CONTRACT LAW ASSIGNMENT 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CONTRACT LAW ASSIGNMENT 5 - Essay Example Goods should be of satisfactory quality, fit for the purpose, and should be as description. Goods sold must be 'conform to contract' fit for the quality and satisfactory for the intended use of customer. They should be durable, safe, devoid of minor defects. (Sale of Goods act, 1979, Supply of Goods Act, 1982, The Sale and Supply of Goods to Consumers Regulations, 2002). Under Consumer Protection Act 1987, or under common law, despite there being no contractual relationship between Mary and manufacturer she would be able to pursue the manufacturer for negligence while manufacturing and endangering her life. Also she could pursue the retailer, or breach of contract under SGA. All the guarantees are legally binding and will stand in a Court of Law. But the clause that any further injury or damage caused by their faulty goods would not be entertained by them will not stand in a court of law. They might have written that for their own protection; it need not necessarily be a legal verdict. In this case the alarm has caused extensive damage within a day and Mary can prove that she was not at fault and did not misuse the alarm in any way. Hence, the protection clause the retailer will not protect him because it will be read as unfair contract terms and thus, will have no legal standing. Misrepresen (d) What damages could Mary possibly recover as a result of the incident, if any Misrepresentation Act of 1967 can be used here, along with Trade Description Act 1968. Mary can claim compensation for the damage caused by unsafe goods including shock and personal injury. As she herself has bought the goods, she can claim from either the trader or manufacturer. Mary in all probability has to go to court to get compensation because this is a complex legal area and it is necessary to have legal advice. Mary can to go Citizens Advice Bureau which would be helpful.. (e) If Mary decided to pursue an action to recover damages, in what Court would she start her action and why It should have been the Small Claims Court, if the claim is less than 5,000. (f) Would the position be any different if Jane was Mary's Mother and Jane had served her when she bought the Alarm No. Even if Jane was Mary's mother, she would be part of Square Deal Electrics and a trader while serving a customer, whoever it is. Relationship does not make any difference unless it is a private sale and if it is one, law renders least amount of protection on faulty goods. Mary is entitled to ask for the contract money to be returned. Due to basic faults in goods, there had been extensive damage not only for Mary's property, but also for her friend's gold watch, so this case reaches a different parameter. Under this context, it is not possible to ask for a replacement or repair. Onus is always on the purchaser to prove that goods are faulty beyond doubt and here it is not a problem to prove it. Goods should be 'fit

Nuclear Armageddon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nuclear Armageddon - Essay Example As such, the preceding political and foreign ideologies were mostly controlled by this fear that had affected the entire globe. The competition between the west ideologies and communism was one of the major events that sparked fears of atomic weapons between the Soviet Union and the US. The cold war that emerged immediately after WWII was rapidly taking shape. In this case, the US and USSR were pulling sections of the South East Asia to either side, which was aggravated by China joining the Soviet Union as a strong ally against the west ideologies (Ringer, 320). The struggle over Korea fueled the cold war as the two super powers threatened to use any means possible to win the war. For instance, the coming to power of President Eisenhower in 1952 reintroduced the nuclear threats as a warning to the Soviet Union to desist from any form of aggression (Ringer, 321). Eisenhower had a new defense policy that deferred from Truman’s policies in that the new administration relied more on threatening to use nuclear weapons rather than conventional military weapons as a response to communist aggression during th e cold war (Ringer, 321). The pursuit of brinkmanship involved each side threatening to use nuclear weapons, though with no attempt to engage in any armed conflict. These threats increased fears of an imminent nuclear war across the globe. The formation of SEATO as counterpart to NATO in South East Asia fuelled the fears of nuclear weapons as the conflict took another dimension. Afterwards, the US rejected the USSR proposal to disband NATO and the Warsaw Pact (Ringer, 321). Moreover, the Society denied the possibility of having Eisenhower’s Open Skies ideology that sought to allow the reconnaissance of military empowerment on both sides. The Cuban Missile Crisis was an event pushed the fears of another nuclear confrontation to a new level as the world was on the brink of nuclear war. While the US gladly welcomed Castro’s revolution in 1959,

Nation’s Advantages of Affirmative Actions Essay Example for Free

