Managing Information 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Information 1 - Essay Example Information system strategy incorporates the use of information technology and a range of software and hardware products that make the system efficient and fully functional (Carry 1988). According to Lucey (2005, p. 4) states, â€Å"the processing of data into information and communicating the resulting information to the user are the very essence of an MIS†. To align corporate strategy with information management mechanisms, companies need to integrate the use of management information systems in all departments. Management information system deals with the use of IT tools in speeding up business processes (Martin 2010). Some of the main fields for which integration of information systems can be useful include system analysis and design, artificial intelligence, health informatics, databases, software engineering, decision making, project management, and knowledge management. As Burke (n.d.) states, â€Å"MIS, or management information systems, are used to manage the data cr eated within the structure of a particular business†. ... related information, assists managers in developing corporate strategies based on information, helps in documentation of processed information, and assists managers in taking critical business decisions. The main purpose of using an information management system is to make effective use of latest IT tools and technologies that can support managers’ attempts to make efficient use of business information, as well as help them in carrying out different business related tasks and operations. Use of information systems has become almost essential in aligning business strategies with the corporate strategy because it establishes a useful link between technology and organizational departments along with providing assistance to the officials in carrying out business operations. In today’s world of competition, information systems are considered to be most significant essentials of success for any company or organization because it helps companies in taking right business decisi on in accordance with the corporate business strategy regarding any matter based on stored information. Information systems collect helps in collecting raw data, as well as in converting the data into useful information in such a way that it can be categorized and sent to concerned authorities (Earl 1988). We can take example of Carlson Investment Solutions Inc., which is a London based firm that deals with providing investment suggestions to clients based on information analysis (See appendix 1). The system works for the company in such a way that it stores all information and presents to the concerned departments is in the form of a well-documented report (Taken from Interview, case study). The system helps companies in setting and achieving long-term strategic goals and objectives (Earl 1996). The

Victorian England Essay Example for Free

Victorian England Essay When Oliver reaches London he falls into the hands of Fagin who is likened to the devil by Dickens who upon Olivers first meeting is described to be wearing a red cloak and holding a fork in front of a fire, he then continues with a more frightening description, whose villainous-looking and repulsive face was obscured by a quantity of matted red hair. Dickens cleverly does this as Fagin like the devil tempts people into a life of sin and crime. Even the colours black and red suggest that it was not a nice place, that it was evil and dangerous. Something that Nancy, in the book struggles to break free from like many of the paupers in those situations. Like Oliver, Nancy has a sense of right and wrong, after playing a part of the re-capturing of Oliver she realises what she has done is wrong but it is her loyalties to Sikes and his gang that keep her from taking action sooner. Although she does save Oliver, Dickens keeps the story realistic, when she is discovered to have alerted Mr Brownlow and Rose, Sikes clubs her to death. The one person that ever truly cared for him, who he constantly abused he eventually killed. Dickens based him on typical hardened criminals in Victorian England. Children in Victorian England were intensely used by adult gang members, as pick pockets, prostitutes and even in organised robberies. Once involved in crime there was no escape unless you were very lucky as Oliver was. Oliver is taught to pickpocket and winds up in trouble when he is thought to have stolen from a wealthy man when in fact it wasnt him. Mr Brownlow shows compassion and takes him into his home even though he has been wronged, this is an ideal that Dickens holds dear and tried to vent it through his writing even if he does make it comical when he ridicules the rich by comparing Olivers terrible illness and suffering to Mr Brownlows worrying for his health when he uses a slightly damp cloth. As the future begins to look bright for Oliver you discover that Fagin is not far and he wants Oliver back as he could be a danger to them, this is an example of the never-ending crime cycle in Victorian England. Oliver is captured and forced to help Sikes in a robbery where he is shot and then left presumed dead. Dickens uses this as an example of how harsh Victorian England could be Sikes and his gang had fled when it had gone wrong leaving anything that would slow them down.

