The History of Computers :: Computers Technology Technological Essays

The History of Computers From primitive abaci to lab tops and calculators, the computer has evolved through time to become the essential part of our technocratic society. The development of the computer has shaped the way technology and science is viewed in different cultures around the world. The connotation of what a computer is nowadays brings to mind a monitor, keyboard, processor and its other electronic components; however, that is not how things have always been. From the Chinese using abaci to count, to the Druids' usage of stones to follow the seasonal changes, to the Europeans using Pascalines and calculators to work out mathematical problems the concept of the computer has been around for hundreds of years (Hoyle). Therefore, the history of computers is important to observe not only for the influence it brought to our culture, but the progress it has made through time. The history of modern computers has been influenced by the earlier advancement of primordial technology. The abacus developed in circa 500 B.C for example, used pebbles, rocks, beads, or shells to keep track of the counters numbers. Furthermore, "the abacus was man's first attempt at automating the counting process" (Hoyle). In addition, the Pascaline, invented and built by a French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal, was the first mathematical adding machine (Long 54). The Pascaline was a gear-driven machine that allowed the user to calculate answers without doing arithmetic (Hoyle). In addition to the abacus and the Pascaline, Babbage's Folly, also known as the difference machine, "hastened the development of computers. [and] advanced the state of computational hardware" (Long 55). This engine, designed by the Cambridge professor Charles Babbage, could do any of the basic functions of mathematics: adding, subtracting, multiplying, and division in series at a "rate of 60 additions per minute" (55) could all be accomplished with minimal effort. All of these ideas and concepts helped pave the way for innovators to design what we now view as the modern-day computer. It took certain people to utilize these primitive forms of computing data to create real technologically advanced machines. Such a person, for example, was the professor Dr.

Nora †A Classical Hero in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll`s House Essay

Nora Helmer, the central character, wife of Torvald, and mother of three children, is indeed a classical hero in Isben’s A Doll’s House. She was hiding her character and personality throughout the play under the pretense of the ‘ideal 19th century wife’ who completely abides to her husband. The character of Nora is quite tough to interpret as she is made out of a combination of different traits. Even though she is found to be playful and silly in certain places, she appears very differently in certain other places being very practical and astute. She is indeed a hero as she was successful in showing that she is a supporting wife, and a good mother. Nora attempts to become a strong individual even though she was being locked in a male dominated world. Her husband Torvald’s dominating nature was the one that was preventing her from become self motivated. She appeared inexperienced, naà ¯ve and vulnerable till the end when she surprised everybody by boldly leaving her husband and children to live an independent life. Nora’s world appeared to be so childish that the author has named it as a ‘doll’s house’. She appeared as an alien to the real world with no real world experience. She was even found humorous in few incidents. But we can see the same Nora being serious and trying to be superior as she says â€Å"one isn’t without influence†. She is indeed a captivating character. Even though Nora is constructed as immature and silly, we can see that this nature is enforced by the society around her. However her true nature was destined to be revealed later. Nora is found to be an independent woman who was restricted within the ‘dollhouse’ by her husband. Her life was like that of a butterfly that is trying to get out of the cocoon to show its true colors. We can see Nora striving, throughout the play, and finally unveiling her original self. She is indeed a classical hero. She was submissive to her husband and was enthusiastic and smart. We can say that Nora was always right in her attitude as this was the best she can be towards her dominating husband. Towards the end of the play she discovered herself and took the big shocking decision to leave her husband and children for ever. Nora is found to be swinging along the extremes. We can find her extremely happy during some times and deeply depressed in certain other times. We can find her desperate and needy and also prosperous and self sufficient. Nora is sometimes wise and sometimes silly. She is tottering between the personality she wants to be and the personality she pretends to be. She was found subordinate to her husband Torvald who believed that women are frail and can never make decision of their own. However finally Nora gets hold of her individuality and dares to take the great decision to abandon her husband and children. Nora’s great passion for life and her strong feministic beliefs stimulated her to take the decision of her life. She courageously broke away from the doll house that appeared as a prison for her all through these days. Nora was always under the care of someone, first with her father and then with her husband. Nora was a materialistic, impulsive and babyish. But Nora appeared as a bold woman in the final scene of the play. We can see Nora the classical hero walking out of her house in the final scene to live her life. All this makes us doubt whether she was pretending to be silly all through these days to adjust with the patriarchal oppression she was suffering from her husband Torvald. Nora finally becomes fully independent to renounce the false union of marriage and the burden of motherhood. She says â€Å"Never see him again.   