51 Euphemisms for Youre Fired

51 Euphemisms for 'You're Fired' A euphemism is a seemingly nice or polite way of expressing a harsh or unpleasant truth.  In the  Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms  (2007), R.W. Holder observes that euphemism is often the language of evasion, hypocrisy, prudery, and deceit. To test that observation, consider these 51 alternative ways of saying Youre fired.   Dan Foreman:  Guys, I feel very terrible about what Im about to say. But Im afraid youre both being let go.Lou:  Let go? What does that mean?Dan Foreman:  It means youre being fired, Louie.(Dennis Quaid and Kevin Chapman in the movie  In Good Company, 2004) Throughout much of the world, unemployment remains a problem. Yet of all those people who have lost their jobs, few were ever told, Youre fired. Apparently, those day-long seminars in workplace sensitivity have paid off: firing is now as outdated as a defined-benefit pension plan. In its place is a brightly colored file folder filled with smiley-faced  euphemisms. True, a few of the terms sound rather dour and legalistic (involuntary separation, for example, and workforce imbalance correction). A few others are simply perplexing (decruit, lateralize, waive). But many sound as cheery as a year-end bonus: constructive discharge, career alternative enhancement, and- no kidding- free up for the future. Youre not losing a job, these expressions seem to be saying. Youre regaining a life. Euphemisms for Job Termination Here, according to management guides and personnel documents found at a host of online human resources sites, are 51 bona fide euphemisms for job termination. career alternative enhancementcareer change opportunitycareer transitionconstructive dischargeconstructive dismissaldecline a contract extensiondecruitdefunddehirede-selectdestaffdischargediscontinuedownscaledownsizeearly retirement opportunityemployee transitionend of a trial periodexcessingfree up for the futureindefinite idlinginvoluntary separationlateralizelet gomake internal efficienciesmake redundantmanage downnegotiate a departureoutplaceoutsourcepersonnel realignmentpersonnel surplus reductionrationalize the workforcereduce headcountreduce in force (or  riffing)re-engineer the staffreleaserelieve of dutiesreorganize (or  re-org)reshufflerestructureretrenchrightsizeselect outseparateskill-mix adjustmentstreamlinesurplusunassignwaiveworkforce imbalance correction Forget those condescending reminders that youre now free to pursue other interests and spend more time with the family. As anyone who has ever lost a job is keenly aware, euphemisms such as these rarely achieve their goal of softening the blow. The terms that  we  use for getting fired tend to be  dysphemisms: sacked, dumped, bounced out, canned, axed, eighty-sixed, and given the old heave-ho. More About Euphemisms and Dysphemisms Why Do We Use Euphemisms?Euphemisms, Dysphemisms, and Distinctio: Soggy Sweats Whiskey SpeechSoft Language

Reflective Management Journal Nursing Essay

Reflective Management Journal Nursing Essay Effective Management in Health Industry Nursing Essay Effective Management in Health Industry Nursing Essay The aim of this reflective management journal is to critically analyze the incident, which occurred in my clinical practice where I work as a senior nurse in a team of staff nurses. Using Gibb’s (1988) model, the emerged feelings, thoughts and corresponding themes connected with the incident will be identified, and finally, possible solutions will be generated. It is an undoubtable fact that emotions can demonstrate what a person really thinks and what attitudes he/she holds. Therefore, by utilizing the aforementioned reflective model, my intention is to become more self-aware and reflective. In addition, critical thinking is supposed to improve personal strengths and success and that of my followers. As Horton-Deutsch (2013) states, â€Å"it is important to be aware of one’s thinking in order to understand oneself, and to make informed and logical decisions when working with others. In turn, attending to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others facilitates prog ress toward achieving professional and organizational goals.† After generating possible solutions, the most appropriate one will be discussed and selected. Considering a conflict as an opportunity to discover new sides of personalities and foster change for the better, it will be wise to reveal my particular goal, which is to improve communication and enhance collaboration between all the team members as well as promote their personal and professional growth. REFLECTIVE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL Consequently, reflective judgment and elaborated analysis of the conflict will establish constructive relationships among all the participants. Moreover, the conflicts constantly arise in the working process; they result from various types of contradictions that ultimately lead to the corresponding change and evolvement. The task of an efficient leader is to productively manage any type of conflict and turn it into a constructive experience and motivator of progress due to the reflective practice. In this study, by utilizing Covey’s (1990) theory, an attempt to solve an interpersonal issue that occurred in the respective team of nurses will be made. Moreover, the negative experience will be turned into a development means of both the followers and me personally. Journal of the incident (15 May, 2015) To start the management journal, it is reasonable to state the factual information concerning the incident, which happened at the workplace and which presents a specific interest as it is related to my goal to improve the teamwork. Further, the thoughts and feelings provoked by the conflict will be reflected; this stage corresponds to Description, Feelings, Evaluation, and Analysis phases in Gibb’s reflective model (Gibbs 1988). The incident happened between a middle-aged experienced nurse (she is one of the staff nurses, though not a senior one) and a young nurse who had just started her practice. The older woman provoked a conflict and expressed her irritation at the younger one in a rude manner. Moreover, she shouted at the young colleague in front of the patients and other workers who were present in the department. When the crying nurse informed about the incident, it raised a range of strong emotions. It is necessary to state that first I felt annoyed, desperate and even furious. Furthermore, I had fear because despite the fact that I was a senior worker in the team, this nurse was older and more experienced. Consequently, this difference in age produced additional complications. First I decided that it was better not to initiate any conversation with her, since it was her usual behavior and the staff seemed to accept her as she was. Analysis of Journal Continuing analysis, the following themes may be distinguished: issues in the interpersonal relationships within the team, bullying the young personnel, negative emotions and stress at the workplace, and heightened level of anxiety in young nurses due to unhelpful behaviors of their seniors. Moreover, I noticed the problem in this experienced nurse’s motivation: regardless of her age, she was a staff nurse without any senior responsibilities. The next step was to discuss the emerged situation with witnesses, both medical workers and patients. In such a way, it was possible to gather enough data in order to create a vivid picture of what had occurred. After analyzing all the circumstances, the conclusion was made that it was vital to engage in problem-solving with the nurse who demonstrated unhelpful behavior. It was important to determine and identify the specific problem (or problems) together as well as generate its possible solutions and choose the