Motivation report Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Two theories used in describing motivation of employees are described in this essay; the Adam’s equity theory and the Vroom’s expectancy theory. The equity theory is founded on the need for equity based on employees comparing themselves with others. According to Adams (1963), the fairness that is exemplified in the work place plays a critical role in motivating employees. The employees’ state of mind of when they feel that they have been treated unfairly usually causes them to be less productive in their work. The key aspect in this theory is employee satisfaction; this means that employees should be treated in an environment they perceive to be fair. The research done by Adams when developing this theory shows that the feeling by an employee that they are being overpaid resulted to an increased output by the employee. Contrarily, in places where there is negative inequality, the individuals harbouring the mindset feel demotivated, hence their output declines. Advanced by Vroom (1964), the expectancy theory provides an explanation of the motivation of employees based on expected rewards. The effort that an employee puts in their work is a function of their future expectations as well as the attractiveness of the anticipated rewards. We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation report or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now According to the theory, people exemplify expectancies with probabilities of not less than zero and not more than one. In this regard, employee’s expectancy is based on probability that their efforts will be able to deliver performance (Quigley & Tymon, Walter, 2006). Consequently, the performance ought to attract a reward for employee. On the other hand, the attractiveness of rewards is categorized according to valence (-1 to +1). These two aspects can help managers or employers in quantifying the motivation of their employees. The Application of the Integrated Model Managers can embrace two aspects of the integrated model in order to keep their workforce motivated even after the process of downsizing. Firstly, satisfaction of employees is very significant. Employees become satisfied when they feel that their rewards are relative to their efforts. This makes them feel that they have been treated fairly. In most cases, fairness is based on social comparison. In this case, an employee should consider the payment and conditions that people at their level get or what the organization offers to others. A manager has the discretion of ensuring that any feeling of negative inequality is avoided in the organization. This can be achieved through transparency and fairness in rewarding.

The Inequality Index And Human Development Index ( Hdi )...

Every country in the world desires to have their name listed as the most developed countries in the world. For one country it may be easy to develop, whereas one might struggle for development. Thus, development is not an easy thing to achieve. Factors such as production levels, inequality and corruption contribute to the country’s human development index. Gender inequality is one of the factors that may lower a country’s human development index, because the inequality creates implications on the development for a country. This essay will contrast and evaluate the ranks of gender inequality index (GII) and human development index (HDI) between the two countries: Brazil and Turkey. Overall, this paper argues in terms of gender equity, the European country, Turkey, is developed when comparing to Brazil - Latin American country. Brazil In sociological terms, gender inequality is defined as the unequal treatment between the two genders in areas across health reproduction, economic-participation, and empowerment. The United Nations Gender Inequality Index (UN GII) measures these inequalities between the two genders. According to UN’s Human Development Reports, Brazil has a GII value of 0.441, ranking 85th for 2013 GII. Brazil has 9.6 percent share of seats in the parliament, which is lower than Turkey (14.2). This implies there is less authorization of women, leaving Turkey more developed in terms of empowerment. Moreover, in Brazil 51.9 percent of women over the age of 25 haveShow MoreRelatedDevelopment and Globalisation Essay7740 Words   |  31 PagesDevelopment and Globalisation Development A process of social and economic advancement in terms of the quality of human life. Development can involve can involve economic, demographic, social political and cultural changes. Development is a term that can be used in many different contexts whether it is social, economical, political etc. However generally development refers to an improvement in certain areas: †¢ Economic o An increase in the country’s economy withRead MoreUnited Arab of Emirates Country Notebook18844 Words   |  76 PagesUnited Arab of Emirates Country Notebook Presented to Dr. Shahira El Alfy Prepared by: Mohamed Ibrahim Osama Mosher Ismail Ahmed El-Mohamady Hesham Mostafa Eslsca 36 – Global Management I. Cultural Analysis: Identification of the Emirates History: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) consists of the seven emirates, which are: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, and Fujairah. They were united as a federalRead MoreUnited Arab of Emirates Country Notebook18844 Words   |  76 PagesUnited Arab of Emirates Country Notebook Presented to Dr. Shahira El Alfy Prepared by: Mohamed Ibrahim Osama Mosher Ismail Ahmed El-Mohamady Hesham Mostafa Eslsca 36 – Global Management I. Cultural Analysis: Identification of the Emirates History: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) consists of the seven emirates, which are: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, and Fujairah. They were united as a federal

If Heaven and Hell Decide That They Both Are Satisfied, Ill Go to College free essay sample

