Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Management, People and Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Management, People and Organization - Essay Example Given below is a list of few of the objective of an organization: Human behavior in organizations is as complex as the social system itself. People differ from each other in their needs and values, which can be understood better with the help of behavioral science. Behavioral science considers the influence of various social, economic and technical elements of the complex external environment on people's behavior. It improves people's understanding of interpersonal skills and so also their ability to work together as a team to achieve organizational goals effectively. Organizations comprise of human beings who are highly complex and unpredictable in nature. The management of organizations is therefore a challenging task. Increasing diversity, knowledge and information explosion, strategic partnership, global competition and emphasis on total quality management are the other challenges confronting managers in the modern times ((ICMR)). To meet these challenges, managers require cooperation from individual employees and their work groups who often resist change. So, for an effective management of organizations, an in-depth study of the behavior of individuals within workgroups, including an analysis of the nature of workgroups is required. One such study is "organizational behavior." Human relations, in a very gene... It deals with the interaction of people in work situation that helps to generate team spirit. Though human relationships have existed since time immemorial, the branch of knowledge dealing with them is relatively recent. Prior to the industrial revolution, people worked in small groups and had simple work relationships. They were, however, subjected to unhealthy working conditions and scarcity of resources, so they hardly had any job satisfaction. During the early stages of the industrial revolution, the conditions of workers showed no signs of improvement. But as increased industrial activity led to greater supply of goods, wages, working conditions, and level of job satisfaction gradually improved. Until the early 1900s, workers were made to work in inhuman conditions. The importance of human element in organization was first realized by Fredrick W. Taylor. Taylor is also known as "the father of scientific management" and his contributions to the field of management were useful for the later development of the field of organizational behavior. His studies helped improve the working conditions of industrial workers and were instrumental in enhancing the productivity of the organization. He propounded sound management practices by stressing on division of labor and scientific selection, placement and training of workers. Taylor was also instrumental in introducing the differential piece rate system in organizations. According to Taylor, specific scientific methods could help people perform their jobs effectively and efficiently. Taylor emphasized technical efficiency and mass production in organizations. However, certain aspects of interpersonal and social behavior that included

Monday, October 28, 2019

Cognitive Development Theory Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Development Theory Essay As a prospective educator, it is important for me to understand the cognitive development theory and how it applies to individuals. Cognitive development is basically how the thought process begins. It is the way that people learn and how mental processes become elaborate and develop. These processes include remembering things, making decisions, and also solving problems. In order for a teacher to be effective, one must understand how children develop mentally so that each student can be accommodated in the classroom. There are many theories regarding cognitive development, and there are several factors that remain constant throughout all of them. These factors form some of the basic premises on cognitive development, which include the ideas that all people go through specific steps or stages of learning or understanding, and that certain qualifications must be met before learning can occur. It is the actual specifics of these basic premises that cognitive theorists have differing opinions about. (Slavin, 2009) Two theorists that display the basic premises of cognitive development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both theorists have similarities and differences when it comes to their views on cognitive development. We will first begin with the views of the two on the nature or development of intelligence. Piaget believed that children are naturally born with the ability to both interact with and make sense of their environment. Children as well as adults use patterns of thinking called schemes to deal with different things in the world. The process of assimilation and accommodation is used to maintain balance in our daily lives. Piaget believed that â€Å"learning depends on the process of equilibration. When equilibrium is upset, children have the opportunity to grow and develop. † (Slavin, 2009, pg. 32) Different experiences that we face and factors in our environment contribute to developmental change in us. Vygotsky shared some similar ides with Piaget including the belief that the environment plays a huge role in the development of intelligence. He also believed that â€Å"development depended on a sign system, the cultures language or writing system, that children grew up with. â€Å"(Slavin, 2009, pg. 2) Both also believed that there is an invariant sequence of steps that is the same for everyone, and that development is influenced by cognitive conflict. While the two share a few similarities on the development of intelligence, there are also differences as well. Piaget feels that development precedes learning. This simply means that something must take pace before learning can begin. Vygotsky, on the other hand, feels that learning comes before development which is the exact opposite of Piaget. It simply means that you must learn something before development can occur. Piaget and Vygotsky also had both similarities and differences on the stages of development. We will first start with the differences beginning with Piaget who believed that there are four stages to cognitive development. They are the sensorimotor, perioperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. He felt that all children passed through these stages and that you could move faster than others, but not skip a stage. (Slavin, 2009, pg. 33) The sensorimotor stage occurs at birth through two years of age. It is the stage where infants explore their environment using the five senses and motor skills. This includes sucking, grasping, and touching. The perioperational stage is from two to seven years old. Language develops at a fast pace in this stage. At this time the childs thinking is also very self centered, and they lack the understanding of conservation. The concrete operational stage is from ages seven to eleven. At this time, thinking tends to shift from being self-centered to more logical. Problem solving is no longer restricted and the idea of reversibility also occurs. The last and final stage is the formal operational stage. This happens beginning with the age of eleven moving on into adulthood. Systematic experimentation is used to solve problems both symbolic and abstract thinking are now possible in this stage. Vygotsky felt that there was not stages, but different elements to cognitive development. The first element is private speech. â€Å"Private speech is a childs self talk, which guides their thinking and actions, eventually internalized as silent inner speech† (Slavin, 2009, pg. 43) When children are struggling with a difficult situation you often see children talking to themselves to help cope with the situation. When we become adults we still talk to ourselves, but it is usually silent. The next element of cognitive development is the zone of proximal development or ZPD. â€Å"This is the level of development immediately above the persons present level. † (Slavin, 2009, pg. 43) To better understand, this can be described as something that the child may not have learned yet, but are capable of being taught with the assistance of an adult. Educators often refer to this as a â€Å"teachable moment†. (Slavin, 2009, pg. 43) Now that we can see the differences between the two theorists, we can now explore the similarities between the two. Both heorists understand the importance of a child learning a cultures sign system. They both feel that this has a significant impact on development. The two also agree that environmental factors such as sounds, signs, and objects are equally important. Lastly, the two theorists believe that there are some tasks that a child may not understand depending on age, but Vygotsky feels that if it is in the zone of proximal develo pment then the child can be assisted with the help of an adult. Educators have been using both Piaget’s as well as Vygotskys theories in the classroom for years. An example of an activity that can be used in the classroom using Piagets theory of learning takes place in a kindergarten class. The teacher would ask the students to share what they do when it is raining outside. At this age we are in the perioperational stage where children tend to be egocentric. Some say that they go outside and jump in mud puddles while others may say that they stay inside and play with their toys. The children would share their experiences and they would all be correct because not everyone does the same thing. You can use Vygotskys theory of learning in at work in the classroom where third grade students are learning how to classify different types of dirt. You can place the students in groups where they can discuss how you properly classify the dirt. This will allow the students to hear other students thoughts, and see what methods they use to classify. Using this type of cooperative learning allows the students to learn from each other. When comparing both classroom applications we see that both classrooms are working as groups learning from each other. Piaget theory is seen in both classrooms. In the kindergarten classroom, the classroom is seeing that there are different ways to deal with the rain. The students are sharing their personal experiences and showing that there is no wrong answer. There are many ways of doing things . In the third grade classroom, the students are able to classify the dirt using touch and sight to see and feel the differences in each type. Both classrooms are interacting with the environment and learning from it. Vygotskys cooperative learning is also being played out in both classrooms. In the kindergarten classroom, the students are learning that there are different activities that can be done outside in the rain. Similarly, in the third grade class the students are using cooperative learning to find different ways of classifying dirt. In both classrooms the students are using the think out loud process. The differences in the two classrooms also stand out. When applying Piagets theory in the kindergarten classroom, you see that the students are in the perioperational stage. The students are egocentric and feel that what they say is the only right answer to the question. In the third grade class, the students are in the concrete operational stage. They are able to easily look at and see the differences in the types of dirt that they are working with. When it comes to Vygotskys theory in the kindergarten classroom, the students are working within their zone of proximal development. The students may not understand that they can do more than one thing in the rain because they have done the same thing every time. The teacher is using this as a teachable moment to allow the students to teach each other the different things that can be done. In the third grade class, on the other hand, private speech is being used. The students are saying their thoughts out loud to classify the dirt. When the students are using cooperative learning they are learning the different ways in which the other students use to classify the dirt. In conclusion, we can see how and why it is important to understand and know how to apply cognitive development theories in the classroom. Both Piaget and Vygotsky played major roles in how we teach our children in todays world. We can use information and skills from both theorists to shape our students into great learners.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Prophet Amos Essay -- social issues