Nation’s Advantages of Affirmative Actions Essay Consistent with the exact characterization of affirmative action, the truth is that affirmative action programs have improved the gender, ethnic, and racial diversity of many workplace, educational, etc. settings in the United States. This diversity helped enhance the lives of every American in several ways, including better health, improved learning, and more secured communities. Affirmative action benefited the higher education since social and intellectual development of both minority and non-minority students are improved in ethnically and racially diverse educational settings (American Psychological Association, 1999, p. 1). One outcome, for instance, is the increase in the numbers of students belonging to ethnic minorities who grow to be student peers of majority students. The Nation’s Health, on the other hand, also benefited from affirmative action in the sense that much can be medically learned from the racial and ethnic groups that will consequently result to the benefit of every Americans. For instance, despite the fact that ethnic minority Americans usually experience poorer physical condition than non-minorities, yet in several cases and even in the face of extreme poverty rates and other risks to health, these groups experience lesser levels health problems, particularly chronic disease, which can be the basis for several medical research (American Psychological Association, 1999, p. 1). The Need of Persistent Implementation of Affirmative Action Decades ago, an African-American mother was three times as expected to die of complications in the course of childbirth as white mother, and at present she is over three times as expected to die in the course of her childbirth (Richey, 2003). The mortality rate for blacks was twice that for whites, and at present it is a little over twice as whites (Richey, 2003). From 1978 to present, four times as many African-American families survived with incomes lower than the poverty line than white families. For black teens, the unemployment rate is thrice that of whites, and for black adults it is twice as whites. Unfortunately at present, every statistics relatively remained unchanged. In 1978, African-American corresponded to 11. 5 percent of the United States’ population, but they were only 1. 2 percent of the judges and lawyers, 2. 3 percent of the dentists, 2 percent of the physicians, 2. 6 percent of university and college professors, and 1. 1 percent of the engineers (Richey, 2003). At present, blacks correspond to roughly 12. 3 percent of the country’s population, and are 5. 1 percent of the judges and lawyers, 4. 1 percent of dentists, 5. 6 percent of physicians, 6. 1 percent of university and college professors, and 5. 5 percent of engineers (Richey, 2003). Although such statistics proved that affirmative action has helped to strengthen the black professionals’ ranks, yet African-American in general has been left behind. Notwithstanding all the discussions of the establishment of a black middle class, the position of the black community to white American has relatively remained the same. As such, affirmative action must be continually asserted to put in place mandatory and voluntary efforts by local, state, and federal governments, schools, and private employers to combat inequalities and encourage fair hiring and promotions of qualified individuals. Reverse Discrimination Stimulated by annoyed white men, a reaction against affirmative action started to accumulate. To conservatives, the system opened the door for education, promotions, or employments to minorities and at the same time, closed the door on whites. Conservatives resented the thought that a number of incompetent minorities were receiving blanket advantages on the American system (Brunner, 2007). Quotas and preferential treatment turned into contempt expressions. Even more controversial was the allegation that a number of minorities benefited from playing the part of professional victim. By the late 70s, deficiencies in the policy started to show up in the course of its excellent objectives. In 1978, reverse discrimination became a concern, exemplified by the celebrated Bakke case (Brunner, 2007). Because of a certain medical school’s separate admissions policy for minorities and reservation of 18 out of 100 places for minority students, the school had been rejecting Allan Bakke, a white male, for two years in a row and in its place had accepted less competent minority applicants. Because of unjust discrimination against a white applicant, the Supreme Court banned affirmative action programs’ rigid quota systems. However, in the same ruling, the Court sustained affirmative action’s legality per se. The dispute concerning affirmative action has as well grown more difficult and murky as the public has come to realize its complexity. Several liberals, for instance, can appreciate the prejudice of affirmative action given that white employees with seniority were laid off, whereas black workers often retained their jobs. Many conservatives, on the other hand, were pushed to get a hold of a better option to the imposition of a stringent quota system.

