of control and responsibility. These comprise of the technical level, the institutional level, and the managerial level. The managerial level is important because it provides a link between the technical level and the institutional level and buffers the technical level against problems of funding, fluctuations in student enrollments and political interference (Birnbaum, 1991). According to Birnbaum (1991), the technical level should ensure rationality in decision making and should also encompass bureaucracy in management. The technical level in an institution comprises of elements that turn inputs, such as, students, finances, and societal expectations, into outputs, such as, graduates, knowledge, service and status. In an educational institution, inputs in an open system are more complex and encompass various components like; different ideologies, individuals, resources, as well as, other subsystems (Birnbaum, 1988). Moreover, a faculty should make transformations in response to the technological advancements and the institution should develop an effective administrative system, technical system, and improve the learning environment. Putting more emphasis on the technical system ensures that an institution will transform the inputs into outputs in a process through which teaching, research and other services are accomplished. Teaching and research are the most basic elements that pose a greater degree of uncertainty to most institutions. According to Birnbaum (1991) an academic institution should work in an environment that uses modern technology with an effective governance system. An Institution should respond to an environment that provides a new face on both economic and social terms, as well as, political and physical character.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The differences in a college environment are equivalent to its technical subsystems, therefore, an institution should improve on teaching, research and services, in order to, enhance technological innovations by allocating more effort to the technical level. School enrollment should be based on a policy that supports open admissions and that puts emphasis on remedial education that is not present in other selective institutions. In addition, an institution should hire more PhD holders in order to realize professionalism in service delivery. According to Birnbaum (1991), this will enhance a distinct pattern of technology in the institution’s operations. The technical chore and the managerial systems should work together by incorpor ating technology to improve the process of institutional management. A stable management system is appropriate when change is not frequent in an institution and in situations where problems persist. Therefore an institution should incorporate a centralized decision making process with specific planning to achieve its vision and mission. This calls for a cybernetic model to be utilized in the technical level in this type of an environment. When an institution experiences frequent problems, technology will be required in order to realize minimized centralization. Thus, in order to manage finances, increase student enrollment, increase the use of information technology, and to foster accountability in the management of an institution, adaptive technology provides the best option. An institution should design an organizational structure that comprises of a coordinated management process, in order to, achieve its plans and to enhance accountability within its operations. Furthermore, stu dents’ enrollments and economic cost reductions can be improved by hiring adjunct faculty. An institution should transform its organizational structure, in order to, meet the modern faculty requirements. Therefore, an instructional model is important than the learning model because it leads to fundamental changes in the responsibility of a faculty. The faculty should facilitate the creation of an appropriate environment for students from diverse backgrounds to learn. This will entail the use of technology to include the application of distance learning that will enhance a new measure of productivity.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The cybernetic model of organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, an institution should hire professionals to operate in a decentralized manner, in order to, realize fundamental changes in organizational structure. These will foster a fundamental cha nge in the role of the technical core that comprises of the structure and design, technology and operations, as well as, human resources. In conclusion, the cybernetic model is an important tool that can be employed to achieve the desirable changes in an institution. It provides direction through self-regulation that may be accomplished through the use of cybernetic controls. It is a self correcting mechanism that closely monitors an organization’s functions by providing signals to participants when things are not operating well (Marcus, 1997). A cybernetic institution provides an effective leadership that functions according to the cybernetic principles. The cybernetic principles can influence an organizational constraint and when the model is combined with effective leadership skills, it creates an environment that fosters fundamental changes in an institution (Alfred, 1998). References Alfred, R., L. (1998). Shared governance in community colleges. Education commission of the states: Policy paper, 1-8. Birnbaum, R. (1988). How colleges work: The cybernetics of academic organization and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Birnbaum, R. (1991). Effective administration and leadership in the cybernetic institution. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Marcus, L., R. (1997). Restructuring state higher education governance patterns. The review of higher education, 20(4), 399-418.Advertising Looking for critical writing on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This critical writing on The cybernetic model of organization was written and submitted by user Vivienne Hull to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Black Women essays