The Prophet Amos Amos is recognized as the first of the Israelite prophets whose words were recorded on a scroll. He was not a prophet all his life and never prophesied professionally. Amos earned his living as a â€Å"herdsman and dresser of sycamore figs.† (Amos 7:14) Since he already had an occupation he did not have to prophesy for money. He prophesied because God had called him to do so. Amos was not a poor sheep herdsman. The word herdsman, used to describe his occupation, was not the common Hebrew word used to refer to shepherds. The Hebrew word used described the vocation of a Moabite king, King Mesha. The Hebrew word means sheep-master, and refers to the owners of a special breed of sheep, famous for their wool. Amos may have been one of the more important men in his region, Tekoa. Tekoa was a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem. It was situated atop a large hill some 2800 feet above sea level. Therefore, Tekoa was strategically located. It was fortified and walled. â€Å"Tekoa is mentioned elsewhere, in 2 Chronicles 11:6, as one of several cities that King Rehoboam (Solomon’s son and successor) rebuilt and fortified after the breaking away of the ten northern tribes and founding of the northern kingdom of Israel (in 931).† (Miller p.45) Like many other prophets Amos was called directly by Yahweh through some divine intervention. Yahweh â€Å"took† him from his flocks and said, â€Å"Go and prophesy to my people Israel.†(Amos 7:15) He also saw five visions. Throughout the third and fourth visions God’s voice claimed, â€Å"I will forgive them no longer.† (Amos 7:8; 8:1) He was referring to the people of Israel. The Book of the Prophet Amos begins with a short description of the prophet. This is followed by his words. He begins by condemning several nations, Israel’s neighbors. Finally, and most importantly, he goes on to condemn Israel. This condemnation of Israel would come as a surprise to listeners in Amos’ time, because the people of Israel were the chosen people. Amos goes on to list some of the sins of Israel. The underlying theme behind many of the sins was that the wealthy and powerful were alienating the poor and the weak. Amos lived during the long and prosperous reign of Jeroboam II. During this time many people became very wealthy. There were, however, some who remained poor. The wealthy exploited the weakness and vulnerability of the poor.... ...ust society. In our interactions with our families we should avoid unkind words and insults. We must treat family members with respect and caring. In school and in our community one can use his or her talents to tutor a friend so that he can achieve success. Community service at a local school or hospital can be a way to help those in our community who need help or are less fortunate. In these acts of compassion and caring we live the word of God. The Book of Amos, the teachings of Jesus through the Gospels and the Church’s Constitution all make one thing very clear. Our actions and social institutions should all benefit the human person and respect human dignity. These actions and institutions should be â€Å"founded on truth, built on justice, and animated by love.† (Huebsch p. 144) Bibliography Heubsch, Bill, and Paul Thurmes. The Constitutions. Allen: Thomas More Publishing, 1997. Mays, James Luther. Amos. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1969. Miller, John W. Meet the Prophets: A Beginner’s Guide to the Books of the Biblical Prophets. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1987. Rad, Gerhard von. The Message of the Prophets. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1962.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Controlling Environmental Damage Caused by Development and Human Expansion :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

Controlling Environmental Damage Caused by Development and Human Expansion Progress! Progress is something that can not be stopped. Many attempts have been made to limit the amount of human progress and expansion, though development has been halted. The human spirit and instinctive tendency to create and achieve more than those who have come before has created mass environmental damage and destruction along the way. I propose that stricter laws and regulations be created that will reward those who plan and develop environmentally-conscious communities and penalties be imposed to those who choose to damage the earth we live on. When one takes a step back to look at the impact that development and human expansion has had on the world around us, it is hard to realize the significance that one person or development has on the big picture. I would like to mention a specific example of one person with one dream to create a place that is totally environmental sensitive from start to finish. A man by the name of Stanley Stalgut has created a destination that is both luxurious with the all amenities of home, and environmentally sensitive. This place is called Harmony Resort in the U. S. Virgin Islands. The concept behind the resort is one that will accommodate the people without harming its surrounding (a mind-boggling idea). Seventy percent of materials used are recycled materials. The wood used is fused together from other scrape. The tile is comprised of assorted materials melted together. Electricity for the resort is solar and wind generated. All appliances are energy efficient to conserve the solar energy. No t a single tree was thrown down to construct the resort since it lies above the natural terrain. The waste that is created from this site is treated at the location, in a manner that is accepted by the national park services. The entire resort was built to show that there are ways to build and expand without disrupting the natural flow of nature. As noble as Mr. Stalgut is to build this type of resort out of the goodness of his own heart, not all developers share this high moral sense of obligation to preserve the earth. That is why the government and its supporting agencies should be taking charge in mandating similar kinds of development in Arizona. With rising concerns about the long term damage that development and industrial progress is having on the environment, master planned communities and the developers creating these neighborhoods are doing their best to minimize damage and to preserve the natural habitat.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Andrew Jackson Hero of the War of 1812 Essay

â€Å"One man with courage makes a majority.†-Andrew Jackson, these words truly capture the spirit of man behind the American victory at The Battle of New Orleans. The greatest patriot of his time Andrew Jackson served his country honorably. He dedicated his life to serving Americans as a drummer boy, a general and later president. Leading by example Jackson recruited, trained and commanded his army with courage and pride as reflected in the battle. Most expected the militiamen to flee at any sign of British attack, but Jackson’s men took everyone by surprise by taking the offensive and striking first. The attacks lead by Jackson and his army excited and inspired Americans to stay and fight. It is Jackson’s victory at The Battle of New Orleans that would increase national pride and later secure him the presidency. The Battle at Fort McKinley was the first major stand against the British attacks. Before the battle would begin an order is placed for the largest American flags yet to be made. One flag is raised shortly before bombardment of the fort began form the British naval fleet. On one of the ships stopped just off the shore sat a young man named Francis Scott Key, watching from a between the blasts Key was inspired. He jotted down a few lines for a poem as the bombs burst through the air creating a fantastic display of light and sound. What inspired him most came after the smoke cleared. After more than a day of bombardment the British retreated having realized the Americans would not surrender. At the end of it all American troops replaced the first flag that had been tattered and torn from blasts, with the second flag. Key and many other Americans saw and were over joyed at the sight that the flag was still there. The War of 1812 appropriately named The Second War of Independence, created the American identity and strengthened the nation. Americans now had leaders to be proud of, shared culture and national pride. The proud patriots of America proved to the world that the nation would survive. It took the pressure of war to once more unite Americans. George Washington once said: â€Å"Firearms are people’s liberty’s teeth.† The people of America had earned their liberty after The Revolutionary War and would fight until Britain and the world recognized their freedom and independence.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Cognitive Dissonance Theory essays

Cognitive Dissonance Theory essays Cognitive Dissonance Theory, developed by Leon Festinger, is concerned with the relationships among cognitions. In this context, cognition can be perceived as a piece of knowledge that may inscribe an element of an attitude, an emotion, a behavior, a value, and so on. For example, the knowledge that you like the color blue is cognition. People hold a multitude of cognitions simultaneously, and these cognitions form irrelevant, consonant or dissonant relationships with one another. Cognitive Irrelevance probably describes the bulk of the relationships among a person's cognitions. Irrelevance simply means that the two cognitions have nothing to do with each other. Two cognitions are consonant if one cognition fits with or is consistent with the other. People like consonance among their cognitions. We do not know whether this aspect is innate or is learned, but people do prefer cognitions that fit together to those that do not. It is this simple observation that gives the theory of cognitive dissonance its interesting form. And, two cognitions are said to be dissonant or incompatible if one cognition follows from the opposite of another. Dissonance occurs when two cognitions are in a dissonant relationship. Dissonance is not something that people want in their lives. People try to avoid dissonance if they do come across it. For example, Smoking cigarettes may taste good and look professional, but in fact it is known to cause smoking ailments like lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis. With this in mind, the greater the importance of health to the smoker, the greater amount of dissonance is produced when he she smokes. To understand the alternatives open to an individual in a state of dissonance, we must first understand the factors that affect the magnitude of dissonance arousal. First, in its simplest form, dissonance increases as the degree of discrepancy among cognitions increases. Second, dissonance...

Monday, October 21, 2019

A Significant Concern for Humanity Is Its Relationship with the Natural World and Nature’s Influence on Human Behaviour and Human Interaction Essay Example