Detailed models of strategic change management

Detailed models of strategic change management This unit helps would-be-managers to understand the nature of change and to cope with it. It gives an understanding about change and the ways to manage with it without disturbing the working of the organization. In this unit we have discussed the different definitions and models of change which have been given by thinkers in the past which helps in evaluating the relevance of models of strategic change to organizations in the current economy. As we proceed, we examine the need for change and assess the factors that are driving the need for it. Also, the resource implications are discussed which do not respond to strategic change. The theories given by Kotter, Prosci, Lewis and others are milestones of the research on change management. Their theories have helped in thorough understanding of change management. As the topic develops, it gives vital information on the reasons of change in markets, budget pressures, new technologies and other new programs such as TQM and re-engineering. All in all, the topic is an important resource on the factors and implications that bring change. Another unavoidable and inseparable resource of the organization is stakeholders of the company. The topic discusses about systems modelling, divergence and convergence and methods of involving them into organization. It is also quite obvious that change brings resistance; therefore this unit enables us to manage resistance giving a way to strategies such as communications, education, forums, etc. The entire work gives a clear picture of change management. All a manager needs is to understand the criteria and manage with a difference on the guidelines of the researchers. Task 1: Discuss the Models of Strategic Change There are many theories about how to manage change. Most of the theories originate with leadership and change management guru, John Kotter who is a professor at Harvard Business School and world renowned change expert. The following eight steps in the change process are his contribution. JOHN KOTTER: Eight steps to transforming an organization (Kotter.J, 1995) Establishing a sense of urgency Forming a powerful guiding coalition Creating a vision Communicating the vision Empowering others to act on the vision Planning and creating short term wins Consolidating improvements and producing still more change Institutionalising new approaches Kotters research gave a whole new way to managing change. A programme of planned change and improved performance developed by Lewin involves the management of a three-phase process of behaviour modification. Lewins Change Management Model Source: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm Unfreeze- Reducing those forces which behaviour in its present form, recognition of the need for change and improvement to occur. Movement Development of new attitudes or behaviour and the implementation of change. Refreezing Stabilising change at the new level and reinforcement (Hardy 1996) A new culture should be created within the organization such that managers look to change as an opportunity and adapt their business system to continuously emerging conditions. (Hussey 2000) Proscis ADKAR Effective change management demands five key goals to form the basic ADKAR model: Awareness of the need to change Desire to participate and support the change Knowledge of how to change (and what change looks like) Ability to implement the change on a day-to-day basis Reinforcement to keep the change in place (Hiatt 2003) Proscis ADKAR Source: http://techotoys.com/qwxDnJu0J/ Action Research Action research refers to a way to look at ones own work practically and check as he would like it to be. Because research is done by the person himself or the practitioner, it is called practitioner based research. It is also referred to as a form of self reflective practice because it involves the person himself and his own work. (Hardy 1999) Action research Source: http://www.llas.ac.uk/projects/2837 Task 1.2 Evaluate the relevance of models of strategic change to organizations in the current economy Teambuilding Consensus Strategic change models, as discussed above are the keys to success of any organization provided they are implemented in a sophisticated way. To achieve effective team decision making leadership, (Franzen 1994) describes Consensus Team Decision Making CTDM model which has three key pillars. Maintain high conceptual level Strive towards consensus Manage the decision making process Strategic interventions Types of interventions selected for a project although depend on variety; they are highly concentrated in a project. Strategic interventions are useful in situations like Rapid changes in the external environment Rapid or stagnant sales Increased competition Rapid expansion of markets Mergers and acquisitions (Lewin 2005) Decision Making Contingency Theory of Decision Making Decision participative contingency theory or the Normative Decision Theory is a model which says that the efficiency of a decision procedure depends on a number of aspects of the situation: the importance of decision quality and acceptance; the quantity of relevant information possessed by the leader and subordinates. (Fiedler 1999) In the autocratic style, the leader takes decisions without consulting others. (Lewin 2005) The participative style leadership, also known as participative democratic leadership style does the job of creating and maintaining healthy relationships between the employees and their leaders.(Kotter 2007) Proactive and Reactive (Whitehead 2006) PROACTIVE REACTIVE Needs to have and use own answers Understands the power of and uses team in solving problems Makes decisions by self Requests that team members make decisions Pushes for results Shares a vision so compelling the team wants to move towards it Reacts to change Foresees and influences change Teaches team to expect direction Teaches team to be self reliant Focuses on finding and fixing problems Focuses on achieving performance outcomes Quick to punish on mistakes Lets the team learn by errors Task 1.3 Assess the value of using strategic intervention techniques in the organization The most important asset of any organization is human resource and strategic intervention helps them to adjust with the changing strategies of the organization and understand it.