Black Women essays In the essay In Search of Our Mothers Gardens, Alice Walker created a sense of literary tradition among black women by providing wisdom for the past, with her discussion of artistic role models. This essay has a lot interesting of themes such as spirituality, creativity, oppression of black women, and respect. Black women have shown to be highly spiritual and creative but society has oppressed them by not giving them the freedom to create art. They have suffered because of unfulfilled potential and their sorrow supports Walkers perspective of black womens treatment by society. She though that black women sang, told stories and gardened in order to express their spirituality because they were impeded to perform art on a greater level. Walker starts this essay with a quote from Jean Toomers writing. This quote showed that men were aware of black womens artistic talent and that they were hold back just to serve men and have low statuses. In Toomers quote he states, I talked, beautifully I thought, about an art that would be born, an art that would open the door for women the likes of her. I asked her to hope and built up an inner life against the coming of that day (128). Toomer agrees that black women can become artists because they all have talent and invites them to hope and never give up because sooner societys roles for black women will expand with better opportunities. Black mothers and grandmothers needed to stop listening to men and society and start listening to each other if they wanted to fulfill their artistic potential. Walkers essay shows various types of oppression. Toomer agreed that women were seen as the mule of the world and couldnt show their talents to the world because they werent allowed to. He said They stumbled blindly through their lives: creatures so abused and mutilated in body, so dimmed and confused by p...

Fair Use Defense - Eastside Movies Inc vs Manny Goldstein Case Study

Fair Use Defense - Eastside Movies Inc vs Manny Goldstein - Case Study Example Under the four-factor test, it appears that Manny Goldstein may not successfully claim fair use.   While Goldstein may pass some parts of the four-factor test, it is very unlikely that he will pass each part.   The four-factor test provides that in determining whether or not the fair use defense can bar a claim in copyright infringement four factors will be taken into account.   Those factors include the â€Å"purpose and character of the use.†Ã‚   In this regard, it will be important to determine whether or not the use of the material was for commercial â€Å"or nonprofit educational purposes.†Ã‚   Certainly, Manny Goldstein can pass this part of the test since he was conducting research as a media researcher and not for commercial purposes.   He was looking to devise a system to run his DVD player on a computer running the Linux operating system.   The sole purpose was to copy parts of movies for his research on media effects.The remaining three factors unde r the four-factor test are the nature of the copyrighted work.   According to the facts, the copyright material is movies and this is directly related to Goldstein’s research.   Again, Goldstein can succeed under this part of the fair use test.  Ã‚   However, in ascertaining fair use, the account will also be taken of the â€Å"amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole†.   Since Goldstein has made his copying device available on the internet, he has made it possible for the world at large to gain access to Eastside’s movies and this would seriously undermine the company’s sales and income from these films.   This of course ties in with the fourth and final factor test which considers the impact on the market value. (Harper and Row v Nation Enterprise (1985).

Transformational Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Transformational Leadership - Essay Example Some of the factors were the rapid changes in technology, an increase in the circulation of products from recently industrialized nations, increased competitiveness among the competitors, pricing strategy in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) being volatile, and changing market structures led to a strong, volatile and competitive atmosphere in which important changes in the organization were crucial. Downsizing and adopting of new types of business agreement were the most common changes carried out. Therefore these changes took their toll on employee empowerment and satisfaction. This broke the old social agreement that had long term employment and in exchange get the employee's loyalty (Griffin 2003, p. 1). Secondly, in the 1970s, we had the contingency theory on leadership. The theory on leadership was established in research of behaviors, character, and circumstances and did not account for several untypical features in leaders (Simic 1998, p. 50). These are the fact tendencies that led to the realization of the theory of transformation.Odom and Green (2003), based on research and the analysis of a number of legal cases, claim that when the concept of transformational leadership is used in ethical dilemmas that managers face there is less litigation and better moral results than if the transactional approach to values that is common was used. Within academic surroundings, as a result of transformational leadership, instructors are more likely to work together and are perceived.