Creating something from nothing is one of the most incredible things humans can do, although the Law of Conservation of Mass would disagree. On a chilly November night last year, I created something beautiful, successful, and heartbreaking. I arranged I Will Follow You Into the Dark, originally by Death Cab for Cutie, for my high school a cappella group. The blank digital sheet music stared at me, tempting me to try making music. I sat at my keyboard, desperately trying to figure out how to create a syncopated choir line carrying the rhythm and sensitivity of the mellow acoustic guitar in the original recording. Once I interpreted it as best I could, I entered that first eighth note into the alto line – a D. The piece grew into a delicious five-part concoction. The twists and turns of the song were elegant yet simple. I could not wait to start molding this piece into something wonderful. We will write a custom essay sample on If Heaven and Hell Decide That They Both Are Satisfied, Ill Go to College or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After looking through the arrangement, I realized it sounded great, but something was missing. The backup lines danced splendidly, but halfway into the song, it became boring. It was forgettable, the worst thing an arrangement can be. A flash of inspiration came to me. Make it a duet! A boy would sing the first verse, a girl would sing the second, and the third would explode into gorgeous harmony. I sang along with the piece at least six times, trying to build the best rich blend for the third verse. Finally, something clicked. I notated the line I invented. Using my software’s playback feature, I listened to everything I had done. Never have I loved the standard MIDI piano output so much; the harsh digital sound somehow filled me with satisfaction. I had done it. I crafted a version of a popular song that my ensemble could perform. We performed the song numerous times between its debut in February and year end show in June. Our senior manager said it was his favorite song we crooned all year. At our last show with 2010-2011 crew, I swear I saw a tear in his eye, although I know he’d never admit it. My mom cried at the debut of the song, but she’s my mom, so that probably doesn’t say much. Singing with my friends, performing the duet with my best friend, it was probably the happiest moment of my life. Music does that. I’ve always been bad at finishing things: projects, songs, arrangements, college essays; nonetheless, I finished I Will Follow You Into the Dark. Music is everything to me, I breathe it. The arrangement wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was good. Before this, I wasn’t anything remarkable as a person. People knew me, but I wasn’t the one getting leads in plays, I wasn’t performing at pep rallies, but that’s not true anymore. Arranging this piece changed me to be someone with more confidence and charisma. I am Devin McNulty, and I’m going to change the world with music, just like I changed my own life.

Managing Information Systems

Executive Summary Information analysis forms the basis for making decisions in an organisation. A large amount of information compels organisations to employ many employees if they do not utilise information management systems (MIS).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Information Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the perspective of Med-Lab Company, such an approach introduces ineffectiveness and inefficiencies in decision-making, especially where decisions from different departments are fed into a central platform to arrive at an overall decision to execute a given task. The current paper proposes ERP as a working MIS solution to handle customer relationship, supply chain, and manufacturing function problems that lead to low profitability at Med-Lab Company. Background Every organisation seeks strategic plans for growth in terms of size and productivity levels. Growth leads to increased difficul ties in handling customer and supply chain complaints due to the large amount of information that requires analysis and synthesis using the existing information systems. Med-Lab Company currently experiences this situation. Based in New Jersey, Med-Lab manufactures medical equipments, which it sells within the US after sourcing manufacturing materials from a myriad of suppliers who are located across the US. Apart from sales of the products, the company also gets revenue from the customer support services such as maintenance of the medical equipments. In 2010, its annual pre-tax profit was US$229 million. After expanding by twice its production capacity and increasing employee by 20% between 2011 and 2012, it reported an annual profit of US$307 in the financial year that ended in December 2012.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Forecasts made in July 2011 indicated that the co mpany’s profits would also double upon doubling the company’s production capacity. The failure to achieve these forecasts compelled management to look for answers. Evaluation of the design and development organ of the company indicated immense consumer information that was unincorporated in the production to suit consumer needs. Med-Lab has a hierarchical management structure. Commands flow from the top to bottom. Decision-making processes use information flowing from customers, suppliers, and other organisational stakeholders to and from Med-Lab. The strategic plan of the company targets to exploit the global market. To achieve this goal, Med-Lab values employees as the most important assets available to realise its strategic plan. With the difficulties in incorporating all customers’ concerns in re-designing of its products, Med-Lab believed that it could deploy the sales-push approach through marketing to create demand for its products successfully in the glo bal market. As part of an organisational culture, employees are required to respond to both customers and suppliers’ concerns with immediate effect in terms of registration of complaints. Without customer satisfaction, Med-Lab would have run out of business due to intense competition from its rivals. Operating in a competitive business environment compels Med-Lab to look constantly for solutions that facilitate both urgent and quick decision-making processes, especially in its efforts to engage in the global trade. This problem became even more significant upon the speculation that the failure to incorporate the suggested improvements on the products made by customers could explain the malfunction to double the profitability of the company after doubling its production capacity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Information Systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The pre-analysis of this challenge suggested that the 20% increase in employees could not analyse and/or synthesise customer and supplier information in an effort to respond quickly to their complaints as stipulated in the organisational culture. The management was caught up in the dilemma of whether to increase the number of employees or seek alternative solutions to speed up expedition of