most appropriate one. It seemed that it was the most constructive way of dealing with the conflict. Reflection and Linking to Theory To make a reasonable and evidence-based decision, I collected relevant information first via observations, reports presented by others in the clinical unit, and communicating with the nurse herself. Having obtained the objective judgment, I noted all the circumstances and made an attempt to create a vivid and true picture of the emerged situation. From the personal observations, combined with reasonable arguments, logical inferences and conclusions, it was possible to get sufficient evidence for the further decision-making process. Thus, it appeared that this nurse’s disruptive behavior was noticed repeatedly in her practice. Moreover, her unhelpful behaviors were directed not only at the younger nurses but also at the patients. Consequently, this issue raised the severity in the clinical environment. It is also reflected in the research as a looming problem of practice settings in regard to the concepts of nurses â€Å"eating their young† (Hamric et al 2014) or â€Å" incivility† in nursing (Clark Olender 2011). Taking into account Covey’s (1990) imperative to â€Å"be proactive†, my decision was not to ignore the unpleasant situation, but to deal with thoroughly and productively with the problem. In order to act promptly and produce an anticipated reaction to a stimulus seems ineffective and simplistic. According to the typical behavioristic formula â€Å"Stimulus – Reaction† (described by famous psychologists like Thorndike and Skinner), the mode of behavior is neither productive in the human relationships and performance nor in all humans (Hjelle Ziegler 1992). As Frankl (2006) described in his famous book, a person in any circumstances has still the choice to rise over them and choose own reaction and attitude. Then, having made a decision, one becomes responsible for his choice and life in general. Moreover, neither external circumstances, nor subconscious instincts and any other mechanisms are able to determine his behaviors and thoughts. It is important to become conscious and self-aware as well as to choose one’s own way (Frankl 2006). To be a proactive person, I decided that the solution of this issue was within my circle of influence (Covey 1990). I felt my responsibility for the outcome of this conflict, since it happened within my team. Therefore, simple reactive behavior was not appropriate and contradicted my values connected with the features of an effective leader. I agree with Covey (2006) that the eternal values and principles must be of the first priority, such as â€Å"trust, fairness, service, courage, humility, integrity, human dignity, contribution, growth and empowerment† (Covey 2006, cited in Govier Nash 2009, p. 24). It was decided to act in accordance with the afore-mentioned values. Moreover, I decided to make them apparent to the nurse so that she could acquire these values in her own attitudes, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. Regardless of the grave nature of the incident and my ardent initial emotional reaction, I managed to control and avoid the feelings so that they do not prevent constructive solution to the conflict. Taking Covey’s (1990) Habit 2 â€Å"End in mind† as a guide while taking a decision how to deal with the nurse, I had a clear target, which was to achieve positive outcomes for all the participants and the whole organization. In other words, it was urgent to promote personal development, transformation, and maturation of the nurse as well as ultimately improve the efficiency of the whole team. To use conflict as a means of development is another important idea revealed in the respective research (Govier Nash 2009). In this regard, it was impossible to suppress any emotions. Being determined to become a transformational leader (the concept of transformational leadership will be discussed later in the paper), I must learn to deal with any type of complexities, evolve stronge r and more accomplished from adversities, as well as inspire my followers to accept negative incidents as opportunities to grow (Bass Steidlmeier 1999; Oliver 2006; Givens 2008; Brown Mitchell 2009; Frankel 2009; Hamric et al. 2014). In this concern, I made a decision to utilize the ideas of the strength-based approach in order to engage the nurse in a more productive and solution-oriented dialogue (Gallagher 2007). Moreover, the position of mutual respect and endeavoring to make a person feel comfortable while communicating with me are in compliance with my personal philosophy of interpersonal relationships. Therefore, in order achieve the goal of engaging the nurse into the discussion and make her feel safe, open, and ready to solve the general issue for the common positive outcomes, I started from expressing some neutral observations. Applying the so-called â€Å"Neutral Zone† at the beginning of any dialogue allows one â€Å"to remove the threat stimulus†, and â€Å"an innate survival instinct† of an individual does not switch on and does not induce him/her get defensive (Gallagher 2007). Consequently, in order to solve the raised conflict between the nurses, I decided to analyze the situation with objectivity and justice as well as listen to the both parties carefully. It is considered that such leadership style promotes justice and equality in the work setting and is close to the notion of â€Å"action learning, which is about reflection and experiential learning. It is a balance of support and challenge.† (Govier Nash 2009, p. 23). During the process of decision-making, I also tried to account for the peculiarities of her personality. As Covey (1990) states, within the personal Production Capability paradigm, it is necessary to enhance all the four personality domains: physical, mental, social / emotional, and spiritual. Discussing various sides of her life, I aimed at realizing her motives, attitudes, feelings, and values; her general set of beliefs and meanings that influence her choices in everyday performance and interactions. While following such a plan, I considered the 5th habit by Covey (1990) and tried to listen attentively to the nurse’s arguments as well as demonstrate empathy. In other words, my approach in communication with her was first to understand and then seek to be understood (Covey 1990). It frequently occurs that angry behaviors and reactions do not necessarily result from the associated conflicting type of the personality. Within the framework of emotional intelligence, it is vital to become aware of own thinking processes and feelings. McQueen (2003) states that emotional intelligence, which includes interpersonal and intrapersonal skills or the skills of social analysis are part of the nursing work. On the one hand, the nurses must be able to interpret and understand feelings, motives, and concerns of the patients. Additionally, McQueen (2003) asserts that negotiating skills, high performance in human interactions and relationships are required for excellent teamwork of the nurs es. Therefore, we discussed different aspects of her life and her relationships with the family members. I consider that my initial approach of focusing on strengths (Gallagher 2007) allowed me to create a positive cooperative attitude of the nurse. She was ready to share her troubles with me because she realized that our common goal was to assist her in the difficulties she faced. In turn, analyzing her reports, I realized that the nurse had considerable problems with her interpersonal communication and decided to make a plan for her improvement in this sphere. The necessity to enhance her both interpersonal and emotional intelligence (McQueen 2003) was evident. Thus, in various spheres of communication (except for colleagues, also family and friends) she