A Significant Concern for Humanity Is Its Relationship with the Natural World and Nature’s Influence on Human Behaviour and Human Interaction Essay Example A Significant Concern for Humanity Is Its Relationship with the Natural World and Nature’s Influence on Human Behaviour and Human Interaction Essay A Significant Concern for Humanity Is Its Relationship with the Natural World and Nature’s Influence on Human Behaviour and Human Interaction Essay Essay Topic: Brave New World â€Å"A significant concern for humanity is its relationship with the natural world and nature’s influence on human behaviour and human interaction. † These are the guidelines in which the topic ‘in the wild’ fits. I have studied two texts that demonstrate the effects of ‘In The Wild’ very well: ‘Brave New World’, a confronting novel by Aldous Huxley, and Blade Runner, a post-modern film by Ridley Scott, are two dystopian, science-fiction texts which demonstrate the connection between man and nature and the effects of losing this connection. The environment that is shown throughout most of ‘Brave New World’ is not a natural one at all, it is a highly urbanised city location with few natural features like trees. One of the few times that nature is referred to in the ‘World State’ is on page 34 when the controller waves his hand towards the garden, which is comprised of mostly small shrubs. This in itself is not nature because the garden is man-made and has been ‘allowed’ to grow. The word ‘allowed’ demonstrates how this ‘natural’ area is actually unnatural in this place. The tall buildings, roads and walkways seem to be ‘the normal’, while this garden is abnormal, making (in the minds of the people of the World State), the garden ‘un’-natural. This is shown when Bernard takes Lenina out over the ocean in a helicopter and Lenina refers to the ocean and the crashing waves to be ‘horrible, it’s horrible’ on page 75. Similarly, ‘Bladerunner’ is also lacking natural features in the movie. There is not a single tree throughout the whole movie, and the only animals seen are either vermin or artificial. Also, the city in which the film is set is highly urbanised to the extent that an average building may be over 50 metres tall! This landscape has become ‘normal’ and the natural theme of the city has become a dark and dense urban wilderness. The quality and importance of humanity’s relationship with the natural world in these texts is shown to be quite low. The World State of ‘Brave New World’ has left the natural world behind and relied simply on their laws and their science to keep their civilisation alive. This has worked, but at quite a cost – Yes, the people of ‘Brave New World’ are no longer exposed to all the illnesses that they may have been exposed to before, but they’ve lost their ‘humanity’. The people of ‘Brave New World’ have no individuality, no birth right and concern for anyone but themselves. They’ve lost their connection with nature and have in turn lost their passion and their inspiration. They have no self satisfaction gained by catching or growing their own food, no concern for the beauty of an ocean and no ability to consider the tribal traditions of those living ‘in the wild’. In ‘Bladerunner’, people walk down the packed streets individually yet surrounded by hundreds of other people in the same street. They have lost their connection with their planet and have thus lost their connection with each other. They have been sentenced to life in a horribly polluted environment with nothing natural and this has sent them into spiral of depression. They do not even care when Deckard, the main character kills a Replicant (synthetic human) in the middle of busy pedestrian traffic. This shows that they genuinely don’t care about anything except themselves anymore. Humans are presented as ‘drones’ in both texts. In ‘Brave New World’, all the citizens of the ‘World State’ do what they are told, know what they are taught, and simply go through life without questioning anything about their world. This is due to the ‘World State’s’ practices that keep people from growing and aging naturally. This could be seen to be a utopia, but when thought about thoroughly, one realises that this is in fact a dystopia because they give up so much constantly just to exist in this society. The only exception to this is John Savage, who grew up in an Indian tribe. He sees this society to be a complete dystopia, not able to believe the great sacrifices that the people make for happiness, such as the drug ‘Soma’ that his mother takes, which significantly shortens her life just so that she can live in utter happiness for a short while. In ‘Bladerunner’, the most human people on the whole planet Earth are the Replicants. They love, which few human characters are shown to do in the film. They speak of beauty, which few of the human characters in the film do, and they truly value their lives, which none of the human characters in the film do. This shows how the lack of nature has changed humanity so much that they have in fact lost their humanity. In response to the absence of nature in ‘Brave New World’, the World State has certainly become a thriving civilisation, with the population constantly growing, and people being constantly happy, but this comes at a terrible price. These people will never know what it is like to love, fear, suffer, rejoice and most of all think for themselves individually. Similarly in ‘Bladerunner’, the people in this film have lost everything that should be important to them. They no longer care for anyone but themselves and just walk through life helplessly with no individuality and no concern for their peers or environment (what’s left of it). This loss of individuality and choice is the direct result of the loss of native instinct and environment, showing just how crucial the relationship between humans and their surrounding environments is, and just how important the study of ‘In The Wild’ is when analysing any text based in any location.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

A Practical Guide The 5 Best Ways to Save for College

A Practical Guide The 5 Best Ways to Save for College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips So you want to be proactive and save for college. Maybe you’re a high school student who wants to build up a college fund for yourself, or maybe you’re a parent or family member who wants to save for a young loved one.No matter your situation, you’re taking a proactive step in making college a little bit more affordable. In this post, I’ll discuss the things you need to know in orderto build, keep, and grow college savings. We'll discuss the fivebest ways to save for college to lower student debt on graduation and take a load off your mind. First, though, I'll talk about the question you should be considering before you implement your savings plan: how much should you be putting away in the first place? Read on to find out! How Much Should You Save? As you might imagine, the answer to this question will be different for everyone. I'll talk about the costs of college, how they're expected to change, and some common savings goals before moving into the nitty-gritty of savings calculations. College is already pretty expensive, with costs varying based on factors like school type, financial need, and academic merit. On average, it costs about $45,000 to attend a private US college for one year, whilethe cost of attendance at an in-state public school averages about $23,000. You can read more about estimating your own expenses with our college cost guide. Although it'scurrently pricey to get a college education, expenses are only increasing year by year. If prices increase at a rate of 5% annually, the total cost of 4 years of college in 18 years could be: $237,000 at an in-state public university $464,000 at a private college or university These sticker prices are definitely intimidating, but it's important to keep in mind that most families aren't shelling out those total amounts in cash in order to pay for school. As of a few years ago, this wasthe average percentage breakdown of how families paid for college (according to the College Board): 5% contributions from relatives and friends 9% parent borrowing, like with a private or PLUS loan % student income and savings 18% student borrowing, like with a Direct loan or Perkins loan 27% parent income and savings 30% grants and scholarships like the Pell Grant Hopefully, this breakdown helps assuage any fears you may have about the process of paying for college. Although it isn't difficult to come up with a currentnet price estimate of college expenses, it may be challenging to do this for students who will attend college in 5, 10, or 15 years. According to one survey, most parents say they hope to pay at least half of their children's college expenses; in the following examples, I'll work with these figures and savings goals to show you how much, exactly, you should stash for the future. Calculating Savings Maybe the most tedious part of saving for college: figuring out what you're comfortable putting away. Ultimately, theamount you decide to save will depend on your family income and expenses. You don’t have to have four years’ worth of expenses (tuition, room, board, fees, etc.) saved up by the time your student’s 18, especially if your family has alower income and you expect toqualify for financial aid like the Pell Grant. It’s hard to predict what sort of aid you willget thatfar in the future, but you canstart with an estimate of what your family will have to pay out of pocketgiven current costs. Once you've come to a savings goal - let's say your full expected family contribution (net price) for convenience's sake - you can figure out how much to put away every pay period. Just divide your total expected contribution for fouryears of collegeby the number of pay periods until your child leaves for school. Here's a basic savings formula for how much you should save per month, assuming your money wouldn't be earning any gains or interest: Monthly savings = Total savings goal à · (Years until college x 12) Let's see how this looks in action: If you have a newborn baby, you'll have 18 years to save for college. You have the advantage of time on your side, but you also know that college costs will rise significantly over the next couple of decades. You estimate that thecost of attendance at a private college will cost about $460,000 by the time your child goes to school, and you want to save half that amount: $230,000. If you stashed your cash in a 0% interest account, you could save $230,000 in 18 years by setting aside $1065 a month If you stashed your money in an account with an average annual rate of return of 6%, you could save $230,000 in 18 years by setting aside $500 a month $500 a month is a lot more reasonable than $1065 a month, but it still may not be withinyour budget. What happens if you save less per month, over 18 years, in that same 6% yield account? If you save $100 a month, you would have $47,000 in 18 years If you save $250 a month, you would have $166,000 in 18 years Ultimately, any amount that you choose to put away will help empower your child (or yourself) to pay for college in the future. As you can see; however, you can grow your money much more effectively if you save early, save often, and save in an account with a high rate of return. Ways to Build Funds To students and parents alike: the earlier you start building a college fund, the better. Strategies for fundingcollege will vary based on who, exactly, is trying to save for school. Whether you're a parent or a student, you can start working on a funding source. For Parents It’s never too early to start a college fund for your future student. In fact, the earlier you start, the easier it will be to save a significant amount. Perhaps thebest way to save is to set aside a small percentage of your income every pay period. You canwithhold it and put it aside in a big chunk at the end of the year. Alternatively, you canhave a set amount or percentage automatically deposited in a separate account every pay period. The amount you choose to set aside will obviously depend on your income and family expenses. For Students There are many different ways for you to start building up a college fund for yourself. The more you save now, the less you may have to worry about your tuitionbills or student loan payments later. Student Jobs You can start working in many states at 14 or 15, which potentially givesyou 3-4 years to build up some savings for college. This isn’t the right choice for everybody - you shouldn’t put a job ahead of your studies or extracurricular activities - but it can be a good way to start putting money away for the future. Assume that you'll start off working part-time and at federal minimum wage - not super appealing, I know, but that'sthe unfortunate reality of getting a job as a teen. If you work full-time for twomonths during the summer (40 hours per week at $7.25 per hour), you could earn up to $2,320 before taxes. Do this for three summers during high school, and you could earn almost $7,000. That's a significant chunk of money, but it requires a lot of time and energy on your part. Starting early; however, could provide opportunities for advancement (i.e. salary raises) and work experience that may help you get a more appealing job once you're in college. Check out our article talking about when you should (or shouldn't) get a job as a student. Family Member Contributions Some students may be fortunate enough to have family members whoare willing to help with college expenses. If you’re still in high school but want to start building your college fund, ask family members for contributions in lieu of traditional gifts for birthdays or holidays. Scholarships You don’t have to wait until you’re accepted to college to start applying forscholarships. There are a lot of programs out there open to high school students, and some are open to even younger kids. To start your scholarship search, check out our posts on the top scholarship programs for high school juniors and high school seniors. Spend a few minutes researching scholarships in your area that may be eligible for. Even small scholarships add up if you’re diligent about applying broadly. Where to Keep Your Money Money may not grow on trees, but that doesn't mean it can't grow. Now that you have a plan for bringing in college money, you’ll need a plan for saving in a smart way. If you let your money just sit in a checking account or a low-interest savings account, you could be losing money due to inflation in the long run. Don’t let all your hard work go to waste! There’s no one right savings plan for everyone, but there are a lot of different options available, each with its own pros and cons. I’ll present them all here so you can pick one or more that may work for you. Savings Accounts You can open a savings account in a matter of minutes at any bank. If you're looking for something a little more specialized, check outCoverdell Education Savings Accounts - they're custodial accounts that are meant specifically for education costs. Pros If you put your money in a savings account, it'll beeasily accessible and very liquid. It's not difficult to find free accounts with no fees. Your money will grow, particularly if you find a high-interest account. Finally, savings accounts are very flexible, meaning anyone can open an account to use for any other person's education. Cons It can be tempting to dip into college savings if you have easy access to it. Any interest gains are taxable, but thatmay not matter too much at the moment because interest rates are so low - you probably won't be gaining much from interest. 529 Plans 529 plans are education-specific investment accounts - there are many different types of plans out there, so it might take a bit of research to find one that's a good fit. Pros Many 529 plans offer serious tax benefits: when used to cover educational expenses, any investment gains aren't taxed. Any adult can open an account and name any other individual as beneficiary, making the plans very flexible. There's a penalty for dipping into the account for non-education expenses, which hopefullyleads tosuccess in reaching savings goals. Finally, there are high lifetime contribution maximums (this depends on the state, but the maximums vary from 200k-400k). Cons If there's any sort of emergency and you need access to funds you've stashed in a 529 plan, you'll be charged a hefty penalty. The plans themselves often come with fees or other charges. Finally, because 529 plans are custodial investment accounts, they're not viable options for teens who want to save for college themselves. Other Investment Accounts There are other ways to invest college funds in the market besides 529 plans, including brokerage accounts and IRAs. Again, there are a lot of different options out there, so the most important thing is finding an account that works best foryour savings goals. Pros There are a lot of investment account options out there, so you havea lot of control in how you invest your money. Depending on the type of account you choose, your funds should also be more easily accessible than if they were in a 529 plan, which meansyou wouldn't have to pay a penalty for using the money for non-educational expenses. Cons Choosing and managing an investment account takes more workand initiative than just sticking your funds in a savings account. Any gains from an investment account without the benefits of a 529 will be subject to tax, which you may have to pay on top of account fees. You also have to be 18 to open an investment account, meaning teens can't save for college this way (at least not on their own). Finally, some investment accounts can be very volatile, which subjectsyour savingsto quite a bit of risk. CDs A CD is another type of savings account - you receive a certificate when you deposit your money for a specific length of time, at a specific interest rate. You can get your money + interest rate when your CD â€Å"matures,† after the designated time period ends. Pros Because your money isn't invested in the market, you don't have to worry about your savings losing value. CDs have better rates of returnthan many savings accounts when you choose a long-term CD, making them good options for parents with young kids. Cons CDs are more conservative options than most investment accounts,and as such, they tend toresult in lower rates of return over the long term. In reality, the rates of return barely keep up with inflation. Gains are subject to tax. Finally, because long-term CDs keep your money locked in for extended periods, they're not good options for students heading off to college in the near future. Trusts "Trust" is a pretty broad term, encompassing many different things. Essentially, a trust is a fund made up of different assets that are held and managed by someone (a trustee) for someone else (a beneficiary). It's possible to open a trust for the purpose of covering college expenses. Pros You can use trusts to minimize estate taxes (if you have to worry about that), get professional management of funds, and have total control over money if you’re saving it for a minor. Cons To open a trust, you generally need a pretty large lump sum - you can't just slowly contribute over time. They're also expensive to maintain and manage. Ultimately, they're probably best for wealthy families who already have trusts in the works for children or other beneficiaries. Overwhelmed By These Savings Strategies? This info should hopefully keep you grounded. Whether your child is heading off to college next year or 18 years from now, the thought of saving up enough money can be pretty daunting. This is a lot of information to take in, so here's a breakdown of simple steps you can take to get started with a successful college savings plan: You don't have to orchestrate some complicated strategy all at once in order to save for college. If you want to start saving but don't have time at the moment to research different savings or investment accounts, it's okay to put that stuff on the back burner. Justspend a few minutes opening a simple savings account at your current banking institution - that's all you have to do to open a dedicated college fund. Once you have more time, you can start looking at savings plans that will help you grow your money most effectively. You don't have to throw all your extra funds into college savings from Day 1.Managing a household budget is a delicate balancing act for many families. If you are ready to start a college savings plan, begin by putting aside 5% of your income. If that's too much (or too little), you can adjust as necessary. Remember, you can always contribute larger lump sums if you have extra funds available. If you don't meet some arbitrary savings goal, that doesn't mean you've failed. FewUS families can afford to cover all college expenses upfront, but any amount that you save up canhelp cut down on things like student debt and even stress over making payments. Fewer than half of all families with kids sock money away for college - you're already at an advantage by setting up a dedicated college fund. What's Next? Although it's important to have a college fund to cover large educational expenses, your personal savings arenot the only way to pay for college costs. Federal and institutional financial aid may cover a large fraction of these expenses, but only if you submit the right applications at the right time. Check out our guide to applying for financial aid for more information. Did you know that some schools offer much better financial aid packages than others? If you want an education for a bargain, learn more about the 27 colleges with the best financial aid programs. Finally, you may be interested in private scholarship programs to help bridge the gap between what you owe and what you can afford. Read more about the top scholarships out there for high school juniors and high school seniors. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Design and construction of a prestressed concrete tank Literature review