Global Managerial Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Managerial Economic - Essay Example As a result of the supplemental agreements signed in 1993, NAFTA highlights the protection of environment and human resources recognizing that the entry of companies into the nations’ territories endangers them (NAFTA 1-5). The twelve year institution of NAFTA has changed the economic landscape of Mexico. Trade barriers have been significantly reduced in order to facilitate the entry of goods and services within the country’s borders. It can be recalled that prior to NAFTA, Mexico’s tariff reaches an average of 10%. This high level is reduced to the prevailing 2.9%. Empirical data also shows the significant improvement in the flow of goods between US and Mexico. In dollar terms, exports of goods to Mexico prior to NAFTA tripled in the third quarter of 2000. US imports from Mexico also tripled from 1994-2003. Exports now constitute a huge portion of the country’s GDP (The Effects of NAFTA on US-Mexican Trade and GDP 3). Trade liberalization has benefited the Mexican customer by providing more choices in the market. The reduction in tariff and other trade barriers consequently lower the prices of commodities. It should also be noted that the free flow of goods and services between the NAFTA participants significantly improved Mexico’s balance of payments. More jobs have also opened in order to support the larger export requirements. The NAFTA also facilitates the inflow of foreign direct investment from the United States and Canada. Recognizing that business organizations can take advantage of the lower input and labor costs, manufacturers are now locating their plants in Mexico. FDI inflow in Mexico after NAFTA has substantially mounted. In fact, the year 1996 brought $800 million private foreign direct investment which represents almost two times the country’s GDP (Study on the Operation 1). However, the proliferation of foreign firms operating in Mexico has brought about