demonstrated emotional immaturity, incapacity to control her initial inadequate reactions, lack of the ability to understand and co-operate with people. In addition, a low level of intrapersonal intelligence did not allow her to recognize and judge own feelings, be aware of her own self. As McQueen states, â€Å"an accurate picture of one’s self . . . [is necessary] to operate successfully in life† (p. 102). Finally, I was able to arrive at such conclusions on the basis of the objective observations, her reports and those presented by other people in the clinical unit. Consequently, it was possible to make reasonable decision grounded on the substantial evidence. Finally, we tried to create a mutually beneficial solution to the problematic situation, bearing in mind Covey’s (1990) win-win dimension. The nurse agreed that behaving polite and civil with others, she can gain positive personal outcomes. First, she will attain respect from the team members. Moreover, it will bring positive emotions at the workplace and promote the feeling of job satisfaction. In addition, she will be able to get the opportunities for her professional realization by teaching younger nurses and mentoring them. In particular, it is hard to overstate the role of mentorship for the young personnel. Many researchers stated its importance in their studies (Oliver 2006; Frankel 2009; Clark Olender 2011; O’Grady 2011; Hamric et al. 2014; Linette Sherman 2014). Consequently, we included the development of the mentoring characteristic of the APN leadership competency into our common plan. Specifically, these elements included shared vision, serving as a mentor, willingness to share the power, empowering self and others, and self-reflection (Hamric et al. 2014, p. 278). The final unit of the plan comprised two more objectives, namely time and stress management. The respective reason was that the nurse acknowledged that she often felt annoyed and desperate due to the enormous workloads combined with insufficient time for its completion. From my side, job satisfaction of my followers is my major purpose since it can promote their effective performance at work. The current research has shown the interrelation of high performance, job satisfaction of subordinates and ethical, transformational leadership style (Bass Steidlmeier 1999; Brown Mitchell 2010). In order to achieve a shared goal, a good leader must be able to â€Å"to explore personal and team motives/beliefs in accomplishing a change or perceived vision of successâ€Å"(Oliver 2006, p. 39). Having chosen the leadership concepts and styles mentioned above as a guide in my professional evolvement, my principal target is to support reflection in my followers, inspire confidence in them, and their desire to become more professionally accomplished. In such a way, as a senior nurse, I will be able to achieve high outcomes for our clinical unit. The current research has defined the concept of leadership as a â€Å"multifaceted process of identifying a goal or target, motivating other people to act, and providing support and motivation to achieve mutually negotiated goals† (Porter-O’Grady 2003, cited in Frankel 2009). In fact, scientists in leadership domain present a large number of theories, including: great man, trait, contingency, engaging, transactional and transformational leadership theories (Bass Steidlmeier 1999; Govier Nash 2009). In accordance with my inclinations and principles, transformational (which is also inspirational and ethical) framework seems to be the most appropriate foundation for creating my own authentic leadership style. Considering its four key components, being idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass Steidlmeier 1999), transformational style grounds have a great impact on the leader’s ability to motiva te the follower to accomplish more than what he planned to accomplish. Charismatic transformational leader achieves high personal and organizational outcomes because he/she succeeds in making the followers’ and the organization’s values become congruent (Givens 2008). The most important concept of the transformational leadership deals with the morality and ethical beliefs ruling leader’s behavior (Brown Mitchell 2010). Bass Steidlmeier (1999) assert that only a leader with morally uplifting values can be considered transforming and influence his/her followers’ high standards of moral ideals. Brown Mitchell (2010) add that people are likely to conform to the ethical values of their leaders and follow his/her role models. Moreover, ethical leaders are perceived as approachable as well as ready to deal with the individuals’ problems and concerns. Moreover, the followers tend to reciprocate with beneficial work behavior when they feel beneficial attitude of their leader (Brown Mitchel 2010). I consider that completely supporting the view of the ethical transformational leader, it is critical to navigate through the conflicts and adversities with absolute norms and principles in mind, which are called â€Å"a compass† by Covey (2009) (cited in Govier Nash 2009). The only directing force that controls one’s decisions, attitudes at work and any interpersonal relationships must be morality and justice. Finally, to be able to navigate the change in a dynamic world, a nurse has to be ready to constantly transform and be open to the new experience. Moreover, these qualities enable one’s creativity and innovation in the organizations. Combining personal integrity and eternal values as well as distinct and unambiguous understanding of the health care system standards, it is possible to lead constructive change in the health care environment. Finally, the capacity for innovation is perhaps the most vital in today’s changing world. As stated in the report by the Institute of Medicine, â€Å"Creating innovative care models in the patient’s setting and throughout the healthcare community is an essential requisite of contemporary practice.† (O’Grady, 2011, p. 35) In case with this unhelpful nurse, prone to conflict with patients and younger colleagues, one of the ways to deal with her disruptive behavior was just to apply some type of disciplinary punishment. However, I consider that such motivation is ineffective as well as causes additional stress and negative factors in practice. In addition, it is my task to mitigate stress of the staff nurses at the clinical setting because a true leader should â€Å"role model professionalism and utilize effective communication skills† (Clark Olender 2011, p. 325). Extrinsic motivation, which is more the characteristic of transactional leadership, cannot fully involve the individual and force him/her to develop, improve, and achieve the higher goals. Amabile (1997) asserts that motivation can be of two cardinally different types, namely intrinsic and extrinsic. The first one is more efficient since it implies a person’s â€Å"deep interest and involvement in the work†, as well as à ¢â‚¬Å"curiosity, enjoyment, or a personal sense of challenge† (Amabile 1997, p. 44). In contrast, extrinsic motivation is associated with the goals, which are not connected with the work itself, for example, achieving reward or avoiding a punishment. It is clear that only task intrinsic motivation and precise goal-setting can inspire a person to grow. For this reason, I have chosen these concepts in my own performance as a leader. In particular, together with my nurse, we created a concrete plan how to achieve better results for her personal good and more effective communication with the team members. According to Albert Bandura’s social-cognitive theory (Hjelle Ziegler 1992), goal-setting is valuable due to its ability to promote self-efficacy and resilience at the workplace. Distinct goals help envision the picture of a desired result and identify the next actions. On