Design and construction of a prestressed concrete tank - Literature review Example The principle behind the prestressed concrete tank is that the compressive stresses induced by the high-strength steel tendons inside a concrete member prior to the loads being applied will balance tensile stresses inflicted in the member during the service. It`s recognized that prestressing eliminates several design limitations and conventional concrete places on load and span and allows the building of roofs, bridges floors, and walls with elongated unsupported spans. With this in mind, architects and engineers design as well as build lighter concrete tanks without sacrificing strength. This principle behind prestressing in concrete tank can be illustrated in a row of books being moved from one place to another. Instead of vertically stacking the books and carrying them, they may perhaps be shifted in horizontal position by putting pressure to the books right at the end of row. Whenever sufficient pressure is applied, the compressive stresses are induced all over the entire row, an d so the whole row can always be carried and lifted horizontally at once. This principle has been applied to the design and construction of concrete tank. Concrete water tanks are broadly used in today’s society as a results of the endless need to have potable water easily accessible. Concrete water tanks are used for several purposes such as the storage of potable water, rain water harvesting and even for agriculture irrigation. They are comparatively easy to construct and they have numerous advantages compared to other tanks of different materials such as plastic or steel. Concrete tanks have bigger life spans, they can always be built bigger compared to their counterparts, they don’t taint water and besides, they can always be buried underground. Having a concrete tanks buried underground performs an aesthetic purpose and a practical one since it keeps the water cool. Consequently, the tank will have much less algae growth. A lesser algae growth implies fewer pump p roblems. Normally potable water tanks are built with prestressed concrete for purposes of durability and water tightness. Literature review As with all sorts of liquid-retaining constructions the fundamental problem of the design is not simply one of securely supporting the load, but is of creating a form that stays liquid-tight under service conditions. Consequently, leakage where it occurs happens more regularly from defects in detail and/or workmanship than from direct result of an inadequate design. In the prestressed cylindrical concrete tank, the enclosed liquid stimulates ring tension in horizontal section and also generally some bending in vertical section. Vertical and Horizontal stressing are applied as obligatory to offset these effects. In a form of this kind, they have the advantage that the central concrete shell is exposed to minimum situations of stress under complete load from the enclosed liquid. The base of the calculations for structures of this sort is simple. H owever, the application results, in practice, to possible disparity in interpretation. The provided degree of restraint at the wall foot possesses a controlling effect on the allocation of stress in the tank wall. The

Friday, October 18, 2019

What options do the elderly have for housing and what is the best Research Paper

What options do the elderly have for housing and what is the best option - Research Paper Example Knowing this, we come to realization that there will be an increased need for a vast array of different types of housing. The choice of the living arrangements largely depends on the capabilities and needs of the individual. Despite needs for changes, there are things, specific to aging that do not change. Throughout the retirement time the individual will likely have smaller income, and his problems with health are likely to increase. According to statistics, those who live to age 65, on average are likely to live to over 80 years, which makes about 15 - 20 years of life after the retirement. That is a long enough period of time, which presents its challenges: economical, health and psychological pressure, etc. This often leads to the necessity of changing the housing situation a number of times during the time between the onset of retirement and death. To get information on the available housing options for elderly, to determine what are the options preferred and recommended, we lo oked into variety of sources such as articles, congress Acts, governmental and non-governmental Internet resources. Study of the sources provided both the clear description of the problem of housing for elderly as well as wide variety of options of solving the problem. There are many reasons of why the senior citizens might have issues about the housing. However, as the professor McFadden summed it up: â€Å"The main issues in housing the elderly in the United States are affordability and suitability.† (Noguchi, p.109) Once a person or household gets retired, they face the fact that their income will get significantly lower than on the peak of their life. The Government provides senior citizens with Social Security income, private pensions, and public assistance programs. All of these will enable most elderly not to live in poverty. However, the more they age, the less income they will receive. Other issues such as healthcare and quality of life will become more urgent as wel l. Therefore the housing itself will become a problem. The society at large is aware of this problem and significantly contributed to its solving. As of now, elderly citizens have different options to accommodate their housing needs. When considering housing options, the first question is if in-home care is possible. The best advantage for the elderly is that he would stay in the most comfortable place – their own home, and the care givers, such as medical assistant or companion and helper in the home comes to the house. However, this option can too costly. According to the Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968) and The Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995(HOPA), there are two basic federal strategies to accommodate housing needs of the elderly. One of them is building new public complexes. This project is under supervision of Section 202 HUD governmental department. The other strategy is to assess the needs of residents through the governmental fundin g. However, there is large percentage of senior citizens, who will not use federal assistance in solving their housing situation. They do have many options to choose from. All of those options have one big disadvantage to the elderly – they will have to permanently leave their home and start living in a totally new environment. For some, it will be difficult to adjust. Considering housing options, these are the main factors of concern of senior citizens or their relatives: safety issues, location – to be close enough to their children; availability of transportation; challenging inside house set up – staircases, facilities matching to the need and ability of the senior; present house is too big or too costly to maintain, etc. â€Å"Seniors Only† complexes or communities These are apartment complexes,