Discussion on the importance of classroom management

Discussion on the importance of classroom management The main question that goes through every teacher after each of his or her lesson would certainly be, Have I done my job effectively? Normally, I can tell whether a lesson has gone well or the opposite. As much as I love sharing knowledge with my students, my experience of merely two years of college teaching has taught myself that it must go hand-in-hand with good management of my classroom. Good classroom management translates into effective teaching which promotes healthy teaching and learning environment. This, in turn, will facilitate both students and teacher in achieving the main principle of learning. Although classroom management would generally be imperative to teachers, a research by Fowler Ã…Å ¾araplÄÂ ± (2010) found that it is also important to students. Therefore it is a significant skill that teachers should acquire (Stoughton, 2007). Classroom management is important primarily in achieving optimal learning. Current teaching practices are more student-oriented where in due course the students will get the most out of the teaching and learning process. This is accomplished by creating a positive learning environment for the students. Students learn best when they are comfortable with their surroundings especially through the building of strong student-teacher relationship. In an article by Marzano Marzano (2003), they highlighted the finding of their study which indicates that the teachers who had a good relationship with their students had 31 percent fewer discipline problems, rule violations and related problems over a years time compared to those who didnt. This provides evidence that strong student-teacher bonding helps the teacher in dealing with problems and misbehaviour among students. By building a strong relationship with students, the positive learning environment has taken place and so the teachers can expect active participation in class. The last thing a teacher would want is when he or she is hoping for a response from the students, but didnt receive any. I found it very useful to remember the names of each of my students and I would try my best to identify each of them by the end of first month class meeting. I discovered that it is an excellent way in obtaining students involvement in class. In a way, I wanted to show that they are of significant individuals to me and also there is no favouritism in my class where the teacher will only remember two or three names of selected few. The students will usually be more proactive to give their thoughts and feedbacks during and after lessons. Subsequently, I will know how effective my teaching has been and how effective the learning has taken place. Students and teacher can be thought of as a team where teamwork and cooperation plays a vital role in achieving team goals. This cooperation can be obtained with the teachers good management skills in the classroom. The teacher will need the support from his or her students in order to deliver lesson on his or her best effort. Therefore, students cooperation in avoiding any misconduct during lessons is much needed by the teacher. Of course the teacher should be firm in handling these kinds of behaviour, but prevention is better than cure. I would try as much as possible to avoid using anger as a counter measure because it will end up straining the relationship built with the students. Ultimately to steer clear of the situation, I know that it is best to tell the students first hand of what I deem is acceptable and what is not. In addition to helping the teacher doing his or her job effectively, students cooperation developed through classroom management can also mould students into young citizens. Metzger (2000) suggests that in a democratic society, the teacher can use classroom management strategies to define the students as good citizens in the near future. This can be done by bringing up the concept of power sharing. The students will be given responsibilities on their own behaviour and making their own decisions, not just following orders. This will also benefit the teachers in a sense that they will feel less pressured because of the constant need of monitoring the students. In fact, they can have the opportunity to really work together with their students. Adequate preparations and properly lay out plans of conducting lessons is also a form of classroom management that is important in designing a positive classroom climate. A positive classroom climate is another key benefit of true classroom management. Checking the overall condition of the classroom before meeting the students is very important to make sure that the facilities provided can be used as effective teaching aids. The teacher can also anticipate potential problems that may occur during lessons due to uncomfortable settings in the classroom. Instead of just cancelling class and replacing them, the teacher can plan ahead what could be done or has a backup plan in case something didnt go as initially planned. This will greatly improve the teachers teaching in the future and gaining experience in managing future classes. Finally, classroom management is also a good way to get off to a right start with students. First day of class is the best time to communicate rules and procedures, explaining the syllabus and expectations. Some teachers will also begin the first day of class with ice-breakers or fun activities so that the students feel excited and will look forward to attending future meetings. It also creates opportunity for the teacher and students to get to know each other better which will help in building quality student-teacher relationship. Last semester I did an activity which benefited my students and myself, which is identifying what type of learning styles we have. It helped me to tailor fit my teaching approach to suit particular group of students and also helped the students to focus more on their strong points. Conclusively, classroom management is important because it is one of the aspects of effective teaching. Effective teaching will take place when a positive learning environment has been created. Of course this relies on a good bond between the students and the teacher which can be built with a proper management of the first day of class. By clearly stating the rules and teachers expectations of the students, the teacher will find no problem in obtaining students engagement in class. Proper classroom management is of great importance to the students, as it is for the teachers. At the end of the day, hopefully after successfully implementing classroom management strategies, the teacher can safely say, Yes, I have done my job effectively.

Mother’s Comforting Gray Gun :: Personal Narrative Profile

Mother’s Comforting Gray Gun I lay on my side with one socked foot dangling off the edge of the bed, looking down at Mom on the floor. She lay on a pallet of itchy, green army blankets my dad "borrowed" from his tour in Vietnam. No matter how many times they were washed, the blankets always smelled like smoke and machine oil; I had never seen them used anywhere but the floor. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dark, but when they finally focused, I could easily follow along the profile of my mother's distinctive nose. The Torres Nose, a nose passed down from her father and his father before him--a nose I am now glad I did not inherit. She lay perfectly still looking beautiful and peaceful, hands at her sides as if asleep. I knew better, Mom never slept when Dad worked out of town, she was practicing. Eight seconds was the time to beat, and if anyone could beat it, it was my mother. Mom had a steely determination much like the .357 Magnum kept under her pillow. It took a full three seconds to slide her right hand up under her head, two seconds to secure her palm around the grip and place her finger on the trigger, another two seconds to roll up on one knee, and one second more to steady herself by jutting out her leg to the side, a move I am positive she stole after watching Farah Fawcett in Charlie's Angels. She would run through the exercise many more times before morning came. My mother's late night drills continued until 1983. That year, our city established emergency 9-1-1 service, and Mom believed the police could now protect us from would-be intruders. Still, she bragged her response time was a lot faster. The first Saturday morning of the month, if she hadn't stayed up practicing the night before, Mom and I would head over to a turquoise-and-pink cinderblock building that sold baked goods, tennis shoes, candles, cassette tapes, and meat. Spanish polkas played on the radio while an old woman with mismatched eyes sat in a folding chair near a box fan. I shuffled my feet along the floor making scraping noises with my shoes as I went. The linoleum was grainy with dirt that nearly hid the checkerboard pattern. As my mother placed her order, I used the black and white tiles to play my own version of hopscotch.