Research on the Defence of Diminished Responsibility

Research on the Defence of Diminished Responsibility Research Proposal Provocation, diminished responsibility and the reasonable (wo)man; the implications of the Law Reform Commission’s recommendations. Introduction The crime of murder is one defined by the common law as the intention to unlawfully kill another human being with malice afore thought. Currently, in England and Wales the legal system does not differentiate between different ‘types’ of murder, such as first and second degree.[1] There are however, defences available to defendants, which could enable either an acquittal (some general defences), or a conviction of some lesser offence (specific defences). Under the Homicide Act 1957 an individual can plead the defences of provocation, diminished responsibility or claim that he or she was involved in a suicide pact. If such defences are successful, this will have the result of bringing a charge of murder down to one of manslaughter and thus, termed ‘voluntary manslaughter’. The first of the two defences have developed a considerable amount of case law and many of these decisions have related to abusive relationships where the abused has killed the alleged abuse r. The law relating to the defence of provocation has held that an individual must have been provoked (by either words or actions), resulting in a total loss of self control,[2] and that a reasonable person in the same situation would have acted in the same manner. The first two aspects of the defence have been referred to as the ‘subjective’ elements and the third part as ‘objective’. The so-called objective element has become more and more subjective in nature. In R v Camplin, Lord Diplock acknowledged that the test was not ‘wholly objective’[3] and in the case of R v Smith (Morgan James)[4] it was asserted that the characteristics of the defendant should be attributed to the ‘reasonable person’ and this includes not only characteristics that had bearing on the actual provocation, but also on the ability of an individual to maintain his or her self control. In context of the so-called ‘battered wife’ cases, the judiciary have also applied this principle.[5] The specific defences outlined above are justified on the basis that in some circumstances, the law should recognise that there are reasons as to why an individual should not be convicted of the more serious offence of murder and thus, subject to a mandatory life sentence. The issue with the provocation defence relating to an individual who has suffered long-term abuse, is that such individuals will not always be able to rely on it as there may be some aspect of pre-meditation. The law has also recognised that such individuals suffering from some ‘abnormality of mind’ may not be fully responsible for his or her conduct and therefore should be convicted of manslaughter instead of murder. The effect of abuse on an individual’s mental state can in certain circumstances, amount to an ‘abnormality of mind’ and thus satisfy the defence of diminished responsibility.[6] The purpose of the proposed research is to examine the current state of the law and look at the way in which abused women are dealt with when charged with murder. In line with the Law Commission’s proposals to reform the law of homicide, the research will also examine the extent to which the proposed change in the law will impact on this area. It is submitted that the current state of the law is not adequate in dealing with such individuals and it remains to be answered as to whether the proposals will make any real difference. The Law Commission’s Consultation Paper proposes to maintain the defence of diminished responsibility and comments that there are no grounds for abolishing the defence based upon arguments that it gender discriminatory. The paper comments at one point: â€Å"Was the abnormality of mental functioning really a substantial cause of the defendant’s conduct if other factors were at work? Or, were the other factors, jealousy, anger, a desire to dominate or punish, the real or predominant explanation, with the abnormality of mind being a minor background factor of inadequate moral significance to affect the verdict?†[7] The research will examine the defence of provocation and the so-called objective element in order to determine how this fits with the nature of a long term build up of abuse suffered by some women. Is there a true ‘loss of control’ in such circumstances and is it appropriate to attribute the full characteristics of such people to the reasonable (wo)man? Furthermore, by also enabling such individuals to plead the defence of diminished responsibility, as the above quote would seem to suggest, is the law simply ‘categorising’ these people to as their conduct is not viewed quite as seriously as a person who commits murder? Thus, the term ‘abnormality of mind’ is not one used in psychiatric terminology and the courts have been left to establish exactly what the phrase means on a case-by-case basis. It seems doubtful as to whether this is a sufficient approach for the law to take. Objectives Analyse the current law relating to the defences of provocation and diminished responsibility and establish how these apply to women in long-term abusive relationships. Present the justifications for the defences and apply them in context of the proposed research theme. Establish the proposed reforms in the area. Critically analyse the proposed reforms in line with the research topic in order to determine whether they are sufficient. Value of the Research Add to the current academic debate in this field. Establish the appropriateness of the Law Commission’s reforms. Personal interest to the researcher. Theoretical research based on literature search and critical analysis. Sources: Domestic legislation, cases in domestic and international jurisdictions Books and periodical articles. Law Commission Reports. Statistics from the Home Office (relating to domestic violence/fatal offences from domestic relationships). Preliminary Plan (Chapters) Abstract Introduction and overview of the topic Analysis of the existing law on provocation/diminished responsibility Analysis of the Law Commission’s proposals for reform Conclusion (including any further suggestions for the direction the law should take for the future). Essential Reading: (As well as the most current academic text books on the subject) Legislation: Homicide Act 1957 Family Law Act 1996 – see Part IV relating to domestic violence provisions Protection From Harassment Act 1997 See also the Law Reform’s paper: The Law Commission Consultation Paper No 177, A New Homicide Act For England And Wales? At http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/cp177_web.pdf Cases: Jersey v Holley [2005] UKPC 23 R v Mohammed [2005] EWCA Crim 180 R v Ahluwalia (1992) 4 All.E.R 889 R v Bedder (1954) 2All.E.R. 801 DPP v Camplin (1978) A.C. 705 R v Duffy [1949] 1 All.E.R 932 R v Newell (1980) 71 Cr.App.R. 331 R v Roberts [1990] Crim.L.R 122 R v Thornton (No.2) (1996) 2 All.E.R 1023 R v Richens (1993) 4 All.E.R 877 R v Humphreys (1995) 4 All E.R 1008 R v Morhall (1995) 3 All E.R 659 R v Luc Thiet Thuan (1996) 2 All E.R 1033 R v Smith (Morgan James) (2000) 4 All. E.R. 289 R v Keaveney (2004) LTL 22.04.04 Extempore – unreported – find it on Lawtel Journals: Toczek, ‘The action of the reasonable man’, (1996) N.L.J. 146, 835 Toczek, ‘Self-control and the Reasonable Man’ (2000) NLJ 150, 1222 Oliver, ‘Provocation and non-violent homosexual advances’ (1999) J.Crim.L. 63(6) 586-592 Thomas, ‘Sentencing: manslaughter – manslaughter by reason of provocation – manslaughter of spouse of partner’ (2003) Crim.L.R. June 414-417 Neal Bagaric, ‘Provocation: the ongoing subservience of principle to tradition’, (2003) J.Crim.L 67(3) 237-256 Gardner, ‘The mark of responsibility’ (2003) O.J.L.S 23(2) 157-171 {N.B – Some psychology literature may be relevant on this topic – search the online journals for killing stemming from domestic violence. Further research will also be needed to obtain further literature – search www.ingenta.com and your university library should be able to order any articles of relevance that they do not have on site/access to online journal. Also search for any recent reviews of the Law Commission’s proposals You may also need to add to this proposal and include a timescale and any further information you wish to add – such as the length of the research (this is obviously information not available)} 1 Footnotes [1] However, see the proposals of the Law Reform Commission: [2] See R v Duffy (1949) 1 All.E.R 932 [3] (1978) AC 705 [4] [2000] 4 All. E.R. 289 [5] See R v Keaveney [2004] EWCA Crim 1091 [6] R v Thornton (No.2) [1996] 2 All.E.R 1023 [7] The Law Commission Consultation Paper No 177, A New Homicide Act For England And Wales? At http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/cp177_web.pdf