Developing and leading effective Teams Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Developing and leading effective Teams - Article Example In terms of the type of team essential for the accomplishment of the problem affect nurses and patients, I would advocate for a primary work team or primary care team (Calendrillo, 2009). It is a team that concentrates on interacting with the patients at both the professional and personal levels to get feedback important in boost healthcare services given by the hospital. On that note, there are benefits and disadvantages of creating the aforementioned type of team. On benefit involves constant communication that ensures the execution of roles and responsibilities within the health sector (Beeson, 2011). Second, the creation of ground rules often emerge in such scenarios because of certain expected behaviours and guidelines. However, the disadvantages encompass inability to reach quick agreements because of team binding regulations. I, therefore, would prefer staff members with both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills because they will understand how to interact with others (Kelly & Tazbir, 2013). Their skill sets and positions will offer a chance for trust during

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Networking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Networking - Assignment Example Describe three different associations that you could network with to learn about jobs in sales and marketing. Research these associations and indicate when/where they meet; the contact information; and how to network within these groups. One organization which could serve as a network to learn about jobs in sales and marketing is the Sales & Marketing & Executives International, Inc. located at PO Box 1390 Sumas, WA 98295 USA and could be contacted through their official website: http://www.smei.org/. Their contact information is through this number: 312-893-0751; and as disclosed, they could be contacted through social media sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, YouTube, through blog, radio (Sales & Marketing & Executives International, Inc., 2012). ... Its contact information include: TEL: (703) 234-4098, FAX: (703) 435-4390 and their site disclosed the information on conferences and upcoming events where members could appropriately meet, as required (Association of Investment Management Sales Executives, 2013). Finally, the SMPS is located at 123 North Pitt Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314 with the following contact information: 800.292.7677 (Society for Marketing Professional Services, 2013). It listed the upcoming events where members and interested parties could meet with them at the indicated schedule and venue. One could therefore network with these groups through contacting them in their respective official websites, or through their contact information and other social networking sites, as indicated. How are networking and building connections essential skills to sales and marketing? Networking and building connections are essential skills to sales and marketing through the provision of crucial and relevant informati on that promulgates and perpetuate sales and marketing endeavors. Like the associations above mentioned, through these skills, interested parties or stakeholders of different organizations could forge alliances with member associations and groups to promote their endeavors, as required (Strategic Business Network, 2011). Relationships building and listening were seen as crucial elements to succeed in sales; in conjunction with sincerity, ethics, and asking (Michaels, 2011). As emphasized, â€Å"as Internet communication technology developed and more applications could be added to a social networking site, the number of features available to users increased drastically, adding to the sites' success† (EBSCO Host, 2013). Thus, organizations rely on social media to

Letter of Recommendation Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Letter of Recommendation - Personal Statement Example Haney’s determination and persistence to overcome the problem. Sgt. Haney has also successfully completed joint substance abuse program training; his commendable performance in the program has earned him the post of the unit prevention leader. Training NCO at the 2nd BN 200th Regiment OCS in the Alabama Army National Guard. He is no less than an asset for his regiment as his passion to work for the country makes him excel in everything he does. Apart from his work, his compassion for others reflects in the fact that he serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors at Waldo Volunteer Fire department. His pledge to give back to the community is also apparent from the fact that he is an active member of Stockdale Baptist Church. Kindly grant Sgt. Haney the opportunity to prove the changes that he has made in his life and cease the suspension on his driving

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Networking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Networking - Assignment Example Describe three different associations that you could network with to learn about jobs in sales and marketing. Research these associations and indicate when/where they meet; the contact information; and how to network within these groups. One organization which could serve as a network to learn about jobs in sales and marketing is the Sales & Marketing & Executives International, Inc. located at PO Box 1390 Sumas, WA 98295 USA and could be contacted through their official website: http://www.smei.org/. Their contact information is through this number: 312-893-0751; and as disclosed, they could be contacted through social media sites such as: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, YouTube, through blog, radio (Sales & Marketing & Executives International, Inc., 2012). ... Its contact information include: TEL: (703) 234-4098, FAX: (703) 435-4390 and their site disclosed the information on conferences and upcoming events where members could appropriately meet, as required (Association of Investment Management Sales Executives, 2013). Finally, the SMPS is located at 123 North Pitt Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314 with the following contact information: 800.292.7677 (Society for Marketing Professional Services, 2013). It listed the upcoming events where members and interested parties could meet with them at the indicated schedule and venue. One could therefore network with these groups through contacting them in their respective official websites, or through their contact information and other social networking sites, as indicated. How are networking and building connections essential skills to sales and marketing? Networking and building connections are essential skills to sales and marketing through the provision of crucial and relevant informati on that promulgates and perpetuate sales and marketing endeavors. Like the associations above mentioned, through these skills, interested parties or stakeholders of different organizations could forge alliances with member associations and groups to promote their endeavors, as required (Strategic Business Network, 2011). Relationships building and listening were seen as crucial elements to succeed in sales; in conjunction with sincerity, ethics, and asking (Michaels, 2011). As emphasized, â€Å"as Internet communication technology developed and more applications could be added to a social networking site, the number of features available to users increased drastically, adding to the sites' success† (EBSCO Host, 2013). Thus, organizations rely on social media to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

An inhumane practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An inhumane practice - Essay Example Animals are no different from us humans, because they have the same organs and systems that we have. This is most especially true with chimpanzees, which share 99% of their DNA with us humans (Goodall 173, par. 5). That means that they are also capable of interacting socially with their own kind, or of other species, as well as feeling pain. Because humans are seen as advanced creatures capable of empathizing with what happens to other people, it is important that we remain as such by extending our empathy with creatures that are lower than our status. If we remain indifferent to the plight of animals even though we have awareness of the pain and sufferings that they endure, that itself rubs us off of the true meaning of humanity and being human. We become just like any other lower kinds of animals that only pursue their own interests and goals. While there are some people that believe in the upholding of the rights of animals, there are still a greater number of those that do not se e how the use of animals in medical research can be likened to a dictatorship that steps on the rights of the weak, which is why I firmly believe that to restore our humanity, the use of animals in medical research must be stopped altogether. ... They can also get sick and they are not immune to pain, even without the intervention of humans. For example, chimpanzees are capable of cognitive abilities and socialization, but can also experience depression, sickness and hopelessness (Goodall 175, par. 20). Like chimpanzees, animals are also capable of feeling distressed at being separated from their family or social unit, or seeing the death of their own kin. Does this not make them like us, whenever we feel a sense of loss or homesickness from being away from the people we care about? This is why we must be liable in our actions towards animal use, and not justifying it by our greater power over animals. By using them as sacrificial lambs in the pursuit of improving human health as whole, it is not any different from tyrants or dictators that show off their power by feeding from the weaknesses of their subjects (Cohen and Regan 21). It is therefore inhumane to allow the proliferation of pain and suffering, even among lower anim als. We may frown at the human rights that are being trampled upon by such dictatorship, but what about the plight of animals being used as experiments and getting pain and torment from the human captors? Letting animals experience pain is no different from other predatory animals that let instinct take over without considering what other animals might feel. Humanity loses its value because the one thing that separates us from animals, sympathy and kindness towards all other living things gets lost, making us no better than animals moving on instinct and self-preservation. In my opinion it is equally important we also exert the same sympathy towards animals because as Immanuel Kant has said, anyone who is cruel towards animals are also capable of being