the contrary, the absence of distinguished aims makes a person spend all energy in his attempts to focus the attention. Therefore, goal-setting can increase motivation, concentrate attention a nd efforts by creating the images of desired proficiency outcomes in the mind of a person. Consequently, one spends all energy and efforts only on fulfilling the exact plan, which consists of the set goals. To summarize, I utilized the reflective management journal for the development of my reflection and critical thinking skills. Reflective models used in the health care research, following Gibb’s (1988) model, present a helpful set to manage complexities at the clinical practice since they promote understanding and unbiased perception of the problem’s components. It appeared that Covey’s theory is effective in producing the most appropriate decisions and productive solutions. In my practice, I aim at acquiring all the essential characteristics of an authentic transformational leader, with the goals of bringing success to my organization, team, and its every member. My values and principles are in accordance with the absolute moral foundations, the most important value being a human, his personal well-being and multi-faceted development.

Reflective report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective report - Essay Example The essay drew positive feedback from my tutor and earned a good grade. I attribute this success to the extensive research that I got involved in and comprehensive analysis of the literature materials therein. Taking into account that employees’ job satisfaction takes variations, the essay had to be well planned in different parts to ensure that all the aspects were dealt with. The authenticity of the essay was definitely incredible. In the essay, I recognized other authors’ work that I cited and ensured that the work was free from any plagiarism. Essay 2 The second essay had the question â€Å"How can performance of service be achieved without compromising on the satisfaction of employees?† this was majorly based on finding ways in which the satisfaction of employees is achieved without necessarily compromising on the quality of product and service delivery. The essay tackled service delivery and product quality extensively. The intrinsic and extrinsic employee motivation was also explored as a way of improving the service delivery. This essay is by and large a supplement for the first one. I thought that the first essay was more leant on dealing with the satisfaction of the employees as opposed to the improvement of service delivery and the production of quality products. ... was because the first essay tackled the employees’ aspect while this second one made a bridge between the employees and the quality of products and service delivery. During the April viva, I am certain that the panelists would want me to explain the choice of my topics and the push that I had in the subject matter. Carrying out a research is always tasking and I am sure that they will want me to explain to them how I managed my research, how I got my materials and the general ups and down that characterize research work. The panelists will also want to know my organization in as far as the research work is concerned and want to know how different it is from the usual course work. Eventually, they will seek to know the relevance and my reasons for having the second essay. During that time, I will get an opportunity to prove myself and to elaborate how well I have the grip on the content matter of the topics that I chose. Course reflection Reflecting on my research, there are a lot of positivity in the work I did though I realized that there are certain things that I would have done better. My organization during the research was good. I ensured that I searched for the relevant materials and did extensive research. In the first essay, I was very keen not to have repetitions that are unnecessary. I had a lot of materials that were enough to back up the items that I discussed. The better part of the organization of my research was as a result of adequate use of the research log. Throughout my sourcing of materials, I was keen to keep track of the materials that I came by so as to give me an easy time during the actual and final compilation of the research. The research techniques that I used were adequate and helped me in compiling the content of the first essay. The

Explore how Bob Dylan portrays transient figures in Like a Rolling Research Paper

Explore how Bob Dylan portrays transient figures in Like a Rolling Stone, and discuss how these portrayals contribute to t - Research Paper Example Bob Dylan was growing up personally and evolving his music in the context of the early Beat movement at this time. However, what was an underground movement in the early 60’s rapidly became mainstream with the Beatles and other rock groups gaining mass popularity in 1965. This transition can be seen on Bob Dylan’s album â€Å"Bringing it Back Home† (1965), which included one side of folk songs in the style he had popularized and come to be known by, and the other side featuring Dylan’s first electric guitar based rock songs. (Kemp, 2001) Thus, in the classic song â€Å"Like a Rolling Stone,† Dylan composed a morality tale in the style of an anthem addressed particularly to this division within the movement, discussing the different aspects involved with the mystical and revolutionary path of the underground when it meets the mainstream acceptance and propagation. Eastern Mysticism rooted in Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Yoga, and Sufism was highly inf luential on the Beat Poets of the 1950’s and forms the metaphysical basis for many of their works of literature. Bob Dylan can be considered highly influenced by the Beats, and also widely read in their literature at the time. This influence can be seen in the counter-culture lifestyle promoted by Dylan in his music. As Dylan biographer Sean Wilentz wrote in a New Yorker article on the Beats titled â€Å"Penetrating Aether: The Beat Generation and Allen Ginsberg’s America,† â€Å"Dylan knew the poems, Ginsberg later claimed. ‘Someone handed me Mexico City Blues in St. Paul in 1959,’ Dylan told him. ‘It blew my mind.’ It was the first poetry he’d read that spoke his own American language, Dylan said—or so Ginsberg said he said. Maybe, maybe not. Without question, though, Dylan read Mexico City Blues and was deeply interested in Beat writing before he left Minneapolis for New York. (Like other Beats and hipsters, his friend Tony Glover ordered a paperback copy of William Burroughs’s Naked Lunch from France, where it had been published by Olympia Press in Paris in 1959 as The Naked Lunch— uncertain whether the book, deemed obscene by American authorities, would clear customs. The book indeed arrived, and Glover lent it to Dylan, who returned it after a couple of weeks.) And Dylan’s involvement with the writings of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, and the rest of the Beat generation is nearly as essential to Dylan’s biography as his immersion in rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and then Woody Guthrie. ‘I came out of the wilderness and just naturally fell in with the Beat scene, the bohemian, Be Bop crowd, it was all pretty much connected,’ Dylan said in 1985. ‘It was Jack Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso, Ferlinghetti †¦ I got in at the tail end of that and it was magic †¦ it had just as big an impact on me as Elvis Presley.’† (Wilentz, 2010) Ro lling Stone magazine states that Bob Dylan was the first musician of the modern era to have his lyrics considered by critics and the public to be works of literature. (Kemp, 2001) In this regard, Bob Dylan can be considered a Beat Poet, and his music concerts were played in venues with audiences made up of