Sorting Through Education :: Classrooms School Learning Essays

Sorting Through Education "The whole world’s a classroom, and to really make it one, the first thing is to believe it is." (62) This quote is from Jon Spayde’s article entitled "Learning in the Key of Life" in which he discusses education outside of the classroom. Education is a word that encompasses all new knowledge that a person receives. This includes learning to walk and talk as a child, learning to read and write, learning to make friends and how to keep them. We receive an education everyday starting the minute we wake up. Some knowledge is practical, such as cooking and working effectively with others, and other knowledge is philosophical such as complicated mathematical theorems and Protegra’s idea that "Man is the measure of all things." The question now becomes which type of knowledge is more important, practical or philosophical? My challenge to the reader is to try to see these two ideas as a weighted balance. Both sides are equally important and each enriches the other. If there is enough of both everything tends to balance nicely with each idea corresponding with another. What happens if learning and education focuses more on one then the other? The scale is then lopsided. The more extreme the tilt toward one type of education, the more extreme that life is. For example, a person who can pass any test they take with flying colors but can not use a map to find thier way around. That person is book smart but has no common sense. Let’s look at what is referred to often as "street smarts" or common sense. Street smarts are those things that are learned outside the classroom such as how to communicate with people and how to survive in the every day world. This practical knowledge is extremely important to learn. Everyday we go out we usually learn something that is useful to us as humans. For example, let us take a looks at a man known as Edward. Edward was tiling a roof as child with his father. A piece of paper flew off the roof and Edward, being a little boy, tried to jump off after it. His father stopped him and Edward learned an important lesson that day on impulsiveness. He now knows to think before acting. Other examples of learning through experience are: we learn to read through magazines and comics as seen in Mike Rose's article "Lives on the Boundry.

Panera Bread Essay

What are the Panera Bread’s primary sources of competitive advantage? In your judgment, are these sources of advantages sustainable? Why or why not? Panera’s primary sources of competitive advantage are: (1) the distinctive nature of its bakery products, (2) its brand strength, (3) the atmosphere of its restaurants, and (4). its position in the restaurant industry Yes,Panera Bread Co. (NASDAQ: PNRA) operates the signature restaurant chain Panera Bread, selling hand-crafted breads, sandwiches, salads, and drinks. Panera Bread bakery-cafes are often associated with the concept of â€Å"fast casual†, a mixture between fast food and more upscale casual dining. Customers still pay for their food at the counter, like a traditional fast food restaurant, but Panera arranges tables and chairs to be conducive to group meetings. Most Panera Bread restaurants are located in suburban strip malls and regional malls. As of December 29, 2009, Panera had 1,380 bakery-cafes, spanning 38 states, as well as some locations in Canada. Traditionally, companies like Panera have suffered in recessions, which decrease the frequency with which consumers eat out at restaurants. 1] However, Panera’s strategy during the recession has been â€Å"to stay consistent and not to react to the recession†, keeping costs constant and offering new salads and sandwiches. [2] As a result, Panera’s â€Å"fast casual† niche (between casual dining and fast food) contributes to its relative success; this positioning allowed it to avoid discounting wars and maintain its margins by attracting customers with a higher quality product perceived to be a good value for the money. Panera bread has a great meal of Bacon Turkey Bravo with 28G of fat per meal.