suppliers and customers’ information. A major concern has been that increasing the number of employees will require committing organisational resources in reward, training and development, and motivational programmes to increase productivity. Med-Lab also had to hire more HRM personnel. Therefore, such a move increased the cost of running a business both in the short and long-term in opposition to the company’s strategic plan of lowering its costs to capitalise on low-cost strategy to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. Setting the Stage Med-Lab’s operations encountered a number of problems, even b efore the company’s expansion, in the continued effort to resolve urgently supply chain and customer problems and complaints. Fui-Hoon and Lee-Shang (2001) contend that the urgency in the resolution of customer complaints presents a major problem that hinders the success efforts of a company operating in a highly competitive market. Business strategy not only accounts for success or failure, but also determines its survival (Grant, Hall, Wailes Wright 2006, p.5). Thus, Med-Lab should establish mechanisms of responding and ensuring ardent reaction to marketplace demands or risk losing its competitive advantage.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Increasing the number of customers who are attended by Med-Lab has created problems such as quick location of the customers and the determination of their frequency of purchase in the recent past. Consequently, making decisions on market targeting proves problematic. This makes the company suffer from the inability to forecast its production accurately. Making target marketing decisions in good time aids in determining the appropriate alterations to business practices to woe more customers (Grant, Hall, Wailes Wright 2006, p.7). Using the current information management systems, which are highly dependent on the interaction of human decision makers (department heads and general managers) with segregated information systems running on different computers, location of past records that involve customer communication is hard to access. This challenge leads to slowed resolution of customer disputes. In effecting the transactions between the suppliers and the organisation, the fact that information is held on different computers makes it difficult to prepare urgently all documents relating to specific transactions (Kraemmerand 2003, p.229). This situation hinders the attainment of the strategic plans of the Med-Lab. Time spent in editing or paperwork generation increases the departure of the employee productivity from the ideal situation (Head 2005, p.71). Therefore, the solution is necessary to enhance speedy preparation of documents ranging from invoices, shipping labels, purchase orders, receipts, and customer communication to preparation of manufacturing plans based on customer demands. With excessive dependency on human decision makers and increased paperwork generation, 20% increase in the number of employees upon doubling of the production capacity cannot effectively address the issue of increased customer complaints without an additional mediation to enhance speed in both data collection and analysis. Case Description People Perspective Incommensurate incre ase in profitability of Med-Lab with an increase in resource commitment in the expansion of its production capacity has attracted various concerns from organisational stakeholders. Med-Lab’s people such as organisational stakeholders, who are influenced by the current state of information management systems, put management under pressure to look for a working solution to mitigate risking their investments. Due to the challenge of efficient and effective management of the immense customer information, Med-Lab has learnt that customers are conceiving it as overlooking their orders. Med-Lab is concerned that it may lose dissatisfied customers to its competitors in the industry. This move will hinder the achievement of its strategic focus on going global due to the decreasing competitive advantage. In building good and working customer relationships as a way of retaining them amid the persistent challenges at least in the short-run before a solution is sought, customer communicat ion sends individualised messages to explain the circumstances for order delivery delays together with other issues related to customer service. Nevertheless, in this process, several clients introduce the challenge of sending messages sometimes to unintended customers. In some situations, messages are sent to the right customers, but with the wrong preferred option. In the case of suppliers, staff members are incapable of making purchases for raw materials from suppliers who offer the best deal and quality. This challenge emanates from the incapacity of Med-Lab to maintain track of various suppliers who offer the best deals on various materials that are used in the production process. A challenge also exists in situations where an urgent replenishment of suppliers is required to meet the urgent demand. This replenishment goes into costing the organisation more money, thus raising the production costs, which expose the strategy of pursuing low costs at risk. Organisational Perspecti ve It is worrying the management that customer complaints and challenges in keeping track of the best suppliers will impair the success of Med-Lab. With increasing customers following the expansion of the production capacity, the ability of employees to handle the entire customers efficiently and effectively with the current state of information management system is a major problem. Board of directors together with the respective line managers meet to discuss the way forward. The meeting upheld the necessity of developing a working MIS intervention in an effort to ensure that the company developed the capability for handling even more quality and time cautious customers across the globe. From an organisational perspective, the most preferred strategy is the one that results in low costs in the end while ensuring satisfaction of customers with both Med-Lab’s products and services. Technology Perspective Med-Lab currently deploys information management technology that is custom ised for each department. For instance, the manufacturing department makes decisions based on the inventory level of raw materials, materials in the process, and the finished products. Med-Lab does not intend to hold large stocks of finished products. Therefore, information from the sales department is essential in determining