My Home by Dr. Jose Rizal Essay

I had nine sisters and one brother.My father,a model of fathers,had given us an education in proportion to our modest means.By dint of frugality,he was able to build a stone house,to buy another,and to raise a small nipa hut in the midst of a grove we had,under the shede of banana and other trees. There the delicious atis displayed its delicate fruit and lowered its branches as if to save me the trouble of reachich out for them.The sweet santol,the scented and mellow tampoy,the pink makopa vied for my favor.Father away,the plum tree,the harsh but flavorous casuy,and the beatiful tamarind pleased the eye as much as they delighted the palate. Here the papaya streatched out its broad leaves and tempted the birds with its enermous fruit;there the nangka,the coffee,and the orange trees perfumed the air with the aroma of their flowers.On this side the iba,the balimbing,the pomegrante with its abundant foliage and its lovely flowers bewitched the senses;while here and there rose elegant and majestic trees loaded with huge nuts,swaying thier proud tops and gracefull baranches,queens of the forests. I should never end were I to number all our trees and amuse my self in identifying them. In the twilight innumerable birds gathered from every where and I,a child of three years at most,amused my self watching them with wonder and joy.The yellow kuliawan,the maya in all the varieties,the kulae,the Maria kapra,the martin,all the species of pipit joined the pleasant harmony and raised in varied chorus a farewell hymn to the sun as it vanished behind the tall mountains of my town. Then the clouds,through a capris of nature,combined in a thousand shapes,which would suddenly dissolve even as those charming days were also to dissolve,living me only the slightest recollections.Even now,when I look out of the window of our house at the splendid panorama of twilight,thoughts that arelong since gone renew themselves with nostalgic eagerness. Came then the night to unfold her mantle,somber at times,for all its stars,when the chaise Diana failed to coures trought the sky in pursuit of her brother Apollo.But when she appeared,a vague brightness was to be dis-cerned in the clouds:then seemingly they would crumble;and little she was to be seen,lovely,grave,and silent,rising like an immense globe which an invisible and omnipotent hand drew through space. At such times my mother gathered us all together to say the rosary. Afterward we would go to the azotea or to some window from where the moon could be seen,and my ayah would tell us stories,sometimes  lugubrious and at other times gay.In which skeletons and buried treasures and trees that bloomed with diamonds were mingled in confusion,all of them born on an imagination wholly Oriental.Sometimes she told us that men lived on the moon,or that the markings which we could percieve on it were nothing else than a woman who was forever weaving.