(George 1999). At Sapphire Beauty Box, it is vital to have a peaceful mind and sound behaviour as this profession deals with direct clientele. The method of strategic intervention assists the employees of Sapphire to find meanings to their life, discover what, and why they do and how to meet their needs in positive and negative ways which helps to promote sustainable change. (Hiatt 2006) Human Process Interventions: These are helpful in particular during change project in organizations where there are some combinations of many new employees, different cultures, working together, many conflicts, etc. Activities: Coaching, counseling, delegating, group learning, virtual teams, etc. ( Hiatt and Creasey 2003) Techno-structural Interventions: These interventions are helpful in particular for rapid growth but few internal systems to sustain growth, many complaints from customers, etc. Activities: Balanced scorecard, downsizing and out placing, ISO 9000, Six sigma, etc.(Kurt 2005) Human Resource Management interventions: These interventions are helpful in situations like establishment of new organizational goals, implementation of technology for a short time, low productivity, etc. Activities: Staffing, evaluating performance, career development, employee wellness programme (George 1999) Task 2.1 Examine the need for strategic change in the chosen organization Reasons for change Change in market: The United Kingdom is going through recession and there has been recession and the CPI annual inflation has rose to 3.3%. (London Business Times 2009). There has been increase in prices, job loss, bankruptcy and what not. Every business has gone through losses and needs to cover up their expenses. (Fiedler 1999). At this point of time, Sapphire needs to change accordingly to ease customers at their purse and still keep them coming. Economic downturns: Due to price rise, the raw material needed at the store is also become expensive. It is important to cover the costs by bringing about change in the organization. (Paul 1996) Customer Expectations: There is a very hard competition in the market especially in the beauty field. Customers get attracted to offers and it is not easy to get their confidence. To invest into customers, It is important to change the strategies accordingly. (Kotter and Cohen 2002) Competitive Edge: Competition is healthy but can be fatal if the strategies become too monotonous and outdated. There is need for change to face competition. (Kotter 1995) Sapphire needs to be updated with products and material being used by competitors and try to do better than other turning the tables towards them. (Kotter 2007) Mergers: The merger of the organization with another can lead to change in strategy as the new staff can have better ideas and plans to make the company a success. (Paul 1996). If Sapphire merges with another company to make it a success, it may have to revise the ways to do things. Change in mission: If the mission of the company changes, obviously there has to be a different strategy to deal with it. The mission of Sapphire is to fight ageing and make people look beautiful but now the market demands more of stress releasing treatments. So Sapphire needs to rethink about its strategy. (Franzen and Hardaker 1999) Task 2.2 Assess the factors that are driving the need for strategic change in an organization The Shifting Economy The economy is so very changing and dynamic. Due to the unpredictability of it, the organization is in constant need of change in the strategy and economic plan. This is more prevalent since recession Environmental factors There are certain environmental changes that have an effect on the production and sales. These changes are to be monitored and the demand of change arises. Financial pressure There occur financial pressures on the organizations, in order to meet deadlines and targets. In order to handle finances, there has to be a change in finance plans. This is where the need for change management occurs. Technological advances There has been drastic change in production, marketing, outsourcing and other fields due to technology. The organization needs upgrading and has to keep in pace with the technological advances to succeed in its mission and make way for growth. Keeping in mind the factors discussed above, there is a need for change. Funding cuts With the recession in the economy, the company has cut down on costs and funds. There is need for change in financial strategy to keep the balance. Competition Competition is a healthy asset for any business. To keep up to the standards and do better than others is very important, hence it is vital to keep a watch at what others are doing and bring change in the company accordingly. Task 2.3 Assess the resource implications of the organization not responding to strategic change Restructuring of HR- If the company does not respond to the changes as discussed above, it may have to face severe consequences and lose in the process. The organization will have to restructure the HR making way for a new beginning. There have to be leaders chosen again and staff employed for the smooth working of the company. Interview and hire of new employees Interviewing and hiring of new staff will have to be done which is a time consuming and costly process for any business. Redundancies The organization will have redundancies if proper steps for the change are not taken in time. This will affect the working and time management of the strategy of work. Training Training is another costly and time taking process. It takes a lot to train the employees and bear the costs. If the need for strategic change is understood, there is no need for the organization to bear costs or losses. Task 3.1 Develop systems to involve stakeholders in the planning of change in the chosen organization A stakeholder is one who has something to gain or lose through the outcomes of a planning process or project. These are also called interest groups and can have a strong bearing on the outcomes of political processes. It is useful for research projects to identify and analyse the needs and concerns of different stakeholders, particularly when these projects have an effect on policy Input-output transformation model Operations management transforms inputs (labour, capital, equipment, land, buildings, materials and information) into outputs (goods and services) that provide added value to customers. Transformation System is the critical element