manufacturing decisions. Unfortunately, the information technology systems are customised at departmental levels. The manufacturing department depends on the analysed customer information from the sales department before consulting with consumers. This process translates to delayed order executions and delivery. To raise the sales levels, Med-Lab has developed a web-based sales strategy. However, the strategy faces a challenge since web customers encounter challenges in choosing a product that profiles the one they are searching without information on its existence (Vilpola 2008, p.58). From a technological perspective, MIS technology that integrates all funct ions of the Med-Lab’s departments may help to solve many of the encountered challenges. Solution Design Options Considering the problems faced by Med-Lab, integration of the information management systems is required to enhance rapid decision-making. In fact, organisations that have a large number of stakeholders whose concerns influence their activities require quick decision-making (Dehning Stratopoulos 2003, p.213). In the case of Med-Lab, this goal can be attained in three main ways. Design a decision support system Design and implement a transaction processing systems Designing and implementation of integrated MIS systems Solution Selection The choice of either system is based on its SWOT analysis. The decision support system has the strength of helping to make various decisions based on analysis of data and statistical projections. Transaction processing system strength encompasses the provision of a means of collecting data, its storage, modification, or cancelation of transactions (Mureell 2001, p.9). Decision support system creates an opportunity for improvement of quality of the decisions made by organisations’ managers as opposed to their replacement. Through transaction processing system, an organisation gains an opportunity to permit multiple transactions to occur simultaneously (Davenport 2003, p. 124). Data collected by the system can be held in databases. It can later be deployed in report production including billing, reports for scheduling manufacturing, wage reports, production and sales summaries, inventory reports, and check registers. Decision support system and transaction processing system share common threats since their security constitutes a big issue. The major weakness of the transaction processing system is that the appropriateness of the transactions is overly dependent on the accurateness of the information maintained in the databases. Comparably, the decision support system is slower in helping to arrive at a d ecision (Fryling 2010, p.395). It interacts with human decision makers. However, this process is a major challenge that leads to low speed of expedition of customers and suppliers’ information at Med-Lab Company. Upon considering both decision support system and transaction processing system’s strengths and opportunities, Med-Lab needs to exploit strengths and opportunities of both system designs. Therefore, an integrated information system is preferred for design and implementation. The specific preferred system is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Solution Implementation Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) needs to be implemented such that Med-Lab Company develops the capacity to integrate all its production and management functions to facilitate quick decision-making while responding to all the company’s stakeholder concerns in real time. Figure 1 below schematically depicts the process of modelling ERP version that is planned for implementation at Med-Lab. Fig. 1: Modelling an ERP System Source: (Turban 2008, p.300) Implementation Methodology Solution implementation entails the construction of the ERP system to be introduced to Med-Lab. The construction involves physical development of both hardware and software applications. Hardware and software can be developed in-house following the modelling approach that is shown above. It can also be sourced from a vendor who can customise it to suit Med-Lab Company’s requirements. This option is preferred to reduce the challenges associated with new MIS platforms such as system learning and high probabilities of occurrence of bugs that may lead to failure of the system soon or after its implementation. The Bidding Process Bidding is the first step in the process of sourcing ERP software. Selection of the successful bidder will follow the ‘low-price bidder’ basis. However, the supplied ERP software must support external and internal management information integration throug hout Med-Lab Company. It should have modules for management of manufacturing functions, service and sales, modules for management of customer relationships, inventory controls, production planning and forecasting, and procurement. Another important consideration in the bid selection process is the capacity of the ERP system to allow and enhance information flow between various business functionalities within and outside Med-Lab boundaries while at the same time facilitating connectivity between Med-Lab and its external stakeholders. ERP is an expensive MIS in the short-run. Hence, Med-Lab Company needs to cut on the costs of hardware. The supplied ERP software must have compatibility with the current Med-Lab Company’s hardware, which supports Windows NT, UNIX, and mainframe. This eliminates the need to source hardware from external agents. No bidding for hardware is required. Successful bidder must also have the capability to customise his or her software to meet the needs of Med-Lab Company. System Customisation Med-Lab Company does not have a technical team to facilitate the implementation of the MIS. This claim underlines the necessity to hire a third vendor to evaluate its customisation needs. Fig. 2 shows Med-Lab Company’s customisation needs. Fig 2: Med-Lab ERP Software Customisation Requirements Upon considering the areas of customisation requirements, ERP scope involves significant alterations of staff work practices and working processes (Monk Wagner 2009, p.56). Thus, a complete understanding of various processes before initiation of implementation may reduce probabilities of the system to failure. Introducing the New MIS After selection of the successful bidder for the software, introduction of the new system follows. This step requires change management. The new MIS system calls for alteration of the processes that employees were utilising to conduct Med-Lab Company’s business. Since many operations that