Strategic Management of Information Systems

Strategic Management of Information Systems A literature review of the strategic use of information systems/technology in the modern business environment To run a successful business in this modern day, todays management teams need to combine business skills along with a substantial understanding of information systems and the opportunities and benefits that this knowledge of information systems brings to a business. Understanding the basic concepts is a necessity for organisations in the world of business today. Understanding what Information system suits your organisation along with being able to develop and manage an efficient business information system is a huge advantage for an organisation. (Pearlson Saunders) Information systems are part of almost every aspect of business. (Pearlson Saunders). Everyone involved in the management of a business need to understand how business and information systems function and operate together. (Pearlson Saunders) Very often, it is evident that managers claim ignorance of IS issues without losing prominence among their peers. This doesnt tend to happen regarding other functions of the business such as marketing or finance, as a lack of knowledge in these areas would earn colleagues contempt. Business managers have no issue in participating in most company decisions been those that are outside their regular expertise, IS seems to be the one exception. This approach amongst business managers have been traceable to the historic role that IS has obtained in businesses. In the past technology was thought of as an administrative overhead and treated a support. It was not valued as a factor in significant management decisions. Todays environment is extremely different as if that view was present in organizations it would cost them market share and could lead to the failure of an organization as that is how critical IS systems are to organizations now. (Pearlson Saunders) employing information systems strategically to achieve organisational goals. Taking a problem-solving approach, Business Information Systems looks at information systems theory within the context of the most recent business and technological advances. (Pearlson Saunders) Information systems can be the combination of technology, people and the process that an organisation uses to create and manage information (Saunders, 2013). Most the issues organisations experience and face in the modern business world are either triggered by IT or are a ramification of it. Information systems are continuously on the carping path of a business change programme (Feeny, 2000). Organizations need to optimally can use IS and information resources to influence competitive forces. With the realisation of this it has become apparent that the strategic management of IS has never been more critical to a businesss success (Peppard, 2010 and 2001). It is important for Information systems in organisations to be treated as a critical strategic resource, although this is not always the case and can be where organizations weaken themselves. It is the key enabler of organisational change, it is essential for businesses to be able to change with the economy and the environment in to days business world that is constantly evolving. An issue in organizations gaining competitive advantage by using IS is the lack of participation by managers in IS decisions. IS is a tool business managers can use to fight challenges from competitors, it can facilitate or constrain opportunities and possible new strategies for businesses. It is evident that understanding the basic concepts about using and managing information systems is valuable and worth investing the time in. The knowledge gap the lack of understanding among executive management of the nature and role of IS within an organisation, which is often exacerbated by the prevalence of technology orientated language unknown outside of the IS domain (Stephens 1993). The issue of these symptoms of disconnect then prevail into many consequences thus in the failure of the information systems operation to build a common vision of information systems throughout the organisation. This can also be from senior managements failing to engage with the information strategy during the development. (jones, 1995) A significant issue with Information systems is that it is generally considered as a cost rather than a strategic asset. Organisations suffer because they find difficulties in transforming good ideas into action. The creation of silo projects across the organisation that are not integrated into an overall corporate strategy (Kaarst-Brown 2005). IS is a useful tool to fight competitive challenges. Competition arises from both anticipated and unanticipated areas, which is why general managers tend to be in the best position to be able to identify a developing threat and can apply IS effectively to fight or handle ever changing competitive challenges. (Pearlson Saunders). General managers often are involved in demonstrating and comparing how their systems, technology programmes and products compare to their competition. An understanding of IS and how it integrates and supports the competitive view for the business. (Pearlson Saunders) Businesses have had to redesign existing business models that they had in place with the customer pull and power of social media. Businesses must account and adapt to the constant growing and changing social media outlets. Social media facilitates the ever-powerful voice of consumers, and businesses goals along with understanding the proficiency of the company can create a competitive advantage and change the businesses mustnt make the mistake in not listening. Businesses are constantly looking for ways to redesign the customer experience, customers interactions with the business are the focus of many managers with IS enabling and enhancing the interaction between the organization and the customer. Using social IT facilitates new and sometimes more rooted relationships with customers while attracting the social demographic of customers. Business are learning how to integrate and leverage these aspects into their business models and how to construct new business models that facilitate these variables. IS strategy Triangle The information systems strategy triangle relates the business strategy of an organization with IS strategy and organizational strategy. This triangle suggests that successfully organizations have an overriding business strategy that influences both the organizational strategy and IS strategy. Successful organizations have the three strategies well balanced. Strategically designing the organization strategy and the IS strategy of a company to correlate their business strategy. IS strategy can impact and be impacted by changes in organizations business and organizational strategies. Each attribute on the triangle can impact and be impacted by the other two. In the scenario of a firms business strategy being designed in such a way that it uses IS to gain strategic advantage, it will mean that the authority position in IS could only be supported by continued innovation. The three strategies must constantly be adjusted. (Pearlson Saunders) IS strategy always having consequences so it is crucial to consider the business and organizational strategies when designing IS formation. Organizations will only reach success if each aspects of the triangle are specifically tailored. (Pearlson Saunders) Porters Generic Strategies Framework       Michael Porter identified three primary strategies for achieving competitive advantage and sustaining competitive advantage. (Pearlson Saunders) The issue with Porters model and the variants is that the rate of change is not as easily managed and sustained