in the model that determines how well the company produces goods and services that meet consumer needs. It does not matter whether the organization is a for-profit company, a non-profit organization (religious organizations, hospitals, etc.), or a government agency; all organizations must strive to maximize the quality of their transformation processes to meet customer needs. Steps Involved Step 1: Clarify the research or policy change objective (Problem Tree Analysis or objectives analysis might help with this.) Stap 2: Identify all the stakeholders or interest groups associated with this objective, problem or issue. Stakeholders can be organizations, groups, departments, structures, networks or individuals. http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5257HYPERLINK http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5257title=stakeholder-analysisHYPERLINK http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/details.asp?id=5257title=stakeholder-analysistitle=stakeholder-analysis Step 3: Using the grid organise the stakeholders in different matrices according to their interest and power. Interest measures to what degree they may to be affected by the research project. Power measures the influence they have over the project or policy, and to what degree they can help achieve, or block, the desired change. The Cultural Web The Cultural Web http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_90.htm The Cultural Web identifies six interrelated elements Johnson and Scholes (2002) call it the paradigm the pattern or model of the work environment. By analyzing the factors in each, you can begin to see what is working, what isnt working, and what needs to be changed. The six elements are: The past events and people talked about inside and outside the company. Who and what the company chooses to celebrate say a great deal about what it values, and perceives as great behaviour. The daily behaviour and actions of people that indicate acceptable behaviour. This determines what is expected to happen in given situations, and what is valued by management. The visual representations of the company including logos, how exquisite the offices are, and the dress codes. Multiple Cause Diagrams Multiple cause diagrams http://ilearn.cto.int/login/index.php Multiple cause diagrams are a way of using interconnectedness to shape up a complex situation. They represent both adequate and casual cause without making a distinction between them. This system is pictured as an interconnected group of events or effects to cause an effect as a purpose. Sometimes, if the input cause is removed, the output cause continues to happen, may be because feedback loops are present or other causes drive the effect. Influencing skills The careless reception of authority is becoming increasingly less common in the world. To get things done, it is better to rely on commitment rather than authority. For example, gaining co-operation from other departments. Task 3.2 Develop a change management strategy with stakeholders in the chosen organization Developing a winning strategy is messier than textbooks suggest. Most insights that are important for formulating strategies rest in the heads of operating managers. (Kotter 2007) The Stakeholder Circle This is designed to put stakeholders on the project management radar. It is a proven method supported by a tough, easy to use tool that guides us through five easy steps namely: Identify your projects stakeholders and understand their needs Prioritize the stakeholders on the basis of power, proximity and urgency. Visualize the key stakeholders using the Stakeholder Circle. Engage with the stakeholders by building and implementing an effective communication plan. Monitor changes as you update and review your stakeholders at key points in the project. Public Hearings: There can be events where stakeholders are allowed to give evidence or question general public authorities about decisions. Public hearings: Regulated, formal arrangements for times and places at which members of the general public and other types of stakeholders can give evidence or question public authorities about decisions. Deliberative Polling: This collects views when people are introduced to the issue and think about it. It also includes a feedback session. Task 3.3 Evaluate the systems used to involve stakeholders in the planning of change in the chosen organization The stakeholder model is helpful in explaining the rules of the economic game and the link between stakeholder value and competitive advantage. The stakeholder strategy plan guides us on how to interact and communicate with each stakeholder during different stages of a project. It also helps to define who should participate, in what ways and on what level of the project. It gives thorough knowledge of the matter and suits best to most organizations. Other ways such as polling, seminars and workshops are also perfect ways to handle change in a proper manner. Task 3.4 Create a strategy for managing resistance to change in the chosen organization Selective Perception: Peoples self interpretation of stimuli presents a unique image of the real world and results in selective perception. This leads to biased view of the situation that fits into the perception of reality. Habit: People are used to the same way of doing things which makes a habit. It becomes serves as a source of comfort. Bringing about change brings resistance. Loss of Freedom: If the change is seen as an inconvenience, it reduces freedom of action or results in increased control, there will be resistance. Direct vs Indirect There is staff that may resist directly and others that may be indirect in resistance. Direct resistance is to oppose in a direct manner and fighting straight but indirect resistance is to show resistance by making excuses such as resigning. Task 4.1 Develop appropriate models for change in the chosen organization that will reflect their circumstances The best model for change that applies to Sapphire Beauty Box is Proscis Five Building Blocks change management model which includes the ADKAR The first thing Sapphire needs is the Awareness of the need for change. If the need for change is understood, half the job is done. Planned communication is essential for understanding. Sapphire needs change as there is a need for it. Next is the Desire to participate and help the change. The employees of Sapphire need to