Vanity Fair Essay Example for Free

Vanity Fair Essay Vanity Fair, an English novel written by William Makepeace Thackeray (United Kingdom: Punch Magazine, January 1847 July 1948), epitomizes the early 19th century of British society of the duplicity of social climbers, sabotages, avarices, lovelessness, pretentiousness, selfishness. It, at the same time, captures mix pack of emotion of people who have their origin and counterpart in society as a whole. Furthermore, it is a satirical expose of William’s masterpiece which exposes every chunk of the repulsive truth in the real society, not only in the 19th century, but also in our contemporary world. In the story Vanity Fair, it depicts a few decades time of a group of British people’s life in 19th century. The novel opens at Miss Pinkertons Academy, where we are introduced to Amelia Sedley and Rebecca Sharp (Becky), the novels female protagonists. Amelia and Becky are friends, but they are completely the opposites. Amelia is kind and innocent and comes from a loaded family. Becky, in contrary, is cunning, clever, and scheming and emerges from a deprived condition. The story continues when Becky spends her time at the Sedleys and ingratiates herself into the family and tries her best to entice Amelia’s brother, Joseph, an obese inept man. She practically succeeds her attempt, when George Osborne presents and foils this plan; he intends to marry Amelia and does not want a governess for a sister-in-law. Then, Becky works as governess at Queens Crawley, and marries Rawdon Crawley, second son of Sir Pitt Crawley. Consequently from this marriage, Rawdons rich aunt, Matilda, disinherits him. Meanwhile, Amelia pines over George, who disrespects and disregards her while he is in the military. Dobbin, Georges closest friend who is also surreptitiously in love with Amelia, begs him to treat her kindly. George eventually agrees to marry Amelia, but just as his father prophesied, the Sedleys come to business crisis. Georges father disowns him because of the marriage. Both couples endeavor to live arduously. Sadly, George dies in the battle field at Waterloo. Both Amelia and Becky deliver babies. Amelia sends Georgy, her son, to live with the Osbornes because of her dreadful situation. When Sir Pitt dies, young Mr. Crawley, Rawdon’s elder brother, inherits the estate and Aunt Matildas money. Becky again ingratiates herself with a man named Lord Steyne, who brings her out into high society. After Rawdon discovers that Becky neglects to get him out of prison, where he has landed himself for unpaid debts, he is finally convinced that money means everything to Becky, and he finally decides to leave to Coventry Island where he dies of yellow fever. At the end, Dobbin returns to England, and he finds Amelia. Dobbin stays to help Amelia care for her son. Mr. Osborne dies and leaves his money for Amelia and Georgy, and three of them set off to Europe, where they find Becky. Becky confesses to Amelia that she had been developing a relationship with George, and Amelia finally sees George for who he really was, and marries Dobbin. I was feeling excited and miserable simultaneously by the author’s writing that truly indicates about social discrimination, emphasizing on wealth and social rank/status, which immensely reflected the reality world. I learned that everything is all about the prominent reputation: â€Å"If Mr. Joseph is rich and unmarried, why shouldnt I marry him? I have only a few weeks, to be sure, but there’s no harm in trying(P. 3 L. 2) Becky wanted to climb up from where she was, the place she did not really think she belongs to, by seducing and alluring a rich guy. Although, she didn’t succeed at first place, when George ceased the marriage on the account of not wanting a governess for sister-in-law, still she perfectly managed to scheme her way up to the top of the heap without demonstrating and being cautious about morality; she used all her adeptly cunning and deceiving ability to obtain what she desired; social ranking and money. Moreover, the marriage of Amelia and George was undermined by Georges father. It infers that social status and wealth can determine everything, it even thoroughly eradicates your massive effort: In fact, unless Sedley’s can pay me ten thousand pounds now, there will be no marriage between you and Amelia Sedley. (P. 24 L26) I was really upset with this false values and practices of society, even though I know that there still exists in our real world. However, the author did not just portray one side of a thing, he also provided the mixture of evil and good in the story, just as in our recent real contemporary world. There were some good people such as Amelia, Lady Jane, William Dobbin and more. Due to the good-naturedness and generosity of Amelia, she was truly loved by the gentleman, Dobbin throughout the whole story. I have loved and watched you for fifteen years, (P. 110 L2) At the end of the story, I could see that they lived happily ever after, except for Becky who is so despicable that even her own son didnt consent to have her as a mother, and she deserved it. It opens up my eyes and makes me realize that you may encounter some horrendous time in life, but once and for all, you will be rewarded from what you have conceived. I also caught the book so very interesting of how the author has created the factual truth by implying the power of charm and beauty can sometimes be unpredictably venomous. According to the book: â€Å"In fact, he was convinced that Becky was in love with him, unable to resist such a handsome, charming fellow as himself† (Page 43 Line1) It obviously showed that Rebecca has successfully concocted trap to deceive George to fall for her and gained all the benefit to herself by pulling George to play porker with her adept husband. These are all done by the adeptly ingratiating and the undoubtedly talented nature of a person. After I read this story, I was once again alarmed to see that a person like Becky can be so meretricious she can take advantage over other people around her just to achieve her falsely audacious goal. To my perspective, I strongly admire her aptitude in manipulating and convincing other to be enthralled by her charming appearance in order to survive in the high society: â€Å"George thought Becky clever, amusing, stylish, and altogether delightful. (Page 32 Line15) However, I am extremely repulsed and disgusted by her achievements. From what men have observed and understood, they should be cautious with the woman like Becky, even though they usually fail in doing so and eventually get poisoned by the delicate little venomous snake. â€Å"What a slippery little snake that woman is! † (Page 42 Line14) As Khmer old saying say that women are full of tricks (not necessarily all are bad) and Rebecca is definitely one of those. Not to be harsh to women, but I am not saying that all women are not trust-worthy, yet for men, we ought to be aware of what women are capable of doing and not be too hasty to trust someone. As living in Vanity Fair, money, possessions and positions are being enormously valued more important than human beings. The setting could be applied in modern times, and it can still be true today. There are many people who are constantly trying to reach the top of the heap, selling themselves for popularity, money, or position, and some fighting over money/inheritance. However, people will eventually realize that those things will not remain immortal. Last but not least, the author wants to inform us that although we may live in vanity, the greatness of reputation and possession, it does not mean that we are slaves to its values, which in the final analysis turn into futility and emptiness. We should value more on the relationship, harmony and loyalty that are not easily attained. Vanity Fair is a long yet worthwhile reading. From my perspective, â€Å"Vanity Fair† is a classic and must-read novel that you would not want to miss reading it.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything

Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything MASS COLLABORATION CHANGES EVERYTHING? A Book Report on Wikinomics Executive Summary Tapscott, D. Williams, A.D. (2008) introduced a new concept of Wikinomics in the book WIKINOMICS: HOW MASS COLLABORATION CHANGES EVERYTHING. It was proposed that in the contemporary world, any individual or commercial enterprises cannot realize fast and sustainable innovation on its own. Collaboration with consumers, suppliers and business partners, as well as collaboration within an enterprise or organization is of great importance to its success. Wikinomics envision that in the future all survival enterprises will have to accept rapid globalization and embrace the science and art of mass collaboration. The report is aimed to take a detailed look at the book and discuss why Wikinomics work, how it works and the possibility of it being embraced by all enterprises eventually. At the end of the article, a conclusion is drawn to summarize the research results of this paper. Introduction The boundary of traditional companies is generally thought to be clear and rigid: balance sheet illustrates all properties the ownership of which belongs to a company while the list of members of corporate organizations indicates all employees hired by a company. At the same time, enterprises can manage their boundaries in accordance with expanded production scale and increased organization cost. According to pure theoretical analysis of micro economics, the intersectional point of an enterprise’s production possibility boundary and its organization possibility boundary is the enterprise’s optimal external boundary, where the enterprise’s marginal production revenue equals to its marginal oganization cost. At this point, further expansion of its boundary will lead to situations of losses outweighing gains whereas contraction of its boundary will result in non-maximum profitability. Of course, on the other hand real life situations are much more complex than theor etical analysis – marginal revenue and cost are both theoretical concepts and cannot be accurately measured. Otherwise, operating a calculator at office alone can solve the problem of determining the best size of a company. Meanwhile, due to the diversity of organization forms, organizational costs are not necessarily bound to increase along with the expansion of the organization. Organization forms such as virtual organization, strategic alliance, outsourcing, etc. are gradually being invented throughout enterprises’ development process. The birth of each new organization form can mean a new possibility of organization expansion. But none of these new forms have had the kind of revolutionary influences comparable to that of mass collaboration which involves coordination and collaboration with the mass, partners and even competitors outside an enterprise’s boundary in terms of enterprise production and innovation. This trend has transformed the previously hierarchical, closed workplace into a self-organized, distributed, collaborative human capital network. The new phenomenon is characterized by reporters with the Wired magazine as Crowdsourcing; people in the software industry compared the model to OSB, Open Source of Business; and, Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams, research fellows of New Paradigms think tank, dubbed it â€Å"Wikinomics†. Wikinomics, according to the book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything by the two research fellows, is a new economic production paradigm based on mass collaboration and open platforms, which is a new economic production model that features all characteristics of â€Å"mass input, common creation†, including such new phenomena as content generation with user participation, external RD activities of an enterpriseà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ large scale collaborative production, integration of production and consumption, and establishment of sharing platform etc, The authors use a great number of enterprises cases to prove the superiority of the new economic paradigm. However, mass collaboration, at least has not changed everything or even become a business mainstream with more and more entrepreneurs getting doubtful or simply reject. Gold Mines outside of Enterprises Boundary In the book of Wikinomics, the authors choose to begin by citing a case in the mining industry which is actually very thought provoking. A small sized gold mining company in Canada, whose future is almost entirely dependent on whether the company can dig sufficient more gold at low cost on mineral deposits of which it has ownership. The geologists working for the company cannot accurately locate the gold in the short period of time. Facing this situation, the CEO, Rob McEven made a decision that was very unconventional in mining industry: he launched a gold company challenge contest, publishing all geological information the company already had to the whole world via its website and offering a prize of $575,000 to the contestant who provided the best estimate and mining method. The open source prospection resulted in amazing returns more than 1,000 virtual prospectors from 50 countries participated the challenging match and found 110 target locations on the company’s mineral deposit, 50% of which were not found by the company previously. More than 80% of the new target locations were proved to contain great amount of gold and since the launch of the contest more than 8 million ounces of gold was found. According to McEven’s estimation the contest shortened the time needed for conventional prospecting by two to three years and the value of his company also skyrocketed to $9 billion from merely 100 million. The gold company is not Wikipedia, but an enterprise that is engaged in a extremely closed, conservative industry. Here the authors implied that enterprises in any industries can benefit from Wikinomics. But why Wikinomics can enhance enterprises’ business performance? We can consider the gold company as a highly simplified enterprise model. Prospection cost and cost for unearthing the gold are the only input, while the gold is the output and the condition needed for the company to earn a profit is the two categories of cost cannot exceed the value of the gold to be unearthed. The essence of the challenge contest launched by the gold company is that McEven changed the conventional prospection cost which was uncertain and very hard to control and threatened to bring down the company, to a fix amount of money needed for attracting the best bid from outside. The nature of the company’s success is it reduced its cost significantly by taking advantage of external resources. It seems the â€Å"gold† that made the company rich was lying in its mineral deposits, but actually it was in the â€Å"outside†. Take the Lessons Further If we think deeper about the case of the gold company, prospection fees actually can be considered research and development costs of an enterprise. In an enterprise’s cost structure, fees put into research and development (RD) is similar to venture investment. Whether the RD activities can succeed or not, the company has to pay for all the costs. If RD activities prove successful, the enterprise makes economic profit; if those activities prove failures, then the enterprise’s investment will go waste. Yet in the RD models described by Wikinomics, risks and costs of RD activities are jointly shouldered by the enterprise and external specialists. On one hand, participation of outside resources can bring more ideas in and increase the possibility of success of RD programs; on the other, the gold company’s practice of soliciting the best prospection plan is tantamount to inviting bids that can ensure the success of RD programs; the company only needs to pay for RD programs that are successful while the costs of failed RD programs are spread among all bidders. The rise of benefit, or revenue, and the drop of costs both expand the enterprise’s profitability. Then why bidders outside of the enterprise are willing to shoulder the cost of its failed RD activities? Firstly, the cost spread onto each individual is already trivial; the RD cost invested by each individual may be just like lifting one’s fingers; on the other hand, outside bidders that participate in corpora te RD activities may have a mindset that is similar to that of lottery buyers – though the average benefit expectations maybe negative, they are still excited by the possibility of winning a huge amount of prize. A phenomenon I would like to mention is, actually Wikinomics have had its use in much earlier times, long before the human kind has developed so many dazzling technologies and devices. The listing of criminals as wanted by police authorities, or posting ads that offer some kind of incentive to find a lost relative or something value, are both effective use of Wikinomics. The searching cost is huge to should for a police department and is way beyond what a person or family’s can afford. By doing so, the enormous searching cost will be shouldered by the public and the police authorities or a family trying to locate someone or something will only need to pay a much smaller amount of money as an incentive. We can now see from a series of cases of enterprises cited by the authors of Wikinomics that the nature of the secret of Wikinomics is that an enterprise can make use of resources outside its boundary to increase benefits or reduce cost. However, to utilize resources outside of its boundary, a enterprise must do what the gold company had done, that is, disclosing some internal knowledge of the company such as RD platforms and technical standards. If an enterprise follows the logic of Wikinomics, it will inevitably take on the four characteristics that are central to mass collaboration: openness, peering, sharing and acting globally. Mythology and Reality Though Wikinomics has displayed a extremely attractive prospect for enterprises and many enterprises indeed have obtained the â€Å"gold† outside of their boundaries. Yet in reality, we can see still there is only a very limited proportion of enterprises that have chosen to make a change to their traditional prices of running their businesses within their boundaries. Consumers and producers are considered two categories of people that have little in common; openness is deemed as will eventually cause an enterprise to lose its competitive advantage. And more importantly, those enterprises which do introduce into themselves â€Å"mass collaboration and common creation† are considered miracles, rather than normal cases. The book Wikinomics will very likely be read by enterprises managers and owners as a set of mental gymnastics that can spart inspirations, rather than a research report on the trend of changes and reform of enterprises. To what extent has the new economic paradigm of mass collaboration influenced the trend of business operation model? The open source operating system Linux was deemed by many commercial analyst to be the terminator of Microsoft, however, till this day, Microsoft still holds firmly its considerable share in the operating systems market. Open source softwares are still considered by many as a business model that cannot last long. An IDC report indicates (Internet Data Center), the market share of Linux servers slumped to less than 10% last year from its 45% market share in 2012 (Hertel et al, 2003). Many enterprises which intended to switch to Linux from Unix have also slowed their pace down and begin considering Windows Servers provided by Microsoft. The major concerns of enterprises about open source softwares like Linux are security and subsequent assurance, which have also been the two issues where Microsoft attacks open source softwares. As for innovations made with users’ participation, Apple Inc.’s attitude may be representative of that of the majority of enterprises. The iPod and digital set top box Apple TV were cracked and expanded after they hit market, creating many new functions. The official attitude of Apple is, whatever users do with those devices is their own business, but Apple will not provide quality warranty anymore. â€Å"We will not interfere with these behaviors by users, yet once you cracked your Apple devices, they will not be warranted by us anymore†. Put it in a simple way, Apple’s approach toward these activities is â€Å"no blame, no encouragement†- Apple never wants to offend these fanatic consumers, nor it wants to encourage and lead this trend of users participating in innovation. If the Wikinomics success stories are so attractive, then what makes it hard to be taken as a mainstream choice? â€Å"Better to deal with a familiar demon than to stay with a strange angel† is a belief upheld by many entrepreneurs, which shows their hatred against uncertainties, especially situations over which they feel hard to control. Many business owners are adapt at managing relations with stakeholders and do not fear colliding with parties with whom they have conflict of interests, yet they tend to have a hard time dealing with neutral parties due to the fact the their behaviors are hard to encourage or constrain through benefits. A sharp criticism on Linux and Wikipedia is the negative impact they leave on the legitimate rights of private property owners and enterprises to secure profits. When resources are located inside the boundary of enterprises, calculation of cost and profits are a part of enterprises’ consideration. More importantly, these inside resources bear different rights and obligations from that of outsider resources, for example, enterprises’ employees are restricted by explicit or conventional rules and contracts. The traditional task driven model that is based on instructions and control will make corporate managers feel secure. Wikinomics use the movement style of Tarzan of the Apes as a metaphor of the mindset of this kind of enterprises: only when they hold firmly the next tree branch will they feel safe to loose the tree branch in his hands already. The first step of attracting outside resources to invest and participate in common creation is exactly the same situation as loosing the tree branch in hands while not grasping firmly the next one. Thus this step becomes a great barrier that many enterprises always cannot overcome. Organizational Reform Toward Wikinomics In order to realize Wikinomics, it is required not only to have theoretical books, but also practical action. If we realize that Wikinomics indicates the vague and open enterprise boundaries, then internal organizational structure must first make a change before the business open arms to greet resources outside because the traditional hierarchical system is unfit to this new change. For example, Linux community is not like Microsofts management as to manage the project team. And British Encyclopedia editorial department cannot run like Wikipedia management team. Therefore, traditional company organizations are unable to take advantage of a large number of resources that cannot be commanded. In fact, even like the Linux and Wikipedia, the world well-known open source community is not as boundless and unrestrained as we imagine. Linux’s highest decision-making authority rests in its original inventor Linus Torvalds who is supported by a ten-person core team. Below them is the hu ge and categorized Linux application developer community and community part-time administrators. In Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales manages five full-time employees and there are about 5,000 maintainer who manage the 100 million registered users and more than 200 million entries (Eric Raymond, 1999). Both Linux and Wikipedia or other open source communities have a similar internal organizational structure in terms of the company hierarchy system, like a round periphery diffusion from the core layer. The source of power is not primarily from higher authority, but from the knowledge and contribution of members. And the formation of such organizations can provide great opportunities to run in-depth study about wiki organization. Robert Stevens create the geek squad, showing us how to keep the vitality of a small team in a traditional hierarchical organization and to stimulate bottom-up organization ability to innovate. â€Å"Geek squad† was originally an independent electronic equipment services company. When it achieved its original success, it is acquired by the consumer electronics retail giant Best Buy. At the beginning, many people worried about geek squad would have the infected disease of large enterprises. However, under the support of Best Buy CEOAnderson, Geek squad established a set of internal corporate culture which is totally different from Best Buys. (Durman, P., 2007) Geek squad is actually free in Best-Buys organizational boundaries. It first took a network of self-organization and management model before the overall organization. For those reluctant to fully reach beyond traditional boundary, they can try to develop a small team within the organization in order to bridge some gaps wi th Wikinomics. Outsourcing and Crowd-sourcing Outsourcing, has long been a hot topic in business realm which is the contracting out of a business process to a third-party. The major motivation for outsourcing/off-shoring is to reduce cost and improve efficiency and to give full play to its core competitiveness. As previously mentioned, the phenomenon of mass collaboration is also dubbed Crowd-sourcing. A major difference between outsourcing and crowd-sourcing is, outsourcing stresses high professionalism while crowd-sourcing is exactly the opposite and values individual users’ active participation. Therefore here we see another restrictive factor of mass collaboration, or crowd-sourcing: some tasks require professionals to complete and little meaningful individual participation from the â€Å"crowd† can be realized. Conclusion As we look back at analysis throughout the whole passage, we can see many real life constraints on the practical use of Wikinomics. Many enterprise owners and managers are fearful of uncertainties; enterprises’ internal organization structure is not ready for embracement of Wikinomics’ requirements; and many business processes need to be handled by highly trained professionals. However, the concept of reducing cost and improving efficiency through bringing together the strength of a group of people is right all the time. We may boldly introduce the concept of â€Å"Sub-Wikinomics†, a business management model somewhere between outsourcing and crowd-sourcing. Reference Hertel, G., Niedner, S., Herrmann, S. (2003). Motivation of software developers in Open Source projects: an Internet-based survey of contributors to the Linux kernel. Research policy, 32(7), 1159-1177. Eric Raymond, 1999, â€Å"The Cathedral and the Bazaar,† in the Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings On Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary. Sebastopol CA: O’Reilly Publishing, pp. 30. Peter Schwartz, Peter Leyden, Joel Hyatt, 1999. The Long Boom: A Vision for the Coming Age of Prosperity, Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing. O’Farrell, P. N., Hitchens, D. M. W. N. (1988). Alternative theories of small-firm growth: a critical review. Environment and Planning, 20(10), 1365-1383. Durman, P.(2007) Geek Squad Comes to Britain.The Times of London. Fuchs, C. (2008). Don Tapscott Anthony D. Williams: Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. International Journal of Communication, 2, 11.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Articles Of Confederation :: essays research papers