were previously execu ted by the employees manually, or with partial interventions of computers, will now be integrated and automated, employees will require retraining on how to use the new system. Fui-Hoon and Lee-Shang (2001) confirm that upon the introduction of a new MIS, employees require training on how to share common practices and information throughout the enterprise in addition to how to access and produce reports in real time. The implementation methodology follows Markus and Tanis’ ERP life cycle that includes, ‘chartering, project, and Shakedown’ phases (Markus Tanis 2000, p.173). The chartering phase comprises the evaluation of various decisions that lead to ERP project funding. The main players in this phase are vendors, organisations’ executives, and consultants together with Med-Lab Company’s IT specialists. The main activities include initiation of the ideas, making decisions to proceed with the project, and scheduling and planning of the project. Pro ject phase entails accomplishing tasks such as rollout and system configuration. The main crucial stakeholders are â€Å"the team members of the project, internal information technology specialists, vendors, and managers from the functional areas and business units that are planned for integration through ERP† (Markus Tanis 2000, p.175). The activities of the phases include software configuration, testing, integration, training, rollout, and conversion of processes. ERP system monitoring conducted in this phase ensures complete elimination of bugs. Conclusion Faced with the problem of unequal increase in profitability with increase in production capacity, Med-Lab Company has to develop effective solutions to the problem. When the volume of organisations’ clientele goes up, a large amount of data has to be processed to ensure a timely fulfilment of orders and/or improving products consistently with customer requirements. This concern accounted for the reduced profitabi lity for Med-Lab Company, thus prompting the necessity for designing and implementing an integrated information management system. References Davenport, T 2003, ‘Putting the enterprise into the enterprise system’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 5 no. 2, pp. 121-131. Dehning, B Stratopoulos, T 2003, ‘Determinants of a Sustainable Competitive Advantage Due to an IT-enabled Strategy’, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, vol. 12 no. 3, pp. 202-241. Fryling, M 2010, ‘Estimating the impact of enterprise resource planning project management decisions on post-implementation maintenance costs: a case study using simulation modelling’, Enterprise Information Systems, vol. 4 no. 4, pp. 391–421. Fui-Hoon, F Lee-Shang, J 2001, ‘Critical factors for successful implementation of enterprise systems’, Business Process Management Journal, vol. 7 no. 3, pp. 285-296. Grant, D, Hall, R, Wailes, N Wright C 2006, ‘The false promise o f technological determinism: the case of enterprise resource planning systems,’ New Technology, Work Employment, vol. 21 no. 1, pp. 2–15. Head, S 2005, The New Ruthless Economy: Work and Power in the Digital Age, Oxford UP, Oxford. Kraemmerand, P 2003, ‘ERP implementation: an integrated process of radical change and continuous learning’, Production Planning Control, vol. 14 no. 4, pp. 228–248. Markus, L Tanis, C 2000, The enterprise system experience from adoption to success, Pinnaflex Educational Resources, Inc., Cincinnati, OH. Monk, E Wagner, B 2009, Concepts in Enterprise Resource Planning, Course Technology Cengage Learning, Massachusetts, Boston. Mureell, S 2001, E–Business and ERP: Rapid Implementation and Project Planning, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY. Turban, M 2008, Information Technology for Management, Transforming Organisations in the Digital Economy, John Wiley Sons, Inc., Massachusetts. Vilpola, I 2008, ‘A method for improving ERP implementation success by the principles and process of user-centred design’, Enterprise Information Systems, vol. 2 no.1, pp. 47–76. Appendix: Definition of Terms Bugs: Errors that may lead to failures or lower functionality of a software application Chartering: A decision that entails the definition of business problems and constraints of the possible solutions Customisation: Configuration of MIS systems to meet the clients’ business needs Decision support systems: A type of MIS that enables managers to make decisions based on statistical projections and data analysis. ERP: A software application that enables organisations to manage effectively and efficiently the utilisation of resources including human resource, financial resources, and material resources among others Project phase: A phase in the implementations of MIS that entails the running of a system under implementation by the end users to determine its efficiency and effecti veness Shakedown: Removal of bugs in the systems under implementation This essay on Managing Information Systems was written and submitted by user Esperanza French to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tourism and Ecosystem

This paper aims at describing the impact of tourism on the ecosystem. This paper will begin by defining tourism and the ecosystem. Thereafter, it will give examples of how tourism affects the ecosystem. This paper will then sum up its discussion by providing a number of recommendations.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Tourism and Ecosystem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Jax, â€Å"an ecosystem is a community of living organisms together with the physical processes which occur within an environment† (20). On the other hand, Tourism, according to Goeldner, â€Å"arises from the movement of people to and their stay in, various destinations† (10). Goeldner defines tourism as â€Å"the temporary, short term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they normally live and work, and their activities during their stay at these destinations; it includes movement for all purposes as well as day visits or excursions† (10). Basically, tourism occurs in two forms: â€Å"the journey to the destination and the stay including the activities at the destination† (Goeldner 10). It is important to note that the journey and the stay take place in an area distant from the normal place of work or stay. Tourists usually engage in activities which are different from those done while at work or at home. The interaction between humans and the ecosystem has contributed to various changes in the ecosystem. Tourism, which is a popular human