make a personal decision to support the change and sustain it too. The CEO announced incentives for individuals creating a desire to be a part of the change. The third building block is providing Knowledge. Sapphire held a seminar for imparting awareness for change, how to undergo change and how to implement it. Prosci (2003) suggested forums and mentoring for knowledge of change. Ability to implement required skills and behavior is another building block of the ADKAR model. It is the difference between theory and practice. Once knowledge is imparted on change, the performance of the individual needs to be supported. Sapphire can do this by practice, coaching and feedback. Lat, but not the least comes Reinforcement. It is the final and essential stage of the model where efforts to sustain the change is accentuated. It is to be ensured that changes stay in place and individuals do not revert to old ways. The ways to do it are positive feedback, recognition, rewarding, etc. Sapphire makes it a point to take feedback of the customers as well as the employees to keep both sides balanced. There is a Best Employee of the Month award scheme at Sapphire Beauty Box which inspires employees to do their best. Proscis Change Management Model http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-adkar-overview.htm Task 4.2 Plan to implement a model for change considering the internal and external circumstances impacting on the organization Kaizen Method This is a Japanese method for continuous incremental improvement. It is a concept for gradual, continuous improvement. It assumes that every aspect of life has to be constantly improved. The main elements of Kaizen are effort, quality, and willingness to change, communication and involvement of employees. Its five founding elements are Teamwork Personal Discipline Improved Morale Quality Circles and Suggestions for Improvement. The Kaizen method is best for Sapphire Beauty Box as it is people oriented, requires long term discipline and easy to implement. Matrix Organizations This kind of organization offers the advantages of flexibility, greater security and control of project information. It establishes a grid with a two way flow of authority and responsibility. Task 4.3 Develop appropriate measures to monitor progress of the developed model Goal Based Evaluation To start with goal based evaluation, there can be two main questions we can ask for How has the programme made a difference Are the participants of the programme feeling better as a result of the programme? Outcome based evaluation is a way that determines if the project at Sapphire Beauty Box have achieved its goals. The organized process using OBE helps to establish clear outcomes, to measure benefits, clarify groups for which benefits are targeted. Other ways to monitor progress in Sapphire Beauty Box are regular reports of the activities being practiced in there. Meetings are also undertaken by higher authorities to administer the changes and keep a watch on them. Quality Circles appear simple and straightforward but have to be viewed in regard to Japanese culture and management systems. Quality circles are do work and are used successfully by British organizations. . CONCLUSION It can be concluded that strategic change is the key factor in any organization. Change is a pervasive influence. We are all subject to change in one form or the other which is continuous. The steps to change from Kotter give vital knowledge about making change Kotter is called the GURU in terms of change management. Proscis ADKAR building blocks give deep understanding and guidance for applying change and monitoring it to sustain change. Kurt Lewins change model is also an important one. The freeze, refreeze and transition stages develop new attitudes and behaviour.

Essay --

Breast Cancer As defined by Majure, breast cancer is an â€Å"uncontrolled growth of abnormal breast cells† (Majure: 110). It is also one of the cancers that women fear the most. Not only do women get diagnosed with breast cancer, men do too. However, it isn't as bad, or as common, in men as it is in women so doctors don’t recommend screening for men. In the U.S more than one thousand men get affected by breast cancer every year and about two hundred thousand women are affected by breast cancer every year. Women are most likely to get diagnosed with it in their forties and fifties while some may be diagnosed with breast cancer in their twenties, if they started their menstrual cycles at an early age like 14. Typically, men are diagnosed with breast cancer in their sixties or seventies. Historically speaking breast cancer has been around for hundreds of years. Thankfully the treatment has improved. Patients who get the cancer removed and take care of themselves after, for example, by exercising and eating healthy, will live longer. There are many risks that increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, for instance, age, family history, and race. A women who made history with breast cancer was Betty Ford, Betty was one of the first lady’s to speak openly about her disease. Betty encouraged women who have been affected with the disease to go to their doctor as soon as possible and told women who had shared that they didn’t have breast cancer to do self breast exams regularly and get mammograms. She also said when women get diagnosed with it don’t be embarrassed. Treatments in the past were pretty good and quite the same compared to the treatments given to people now, for instance, mastectomy’s which was the primary... ...lso recommend that their patients get an x-ray for the untreated breast as well. Doctors and patients are relieved quite a few times because a majority of breast cancers don’t recur, yet minorities of breast cancers do recur after several years. This is why doctors encourage their patients to come to their follow-ups. Doctors aren’t really sure that if the disease doesn’t recur in a few years it doesn’t mean it won’t. This cancer is slow growing so the disease may recur in about 10 to 20 years; however time does affect the likelihood of recurrence so if there are no signs of the cancer in the x-ray then there is a chance the disease won’t recur. Doctors and medical professionals can offer only so much support and every woman who has been diagnosed with is deals with the consequences of treatment and diagnosis no matter how strong she is needs emotional support.