Articles of Confederation It would have been very difficult to run an effective government under the Articles of Confederation. Many of the great minds politically active after the American Revolution realized this; thus arrived the birth of one of the greatest political documents of all time: The Constitution. With the implement of the Constitution, the United States government became effective. The product of some of the greatest minds to ever exist in this world, the Articles did have some positive effects on society. It successfully put an end to the Revolutionary War, it negotiated a favorable end to the war in the Treaty of Paris, and created a model for the admission of new territories courtesy of the Northwest Ordinance. Nonetheless, it was much too weak to give the new nation the necessary foundation on which the growth of society could be started from. For one thing, any amendment of the Articles required a unanimous vote throughout the colonies. Since this was almost impossible, there always being two sides to everything [a pro and a con], changing the Articles to eliminate the ideas that did not function properly was near impossible. Another factor of the Articles' ineffectiveness was that Congress was in essence tied in its authority. After the war, the colonists trusted no ultimate authority; not even one they designed. It could not regulate commerce, so what resulted was thirteen colonies with different taxations and tariff laws. This only added to the already present feelings of dislike and distrust which had existed between the colonies since they were first established. After this period of eight years, the "Critical Period", the light at the end of the tunnel arrived with Thomas Jefferson writing the Constitution. It delegated the power, at the discretion of the people. It was designed to be amended; the great minds who designed it realized that they themselves were not infallible, and could make mistakes. The beauty of the Constitution was that it allowed for these mistakes. Instead of the outrageous unanimous vote of states to change it, two-thirds of Congress and then three-fourths of the states must approve. It ensured that no one section of government could grow so powerful to the point that it could be considered a Parliament through the Checks and

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Literary Analysis

At first glance, one may be deceived into thinking that these two works have nothing in common, as one focuses on chocolate and the other on an ambiguous letter. However, Lasse Hallstrom’s Chocolat and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter both tell intriguing stories of women with mysterious pasts, who have disruptive influences on the societies they settle in. Although there are quite a few plot similarities between the two works, one can see much stronger comparisons when describing the townspeople’s mindsets, major themes, and character traits of the protagonists. Interestingly, The Scarlet Letter takes place in a quaint town outside of Boston, called Cornhill; Chocolat is set in an equally pleasant French village. The link between government and religion is extremely strong; the two institutions are deeply intertwined, with each controlling the other. The townspeople pride themselves on their ability to follow tradition. It seems that there is very little room for change from the ancient ways. The people’s dedication to religion, through rituals like Sunday Mass and the observance of Lent in Chocolat, illustrate the role religion plays in maintaining order within the town. Those who do not attend church are automatically cast as outsiders who wish to corrupt the values of the unassuming townspeople. The villagers seek tranquility and focus on obeying rules, anything beyond these simple goals is considered strange. Conformity in appearance, as well as thought, is a unifying feature among the people. In Puritan society, it is essential t hat women and men dress in the most modest fashion. In the French village, women should wear unobtrusive black shoes. People who do not live life according to the towns’ rules are viewed n... ...dren. Vianne and Hester are both exceedingly capable women, able to enact changes in entire communities; their strength is inspirational. In final analysis, there are many distinct parallels between Hallstrom’s Chocolat and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The towns where the stories occur are quite similar in the perspectives offered by the citizens. Hypocrisy is a major theme in the film and the novel, indirectly preciptating the actions of several important characters. There are numerous character traits which are apparent in both Hester Prynne and Vianne Rocher. Although these similarities manifest themselves differently in each character, they make the protagonists exciting, nonetheless. Chocolat and The Scarlet Letter are engaging tales of love and provincial thinking ; after enjoying one work, readers or viewers should surely proceed on to the next one.

Friday, October 11, 2019

The Potential Worries of Individual Visit Scheme

Recently, Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) has become a controversial topic in Hong Kong. Online forums, newspapers and magazines are weighing the pros and cons of the scheme every day. Undoubtedly, it boosts the Hong Kong tourism. However, it has led to several drawbacks to Hong Kong in resource allocation, culture differentiation and livelihood. To commence with, for resource allocation, IVS greatly makes the distribution of resources in Hong Kong become chaotic.After the implementation of IVS, more and more Mainland visitors go to Hong Kong and cause disorder of resources in medical services, local products and housing prices. According to delivery statistics of non-local pregnant women from Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the number of non-eligible persons admitted via Accident and Emergency Department increases from 796 in 2010 to 888 in 2012 January to September, which means the workload of front-line medical consultants is increasing.Since the supply of medical consultants has been in shortage already, the medical services in Hong Kong are not enough and in severe burden to afford. In addition, many local newspapers like Mingpao and Appledaily report that a number of Mainland tourists spend lots of money purchasing daily products during their visit. For example, in Sheung Shui, Mainland parallel traders make use of IVS and â€Å"One Issuance Multiple Entries Visa† to buy tins of milk powder, tissues and wines, which led to the deficiency of daily supplies in North District.In other words, citizens in North District cannot enjoy the use of local products as the resource allocation is inadequate. Aside from local products, resource allotment of housing is also troublesome. Based on a study conducted by Hong Kong Research Association, it reveals that with 1080 interviewees, 84 per cent of them think that through IVS, Mainland people in Hong Kong have raised the cost of building. It explains that buildings built by either the Government or property develop ment companies cannot ease the housing problem for local citizens, which, however, benefits people from Mainland.This shows that the resources are not used by the local, but by Mainlanders including tourists in IVS. Secondly, implementing IVS increases conflicts between Hongkongers and Mainlanders due to cultural difference. For example, Mainland parents allow their children to foul everywhere. Netizens in many Internet forums like hkgolden discussed such incidents. They commented this behavior critically and caused conflicts between people in Hong Kong and Mainland due to different cultural levels.Besides, in April, to attract Mainland visitors and become more customer-friendly, agnes b. in Tseung Kwan O, whose news was reported by SCMP, used simplified Chinese words instead of traditional words in its menus. Treating that as an invasion of Hong Kong culture, Hong Kong citizens were furious of seeing the simplified Chinese words appearing in Hong Kong and tried to boycott it. Moreo ver, in January, SCMP reported that there was a rally over ‘photo ban' about retailer Dolce & Gabbana, which was a human rights and cultural unfairness between Mainlanders and Hong Kong people.These incidents have further worsened the relationship between Mainland tourists through IVS and local citizens because of cultural differentiation. Apart from consequences caused by culture difference, IVS produces various living problems to local citizens which make disturbance to their living. Some politicians may think that IVS can improve the Hong Kong economy and hence increase the living standards of local citizens, especially the underprivileged. It is, however, a wrong prediction. Scholar Francis T.Lui (2009) accounts for this statement: Hong Kong should pay for the consequence of IVS. For example, the European and American brands, milk powder and other products are not made in Hong Kong, so that Hong Kong can be assigned limited profits. For the Mainland visitors going shopping in Hong Kong, it also increases rents and prices of goods, which deteriorates the living standards of the local people. Furthermore, the owner of â€Å"Subculture† Pang Chi Ming adds his opinion about the consequences that IVS has brought: The consuming ability of Mainland visitors makes Hong Kong lose her local style.For example, shops in Mongkok are occupied by pharmacies, jewelry stores, electronics stores and cosmetics shops which welcome Mainland tourists. It also makes local citizens lose a place for recreational use. Increased crimes also lower the lifestyle in Hong Kong. According to the Hong Kong Police crime figures of Comparison of 2012 and 2011 Crime Situation, from January to October in 2012, the total number of crimes committed by Mainland visitors increases 9. 7% compared with the same period in 2011.In the past, such criminals were mostly illegal immigrants, but now they do not take risks to go to Hong Kong illegally. They can go to Hong Kong by IVS, then com mit crimes and cause troubles to our living. Such results and shocking statistics have deprived Hongkongers of the way of life. To conclude, IVS causes different disadvantages to Hong Kong in allocating resources, cultural relationship with China and the living standards. It is hoped that the Hong Kong Government should and must pay attention to and deal with these potential worries for the sake of the plight of local people.