activity, continues to change the ecosystem. However, detecting changes in the ecosystem, which have been caused by tourism can be challenging. The impact of tourism on the ecosystem is not only hard to predict, but also hard to detect. In addition, environmentalists find it challenging to distinguish between those components of change which are part of a natural process and ecosystem dynamics, and those which are as a result of human activities. It is important to understand how tourism affects the ecosystem in order to sustain the ecosystem function and prevent irreparable damage to the biosphere. The impact of tourism on the ecosystem is usually evaluated in terms of an ecological footprint. An ecological footprint, according to Johnson, â€Å"examines the amount of natural resources required to support a specific type of behavior, business or process† (2). Experts argue that many people tend to consume more when they are on vacation or holiday thus tourism heightens this phenomenon (Johnson 1).Advertising Looking for research paper on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A number of studies have highlighted that the ecological footprint of tourists in various tourist destinations is same as that of the locals. Environmentalists hold the opinion that when arrival transport is put into consideration, this ecological footpri nt escalates. Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner for many countries across the globe. Although, tourism is a major source of income for many countries, it has been found that it exerts indirect and direct pressure on species and habitats and, as a result, tourism poses a significant threat to the ecosystem. As mentioned earlier, people tend to consume more when they are on vacation. Thus, Johnson notes that the negative effects of tourism on the ecosystem are likely to increase in tourist destinations where tourists consume more than the local communities (1). A study was conducted recently in Cape Town, South Africa, to evaluate the ecological footprint of tourists in this region. Cape Town is a popular tourist destination in South Africa and it is believed that close to 50 000 tourists visit this town per year. As a result, the local population is increased by 4 percent. During the study, the researchers â€Å"gathered data on arrival transport, on food and fibre consumpt ion, on accommodation, on land use, utilities and waste, on local transport and on activities of tourists on holiday in Cape Town† (Science Direct 1). The researchers found out that arrival transport contributes 75 per cent of the total tourist impact on ecosystem. The study revealed that â€Å"the total impact of one tourist is 45.67gha/per year† (Science Direct 1). Tourist activities often alter the aquatic habitat by interfering with predator prey interactions. Ecotourism Today argues â€Å"off highway vehicles, including all terrain vehicles, Argos, dirt bikes, and off road vehicles, driven trough or across steams and other water bodies can lead to habitat destruction and degradation, including loss of stream bank stability and erosion† (5). Aquatic habitat is likely to be distorted by pollution and alterations in the neighboring habitats. Ecotourism Today (1) agues â€Å"while recreational activities that take place in lakes, streams, wetlands, and their ri parian areas are most likely to negatively impact the aquatic environment, land based activities can also impact the environment† (Ecotourism Today 1).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Tourism and Ecosystem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ecotourism Today indicates that tourist activities such as fishing and hunting of sea animals often lead to the decline in the pollution of aquatic species (Ecotourism Today 5). Environment protectionists warn that the growth of tourism around the globe has overlooked concerns of increasing ecological resource use (Johnson 2). These claims have been boosted by results from recent studies which indicate that tourist attraction sites and infrastructures are sites of resource overconsumption. For example, a recent study was conducted in the Bahamas to evaluate the impact of tourism on ecosystem. The study collected data â€Å"on bioreproductive land, Bioreproductiv e Sea, built land, energy land, and area for biodiversity† (Johnson 6). During the study, â€Å"the ecological footprint of each resort was broken into a number of key areas of ecological impact; air travel, waste, food, and hotel energy use† (Johnson 6). The study revealed that tourism has a total impact of a 56.89 gha/per year on the selected region (Johnson 6). According to McGraw, the chief editor of Bio Intelligence Service, tourism causes trampling. Vegetation and soil are often disturbed when tourists use the same route frequently. McGraw notes that anchoring activities also degrade the ecosystem: â€Å"Anchoring, snorkeling, sport fishing, scuba diving, yachting and cruising, are some of the activities which can cause direct degradation of marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, and subsequent impacts on coastal protection and fisheries† (McGraw 1). In addition, â€Å"when tourists come too close to animals, they alter the animals’ natural behavior s† (McGraw 2). As the numbers of tourist destinations continue to grow, the impact of tourism on the ecosystem also increases. Many private companies are investing heavily in the construction of recreational centers. Initially, the tourism industry in many countries was controlled by local governments. However, many private firms have entered into the tourism industry.Advertising Looking for research paper on ecology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The tourism industry has been revolutionized by the private sector but at the expense of the environment. According to (McGraw 5), a total of 40 recreational centers have constructed in South Africa in the last five years. In Kenya, a country whose economy relies heavily on tourism, 20 recreational centers have been constructed in the last three years (McGraw 6). In addition, the Kenyan government has taken control of all other small natural reserves, which have any form of wildlife. According to (McGraw 6), Kenya’s Tourism minister argues that taking control of all the natural habitats will enhance the country’s tourism sector in many ways as the number of tourist destinations will increase. This data shows how the natural environment is being altered by tourism. These developments have a significant impact on nearby ecosystems. Many