Replacement of the Book with Computers Essay -- Reading Electronic Tex

The Book Is Dead! Long Live the Book! The book, so post-structuralists critics have long been assuring us, just isn't what it used to be—or, to be more accurate, what we used to think it was. It's no longer a discrete entity, a little world unto itself wedged between two covers, a piece of discourse that speaks to us with a unified voice, the work of an individual author. Instead, as critical discourse by the likes of Barthes (1979) and Derrida (1974) have informed us, the contents of one book or article are inextricably linked to dozens, even hundreds or thousands, of others, and its contents, in turn, are absorbed by other texts. Texts refer to other texts endlessly: our awareness of the labours Page 2 of our predecessors battling with the written word gives rise to writing that is a dense and complex weave of references and allusions which lead Barthes in â€Å"From Work to Text† (1979) to characterise individual works as networks linked by paths, a web of texts which was effectively authorless. The striking similarities between hypertext and the Text as described by post- structuralist critics accounts, in part, for the magnitude and scope of the hype that has accompanied its debut as a viable medium of information. Mention hypertext to a colleague or acquaintance today, and the chances are he or she will certainly have heard of it—even if very few people have actually seen any examples of it. Put simply, hypertext is information (usually text, but also graphics, video, and audio clips) that is mediated by a computer, generally divided into chunks of information connected by computer links. Readers can work their way through texts in a variety of different orders, sometimes following sequences already mapped... ... â€Å"When Freedom of Choice Fails: Ideology and Action in a Secondary School Hypermedia Project.† NAPA Bulletin 12 (1993): 66-72. Barthes, Roland. â€Å"The Death of the Author.† Image, Music, Text. Trans. Stephen Heath. New York: Hill and Wang, 1977: 142-149. __________. â€Å"From Work to Text.† Textual Strategies: Perspectives in Post-Structural Criticism. Ed. Josuà © Harari. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1979: 73-82. Crane, Gregory. â€Å"Composing Culture: The Authority of an Electronic Text.† Current Anthropology 32.3 (1991): 293-311. Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Trans. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976. Edward, Deborah M. and Lynda Hardman. â€Å"‘Lost in Hyperspace’: Cognitive Mapping and Navigation in a Hypertext Environment.† In Hypertext: Theory into Practice. Ed. Ray McAleese. Oxford: Intellect Books, 1990: 105-125.

Five Management Functions in the Army

Every successful organization uses the five management functions; but not many can compare with the United States Armed Forces. I am currently serving in the U. S. Army and this organization has effectively applied the five management functions, because its existence depends on those five functions. They Army is constantly engaging in the five management functions; their operations are well led, organized, carefully planned, staffed, and constantly evaluated. I do not believe there is any organization other than the military where you would see these five functions linking so well coordinated.â€Å"Planning is a systematic process in which managers make decisions about future activities and the key goals that the organization will pursue. The necessity of careful environmental scanning has an immediate impact on planning processes† (Reilly, Minnick, and Baack, 2011, sec. 7. 2). Making plans for future activities is one of the Army’s key functions; without planning its s ubordinate commands would deteriorate and lose focus on mission objectives and the quality of work.In the Army, we use the Eight-Step Training Model; for which planning always starts out backwards by starting with the objective and working its way back to day zero. The planning is then broken down into three phases; long term, short-term and near term depending on the size of the organization or unit. I find the planning phase in the Army to be very effective because it is important for employees or soldiers to know what needs to happen in the days ahead. â€Å"The design methodology provides a means of approximating complex problems that allows for meaningful action† (Grigsby, 2011, p.  30).Proper use of planning in the Army keeps the employees motivated and goal oriented. When planning in the Army goes wrong, you have Soldiers sitting around waiting on orders, people go unaccounted for, and will eventually negatively affect the other four management functions. Leadership is one of the key elements of the Army; in fact, it is one of its core values. Without the function of leading, the military would have no effect. The Army depends on leadership to be able to effectively organize, staff, plan, and control in order to have a productive work environment.â€Å"Leading in a business context, consists of all activities undertaken to help people achieve the highest level of performance† (Reilly, Minnick, and Baack, 2011, sec. 7. 2). In the Army everyone is a leader to a certain extend because we all have the same goal. We are taught that â€Å"leadership is having the ability to influence people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improving the organization†; when asked â€Å"What is leadership? † that will be the answer you will get from every Soldier (Department of the Army, 2006).The Army, like other military services, is unique for leader development for two reasons; one is because the system is made so that you either move up in rank or get out; in other words if you fail to get promoted after a certain amount time then it is time for you to get out. In civilian organizations, employees can attain a certain level and remain that level until retirement. Second reason for its uniqueness in leadership is that they do not hire leaders outside of their organization; instead, senior level positions become filled by the individuals that are able to achieve promotion within the same organization (Fallesen, 2011).