Sustainable development toward an eco-build homes The WritePass Journal

Sustainable development toward an eco-build homes Introduction Sustainable development toward an eco-build homes IntroductionAim and ObjectiveClimate ChangeSustainable DevelopmentLiterature ReviewConclusionRelated Introduction Sustainability in construction is a common issue today, ranging from sustainable design to sustainable technologies. These issues have made the United Kingdom’s Government push forward for alternative advances in various technologies and renewable energies. The government are also looking for any other strategies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions because the scientific evidence shows that the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions are growing rapidly in UK. Due to 47% of the national energy consumption that is used by the UK homes and domestic buildings regardless of when lighting, appliances and buildings are energy efficient as well as having zero carbon technologies are installed. Due to the higher rate of energy consumption that homes in United Kingdom’s generate, the government came out with an idea that, all newly built homes in England and Wales should be built to zero carbon by 2016. By progressively tightening the energy efficiency building regulations by 25% in 2010; and by 44% by 2013 leading up to the zero carbon target in 2016. Aim and Objective The aim and objective of this project is to design a three bedroom family house that will achieve code level 6 zero carbon footprint. This can be done by using a sustainable and eco friendly materials. Research will also carried out on current zero carbon homes project and also looking into the past project that has already achieved code level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Climate Change The word of climate change is one of the biggest threats to the global environment especially to the developed country like UK. It needs an urgent and radical response if we want to secure and enhanced our prosperity and quality of life. The uses of fossil fuel (oil, coal and gas) for energy and transport has already damage our climate and as a result of this, the climate change is already having impact on our live and is expected to destroy the live hoods of many people in the developing world as well as ecosystem and species, The research carried out shows that greenhouse gasses is the main contributors to the climate change and the government are committed to reduce the production of greenhouse gasses particular on carbon dioxide. In November 2008, the climate change act became law this is because the government want to reduce carbon dioxide emission CO2 by a minimum of 26% by the year 2020 with a long time goal of 80% reduction by 2050. The scientific evidence shows that 47% of carbon dioxide emission CO2 in the UK come from the energy used in our house and other domestic building e.g. hospital, school and offices. In other to eliminate carbon emissions from the built environment by 2050, we need to start making our building as energy efficient as possible and using on site renewable energy, community scale renewable and decarbonisation of the grid. The UK government has done a lot in other to achieve the commitment of the climate change Act by introducing mandatory energy performance certificate for sale and purchase of new and existing homes, The government banned incandescent light bulbs in favour of energy saving light bulb, introducing the climate change level where businesses must pay additional tax on their use that is non renewable energy and by passing energy act 2008 which introduce measure such as the feed in tariff, smart metering, renewable heat incentive and carbon capture storage. The government even went as far as introducing the renewable obligation whereby all electricity suppliers must provide 10% of the electricity they sell from renewable sources. The issue of the climate change is behind why we arrived on the sustainable development. Sustainable Development Sustainable development has become generally accepted as planning goals in UK, which was defined by Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions London (2000) as; â€Å"The simple initiative of ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come† The intention of the definitions is to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives and at the same time given us more inclusive society by which the benefit of increased economic prosperity are widely shared, with less pollution and more efficient use of natural resources. The key objective of achieving the sustainable development is as follow; The sensible use of natural resources The effective protection of the environment Maintaining high levels of economic growth and employment Social progress that recognises the needs of everyone The sustainable development is a serious matter because need for growth is becoming huge as ever especially in a developing world. At this point of time, the environments are struggling to cope with the current levels of consumptions, e.g. Energy Consumption which is having huge impact on the climate change. The government has to come out with a new way of meeting people’s need, prospect and aspiration to ensure that our economy, society and environment grow and develop in harmony. We should also know that, the design and construction of a building play major role in contributing to the sustainable development. The issues of sustainable development lead us to the sustainable design which concentrates on how individual or groups of building complies with the objective of sustainable development. This is by ensuring that the sustainable designs are; The construction of buildings should minimises the amount of resources they use, including energy, waste and pollution The materials used for construction should be environmentally and eco friendly The existing built fabric should be re-used as far as possible Buildings are energy efficient The issue of sustainable design usually focus on long term benefit rather than short term saving reason is that, sustainable building will cost less to build and has smaller impact on the environment in terms of natural resources that are used during the construction. Literature Review Scope of the Chapter This chapter explains what zero carbon homes is also the sustainable principle and sustainable codes. All relevant building regulations especially Part L 2006 will be looking at in other to accomplish the aim of the project. Analysing case study on the previous project that already achieved code level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 Conclusion Research will be on case studies, materials and design of past projects will be discussed and at a later date incorporated it into proposed three bedrooms family house. The discussion on how the building will achieve code level 6 will on be considered in the chapter and the consumption of energy that the house use will also be detailed.