Never.   Never.   Never.   Never see the children again.   Them too.   Never. never.   Oh – the icy black water!   Oh – that bottomless – that -!   Oh, if only it were all over!   Now he’s got it – he’s reading it.   Oh, no, no!   Not yet!   Goodbye, Torvald!   Goodbye, my darlings.† Nora always wanted to get out of the clutch of her husband as she says to Rank and Linde â€Å"I’ve the most extraordinary longing to say: ‘Bloody hell!’†Ã‚  She finally gets out all her social and traditional commitments and obligations as become free as a hero. She is such a classical character that our hearts are with her even though she took the pitiless decision to leave her moral husband and innocent little children. She can be called as a hero as a fought for a good cause, the freedom for the weaker sex. The position of women in the 1800’s, during the time of Nora was too low. They lived as housewives with no right to vote, own property, and make any significant transactions. Nora recognized her slavery and preferred to break away and live a life with freedom. It is nothing but her courage to fight against oppression made her the most admirable stage heroine of the century. What she has done is perfectly justifiable in the light is modern ideology and culture. She was just being a model to the women of modern days. She stepped into a wider world and making her husband understand that he is not the noble person that she expected him to be. She understands that she can no longer continue as a shadow of her husband. She turned out to be a classical hero in the contemporary male dominated society that oppressed women to the core and considered them as a second-class citizen. She just initiated an awakening and made a classical turn in history. Work Cited Ibsen, Henrik. ‘A Doll’s House’. Introduction to Literature: Reading, Analyzing, and Writing. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1990

Leadership Taxonomy

Introduction There a numerous leadership theories that help manage a successful business. These theories include techniques that have been developed and constantly improving since 1888. Theorists such as Thomas Carlyle, Kurt Lewin, and James Kouze, have developed characteristics they believe will shape the leaders of tomorrow. These characteristics are structured together to create theories based on personality, relationships, and developmental styles. The following will provided an organized overview of ten theorists and the characteristics they believe to develop successful leaders. Theorist |Theory Title |Theory Characteristics |Year | |Thomas Carlyle |Great Man |â€Å"According to this theory, you're either a natural born leader or |c. 1888 | | | |you're not. The term â€Å"Great Man† was used because, at the time, | | | | |leadership was thought of primarily as a male quality, especially in | | | | |terms of military leadership. (About, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |The Great Man leadership theory became more prevalent during the 19th| | | | |century and was developed from the success of several famous leaders. | | | |A famous quote that sums up this theory is â€Å"great leaders are born, | | | | |not Made. † (Changing Minds, 2011) | | Cherry, K. (2011). The Great Man Theory of Leadership. In About. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://psychology. about. com/od/leadership/a/great-man-theory-of-leadership. htm Straker, D. (2011). Great Man Theory. In Changing Minds. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/theories/great_man_theory. htm |Gordon Allport |Personality Trait Theory |â€Å"The trait approach to personality is one of the major theoretical |c. 1936 | | | |areas in the study of personality. The trait theory suggests that | | | | |individual personalities are composed broad dispositions. (About, | | | | |2011) | | | | | | | | | |Allport discovered that there are more then 4,000 words to describe | | | | |personality traits. Allport categorized those traits into three | | | | |different levels, Cardinal, Central and Secondary traits. | | | | | | | | | |Cardinal traits were characterized as traits that dominate an | | | | |individual’s whole life. Central traits are general characteristics | | | | |of an individual personality that would affect their leadership | | | | |quality. â€Å"Terms such as intelligent, honest, shy and anxious are | | | | |considered central traits. (About, 2011) Secondary traits reefers | | | | |to attitudes or preferences that appear in certain situations or from| | | | |the result of a specific circumstance. | | Cherry, K. (2011). Trait Theory of Personality. In About. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://psychology. about. om/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/trait-theory. htm Cherry, K. (2011). Leadership Theories – 8 Major Leadership Theories. In About. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://psychology. about. com/od/leadership/p/leadtheories. htm |Kurt Lewin |Lewin's leadership styles |Lewin’s developed three leadership styles, autocratic, democratic |c. 1939 | | | |style and Laissez-Faire style. | | | | | | | | |â€Å"In the autocratic style, the leader takes decisions without | | | | |consulting with others. The decision is made without any form of | | | | |consultation. In Lewin's experiments, he found that this caused the | | | | |most level of discontent. † (Changing Minds, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |The autocratic style is used when the result from a decision would | | | | |not change if it had the input from others. | | | | | | | | |â€Å"In the democratic style, the leader involves the people in the | | | | |decision-making, although the process for the final decision may vary| | | | |from the leader having the final say to them facilitating consensus | | | | |in the group. (Changing Minds, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |The democratic style is a group decision making process. This style | | | | |usually opens it up for individuals to voice their opinions and can | | | | |create adversity and problems. | | | | | | | | |â€Å"The laissez-faire style is to minimize the leader's involvement in | | | | |decision-making, and hence allowing people to make their own | | | | |decisions, although they may still be responsible for the outcome. | | | | |( Changing Minds, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |When individuals are motivated to make their own decisions and there | | | | |is no need for a central coordination, the laissez-faire style would | | | | |be best suited for that situation. | | | | | | | | | | | | Straker, D. (2011). Lewin's leadership styles. In Changing Minds. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/styles/lewin_style. htm |F. E. Fiedler |Least Preferred Co-worker |â€Å"Leaders prioritize between task-focus and people-focus. |c. 1964 | | |(LPC) Theory |Relationships, power and task structure are the three key factors | | | | |that drive effective styles. † ( Changing Minds, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |Fiedler used a scoring system to be able to determine if that leader | | | | |would work with that person again. | | | | | | | | |â€Å"High LPC leaders tend to have close and positive relationships and | | | | |act in a supportive way, even prioritizing the relationship before | | | | |the task. Low LPC leaders put the task first and will turn to | | | | |relationships only when they are satisfied with how the work is | | | | |going. (Changing Minds, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |Three identifying factors | | | | | | | | | |Leader-Member Relations | | | | |Task structure | | | | |Leader’s Position-power | | Straker, D. (2011). . In Changing Minds. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/theories/fiedler_lpc. htm Rensis Likert |Likerts leadership styles |Likerts four style of leadership were developed around decision |c. 1967 | | | |making and how much people are involved in the decision making | | | | |process. | | | | | | | | | |Likerts four styles are exploitive authoritative, benevolent | | | | |authoritative, consultative, and participative. | | | | | | | | |The Exploitive authoritative style is a style where the leader has | | | | |low- no concern on how their actions will psychologically affect | | | | |people. This style is based off of fear and threats in order to | | | | |accomplish the task at hand. | | | | | | | | | |The Benevolent authoritative style is a complete opposite of the | | | | |Exploitive authoritative style. This style involves higher ranked | | | | |leaders in an organization listening to the concerns of individuals | | | | |lower in the organization. | | | | | | | | | |The consultative theory is focused on still listening to the upward | | | | |flow of information, but generally decisions are still centrally | | | | |made. | | | | | | | | |The participative theory’s where leaders maximize methods to engage | | | | |with people lower down in the organization in the decision-making | | | | |process. | | | | | | | | | | | | Straker, D. (2011). Likert's leadership styles. In Changing Minds. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/styles/likert_style. htm |D. J. Hickson |Strategic Contingencies |The strategic contingencies theory states that if a person does|c. 1971 | | |Theory |no they charisma but that person possesses the ability to solve| | | | |problems they still can be a effective leader. | | | | | | | | | |â€Å"The theory helps to objectify leadership techniques, as | | | | |opposed to relying on personalities. (Leadership-Central, | | | | |2011) | | | | | | | | | | | | Strategic Contingencies Theory (2011). In Leadership-central. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www. leadership-central. com/strategic-contingencies-theory. html#axzz1ZeSf2sGc |Dr. Paul Hersey, |Situational Leadership |Hersey and Blanchard leadership model was developed into four styles|c. 972 | |Ken Blanchard |Model |(S1 to S4) to match the employee development level (D1 to D4). | | | | | | | | | |â€Å"Leaders should adapt their style to follower development style (or | | | | |'maturity'), based on how ready and willing the follower is to | | | | |perfo rm required tasks (that is, their competence and motivation). | | | | |(Straker, 2011) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Style one is Telling/Directing which is designed for an employee at | | | | |a D1 level. This employee is a t a low competence, low commitment | | | | |level to the company. | | | | | | | | |Style two is Selling/ Coaching which is designed for a employee at a| | | | |D 2 level. This employee has some competence and a variable | | | | |commitment to his/her position. | | | | | | | | | |Style three is Participating/ Supporting which is designed for an | | | | |employee at a D3 level. This employee has high competence but still | | | | |a variable commitment to his/her position and the company. | | | | | | | | | |Style four is Delegating/ Observing which is designed for a employee| | | | |at D 4. This employee with have a high competence and a high | | | | |commitment to the company. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |At level S1 the leader is high task focus and not real focus on the | | | | |relationship. As you reach a S4 the leader has a low task focus and | | | | |a low relationship focus. At S3 that is where the leader builds a | | | | |strong relationship to develop that employee into a D4. | | | | | | Straker, D. (2011). Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership. In Changing Minds. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/styles/situational_leadership_hersey_blanchard. htm Situational Leadership- About us (2011). In Situational Leadership. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www. situational. com/about-us/ |Danser eau, Graen, |Leader-member Exchange (LMX)|â€Å"How a leader maintains leadership through working with her or |c. 1975 | |and Haga |his supporters, those entrusted with responsibility and advisers | | | | |defines the Leader-member Exchange theory as a method for | | | | |exerting and maintaining leadership. † (Leadership-Central, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |LMX is a intuitive theory and would be more expected from a | | | | |leader-group structure. LMX uses three stages of development. | | | | | | | | |Organizational Stage | | | | |Role Development | | | | |Leader-led relationship | | | | | | | | | |Leaders in this theory can range from a person leading a small | | | | |discussion group or a supervisor of a work crew to heads of | | | | |countries or empires. â€Å"The more complex the task and | | | | |organization, the more factors enter into the organizational | | | | |dynamics. † (Leadership-Central, 2011) | | | | | | | Leader-Member Exchange Theory – LMX (2011). In Leadership-central. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www. leadership-central. om/leader-member-exchange. html#axzz1ZeSf2sGc |James MacGregor |Burns Transformational |â€Å"Burns Transformational leadership Theory, in other words, |c. 1978 | |Burns |Leadership Theory |Burns focuses upon motivations and values in assessing how a | | | | |leader approaches power. This aspect of having that basic | | | | |ethical system sets leaders apart from those merely aspiring to| | | | |power. (Leadership-Central, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |Burns theory appeals to those interested in developing social | | | | |values and individual purpose. Burns theory asks a fundamental | | | | |question of what the ultimate goal of leadership is and why one| | | | |should be a leader. | | | | | | Burns Transformational Leadership Theory (2011). In Leadership-central. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www. leadership-central. com/burns-transformational-leadership-theory. html#axzz1ZeSf2sGc |Bass, B. M. |Transformational Leadership |‘Bass defined transformational leadership in terms of how the |c. 1985 | | |Theory |leader affects followers, who are intended to trust, admire and | | | | |respect the transformational leader. (Straker, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |Bass described three ways which leaders can transform their | | | | |followers. | | | | |Easing their awareness of task importance and value. | | | | |Getting them to focus first on team or organizational goals, rather| | | | |than their own interests. | | | | |Activating their higher-order needs. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Bass Transformational Leadership Theory (2011). In Leadership-Centeral. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www. leadership-central. com/bass-transformational-leadership-theory. html#axzz1ZeSf2sGc Straker, D. (2011). Bass' Transformational Leadership Theory. In Changing Minds. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/theories/bass_transformational. htm |James Kouze and |Leadership Participation |â€Å"Specific factors are listed in a checklist form that |c. 1987 | |Barry Posner |Inventory |organizers can use to assess a group's affinity to a leader. | | | | |While they are subjective, they are better than nothing and can| | | | |help in a focus on organizational problems. † | | | |(Leadership-Central, 2011) | | | | | | | | | |Five characterizes for successful leadership | | | | | | | | | |1. Role Model | | | | |2. Inspiration: | | | | |3. Facing Adversity | | | | |4. Empowerment | | | | |5. Generates Enthusiasm | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Leadership Participation Inventory (2011). In Leadership-central. Retrieved October 2, 2011, from http://www. leadership-central. com/leadership-participation-inventory. html#axzz1ZeSf2sGc

The Life, Times, and Poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca

English 272 7 March 2012 The Life, Times, and Poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca It would be safe to say that Federico Garcia Lorca was one of Spain’s most highly touted authors. His poetry is marked by brilliance, originality, and dramatic flair; and his plays are among the best examples of twentieth century poetic drama. Lorca, the preferred name of Federico, was born in Fuente Vaqueros, a village near Granada, on June 5, 1898. His parents were Don Federico Garcia, a respected and prosperous landowner, and Vicenta Lorca.Lorca claims he received his intelligence and artistic inclinations from his mother, who was very influential in his secular upbringing. Lorca and his family moved to Granada in 1909, and this is where Lorca attended school and eventually graduated from in 1914 (Bourgoin and Byers). Lorca attended the University of Granada for a time, and then traveled to Madrid in 1919 to enter the famous Residencia de Estudiantes to