natural lands located close to wildlife ecosystems are being cleared to create space for the construction of centers which will accommod ate the growing number of tourists. Confining wild animals in national parks and game reserves significantly affects their behaviors. The reproduction of these animals is restricted and this can result into the extinction of the confined species. This also affects the animals’ natural feeding habits. Moreover, the confining of wild animals into national parks alters food chains and food webs in the natural world. Recreational centers which are located close to water bodies often discharge wastes into these water bodies thus affecting the aquatic ecosystem. In summary, Tourism, according to Goeldner, â€Å"arises from the movement of people to and their stay in, various destinations† (10). Goeldner defines tourism as â€Å"the temporary, short term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they normally live and work, and their activities during their stay at these destinations; it includes movement for all purposes as well as day visits or excursions † (10). Basically, tourism occurs in two forms: â€Å"the journey to the destination and the stay including the activities at the destination† (Goeldner 10). The impact of tourism on the ecosystem is usually evaluated in terms of an ecological footprint. An ecological footprint, according to Johnson, â€Å"examines the amount of natural resources required to support a specific type of behavior, business or process† (2). Experts argue that many people tend to consume more when they are on vacation or holiday thus tourism heightens this phenomenon (Johnson 1). As the numbers of tourist destinations continue to grow, the impact of tourism on the ecosystem also increases. Many natural lands located close to wildlife ecosystems are being cleared to create space for the construction of centers which will accommodate the growing number of tourists. Confining wild animals in national parks and game reserves significantly affects their behaviors. Environment protectionist s warn that the growth of tourism around the globe has overlooked concerns of increasing ecological resource use (Johnson 2). These claims have been boosted by results from recent studies which indicate that tourist attraction sites and infrastructures are sites of resource overconsumption. Tourist activities often alter the aquatic habitat by interfering with predator prey interactions. Ecotourism Today argues â€Å"off highway vehicles, including all terrain vehicles, Argos, dirt bikes, and off road vehicles, driven trough or across steams and other water bodies can lead to habitat destruction and degradation, including loss of stream bank stability and erosion† (Ecotourism Today 1). Environmental protectionists also argue that it is important to understand how tourism affects the ecosystem in order to sustain the ecosystem function and prevent irreparable damage to the biosphere. However, detecting changes in the ecosystem, which have been caused by tourism can be challeng ing. The impact of tourism on the ecosystem is not only hard to predict, but also hard to detect. In addition, environmentalists find it challenging to distinguish between those components of change which are part of a natural process and ecosystem dynamics, and those which are as a result of human activities. Works Cited Ecotourism Today. ‘Potential Effects from Tourism and Recreation on Aquatic Ecosystems.’ August 2012.Web. Goeldner, Charles. Tourism: Principles, Practices and Philosophies. London: Oxford Press, 2010. Print. Jax, Maxwell. Ecosystems: Basic Principles. Cape Town: Oxford, 2010. Print. Johnson, Allan. Exploring The Ecological Footprint Of Tourism In Ontario. Waterloo, Ontario: Oxford Press, 2010. McGrew, John. â€Å"Environmental Impacts of Tourism†. Bio Intelligence Science 6 June 2010: 1-10. Web. Science Direct. Effects of Tourism on the Ecosystem. March 2012. Web. https://www.sciencedirect.com/. This research paper on Tourism and Ecosystem was written and submitted by user Gloria F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

History Of Bullet Proof Vests

History Of Bullet Proof Vests Humans throughout recorded history have used various types of materials as body armor to protect themselves from injury in combat and other dangerous situations. The first protective clothing and shields were made from animal skins. As civilizations became more advanced, wooden shields and then metal shields came into use. Eventually, metal was also used as body armor, what we now refer to as the suit of armor associated with the knights of the Middle Ages. However, with the invention of firearms around 1500, metal body armor became ineffective. Then only real protection available against firearms were stone walls or natural barriers such as rocks, trees, and ditches. Soft Body Armor One of the first recorded instances of the use of soft body armor was by the medieval Japanese, who used armor manufactured from silk. It was not until the late 19th century that the first use of soft body armor in the United States was recorded. At that time, the military explored the possibility of using soft body armor manufactured from silk. The project even attracted congressional attention after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. While the garments were shown to be effective against low-velocity bullets, those traveling at 400 feet per second or less, they did not offer protection against the new generation of handgun ammunition being introduced at that time. Ammunition that traveled at velocities of more than 600 feet per second. This, along with the prohibitive cost of silk made the concept unacceptable. Silk armor of this type was said to have been worn by Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria when he was killed by a shot to the head, thereby precipitat ing World War I. Early Bullet Proof Vests Patents The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office lists records dating back to 1919 for various designs of bulletproof vests and body armor type garments. One of the first documented instances where such a garment was demonstrated for use by law enforcement officers was detailed in the April 2, 1931, edition of the Washington, D.C., Evening Star, where a bulletproof vest was demonstrated to members of the Metropolitan Police Department. Flak Jacket The next generation of the anti-ballistic bullet proof vest was the World War II flak jacket made from ballistic nylon. The flak jacket provided protection primarily