Free Willy! Why We Should Free Captured Whales Essays - Free Essays

Free Willy! Why We Should Free Captured Whales Essays - Free Essays Free Willy! Why We Should Free Captured Whales Many people have heard about Keiko, the killer whale, who starred in the movie Free Willy. After seeing the movie, audiences discovered that the friendly whale in the movie was in a tank too small and in bad health because of that and other complications that come with being taken from its natural habitat to a place where it can't meet it's own needs. Soon a foundation was set u[ and money started pouring in from children and their schools to come up with a plan to one day free Keiko. The tank/habitat cost $7.3 million to build and $9 million for staff, veterinarian, care, food, utilities and other costs for the first two years alone (Oregon Coast Aquarium). With all the problems in the world with humans and animals, it is hard to see this much money going to help just one whale. There are different types of animal stories that people hear about. There are the wonderful stories about adorable animals that do something amazing or need our help. There are also stories about animals that are used in good and bad experiments. When you hear about the treatment of some animals for research, you feel like forgetting about research. One such story was in 1988, three gray whales got stuck in freezing waters in Alaska, the whales were at risk of drowning because the holes in the ice that they were using to breathe were slowly freezing over. a large rescue was put together that ended up involving the National Guard and the U.S. and Soviet governments to get the whales free (Luke 87). Another story is of a mother cat that risked burning to death to save her kittens from a burning building. She and her kittens needed a home, which they got after the news coverage of the amazing act of the mother. The first story is amazing because two separate governments (which haven't been able to get along for the most part of the last 50 years and have only recently started to become friendly) came together to help three animals that needed some outside help. The question is: were the two governments and other groups that helped, really trying to help the whales or get attention for themselves, and say Hey, we are helpful to everyone including animals that can't even ask for help. The news is just as bad as the two governments and groups. the reporters give the animals names, which makes viewers feel like they know the animals involved, so they keep watching to find out what happens. TV is the land of ratings and the only way to get ratings is to grab the audiences' attention, with stories that make audiences have strong emotions about something (Luke 87). The cat and her kittens all got happy homes and the whales were able to go on their way, so in these two cases everything was successf ul. Then there are the more extreme cases of when activists illegally raid research facilities to free animals that are being experimented on. Some of these stories are justified, when the experiments being done and the condition of the animals are discovered. In some cases newborn animals such as monkeys are taken away from their mothers as soon as they are born, and are started on experiments. Some experiments range from implanting devices, electrical cords for stimulation, or a variety of things. These are some of the more extreme cases of experimentation and sometimes groups, such as PETA, step in and take things into their own hands, Illegally (Newkirk). Most people don't think about what it really means to try and release an animal back into the wild and what all needs to be done for the act to take place. People and activists that are saying that the animals should be released aren't thinking about the fact that many of the animals have been in captivity for many years or born in captivity. These animals have been hand fed and not had to worry about predators. They have forgotten how to hunt and protect themselves which, in the wild, are the two main survival needs. The animals have

Comparison between Amazon.com and Borders Books Essay

Comparison between Amazon.com and Borders Books - Essay Example Another concern of the present study is the Borders Books that represents a bookstore publicly held spreading its business through a large number of stores and encountering different stages of business. Thus the current study focuses on the two different companies- Amazon.com and Borders Books- and conducts a learning on their histories, business approaches, management and marketing and how they have gone through their successes and failures and thus try to recommend some policies that might enable the companies to have better marketing conditions. History of Amazon.com and Borders Books: The Amazon.com Company was started in the year 1994 by Jeff Bezos. The origin of the company was in Washington. Bezos’ idea regarding the business was appreciated and investments were supported by Nick Hanauer who was a businessman by profession. Then the company had plans to go online and spread its business. Initially the business was not as shining as it is known to be in the present times . In the early times of its initiation, the website was not very attractively designed and hence lacked the attention of the customers. By the year 1995, a person named Tom Alburg helped the company through further investments and thus the website was designed newly which then started attracting customers. Gradually the company introduced several products and within a short span of time, the company gained huge success as well as profits (The History of Amazon.com, 2011). The history of Borders Books reflects the contribution of several stores of books that include the Borders, Waldenbooks and Brentano's. The Borders Bookstores were started by two brothers, Tom Borders and Louis Borders, in the year 1971. Initially the store was opened in Ann Arbor. Later stores were also opened in Michigan, Atlanta and Indianapolis. Their books were also sold through other booksellers. The first superstore of the company was established in the year 1985. By the year 1988, the Borders bookstores, wh ich later went online, proved to be huge success and delivered efficiently (Peterson, 2012). Business Approach, Management and Marketing of Amazon.com and Borders Books: As far as the business approaches of the two companies are concerned, it has been observed that the Amazon.com and Borders Books both had its focus on the increasing sales and the satisfaction of the customers. While Amazon.com has been found to initially struggle and later on efficiently managed success till the present times, the Borders Books have been found to initially achieve success but later the company failed to maintain its position in the market and lost to bankruptcy. It has been found that the concept of internet marketing was much more effectively understood and utilized by Amazon.com rather than by Borders Books (Volcanic, 2009). Amazon.com had its focus on the customers’ preferences and the manner in which there website could be more attractive to them. Thus initially when the company had rece ived financial assistance it focused on the design of the website that resultantly gained more customers for the company. The company was so concerned with the customers’ satisfaction that they even introduced systems to receive feedback from the customers, thus giving the customers the feeling of being significant. When the company encountered severe losses in 2001, it initiated