continue his university work. The Residencia , or living quarters, was a center of liberal activity in generally conservative Spain.The metropolitan Madrid suited the young Lorca more so than provincial Granada, and he soon joined radical young groups of students. These groups of young students explored novel ideas and spent much of their time in the cafes of Madrid. In 1921, Lorca met Salvador Dali, also a student at the time and the two formed a personal and artistic attachment to one another. He stayed in the Residencia, except for his summers, until 1928, without ever choosing a course of study (Bourgoin and Byers).Lorca’s first published work, Impresiones y paisajes (Impressions and Landscapes), published in 1918, describes an Andalusian trip taken earlier that year. In the early 1920s, Lorca began writing poems for what would be his first important book, Canciones (Songs), which was published in 1927. Canciones reveals two strong influences on Lorca’s poetic formation: the traditional and the vanguard, call ed ultraism in Spain. He utilized the ballad, Andalusian themes, and other popular forms from the traditional style.From the vanguard, he developed the tendency toward novel and surprising metaphors, and he developed a syntax without normal connecting and relating words. In 1928, in intense personal crisis and feverish literary activity, he published Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Ballads), which gained him his international reputation. He then moved to New York in 1929 because he was suffering from serious emotional problems due to his advances on Dali were rejected. He settled into a dormitory at Columbia University where he wrote Poeta en Nueva York (Poet in New York), a book of poems so revolutionary he did not dare publish them during his lifetime.Along with his poetry, he penned many plays during his short life. In 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, Lorca went home to Granada. While in Granada, he was taken into custody by the nationalist forces controlling the town, pe rhaps because of his personal connections, or because of his known sympathies for the Republican cause. Lorca was executed by firing squad, on the morning of August 9, 1936, ending a life of brilliance (Bourgoin, Byers). Poet in New York is one of Lorca’s most notable works.Poet in New York was written during Lorca’s ten month stent in New York City, which was supposed to be spent studying English at Columbia University. Poet in New York is divided into ten sections which correspond with five alternative moments of spiritual experiences. In section one, â€Å"Poems of Solitude at Columbia University,† Lorca is expressing his loneliness as he is lost in a strange world. In sections two and three, â€Å"The Negroes† and â€Å"Streets and Dreams† respectively, pain, spiritual vacuity and primitive passion are emanated.In sections four and five form a sort of pastoral pair and chronologically do not correspond to the actual experiences of Lorca. In sec tion six, a becalmed tone persists, but death is introduced through many subdued allusions. In section seven he refers to New York City and denounces the senseless massacre of a civilization that has destroyed life with its materialism. In section eight, Lorca expresses how there has been a betrayal of Christianity and mixes it with a prophetic vision of human slavery and war. The final two sections simply address the end of his voyage and his bright awakening.Poet in New York is full of emotion, new adventures, and awakening (Rio). Lorca penned works in what was the Modernist era and later in New York, he was slightly influenced by America’s Harlem Renaissance. It can be said that Lorca’s Modernism is somewhat different from other author’s because Lorca never traveled to Paris where many modernist authors congregated. During the 1920s, literature changed drastically after the end of World War One. Lorca rooted much of his poetry in a dreamlike state which was r etained in Poet in New York (Rogow).A loss of innocence was experienced in most poems penned by Lorca during this time and specifically in Poet in New York. Angel de Rio states, â€Å"One should not forget that Poet in New York is above all lyrical poetry of high order—poetry made, perhaps, of a different stuff from that most commonly found in the rest of Lorca’s work† (Rio). Also attesting to this loss of innocence is Virginia Higginbotham who states, â€Å"Poet in New York is the other of Lorca’s major lyric works that does not express his comic spirit† (Higginbotham).Signs of the Harlem Renaissance in his work â€Å"The Negroes,† which is a poem inside Poet in New York. In an essay by Edward Hirsch, the author states, â€Å"Lorca was deeply empathetic with the black life and announced that he ‘wanted to write the poem of the black race in North America’† (Hirsch). Poet in New York remains relevant to Lorca’s era throughout his and his era’s changes. Lorca, even throughout his travels abroad, always returned to his native land for poetical strength, inspiration, and setting. Even though he did not return in person most times, he did return in imagination, memory, and dreams.However, a 1936 return to Granada, the place he loved the most, would ultimately cause his death. Roy Campbell states in an essay about Lorca, â€Å"The cities of Granada, Cordoba, and Sevilla, the three capital cities of Andalusia, always recur in that order in the Poems of Lorca† (Campbell). Occurring most frequently in his works is Grenada, followed by Cordoba and then Sevilla. Granada and Cordoba share a sort of nostalgic, melancholy, and shadowy feel to which Lorca was greatly attracted. The majority of his poems and plays are set in one of the three