Canadian health policy Essays

Canadian health policy Essays Canadian health policy Paper Canadian health policy Paper Canada’s   public founded health care system is dynamic, reforms are been made over four decades and will continue in responds to changes within medicine and throughout the society .The basics is the universal coverage for medically necessary health care service provided on the   basis of need rather than the ability to pay. Canadian health policy is regarded as one of the best health services in the world. The demand for these health services are however growing at the same time as economic resources are diminishing. Health policy initiatives have achieved the 1964 royal commission on health services goal of access of medical care for all Canadian. The current challenge is to enable all Canadian to achieve the best possible state of health and to do this within the limitation of changing social, economic and political climate. Canada’s   publicly funded health care services is best described as an interlocking   set of ten provincial and three territorial health insurance plan known as Medicare.   It provides access to universal, comprehensive coverage for medically necessary facilities. The Canadian health care system have started since 1867constitutin which contains few specifics about health, and till date many issues have been discussed on health related matters and have been very beneficial to the formation of Canadian health care policy. CANADAS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AT A GLANCE Health policy is intended to be a vehicles for the exploration and discussion of health policy issues and aimed at enhancing good and quality health status among the people in Canada. Canada’s health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. It is publicly founded and administered on provincial or territorial basis, within guidelines set by the federal government. Under the health care system, individual citizens are provided preventive care and medical treatment from primary care physicians as well as access to hospitals, dental surgery, and additional medical care. Canada’s health care system is subject of much political controversy and debate in the country. Some people question the efficiency of the current system to deliver treatment in a timely fashion and advocate adopting a private system similar to the United States. Conversely, there are worries that privatization would result to inequality in the health system with only wealthy being able to afford certain treatment. Canada does boast of one of the highest expectancies and lower infant mortality rates of the industrialized countries, which many attributed this to Canada’s health care system.

Make Potassium Nitrate From Lite Salt and a Cold Pack

Make Potassium Nitrate From Lite Salt and a Cold Pack Make potassium nitrate (saltpeter) from common household ingredients. Potassium chloride from salt substitute  and ammonium nitrate from a cold pack are reacted to yield potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride. This is an easy way to make your own potassium chloride if you cant find it in a store or just want to try a fun chemistry experiment. Potassium Nitrate Ingredients 40 g ammonium nitrate (from an instant cold pack which has ammonium nitrate listed as its ingredient)37 g potassium chloride (sold as a salt substitute, with potassium chloride listed as the only ingredient)100 ml water You should be able to find the ingredients at a grocery store or general store. Cold packs that work using ammonium nitrate contain two pouches. One is filled with water, while the other contains solid ammonium nitrate. Potassium chloride is a common salt substitute, used by people trying to cut their sodium intake. Its sold with table salt and other spices. While its fine if there is an anti-caking chemical, youll want to avoid lite salt containing both potassium chloride and sodium chloride because youll end up with a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate from the chemical reaction. The Chemical Reaction Aqueous solutions of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride are reacted to exchange the ions and form potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride. The ammonium chloride is much more soluble in water than the potassium nitrate, so you will get potassium nitrate crystals, which can be separated from the ammonium chloride solution. The chemical equation for the reaction is: NH4NO3 KCl → KNO3 NH4Cl Make Potassium Nitrate Dissolve 40 g of ammonium nitrate into 100 ml of water.Filter the solution through a coffee filter to remove any undissolved material.Heat the solution with 37 g potassium chloride to dissolve the lite salt. Do not boil the solution.Filter the solution and either set it in the freezer to chill or else put it in an ice bath so you can observe the crystallization of the potassium nitrate.Pour off the ammonium chloride solution, leaving the potassium nitrate crystals. You can recover the ammonium chloride, too, if you like.Once the potassium nitrate crystals are dry, you can use them for chemistry experiments. The resulting potassium nitrate does contain impurities, but it will work fine for pyrotechnics projects and other experiments described on this site. Examples of Potassium Nitrate Science Projects Perhaps the simplest project you can perform with potassium nitrate is producing purple fire. The purple color results from the excitation of the potassium ion. You could also mix potassium nitrate with alcohol to make a colored fire spray bottle.Potassium nitrate is a key ingredient in a homemade storm glass, which produces crystals in response to atmospheric conditions.Mix potassium nitrate with sugar to make a homemade smoke bomb.Coat paper with a mixture of potassium nitrate and water, let it dry, and apply a match to write a message using fire.Potassium nitrate is used to make black powder.