anymore. Organizations sell their goods/services in a highly competitive marketplace, Porters framework aids managers in understanding their choice of strategy and how it enables them to achieve advantage. Porters Value Chain a process view of the organization The value chain draws on how information systems add value to the fundamental movements of an organizations internal operations and supporting that and of its customers and the other attributes of its supply chain. Information resources can be recognised as assets or capabilities. information Resources can be identified as technology, data, people and the processed that exist in an organization. Analysis and findings Higher levels of management and CEOs that manage the management teams continue to condone disregard in this area relative to other business functions. Some consequences of the lack of collusion between the two are; the overspending on underperforming projects, Miss-alignment of resources, Misalignment of functional areas and organisational systems, Ongoing failure of IS for the organisation, organizations goal under-achieved, Organisation is susceptible to the competitive environment and risk of company failure. These are some of the consequences businesses are allowing themselves to become susceptible to by not closing the Gap and integrating the two. An organisation needs to have valuable and rare resources acquired that they can leverage to ensure a superior resource position to enable them to attain competitive advantage. A valuable resource is a resource that allows a firm to operate more efficiently or effectively. It becomes a rare resource when other organizations dont possess it and it is unique to a specific organization. Being able to have a rare resource optimizes the possibilities of success for an organization and provides opportunity in market share. For example, customers expect banks to have ATMs in a vast amount of convenient locations, nowadays a bank wouldnt consider operating without having ATMs swell, therefore this is not a rare resource and do not offer a competitive advantage. (Pearlson Saunders) A lot of organizations that invested in information systems were naÃÆ' ¯ve in thinking that once they obtained a competitive advantage that they would maintain it long term. To sustain an organizations competitive advantage long term there needs to be constant innovation and the organization needs to protect itself against resource imitation, substitution, or transfer. (Pearlson Saunders) Often when companies within an industry imitate other companys successful systems, this often happens with logistic models within a companys supply chain. The self-scan self-service checkouts in supermarkets was at first a novelty and a competitive advantage for one, but then imitations were vastly created by many supermarkets making them become almost an expectation in the eyes of the customer. When competitors build similar systems, organizations lose advantages they may have attained from there is and competition within an industry driven by forces that had existed before the new technology. (Pearlson Saunders) Social IT platforms are now the most rampant evolution of applications, processes and strategic opportunities in a new evolution for organizations striving to adapt there is strategies for their internal and external circumstances. Managers invest a lot of time trying to control and monitor elements that can influence their organizations competitive environment, to ensure they are aware of all elements they must strategically look at it from different views. Three views can enable a manager to align IS strategy with the business strategy. The use of Porters five competitive forces to interpret the influences of the organizations competitive environment, along with the ability to alter the five forces to boost the firms status. The value chain to judge the operations internally and links in its supply chain. The value chain of the organization should then be assessed to decipher the opportunities available for an organization to gain competitive advantage. Finally focusing on the specific IS resources required to gain and sustain competitive advantage for the organization. The three views combined allow a manager a variance of perspectives hat it can identify strategic opportunities to apply to an organizations information resources. (Pearlson Saunders) Risks of information resources in gaining advantage When IS are used as the route to bolster advantage against an organizations competitor, management should be aware of the risks the organization may face. These risks can arise as demonstrating bad timing, customers are often not ready to use updated technology. Awakening a sleeping giant, implementing an IS can lead to encouraging a competitor with a broader scope and bigger advantage to implement the same with enhanced features and end up gaining the advantage instead of you. Implementing IS poorly, failing IS that had potential but results in being below par followed through and poorly implemented. These would usually be quite complex global systems. Failing to deliver what the user wants, systems that dont meet the needs or the target market are susceptible to fail. These are just some of the risks an organization takes when using this approach and it is crucial for them to be cautious when implanting IS strategies. Technology has become entwined with all the standard functions of organizations. IT is a critical resource for modern day businesses as it both supports and absorbs an important amount of an organizations resources. Similarly, the other three dominant types of business resources, people money and machines, it needs to be managed carefully Michael Porters Five Competitive Forces model presents a framework for discussing strategic advantage, and his Value Chain model explains calculated methods for businesses to how they can network processes to build strategic alliances. a companys overall business strategy will drive all other strategies. IS links into all aspects of a business, IS is very much the foundation of a lot of supply chain models and is strongly linked into a companys supply chain system. IT spends a major portion of corporate budgets therefore it is sensible that organizations safeguard it is being optimally used within company strategies to bolster their competitive adva ntage. As discussed there are many attributes in the process that IS is used by organizations to gain competitive advantage within its industry market. References   Ã‚   Anonymous [online], Available from: . Bocij, P., Greasley, A. and Hickie, S. (2015) Business Information Systems: Technology, Development and Management for the e-Business , 5th Ed: Pearson education. Boddy, D., Boonstra, A. and Kennedy, G. (2008) Managing Information Systems Strategy and Organisation, third edition Ed: Pearson education. Brian Dempsey. Lecture Notes [online], Available from: . Dempsey, B. Lecture Notes [online], Available from: . Keri E. Pearlson, Carol S. Saunders Strategic Management of Information Systems, fifth edition Ed: John Wiley Sons Inc. McNurlin, B.C. and Sprague, R.H.J. Information Systems Management in Practice, seventh Ed: prentice hall. Robson, W. (1997) Strategic Management Information Systems, second edition Ed: Pearson education limited. Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown Department of Business I declare that the work I/We am(are) submitting for assessment by the Institute examiner(s) is entirely my(our) own work, except where the author or source has been duly referenced and attributed. I/We confirm that this material has not been previously submitted for a degree or any other qualification at ITB or any at other institution. I/We further confirm that I/We have read and understood the Institute policy on plagiarism in assignments and examinations (3AS08.doc) and that I/We am/are not, so far as I/We am/are aware, in breach of any of these regulations. Name : Lauren Holland Student ID : B00059572 Course : Bachelor of Business studies Module : Strategic management of Information systems Signed : Date : 23/03/17

Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Genetically modified foods have recently been in the new headlines for both their positive attributes and the negatives of genetic modification, this essay will look at the effects Genetically Modified foods have on the economy, environment and you. Genetically modified (GM) foods refer to crop plants which have been created for human or animal consumption, these foods have had their genetic material modified in a way that would not occur naturally within the food. Desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content are some ways food can and have been genetically modified. Traditionally, modifying plant to have a desired trait has been undertaken through breeding, conventional plant breeding methods are time consuming and are often inaccurate. (Better Health Channel, 2013) Genetic modification can create crops with the specific traits rapidly and accuracy. For example, the gene responsible for drought tolerance can be inserted into a different plant species, the GM plant will become drought tolerance as well as the host plant previously was. Experts say 60% to 70% of processed foods on Australian shelves have genetically modified ingredients. The most common genetically modified foods are soybeans, maize, cotton, and rapeseed oil. That means many foods made in Australia containing corn or high-fructose corn syrup, such as breakfast cereals, and snack foods, these ingredients appear frequently in animal feed as well. Today’s techniques of genetic modification provide innovative and infinite of improving specific traits in different crops. For example, physical means of removing weeds is time and cost consuming for farmers, they will often spray their crops with a variety of herbicides to destroy the weeds, this process takes great care to ensure the crop isn’t affected by the herbicide, GM plants modified to be resistant to a variety of herbicides could prevent damage to the environment by reducing the amount of herbicides required. Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off. (Kartha, 2013) Third world counties where malnutrition is major issue, could benefit greatly from GM crops. Impoverished people in Africa and Asia rely on a single staple crop such as rice for the majority of their diet. Rice, however is not an adequate staple with the correct amount of vitamins and nutrients to fully nourish a human. If rice where to be genetically modified with additional vitamins and minerals, malnutrition wouldn’t be an issue for third world countries. (Csa. com, 2013) As this issue grew it became a concern for Professor Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyerin who created The Golden Rice project, Potrykus and Beyerin in a collaborative effort were able to show that production of ? -carotene could be turned on in rice grains using Genetic Modification, Potrykus enabled golden rice to be distributed free to subsistence farmers. Free licenses for developing countries were granted quickly due to the positive publicity that golden rice received. Golden rice was said to be the first Genetically Modified crop that was unarguably beneficial. (Mayer, 2013) Environmental activists, professional associations and other officials have all raised concerns about Genetically Modified foods, and criticized laboratories for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards to humans and the environment. Genetically Modified foods have a long list of benefits, but along with the positive comes the negative, one concern for Genetically Modified foods is increased toxicity, most of the flora that is consumed by humans produce low level toxins, low enough that they don’t cause any adverse health effects. The concern is that inserting an exotic gene into a crop plant may cause its toxicity levels to rise significantly due to the new gene casing the host plant to stress and produce toxins as a defense or altering the plants toxin producing cells completely causing it to produce toxins at a rate dangerous to human health. Although these effects have not been observed in Genetically Modified crop plants, they have been observed through conventional breeding methods, causing scientist to become concerned with the safety of Genetically Modified plants. (Enhs. umn. edu, 2013) Another health concern for Genetically Modified foods is an increase is food allergies. Food Allergy affects approximately 6% of children and 3% of adults in Australia and lately has become a major public health issue (Bakshi, 2003). Allergic reactions occur when a usually harmless proteins enter the body and causes an immune response (Bernstein et al., 2003). If the protein in a Genetically Modified food originates from a source that is known to cause allergic reactions in humans or a source that has never been consumed by humans as food, the protein could evoke the immune response in humans increases. No allergic reactions to Genetically Modified foods by the public have been confirmed, evidence suggesting that some Genetically Modified food products could cause an allergic reaction has motivated a number of biotechnology companies to discontinue their development (Bakshi, 2003). Another serious concern for Genetically Modified foods is the production of â€Å"super bugs†, scientists are finding that Genetically Modified crops are a breeding ground for bacteria and virus’s and that they are extremely resilient to antibiotics and able to overrun the â€Å"good† bacteria in a healthy humans digestive system causing severe and irreversible damage after they have been consumed through Genetically Modified foods, there is documented proof that the digestive system of lab controlled mice fed these â€Å"super bugs† become enlarged and caused the mice to die after it’s digestive track was over run by the bacteria in turn causing its immune system to weaken. Government authorities across the world have strict regulations in place on genetically modified foods. In the U. S, agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration supervise projects that involve Genetically Modified crops. Although the U. S government doesn’t require farmers and retailers to label Genetically Modified foods, each product must go through a strict regulation test in order to be sold to the public. (Curiosity, 2013) Genetically Modified foods are new to the Australian food supply, a cautious and in depth approach is taken when assessing the safety of Genetically Modified foods for consumption by humans. FSANZ (Food Standard Australia and New Zealand) carry out safety checks on a CBC (case by case) basis, this means each new Genetic Modification is assessed individually for any potential impact on the foods safety, â€Å"We compare the Genetically Modified food with a similar, commonly eaten conventional food from a molecular, toxicological, nutritional and compositional point of view. The aim is to find out if there are any differences between the GM food and its conventional counterpart, which we already know to be safe to eat. † -FSANZ official (Foodstandards. gov. au, 2013) Although there are many health issues concerning Genetically Modified foods, rigorous and in-depth research has been done to ensure Genetically Modified foods that are available to the public are totally safe and healthy to be consumed, as more and more foods are becoming Genetically Modified more safe and sustainable procedures are being put in place to ensure that the public and the environment benefit from Genetically Modified Foods.