â€Å"Organizing is the process of bringing people and resources together to create products and services in an efficient and effective manner† (Reilly, Minnick, and Baack, 2011, sec. 7. 2). In order for the Army to work, it requires a lot of organization; this is because there are so many different components that are required in order to make it operational and self-sufficient. Due to the size of the Army and any other military components; i t is important to departmentalize different parts of it but essentially these parts have to be able to complement each other and work together to achieve mission success.Take a deployment for example; when the Army deploys, it deploys several different units. These units have different tasks that will allow the entire organization to function as a whole; this means that if an infantry unit is due to deploy it will not deploy by itself, several different units will deploy to support the main objective. In other words, one part of the organization is tasked with the mission; the other portions of the organization will provide support such as transportation, resources, administrative support, etc.In order to make this happen, these organizations must train together in order to know how each of their functional bodies fit into each other’s mission. It is almost like pieces to a puzzle watching different parts of the Army work together; even if they have never worked together or t rained together, these organizations are able to fall in sync and make it happen. Using the management function of organization in the Army requires strong leadership and careful planning because if not properly executed the end results could be catastrophic and the loss unmentionable.The Army is a unique organization that values history and tradition, in order to preserve its heritage the Army has many different criteria that individuals must meet or exceed. It is important for military leadership to choose the right individuals to join their ranks because these will be their future leaders; for this reason, staffing is a very important management function. â€Å"Staffing shares the human element with leading. Staffing involves choosing the right people.Leading includes enticing the highest levels of performance from those people† (Reilly, Minnick, and Baack, 2011, sec. 7. 2). Whether it is a time of war or peace, the Army’s recruiting mission is probably one of the h ardest and most demanding jobs. Recruiters are trained to select and train new Soldiers prior to shipping them off to Basic Training. To become a recruiter one must have exceptional leadership capabilities and it means that one must be willing and able to sacrifice a lot of personal and family time.Recruiters are the sales-people of the Army, they must spend time with new recruits, influencing them and teaching them the core values of the organization. It takes a lot of commitment, because new recruits are not obligated to anything until they actually sign their contract the day they ship off Basic Training. At the same time, this gives recruiters the insight they need to determine if an individual belongs in the Army or not. As my previous leaders have often said, â€Å"You chose the Army, it did not choose you†.It takes a certain type of individual to join the service, not everyone is made for the military. Aside from recruiting goals, the Army also has retention goals in o rder to maintain a certain level of strength in the military. Prior deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, the military’s retention goals and recruitment goals went up in order to satisfy the demand for troops overseas and troops to replace the ones overseas. It shaped and evolved the organization in order to meet these demands; it also required changes in its structure, resources, and planning.Because of the Army’s staffing needs during two simultaneous wars, we saw changes like rescinding the â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy† and the opening of combat roles for women in the military. â€Å"Controlling has one element in common with staffing. Both are involved in the performance appraisal process for individual employees. Standards link controlling and planning. Further, controlling begins the process of creating the next set of plans† (Reilly, Minnick, and Baack, 2011, sec. 7. 2).The Army takes feedback seriously, for this reason they have implemented many different ways to gather information that will allow the organization to improve in every aspect. The Army does well at rewarding good performance and by doing so it gives Soldiers the inspiration they need to attain such rewards. Performance is evaluated in a matter that it provides its employees the feedback they need to improve in the areas identified and a way to help the Army identify anyone that does not need to be promoted to a leadership position.Another way the Army applies the control function is by using After Action Reviews, in which it collects information following every training exercise in order to make improvements and identify areas to sustain. After action reviews all allow Soldiers to identify areas that their leaders need to improve on, such as conduct or performance during the training exercises; in the civilian world it is usually referred as constructive criticism (Rakow, 2005). By using these evaluative tools, the Army is able to create flex ible leaders that are able to adapt and perform under any given circumstance.The five management functions are very effective and very necessary in the military. The Army and any other military branch are prime examples of how these functions are linked to one another and perfectly explain why one function cannot exist without the others. The success of the Army revolves around their effectiveness in applying these functions into their everyday operations; it allows them to operate smoothly, allocate the proper resources, groom its employees in to leaders, identify areas of improvement, and carefully plan and organize future training events and contingencies.