An Investigative Study on the Book of Matthew Term Paper

An Investigative Study on the Book of Matthew - Term Paper Example By concentrating on the Jewish tradition, the writer leads to a conclusion that he must have been a Jew and that the book was written in a Jewish community. It is speculated that the book was written in the first century AD. Also, the writer concentrates a lot on the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of Messiah, and this, too, leads to the same conclusion, i.e. that he must have been a Jew. The chronology of the book of Matthew covers a vast spun of time. It dates back before the birth of Jesus Christ, as is revealed by the prophecies, dwells on the life and work of Jesus on the Earth and also touches on the future when Jesus would come again. Scholars have also noted that the book of Matthew borrows a lot from the book of Mark, the writings commonly referred to as the Q-source and Jewish custom material. The original language was Greek. Following the closeness between the book of Matthew and Luke, the conclusion follows that the book was written by Matthew, one of Jesus’ disciples, who was a tax collector (Freeborn 156). David Sim, in his article â€Å"Matthew and the Pauline Corpus,† shows that the writer of this book had much knowledge of the epistles written by Paul. He argues that not only do the scriptures rhyme, but also the scriptures in the book of Matthew speak defensively on various topical issues that are addressed by the Apostle Paul in the epistles. Matthew is portrayed in his writings to be a strict law-obeying Jew, unlike the Apostle Paul, who is depicted as a gentile, by and large arrogant and ignorant of the law. The close comparison brings much of inter-textual relation to the two scriptural contexts. Matthew closely alludes to the ideologies addressed by the Apostle Paul and also borrows a lot from Mark. This is clearly illustrated in the narrative mode of describing Jesus’ lifestyle, and this, to a large extent, supports the thematic concern of inter-textuality (Sim 403). As a matter of fact, the comparison of the book of Matthew and other books written by the disciples simply affirms the possibility that the book was written by a Jew and that this happened after the ministry of Jesus on the Earth. There is a great correlation between the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and much contrast emanates from the epistles of Paul. A close evaluation indicates that just as Mark and Luke, Matthew is a Synoptic. However, critics point out that Matthew happened to live and write before the other gospels were created as a lot is likely to be borrowed from the scriptures of Matthew by the other gospels. However, the gospel, according to the book of John, is clearly distinct and cannot fit in such a comparison (Constable 3-4). Cartel Warren, in his article â€Å"Matthew and the Gentiles,† elaborates further on the purpose of the book as having been meant specifically for the gospel. The book, thus, engages in a very detiled discussion on the contemporary gentile world alluded to in the gospel. The writer highlights some key indicators from the book of Matthew that suggest an already predefined mission of writing the scripture. To begin with, the story of creation found in the book of Genesis is clearly addressed in the opening scripture of Matthew. The sovereignty of God’s purpose for Jesus is clearly depicted here. He compares the purpose of Jesus to Abraham’