towns from above.In Impressions and Landscapes, Lorca falls back on memories of an earlier trip through the Andalusian countryside. Lorca also had an obse ssion with death, which is apparent in most of his poems and plays. Talking of Lorca’s early works, Book of Poems and Gypsy Ballads, John Petrakis states, â€Å"These early poems reflected Lorca's inherent love of nature, along with his lifelong obsession with death. For him, gypsies were tragic if romantic figures doomed to die young as a result of their free spirits† (Petrakis).These gypsies is especially ironic since Lorca’s gypsies died young as he did, making it seem as if he paralleled his gypsies with himself. This excerpt from Blood Wedding, called â€Å"Lullaby,† exemplifies his obsession with death in later works. â€Å"Down he went to the river, Oh, down he went down! And his blood was running. Oh, more than the water. † Most of Lorca’s works were not totally morbid throughout the work but almost always ended with the death of the speaker or the subject of the poem or play. Works CitedBourgoin, Suzzanne, and Paula Byers. â€Å"Fe derico Garcia Lorca. †Ã‚  Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale Research, 2000. Print. Campbell, Roy. Lorca: An Appreciation of His Poetry. World Literature Criticism, Vol. 2. Ed. James Draper. Detroit: Gale Research. 1992. 1346-1349. Print. Higginbotham, Virginia. †The Comic Spirit of Federico Garcia Lorca. † Poetry Criticism, Vol. 3. Ed. Robyn Young. Detroit: Gale Research. 1991. 147-149. Print. Hirsch, Edward. â€Å"Poet in the New World. † Poetry Criticism, Vol. . Ed. Robyn Young. Detroit: Gale Research. 1991. 149-151. Print. Petrakis, John. â€Å"`Garcia Lorca' Almost Ignores The Poet's Work. †Ã‚  Chicago Tribune  [Chicago] 12 September 1997, Entertainment. Print. Rio, Angel de. â€Å"An Introduction to Poet in New York. † Poetry Criticism, Vol. 3. Ed. Robyn Young. Detroit: Gale Research. 1991. 137-144. Print. Rogow, Zack. â€Å"Lorca's Local Modernism. †Ã‚  Poetry Flash. Web. 10 Mar 2012. ;http://poetryfl ash. org/archive/? s=features;p=ROGOW-Lorcas_Local_Modernism;.

Managing Staff Essay

Health care managers have many different roles in any health care facility. According to Chapter 9 of Health Care Finance, â€Å"The manager is responsible for seeing that an employee is present and working for each position and for every shift required for that position’. Managers have a role to understand and know how to use staffing measurement known as the full-time equivalent (FTE). The role of health care managers can vary depending on their position as well as the size of the facility. The role of a health care manager consist of many different things such as staffing, budgeting, scheduling, marketing, accounting, and organizing decisions that will benefit the facility and ensure that everything is effective. â€Å"Group medical practice managers work with a group of medical doctors and handle the budgets, billing, personnel, and patients†, (Role of a Healthcare Manager, 2010). Another role of health care managers is to be available at all times. Comparing Productive and Nonproductive Time According to Chapter 9 of Health Care Finance, â€Å"Productive time actually equates to the employee’s net hours on duty when performing the functions in his or her job description†. Nonproductive time is paid-for time when the employee is not on duty: that is, not producing and therefore â€Å"nonproductive.† Some things that will consist of nonproductive time would be holidays, paid-for vacation days, personal leave days, and/or sick days. Some things that will consist of productive time would be an employee net time or days that they actually at worked on the job. Costs Tied to Staffing Costing is tied to staffing in a variety of ways, because the health care field is a 24-hour job. In the health care setting you have staffs employees working majority of the day. Some employee work sixteen hours shifts, but shift does change every eight to twelve hours in many facilities. The role of a manager is staffing, and employees normally work forty hours per week. If the facility consists of eight hour shifts then the staff would normally work eight hour shifts five days a week, and if it is a twelve hour shift the staff would work three in half days to get forty hours. The Difference between the Annualized Method and the Scheduled-Position Method There are two different approaches to use to compute the staff full-time equivalent (FTE). The Two approaches are the annualized method and the scheduled-position method. The role of a manager comes into place when concerning the annualized method, because the manager would take the productive days and the nonproductive days of each employee and account them in the formula used to complete the hours. The annualized method is a yearly thing and it is calculated with the time the employee has worked. The role of a manager comes into place when concerning the schedule-position method, because the productive days and nonproductive days are accounted for when filling a scheduled shift. The scheduled-position method is a weekly schedule thing. It is important to have a staffing plan in any health care facility. It is important to have enough staff present for the quality of the residents or patients. A staffing plan can help to determine what staffs are schedule and if more staffs are needed to work. Having a staffing plan helpful, because this way every employee time worked are accounted for when recording productive days and nonproductive days. Annualize Staffing Annualizing staff is important in any health care facility, because it is something that the staff have worked hard for and deserve what they have coming to