Simulation Of First Come First Served FCFS

Any modification on the scheduling algorithm will appear as modification on the operating system kernel code. Processor is an important source of CPU scheduling process, so it becomes very important on accomplishing of the operating system design goals. A delicate problem of the well-functioning of SO is the case when in CPU comes two or more processes which wants to be executed. Scheduling includes a range of mechanisms and policies that SO has to follows in order that all processes take the service.In this Paper we will discuss about two main batches algorithms, such as FCC and SF, and I will how a manner how to improve these algorithms in the future work. Keywords – CPU-Scheduling, Scheduler, OFFS, SF. 1. Introduction CPU scheduling is important because when we have multiple renewable processes, it can have a big effect on resource utilization and the overall performance of the system [2]. C.I Latency time: that is the time it takes for the dispatcher to stop one process an d start another running CPU scheduling deals with the problem of choosing a process from the ready queue to be executed by the CAP]. In a scheduling process is the responsibility of scheduler to determine when a recess moves from running state to waiting state also scheduler passes a process from the ready state to the execution state[J. In general waiting queues use FIFO and LIFO policies. We have two types of scheduling algorithms preemptive and non-preemptive.It's preemptive in those cases where the execution of a process can be interrupted by another process (which may have higher priority), while non-preemptive when a process takes control of the CPU and do not leave it until the end of execution The performance of scheduling is linked to several parameters: CPU Usage: CPU should be kept busy at 100% of time . 2. Throughput : Number of process that typically ends executing in the given moment of time . 3. Turnaround time: time which is necessary for the execution of a process. 4. Waiting time: it is time that a process must wait in queue ready to be executed. . Response time : is the time between the reception of the request made , to the first response . We have three types of schedulers: A-Long-term scheduler -? This type of scheduler decides which jobs or processes would be admitted to the ready queue. Also this Scheduler dictates what processes are to run on a system. B-Mid-term Scheduler – One second type scheduler it's mid-term scheduler who removes process from main memory and moves on secondary memory. C-Short-term Scheduler (also known as dispatcher) Dispatcher module gives control of the CPU to the process selected by the short-term scheduler.Characteristic for dispatcher is the. In order to have an optimal scheduling should be completed follows Eng conditions: 445 1 . CPU-usage – MAX 2. Throughput – Max 3. Turnaround time- MIN 4. Waiting time ; MIN 5. Response time -? MIN[6]. And this is illustrated in Figure 1 that is a fo ur state diagram of OFFS. Is an algorithm non-preemptive so if process take control of CPU and don't leave it until the end of execution. 2. Related Works The scheduler algorithms offer an endless field of study.I am focused on algorithms batch, I chose these algorithms because windows is very prevalent in my country and I think that this paper will help those who study windows as SO -What that concretely will deal in this paper is the simulation of two algorithms ( in order to compare them ) his topic well has studied by [2] on paper published in 201 1, it has become an excellent study from both theory and practice , Alkali Pant has achieved interesting conclusions regarding the: turnaround time, waiting time and response time time which has a great importance in batch systems.Another study that is very interesting is [1 3] , Jerry Breeches describes the way that we can get a process attached to a processor . Fig. 1: First Come First Serve Scheduling Figure 2 gives the flow chart o f PC'S in which the C code is supported , which we will use for simulation[4]. There is a simple structure hat represents the algorithm from the functional and construction. Processes are added one after another in the ready queue and executed in sequential order in time independently by the burst time they have [2].Another study in which based my paper is [1 2] . In this paper Minus Lee explains the problems that appear during scheduling process ,he treats the scheduling process improvement, reducing turnaround time ,waiting time response time and. According to the [1 2] different applications require different optimization criteria as example : batch systems (throughput, turnaround time) , interactive system (response time, fairness, user expectation) . Dry. R. B. Gar in his study [3] explains very clearly idea of scheduling through figures.Others studies that have studied very carefully are [1] , [4] and [6] which helped me to reach a clearer conclusion of waiting time which is i mportant in batches sister. This simulation will be carried through a C code. After I realize this simulation and I calculated the time needed for comparison I have describe a way to improve these algorithms by performance. 3. Theory of Experiment Below will give an overview of algorithms for both instruction and operation. This part will be accompanied by tables and figures to make clear how the functionality of these novo algorithms are. 3. F-CIFS OFFS is the simplest algorithm on batch systems as for the building as for the functioning. Policy that uses this algorithm is that FIFO, so the first process which requires CPU takes seen. ‘ice independently by the size of the process Fig. 2: First Come First Serve flow chart Below present the Gaunt diagram for the three processes for which we have calculated average time. 446 Table . 1 Process Execution Process Duration Order 0 Arrival Time 7 2 4 3 A scheduler adds on the top of the queue a process who has a short extenuation tim e and those who have longer extenuation time into the tail of the queue.This requires advanced knowledge or assumptions about the time needed to complete the process [1]. Fig. 3: Gaunt chart for First Come First Serve As we see from the Gaunt Chart : Pl waiting time -O PA waiting time = 20 PA waiting time = 27 The average waiting time =(0+20+7)/3=9 Advantages OFFS Is an algorithm relatively easy to understand and build, choosing of process for execution is very simple, enough to take the first in the queue and also the processes are added at the end of the queues. Fig. : Shortest First scheduling Basis for part Of the experiment will be the flow chart. At the flow chart of SF figure 5 is very clear the logic, processes will be executed after they are selected preliminarily. Disadvantages Through put is very low this because the long process want a long time to be executed, this leads to the so-called monopolizing of CPU.