from ammunition fragments and was ineffective against most pistol and rifle threats. Flak jackets were also very cumbersome and bulky. Lightweight Body Armor It would not be until the late 1960s that new fibers were discovered that made todays modern generation of cancelable body armor possible. The National Institute of Justice or NIJ initiated a research program to investigate the development of lightweight body armor that on-duty policemen could wear full time. The investigation readily identified new materials that could be woven into a lightweight fabric with excellent ballistic resistant properties. Performance standards were set that defined ballistic resistant requirements for police body armor. Kevlar In the 1970s, one of the most significant achievements in the development of body armor was the invention of DuPonts Kevlar ballistic fabric. Ironically, the fabric was originally intended to replace steel belting in vehicle tires. The development of kevlar body armor by NIJ was a four-phase effort that took place over several years. The first phase involved testing kevlar fabric to determine whether it could stop a lead bullet. The second phase involved determining the number of layers of material necessary to prevent penetration by bullets of varying speeds and calibers and developing a prototype vest that would protect officers against the most common threats: the 38 Special and the 22 Long Rifle bullets. Researching Kevlar Bullet Proof Vests By 1973, researchers at the Armys Edgewood Arsenal responsible for the bulletproof vest design had developed a garment made of seven layers of Kevlar fabric for use in field trials. It was determined that the penetration resistance of Kevlar was degraded when wet. The bullet resistant properties of the fabric also diminished upon exposure to ultraviolet light, including sunlight. Dry-cleaning agents and bleach also had a negative effect on the antiballistic properties of the fabric, as did repeated washing. To protect against these problems, the vest was designed with waterproofing, as well as with fabric coverings to prevent exposure to sunlight and other degrading agents. Medical Testing of Body Armor The third phase of the initiative involved extensive medical testing,  to determine the performance level of body armor that would be necessary to save police officers lives. It was clear to researchers that even when a bullet was stopped by the flexible fabric, the impact and resulting trauma from the bullet would leave a severe bruise at a minimum and, at worst, could kill by damaging critical organs. Subsequently, army scientists designed tests to determine the effects of blunt trauma, which is injuries suffered from forces created by the bullet impacting the armor. A byproduct of the research on blunt trauma was the improvement of tests that measure blood gasses, which indicate the extent of injuries to the lungs. The final phase involved monitoring the armors wearability and effectiveness. An initial test in three cities determined that the vest was wearable, it did not cause undue stress or pressure on the torso, and it did not prevent the normal body movement necessary for police work. In 1975, an extensive field test of the new Kevlar body armor was conducted, with 15 urban police departments cooperating. Each department served a population larger than 250,000, and each had experienced officer assault rates higher than the national average. The tests involved 5,000 garments, including 800 purchased from commercial sources. Among the factors evaluated were comfort ​when worn for a full working day, its adaptability in extremes of temperature, and its durability through long periods of use. The demonstration project armor issued by NIJ was designed to ensure a 95 percent probability of survival after being hit with a .38 caliber bullet at a velocity of 800 ft/s. Furthermore, the probability of requiring surgery if hit by a projectile was to be 10 percent or less. A final report released in 1976 concluded that the new ballistic material was effective in providing a bullet resistant garment that was light and wearable for full-time use. Private industry was quick to recognize the potential market for the new generation of body armor, and body armor became commercially available in quantity even before the NIJ demonstration program.

Sexual Harassment & Sexual Consent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sexual Harassment & Sexual Consent - Essay Example    It has been observed that those people who have certain authority and power usually commit such acts. They know that after doing so they can escape easily which somehow promotes them to do so. The reason why such acts are usually undercover is that the person committing such acts has an idea that what he/she is doing is not ethical and therefore tries his best to keep things undercover. â€Å"It, therefore, becomes critical that employees be made aware of what constitutes sexual harassment and be given the means to end such abuses.† (Parboteah & Cullen, 2013) This can be done through various means. One can hide their identity or if they have to show then they try their best and make sure that the victim does not open his mouth in front of the labor or the masses under any circumstances. Thus â€Å"Sexual harassment is not an exclusively sexual issue but may be an exploitation of a power relationship. Like any other power struggle, many instances of sexual harassment are initiated and negotiated by a person in a position of authority and are sustained at the expense of another who cannot counter demands without risk of reprisal (student teacher vs. student, principal vs. teacher)† (Brandenburg, 1997 ). Lastly one of the most prominent reasons which I believe is the concept of liberty and freedom in society. Today mostly the young generation has forgotten their values, culture, and ethics. The promotion of activities like consumption of alcohol, drugs etc. has given individuals the right to choose this path for themselves. Furthermore, the mingling between the opposite sexes, nudity, and openness is another reason. Kissing, touching and such activities are so common that they motivate the opposite sex to opt for such activities which in turn results in an increased ratio of sexually explicit crimes. (Hynes, 2011). Hence in a nutshell sexual harassment has increased tremendously over the passage of time. Many factors contribute which together results in popularity. Firstly one should know what sexual harassment is so that they can express their reservation.