them. Annualizing staff is important because the staffs will be get days off such as Christmas, New Years and etc., and still get paid for it depending on how long they have been employed, because the annualized method is hours accumulated on a yearly method. According to Chapter 9 of Health Care Finance, â€Å"Annualizing is necessary because each employee that is eligible for benefits (such as vacation days) will not be on duty for the  full number of hours paid for by the organization†. The Benefits of Recording Productive and Nonproductive Time There are many benefits of recording productive and nonproductive time in health care management. One benefit of recording productive and nonproductive time is that it improved productivity and decreased non-productivity. Some other benefits of recording productive and nonproductive time are to presence-to-performance ratio, to keep a time log, to make a checklist of recoverable time, and to sharpen the saw. It is important for managers to have a staffing plan available to manage staff and keep record of all staff hours to avoid miscommunication. References T Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Occupational employment statistics. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes113031.htm#ind Crainer, S., & Dearlove, D. (Eds.) (2004). The Financial Times handbook of management. (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Pearson. Tina Su (2010) http://workawesome.com/productivity/full-engagement-at-work/

Integrated Case Study: Bandon Group, Inc. Essay

This paper is the continuation of Bandon Group Inc. integrated case study. This part of the case study mines feasibility of an ERP system at Bandon Group and evaluate alternative ERP and CRM packages for Bandon Group and make recommendations for a solution which will meet their needs. Step 8: Determining the feasibility of an ERP system From the description of the executive managers of the divisions, it is pretty clear that Bandon Group has encountered big challenges with the current IT situation. Many of the issues discussed possibly will be solved by restructuring and re-engineering the organization, the business process and by placing the legacy systems with an ERP system. ERP provides the backbone for an enterprise wide information system. A primary benefit of ERP is easier access to reliable, integrated information. A related benefit is the elimination of redundant data and the rationalization of processes, which result in substantial cost savings (Lau, 2003). From the case study, we have learned that the co-owners are requesting eBusiness know-hows, on-demand reports that generates electronic reports, the need to address for more information for tactical and strategic management, the need to standardize business process and the need for more targeted marketing (Sumner, 2005). The dilemma was to decide whether the system should be centralized or decentralized. The implementation of the CRM softwares in the divisions were decentralized and the division mangers were seeking better management  information but they were encountering data relational problem. In general, when we look at the current IT situation especially the use and implementation of CRM and OMD application, it is intolerable. The problem get worse when the company plans to expand its business with the existing situation. The answer for Bandon Group should pursue and EPR solution absolutely is yes. That would be my recommendation. Basically ERP implementation requires organizations to re-engineer their key business in fundamental ways and restructuring the overall organization system because the ERP is there to address business issues and to place the company in a better competitive environment and position. Kumar (2010) emphasize that managers must conduct a feasibility study of the current situation to assess the organization’s needs by analyzing the availability hardware, software, database ad in house computer expertise and make the decision to implement ERP where integration is essential. To decide whether Bandon Group should purse for ERP solution, we should reconsider the benefits of implementing ERP. As Sumner (2005) outlines the benefits. Some of the main benefits ERP he mentioned. ERP maximizes throughput of information Minimize response time to customers and increase interaction with customers, Increase interaction across the enterprise, Improve on-time delivery, Reduce direct operating expense, Increase interaction with suppliers, etc. When we come to the Bandon Group practical case, integration problem was critical for all divisions. Some of the areas that ERP overcome are: Coordination: after implementing ERP, it has been confirmed that ERP has the ability to support coordination across business functions. Database: by implementing ERP, it is possible to integrate data so that data will have the same meaning across multiple functions. Process: after implementing ERP, it has been realized consistent business processes which are based upon an information model. Information: Pursuing ERP makes real-time information consistent Information system: ERP has enabled stand-along systems to become integrated systems. Once again, it is my recommendation to Bandon Group to purse CRM solution. Like ERP, it is an integrated approach to managing relationships by focusing on customer retention and relationship development  (Chen and Popovich, 2003) and CRM initiatives increases competitiveness. Adding to their notes, they said that CRM offers customization, simplicity, and convenience for completing transactions, regardless of the channel used for interaction. Sumner (2005) share their idea. The main characteristics he distinguished CRM facilitates customer contact and call list management, It maintains information on customer contacts in a database and forecast customer’s needs, It organizes marketing campaigns, Enables queries to a product marketing database,  Delivers on-line systems that enables customers to configure products on-line, Handles customers’ services. It my recommendation to Bandon Group to implement EPR firs and CRM follows because ERP provides CRM software. Conceptually, ERP covers all the basic business process but CRM systems focus specifically on processes at the customer interface (Schubert, 2010). The current situation at Bandon Group is not limited to customer relationship or the problem of Bandon Group is not limited to lack of sales and marketing data, the billing system, web enabled support system, better invoice or the integration of the software but the company and its process need overall business restructure and re-engineering because that is all about ERP. Step 9: Determining ERP/CRM design issues Business processing workloads are among the most demanding workloads in the enterprise. These include transactional workloads reflecting the â€Å"engine† of a business’ orders and sales, ERP workloads for managing workflows, and CRM for managing customer relationships and decision management solutions. These workloads need to be available to end users, end customers, and business partners. To achieve that goal, they are typically supported by a combination of hardware characteristics, such as built-in reliability and scalability features, and software characteristics, such as system management and support for high availability. In light of this, my recommendation of ERP and CRM packages for Bandon Group would be implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The Microsfot Dynamics ERP and CRM is designed to help any organization acquire and retain customers (Microsoft, n. d). The software enables to perform and automate common business tasks  including: Easily access information about business records from one place. Schedule activities, track them, and send e-mail. Generate reports. Manage marketing lists. Track advertising and marketing campaigns. Sort customer responses to sales and marketing initiatives. Keep detailed notes and an activity history for each business record. Microsoft Dynamics CRM also can run from within Microsoft Office Outlook. On top of the other benefits and functionalities mentioned above, Rhodus and Paris (2013) said that Microsoft CRM and ERP helps the company in integration by creating one view of customer experience, building stronger relationship and creating customer intimacy, improving management visibility, provide visibility and access to customer relationship, etc. I believe that Microsoft Dynamics is the best software solution for the current situation at Bandon Group. References Chen, I, J. and Popovich, K. (2003) Understanding customer relationship management (CRM). People, process and technology. Business process management journal, Vol. 9 No 5. Retrieved from http://cis.csuohio.edu/~ichen/CRM.pdf Kumar, P. (2010). Successful implementation of ERP in a large organization International journal of engineering science and technology. Vol. 2(7), 3218-3224. Retrieved from http://www.ijest.info/docs/IJEST10-02-07-151.pdf Lau, K, L. (2003) Developing successful implementation plan for issues and challenges. Retrieved from http://iacis.org/iis/2003/Lau_ERP.pdf Microsoft (n. d) Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 User’s Guide. Retrieved from http://blogs.msdn.com/b/crm/archive/2008/07/21/crm-4-0-user-s-guide-now-available-in-pdf-and-word.aspx Rhodus, B. and Paris, E. (2013) CRM & ERP – better together. Retrieved from http://www.bkd.com/docs/webinars/2013/8-21-13-presentation.pdf Schubert, P. (2010) Realizing Benefits from Current ERP and CRM Systems Implementa tions: An Empirical Study. Retrieved from http://www.uni-koblenz-landau.de/koblenz/fb4/iwvi/agschubert/publication/mate rialien/bled-23.06.2010 Sumner, M. (2005) Enterprise resource planning. Pearson Prentice hall, Upper saddle river, New Jersey

Business Analysis of W San Francisco Hotel Essay

Business Analysis of W San Francisco Hotel - Essay Example As a well-established facility, W Hotel San Francisco has a total of 404 rooms. These are used to provide a variety of services including Wonderful Rooms, Spectacular Rooms, Cool Corner Rooms and Fantastic Rooms. Each of these is very important since they offer a distinct category of services to a diverse group of clients who frequent the facility for accommodation. Summarily, these rooms are made to cater for each of the clients in line with their income and preferences. They have bed and table spaces to suite both individuals and groups as well. Indeed, W Hotel San Francisco should be considered as the best facility in the region. A part from offering a wide range of services, it has a team of professionals to manage it and offer day to day services required by its customers. Besides, it offers high quality services such as 100% organic coffee, wines and meals. At the same time, it has a well-equipped gym which remains accessible to all the clients at any time of the day (Gross 180). Finally, unlike its competitors, it provides on-site parking spaces to its clients at merely $54 per day. These make it to enjoy a competitive advantage over its rivals. In conclusion, W Hotel San Francisco is the place to be. It offers a high level of services which cannot be found anywhere. â€Å"Trace† Restaurant is one of the most spectacular places within the precincts of W Hotel SF. As a restaurant, it is equipped with modern facilities necessary for the provision of high quality services to our clients.